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RUEHVC RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHC #2189/01 2462248
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 032228Z SEP 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 9485

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 092189 
 
FOR MGT COUNSELOR, FMO, ICASS COUNCIL CHAIR, BUDGET 
COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND ALTERNATE SERVICE PROVIDER 
REPRESENTATIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KICA AFIN AMGT
SUBJECT: FY 2010 ICASS INITIAL BUDGET PREPARATION AND 
SUBMISSION 
 
FOR MANAGEMENT COUNSELOR, FMO, ICASS COUNCIL CHAIR AND 
BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIRS 
 
DAKAR PASS TO BISSAU, KINSHASA PASS TO BRAZZAVILLE 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: Posts should start to develop the FY 2010 
Initial Requirements data before the new software, 
budget guidance/checklist and the official targets are 
released to posts.  Web.ICASS version 2.30 is scheduled 
to be posted on the PASS website no later than the first 
week of October.  The FY 2010 ICASS initial budget 
hearing will be held in Washington on September 23, 
¶2009.  The ICASS Service Center (ISC) will post initial 
ICASS Traditional Bureau, Non-Residential Local Guard 
Program, OBO and ASP (Alternate Service Providers) 
targets on the ICASS website (www.icass.gov) two days 
after they are approved by the ICASS Working Group 
Budget Committee.  The initial budget submission due 
dates are staggered by region (para 5).  All ICASS 
initial invoices must be signed by agency 
representatives at post prior to submission of the post 
budget to the ISC, except for ASP posts (para 14, 15 and 
16).  Posts must submit the telegraphic agency invoice 
summary cable in the format shown in para 12, which is 
due to the ISC on the same date as the budget due date. 
All invoice disputes must be processed in accordance 
with the ICASS Handbook 6 FAH-5 H-443.  END SUMMARY 
 
-------------------- 
BE AHEAD OF THE GAME 
-------------------- 
¶2.  Don't wait for the new ICASS budget software or 
official initial targets, you can and should use the 
current ICASS budget software to collect the Initial 
Requirements data now.  This head-start will help 
prevent the last-minute rush before the budget 
workshops, allow for better review and verification of 
posts' budgets, and allow posts to meet the submission 
deadline more easily.  Budget checking this year will 
require you to bring hard copies of reports to the 
workshop - this will be addressed septel. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
INITIAL BUDGET PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION DUE DATES 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3.  The ICASS initial budget checklist and software- 
related budget guidance will be available by September 
10 on the ICASS website (www.icass.gov) under 
"Budget/Cost Centers - Current Fiscal Year - FY 2010 
ICASS Initial Budget Cables & Instructions."  To ensure 
proper budget preparation and data integrity, posts must 
complete the ICASS budget checklist before submitting 
the budget plans to the ISC. 
 
¶4.  Posts should convene a Budget Committee (BC) meeting 
to review the initial budget and then present the BC- 
approved budget to the ICASS Council for approval (see 
"Recommended ICASS Meeting Schedule" posted on the ICASS 
website under "Hot Topics" for more details).  Posts 
must ensure that all agencies have approved/signed their 
respective initial invoices prior to submitting their FY 
2010 ICASS initial budgets. 
 
¶5.  The submission due dates listed below are staggered 
to ensure smooth network submissions.  The due dates 
also apply to FY 2010 OBO Non-ICASS initial budgets. 
 
November 23, 2009 for EUR-IO posts 
November 30, 2009 for AF posts and ASP (State and USAID) 
December 1, 2009 for GFS Charleston 
December 7, 2009 for EAP posts 
December 14, 2009 for NEA-SCA posts 
December 18, 2009 for WHA posts 
 
¶6.  NOTE: While the ISC expects you to submit your 
budget no later than the due date listed above for your 
region, we encourage you to submit the budget earlier if 
you are finished (but no earlier than November 15 in 
order to ensure that you receive the mid-November 
reference table update.) 
 
----------------------------------------- 
SUBMITTING YOUR INITIAL BUDGET TO THE ISC 
----------------------------------------- 
 
STATE 00092189  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶7.  Given that each budget electronically submitted is 
manually accepted into the ICASS Global Database, you 
may not see the "Accepted" status on the same day you 
submit your budget.  Therefore, as long as the 
"Submission Status" of your submitted budget plan is 
"Received Initial," you do not need to contact the ISC 
or ICASS Technical Support to check the status of your 
budget submission.  We recommend waiting at least 24 
hours for the "Accepted" status to register for your 
budget. 
 
 
¶8.  If you have problems with submitting your budget 
electronically to the ISC, contact Jim Nunno 
(NunnoJM@state.gov) for assistance.  If because of 
technical difficulties you are unable to submit your 
budget by the due date for your region, you must contact 
Trish Garate (GaratePA@state.gov) to request an 
extension.  ICASS Technical Support cannot grant 
extensions. 
 
¶9.  Please note that ICASS Technical Support will be 
available to assist you if you experience any technical 
difficulties with the software.  However, please do not 
save your questions until the day before you leave for 
the workshop or the submission deadline.  Due to the 
high volume of inquiries at those time periods, ICASS 
Technical Support may not be able to resolve your 
technical issues on the same day they receive your 
inquiry.  ICASS Technical Support will, nonetheless, 
send you an email within 24 hours of each inquiry 
received to acknowledge your technical issue. 
 
--------------------- 
INVOICE AUTHORIZATION 
-------------------- 
 
¶10.     Customer agency representatives must identify in 
advance who is responsible for signing their invoices 
for any billing codes used by their agencies.  If an 
appropriate agency representative is not present at post 
at invoice signing time, an alternate signatory from the 
same customer agency must be identified.  If both the 
representative and alternate are absent, submit your 
budget and note the absence in the telegraphic agency 
invoice summary cable.  Do not delay submission of your 
budget.  You must, however, submit a revised telegraphic 
summary once the representative (or alternate) signs the 
invoice. 
 
¶11.  NOTE: The ICASS Handbook (6 FAH-5 H-432.4) states 
that once an invoice is presented to a customer agency 
representative for his/her review and concurrence, the 
representative must sign the invoice or dispute it 
within 10 working days of receipt. 
 
---------------------------------- 
TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY INVOICE SUMMARY 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶12.  After the invoice has been signed by the customer 
agency representative, post must submit the initial 
budget and concurrently a telegraphic agency invoice 
summary to the ISC in the following format: 
 
A) The first tag on the telegram should be KICA, 
followed by AFIN, AMGT, ASEC, and ABUD). 
 
B) Direct the telegram to the attention of "ISC - Mattie 
Harms". 
 
C) The subject line must read "FY 2010 Initial ICASS 
Invoices, Telegraphic Summary". 
 
D) Include the following information regarding the 
invoice of each serviced ICASS agency. 
 
(1) Agency Code 
(2) Agency Name 
(3) Post Name 
(4) Invoice Total 
(5) Approval Status (approved or not approved with 
explanation) 
(6) Name, Title of Invoice Approver 
(7) Telephone Number of Invoice Approver 
(8) Email Address of Invoice Approver 
(9) Date of Authorization 
 
E) The last paragraph of the cable will contain the 
 
STATE 00092189  003 OF 003 
 
 
following post certification:  "All invoices, other than 
those identified as in dispute, have been signed and the 
originals have been retained at post." 
 
¶13.  Please remind customer agencies that they are 
responsible for providing a copy of their signed 
invoices to their ICASS Agency Billing Code contact 
listed on the invoice signature sheet. 
 
-------------------------- 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASP POSTS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶14.  Both State and USAID Service Providers at ASP posts 
(Dakar, Khartoum/Juba, Lilongwe, Sarajevo, Pristina, 
Astana/Almaty, Cairo and La Paz) must submit their 
budgets by November 30.  Do not circulate ASP invoices 
for signature at this point.  The ISC will recalculate 
ASP invoices with redistributed Service Provider amounts 
and return the invoices to ASP posts by December 14. 
 
¶15.  Upon receipt of the ISC-recalculated agency 
invoices by December 14, State and USAID Service 
Providers at ASP posts must present the invoices to 
customer agency representatives for approval in 
accordance with instructions in para 11 above. 
 
¶16.  After the ASP invoices have been signed by the 
customer agency representatives, State Service Providers 
must submit a telegraphic agency invoice summary.  USAID 
Service Providers must email an invoice summary by 
December 30 to the ISC in the format detailed in para 
¶12. 
 
---------------- 
INVOICE DISPUTES 
---------------- 
 
¶17.  Disputed invoices should be forwarded by the 
disputing agency in writing to the post ICASS Council 
for resolution.  The ICASS Council, through consensus or 
by vote, must decide on the dispute resolution.  The 
ICASS Council decision can be appealed and forwarded by 
the disputing agency in writing to the Chief of Mission. 
If any party to the dispute is not satisfied with the 
Chief of Mission's decision, that party has the right to 
appeal the decision to the ICASS Executive Board (IEB) 
in Washington (6 FAH-5 H-443). 
 
------------------------------------- 
PROCEDURES FOR REVISED INVOICE AMOUNT 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶18.  If an invoice amount must change due to minor 
budget revisions after it has been authorized by an 
agency, please inform the Council and agencies of the 
difference.  New invoices do not need to be re-issued 
for slight changes.  Post must, however, maintain on 
file a copy of the notification informing all affected 
agencies of the change and resubmit the telegraphic 
agency invoice summary of the revised agency invoice 
amounts to the ISC.  Additionally, the resubmitted 
summary should explain the reason for the difference 
between the signed invoice and the notification of 
change memo on file and state that the council and 
agencies have been informed of the revision.  NOTE: We 
encourage post MOs/FMOs to define "slight" with their 
Council/Budget Committee in the context of their post. 
 
---------------- 
POINT OF CONTACT 
---------------- 
 
¶19.  For questions concerning the formulation of the 
initial targets, contact your regional bureau, DS or 
OBO.  Questions concerning the submission due dates 
should be directed to Trish Garate (GaratePA@state.gov). 
For questions concerning the ICASS budget checklist or 
ASP budget submissions should be directed to Stella 
Whitman (WhitmanSL@state.gov).  Questions concerning the 
telegraphic agency invoice summary and invoice disputes 
should be directed to Mattie Harms (HarmsMA@state.gov). 
For budget software related questions, contact Bob 
Braganza (BraganzaRG@state.gov).  For budget submission 
questions, contact Jim Nunno (NunnoJM@state.gov).  For 
technical assistance, contact ICASS Technical Support 
(ICASStechsupport@state.gov). 
 
¶20.  Minimize considered. 
CLINTON