ITA Escape Hood Training

On Tuesday, April 4th, the ITA Safety Council will conduct two Escape Hood training sessions at 10:00 and 2:00, in Room B-841B.  You must take the training to receive a hood, which you will receive at the end of the session.  The sessions will teach you how to correctly wear the emergency Escape Hoods, which have been certified as the best commercially available protective hoods.  There is no charge for this training, but you must register in advance.  If you have questions or wish to sign up for one of these sessions, please contact the ITA Safety Officer, Jeff Scherr, at (202)482-3266 or by email at Jeffrey.Scherr@mail.doc.gov.

Records Management

Good records management allows ITA to maintain accountability and credibility. On the other hand, inadequate records management leaves ITA vulnerable to legal and professional repercussions. ITA offices are required to maintain adequate and proper documentation of their organization, activities, and decisions. Records may be destroyed and/or transferred to the Washington National Records Center or regional Federal Records Centers only in accordance with a records control schedule approved by the National Archives and Records Administration.  For more information go to  http://www.ita.doc.gov/ooms/RSC_Homepage.htm or contact vladimir.diaz@mail.doc.gov or (202)482-3756.

Citibank Travel Card

ITA Citibank travel cardholders are reminded that Citibank offers an on-line payments system for ITA travelers to use. The system provides direct access to payment history, a 3-step system to make payments and is available 24 hours, 7 days a week to cardholders world-wide.  The on-line payments system is available at: https://www.onlinestatements.cards.citidirect.com/.  If you have questions, please call Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267.

The Office of Financial Management's (OFM) Planning and Performance Management Staff maintains ITA-wide performance data and reports the information to ITA senior management and to the Department on a quarterly basis. ITA performance “measure owners” update quarterly data in ITA's web-based performance management system, pbViews, at the end of each quarter. These data are the basis for measuring ITA's progress toward achieving our long-term goals.  The majority of ITA employees individual performance plans are now directly linked to these organization-wide long-term goals. We will begin to post quarterly performance results in "Administrivial Pursuits" in April 2006. Stay tuned!  For more information regarding pbViews, or for additional information on ITA's current performance metrics, please contact Dondi Ojeda at (202)482-5204.

Human Resources Contact

Are you unsure if you have completed the required benefits form?  Do you know who you should contact about filling a vacancy?  Who do you call when you have a question about your pay or leave?  Who should you call when you move from one state to another and need to change your tax withholding forms?  Who do you call if you are interested in taking a training course?  Anytime you have a question about a Human Resources (HR) matter, you can easily find out the appropriate person to contact by going to the ITA Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) website at http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/tele.htm. There staff charts that list names of OHRM employees, their phone numbers, email addresses and assigned areas of responsibility.  Please contact the appropriate HR staff member, or their backup, when there is a need for HR services.  ITA/OHRM ‘s commitment to its customers is backed by an ITA/OHRM approach called C3Q:  Cooperation – Collaboration – Communication with an overall focus on sustained quality service.  If you have any questions about the information on this website, contact Ruben Pedroza at (202)482-3072 or via email at Ruben_Pedroza@ita.doc.gov.  

Summer Intern Program

Program units that have a need for summer interns should contact their servicing HR Specialist.  Students hired for summer internships are typically hired through the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP).  STEPs count against the FTE ceiling and will require a freeze exemption.  Program units can also consider the Student Volunteer Service (SVS) program, an unpaid internship.  SVS students do not count against the FTE ceiling since they are unpaid.  No freeze exemption is required.  All summer internships need to be coordinated through your servicing HR Specialist.  You can obtain more information on the STEP and SVS programs by reading the ITA Student Employment Program standard operating procedure. Click here to read:  http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/sop/documents/Student%20Employment%20Program.pdf. If you have any questions regarding the Student Employment Program, please contact your servicing HR Specialist:  http://ita.doc.gov/hrm/documents/EASG_Functional_Chart_1-10-2006.pdf

Purchase Card Corner

Question: How does a Cardholder change information on the purchase card?

Answer: To change information on your existing Purchase Card, access the ITA2061, Government Purchase or Travel Card Maintenance Form, available on the ITA Intranet, "Ourplace"at http://ourplace.ita.doc.gov. To change information on the purchase card complete:

1. SECTION I. Identify the account to be updated

● Type cardholder number.

● Type name of cardholder as it appears on the card.

 2. SECTION II. Type of Cardholder maintenance request

● Indicate an 'X' by the type of maintenance requested.

3. SECTION III. Cardholder Information

● Complete in Section III only the information to be changed in the cardholder account.

4. SECTION IV. Reporting Parameters

● Leave Blank

5. SECTION V. Authorization Parameters

● Leave Blank

6. SECTION VI. Account Closure Instructions

● Approving Official Signature

7. SECTION VII. Agency Organization Program Coordinator Signature

● Return the form to Robin Carpenter in Room 4001.  Robin will sign as ITA's Program Coordinator and submit the form for changes..

Where Do I Find.... ITA Administrative Guidance

ITA Policies, Guidelines, and Procedures to assist employees in performing their jobs may be found on the Office of Organization and Management Support (OOMS) website at http://www.ita.doc.gov/ooms/GUIDANCE.HTM.  Each set of guidance lists a contact person to assist you should you have questions or need additional information.  If you are unable to locate the information you need on the website, you may contact OOMS at (202)482-5436 and you will be directed to a staff member who can assist you with your administrative information needs.