Electronic Case Coordination and Tracking - Team Effort.During the past year, tremendous energy has been invested in efforts to improve the foreign military sales That portion of United States security assistance authorized by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, and the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, as amended. This assistance differs from the Military Assistance Program and the International Military Education and Training Program (FMS FMS - Flexible Manufacturing System (factory automation). ) process. One such effort came to life on August 13, 2001 as procedures were implemented to allow the Defense Security Cooperation Agency The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), as part of the United States Department of Defense, provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense matériel, training and services to allies, and promotes military-to-military contacts. (DSCA DSCA Defense Security Cooperation Agency DSCA Defense Support of Civil Authorities DSCA Differential Strain Curve Analysis DSCA Deep Sound Channel Axis DSCA Debt Service Coverage Account DSCA Document Signer Certification Authority ) to electronically coordinate Belonging to a system of indexing by two or more terms. For example, points on a plane, cells in a spreadsheet and bits in dynamic RAM chips are identified by a pair of coordinates. Points in space are identified by sets of three coordinates. and countersign The inscription of one's name at the end of a writing, done by a secretary or a subordinate, to attest to the fact that such a writing has been signed by a principal or a superior, thereby vouching for the genuineness of the signature. letter of offer and acceptance Standard Department of Defense form on which the US Government documents its offer to transfer to a foreign government or international organization US defense articles and services via foreign military sales pursuant to the Arms Export Control Act. Also called LOA. See also foreign military sales. (LOA Loa (lō`ä), longest river of Chile, 275 mi (443 km) long, flowing S from the Andes, N Chile, then W and N through the Atacama Desert, before turning W to the Pacific Ocean. ) documents. A team of dedicated professionals from the Defense Security Assistance Development Center (DSADC DSADC Defense Security Assistance Development Center (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania) ) designed and developed the software changes to the Defense Security Assistance Management System (DSAMS DSAMS Defense Security Assistance Management System ) that enabled implementation of the electronic case coordination and tracking (CCT CCT Circuit CCT Commission Canadienne du Tourisme (Canadian Tourism Commission) CCT Correlated Color Temperature CCT Common Customs Tariff (EU) CCT Certificate of Completion of Training ) enhancements. The DSAMS Program Management Office (PMO PMO Prime Minister's Office PMO Premier Oil Plc (stock symbol) PMO Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (USA Milk Industry) PMO Provost Marshal's Office PMO Postmenopausal Osteoporosis ) ensured the policy, software changes, and business process changes were consistent and also provided overall coordination of the deployment efforts. Implementing agencies (IA) had to incorporate important business process changes in addition to learning the commercial software tool used to create the electronic packages. At the DSCA Security Cooperation Conference in September September: see month. 2001, Lieutenant LIEUTENANT. This word has now a narrower meaning than it formerly had; its true meaning is a deputy, a substitute, from the French lieu, (place or post) and tenant (holder). Among civil officers we have lieutenant governors, who in certain cases perform the duties of governors; (vide, the General Walters Wal·ters , Barbara Born 1931. American television newscaster and reporter. After working for the National Broadcasting Company (1963-1976), she joined the American Broadcasting Company (1976-1979) and became the first woman to anchor the nightly , the DSCA Director, announced the initial results: average DSCA processing time of documents requiring DSCA coordination had declined from an average of eighteen days to seven days. This dramatic drop in processing time is impressive, and DSCA is confident the time will improve as the process is refined. Why Now? While the concept of electronic LOA document processing Processing text documents, which includes indexing methods for text retrieval based on content. See document imaging. has been on-the-table for the past two years, planning and design for the electronic CCT changes began in earnest ear·nest 1 adj. 1. Marked by or showing deep sincerity or seriousness: an earnest gesture of goodwill. 2. Of an important or weighty nature; grave. See Synonyms at serious. only in January January: see month. of this year. During the January meeting of the DSCA Director and Deputy Director, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force (SAF/IA SAF/IA Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs ) and the military departments (Security Cooperation 5) requested expedited implementation of this capability. The consensus of the Security Cooperation 5 was electronic counter-signature could save significant time in the LOA process and would allow for greater consistency and quality in our reviews. DSCA met with the military departments in February February: see month. and outlined a plan to make this happen. The full suite of requirements that had already been defined included advanced tracking, reporting, and query To interrogate a collection of data such as records in a database. The term may also be used to search a single file or collection of files such as HTML files on the Web. However, in addition to obtaining lists of records that match the search criteria, queries to a database allow for capabilities. The group knew that this list had to be pared down if we hoped to make an August implementation a reality. Lieutenant General Walters approved the proposed requirements in Ma rch and the real work began. The DSADC met with the DSCA Policy, Plans--and Programs office, the Program Management Office and the military departments in April to brief the proposed functionality and discuss concerns. In addition to processing documents electronically, functionality was proposed to allow case status to be updated automatically throughout this process. This would eliminate the need for duplicate DUPLICATE. The double of anything. 2. It is usually applied to agreements, letters, receipts, and the like, when two originals are made of either of them. Each copy has the same effect. entry of milestones and would ensure that case data could be locked out from changes during critical review processes. As a result of this meeting, DSCA issued an official announcement of the upcoming changes: DSCA Memorandum An informal record, in the form of a brief written note or outline, of a particular legal transaction or document for the purpose of aiding the parties in remembering particular points or for future reference. 01-08 of April 17, 2001 entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: Case Coordination and Tracking Enhancements. The intent of that memorandum was to provide the implementing agencies time to plan for internal business process changes that might be required and to identify trigger milestones that would be used to advance case status. During the spring of 2001, the DSAMS software changes were made, refined and tested. A commercial off-the-shelf software commercial off-the-shelf software - commercial software package was selected to prepare the electronic coordination packages. The DSAMS training team worked with the implementing agencies to refine internal procedural and process changes to support the new CCT. User training began on August 1, 2001 with 158 DSCA and implementing agency personnel receiving training in the new procedures and software before the August 13, 2001 deployment. How Does Electronic Coordination and Tracking Work? In the past the LOA documents would be reviewed and signed by the implementing agency and mailed to DSCA for review. DSCA would in-turn coordinate, countersign, and mail the documents back to the implementing agency. This entire process took an average of 18 days. Under the new process, after the document has been prepared and reviewed by the appropriate implementing agency staff, the military department/implementing agency signature (MILSGN) milestone is posted to DSAMS. The implementing agency then prepares an electronic approval package which includes a DSCA cover memorandum, the customer request, (scanned in if not received in electronic format), the case version document itself, and any other required documents, e.g., the manpower worksheet See spreadsheet. worksheet - spreadsheet , termination liability worksheet (TLW TLW Tullow Oil PLC (UK; stock symbol) TLW The L Word (TV series) TLW True Love Waits TLW The Last Word TLW The Lost World (movie) TLW The Learner Will TLW Theft Loss Waiver ) and/or and/or conj. Used to indicate that either or both of the items connected by it are involved. Usage Note: And/or is widely used in legal and business writing. financial analysis worksheet (FAW FAW Florida Administrative Weekly FAW Football Association of Wales FAW Forschungsinstitut für Anwendungsorientierte Wissensverarbeitung FAW First Auto Works (China) FAW First Aid at Work FAW Fleet Air Wing FAW Fire At Will ). The implementing agency then attaches the electronic package to an e-mail and sends the package to a special e-mail address See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address at DSCA. [This report is used as a check report to identify case versions that have been moved to Proposed status, but the implementing agency electronic package has not been received by DSCA.] The DSCA resource management (DSCA-COMPT/RM) staff monitors the special e-mail account e-mail account n → cuenta de correo throughout the business day and conducts an initial review of the package. The package is then forwarded to the appropriate country program director and country finance director for coordination. Under the old manual process, a hard copy document package was forwarded to a single reviewer re·view·er n. One who reviews, especially one who writes critical reviews, as for a newspaper or magazine. reviewer Noun a person who writes reviews of books, films, etc. Noun 1. who would complete his or her review before passing the document to the next reviewer. After coordination was complete, the case was physically countersigned by DSCA and returned to the implementing agency for mailing to the customer. Under the electronic process, the coordination now happens in parallel and there is no longer a physical DSCA countersignature coun·ter·sig·na·ture n. See countersign. Noun 1. countersignature - a second confirming signature endorsing a document already signed countersign signature - your name written in your own handwriting on the document. When the implementing agency posts the MILSGN milestone to DSAMS, the case version automatically advances to Proposed status. DSCA-COMPT/RM uses the Proposed document summary report (RP140) to determine those case versions that are ready for DSCA review. This report is used as a check report to identify case versions that have been moved to Proposed status, the implementing agency electronic package has not been received by DSCA. Once the electronic package has been fully coordinated inside DSCA, DSCA-COMP/RM personnel approve the document (DCSGN milestone) or reject the document (DCSGNRJ). If approved, the document will contain a statement (Figure 1) indicating DSCA's approval. This approval statement replaces the DSCA comptroller signature that previously was required on the document. If rejected, the case version status reverts automatically to the Development status so the implementing agency can make the required corrections. DSCA reviewers are required to make comments to the case within DSAMS to explain the rationale rationale (rash´  nal´),n the fundamental reasons used as the basis for a decision or action. behind any rejections. If the implementing agency determines that it needs to make a change to a case version document that has already been submitted to DSCA for coordination, the implementing agency can request DSCA to return the document to the implementing agency (DDOCRTN milestone). This action moves the case version status back to Development and the return is not considered a rejection. From a document contr ol and editing perspective, the MILSGN and DCSGN milestones now automatically change the case version status, helping to ensure that DSAMS and legacy systems all reflect the correct status of the case. What about State Department Approval? All basic cases must be approved by the State Department, but not all basic cases required DSCA countersignature. Prior to August 13, 2001 the automated au·to·mate v. au·to·mat·ed, au·to·mat·ing, au·to·mates v.tr. 1. To convert to automatic operation: automate a factory. 2. case approval system (ACAS ACAS Cardiology A clinical trial–Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study which evaluated the 5-yr risk of fatal and non-fatal stroke-primary outcome in Pts with asymptomatic but severe carotid atherosclerosis. See Carotid stenosis. ) was used to coordinate qualified documents, see chapter 70103.H of the Security Assistance Management Manual (SAMM SAMM Security Assistance Management Manual SAMM SHARC And MODTRAN Merged SAMM Software Acquisition Maturity Model SAMM Systems Aided Manufacturing Management SAMM Space, Automation & Manufacturing Mechanisms (Laboratory; University of Florida) ) with the State Department. The implementing agency would identify a case version as ACAS eligible. When the document was approved (MILSGN milestone) by the implementing agency, case version data was electronically passed to ACAS. A state list document was generated, and passed to the State Department for its review and approval. The actual case version document was not forwarded to DSCA or the State Department. Subsequent to August 13, 2001 the ACAS role is being handled by DSCA, and the process has been renamed automated State Department approval (ASDA ASDA American Student Dental Association ASDA Australian Sports Drug Agency ASDA American Sleep Disorders Association ASDA American Stamp Dealers Association ASDA Australian Screen Directors' Association ASDA Accelerate-Stop Distance Available ). The ACAS eligibility rules eligibility rules, n.pl the conditions that define who may be entitled to dental benefits, when persons first become entitled to such benefits, and any provisions that determine how long an individual remains entitled to benefits. of SAMM paragraph 70103.H now apply to ASDA processing. However, the trigger milestone is now MILSGN, but not MILAP. If the case version shows that the State Department approval is required but DSCA countersignature is not, when the MILSGN milestone is posted, a state list (STLST) milestone with a planned date plus one (+1) is created. DSCA runs the DSAMS state List Report (RP139) daily in mid-afternoon. All case versions with a STLST milestone with a planned date will be printed on the report. This report is then sent to the State Department for their review and approval. Upon approval of the case version, State Department approval (STAP STAP Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel STAP Space-Time Adaptive Processing STAP Short Term Action Plan (for Infrastructure) STAP Single Trooper Aerial Platform (Star Wars) ) and STLST milestones are created with an actual date. The STLST milestone with an actual date will remove the case version from the state list report. If the State Department disapproves the case versio n a State Department disapproval (STDAP) milestone as well as a STLST with an actual date is created, and the case version status is changed back to Development. If the case version requires the State Department and DSCA approval, DSCA will review the case version first. After reviewing the case, the case status will change to a STLST milestone with a planned date. This will add the document to the state list report. After State Department approval, DSCA will countersign (DCSGN milestone) the document which will generate the creation of the STLST milestone with an actual date and remove the case version from the State List report. Prior to implementation of these procedures, the State Department approval took approximately 24 to 48 hours. Under the new procedures, the State Department is generally able to provide its responses on the same day requested. How Will Case Versions Change Status Under the New System? Significant enhancements have been made with regard to case status changes in DSAMS. The basic process steps remain the same -- each case version requiring customer acceptance (basic cases and amendments) moves through the following case status states: Development[right arrow] Proposed[right arrow] Offered[right arrow] Accepted[right arrow] Implemented Posting of milestones and the advancement of case version status were previously two separate actions. In the new electronic case coordination tracking environment, there is much tighter control of document version progression through the coordination and approval cycle. The change case status window was removed from DSAMS. Case version status now changes in response to the posting of certain milestones. When an authorized user authorized user Radiation physics A person who, having satisfied the applicable training and experience requirements, is granted authority to order radioactive material and accepts responsibility for its safe receipt, storage, use, transfer and disposal saves a milestone that changes the case version status, the controlled milestone window (a new window) is displayed. The user enters the milestone date (when applicable -- some milestone dates will be set to the current date) and adds any comments that apply. The controlled milestone window displays a message to indicate that the case version status will change when the milestone is saved. The following table lists the milestones that will trigger a change the case version status. How Are Milestones Created? Several milestones that previously could be added manually in the case milestone list window now must be entered by selecting a menu option in the case milestone window. This change was made to limit access to some of these milestones. For example, only DSCA will be able to add certain milestones. Also some of the menu options have been moved to be compatible with the new menu structure. When a milestone is saved that requires the user to enter a milestone date, the controlled milestone window (new window) will be displayed where the user can enter a milestone date. The other menu options will display the milestone comment window. The following are the milestone selections that changed in August 2001. What About the New MILSGN Milestone Validation See validate. validation - The stage in the software life-cycle at the end of the development process where software is evaluated to ensure that it complies with the requirements. ? A transaction (transaction type S1 -- see chapter 15, para. 150005.A of the SAMM.) has to be accepted by the DSCA 1200 system prior to the case version document being forwarded to DSCA for coordination and/or State Department approval. If the S1 transaction is not sent to DSCA upon the initialization in·i·tial·ize tr.v. in·i·tial·ized, in·i·tial·iz·ing, in·i·tial·iz·es Computer Science 1. To set (a starting value of a variable). 2. To prepare (a computer or a printer) for use; boot. 3. of the case version, it is sent when the MILAP (MILDEP MILDEP Military Department MILDEP Military Deputy Approval) milestone is created. Previously, you could enter a MILAP milestone and immediately add the MILSGN (MILDEP Signature) milestone. Then you might have to wait until the S1 transaction is accepted by the DSCA 1200 system before you sent the case version document to DSCA. With the August 2001 release, the MILSGN milestone changes the case version status to Proposed. DSCA begins its coordination and review upon receipt of the electronic package. If State Department approval is required and DSCA countersignature is not, the case version automatically appears on the State list report that is sent to the State Department for review and approval. So the case version has to be in the 1200 system prior to entering the MILSGN milestone. A validation has been added that will determine if the required S1 transaction has been accepted (S1ACCEPT) by the DSCA 1200 system. The validation will alternatively look for the presence of a rejection (S1REJECT) that indicates the case version was previously reported to the 1200 system prior to MILSGN milestone being added. Summary The changes that were Implemented on August 13, 2001, are specifically targeted at reducing the processing time for FMS documents. While successful, it is not the last improvement, but rather a solid beginning. Implementing agency and DSCA personnel are continuing their efforts to reduce the time it takes to respond to a customer request with an LOA, while maintaining the quality and accuracy of those documents. About the Authors Beth BETH Elizabeth BETH Elisabeth BETH Bethany Baker is Chief of the Policy and Plans Division of the Policy, Plans and Programs Directorate of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Beth has 17 years of experience in the FMS policy area, and worked at SAF/IA before moving to DSCA in August 1997. Nels Berdahl is an employee of Information Spectrum, Inc., and has provided user training and implementation field support to the DSAMS PMO since December December: see month. 1998. Nels is a former DISAM DISAM Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management DISAM Direct Indexed Sequential Access Method instructor who also served a tour at NAVILCO NAVILCO Navy International Logistics Control Office (now NAVICP-OF NAVICP-OF Navy Inventory Control Point International Programs Directorate ).
Controlled Milestone Window
Milestone Special Requirement
DCSGN Not a Modification
Modifications
DCSGNRJ None - DSCA rejection
DDOCRTN None - DSCA return of a document
at the request of the implementing
agency.
STAP DSCA countersignature is not
required.
The document is not a modification.
DSCA countersignature is not
required.
The document is a modification.
STDAP None - State Department
disapproval.
MILSGN DSCA countersignature and/or State
Department approval is required.
P&A that does not require DSCA
countersignature and/or State
Department approval.
Modification that does not require
DSCA countersignature and/or
State Department approval.
OFFERACC None
MILCAN None
MILIMP None
MILREACT None - use to reactive a canceled
case version
Milestone Target Version Status
DCSGN Offered
Offered (Beginning in Feb 02
will automatically Implement)
DCSGNRJ Development
DDOCRTN Development
STAP Offered
Offered (Beginning in Feb 02,
will automatically implement)
STDAP Development
MILSGN Proposed
Offered
Offered (Beginning in Feb 02,
automatically Implemented)
OFFERACC Accepted
MILCAN Cancelled
MILIMP Implemented
MILREACT Development
Milestone Comment Window
Milestone Menu Path
DSCAEMERGY Tools/DSCA Options/DSCA Emergency
Implementing Authority
CADVNOT & ADVNOTEND Tools/DSCA Options/DSCA Advance
Congressional Notification
CSTANOT & STANOTEND Tools/DSCA Options/DSCA Statutory
Congressional Notification
DCSGN Tools/DSCA Options/Countersign
Proposed Document
DCSGNRJ Tools/DSCA Options/Reject Proposed
Document
DREACT Tools/DSCA Options/DSCA
Reactivation Authority
DHOLD Tools/DSCA Options/DSCA Hold
DHOLDREM Tools/DSCA Options/DSCA Remove Hold
STLST Tools/State Options/State List
STAP Tools/State Options/State Approval
STDAP Tools/State Options/State
Disapproval
SHOLD Tools/State Options/State Hold
SHOLDREM Tools/State Options/State Hold
Removed
MILSGN Tools/MILDEP Options/MILDEP
Signature
OFFERACC Tools/MILDEP Options/Offer
Accepted
MILCAN Tools/MILDEP Options/MILDEP
Cancellation
MILIMP Tools/MILDEP Options/Implement Case
MILREACT Tools/MILDEP Options/MILDEP
Reactivation
HOLD Tools/MILDEP Options/Hold
HOLDREM Tools/MILDEP Options/Remove Hold
SUSPEND Tools/MILDEP Options/Suspend
REMSUSPEND Tools/MILDEP Options/Remove Suspend
DOCMNTSENT Tools/MILDEP Options/Document Sent
Are There Any New Milestones Required?
New milestones added in August 2001 include:
Milestone Description
DREACT DSCA will enter this milestone to
allow the MILDEP to change the
case version status of a case
version from cancelled to
development when the case version
was previously Offered (case
milestone window).
MILCAN DSAMS creates this milestone when
the MILDEP cancels a case version
(case milestone list window).
MILIMP DSAMS will generate this milestone
when the MILDEP manually
implements a case version (case
milestone list window).
MILREACT DSAMS will generate this milestone
when the MILDEP changes the case
version from cancelled to
Development (case milestone list
window).
Status
Menu Changing
Option Milestone Approvals
MILDEP
Signature MILSGN Only State Department approval is
required
MILDEP
Signature MILSGN Only DSCA Countersignature is
required
Both DSCA Countersignature and
State Department approval are
MILDEP required
Signature
MILDEP
Signature MILSGN None (MILDEP Signature only)
MILDEP
Signature MILSGN None (MILDEP Signature only)
MILDEP
Signature MILSGN None (MILDEP Signature only)
MILDEP
Cancellation MILCAN N/A
Implement
Case MILDIMP N/A
Reactivation MILREACT N/A
Countersign
Proposed
Document DCSGN Only DSCA Countersignature is
required
Countersign
Proposed Both DSCA Countersignature and
Document DCSGN State Department approval are
required
Reject
Proposed DSCA Countersignature and/or State
Document DCSGNRJ Department approval is required
Return
Proposed
Document DDOCRTN N/A
State
Department
Approval STAP Only State Department approval is
required
State
Department
Disapproval STDAP Only State Department approval is
required
Offer
Accepted OFFERACC N/A
System
Menu Directed Related
Option Document Status Milestones
MILDEP PSTATUS
Signature (*) LOA, Amendment, or Proposed STLST
Modification
MILDEP PSTATUS
Signature (*) LOA, Amendment, Modification Proposed DAPREQ
(*) LOI, LOI Amendment
(*) LOA, Amendment, Modification
MILDEP (*) LOI, LOI Amendment PSTATUS
Signature (*) Lease DAPREQ
MILDEP OSTATUS
Signature (*) Amendment, Modification Offered Offered
MILDEP OSTATUS
Signature (*) Planning Offered Offered
MILDEP (*) SANG Definitizing Document OSTATUS
Signature (Army unique) Offered Offered
(*) LOA, Amendment, Modification
(*) LOI, LOI Amendment
(*) Lease, Lease Amendment
MILDEP (*) Planning
Cancellation (*) OA Revision Cancelled XSTATUS
(*) LOA, Amendment, Modification
(*) LOI, LOI Amendment
Implement (*) Lease, Lease Amendment
Case (*) OA Revision Implemented ISTATUS
(*) LOA, Amendment, Modification
(*) LOI, LOI Amendment
(*) Lease, Lease Amendment
(*) Planning
Reactivation (*) OA Revision Development DSTATUS
Countersign
Proposed (*) LOA, Amendment, Modification OSTATUS
Document (*) Lease, Lease Amendment Offered Offered
Countersign (*) LOA, Amendment, Modification STAP
Proposed (*) LOI, LOI Amendment OSTATUS
Document (*) Lease, Lease Amendment Offered Offered
Reject (*) LOA Amendment, Modification
Proposed (*) LOI, LOI Amendment
Document (*) Lease, Lease Amendment Development DSTATUS
Return (*) LOA Amendment, Modification
Proposed (*) LOI, LOI Amendment
Document (*) Lease, Lease Amendment Development DSTATUS
State
Department OSTATUS
Approval (*) LOA, Amendment Offered Offered
State
Department
Disapproval (*) LOA, Amendment, Modification Development DSTAUS
(*) LOA Amendment
Offer (*) LOI, LOI Amendment
Accepted (*) Lease, Lease Amendment Accepted ASTATUS
(*)NOTE: Information provided of modifications will be effective until
February 18, 2002. After that time, automatic Implementation of
modifications (upon MILSGN or DCSGN) will be implemented in DSAMS and a
new matrix will be issued.
Attachment 1
File Naming Conventions Required for DSAMS Electronic Countersignature
Each file name should start with the case identifier and then indicate
which version of the document is being submitted. The file name should
also include an abbreviation for the specific attachment that is being
provided (i.e., termination liability worksheet, financial analysis
worksheet, etc.). The following samples are provided.
File Name Document Applies To
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-PKG.pdf Master pdf file which includes
subfiles are required
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-LOR.pdf Letter of Request for the basic
case
BN-B-SAA-BASIC.pdf Letter of Offer and Acceptance
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-TLW.pdf Termination Liability Worksheet
for the basic case
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-FAW.pdf Financial Analysis Worksheet for
the basic case (NOTE: Only
for SDAF cases.)
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-MNP.pdf Manpower Worksheet for the basic
case
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-MTCR.pdf Missile Technology Control Regime
information for the basic case
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-RESTATE.pdf Restatement of the basic case
BN-B-SAA-BASIC-REV1.pdf Revision 1 to the basic case used
when the case is rejected and
returned with changes made.
BN-B-SAA-A01.pdf Amendment 1 to the LOA
BN-B-SAA-A01-TLW.pdf TLW for A01
BN-B-SAA-A05-NCWAIVER.pdf NC Waiver information for A05
BN-B-SAA-M03-REV1.pdf Revision 1 to M03 used when the
modification is rejected and
returned with changes made
NOTE: The e-mail sent to DSCA should also include the case identifier in
the subject line and should indicate what action is required (i.e.,
approval, resubmittal, etc.). For example: "BN-B-SAA-BASIC Approval
Request."
Attachment 2
What's in a phrase? RELATED ARTICLE: The terms "electronic DSCA Countersignature," and "Electronic Case Coordination and Tracking" have both been used to describe the functionality deployed in DSAMS Release 6.05.07 on August 13, 2001. Both terms refer to the new process of coordinating co·or·di·nate n. 1. One that is equal in importance, rank, or degree. 2. coordinates A set of articles, as of clothing or luggage, designed to match or complement one other, as in style or color. 3. documents electronically through DSCA. 3 August 2001 In reply refer to: I: 01/009272-PMD MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION SUBJECT: Implementation of Electronic Countersignature Processes (DSCA 01-21) REFERENCE: DSCA Memorandum 01-08, "Case Coordination and Tracking (CCT) Enhancements," 17 Apr 01 The referenced memorandum announced our plans to enhance the Defense Security Assistance Management System (DSAMS) to allow us to electronically coordinate and countersign Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) documents. The modifications to DSAMS are progressing very well and we are on schedule for a 13 Aug 01 implementation date. We would like to thank all of the military departments for their participation in this project -- your efforts have been instrumental in making this happen. The changes being made to DSAMS include additions/deletions/modifications to system milestones, automatic status progression for certain documents, ability to create portable document format (file format) Portable Document Format - (PDF) The native file format for Adobe Systems' Acrobat. PDF is the file format for representing documents in a manner that is independent of the original application software, hardware, and operating system used to create those documents. (pdf) versions of the documents, etc. In order to ensure a smooth implementation, we would like to offer more detailed information about these changes as well as some "tips" for successfully submitting an electronic countersignature package. The following policy guidance and instructions are provided for this purpose and should be given wide distribution to everyone involved in the document preparation and coordination processes. a. Users will have an opportunity for training prior to implementation. If you have not already been scheduled to attend a session, please contact your DSAMS training point of contact for information on training times and locations as soon as possible. Members of the DSAMS training team will also be on-site on-site adj. Done or located at the site, as of a particular activity: on-site monitoring of a production run; an on-site film shoot. at various locations during the week of implementation to address any problems/concerns. b. Our referenced memorandum provided a list of milestones and their associated status changes that will be effective with CCT implementation. The military departments have expressed some concern with automatic implementation of modifications as originally planned. Therefore, we have decided to delay implementation of this piece of CCT to allow the military departments time to establish working groups and determine what system or procedural changes may be required within their organizations in order to implement this change. Automatic implementation of modifications will be delayed until 18 Feb 02 and we have revised the matrix to reflect this delay (attachment See attach a file. 1). Each of the military departments and other interested implementing agencies should provide DSCA/P3-P2 with a firm plan of action by 17 Aug 01 indicating what actions they will take to meet this new deadline. Working groups should be established as soon as possible with all players (to include DSCA) participating. c. Electronic countersignature procedures will be mandatory for all countries' cases -- including Taiwan Taiwan (tī`wän`), Portuguese Formosa, officially Republic of China, island nation (2005 est. pop. 22,894,000), 13,885 sq mi (35,961 sq km), in the Pacific Ocean, separated from the mainland of S China by the 100-mi-wide (161-km) Taiwan . For Taiwan case documents, all milestones will be entered within DSAMS and the implementing agency will be responsible for transferring signature dates and information onto the cover memorandum to the American Institute in Taiwan The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) serves as the representative office of the United States in Taiwan. The establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 1979 required acknowledgment of the One-China policy and termination of diplomatic . Automatic status changes will be performed for leases also, but lease documents will continue to be processed in hardcopy (jargon) hardcopy - A paper printout of data displayed on a screen. Contrast softcopy. format at this time. d. DSCA will continue to accept hardcopy documents for emergency situations and classified cases. All DSAMS milestones must still be entered for these documents and DSCA should be notified in advance that these documents will be processed in hardcopy form. e. We understand that some documents may already be in the "pipeline" after 13 Aug 01. Through 24 Aug 01, we will continue to process any hardcopy document that is received as long as it is in Proposed status. Any hardcopy documents that are received in Development status will be returned to the implementing agency for submittal through the electronic countersignature procedures. Any hardcopy documents that are rejected by DSCA for any reason, must be resubmitted using electronic countersignature procedures. After 24 Aug 01, DSCA will no longer accept hardcopy documents for countersignature unless it is an emergency walk-through walk-through n. 1. A brief rehearsal, as of a play or role, performed usually in an early stage of production. 2. A television rehearsal during which no cameras are used. 3. or a classified document. f. DSCA will be notified automatically when case documents have moved to Proposed status. We will then be expecting to receive an e-mail requesting our approval and forwarding all of the applicable files (document, manpower worksheet, etc.). All e-mails submitting packages for countersignature must be sent to: loa-dsca@osd.pentagon Pentagon Huge five-sided building (1941–43) in Arlington, Va., that is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense. Designed by George Edwin Bergstrom, it was, on its completion, the world's largest office building, covering 34 acres (14 hectares) and offering .mil An Internet address domain name for a military agency. See Internet address. (networking) mil - The top-level domain for entities affiliated with US armed forces. . DSCA cannot review the package until both of these actions have taken place -- the Proposed status change and receipt of the e-mail. When we receive notification that a document is in Proposed status, we will allow a 24-hour grace period to receive the associated e-mail package. If we have not received it by that time, the document will be rejected back to the implementing agency for resubmittal. If you are having system problems at any time and cannot meet this timing requirement, please contact DSCA/COMPT-RM. g. DSCA receives 30-40 LOA documents each day. In order to ensure consistency in the packages we receive, we are requiring a specific naming convention
h. The electronic countersignature process requires the use of DSAMS and Adobe adobe (ədō`bē): see rammed earth. adobe Handmade sun-dried bricks formed from a mixture of heavy clay and straw found in arid regions. Writer for pdf file See PDF. creation. The training provided will show users how to create and bookmark A stored location for quick retrieval at a later date. Web browsers provide bookmarks that contain the addresses (URLs) of favorite sites. Most electronic references, large text databases and help systems provide bookmarks that mark a location users want to revisit in the future. files using this software. We understand that creating these files and putting them into the desired bookmark format may not be easy at first. To accommodate everyone's learning curve, DSCA will accept e-mails with appropriate attachments that are not all converted to pdf files (i.e., manpower worksheets in Excel A full-featured spreadsheet for Windows and the Macintosh from Microsoft. It can link many spreadsheets for consolidation and provides a wide variety of business graphics and charts for creating presentation materials. ) for an interim period of time. By 18 Feb 02, however, all packages must be submitted in the standard bookmark format. It should be noted that the pdf files are solely for internal USG (UNIX Systems Group) The division within Novell that was responsible for UnixWare. See USL. coordination -- the system will automatically identify them as "Draft." i. Under electronic countersignature procedures, the Automated Case Approval System (ACAS) will no longer be used. The ACAS eligibility field on DSAMS screens will be "grayed out" in this release so that it can no longer be entered. Instead of ACAS, we will be using Automated State Department Approval (ASDA) to allow cases to be approved by State without DSCA countersignature. For ASDA eligible cases (same rules that applied under ACAS), implementing agencies will not forward pdf packages or files to DSCA. j. Under the new procedures, DSCA reviewers will be entering their comments in the "Case Remarks" section of DSAMS. This field is currently at the "case" level and does not automatically identify which document version the reviewer is commenting on (e.g., Amendment 2, Modification 1, Basic LOA, etc.). To make it easier to track these comments, we will require DSCA reviewers to use a specific format when creating a title for their comments. The title must be entered as follows: Document Version, Revision Number (if applicable), Individual's Office, Concur/Nonconcur. The Individual's Office should match the identifier used on the countersignature mailboxes that have been established. A sample entry might read: "A02, Rev2, ERASA-ASA, Nonconcur Non`con`cur´ v. i. 1. To dissent or refuse to concur. ." DSCA reviewers must enter Case Remarks for all nonconcurrences. Comments may also be entered for concurrences (optional). k. Implementing agencies should use existing DSAMS Management Flags or establish new Management Flags to provide notification, as a minimum, when documents have been countersigned by DSCA (Milestone -- DCSGN), returned from DSCA (Milestone -- DDOCRTN), or rejected from DSCA (Milestone -- DCSGNRJ). In most instances, existing Management Roles should suffice suf·fice v. suf·ficed, suf·fic·ing, suf·fic·es v.intr. 1. To meet present needs or requirements; be sufficient: These rations will suffice until next week. , but it may be necessary to create new ones based on your changed business process. Some users may already be receiving a Management Flag for document status changes and would be notified of the above actions through that Flag; however, these new Flags will provide more information for the status change. New and changed Flags and Roles should be created as soon as possible after the 13 Aug 01 deployment of DSAMS Release 6.05. 1. This new release of DSAMS allows for holds and suspensions to be placed on documents. These capabilities cannot be used as a substitute for rejecting documents or for moving documents through the process in a timely manner. Unlike in the past, holds in the new system do not "stop the clock" -- the time period during which the case is on hold will be included in the LOA processing metric time Metric time is the measure of time interval using the metric system, which defines the second as the base unit of time, and multiple and submultiple units formed with metric prefixes, such as kiloseconds and milliseconds. calculations. m. When the case is countersigned and the implementing agency has received notification that the case is in Offered status, the implementing agency will sign the document and send it to the customer. At this time, the implementing agency will also be responsible for sending a hardcopy of the document and the termination liability worksheet (if applicable) to DFAS-AY/DE. Under our previous procedures, DSCA sent a copy of the documents to DFAS-AY/DE -- since we will no longer be receiving the hardcopies, it is necessary for the implementing agencies to take over this function. If you have any questions about these procedures or require additional information regarding electronic countersignature, please contact Beth Baker, DSCA/P3-P2, (703) 604-6612 or e-mail beth.baker@osd.pentagon.mil. We are excited about the implementation of these procedures. We will all need to be patient during the first few weeks of this process (allowing for learning curves, etc.), but we are confident this new automated procedure will greatly improve the consistency and timeliness of all document reviews. Thank you for your cooperation. //Signed// TOME H. WALTERS LIEUTENANT GENERAL, USAF DIRECTOR Attachments 1. Status Changing Milestone Matrix 2. File Naming Conventions DISTRIBUTION LIST DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE ARMY (INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Noun 1. international affairs - affairs between nations; "you can't really keep up with world affairs by watching television" world affairs affairs - transactions of professional or public interest; "news of current affairs"; "great affairs of state" ) ATTN ATTN Attention ATTN Atentamente (Spanish) ATTN A l'attention de (French: Care of) : SAUS-IA-DSZ DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY DIRECTOR, NAVY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE (INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE The executive part of the Department of the Air Force at the seat of government and all field headquarters, forces, Reserve Components, installations, activities, and functions under the control or supervision of the Secretary of the Air Force. Also called DAF. See also Military Department. DIRECTOR, DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Noun 1. Defense Logistics Agency - a logistics combat support agency in the Department of Defense; provides worldwide support for military missions Defense Department, Department of Defense, DoD, United States Department of Defense, Defense - the federal department DIRECTOR, NATIONAL IMAGERY imagery /im·age·ry/ (im´aj-re) 1. the formation of a mental representation of something perceived by the senses. 2. AND MAPPING AGENCY DIRECTOR, DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (or DTRA) is a combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) whose primary function is to analyze potential threats to the United States, both homeland and abroad, and provide contingency plans for all such DIRECTOR, DEFENSE REUTILIZATION AND MARKETING SERVICE Noun 1. Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service - the organization in the Defense Logistics Agency that inventories and evaluates and sells reusable United States government surplus DRMS DIRECTOR, DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AGENCY DIRECTOR, DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY DIRECTOR, DEFENSE LOGISTICS INFORMATION SERVICE The Defense Logistics Information Service, or DLIS, provides logistics and information technology services to the United States Department of Defense, Federal agencies, and international partners. External links
DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR INFORMATION ASSURANCE, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR SECURITY ASSISTANCE, DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), an agency of the United States Department of Defense, provides finance and accounting services for the military and other members of defense. In FY 2004, DFAS:
cc: AMSAC-OL-MP |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion