Wednesday, October 30, 2002

2002 Combined Federal Campaign

The Department of Commerce has kicked off its 2002 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).  Secretary Evans is the Chair of this year’s Campaign, Under Secretary Grant D. Aldonas is the Vice Chair, Assistant Secretary Linda M. Conlin is the Campaign Manager, and Regina D. Heise is the Deputy Campaign Manager.   Pamela Woods is leading ITA’s CFC campaign this year.  The ITA Team Captains are: Kimberly Herb and Monica Hill, Under Secretary’s office; Frank Jaffe, CIO and CFO; Robert Goodyear, IA; Jed Diemond, MAC; Joe Enright, TD; and Peter Frederick, USFCS.

ITA’s volunteer keyworkers will be providing you over the next week with the Catalog of Caring and appropriate forms for your gifts.  The decision to give and the amount of your gift is, of course, a personal voluntary decision. You are invited to participate in a weekly CFC Connections event supporting our 2002 Combined Federal Campaign.  CFC Connections aims to connect Department of Commerce employees with charities that benefit from CFC contributions.  The weekly CFC Connections event will take place on Wednesdays during the Campaign at the Department of Commerce near the tunnel entrance to the Ronald Reagan Building.  The Charities that will be participating each week are to be determined, and will be posted on the Department of Commerce CFC website at http://www.cfc.doc.gov.  Charities will be available from 8:00AM-2:00PM, on the following dates: October 30, 2002; November 6, 2002; November 13, 2002; November 20, 2002; and December 4, 2002.  Please join us and make a CFC Connection!

Safety is ITA's Business

November will launch Safety Month in ITA.  Each office is invited to examine its surrounding to eliminate safety hazards and conditions.  Safety inspections will be conducted.  The inspection checklist can be found on http://ohrm.doc.gov/safetyprogram .  On Thursday, November 7, at noon in room 6800, there will be a safety brownbag conducted by representatives of the ITA Safety Committee.   For additional information, please contact any committee member:  Erin Cole (MAC); William Corfitzen (US&FCS); Lewis Williams (ITA/OCIO); Herman Dogan (CFO/ADMIN/US); Robert Goodyear (IA); Christine Sopko (TD); and Tony Proctor, ITA Safety Chair.

Information Collections

The Paperwork Reduction Act requires the sponsor of an information collection from the public to obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prior to attempting to collect information from 10 or more persons using identical questions. You are considered as the sponsor of an information collection if:

1) The information being gathered is for your use, even if it is gathered by a contractor or another Federal or State agency;

2) You pay someone to collect specific information; or

3) You require that information be submitted or disclosed to anyone else.

For more information, contact Herman Dogan at (202)482-3031.

FY 2003 Budget

We still await House action. We are operating under a Continuing Resolution (HJ Res 123) through November 22, 2002. For more information, contact Alan Zegas at (202)482-5739.

FY 2004 Budget

The OMB "passback" is scheduled for late November. For more information, contact Alan Zegas at (202)482-5739.

Qualification Requirements for Federal positions

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) developed an Operating Manual: Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, which provides information on the required general or specialized experience required for all positions (except attorneys) in the federal government. This manual provides general information on qualifications and educational requirements needed to meet the minimum qualifications to be considered for a vacant position. Applicants should keep in mind that this manual only describes broad guidelines of the required qualifications. The vacancy announcement prepared by the agency or OPM provides the specific qualifications required for individual federal positions. Vacancy announcements are listed at www.usajobs.opm.gov. The operating manual can be viewed and downloaded from www.opm.gov/qualification. If you have any questions, please contact a Human Resources Specialist at (202)482-3301.

Federal Employee Health Benefits Open Season

It is time to review your Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHB) to ensure that your plan suits your health care needs. The open season dates this year are from November 11, 2002, thru December 9, 2002. You must use Employee Express to start, change, or cancel enrollment. Please note that you will need a PIN to access Employee Express. However, if you are a temporary employee or you need to enroll more than five family members, you will need to complete an SF-2809, Health Benefits Registration Form, and submit it to room 7417 no later than close of business December 11, 2002. The effective date is the first pay period in January 2003. Your health benefit carrier is responsible for issuing you an identification card. If you do not receive your card by the third week of January, contact the Employee Express Help Desk at (912)757-3030 and request an Enrollment Confirmation Letter. For additional information, contact Vanessa Lewis at (202)482-8327, or Dottie Bowling at (202)482-3504.

Traveler's Corner

Question: If a non-Federal source provides in-kind travel expenses (i.e., transportation, lodging, meals) to a traveler, should those expenses be claimed on the travel voucher?

Answer: In-kind travel expenses cannot be claimed on the travel voucher. Only those expenses to be billed to the donor or expenses not covered by the donor should be claimed on the travel voucher. If you have questions, please call your travel contact or Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267.

Where Do I Find....

 

If you want to find information concerning the policy of the Department of Commerce with respect to discipline, DAO 202-751, effective August 4, 1980, can be found at http://www.osec.doc.gov/omo/daos/202-751.htm. The Table of Offenses and Penalties, describing the more common types of offenses and the range of penalties normally assessed for those offenses, can be found at Appendix B of the DAO. If you have questions, contact Deanna Shepherd at (202)482-1701.