CFO-ADMIN NEWS YOU CAN USE

A Monthly Newsletter from the

Office of the Chief Financial Officer and

 Director of Administration

August 5, 2011

 

 

In this issue of CFO-Admin News You Can Use, we focus on the following: 

• Coming to ITA – ITA FedTraveler

• Reduction/Restructure of ADTRAV Travel Services

• Standard Operating Procedure for ITA Hiring Freeze Exemption

• Herbert C. Hoover Building (HCHB) Renovation Project Update

• Administrative Savings

• FY 2012 House of Representatives Action on the ITA Budget

• GPO Printing Standard for Federal Register Notices

• ITA Comings and Goings

________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Coming to ITA – ITA FedTraveler

 

Please SAVE THE DATE and join Michelle O’Neill on August 9 at 1pm in the HCHB Auditorium to kick off the ITA FedTraveler Program.  Implementing the FedTraveler.com service at ITA will provide ITA employees that travel on official business with an online solution that simplifies the entire travel process.  FedTraveler.com enables federal employees to plan, book, reserve, track, approve, and reimburse travel in an online environment similar to a commercial travel web site. 

 

 

Reduction/Restructure of ADTRAV Travel Services

 

The Department’s Office of Administrative Services announced a reduction in ADTRAV travel management services to personnel located in the Herbert C. Hoover Building (HCHB).   Effective July 1, 2011, the ADTRAV travel office within HCHB will only provide VIP and Visa/Passport services to employees located at HCHB.

 

HCHB staff, other than approved VIP staff, who require other travel management services should contact the ADTRAV Call Center located in Birmingham, Alabama at 1-866-430-8929.  The fax number is 205-949-4233.  ADTRAV has increased the number of personnel in their Birmingham, Alabama Call Center to handle the increase in the volume of calls expected with the downsizing.

 

If you have questions, please contact Sharon Russell, ITA Travel Manager, at 202-482-3267.

 

 

Standard Operating Procedure for ITA Hiring Freeze Exemption

 

Below is the link to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the automated Hiring Freeze Exemptions Process.  We use this system to ensure speedy processing and review of requests to fill positions.  This system has reduced the processing time from five days to an average of two days.  It also allows the submitter to monitor the progress of the request.  There is the added bonus that the request is always available in PDF format and there are no lost documents or slow-down in processing if a reviewer is not present.

http://itacentral/ita/administration/osr/Documents/HR%20Related/ITA%20Hiring%

20Freeze%20Memo%20REVISED%20July%202011.pdf

 

For more information contact Michael House at 202-482-5739 or via email Michael.House@trade.gov.

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________
 

Administrative Savings 

 

About this time last year the Office of Management and Budget issued guidance (Memo dated June 8, 2010, subject Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Guidance) to heads of Departments and Agencies to develop administrative saving initiatives to reduce costs below current levels.  In coordination with the Department, ITA included approximately $10 million in such savings in the FY 2012 budget now being considered by the Congress.  ITA has identified administrative savings through business process reengineering in areas such as acquisition, human capital, IT related items, logistics plans and in general administrative support. 

 

Some of the savings have come from rather novel sources and more are being developed each month.  Examples of the types of savings that have been identified are consolidating supply purchases with all Commerce Bureaus, reducing the number of phone lines in use in the Hoover Building, eliminating Blackberry service when the device is not being used, increasing the use of the Common Data Platform (http://itacentral/apps/cdpapp/Pages/CDPHome.aspx) and eliminating duplicative subscriptions, as well as many others.  Even the MyIdeas. MyITA program (http://itacentral/ita/administration/omo/Pages/Batch%201%20Approved%20Suggestions%20-%20Public%20Text.htm) has generated savings opportunities related to saving paper and making use of personal computers that are available within ITA.

 

Each savings idea improves ITA’s financial posture during these tight budget times.  If you have a savings idea do not hesitate to submit it through the MyIdeas. MyITA Program.

 

FY 2012 House of Representatives Action on the ITA Budget 

The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee (http://appropriations.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=251676) passed its version of the ITA FY 2012 budget on July 13, 2011. Next, the full House of Representatives will discuss and vote on the budget.  No Senate action has occurred yet. 

 

The House Appropriations Committee reduced the ITA proposed budget from the $516 million level proposed by the President to the existing FY 2011 level and added $10 million for National Export Initiative work in the Commercial Service. The table below describes the budget changes. 

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________

"Other News"

______________________________________________________________________________

 

GPO Printing Standard for Federal Register Notices

 

The Government Printing Office has indicated that all Federal Register Notices (FRNs) must be printed single-sided for publication.  We do not have the option of double-sided printing for Federal Register notices.  Although, the Department is requiring double-sided printing to save cost and be more “green” conscious, we must continue to submit single-sided FRNs to GPO.  Any questions regarding the Federal Register process you may contact Jacqueline Harris at 202-482-4011 or via email at Jacqueline.Harris@trade.gov.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

ITA Comings and Goings

 

Arrivals – WELCOME

 

CFO/ADMIN: Rachelle Johnson; FCS: Daniel Shaw; Erika Trujillo; MAC: Maria Luisa Escudero; MAS: Todd Avery Valentine;

 

Departures

 

OUS: Erin Mewhirter; OCIO: Keenan Gibbs; MAC: Rimma Karlin; Kent Stauffer; MAS: Kenneth Monahan; Cheryl McQueen; FCS: Duaine Priestley; Todd Fox; Cassie Brown;

Steven Wilson; Carol Rudman