In this Issue

ITA New Travel Management Provider Protect PII
C Request Guidance
Accounting Hand-off to CBS
FY08 Congressional Appropriations
ITAs Human Capital Initiative
Changes in FEHB

Features

Travelers Corner
Where Do I Find

New Travel Management Services Provider-ADTRAV

The current Travel Management Services contract with Carlson Wagonlit/SATO Travel, for the Department of Commerce and its bureaus, expires on September 28, 2007. The new Travel Management Services, ADTRAV Travel Management (ADTRAV) will begin providing services to the Department of Commerce and its bureaus on September 29, 2007.

ACTION: All travelers must complete new travel profiles before travel arrangements can be made with ADTRAV. You can find the profile at http://www.rezprofiler.com/ . The Bureau Worldfile ID for the International Trade Administration is: DOCITA.

The travel office telephone numbers at headquarters for making reservations and processing ViSA/Passport will remain the same. The numbers are (202)482-1543 and (202)482-1215, respectively. The new fax number at headquarters is (205)949-4217 and the email address is: HCHBOnSite@adtrav.com . The ADTRAV Call Center for calls from domestic field employees only is (866)430-8929 and the fax number is (205)949-4233. The email address is: DOCCallCenter@adtrav.com .

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Theresa Hollowell at (202)482-1818 or via email at thollowell@doc.gov .

Protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Downloading forms from OurPlace? Remember to protect your PII -- data that can be used to steal your identity such as Social Security Numbers (SSN), date of birth (DOB) or a combination of personal information like addresses, phone numbers and financial information. Never leave forms with PII exposed at your desk or displayed on your computer, get in the habit of using cover sheets, folders or envelopes when transporting or transmitting documents and always contact the individual you need to drop off PII forms to first so that you can arrange to give your PII directly to the person involved. Protecting PII is a growing concern for ITA as well as the federal government. Be an active partner in safeguarding PII by taking these simple precautions. For questions contact Liz Barnaby via email elizabeth.barnaby@mail.doc.gov or call (202)482-0482.

C. Request Guidance for FY 2008

ITA is migrating from its current Financial Management System (FFS) to Commerce Business Systems (CBS) on October 1, 2007. The migration will impact the C. Request electronic procurement system. Users will not be able to submit/commit any C. Request actions between Friday, September 28, 2007 and October 22, 2007. Follow the guidance below to generate a C. Request between October 1 - 22nd: 1. Enter C. Request actions into the system, populating all necessary fields as usual. 2. Ensure that the the correct FY 08 Accounting Classification Code for the CBS system is used. This is an eight segment/fifty-five digit string. If incorrect coding is used, the request will be returned as disapproved once it is submitted. Users are encouraged to sign up for CBS training Course A to learn the new Accounting Classification Code as soon as possible by contacting CBS at (301)975-5375. 3. Once all required fields are completed, DO NOT COMMIT/SUBMIT THE C. REQUEST TO NOAA or route internally for approval. Instead click on "SAVE" so the document will remain in pending status until you are able to commit/submit on October 22. 4. Completed C. Requests may be committed/submitted for ITA clearance on October 22 and forwarded to NOAA on Tuesday, October 23. 5. Remember that purchase cards may be used as usual during this period to buy any needed office supplies and other items within the card limits. Please make sure that the correct finance office is selected when submitting your C. Request. Users can do this by accessing the C. Request site, click on my profile, type in password, click on continue, select addresses, scroll to the payment office and type in NB817030, click on the double arrows, which will populate the mailing address and then click on save. If you have any questions, please contact Robin Carpenter at (202)482-4989 or via email at Robin.Carpenter@mail.doc.gov .

Accounting Hand-off to the Commerce Business System

Sunday September 30^th is the end of Fiscal Year 2007 and the end of our relationship with the National Business Center, U.S. Department of Interior as our primary accounting service provider. On Monday October 1^st NIST will be our new accounting service provider using the Commerce Business System (CBS). ITA has been working on this transition for 18 months to make the start-up and close-down as error free as possible. The transition has been so comprehensive that outside of staff that are users of the accounting system or generate documents that are forwarded to the accounting system the transition will only be noted by one small change in the use of WEB T&A. Training on all of the CBS features has been ongoing and will continue throughout October. The Office of Financial Management will publish comprehensive guidance soon to explain where to get assistance and support for the customer facing features of the new accounting system ranging from the new accounting codes to how to arrange for a vendor payment. Note that specific guidance is offered elsewhere in this newsletter on travel and procurement processing. If you have any questions please call Catherine Roberts at (202)482-3153.

FY 2008 Congressional Appropriations

The Department of Commerce does not yet have a congressionally passed and Presidentially approved budget for Fiscal Year 2008. Most observers of Capitol Hill action indicate that Commerce and ITA will be operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) at least six weeks and perhaps even longer. Operating under a CR has become almost normal in Commerce and it will not present operational difficulties. The simple explanation for operating under a CR is that ITA’s obligations will mirror the same time frame in the previous year (FY 2007 when we were also operating under a CR) and we are prohibited from starting new programs or stopping current programs. For more information on operations during a CR please call Mr. Michael House at (202)482-5739

ITA’s Human Capital Initiative

Go-Teams Announced

The Go-Teams that Deputy Under Secretary Michelle O'Neill announced in her memorandum dated August 1, 2007 have now been formed. The objective of each GoTeam is to provide analysis and recommendations for its area of focus that will meaningfully improve the culture of ITA. Click here to view the ITA GoTeams. If you have any questions regarding the GoTeams or the ITA Human Capital Initiative, please contact Ruben Pedroza at (202)482-3072 or via email Ruben.Pedroza@mail.doc.gov .

Changes in Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB)

OPM officials say that the upcoming open season for enrolling or changing coverage will begin on November 12, 2007 and close on December 10, 2007. Among significant changes, officials said, are that Blue Cross will offer pilot high-deductible plans with health savings accounts in its Basic option in certain areas, and the Mail Handlers Union plan will merge its high and standard option plans, with high option enrollees moving to the standard option unless they elect otherwise and the plan offering a new "value" option. Thirty-two more plans will be offering high-deductible options, although to date such options have attracted less than a tenth of a percentage point of enrollees. Terms of coverage will generally remain the same with the notable exception of improved hearing benefits for children. If you have any questions about the FEHB program, please call Karen Brown at (202)482-8065 or via email at Karen.Brown@mail.doc.gov.

Traveler’s Corner

As you know, ITA is migrating from its current Financial Management System (FFS) to Commerce Business Systems (CBS) beginning October 1, 2007. This will have an impact on travel order and travel voucher processing. Where do I send approved travel orders for obligation and travel vouchers for payment as we move to the Commerce Business Systems (CBS) at NIST on October 1.

FY 07 funded travel.
Travel begins and ends before September 30, 2007.
Travel order: Fax to NBC Denver (303)969-5151
Travel Voucher: Send to NIST/CBS (payment will not be processed until after October 22, 2007)
Travel funding split between FY 07 and FY 08.
Travel begins on or before September 30 and ends on or after October 1. The funding for this travel is split between FY 07 and FY 08.
Travel order: Fax to NIST Travel Office (301)975-5691
Travel Voucher: Send to NIST/CBS (payment will not be processed until after October 22, 2007)
FY 08 funded travel.
Travel begins and ends on or after October 1, 2007.
Travel Order: Fax to NIST Travel Office (301)975-5691
Travel Voucher: Send to NIST/CBS (payment will not be processed until after October 22, 2007)
Contact Numbers:
NIST Travel HelpDesk: (301)975-5375 or Travelof@nist.gov
NIST Travel Office Address: (for travel vouchers)
NIST Travel Office
100 Bureau Drive, MS 1622
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1622

If you have any questions please contact Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267 or via email Sharon.Russell@mail.doc.gov .

Where Do I Find.... CBS Help?

If you have questions or need help during the changeover to Commerce Business Systems (CBS) or need to contact anyone on the NIST Finance Support Team, you may contact the Help Desk at NIST at (301)975-5375 or email CIC@nist.gov. If you need additional assistance please contact Cathy Roberts at (202)482-3153.