Secretary's Correspondence Preferences

The Department's Executive Secretariat has provided new guidelines for the preparation of correspondence for the Secretary's signature.  The new guidelines can be found at http://www.ita.doc.gov/ita_sec/Correspondence%20Issues%20(Page%201).htm

along with standing guidelines for Secretarial correspondence.  Those who respond to Secretarial correspondence should familiarize themselves with the Secretary's preferences.  If you have questions, please contact the ITA Secretariat at (202) 482-5101.

ITA Speakers' Series 

The ITA Speakers' Series is currently on hiatus for the remaining summer months, and will resume in mid-September.   Employees who would like to recommend a speaker or a topic or who are interested in presenting during the ITA Speakers' Series are encouraged to contact Charles Jefferson at (202)482-6078 or via email Charles_Jefferson@ita.doc.gov .  Please remember that topics should be interesting, current, and relevant to ITA's mission.  We look forward to hearing from you.  

Avoid Ergonomic Injuries

Make an extra effort to prevent ergonomic injuries that can result from repetitive motion, such as typing or filing.  When typing, keep wrists in a neutral position and strike keys lightly.  Automate highly repetitive tasks whenever possible.  Allow short breaks to control your pacing.  Prevent eyestrain by reducing glare.  Locate commonly used displays at or slightly below eye level.  Whenever possible, reduce the amount of physical effort needed to complete a task or maintain control of equipment.  With your help, we can make ITA a safer place.  If you have questions, please contact ITA's Safety Officer, Jeff Scherr, at (202)482-3266.

Phone Tricks 

Budget Authorization Cable Dates

Be sure to use a current date in the date field on all cables. Sometimes employees copy an old cable using the old cable as a template to create a new cable. It is very important to update the date field with a current date as well as all other budget information. All budget authorization cables can then be submitted to the ACCTCableApproval@mail.doc.gov inbox. If you have questions, contact Crystal Bush at (202)482-8365 or via email Crystal_Bush@ita.doc.gov  

President's Management Agenda (PMA)

As part of the requirements of the President's Management Agenda (PMA), OMB has asked the Department to report performance information quarterly. ITA prepares and reports performance results quarterly to the Deputy Secretary. The Department has also directed all Commerce Bureaus to ensure that performance data is valid, accurate, timely and high quality and requires each Commerce Bureau Head to submit an annual attestation statement on its performance and results. With this in mind, we ask that each ITA Measure Owner to retain pertinent records should the Office of the Secretary/Budget Office or the Office of the Inspector General need to review our data and processes. Additionally, the dates for reporting actual performance data for FY 2005 have been moved up and ITA is expected to have actual performance results by October 14, 2005. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Ed Meyer at (202) 482-3304. 

FY 2006 Budget

The Senate Committee on Appropriations has reported out appropriations language for ITA's FY2006 budget. The funding level proposed by the Senate is $0.7M more than ITA's request. The House version of the ITA's budget is different from the Senate's and the two legislative bodies have to work out a compromise. If no compromise is reached by Oct 1, ITA will operate under a continuing resolution as has been common for the past 10 years. The following links to the Senate action are provided for your reference.

Senate Appropriation Committee Press Statement: http://appropriations.senate.gov/hearmarkups/CJSFull.htm

Senate Appropriation Committee Report: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_reports&docid=f:sr088.109.pdf

=109_cong_reports&docid=f:sr088.109.pdf

Senate Appropriation Committee Bill: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname

=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h2862rs.txt.pdf

If you have questions contact Doug Allis at (202)482-9151.

ITA OHRM Web Pages

Check out some of the new Web pages ITA OHRM has launched.  These Internet sites have been designed so that employees and potential employees are able to navigate and surf HR information with minimal direction, yet gain maximum information.  The ITA OHRM Home Page  (http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/) will soon take on a new and enhanced look.   Below are a few of the OHRM Web pages to visit:

ACES (http://ita.doc.gov/jobs/)  (Automated Commerce Employment System) is designed to help employees and the public, understand how to use ACES, and how to apply for jobs within ITA or its serviced bureaus

ITA OHRM Standard Practices  (http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/sop/) Web page houses information on ITA OHRM Standard Operating Procedures and on Internal and External HR Policies.   

ITA OHRM welcomes all suggestions and comments on how it can better improve its Internet Web site, to better serve its customers.  You may direct all inquiries to either Ruben Pedroza at 202-482-3072 or at (Ruben_Pedroza@ita.doc.gov) or Marques Young at (202)482-5188 or at (Marques_Young@ita.doc.gov).

Managing Conflict

The Employee and Labor Relations Group of ITA/OHRM would like to invite you to a Lunch and Learn Brown Bag Program on Tuesday, July 12th at Noon in Room B-841-A. The topic is on Managing Conflict.  We will discuss how stress, negativity, and communication obstacles like work style and generational differences, lead to workplace conflicts.  We will also discuss ways to manage these conflicts and ways to build relationships between parties to both decrease conflicts and to help achieve a positive and rewarding work environment.  We hope you can make it for what should be an interesting and rewarding discussion.  For more information, please contact Mike Stein at 202-482-2274 or at Mike_Stein@ita.doc.gov. 

Traveler's Corner

Question:  Must a traveler use their agency's Travel Management Service (TMS) to make travel arrangements?

Answer: Yes,  ITA travelers must use SATO DOC's Travel Management Service, to make transportation,  lodging and car rental reservation. If you have questions, please call your travel contact or Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267.

 Where Do I Find....Information on Federal Salaries?

Employees can find information on the current Federal salary tables, effective in January 2005, for General Schedule (GS) employees on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website.  The salary tables are by locality.  The link is http://www.opm.gov/oca/05tables/indexGS.asp.  Employees working in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area are covered in the Locality Pay Area of Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-PA-WV.  If you have questions regarding pay, contact Lorese Green at (202)482-5232 or at Lorese_Green@ita.doc.gov.