National Weather Service Professional Development Series Professional Competency Unit

Description of Job Duty Competency to be Achieved

To use basic government accounting skills to perform office financial duties.

Description of Need

Basic government accounting skills are needed to effectively manage the financial affairs of a NWS office.

Specific Job Task Skills and Knowledge

1. Administer and apply regulations and requirements regarding usage of BankCard and the VISA Check programs.

2. Prepare financial obligation documents.

3. Assure accounts payable are properly coded, accurate, submitted in a timely manner, certified, and monitored for payment.

Instructional Components

Instructional Component 2.1: Utilize mentoring program described in PCU 1. [all]

Instructional Component 2.2: Department of Commerce Acquisition Manual (Part 13, Chapter 1) provides training on use of the BankCard (available on WWW). Manual includes training on VISA Check Program. [1]

Instructional Component 2.3: On-the-Job Training (OJT), regional updates, and Regional ASA meetings are currently used for training. PDS Team expects more formal and extensive training for these elements to be developed in conjunction with CAMS implementation. [2-4]

Instructional Component 2.4: Utilize Regional Administrative Management Guide described in PCU 1. [all]

Instructional Component 2.5: Regional Administrative Management Division (AMD) contact points/office visits as needed. [all]

Instructional Component 2.6: NISC self-study courses on "Introduction to Federal Accounting" (NWS Training Center has prior year credit for $19K for any NISC correspondence courses upon request). [1-3]

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