Correspondence Updates

Requests for extension, downgrade and decontrol of controlled correspondence must be submitted to the ITA Secretariat in writing (i.e., email).  Sufficient justification needs to be included.  Please provide concise, detailed information for your request and submit each request prior to the date the response is due to ITA's Secretariat.  If you have questions, please contact the Secretariat staff at (202)482-5101.

ITA Speakers' Series 

The Speakers' Series invites ITA employees to discuss current ITA issues. The series is designed to meet monthly and informally for an hour.  Mark your calendar and join us on the following date:

Date and Time: Thursday, June 2, 2005 at 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 6800

Speaker: Igor Abramov, Director of MAC's Good Governance Program

Topic: "Using ITA Good Governance Program 

Resources as a Tool for Maximizing US Competitiveness"  

Igor Abramov will provide information on Good Governance Program resources and how these resources can be used by ITA offices as tools for maximizing U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace.  Igor will discuss and provide examples of how different ITA offices are working together in cooperation with U.S. Embassies to facilitate institutional capacity building in developing countries by: (1) building partnerships with private sector, government and nongovernmental organizations; and (2) strengthening rule of law and ensuring a level playing field.  His presentation will be followed by a question and answer session. For more information, please contact Lynna Cobrall at (202)482-3031.

Secretary's Budget

ITA submitted the FY07 Secretary's Budget request on May 16, 2005. The total budget request is for $445M and includes $13M in fees. The budget request includes no increases other than adjustments-to-base. Budget hearings with the Department will take place in early June. OFM would like to express appreciation to all of those contributing to this on-time submission. If you have any questions concerning the submission, please contact Amy Duncan at (202)482-5739.

Audits

The independent auditors have identified the location of our domestic audit - Denver, Colorado. In addition to this location the auditors will also visit offices here in the Hoover Building during the summer. During these visits the auditors will examine our records to determine our conformance with regulations - financial, personnel, property and procurement. If you would like to learn more about the audit process please call Roxanna Allen at (202)482 8363.

Upcoming Leadership School Courses

In June 2005, the Leadership School will offer two no-cost courses that are designed around the Senior Executive Service (SES) executive core qualifications.  The courses are: Communications and Conflict Management on June 1 to 2, 2005 and Supervisory Leadership on June 6 to 10, 2005.  These are very informative courses that are presented by highly qualified instructors.  For a description of these and other Leadership School Courses, go to http://www.ita.doc.gov/ita_admin/ohrm/training and then click on Leadership School Course Calendar.  If you have questions about the Leadership School and the courses offered, please contact Anesia Robinson at (202)482-1380 or via email at Anesia_Robinson@ita.doc.gov.

Learning Management System

There will be a series of briefings held to educate ITA employees on the Learning Management System (LMS). A calendar of briefing dates will be sent out via an ITA Broadcast Announcement and will be posted on the OHRM website at http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm.  The LMS is a fully integrated training and development system that features online training, individual development plan development, and a host of other useful tools to facilitate personal and professional growth. To register for the Learning Management System, please contact Tarik Pierce at (202)482-3571 or via email  tarik.pierce@mail.doc.gov.  The web address for the LMS is:   http://e-learning.doc.gov/hq/.

Hispanic Recruitment and Outreach Efforts

One of the CFO's outreach priorities is to address the underrepresentation of Hispanics and other minorities in the ITA workforce.   In the upcoming months, OHRM will partner with program unit Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to attend several outreach events, such as The League of United Latin American Citizens' (LULAC) 76th National Convention to be held from June 27 to July 2, 2005 in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Annual Conference which will be held in October in Phoenix, Arizona.   If you have any questions about these two events or other future minority outreach activities, please call Tina James at (202)482-0653 or via email at Tina_James@ita.doc.gov or Ruben Pedroza at (202)482-3072 or via email at Ruben_Pedroza@ita.doc.gov.  You may also view the ITA OHRM Outreach Activities Calendar by visiting http://ita.doc.gov/jobs/students/calendar.htm.

Procurement/Purchase Card Corner

 Question: How do I apply for a $25K card?

 Answer: To apply for a $25K card, an applicant must:

1.  Complete a 40-hour Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) training course. Upon completion, the applicant will receive a certificate of completion.

2.  Successfully complete the GSA purchase card web-based training course located at the following website address: http://apps.fss.gsa.gov/webtraining/trainingdocs/

smartpaytraining/index.cfm.  A certificate is automatically generated upon successful completion.

3.  Successfully complete the Section 508 training located at http://www.section508.gov/ and provide a copy of your certificate of completion.

4.   Fill out the ITA2058 - Government Purchase Card Set-Up Form. 

5.  Have the approving official draft a memo to Helen Hurcombe, Director of Acquisition and Grants, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to include a "justification of need." The memo must indicate if the applicant is the only cardholder or if there's an existing cardholder in the office, identify the reason why purchasing authority exceeding $2,500 is needed, and identify the office's historical purchasing patterns and other reasons requiring additional purchasing authority; include changes in the office causing an increase level of purchasing.

6. REMINDER: Approving Officials of $25K cards are also required to take the SAP training and GSA web-based training.

Submit your SAP certificate along with test score, GSA on-line certificate of completion, ITA2058, and Section 508 certificate, and "justification for need" memo and include a copy of the approving official's SAP certificate and GSA on-line certificate to Robin Carpenter, Agency Program Coordinator.  If you have questions please contact Robin Carpenter at (202)482-4989 or via email at Robin_Carpenter@ita.doc.gov.

Where Can I Find....ITA Performance Information?

Did you know that ITA has several performance related documents that report ITA performance and results? The first document describes ITA's strategic direction. This document is the FY 2002 - FY 2006 Strategic Plan. A new plan (FY 07 - FY10) is under development, but the current plan can be accessed on-line at: http://www.ita.doc.gov/ooms/ITAMeasures/

ITAStrategicPlan.pdf. The second document is the ITA Annual Performance Plan (APP). This document describes ITA plans and performance measures related to the ITA budget. The APP is accessible on line in the FY 2006 President's budget at: http://www.ita.doc.gov/ofm_guidance/

FY2006PresidentsBudget.pdf. Finally, there is a document that reflects ITA's past performance. This document is the Performance and Accountability (PAR) and the most recent version reflects ITA performance for FY 2004. It is available at: http://www.osec.doc.gov/bmi/Budget/04APPR/SG1.pdf

Budget/04APPR/SG1.pdf. ITA is described under the Department's strategic goal 1. For further information on planning and performance management, contact Ed Meyer at (202)482-3304 or Dondi Ojeda at (202)482-5204.