OCTOBER 18, 2000, ICASS WORKING GROUP MEETING

UNCLAS STATE 228649 SIPDIS FROM THE ICASS SERVICE CENTER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KICA AFIN AMGT SUBJECT: OCTOBER 18, 2000, ICASS WORKING GROUP MEETING ¶1. SUMMARY: RESULTS OF IEB BOARD MEETING (PARA 2); REPORT FROM THE ISC (PARA 3); AND BILL PAYMENT AND DISPUTES POLICY (PARA 4). PLEASE NOTE: THE ITEMS THAT FOLLOW SUMMARIZE ICASS WORKING GROUP (IWG) MINUTES AND THEREFORE REFLECT ONLY WHAT WAS SAID AT THE MEETING BEING REPORTED, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT FULLY OR ACCURATELY DESCRIBE A SITUATION, POLICY, OR ISSUE. -------------- -------------- OLD BUSINESS -------------- -------------- ¶2. RESULTS OF IEB BOARD MEETING: LARRY EISENBERG (FCS) REPORTED THAT THE IEB SUPPORTED THE STUDY GROUP'S PROPOSAL RECOMMENDING ASSESSMENT TEAM VISITS TO A NUMBER OF POSTS. THEY AGREED TO FUND THE STUDY IF THE GROUP CLARIFIES THE SCOPE OF WORK. ONCE THE PROPOSAL GAINS APPROVAL OF THE IWG AND THE ISC, THE ASSESSMENT CAN GO FORWARD. IF THERE ARE ANY UNRESOLVED ISSUES, THEY SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE IEB MEMBERS FOR IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE SPRING IEB MEETING. DAVID MEIN (IWG CHAIR) REPORTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S (DOJ) POSITION ON THE BANGKOK FURNITURE POOL WAS PRESENTED AS ONE OF PRINCIPLE AND NOT MONEY. (THE ISSUE IS THAT DEA CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE HOUSING POOL UNLESS IT PARTICIPATES IN THE FURNITURE POOL AS WELL.) MR. MEIN NOTED THAT IEB CHAIR PAT KENNEDY (STATE) AFFIRMED HE ALWAYS BELIEVES IN CHOICE BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHOICE-THE RIGHT OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER TO CHOOSE HOW IT WILL PROVIDE ITS SERVICES. MR. KENNEDY AFFIRMED THAT STATE IS NOT ATTEMPTING TO SET PRECEDENT FOR ESTABLISHING FURNITURE POOLS WORLDWIDE. HE OFFERED TO SHARE WITH THE IEB MEMBERS THE COST DATA THAT HAD BEEN PROVIDED BY POST AND CONCLUDED BY SAYING FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ISSUE WILL BE ADDRESSED AT THE NEXT IEB MEETING. THE IEB ALSO ACCEPTED THE AWARD COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS AND AGREED TO FUND THE TRAINING INITIATIVES PROPOSED BY THE TRAINING COMMITTEE. ¶3. REPORT FROM THE ISC: BRAD BARTLETT (ISC) REPORTED ON THE RECENT SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION TO POST. THE SOFTWARE TEAM HAS BEEN RECEIVING AND RESPONDING TO INQUIRIES FROM POST ON THE NEW SOFTWARE. PATRICIA GARATE (ISC) OUTLINED THE TENTATIVE BUDGET REVIEW TIMELINE AND THIS LED TO A DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE ABILITY OF POSTS TO MEET THE NOVEMBER 15 DEADLINE FOR BUDGET SUBMISSION. IT WAS AGREED THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION. DAVID BALL REPORTED ON POST SPECIFIC TRAINING. TRAINING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN KINGSTON AND TEGUCIGALPA IN NOVEMBER; TENTATIVE PLANS INCLUDE CAIRO AND RIYADH IN FEBRUARY 2001; AND ISLAMABAD AND NEW DELHI IN MARCH ¶2001. -------------- -------------- NEW BUSINESS -------------- -------------- ¶4. BILL PAYMENT AND DISPUTES POLICY: DAVID MEIN DREW MEMBERS ATTENTION TO THE NEW POLICY PROPOSAL MADE BY THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR COLLECTING OUTSTANDING INVOICES FROM NON-PAYING AGENCIES. HE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THERE IS A FINANCIAL IMPACT TO ICASS BILL PAYING AGENCIES WHEN THE WORKING CAPITAL FUND NEEDS TO BE REPLENISHED, AND THE PROPOSAL OFFERS A METHOD FOR HANDLING THIS. CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THIS PROPOSAL WILL BE AN THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT IWG MEETING. THE FULL TEXT OF THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 18, 2000, IWG MEETING ARE AVAILABLE ON THE ICASS INTERNET SITE (WWW.ICASS.COM) AND THE INTRANET SITE (HTTP://205.128.25.153/). ¶5. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED TALBOTT