6 FAH-5 H-490
Headquarters Costs Included in Post Budgets
(CT:ICASS-37; 07-02-2013)
(Office of Origin: CGFS/ICASS)
6 FAH-5 H-491 Direct-Hire American
Salary Costs
(CT:ICASS-37; 07-02-2013)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. A posts ICASS budget includes headquarters-funded
costs as detailed in this subchapter.
b. Description: The Bureau of Budget and Planning (BP) centrally manages the American Salaries
(AmSal) Account (quasi sub-object 0006) and funds the salaries, benefits (e.g.,
health and life insurance, retirement contributions) and, where applicable,
post hardship differential costs of permanent, full-time U.S. citizen
employees. The variability of U.S. citizen personnel cost elements and their
dispersion over approximately 260 locations abroad precludes individual posts
from managing the American salaries of their employees.
c. BP calculates the American salary cost factor for
each Foreign Service position grade based on total anticipated charges to the
ICASS American salary account for that fiscal year, divided by the number of
ICASS American direct-hire (DH) positions at each grade level. These cost
factors are based on the Foreign Service position grade (not employee grade),
at a standardized step level programmed into the ICASS software. The ICASS
budget committee periodically reviews and approves cost factors which are then
incorporated into the ICASS software.
d. Should an American direct-hire ICASS position remain
vacant for more than six months with no temporary duty (TDY) replacement, the
salary cost of the position is omitted from the ICASS budget and agencies are
not charged that fiscal year. ICASS American DH positions filled more than six
months would be included in the ICASS budget as if that position had been
filled for the entire year.
e. The American salary costs are not funded from within
posts target levels.
f. Allocation of costs to cost
centers: The time of each ICASS American direct-hire position is
allocated to one or more of the ICASS cost centers/sub-cost centers according
to the work performed by the employee. The American salary costs follow the
same cost center distribution as all other costs of that position.
6 FAH-5 H-492 Post Assignment Travel
(PAT) Costs
(CT:ICASS-16; 10-15-2010)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. Description: The Bureau of
Human Resources (HR) centrally manages the post assignment travel (PAT)
account, which is an allotment to fund permanent change-of-station transfers by
Foreign Service officers (and Civil Service personnel on excursion tours)
between Foreign Service posts and domestic U.S. assignments. It includes home
leave and foreign transfer allowances. The variability in PAT costs mirrors
that encountered in the related American Salaries account for many of the same
reasons.
b. The annual PAT cost factor represents the average
cost associated with the transfer of a U.S. citizen ICASS employee and family
as estimated by HR and approved by the ICASS budget committee. Costs are
budgeted for all ICASS direct-hire (DH) Americans regardless as to whether the
employee will transfer that fiscal year. PAT costs are not funded from within
posts target levels.
c. Should an American DH ICASS position remain vacant
for more than six months, with no temporary-duty (TDY) replacement, the PAT
cost of the position would be omitted from the ICASS budget and agencies would
not be charged that fiscal year. PAT for ICASS American DH positions filled
more than six months would be included in the ICASS budget as if that position
had been filled for the entire year.
d. Allocation of costs to cost centers:
As with the American salary costs, PAT costs are allocated to the cost
centers/sub-cost centers according to the time allocation of the American ICASS
DH position.
6 FAH-5 H-493 Other Costs
(CT:ICASS-16; 10-15-2010)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. Description: Posts ICASS
budget may also include headquarters-funded, regional bureau costs (quasi
sub-object 0001)―funding which is included in posts ICASS target. The
regional bureau costs represent costs that the regional bureau in Washington
funds for posts benefit (i.e., central maintenance contracts). Those posts
which budget for regional bureau costs will be notified in advance of the
budget preparation by the regional bureau.
b. Allocation of costs to cost centers:
Other headquarters-funded costs are allocated to one or more ICASS cost centers
according to the intended usage of those funds (i.e., maintenance contract
funds may be allocated to several of the Building Operating Expense cost
centers to which this maintenance service is provided).
6 FAH-5 H-494 THROUGH h-499 UNASSIGNED