CONSULAR ISSUES CABLE -- SEPTEMBER 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 102018 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CMGT SUBJECT: CONSULAR ISSUES CABLE -- SEPTEMBER 2009 TO CONSULAR SECTION CHIEFS FROM ASSISTANT SECRETARY JACOBS -------------- - Bidding for Success: Helpful Bidding Reminders -------------- - ¶1. Thank you to all the bidders who have submitted their bid lists via consularbidders@state.gov. If you are planning to bid on consular positions and have not yet expressed your interest to CA, please do so now. It is that time of year. Remember that your bids should be realistic. If a position is language designated, you should have the required language or the time to acquire it. If you are coming from a non-differential, non- danger post, service in a follow-on non-differential, non-danger post may be difficult. We are fortunate that we have sufficient numbers of officers, at the appropriate grades, to fill the vast majority of our positions. That means we expect competition for positions, especially at the higher grades. It also means that we anticipate offering very few handshakes for stretch positions. Please keep all of these things in mind as you place your bids. ¶2. We encourage you to reach out to consular chiefs or consular DASes/office directors to let them know of your interest in consular positions. We work closely with our colleagues at post and domestically in making final assignment decisions, and they will want to hear from you directly. If you have references who would like to send recommendations on your behalf, they may send them directly to consularbidders@state.gov. Any bidding or assignment question should also be sent to consularbidders@state.gov. We are working diligently to match the right person with the right job. -------------- FY 2009 Consular Package Season is Upon Us -------------- ¶3. The FY 2009 consular package submission cycle will run from October 21 through November 27, 2009. In preparation for the new Consular Workload Statistical System (CWSS) release, Posts are reminded to obtain or confirm valid CWSS access for consular staff responsible for entering data and/or performing the CWSS Post Administration function. Access can be requested directly from the CWSS's main screen. This year's deadline is the day after Thanksgiving. Posts are encouraged to complete their consular package early (but not before the October 21 release) so there is plenty of time to obtain required clearances and enjoy the holiday. ¶4. To gain a better qualitative analysis and help understand the complexities of some of our core functions, especially with ACS services, the Department will ask Posts to provide additional data regarding ACS services and on your workload requiring DNA testing. As this is the first year for this request, we understand some of Post's statistics for this new data will be largely based on estimates. For a list of new data fields for the 2009 consular package please refer to the CWSS webpage on CAWEB (http://intranet.ca.state.gov/management/work loads/5841.a spx). ¶5. Further instructions will be provided to Post in an ALDAC; until then, please e-mail CA-CWSS-Registration should you require assistance in gaining access to the CWSS. -------------- Training Opportunities -------------- ¶6. FSI's Consular Training Division launched another important distance learning course this summer. PC 400 Consular Management Controls provides consular managers a clear understanding of their duties and responsibilities in implementing management controls. The course discusses consular management controls generally and specifically in terms of the various consular functions. It also explains policy, procedures, and the personal responsibility of the Accountable Consular Officer (ACO) for safeguarding and accounting for controlled consular items such as visa foils and passports. Every ACO is STATE 00102018 002 OF 005 required to complete this course satisfactorily. Newly designated ACOs should do so immediately upon taking up their duties. You can register for the course at http://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg/default.asp?Ev entID=PC400. ¶7. FSI also launched its new At-Post Consular Training SharePoint site. This is a valuable new resource for all consular sections abroad. It provides a single source for consular managers to find resources for planning and developing their own at-post and on-the-job training programs for American and locally employed (LE) consular staff. Maintained and monitored by the Consular Training Division staff at FSI, the resources available here will continue to expand as posts contribute their own examples of training programs. One example already available through a link at the SharePoint site is Shanghai's excellent training library. The site also provides a discussion forum where posts can exchange ideas. You can access the course through the FSI Consular training website or directly at http://fsi.m.state.sbu/sites/SPAS/CONS/atpost training/def ault.aspx. -------------- Separate Billing for ICASS -------------- ¶8. In June 2009, the Under Secretary for Management directed that CA be charged its own, separate bill for ICASS services. Starting in FY 2011, CA will receive an invoice separate from the rest of the Department, which will provide us greater insight into how much we pay for support services overseas and give us a better picture of our true costs. Please note that because CA funds consular positions throughout the Department, as well as IT services for the Department, CA already pays a significant share of the Department's ICASS costs. To date, however, CA's ICASS costs have been embedded in the State Program invoice and not separately identified. Regional bureaus have been provided CA fee revenues to support consular positions, including ICASS costs. A portion of that funding will now be pulled back and used to pay ICASS directly. FY 2010 will be a virtual, or transition, year to allow CA to work out any issues prior to being charged directly. Throughout FY 2010, posts will be asked to keep separate workload counts for consular sections' use of ICASS services, including services for all consular positions, whether funded by fee revenues or not. ¶9. Becoming a paying ICASS entity also gives our consular managers an important new role: direct contributor to ICASS discussions and decisions at your posts. While CA will be represented by the State member on the ICASS Council, consular section participation in ICASS budget committee meetings at post is essential. (Consular staff are, of course, eligible to serve as the State representative on the Council as well.) Every consular section should have a budget committee member representing its interests. That member must be identified not later than May 2010, but should be identified as early as possible so that he/she may participate in budget committee meetings and become familiar with the workings of ICASS at post. Please direct any questions to CA-ICASS-Collective@state.gov. -------------- New Staff in CA/P -------------- ¶10. CA's Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs (CA/P) has updated its staffing chart and contact list to reflect changes following the summer transfer season. To view staff contact details, portfolios and backups, please visit the CA/P page on the CAWeb at: http://intranet.ca.state.gov/offices/p/who/40 21.aspx -------------- Results of Web 2.0 Survey -------------- ¶11. In May, CA asked consular sections to share their experiences using Web 2.0 technologies in their outreach activities (State 52545) and received more than 25 responses. According to the survey results and our own review of Post websites, successful outreach efforts are enhanced with integrated Web 2.0 tools. We have compiled a list of basic "dos and don'ts" on CAWeb at: http://intranet.ca.state.gov/reference/outrea ch/best/2310 0.aspx. This is an ongoing discussion, so please continue to send in your own experiences, both good and bad, to: CA-P-OUTREACH@State.gov. -------------- STATE 00102018 003 OF 005 An Update from the Hill -------------- ¶12. CA's Front office is closely watching progress of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA),HR 2935, as it gains momentum in Congress. The TPA would create a private, non-profit Travel Promotion Corporation with several mandates, which include informing the public of official policies and procedures relating to visas and entry into the United States. The TPA would be partially funded by a $10 fee on the ESTA application for VWP travelers. PDAS Michael D. Kirby recently met with the House and Senate sponsors of the Act to discuss potential overlaps in mandates created by the bill, and its implications for consular operations. The CA legislative staff continues outreach with the appropriate committees to ensure the traveling public would continue to have access to accurate information. ¶13. An immigration reform bill may be introduced in ¶2010. CA's legislative staff recently participated in a roundtable with Senate and House Immigration Subcommittee staffers to introduce the Bureau's technical experts to the legislative experts and encourage an active dialog on immigration legislation. They discussed family immigration, biometric standards to establish identity, and the potential impact on staffing and other resources. CA remains engaged on legislation with implications for consular operations. To keep you better informed of our efforts, we plan to include a legislative update in each issue of the Consular Issues cable. -------------- Check us out on Diplopedia! -------------- ¶14. CA is happy to announce the collection of all Consular Communities @ State websites into a new diplopedia site called the Cyber Consular Corner. If you've enjoyed the content of ACS Plus Plus, the Fraud Digest Forum, the RCO Forum, or Shanghai Consular, you can now find them all in one place. Please bookmark it and enjoy the cross pollination. http://diplopedia.state.gov/index.php?title=C onsular_Cybe r_Corner -------------- -------------- Seeking Hague Abduction Convention Compliance Assessments -------------- -------------- ¶15. We need your help! The Office of Children's Issues (CI) relies heavily on posts' assessments of host country performance under the Hague Abduction Convention to produce our Congressionally mandated compliance report. Since the fiscal year just ended, CI needs assistance from posts to assess FY 2009 performance. If the United States partners with your country under the Hague Abduction Convention (country list found on travel.state.gov/childabduction),and post believes the country has systemic compliance problems or its compliance practices have otherwise substantially changed, please provide an analysis to CI by October 31, ¶2009. Assessments and/or questions can be addressed to CI's Management Analyst, Margery Gehan, at GehanMI@state.gov. -------------- National Adoption Month -------------- ¶16. Help us promote cooperation on adoption issues! November is National Adoption month. In an early event on September 29, Secretary Clinton honored the winners of the prestigious Angels in Adoption Award with a reception at the Department. All posts that process intercountry adoptions, especially those with large programs, should consider hosting an event in November in support of adoption. One suggestion is to invite all local adoption service providers to a roundtable meeting, perhaps with some key adoption officials, to discuss current adoption issues. Another suggestion is to hold a reception for national adoption officials and contacts or work with local service providers to prepare press releases on adoption success stories, noting how adoption helps strengthen bilateral ties. Let us know your ideas and what you decide to do. -------------- CCD Roles for FPU FSNs -------------- ¶17. CA/FPP reminds posts that LES Fraud Prevention Assistants have a specific CST user role available to STATE 00102018 004 OF 005 them. The LES role is called CCD_FSN_FPM and grants access to EDISON, NIV Applicant SEVIS Status, PIMS, Text Search, and Watch Phrase. These are invaluable tools for posts' fraud-prevention efforts. LES who discover that they do not have access to these CCD functions should contact their post CST Administrator. -------------- -------------- -- New Web Design for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Skills List - Now Available on Travel.state.gov -------------- -------------- -- ¶18. On July 24, CA/VO/L/W, CA/VO/P and CA/CST launched a web-based 2009 Exchange Visitor Skills List on Travel.state.gov. Check out the new J Skills List at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types _4514.html, which mirrors content of the list in 9 FAM. You'll find easy-to-use country-by-country selection, to benefit ConOffs and prospective exchange visitors alike. Pertinent existing "J" webpages on TSG and ECA internet sites, as well as CAWeb intranet, link to the new web- based list. -------------- Passports Issued -------------- ¶19. For FY 2009 through August, CA received about 13.2 million passport applications and issued 11.7 million passport books and 1.5 million passport cards. During August, the average processing time for routine service decreased to 10 business days. Processing times for expedited service was approximately three business days. Monthly passport demand in August decreased slightly from 1.4 to 1 million applications. We are on track to issue about 13.5 million passports, including 1.5 million cards, in FY 2009. -------------- Public Key Directory Board Meeting -------------- ¶20. On September 24-25, CA participated in the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) eighth annual Public Key Directory (PKD) Board meeting. The PKD Board helps ICAO member states to develop an efficient and commonly accepted means of sharing and updating public keys to decrypt information stored on chips used by international ePassport issuing authorities. The meeting addressed issues key to international travel document electronic operability and their integrity. -------------- -------------- -- ICAO Fifth Symposium and Exhibition Machine Readable Travel Documents -------------- -------------- -- ¶21. On September 21-23, CA participated in ICAO's Fifth Symposium on machine readable travel documents (MRTDs) in Montreal, Canada. The Symposium is designed to strengthen ICAO's role in implementing MRTD program and increase the effectiveness of international initiatives to detect fraud and restrict criminals' mobility across borders. It was a great opportunity for CA to learn more about the most recent technological advances and their impact on consular operations. -------------- Assistant Regional Directors Conference -------------- ¶22. On September 21, CA kicked off its annual weeklong Assistant Regional Directors (ARDs) training seminar in Lansdowne, Virginia. Under Secretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy joined Assistant Secretary Jacobs in providing welcoming remarks to the group. The seminar covered important initiatives formulated in response to the OIG report, the development of new performance standards for adjudicators, improving the standardization of processes to ensure quality adjudication, and impact of upcoming technological initiatives. The ARDs also received training to assist their role in safeguarding consular systems and the information contained therein, as well as to deepen their skills in managing a diverse workforce. Additionally, a joint session was held with senior NFFE-1998 union leadership to clarify the recently implemented Collective Bargaining Agreement. -------------- STATE 00102018 005 OF 005 Dallas Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony -------------- ¶23. The Dallas Passport Agency (PPT/DA) was officially inaugurated on September 3. Under Secretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy joined CA/PPT DAS Brenda Sprague and Director Britany Williams in celebrating the addition of the twenty-second domestic passport facility. Members of the Texas congressional delegation and state and local dignitaries, as well as the media, were in attendance. The PPT/DA opened to the public on July 13 and serves an average of 350 customers per week. -------------- Opening of the Western Passport Center -------------- ¶24. On September 8, the Western Passport Center (PPT/WPC),located in Tucson, Arizona opened to the public. PPT/WPC is a mega-adjudication center with a small public counter to serve customers who have urgent/emergency travel needs. The first domestic passport facility of its kind, PPT/WPC combines the efficiency of a high-volume production environment with personal customer service. The official ribbon-cutting is scheduled for October 19. PPT/WPC is the twenty-third domestic passport facility and one of nineteen that serve the public. -------------- -------------- American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators Annual International Conference -------------- -------------- ¶25. CA representatives attended the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators' (AAMVA) Annual International Conference in San Diego on August 24-25. The conference included presentations and discussions regarding the impacts of REAL ID and PASS ID legislation, future driver's license verification options, and combating document fraud. CLINTON