13 FAH-1 H-720

HOW TO APPLY FOR EXTERNAL TRAINING

(CT:FSIH-11; 07-22-2013)
(Office of Origin: FSI)

13 FAH-1 H-721 Application Procedures

(CT:FSIH-11; 07-22-2013)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)

a. An employee applying for external training must complete the Online FSI External Training Request (Form SF-182, Authorization, Agreement and Certification of Training equivalent), and a Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Form DS-3070, Training Agreement.

b. When the external training exceeds 80 hours the employee must complete the Continued Service Agreement section of Form SF-182.

c. When the training will involve travel, the employee must provide estimated travel and per diem costs in the appropriate section of Form SF-182.

d. A description of the external training program and/or course must be attached to the application.

e. Applications must be approved by the employees supervisor and the post or bureau training officer who also is responsible for reviewing the forms to ensure they are completed correctly. If training will be funded by bureau/post, the form must include bureau/post funding information. Completed forms must then be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar (FSI/EX/REG) for final review and approval.

f. FSI/EX/REG reviews applications for compliance with the criteria set forth in 13 FAM 710, confirms funding arrangements (whether from the FSI External Training Program budget or the employees bureau), and, if the training is approved, officially notifies the employee and the training vendor.

g. Applications for external training should be received by FSI/EX/REG at least four weeks prior to the last course registration date, unless otherwise stated in a training announcement.

h. FSI is the entity authorized to make commitments for external training for Department personnel whether or not the funding derives from FSI's external training funds or bureau and/or post funds. Thus, if a bureau and/or post plans to pay for training by use of a U.S. Government credit card, training officer approval of the training request must be properly submitted to FSI, and final authorization must be received from FSI prior to any commitment of funding.

i. Employees may not pay for training using their personal credit cards or a U.S. Government credit card issued to them for the purpose of travel.

13 FAH-1 H-722 Criteria for Approval of Application

(CT:FSIH-06; 04-17-2012)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)

a. External training approved for funding must be either job-related or career-related (e.g., accounting for an accountant or political science for a political officer). Generally, training must be in the best interest of the U.S. Government to:

(1) Support Department objectives;

(2) Enable an employee to improve current job performance;

(3) Prepare an employee for a reasonably anticipated expansion or change of duties; or

(4) Improve individual skills, knowledge, or abilities that are necessary to enhance or broaden the qualifications of those employees most likely to be promoted or reassigned, in the interest of the Department, to jobs of higher responsibility.

b. The following additional factors must be considered by the supervisor and the post or bureau training officer before granting initial approval to an application:

(1) The employees past performance, period of service, and/or potential for advancement;

(2) The employees interest in and efforts to improve his and/or her own work; and

(3) The benefits to the U. S. Government which would result from the training (e.g., the length of time the Department can expect to benefit from the training).

c. External training will be approved only when the individual, in his or her supervisors assessment, has worked for the Department long enough to demonstrate performance and potential and (where applicable) has sufficient time remaining under applicable time-in-class rules to ensure the Department a reasonable return on its investment.

d. External training will be approved only when a course of the same or similar content is not available at FSI. In those cases where there are questions regarding duplication, the requesting bureau may be asked to provide additional justification, and the training request will be sent to the appropriate FSI training unit for review prior to approval.

e. External training will not be approved for the employee if he or she has any pending or incomplete training evaluations from prior courses funded by the Department.

f. When different locations are available for the training course requested, normally the training will only be approved for the location nearest the employees post or office of assignment, unless otherwise justified by the employees bureau (which normally funds travel related costs). For training where FSI funds travel costs, approval will only be for the location nearest the employees post and/or office of assignment unless otherwise stated in the related course announcement.

13 FAH-1 H-723 Funding of External Training

(CT:FSIH-02; 09-16-2009)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)

a. FSI will fund only one course per fiscal quarter per employee through the External Training Program. This limit does not apply to bureau-funded external training.

b. Training provided through the External Training Program will be funded up to a limit established by FSI, which operates the program (for the current limit, contact FSI/EX/REG). This limit does not apply to bureau-funded external training.

c. FSI only funds tuition. It does not pay for books, registration or activity fees, etc. Bureaus have the option to fund these costs separately out of their own budgets or require the student to pay for the incidental costs.

13 FAH-1 H-724 Employee Responsibilities

(CT:FSIH-11; 07-22-2013)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)

Employees are responsible for the following:

(1) Confirming course enrollment directly with the training provider;

(2) Immediately notifying the External Training Section, FSI/EX/REG, if they cancel their enrollment or change the dates of training;

(3) Hand-carrying copies of the approved Form SF-182, Authorization, Agreement and Certification of Training, to the vendor when there is insufficient time before the start of the course to mail, email, or fax the forms to the vendor;

(4) Providing copies of the approved Form SF-182 to the employees bureau and/or post budget officer; and

(5) Submitting, in a timely manner, the online external training course evaluation (equivalent to Evaluation and Certification of Training section of Form SF-182) to FSI/EX/REG following completion of training.

13 FAH-1 H-725 THROUGH H-729 UNASSIGNED