AGENCY SMART RAPPORT ASSOCIATION (ASTRA)

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Established December 13, 1991
Revised November 16, 2010

Background

The State of Kansas utilizes an accounting system for the centralized processing of state agency receipts and expenditures. The Statewide Management, Accounting, and Reporting Tool (SMART) has been designed to serve the current and future accounting and financial reporting needs of the state entity and its component agencies.

The state agency with oversight responsibility for the operations of the SMART system is the Department of Administration, Division of Accounts and Reports. The Secretary of Administration has delegated primary responsibility to the Division of Accounts and Reports, Accounting Systems and Procedures Section.

ASTRA was initially created to serve as a communication link between state agencies and the Department of Administration, increase the understanding, and improve the functionality of the STARS System in 1991. The scope of ASTRA has been expanded to include SMART in 2010 and other state financial management issues.

Mission Statement

Promote and develop communication relating to the State of Kansas financial management issues.

Goals

• Provide a forum for state agencies to discuss state-wide financial management issues.
• Serve as a resource to the Department of Administration.
• Promote the users knowledge and understanding of State financial management procedures.
• Promote the users knowledge and understanding of SMART.
• Identify opportunities and make recommendations for improvements to SMART, including systems interface requirements.
• Identify features of SMART that have not been implemented and make priority recommendations of the features to be implemented.
• Identify and make collective recommendations for improvement to the State's accounting practices and procedures.

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