6 FAH-5 H-410 GENERAL

Start Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Last Modified: Saturday, May 2, 2020

End Date: Friday, December 31, 9999

UNCLASSIFIED (U)

6 FAH-5 H-400
ICASS BUDGET, invoice, AND funding PROCESS

6 FAH-5 H-410

GENERAL

(CT:ICASS-48; 09-21-2015)
(Office of Origin: CGFS/ICASS)

6 FAH-5 H-411 Annual ICASS fiscal year budget and Invoice Cycle

(CT:ICASS-48; 09-21-2015)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)

a. The annual ICASS fiscal year budget cycle begins in February, eight months before the beginning of the upcoming fiscal year. This calendar shows the entire 20 month period of the annual fiscal year budget cycle (from February 1, prior to the start of the budget fiscal year, through September 30, the end of the budget fiscal year).

b. The forward planning process is not included in this calendar as the timing of that process is outside of this calendar of events (see 6 FAH-5 H-430).

NOTE 1: Required interagency meetings are in bold in the calendar of events.

NOTE 2: Materials, background information and ICASS documents should be provided to participants at least two days before any meeting.

NOTE 3: The budget and invoice cycle identified in this calendar is the same for the Department of State (State) service provider and alternate service providers (ASP), unless otherwise identified.

Date

Post Actions

Washington Actions

February

Workload Modification Review: Workload count modification criteria and budget methodology review meeting where the budget committee reviews the existing post-specific modification policy and approves new requests consistent with the policy. The budget committee reviews requests for modifications not covered in posts policy and decides to approve or deny the requests. The Budget Committee also reviews and approves the usage of sub-cost centers and location budgeting for the next fiscal year.

MOU distributed: Service provider distributes the MOU and subscription of services agreement (SSA) (see 6 FAH-5 H-210) to customer agencies for signature.

 

April 1

Service withdrawal deadline: Customer agencies must submit notifications of withdrawal from services to the service provider by April 1 to have an effective date of October 1.

 

May 1

Workload counts collected: Service provider(s) collect ICASS workload counts as of this date, and update cost center time allocations for ICASS and ASP employees for the upcoming fiscal year.

 

June 1

Workload counts distributed (to allow for 30 day review period): service provider distributes workload counts and time allocation reports from the ICASS software to the customer agencies for review.

 

June

Initial Target Input: Posts provide regional bureaus, OBO and DS with their funding requirements for the coming fiscal year through various means (e.g. data calls, real property application (RPA) system requests, etc.) as determined by each funding bureau.

Workload counts and time allocation review meeting: Service provider and Budget Committee meet to review and validate all workload counts and employee time allocations.

Workload approval: During the month, the service provider and agency representatives resolve any workload and time allocation issues.

Should an agency refuse to approve its workload counts or workload modifications, the workload dispute process must be followed (see 6 FAH-5 H-462.1).

NOTE: Approved workload counts are used in the initial and final budget submissions for the upcoming fiscal year.

July 1

MOU Authorization Deadline: By this date each agency representative must sign their annual MOU and SSA.

 

July/August (according to the ISC established workload data due date)

Data call plan Submission: State service provider submits approved workload data (data call plan) to the ICASS service center (ISC).

ASP submits workload data in accordance with their agencys guidance.

Initial target development: The Bureau of Budget and Planning (BP) provides Regional Bureaus and Diplomatic Security (DS) with initial planning figures for the upcoming fiscal year for development of initial target recommendations. With information received from posts, ICASS funding offices develop and submit initial target recommendations to the Bureau of Budget and Planning (BP) for review and consolidation. BP forwards the initial target recommendations to the ISC.

ASP headquarters collects budget year requirements from posts and forwards ASP target recommendations to the ISC.

August

 

Workload report: The ISC forwards workload counts from posts data call plans to ICASS agencies in Washington.

September

Orientation Meeting: Council and budget committee orientation meeting: At this meeting the new Council and Budget Committee chairs are elected, members discuss current ICASS issues and provide training and orientation for new members.

 

Initial target Recommendations: The ISC distributes target recommendations and related documentation to the ICASS Working Group (IWG) Budget Committee (BC) for review.

Initial target hearings: The Bureau of Budget and Planning conducts hearings and the IWG BC reviews and approves initial targets.

ISC uploads approved initial ICASS targets to the ISC website.

ASP headquarters notifies ASP posts of approved initial targets.

October 1

Fiscal year begins

Fiscal year begins

October 1

Service Withdrawal Deadline: Customer agencies must submit notifications of withdrawal from services to the service provider by October 1 to have an effective date of April 1.

 

October

 

Revised Initial Targets: The Bureau of Budget and Planning updates initial targets for regional bureau and DS funds to reflect exchange rate gains/losses based on September 30th exchange rate data. ISC uploads revised initial targets to the ISC Web site.

ASP headquarters updates posts initial targets based on September 30th exchange rate data and notifies ASP posts.

Initial budget guidance: ISC establishes initial budget due dates and provides budget preparation and submission guidance to posts.

October/

November

Initial Budget Preparation: State service provider prepares the initial budget using the revised initial targets posted on the ISC website.

ASP prepares initial budget using the initial target received from ASP headquarters.

Initial Invoices: ISC issues recapitalization invoices to agencies based on 70% of prior year ICASS final invoices. Invoices may be prorated under a continuing Resolution.

ASP headquarters issue recapitalization invoices in accordance with its agencys guidance.

November

Initial budget approval: Service provider presents the initial budget to the Budget Committee at the initial budget review meeting. The Budget Committee reviews and approves the initial budget.

Initial budget ratification: Service provider presents the Budget Committee approved initial budget to the ICASS Council for ratification at the initial budget ratification meeting.

Initial invoice distribution: After the Council ratifies the initial budget, the service provider distributes invoices to customer agencies for signature. For alternate service provider (ASP) posts, the ISC prepares special initial invoices that redistribute State service provider and ASP costs to their customer agencies.

Agencies have ten business days from date of invoice distribution to review and sign initial post invoices. If an invoice is not signed within ten business days, or if an agency refuses to sign its initial invoice within the given time period, the dispute process must be followed (see 6 FAH-5 H-462.2). In the event an agency has not signed its invoice but has not filed a formal dispute within the ten-day period, the agency may no longer dispute the invoice.

 

December (according to the ISC established budget due date)

Initial budget submission: Service provider submits the ratified initial budget and summary of signed invoices to the ISC.

 

 

January

 

Late budget penalty: The ICASS Working Group Budget Committee imposes a 1% reduction on the post regional bureau target for initial budgets submitted after the established due date. Additionally, posts that receive this penalty may not receive an increase during the final target setting process.

Final target development: The Bureau of Budget and Planning develops financial spending plans for State bureaus and offices upon enactment of current year Congressional appropriations. The Regional Bureaus, OBO and DS develop final target recommendations based on their projected annual funding levels, posts initial budgets, and data received from posts by the funding offices (e.g. real property application (RPA) requests).

ASP headquarters develops final targets for ASP posts.

February

 

Final Target Recommendations: State bureaus and offices submit final target recommendations for the current fiscal year to the Bureau of Budget and Planning.

Initial ICASS invoices: The ISC produces initial invoices adding domestic ICASS costs to post initial budgets to produce consolidated initial invoices. These invoices are for informational purpose only. Initial invoices are distributed to customer agencies.

Initial ASP invoices: The ASP produces and issues initial invoices to customer agencies in accordance with its agencys guidance.

March

Annual performance assessment meeting: ICASS Council begins review of ICASS effectiveness based on the most recent customer satisfaction survey results and comments, eServices survey and post generated surveys. Results are due to the chief of mission by June 1.

Final Target Recommendations: The Bureau of Budget and Planning reviews final target recommendations and forwards the State service provider final target recommendations to the ISC. ASP headquarters submit final target recommendations to the ISC.

The ISC distributes target recommendations and related documentation to the IWG BC for review.

April 1

Service withdrawal deadline: Customer agencies must submit notification of withdrawal from services to the service provider by April 1 to have an effective date of October 1.

 

April

Final budget preparation: The State service provider prepares the final budget using the final targets posted on the ISC website.

The ASP prepares the final budget using the final target received from the ASP headquarters.

Final budget approval: Service provider presents the final budget to the Budget Committee at the final budget review meeting. The Budget Committee reviews and approves the final budget.

Final budget ratification: Service provider presents the Budget Committee approved final budget to the ICASS Council for ratification at the final budget ratification meeting.

At that same meeting, the ICASS Council and service provider establish priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

Final invoice distribution: After the Council ratifies the final budget the service provider distributes final invoices to customer agencies for signature.

For alternate service provider (ASP) posts, the ISC prepares special final post invoices that redistribute State service provider and ASP costs to their customer agencies.

Agencies have ten business days from date of invoice distribution to review and sign final post invoices. If an invoice is not signed within ten business days, or if an agency refuses to sign its final invoice within the given time period, the dispute process must be followed (see 6 FAH-5 H-462.2). In the event an agency has not signed its invoice but has not filed a dispute within the ten-day period, the agency may no longer dispute the invoice.

Final Target Hearings: The Bureau of Budget and Planning conducts hearings and the ICASS Working Group Budget Committee reviews and approves final targets. The ISC uploads the approved final targets to the ISC website.

ASP issues approved final targets to its posts.

The ISC establishes final budget due dates.

May

(according to the ISC established budget due date)

Budget submission: service provider submits the ratified final budget and summary of signed invoices to the ISC.

 

 

June

 

Final Invoices: ISC produces final consolidated invoices that include posts final invoice plus centrally funded costs not budgeted by post. The ISC issues final ICASS invoices to customer agencies reflecting the balance due from the recapitalization invoice to the final invoice.

ASP headquarters issue final invoices to customer agencies in accordance with its agencys guidance.

August 1

Partial year invoice (PYI) and temporary duty (TDY) invoice deadline: While PYI and TDY invoices may be submitted throughout the year, this is the final date for the State service provider to submit signed PYI and TDY invoices to the ISC.

Alternate service provider (ASP) posts submit PYI or TDY invoices to their headquarters in accordance with the agencys policy.

NOTE: ASP posts may receive two PYI or TDY invoices for the same individual(s) (one from the State service provider and one from the ASP for the separate services each provides.

PYI and TDY invoices: The ISC issues PYI and TDY invoices to customer agencies upon receipt.

ASP headquarters issue PYI and TDY invoices in accordance with its agencys guidance.

Mid-August

Contingency fund deadline: Final date for service provider to submit requests for contingency funds.

 

September 30

Budget fiscal year ends

Budget fiscal year ends

6 FAH-5 H-412 through H-419 unassigned

 

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