July 11, 2006

                                                                        DT-06-020

 

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Designated Agency Ethics Officials

 

FROM:            Carolyn W. Chapman

                        Associate Director for Education

 

SUBJECT:       Seattle Regional Ethics Symposium

 

 

            The U.S. Office of Government Ethics will conduct an ethics symposium in Seattle, WA, September 12-14, 2006.  This symposium is being offered to ethics officials in and around the Seattle area.  The symposium consists of plenary courses.  Please disseminate the attached symposium announcement and agenda to your ethics officials as soon as possible.        

 

 

 

Attachments

U. S. Office of Government Ethics FY 06 Ethics Training

Seattle Regional Ethics Symposium September 12-14, 2006

Comments from Past Regional Symposium Participants:  "The presenters and content were excellent. It was very useful."   "Outstanding!"   "Thank you all for your efforts and expertise. I learned a lot."   "This is the best training I have been to in years."   "These were the best OGE sessions I have attended in my 10 years handling OGE matters. Thank you for a thorough, well organized, and informative conference!"   "It was excellent and most helpful! This will help us provide better advice and service to our leaders, managers, and employees."   "It was extremely useful!"

 

 

Learn about some of these challenges; ways to prevent and address conflicts and ethical dilemmas; how to avoid common pitfalls; the latest developments in contracting, and their possible implications for ethics officials; and potential approaches to addressing these issues in the future.

 

Financial Interests: Is There a Conflict? Parts I and II

Do you know the common misunderstandings about 18 U.S.C. § 208, the primary conflict of interest statute?  If not, you may be interpreting the statute incorrectly.  Come hear the ins and outs of analyzing § 208 conflicts of interest and what to do when you identify a real or potential conflict.  Class format includes lecture, discussion, and practical exercises.

 

Hatch Act

While most Federal employees may engage in political activity while they are off-duty, the Hatch Act continues to prohibit employees from running for public office in partisan elections, from raising money for partisan candidates, and from engaging in political activity while on duty.  This session provides information on how employees may be politically active without violating the Hatch Act.

 

Post Employment 

With baby boomers poised to leave the government in record numbers, post employment concerns are yet another emerging issue.  This session provides an overview of the post-employment statute, 18 U.S.C. § 207, as well as a step-by-step methodology for analyzing post-employment situations.  Session format includes lectures and practical exercises.           

 

Prohibited Personnel Practices:  A Primer on the Do's and Don'ts of Supervising Employees

An introduction to the elements of Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPP) and the relevant questions that will help identify times when supervisors or Ethics Counsel should seek additional guidance.

 

Seeking Employment

Over the next five years, federal employees are expected to retire in record numbers.  To compound the issue, studies show that younger workers are likely to change careers seven or eight times in their lifetime!

 

So, what are you to do?  What can you do?  It is your responsibility, as your agency's ethics official, to plan for and address the upcoming changes in the federal workforce.  To effectively respond to conflict situations that could result when employees seek jobs with non-federal entities you must be well-versed in the appropriate statutes and regulations.

 

The Seeking Employment course provides you with the information you need to know what employees can and cannot do related to their job search.  The extensive use of hands-on practices, real-life examples, and case studies provide you with the skills you need to accurately interpret the laws and effectively advise your agency's employees.

 

The New OGE Form 450 and Regulation

This session will discuss the recent changes both to the confidential financial disclosure system and to the OGE Form 450 (OGE-450).  In an interactive presentation, the instructor also will demonstrate the ways in which the reporting requirements and format have changed.

 

Travel

The discussion focuses on the latest developments on employees' use of frequent traveler benefits, the use of premium class accommodations, denied boarding compensation, acceptance of travel payments from non-Federal sources, the use of the travel charge card, routing of travel, the GSA airline city pairs contract, etc.  There is also an open discussion relating to any questions and issues that participants wish to raise involving travel and related ethics topics.

 

Please see attached agenda.

 

Symposium Location

 

Red Lion Hotel

1415 Fifth Avenue

Seattle, WA  98101

TEL:  206-971-8000

 

The Red Lion Hotel will offer the local Government per diem rate of $124 for symposium participants who need lodging based on availability.  Since this rate is not guaranteed, please make your reservations as soon as possible and be sure to mention that you are attending the Seattle Regional Ethics Symposium. 

 

Registration Information

 

To register for the Seattle Regional Ethics Symposium, please visit the Training Workshops and Seminars section of OGE's website at www.usoge.gov and complete the online Registration Form.

 

The registration deadline is five (5) days before the symposium or until the event is full, whichever occurs first.  E-mail confirmations are sent to registrants prior to the symposium.

 

For information regarding the registration process, please contact:

 

Gwen Cannon-Jenkins

Education Assistant

E-mail: gcannon@oge.gov

Phone: 202-482-9219

 

General OGE Course Information

 

For information about OGE training courses, please contact:

 

Kaneisha Cunningham

Education Training Specialist

E-mail: ktcunnin@oge.gov

Phone: 202-482-9228

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Seattle Ethics Symposium

September 12-14, 2006

Red Lion Hotel

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

 

 

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

 

 

Thursday, September 14, 2006