# Presentation: 549557

## ARC BriefingJune 2006

- Presented by the
- DCP - DCCPS ARC

**National Institutes of Health**

**DHHS**

## AGENDA

_**Welcome**_
- New Staff
_**Travel**_
- Confirming NFT and Uploading Trip Reports
- Official Duty Destinations
- AEA
- Official Duty Memos
- Tax Exempt Form
_**Information for Employees**_
- http://mynci.cancer.gov LIVE DEMO
- OHR Employee Benefits/Calendar of Events

## ARC Briefings are held the 2nd Thursday of every month.
From 2:30 to 3:30pm
We encourage agenda submissions and active participation.  If you have a topic for next month’s meeting, email Eric Graves in the DCP ARC.
Previous meeting presentations may be downloaded at http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/arc/presentations.html
Last month we circulated a Program Operation Staff Memo (POSM).  This memo is also available on the ARC Website under, “POSM.”

- From 2:30 to 3:30pm
- We encourage agenda submissions and active participation.  If you have a topic for next month’s meeting, email Eric Graves in the DCP ARC.
- Previous meeting presentations may be downloaded at *http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/arc/presentations.html*
- Last month we circulated a Program Operation Staff Memo (POSM).  This memo is also available on the ARC Website under, “POSM.”

- Welcome!

## Welcome New Staff

**Catherine Allen** is the newest staff member to join the DCP-DCCPS ARC.  She is an Administrative Technician working with Vicky Schneider servicing the ARP Program in DCCPS.  Please stop by and say, ‘hello’ if you haven’t already.
**Bernice Roane** is working in the DCP’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program.  This is her first ARC Briefing meeting.  Please welcome Bernice.
**Arniesa Wilson** is joining the DCP DEAS.  She has had previous experience working with DCP.  Please welcome Arniesa.

## Travel

## Trip Reports

- All international travelers are required to have a trip report submitted through the NFT (Notification of Foreign Travel) System within 2 weeks following their return to the U.S.
- The Department requires a brief written report of the significant aspects and results of the trip, including a summary of the extent to which the purpose of the trip was achieved.
- Upon completion of travel, the traveler should submit a trip report to the NFT preparer.  Trip reports must be submitted in PDF format.
- The ARC wishes to send this reminder because as of the beginning of this month, 89 trip reports were not yet completed for NCI.
- We ask that Travel Planners check their Confirm Trip and Upload Trip Report Bin, obtain the travel report from the traveler, confirm that the information on the NFT matches the information on the voucher, and forward the trip report to DHSS.

## Accessing & Using the NFT System

- To Access the NFT System:
- Visit *http://ogha.psc.gov/ogha*
- Select “NFT Progress Login”
- Username = preparer’s email
- Password = PREPARER (all caps)
- If you can’t find the NFT you’re looking for, select “Search by Traveler Name”
- NFT Preparers should confirm NFT’s once their travelers have returned:
- Login to the NFT System
- Click “Confirm NFT”
- If you are ready to submit the trip report, check the box next to the traveler’s name.
- In the “Report Description” text box, enter a brief description of the report.
- Click the “Browse” button to find and upload the report.
- Click “Submit” and the trip will no longer be in your “Awaiting Trip Report” bin.
- If you’re not yet ready to submit the report, you may still confirm the trip as described above and exit to the main menu.
- If the trip did not take place, click the “View” button next to the traveler’s name and click the “Cancel Trip” button.  The NFT will be deleted from the system.

## NFT & Trip Report Instructions

- Attached to your handouts are:
- NFT Logon Procedures
- Detailed NFT Data Entry guidance and
- Confirm Trip and Upload Trip Report instructions
- We again ask that Travel Planners:
- check the Confirm Trip and Upload Trip Report Bin,
- obtain any pending travel reports from your travelers,
- confirm that the information on the NFT matches the information on the voucher, and
- forward trip reports to DHSS via the NFT System.

## Official Duty Destinations

- Please make sure that you describe in detail every _**official duty destination**_ on your traveler's travel authorization and, for foreign travel, on the Notification of Foreign Travel (NFT).
- If a traveler is going to an interim destination for a meeting on the way to his/her main destination, there must be a detailed justification in the Comments section of the travel authorization stating the persons name they are meeting with, dates they are meeting and why travel to that destination is necessary.
- Again, please be sure that you include all of this on both the travel authorization comments AND on the NFT. The information on the NFT must contain contact information of the person being met with and hotel contact information if different than main destination. This can be added under the explanation section on the NFT. If space is at a premium, in the contacts section of the form.

## AEA

-      Attached to your slides (e-version on the DCP ARC website) is a sample AEA memo.
- For AEA’s:
- Remember to include a comparison of 3 hotels.
- Comparisons should be either higher than selected hotel, no availability, or lower than selected hotel with extreme ground transportation.
- For DCP, address the memo to Joy Osborne ARC Manager;
- For DCCPS, address the memo to Associate Director of Program.

## Official Duty Activity

**Official Duty Activities:**
- are those activities performed by an employee as part of, or an extension of, regular official responsibilities.
- The activities an employee performs must be related to his/her official duties and must be based on an official position, official responsibilities, or work done at NIH or other government position.
- Any official work performed with an outside organization must also be consistent with the authority and mission of the NIH.
**The activity must be avoided if** the organization engages in lobbying or otherwise takes public positions on matters of significant controversy involving the NIH

## Official Duty Activity

- Because the activities are related to the employee’s job, the employee may use non-confidential official information:
- That is available to the public or necessary to the work at hand, including information drawn from his/her current work or any work performed within the last 12-month period;
- Associated with previous work (i.e., any matter in which the employee was involved prior to the last 12 months) regardless of whether it has been publicly disclosed; and
- that involves any on-going or announced NIH policy, program, or operation (rather than the outside organization's or the employee's general scientific or professional knowledge).

## Request for Approval of Official Duty Activity

- The *Official Duty Activity* Request Form is used to request approval of these activities.
- A few examples of Official Duty activities:
- A talk to an outside organization about any personal work, whether published or non-public information, or done yesterday.
- Representing NIH, on official duty time.  For example, as part of an advisory group.
- Use of an NIH title and affiliation with an outside organization.
- These activities may be associated with a Government Travel order (if applicable) as normally done with official duty travel.
- These activities may be associated with Sponsored Travel (HHS-348) in certain circumstances.  If so, an entire sponsored travel package would be required in addition to the Official Duty Activity request form.
- Please be sure to include the ARC in any Official Duty Activity Requests sent to the Ethics Office.  In some cases, the ARC has received inquiries from Ethics but were unable to provide assistance since we weren’t aware that a request had been submitted.

## Sample Official Duty Activity Request (also attached to slides)

**Sample Official Duty Activity Request** (also attached to slides)

- Nature of Activity: Include enough info to show relevance to NIH mission.  For instance, provide title and description of the talk to be given.

## Completing the Official Duty Request Form

- The memo should be written FROM the scientist
- At the Organization/Address, please put in the full name and address of the outside organization
- Under Nature of Activity, please explain in detail what it is they will be doing for this organization.
- Time Frame Involved - please indicate an actual start date and end date. Requests cannot be approved retroactively so, the start date will need to reflect a future date.
- Under Benefit to the Government - be as detailed as possible in describing what benefit doing this activity will bring to the government (NCI) and how that relates to official NCI duties.
- The scientist and supervisor will need to sign this form.
- When all has been completed, the original signed form must be routed through the ARC for review before going to our Ethics Office.
- If you have any background information on this organization and any invitation letter or e-mails, please include them with the completed Official Duty request.

## Tax Exempt Form (Lodging)

- You should be aware that there are some states that grant tax exemption for lodging to travelers on official government business.
- As we mentioned in December, the new rules require that travelers be more aggressive in seeking/obtaining tax exemptions for lodging:
- States that provide some form of tax exemption for federal employees on official business are listed on the NIH Portal Page.
- Those states have tax exempt forms available in PDF and Word format.
- Some state forms are more complex than others, but are generally easy to complete.
- Those states not listed either indicated no tax exemption, or did not respond to NIH’s survey letter.
- You can use the NIH Portal Page to find Tax Exempt forms, and you can also go to:  *www.gsa.gov *and enter “tax exempt” in the search engine.  You’ll be directed to a list of State Tax Exempt forms.
- We recommend you search both websites if you’re having difficulty locating a State Tax Exemption forms.
- Let us know what’s working and what’s not.  We’ve briefed the travelers on the importance of using tax exempt forms but know not everyone uses them. This is an easy way to save costs.

## Information for Employees

## New NCI Intranet

- NCI’s myNCI *http://mynci.cancer.gov*
- A new and growing NCI Intranet.
- Phase I has been implemented and you can log on and submit suggestions for future upgrades.
- The goals of the new intranet are to provide internal communication for the NCI community, streamline by reducing redundancy, and share information important to NCI staff.
- Examples of a few useful items:
- Quick links to DFAS myPay and ITAS;
- Under ‘Administration’ links to updated Ethics issues;
- Staff listings along with Organizational Charts;
- Updated shuttle schedules.

## Benefits Calendar of Events

| 7/20/2006 | Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Service Day | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m | Bldg 31/C Wing/ 6th Floor – Room 8 | Blue Cross/ Blue Shield |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  |  | GEHA |

## OPEN DISCUSSION

- Problems?  Issues? Concerns?
- Anything you’d like to see on next month’s agenda?
- Do you have something you’d like to present?
- Just let us know!