Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
00STATE228649
2000-12-01 18:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

OCTOBER 18, 2000, ICASS WORKING GROUP MEETING

Tags:  KICA AFIN AMGT 
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P 011802Z DEC 00
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
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SPECIAL EMBASSY PROGRAM
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DA WASHINGTON DC//SAFM-BUO//SAYS-8A-SA//
SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:DSCA// 0000
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USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ4/7//CCCO//
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECCM//ECJ4//
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FBIS OKINAWA JA
USOFFICE PRISTINA 
AMEMBASSY FREETOWN 
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
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

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.

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OLD BUSINESS
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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.

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NEW BUSINESS
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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