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Comptroller of the Commonwealth Strategic Plan In Brief 2013-2015
The Strategic Plan document was developed pursuant to Executive Order 540 which calls on state government to develop and publish strategic plans and institute performance management.  While the Office of the Comptroller is an independent agency within the executive branch, it coordinates many of its operational activities with the Executive Office of Administration and Finance (A&F) and a number of its agencies. Accordingly, this strategic plan aligns with the overarching goals set forth in the ANF Strategic Plan.

Please send feedback regarding this plan to: mailto:comptroller.info@state.ma.us

Payroll User Group Meeting Wednesday March 6
The next Payroll User Group Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 6, from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. in the 21st Floor Conference Room, One Ashburton Place, Boston.

The agenda items include the following: Calendar Year Wrap-Up, Payroll Reminders, Payroll Close/Open Timeline, Self Service Time and Attendance Update, SmartPlan, and Metro Credit Union. Additional agenda items may be added. The meeting will also be available through webcast for those who cannot attend in person.

Please register for these sessions via the Comptroller's Training and Meeting Schedule.

MMARS Saturday Hours
MMARS and LCM will be available Saturday, February 23, from 9:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. The Help Desk will not be staffed and any Saturday Help Desk calls will be returned on Monday, February 25.

Weekly Fraud Awareness and Prevention Fact – Financial Cost
The financial cost of fraud is just one of the many negative consequences. In addition to loss of money, the financial cost can also be measured in the loss of assets, potential loss of future funding, potential fines, and in some cases repayment of funding.

Please visit the Fraud Prevention section of our Internal Controls Page for a link to the Toolkit for Departments to Combat Fraud, Waste and Abuse and the Brochure. 

If you have any questions regarding this or previous Fraud Awareness and Prevention Facts, please contact the Comptroller Help Desk at 617-973-2468 or via email Comptroller.Info@State.MA.US. To report Fraud, Waste, or Abuse, contact one of the Commonwealth’s Whistleblower Hotlines.

Upcoming Training Sessions and Meetings

  • CIW Report Building with MS Access – Thursday, February 28, 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. One Ashburton Place Boston, 9th Floor Training Lab
  • Intro to State Finance MMARS Navigation – Tuesday, March 5, 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. One Ashburton Place Boston, 9th Floor Training Lab
  • Payroll User Group Meeting – Wednesday, March 6, 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. One Ashburton Place Boston, 21st Floor Conference Room
  • Webcast Payroll User Group Meeting – Wednesday, March 6, 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M., Online Training
  • Encumbrance Management – Thursday, March 7, 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. One Ashburton Place Boston, 9th Floor Training Lab
  • Fraud Awareness and Prevention – Tuesday, March 12, 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. One Ashburton Place Boston, 9th Floor Executive Conference Room
  • HR/CMS Fundamentals – Wednesday, March 13, 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. One Ashburton Place Boston, 9th Floor Training Lab
  • Intro to MMARS Warehouse – Thursday, March 14, 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. One Ashburton Place Boston, 9th Floor Training Lab


Register for these sessions via the Comptroller's Training and Meeting Schedule which lists classes scheduled for the next three months and Payroll User Groups through December 2013.

MMARS Hint of the Week – Modify a Receivable
A Receivable Event (RE) can be modified to change the accounting distribution for an existing line on the original RE or to increase or decrease the dollar amount.

A Receivable Modification decrease totaling $100,000 or more will go into a Pending status in MMARS. Departments must submit a request for approval and override from the CTR General Accounting Bureau. 


The Receivable Modification Request Form as well as its accompanying CTR policy on Receivable Recognition and Reconciliation is available from the Comptroller’s website.