6 FAH-5 H-360
official visits and temporary Duty (TDY)
(CT:ICASS-62; 08-07-2017)
(Office of Origin: CGFS/ICASS)
6 FAH-5 H-361 General
(CT:ICASS-62; 08-07-2017)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. Official visits and Temporary Duty (TDY) travel to
posts abroad are an essential tool for all agencies in furthering their
missions. The scope and frequency of such visits vary, depending on the
agency, and the level of support required may depend on the purpose of the
visit. This chapter explains how support costs for various types of visitors
are handled in ICASS. It provides detailed guidance on establishing post TDY
policies which must address both non-ICASS costs (i.e., direct costs) as well
as indirect ICASS costs (i.e., costs for services) which are billed through the
ICASS TDY Module. Posts must keep current their TDY policies on the
Departments eCountry Clearance (eCC) website and maintain a more detailed policy
and explanation of services on their post Web sites (See 6 FAH-5 H-362 paragraph e).
b. For the purposes of this chapter, the following
definitions apply:
(1) Control Officer: A
control officer is the point of contact for coordinating a successful TDY visit.
A control officer facilitates communication between the visitor and post, is
typically responsible for setting up meetings and coordinating administrative
support requirements.
(2) Sponsoring Agency: A
sponsoring agency may be the agency responsible for initiating the travel of a
TDY employee or may be the agency of the control officer. The sponsoring
agency may or may not be the funding agency (see below) of the TDY employee.
(3) Funding Agency: A funding
agency is the agency that is paying for the travel and related costs of the TDY
employee. This is the entity that has responsibility for paying any direct
costs related to the TDY travel, as well as any indirect costs related to ICASS
administrative support services that are invoiced using the ICASS TDY Module
(see 6
FAH-5 H-363.1-3).
6 FAH-5 H-362 Post Policy and the
Country Clearance Process
(CT:ICASS-23; 10-31-2011)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. All official executive branch TDY visitors to post
must obtain country clearance via the Department of States automated country
clearance system prior to arrival at post. If the Chief of Mission (COM)
grants country clearance, ICASS may be one of the mechanisms used to provide
logistical support to the official traveler.
NOTE: Appropriate ICASS services
may also be granted to U.S. Government contractors or grantees if their
contract/grant provides for ICASS services and the sponsoring/funding agency
specifically requests and agrees in advance to pay for such services or makes
arrangements for funding any direct costs.
b. All posts must have a written policy, approved by
the post Budget Committee, regarding support services available for official
visitors and TDY employees (see 2 FAM 116).
Post policy regarding visitor support services should consider the volume of
visitors and their projected impact on post resources. The services provided
will vary depending on conditions at post, the posts ability to provide the
services, and the rank of the visitor (see 6 FAH-5 H-364).
c. At some posts, there are so few visitors that post
policy might only entail direct charging visitors for specific direct costs
related to their visit (see 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-1). At other posts, the volume of visitors might be so significant
that they put an undue burden on post ICASS resources and impact the level and
quality of services provided to resident customer agencies. Such posts may
wish to consider including in their policy, in addition to charging for direct
costs, the use of the ICASS TDY module as a mechanism to recover some of the
indirect support costs (see 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-3).
d. The post control officer for the TDY employee is
responsible for coordinating with the service provider on the ICASS services
that will be required. The control officer must work with the TDY traveler to
identify the appropriate ICASS agency billing code and funding agency
headquarters contact before support services will be provided. All requests
for ICASS services for the TDY traveler must include the ICASS agency billing code.
e. To properly inform travelers of post policy on
visitor support, key elements of the posts TDY policy must be maintained on
the Department of States electronic country clearance system (eCC) and should
be readily accessible on the posts website. The policy must include:
(1) Information on charges for typical direct costs as
well as appropriate information on charges for indirect ICASS service costs if
post uses the optional ICASS TDY module;
(2) Guidance on any unique circumstances at post to
ensure there is a balance between the expectations of the traveler and the
capabilities of the post to provide services;
(3) The need for the TDY employee to provide fiscal
data to cover direct costs related to the visit;
(4) A list of direct chargeable items typically
requested by TDY employees at your post and their estimated costs (see
suggested policy language in 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-2); and
(5) If post policy also includes the use of the
optional ICASS TDY module, the estimated costs for each cost center typically
used by TDY employees (see suggested policy language in 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-4).
NOTE: In order to bill a visitor
using the TDY Module, key elements of posts TDY policy, following the
guidelines outlined in this subchapter, must be posted on eCC at the time of
country clearance approval. The ISC will reject invoices submitted by posts
that have no published policy.
6 FAH-5 H-363 Guidelines for Cost
Recovery
(CT:ICASS-23; 10-31-2011)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. There is no specific budget item designated for TDY
support, although a certain amount of such support is presumed to be included
in the base, as follows:
(1) Support (at varying levels) for all TDY employees,
exclusive of any charges for direct costs, upon arrival at post;
(2) Support for all TDY employees included in the
exempt categories (see 6 FAH-5
H-363.2), all of whom require some level of support (includes tracking the
presence of TDY employees in-country in the event of an emergency and providing
emergency medical assistance, if necessary), exclusive of any charges for
direct costs; and
(3) Support for VIP visitors and their support
personnel (advance, pre-advance, etc.), exclusive of any charges for direct
costs and directly negotiated reimbursements (see 6 FAH-5 H-364).
b. Posts should coordinate with their respective
regional bureau to identify any ICASS base increases needed to support ongoing
significant levels of TDY requirements.
c. Posts can minimize the amount of visitor support
work they have to perform by maintaining and publicizing a visitor guide with
suggested Do-It-Yourself instructions. Depending on the country, these
guides could include lists of recommended hotels to aid travelers in making
their own hotel reservations or could provide contact numbers and/or e-mail
addresses for local airline offices for confirming/changing travel
reservations, etc. Some posts use outside contractors for airport expediting
and transportation services, significantly reducing the burden on post
resources.
6 FAH-5 H-363.1 Categories of
Charges
(CT:ICASS-23; 10-31-2011)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
There are two distinct categories of charges related to
support provided to official visitors:
(1) Direct costs related to the visit; and,
(2) Indirect costs invoiced through the ICASS TDY
Module for ICASS administrative support services provided.
6 FAH-5 H-363.1-1 Direct Costs
(CT:ICASS-23; 10-31-2011)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. This category applies to all types of visitors and
includes those non-ICASS costs that are easily identifiable and specific to an
individual or agency. The definition of costs that may be direct charged is
explained in 6
FAH-5 H-313. These types of direct costs are always billed to the TDY
employee, regardless of the length of stay and whether or not there is a
funding agency at post. Posts may not direct charge an agency for items that
are not requested by the agency or which would ordinarily be charged to the
ICASS allotment. Examples of non-ICASS items that can be direct charged
include, but are not limited to:
(1) Overtime incurred in support of an agency,
individual TDY employee, or TDY group (see Note 1);
(2) Fuel costs/coupons (see Note 2), tolls, parking
fees, etc., when not otherwise included in an ICASS per kilometer charge;
(3) Commercial vehicle rentals;
(4) Cell phone rentals and related costs;
(5) Official in-country travel expenses;
(6) Airline fees;
(7) Airport transportation (see Note 3);
(8) Cost of goods procured (i.e., translation
services, supplies, etc.); and
(9) Contract expediter services.
NOTE 1: In some circumstances, a
visiting delegation may ask a post to provide certain services during normal
duty hours (e.g., staff the control room, provide accommodation exchange,
perform translation services, etc.). Such requirements should be outsourced
and direct charged to the maximum extent possible to ensure that post
operations are not negatively affected. However, if a delegation/funding
agency requires post to dedicate ICASS staff to provide such services (or
where, due to the nature of the services requested, post ICASS staff is the
only viable option), then the visiting delegation must be advised that any
overtime required resulting from lending post ICASS staff to the visiting
delegation, and thus requiring post work to be done after hours, will be
charged to the delegation. The visiting delegation/funding agency must agree
in advance to reimburse post for such overtime. This overtime would not likely
equate to a one for one hourly requirement because some work could be shifted
to other staff members or postponed.
NOTE 2: Fuel costs may be charged
to a TDY employee if the cost is easily separable and identifiable and not
otherwise included in posts ICASS budget. In no case may post include routine
vehicle maintenance or depreciation costs in any direct charges billed to TDY
employees.
NOTE 3: Airport transportation
costs should be charged directly to a TDY employee or paid directly by the TDY
employee if they are provided by a commercial firm. If provided by ICASS staff
on an overtime basis, overtime costs should be charged to the TDY employees
fiscal data. The cost of this commercially-provided service would be listed in
the direct costs section of posts policy on eCC. Costs related to ICASS
personnel providing transportation or any other service during regular duty
hours may not be billed to a TDY employee (See 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-5 paragraphs b(2) and c(4) for how to count related workload).
b. With the exception of overtime (see paragraph (2)
below), posts must use an agencys fiscal data, not ICASS fiscal data, to
charge direct costs. Charging these non-ICASS direct costs to the agencys
fiscal data will ensure no augmentation of the ICASS working capital fund and,
therefore, no collection of funds that would need to be sent to Treasury.
(1) For example, if an agency requires cell phones
and/or rental cars, the post should contract with the cell phone company and/or
car rental agency to provide this service and prepare the purchase order using
the customer agency (not ICASS) fiscal data.
(2) ICASS staff overtime should be charged to a
funding agency or TDY employees fiscal data through a journal voucher (i.e.,
the cost is then removed from ICASS).
c. TDY travelers should be advised to bring or provide
in advance their fiscal data to be used for all direct costs associated with
their visit. Official expenses for a TDY employee must be clearly documented
and agency authorization secured in order to direct charge an agencys fiscal
data.
d. Posts must ensure that its procedures for charging
direct costs are applied equally to all applicable TDY employees.
6 FAH-5 H-363.1-2 Policy Language
for Charging Direct Costs
(CT:ICASS-23; 10-31-2011)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
For all posts, sample policy language on charging direct
costs is shown in 6 FAH-5
Exhibit H-363.1-2 and should be used for posting on eCC. The sample shown
is illustrative and should be tailored to posts circumstances. Where noted,
post-specific cost data must be included. Because charging for direct costs
applies to all TDY visitors, this language is the minimum required for
inclusion in a post TDY policy and must be maintained on eCC.
NOTE: If post policy does not
include use of the ICASS TDY module, this should be noted on eCC immediately
following the information on posts direct charges.
6 FAH-5 H-363.1-3 Indirect ICASS
Service Costs and the ICASS TDY Module
(CT:ICASS-62; 08-07-2017)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. What is the TDY Module?
While charging agencies for direct costs ensures ICASS does not fund the costs
of TDY visitors, it does not recover the underlying indirect costs of providing
ICASS services. The ICASS TDY Module was developed to assist those posts where
the number of TDY visitors significantly impacts the ICASS support platform and
allows posts to invoice agencies for the delivery of servicesa cost that
cannot be direct charged. The TDY module software excludes costs for ICASS
direct-hire American positions, the local guard program, furniture and
appliance pool services, and leases (residential and non-residential),
establishing a discounted rate for these services. Using an established
methodology and data input at post, the software establishes a daily rate for
each cost center selected, facilitating the preparation of TDY invoices.
b. Use of the TDY module is optional:
As part of posts overall TDY visitor support policy, post must decide if it
wants to use the ICASS TDY Module; its use is determined by the service
provider with the concurrence of the Budget Committee. If a post decides to
charge TDY employees for the indirect cost of delivering ICASS services, the
ICASS TDY Module is the only authorized methodology for this purpose. If use
of the TDY module is part of post policy, it must be applied consistently to
all applicable TDY employees to ensure equity and transparency.
NOTE: Posts may not establish a
different fee schedule or alternative invoicing mechanism outside the ICASS TDY
module to charge for the indirect costs of providing ICASS services.
c. Dollar Threshold: The
ICASS Working Group (IWG) has approved the use of the TDY Module when a
specific dollar threshold has been met. The threshold has been set at $500.
When ICASS services are provided to TDY employees, the TDY Module will be used
to calculate the costs. These costs accrue from the first day of the TDY visit
and are billed in the TDY invoice when they equal or exceed the $500
threshold. The TDY invoice does not include any costs related to direct
charges. TDY invoices should be submitted at least quarterly to the ICASS
Service Center (ISC) (see 6 FAH-5
H-363.2 for details).
NOTE: At some posts, it is
possible that the monetary threshold would not typically be reached until the TDY
employee has been at post for several weeks or more. Post should use that
estimate in determining which TDY employees would most likely reach the
threshold and be invoiced.
d. Groups and the TDY Module:
In principle, each TDY traveler is considered on an individual basis. However,
when an agency sends a group of travelers (defined as two or more) to a post
for a single event, post may include all members of the group from the same
funding agency on the same TDY invoice in order to reach the established
threshold (assuming the TDY group has requested ICASS services). This
exception recognizes the fact that groups typically require more services than
a single TDY employee. Post may not combine on the same invoice a series of
unrelated TDYs for one agency, for either the same individual or different
individuals, in an effort to reach the dollar threshold.
NOTE: For example, an agency (as
identified by ICASS agency code) sends a group of four TDY employees to a post
for ten days to attend a conference. If they have requested ICASS services and
if post uses the ICASS TDY Module as part of their post visit policy, post may
prepare one invoice for the four people for the ten days, but the invoice must
meet the $500 threshold. See 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-6 for details on processing the TDY invoice.
e. Subscribing to ICASS Services:
TDY travelers with no funding agency at post must be prepared to sign the
standard Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and subscription of services
agreement if ICASS support is required for the visit. The TDY traveler must be
authorized to sign the MOU and resulting invoice and ensure that the
appropriate ICASS billing code is identified. Questions about ICASS billing
codes may be sent to ICASSSERVICECENTER@State.gov.
f. Spending TDY Collections:
The service provider and Budget Committee should establish guidelines for how
the funds collected through the TDY Module will be used.
6 FAH-5 H-363.1-4 Policy Language
for ICASS TDY Module
(CT:ICASS-45; 01-12-2015)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. For those posts that decide to use the ICASS TDY
module in addition to charging for direct costs, the post policy reflected on
eCC must also include estimated costs as suggested in the samples shown at 6 FAH-5
Exhibit H-363.1-4 (each post must use the TDY Module to calculate and then
enter the daily rate for each cost center typically used by TDY employees - see
6 FAH-5
H-363.1-6, Note 3). The samples shown, including the suggested baskets
of services for a Lite post, are for illustrative purposes only and should be
tailored to post circumstances.
NOTE: The ICASS TDY module is
always used in conjunction with charging for direct costs. Posts must ensure
their policy posted on eCC contains information on both direct costs (see 6 FAH-5 Exhibit
H-363.1-2) as well as TDY Module costs (see 6 FAH-5
Exhibit H-363.1-4).
b. TDY travelers should be advised to bring or provide
in advance their fiscal data to be used for all direct costs associated with
their visit. An agencys refusal to provide fiscal data or agreement to fund
applicable support services may result in the denial of country clearance.
c. Contractors/grantees are not normally involved in
the country clearance process but may require similar ICASS support services.
Payment methods (including use of the TDY Module) for services provided to
contractors/grantees must be arranged with the sponsoring/funding agency before
the TDY employee arrives at post.
6 FAH-5 H-363.1-5 Using the ICASS
TDY Module
(CT:ICASS-45; 01-12-2015)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. Any agencys TDY employee who has requested and
received ICASS services and meets the established threshold will be invoiced
upon the conclusion of the visit. The procedures are different for TDY
employees with and without a funding agency at post (see 6 FAH-5
Exhibit H-363.1-5). In addition, charges for services in cost centers that
use per capita or capitation counts (see 6 FAH-5
H-331.1 paragraph 1) are handled differently than charges for services in
cost centers that use cumulative or transaction-based counts.
(1) Short-term TDY employees:
The posts existing staffing base and budget are expected to support most
short-term TDY employees (excluding direct costs as outlined in 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-1) and their support costs will be absorbed by the post up to the
established $500 threshold. This is considered to be part of the basic
administrative platform abroad which is funded within the regional bureau ICASS
target levels. Each post should calculate its tipping point where such TDY
employees will incur sufficient costs to reach the threshold. Calculate the
number of days to reach the $500 threshold by dividing $500 by the daily rate
of typical services provided as calculated in the TDY Module (see 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-5, NOTE 3).
NOTE: All
transaction-based/cumulative workload counts for TDY employees are charged to
the funding agency at post beginning on the first day of the TDY (see 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-5 paragraph b). Workload counts for TDY employees with no funding
agency at post are estimated and included in the TDY Module invoice (see 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-5 paragraph c); they are not included in any workload counts
reported on May 1.
(2) Long-term TDY employees:
TDY employees in this category who require ICASS support services would receive
an invoice, charged to the TDY employees ICASS agency billing code, when the
cumulative amount to be billed exceeds $500.
NOTE: For all long-term TDY
employees, the service provider, working with the funding agency, must
determine if the duties and responsibilities of the TDY employee(s) would be
more appropriately described as a permanent position and therefore handled
differently (see 6 FAH-5
H-351.2 paragraphs c and d). Post management must ensure that agencies
sponsoring/funding long-term TDY employees are appropriately billed for the
ICASS services they receive.
b. Funding Agency at Post: The
TDY module uses per capita and transaction-based costs to calculate charges and
each charge is handled differently. The following section applies to TDY
employees with a funding agency at post (for TDY employees with no funding
agency at post, see 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-5 paragraph c).
(1) Per Capita-Based Services and
Costs: Costs for per capita-based services are recovered in the current
fiscal year and provide a non-recurring addition to post ICASS funds. Per
capita charges for TDY employees are assessed beginning on the first day of the
visit and are accumulated until they exceed $500, at which point they are
eligible for inclusion in a TDY invoice.
(2) Cost Centers and Modifications:
TDY employees may subscribe to all per capita-based services. If allowable in
the cost center, modifications at the .3 and .6 level may be granted, as
established by post policy.
NOTE 1: When TDY employees subscribe
to ICASS services, Basic Package, CLO, Health, and Security Services are
mandatory. Long-term TDY employees (defined by MED as those who are in travel
status more than 60 cumulative days per year) must have a medical clearance in
order to subscribe to and use post Health Services.
NOTE 2: At Lite posts, services
provided in the per capita-based General Services cost center may also be
included in the TDY Module invoice, using an appropriate modification. In such
cases, Lite posts must establish appropriate baskets of services linked to
the various levels of modification. The goal is to ensure a fair and equitable
charge for the services received.
NOTE 3: While the services listed
in these cost centers may not exactly match the services that a TDY employee
might use, the cost of creating a more exact tracking system would be greater
than the benefits derived from such a system.
(3) Transaction-Based Services:
At both Standard and Lite posts, track costs for transaction-based services for
all TDY employees, regardless of length of stay, through workload counts. As
these workload counts are cumulative and tallied on May 1, they are included in
the following years workload counts for the funding agency (beginning from the
first day of the TDY). Procurement, vouchering, and cashiering services are
examples of Standard cost centers where workload counts are based on the number
of transactions. At Lite posts, only Financial Management Services and any
activated Standard General Services cost centers are based on the number of
transactions.
c. No Funding Agency at Post:
When there is no funding agency at post, communication is key in explaining
charges for ICASS services. To maintain equity and transparency in the billing
process, it is in the best interests of the service provider and resident
customer agencies to ensure that TDY employees in this category pay for the
ICASS services they receive.
(1) The country clearance process (eCC) is the primary
mechanism for communicating to agencies at the headquarters level the potential
costs related to a TDY to an overseas post. The information maintained on eCC
provides agencies headquarters with basic information regarding post policies
for TDY visitors.
(2) All TDY employees must provide a valid fund cite
to cover all appropriate direct costs related to their visit. In addition, to
recover the underlying infrastructure costs of providing ICASS services,
non-resident agencies requesting services must agree to sign an ICASS
memorandum of understanding (MOU) covering the services they will require.
(3) To facilitate the invoicing process, the eCC
request must provide the appropriate ICASS agency billing code for the TDY
group or parent agency. If post has difficulty identifying the appropriate
agency code, contact the ICASS Service Center for assistance
(ICASSServiceCenter.gov).
(4) For TDY employees with no funding agency at post,
prepare the TDY invoice in the same manner as outlined in 6 FAH-5
H-363.1-5 paragraph b, except that the invoice includes costs for both per
capita and transaction-based services (i.e., all services provided), modified
as appropriate. The $500 threshold must still be met.
NOTE 1: When cumulative counts
are estimated/used in preparing TDY invoices when there is no funding agency at
post, the actual transaction counts should not be included in the May 1
workload counts and they should be excluded from the totals (see 6 FAH-5
H-333.2 paragraph a(2).
NOTE 2: At Lite posts, TDY
employees may subscribe to and be charged for services in all relevant cost
centers. Appropriate modifications, as allowed in the respective cost centers,
may be granted at the 0.3, 0.6, or 1 levels. The goal is to ensure a fair and
equitable charge for the services received. In the capitation-based General
Services cost center, Lite posts must establish appropriate baskets of
services linked to the various levels of modification. In transaction-based
cost centers (i.e., Financial Services), post must project the estimated annual
usage of the service by the TDY employee and the software will calculate the
daily rate.
6 FAH-5 H-363.1-6 Processing a
TDY Invoice
(CT:ICASS-45; 01-12-2015)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. Once the established threshold has been met,
exclusive of any charges for direct costs, promptly process TDY invoices at the
conclusion of a visit. Electronically forward TDY invoices to the ISC
Reimbursements Team on at least a quarterly basis. All TDY invoices must be
received in the ISC by August 1 in order to bill customer agencies before the
end of the fiscal year. Invoices for TDY visits that extend beyond August 1
(up until the end of the fiscal year) should include projected workload for the
period from August 1 until the end of the fiscal year or the end of the visit.
NOTE 1: The monetary threshold of
$500 establishes the minimum level of costs before a TDY invoice may apply. If
the total costs incurred are less than $500, no invoice is prepared.
NOTE 2: For visits that cross
fiscal years, prepare separate TDY invoices for each fiscal year. For such
visits, there is no threshold for the second portion of the TDY that crosses
into the next fiscal year; costs continue to accrue and begin on the first day
of the fiscal year. The cost basis for each invoice will be based on the
designated ICASS budget for TDY invoices in the respective fiscal years.
NOTE 3: To facilitate the
processing of TDY invoices beginning October 1 and maintain fixed rates
throughout the year, post must use the final submitted budget of the prior
fiscal year to calculate the daily rates to be used for TDY invoicing.
b. The TDY invoice may only include costs for services
provided during the current fiscal year (through September 30) and may not
include any prior or future year activity. Upon receipt and review of the
signed invoice, the ISC will increase posts ICASS operating allowance and bill
customer agency headquarters before the end of the fiscal year. TDY invoices
are billed separately to agencies headquarters and not included in other standard
ICASS invoices.
NOTE 1: For informational
purposes, the ISC will periodically forward email copies of TDY invoices
received from posts to the respective IWG members.
NOTE 2: The TDY invoice must
include the name of the traveler, the dates of the visit, and the relevant eCC
number or an alternative identification such as a travel order number. This
information will ensure agencies headquarters can properly identify and track
the invoice. Invoices that do not include this information will be returned to
post.
c. The ISC will bill all agency headquarters for TDY
invoices prior to the close of the fiscal year. It is the responsibility of
the TDY employee to inform his/her headquarters of all financial obligations
which they have authorized in a signed invoice. The signed TDY invoice
represents the commitment of the funding agency to pay and constitutes a valid
obligation document for ICASS billing purposes.
d. Funds issued in support of TDY invoices have no
impact on the approved post targets and are separate and distinct from the
ICASS operating budget.
6 FAH-5 H-363.2 Exceptions to ICASS
TDY Module Charges
(CT:ICASS-45; 01-12-2015)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. All TDY visitors are subject to charging for any
direct costs incurred on their behalf. TDY employees may also be subject to
charges using the ICASS TDY module, except as outlined below:
(1) TDY employees who are temporarily filling vacant
positions or covering staffing gaps for any agency (as long as those positions
have been included in the agencys ICASS workload counts);
(2) TDY employees providing support for ICASS services
(e.g., regional support officers or other foreign or domestic-based officers
providing ICASS support services);
(3) TDY employees providing post-to-post assistance
(e.g., TDY employees whose agency pays for ICASS support costs at the
employees post of assignment. For example, an agency employee assigned to
Post X is on TDY to Post Y to assist with a trade show or perform regional
responsibilities). Any cumulative counts related to this individual would
accrue to the sponsoring/funding agency at post, but no TDY invoice would be
prepared for this individual (see also 6 FAH-5
H-393.3). This exception does not apply to TDY employees sent from headquarters
offices. If the sponsoring/funding agency does not have a presence at post, a
TDY invoice should be prepared if the cumulative costs of the services provided
exceeds $500 (see 6 FAH-5
H-393.7);
(4) TDY employees who utilize no ICASS services
(beyond the basic country clearance) and have virtually no impact on the post
ICASS platform; and
(5) VIP visitors and their related pre-advance and
advance teams (except for cabinet-level visits where there is no agency
presence at post).
b. Any ICASS workload counts associated with the above
visitors, including cabinet-level visitors, are charged to the
sponsoring/funding agency, as appropriate. Workload counts associated with all
other VIP visitors (POTUS, FLOTUS, VPOTUS, Supreme Court Justices, CODELS/StaffDels
and State Governors) are charged to ICASS and the costs spread through ICASS
redistribution (see 6 FAH-5 H-364).
NOTE: Department of State Office
of the Inspector General (OIG) employees are not exempt from charges under the
TDY module. When OIG employees are at a post on a temporary basis to conduct
oversight activities (i.e., audit, inspection, investigation), any direct costs
related to their travel are charged to the fund cite provided by the OIG. Any
service costs, as calculated by the ICASS TDY module, are billed to
State-Program, and any transaction-based workload is charged at post to
1900-State. Posts should obtain guidance from customer agencies regarding
costs related to their respective Inspectors General.
c. Extraordinary Circumstances:
Posts may experience extraordinary and unanticipated circumstances that can
result in a rapid influx of TDY personnel. Extraordinary events are normally
considered catastrophic in nature. Examples would be civil war, major
humanitarian crises, terrorist incidents, and natural disasters. Posts
experiencing extraordinary circumstances would not be required to use the
ICASS TDY module to recover ICASS support costs and would instead work directly
with their regional bureau to obtain additional resources to meet surge
requirements. The regional bureau and the ISC, in cooperation with the
serviced agencies, would facilitate a process for invoicing the relevant
agencies at the Washington level using the post ICASS software.
6 FAH-5 H-364 VIP VISITS
(CT:ICASS-45; 01-12-2015)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
a. Visitors in this category include the President
(POTUS), First Lady (FLOTUS), Vice President and/or spouse (VPOTUS), members of
Congress (CODEL or StaffDel), Supreme Court Justices, Cabinet-level members
(SecState, SecDef, etc.), and State Governors (see 2 FAM 116.3-2).
NOTE: Visitors in this category
are not subject to charges generated through the ICASS
TDY module. The one exception is for Cabinet-level visitors who travel to a
post where they do not have a presence; in such cases they may be invoiced
through the ICASS TDY module if that is in accordance with posts policy.
b. Separate guidelines and policies regarding the
handling of expenses related to these VIP visitors are provided in advance of
their travel. Costs associated with visiting VIPs are funded, to the extent
possible, by the visiting delegation. Fiscal data should be obtained prior to
arrival at post; this fiscal data is used to rent or procure agreed-upon items
or services in support of the visit. All items which can be direct charged to
the delegation should be charged to the fiscal data provided. Reimbursable
costs incurred by ICASS in support of these visits (e.g., ICASS staff overtime,
issuance of ICASS office supplies, fuel for vehicles, etc.) are
journal-vouchered to the visiting delegations fiscal data.
NOTE 1: ICASS staff salary and
allowance costs are budgeted and funded by resident customer agencies,
including State; consequently, labor costs for services provided during normal
duty hours cannot be billed to a visiting delegation.
NOTE 2: For POTUS, FLOTUS, and
VPOTUS visits, posts must coordinate with the Presidential Travel Support
office, A/PTS (for more information, see PTS.STATE.SGOV.GOV on ClassNet).
c. For POTUS, FLOTUS, VPOTUS (and spouse) visits,
funding for support of accompanying White House personnel is requested from the
regional bureau and provided through the Departments Program allotment.
Funding for accompanying National Security Council (NSC), U.S. Secret Service
(USSS), Department of Defense (e.g., White House Military Office units), or any
other agencys personnel must be direct charged to the funding agency.
d. For Secretary of State (SecState) visits, funding
must be requested from the regional bureau and is provided through the
Departments Program allotment.
e. For POTUS, FLOTUS, VPOTUS, and SecState visits, the
normal after-visit, actual expense report must be completed and forwarded to
the posts regional bureau. Based on the report of justified and approved
expenditures, funding in the Program allotment may be adjusted. Contact the
appropriate Department regional bureau for more detailed guidance.
f. For all other Cabinet-level visitors, post must
ensure it receives detailed guidance on how to handle visit expenses from the
funding agency at post and/or their headquarters office. As with other VIP
visitors, direct charging will be used to the maximum extent possible. For all
other costs, post should coordinate with the funding and headquarters agency on
providing an after-visit expense report for reimbursement from the agency.
g. Workload counts generated by POTUS, FLOTUS, VPOTUS
(and spouse), Supreme Court Justices, CODELs/StaffDels, and State Governors are
charged to 1901.0-ICASS and spread through ICASS Redistribution. Workload
counts generated by Cabinet-level VIP visits are charged to the funding
department or agency. (Example: The Secretary of Defense visits a post with
five DoD ICASS billing codes present. In coordination with the senior Defense
representative, post must identify which DoD code will be charged for any ICASS
workload counts resulting from the visit.) Workload counts generated by
Cabinet-level VIP visits at posts where the funding department or agency has no
presence are billed using the ICASS TDY module.
6 FAH-5 H-365 through H-369 unassigned
6 FAH-5 Exhibit H-363.1-2
Sample Policy Language for Direct Charging
(CT:ICASS-23; 10-31-2011)
This language should be included in posts TDY policy on
eCC.
Each visitor, regardless of length of stay, must bring or
provide in advance to post fiscal data to pay all direct costs for items
requested by the agency for the visit. Each agency, organization or visiting
delegation will be charged for the actual costs for items requested by and
attributed to its visit. Direct costs include, but are not limited to:
U.S. citizen and locally employed staff (LE Staff) overtime
(e.g., airport expediter, cashier for accommodation exchange, Motor Pool
drivers, etc.) (estimated cost will be provided if these services are
required);
Per diem and miscellaneous travel costs for embassy employees in
support of visitors field travel (estimated cost will be provided if these
services are required and will depend on location and duration of the travel);
Commercially-leased vehicle (range from $XX to $XX/day for
vehicle w/o driver and from $XX to $XX/day w/driver);
Commercially obtained cell phone rental and/or related charges at
an estimated daily cost of $XX;
Commercially obtained airport expediter services at a cost of
$XX/person; and
Any other commercial costs which are requested by and directly
attributable to the visit.
NOTE: If post decides not to
charge for ICASS services using the TDY Module, then the following statement should
be posted on the eCC along with direct cost information listed above.
As per Post policy, post does not bill TDY employees for
ICASS administrative services under the ICASS TDY Module.
6 FAH-5 Exhibit H-363.1-4
Sample Policy Language for Posts Using The ICASS TDY Module
(CT:ICASS-62; 08-07-2017)
The ICASS TDY Module is always used in conjunction with
charging for direct costs. Therefore, for posts using both methods, the
information posted on eCC must include language on direct charging (See Exhibit
6 FAH-5 Exhibit H-363.1-2) AND the following suggested language:
TDY employees who require ICASS support services
will be charged for the provision of those services in addition to any direct
charges outlined above. A TDY invoice will be prepared based on the ICASS
services to which a TDY employee subscribes (typical costs are listed below)
once the total cost for those services exceeds $500.
TDY employees with no funding agency at post must
be prepared to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and subscription of
services agreement for ICASS support services upon arrival and sign a TDY
invoice prior to departure. With the granting of country clearance, it is
expected that the TDY employees agency will pay ICASS charges for services
provided, will provide the appropriate agency ICASS billing code, and will
authorize the TDY employee to sign the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY
module. If you do not have or do not know your ICASS billing code, send a
request to ICASSSERVICECENTER@State.gov.
In cases where travel is urgent, TDY employees
must bring the required financial documentation (e.g., travel orders and fund
cite for direct charges) with them to ensure provision of services. Post will
not provide any services to a TDY employee without provision of this
documentation.
Basic Package Services $XX/day
CLO Services $XX/day
Health Services $XX/day
Security Services .$XX/day
Plus the following for TDY employees with
no funding agency at post:
Procurement Services $XX/day (based on
workload)
Motor Pool Services $XX/day (based on workload)
Vouchering Services $XX/day (based on workload).
Basic Package Services $XX/day
CLO Services $XX/day
Health Services $XX/day
Security Services ...$XX/day
Plus the following for TDY employees with
no funding agency at post:
General Services Basket 1 (see note)
$XX/day (0.3 modification)
or
General Services Basket 2 (see note)
$XX/day (0.6 modification)
or,
General Services (see note) $XX/day (no
modification)
NOTE: Each basket is post-determined
based on services provided.
Financial Mgmt Services $XX/day (based on
workload)
For a more detailed explanation of services provided,
please visit the post Web site at XXXXX.state.gov.
6 FAH-5 Exhibit H-363.1-5
TDY Module Process Chart
(CT:ICASS-45; 01-12-2015)
(Applies to participating ICASS agencies)
All TDY employees are responsible for any direct costs
related to their visits. Transaction-based workload counts for TDY employees
with a funding agency at post are charged to the funding agency from the first
day of the visit. Workload counts for TDY employees with no funding agency at
post are estimated and, once the established threshold is met, they are
included in the TDY invoice; these workload counts are not included in posts
May 1 workload counts.
$500: Cumulative charges
calculated by the ICASS TDY Module must reach the $500 threshold to be included
in the TDY invoice prepared at the end of the visit.