ARC Briefing August 2005

1. ARC BriefingAugust 2005 Presented by the DCP / DCCPS ARC National Institutes of Health DHHS

2. AGENDA • Welcome • Travel • New HHS Travel Guidelines • Cross-Over Fiscal Year Travel • Travel Cut off dates for Local vouchers & FY05 Travel • Omega’s Ticketing Policy during a CR • Procurement • Reminder: Procurement Cut off Dates • Turn in Receiving • Submit Hardware & Supply Purchases Now • Foreign FedEx / Shipping forms • Ethics Issues • HHS-520 forms should be typed • Information for Employees • e-OPF Information • NIH ID Badge Tests • Calendar of Events for Benefits • New TSP Fund is Available

3. Welcome! • ARC Briefings are held the 2nd Thursday of every month. • From 2:30 to 3:30pm • We encourage agenda submissions and active participation. If you have a topic for next month’s meeting, email Eric Graves in the DCP ARC. • Previous meeting presentations may be downloaded athttp://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/arc/presentations.html

4. Travel

5. HHS Travel Guidelines • New HHS travel policies went into effect April 3, 2005. • NIH is working on updating the NIH Manual Chapters to reflect the new changes. • In the meantime, NIH has disseminated both a travel matrix and Q & A’s to address the most important changes. • http://camp.nci.nih.gov/admin/revisedtravel.doc (matrix) • http://camp.nci.nih.gov/admin/qaguide_revised.doc (Q & A’s)

6. Key Changes to Travel • Travel advances for non-cardholders are NTE 60% of total expenses, but travelers can request up to 100% if there is ‘justifiable & significant’ financial hardship. • Travelers are expected to work or take appropriate leave for remaining duty hours in the day of travel. • Non-Contract fares must be at least 40% cheaper than contract fare when cost is primary justification. • Personal phone calls home allowed starting first lodging night (receipts now required) no reimbursement for personal calls on personal cell phones.

7. Authorizations for Travel Crossing FY05 & FY06 • Fiscal Year 05 (FY05) ends Sept 30th; Fiscal Year 06 (FY06) begins on Oct 1. If one of your customers travels across these dates, you must enter their travel authorization a little differently: • If a trip crosses 2 fiscal years, you must process 2 authorizations: • An FY05 authorization with only FY05 dates & expenses. • Provide full per diem for Sept. 30, lodging will be added in the misc field. In the description state that this is for lodging for Sept 30th. And an • FY06 authorization will only have FY06 dates & expenses. • Provide full per diem for Oct 1. • Each travel authorization should reference the other in the Comments box: • Reference the FY05 travel auth. number on the FY’06 travel auth. • Reference the FY06 travel auth. number on the FY’05 travel auth. Continued

8. Authorizations for Travel Crossing FY05 & FY06 (continued) • The following expenses should be placed on the FY05 Authorizations: • Tickets • TMC fees • (check the Omega Itinerary to be sure only 1 TMC fee is charged) • Rental Car • Any other expenses such as parking, tolls, lodging, meals, or taxis should cite the FY CAN/Project Number for the fiscal year in which the expense occurs. • For example, a taxi ride on Sept 30th will be on the FY05 travel; and a taxi ride on Oct 1 will be on the FY06 travel. • All GTA expenses belong on the FY05 Travel Auth.

9. Travel Cut off dates • All Travel Authorizations for FY05 travel are to be submitted to the ARC by 8/31/2005. • Local Vouchers for trips that have already occurred should also be submitted by 8/31/2005. • If local travel takes places after 8/31/2005, be sure to submit the local voucher within 2 days after the trip.

10. Getting Tickets From OmegaDuring a Continuing Resolution • The new fiscal year [FY06] begins on Oct 1, 2005. • If we start the new fiscal year without a signed Appropriations Bill, we will be under a Continuing Resolution (CR). • We would like to remind you and your customers that Omega will not issue tickets for travel starting beyond the current CR period. • It’s possible that there will be several CR Extensions we’ll have to deal with. • If this occurs, the ARC will let you know the details on each CR Extension as soon as we receive the information. • Please remember to use the “Pending Availability of Funds” drop down from the ‘Other Authorizations’ when entering travel authorizations

11. Procurement

12. Procurement Cut Off Dates • If your group intends to purchase any items listed on the Acquisition Deadline chart, (distributed at the June 2005 ARC Briefing), please submit a purchase request to the ARC for that item at least one week before the posted cut-off date. • For your convenience, we’ve attached another copy of the 2005 Acquisition Deadlines to your slides.

13. Please Turn in Receiving • If anyone has any receiving documentation outstanding for any FY 2005 procurement, please be sure to turn it into your ARC office in preparation for the year-end closeout.

14. Submit Purchases ASAP • Please alert your customers that the deadline for this fiscal year’s purchases is rapidly approaching. • We ask that you please submit any final hardware or supply orders ASAP.

15. DEMO: Using ECS III • ECS III Contracts: An easy way to obtain quotes for your hardware purchases over $2,500 • What Is It? • The Electronic Commodities Store Contract (ECS) offers computer hardware, software and other equipment to NIH. • What are the benefits? • Dozens of contractors will compete for your business by submitting online bids- this saves you a lot of time! No more repetitive phone calls and faxes to different vendors. • You may select the specific brand names/models you want. • Place one online request for quote with your own deadline; • After receiving the bids, you choose the lowest price, print the RFQ page and submit this with your purchase request to the ARC.

16. DEMO: Using ECS III • You’ll need to go to the ECS III Home Page: • http://nitaac.nih.gov/Ecs3homepage.asp • Or, go to: • CAMP, Admin, Business Areas, Procurement, Electronic Computer Store, ECS III • First, you’ll need to submit an instant registration: • From the Home Page, click on • You’ll go to: • Click on

17. DEMO: Using ECS III • Soon after registering, you’ll receive an email with you user name and password • When you’re ready to use the ECS III RFQ: • Just like when you registered, go to the ECS III homepage, click on ECS III quoting system, and this time click on • There’s an on-line manual at: http://nitaac.nih.gov/UserManuals/ECS3CustomerManual.htm

18. DEMO: Using ECS III • Creating a New Request For Quote (RFQ) • Click on “RFQ’s” at the top of the page; • Use the drop down to choose “Create New RFQ”; • Select the equipment type (or ALL types); • You may click “Attach File” if you have a document on your computer with your desired equipment spec.s; • If you wish, click, ‘Notify by email’ for RFQ responses; • Click create RFQ; • Choose a deadline for all bids by entering the date; • Submit the quote, and sit back and wait for the vendors to battle over your business!

19. International Shipments • We are not allowed to use Fed Ex to send documents to foreign countries.  It is an Unauthorized Procurement. • There are 2 ways to send documents to foreign countries: • If the shipment is not time sensitive:  Use U.S. Postal Service. Or, • If the shipment is time sensitive:  Use the NIH Shipping Office: • The document should be 30 or less unfolded pieces of paper in an addressed envelope (name, bldg, room, street address, zip code, phone number) •  Form NIH 1884-1 should be completed and attached to the front of the document.  (A copy is attached to your handout) • Call the NIH Shipping Office at (301)496-5921 for pickup.  Delivery is within 2 days.

20. Ethics Issues

21. HHS 520 Forms • All HHS 520 forms should be typed or completed electronically. • The electronic version of the new form is posted on the DCP ARC website at http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/arc/. • Simply save this Word document onto your computer as you complete the form. This makes changes for the form significantly easier. • If your customers complete the 520 forms, we recommend you advise them to do save the Word document.

22. Information for Employees

23. e-OPF Information • Your personnel folder is now available on-line • You will be able to see, print, and group items in your Official Personnel Folder (OPF) • You will be able to receive emails as items are added to your eOPF • You will be getting 2 emails from the Program Support Center (PSC) • One will give you instructions on how to log into your eOPF. • The other will give you your password. • You should log into your eOPF as soon as you get the email to make sure your information is current and accurate • You can visit the HHS eOPF website @ http://intranet.hhs.gov/eopf/ for Frequently Asked Questions and eOPF Quick Reference Guide.

24. NIH ID Badge Tests • On August 29, 2005 changes will take place with ID badge validation • Things each employee must do before August 29, 2005: • There are ID badge readers located at validation stations (similar to the card readers at building entrances. • When you approach a validation station, the light will be RED, when you present your ID badge to the reader, it will beep and the light will turn GREEN (indicating a valid, functional ID. The reader will then ‘reset’ to red, ready for the next customer. • If the reader stays on RED or alternates between RED and GREEN, This indicates and problem with your ID card and it needs to be replaced • PLEASE NOTE: If you are carry more than one badge, it is important that you separate your NIH ID badge from other badges before presenting it to the card reader. This will prevent signal interference and a possible ‘false’ red light caused by other cards. • Please advise your customers to Test their ID badge ASAP at the nearest validation station located at 6130 Executive Blvd, next to the guard desk • Pease contact your Administrative Officer if your badge needs to be reissued.

25. Benefits Calendar of Events • The August Benefits Calendar of Events is attached to your handouts along with a description of the Service Days. • We’ve also included several important employee benefit websites.

26. Put Your TSP Investments on Cruise Control with the L FUNDS • The L Funds provide you with a convenient way to diversify your account among the G, F, C, S, and I Funds, using professionally determined investment mixes that are tailored to different time horizons. Your “time horizon” is the date (after you leave Federal service) that you think you will need the money in your TSP account. Because it is important for each L Fund to maintain its target investment mix, the TSP will automatically rebalance each L Fund daily. Then, each quarter, the investments in each L Fund will shift to a slightly more conservative mix. In addition, experts will review the investment mixes periodically to be sure they are still appropriate. • For more information on the (L) Funds go to http://:www.tsp.gov Click on each L Fund’s pie chart to see the potential investors, objectives, and asset allocations associated with that Fund. To see more detailed information on all of the L Funds, click on the box labeled “L Funds Information Sheet.” • Questions and answers about the (L) Funds can be answered on the website as well!

27. OPEN DISCUSSION Problems? Issues? Concerns? Anything you’d like to see on next month’s agenda? Do you have something you’d like to present? Just let us know!