How can I find out what Log Level was selected for my Project Audit Log in Deltek Cobra, and what does this actually mean anyway? Well, I’ll get to that after a few more paragraphs, but it’s important to understand why we should care in the first place. What does it matter what the Log Level is?
Explanation of Feature:
When you first initialize the Project Audit Log for a new program in Deltek Cobra, it prompts you for the level at which to prompt for changes.
Each option will cause Deltek Cobra to prompt you for a log entry at a different stage in the proceedings. It also writes different levels of detail to the audit log and thus to the Project Audit and Log reports. Here’s what actually happens in the tool depending on the setting you choose.
Set Log Level
Control Account – this will only prompt you for a BCR number and log comment when to make a change in one Control Account and then select another Control account. If you make multiple changes within one Control Account, you will not be prompted for a BCR and comment until you select a different Control Account or click the Save button.
Work Package – this will only prompt you for a BCR number and log comment when you make a change to a work package and then select another work package. If you made multiple changes within the one work package, you will not be prompted until you click on another work package or click the Save button.
Resource Assignment – this will prompt you for a BCR number and log comment when you make a change to a budget resource assignment and then click on another resource within the same work package.
In short, the lower the level of prompt you choose for your log level, the more BCR and log comment prompts you will see.
The Audit Log
The Audit Log itself will contain more or less detail depending on the level you set. For example, if you set the Log Level to Control Account, the log will only record transactions at that level. Take a look at this example.
Control Account Level
In this next screenshot, you are seeing an adjustment of resource hours when the prompt was set to Control Account level. Note how the A column header indicates the Log Level and the adjusted record (row 9) shows just the name of the control account; i.e. 1.2.2.1/ENG.
Resource Assignment Level
At the other end of the spectrum, we see the same transaction performed on the same resource when the log level is set to Resource Assignment. Note how in row 15 the transaction shows the respreads of the electrician hours right down at the resource assignment level; i.e. column A gives the control account ID, the work package ID and the resource name. Also note that the other records created when the log was first switched on go down to the resource assignment detail for all the control accounts, unlike the previous example where the values recorded where at the control account level and don’t list the resources that contributed to the totals in the Amount column (H).
So to answer the first question “How can I find out what Log Level was selected for my Project Audit Log?” then you only need look at the Header in the A column of the standard Project Audit or Log reports to find the answer. Unfortunately it isn’t labeled as the log level, but once you know where to look, it’s all good.
Summary:
Clearly log level selection in Deltek Cobra has important implications for your EVMS so selecting the right level at the time the Audit log is switched on is critical. It can’t be changed once the log is first set. Even switching off the log and then switching it back on doesn’t allow you to change the level once the project audit log has been initialized.
If in doubt, go to a lower level. Better to have too much detail and summarize it after the fact, than to be plied with unanswerable questions by your friendly DCMA auditor somewhere down the road.
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