I.            PURPOSE

This directive establishes new policy and procedures for:

A. Planning FSIS-sponsored conferences.

B. Obtaining advance approval from the Under Secretary for Food Safety for all FSIS conferences exceeding $20,000.

C. Obtaining advance approval from the USDA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for all FSIS conferences exceeding $40,000.

D. Submitting annual and quarterly reports on plans for upcoming conferences sponsored by FSIS.

II.            (RESERVED)

III.            (RESERVED)

IV.            REFERENCES

2008 Farm Bill

FSIS Directive 2100.1, Procurement of Supplies, Equipment, and Services

DM 2300-001, Agriculture Travel Regulation, dated May 1, 2008

41 CFR Chapter 300, Federal Information Resources Management Regulation, FTR

41 CFR Chapter 301, Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel Allowance, FTR

FTR, Part 301-74, Conference Planning

FTR, Appendix E to Chapter 301, Suggested Guidance for Conference Planning

V.            ABBREVIATIONS AND FORMS

The following appear in their shortened form in this directive:

BD            Budget Division

CFO         Chief Financial Officer

FSB          Fiscal Services Branch

FTR          Federal Travel Regulation

OM           Office of Management

OOEET   Office of Outreach, Employee Education and Training

PMB        Procurement Management Branch

FSIS Form 3160-13, Conference Approval Request

VI.            POLICY

A. Program offices must receive approval from the Under Secretary for Food Safety to sponsor conferences exceeding $20,000 and USDA CFO to sponsor conferences exceeding $40,000. Program offices are required to report annual conference plan reports and quarterly attendance reports. (See DM 2300-001, Agriculture Travel Regulation and the 2008 Farm Bill.)

B. All conferences must be held at the most cost-effective location. Program offices must consider costs when planning and obtaining approval for conferences. If the majority of the attendees are in the same commuting area, the conference must be held locally unless another location is more cost-effective.

C. The procurement processing time, also known as lead time, is generally 30 to 120 days depending on the complexity and size of the conference. The lead time begins after PMB receives a complete procurement package (examples: requisition and finalized statement of work). The procurement lead time is not the same as the approval time under paragraph IX. To increase the likelihood of the Agency securing the preferred conference location, program offices are encouraged to plan early and work with PMB. NOTE: Conference space for larger events is often booked a year or more in advance, so the procurement lead time may not be a sufficient amount of time. Program offices should plan accordingly.

VII.            CONFERENCE PLANNING

A. Conferences are meetings held for consultation, training, awareness, or discussion that include participants from at least one USDA agency, which includes FSIS. All or a portion of a meeting can be held in a location outside of USDA (examples: a meeting is held half a day at a convention center and the next day it is held all day at a hotel). Meetings can involve costs associated with travel and transportation for some participants. (EXCEPTIONS: Training conferences do not include continuing education or curriculum-based educational programs. Training programs must be held independent of a conference and with a non-governmental organization.)

B. When planning a conference, the planners must follow FTR, Part 301-74, Conference Planning and FTR, Appendix E to Chapter 301, Suggested Guidance for Conference Planning. Go to http://www.gsa.gov/ftr to access this information.

C. To ensure that proper procurement procedures are followed, program offices must consult PMB at the beginning of the planning process. The procurement process can proceed concurrently with the Under Secretary for Food Safety and USDA CFO conference approval process. NOTE: No obligation for funding can occur prior to receiving approval from the Under Secretary for Food Safety or USDA CFO. (See FSIS Directive 2100.1, Procurement of Supplies, Equipment, and Services.) Contact PMB at the following address:

USDA FSIS ASD
PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT BRANCH
5601 SUNNYSIDE AVENUE (MAILDROP 5230)
BELTSVILLE MD 20705–5230

VIII.            CONFERENCE APPROVAL PROCEDURES

A. Complete FSIS Form 3160-13, Conference Approval Request, for all requests exceeding $20,000. (See Attachment 1 for a sample of the form.)

B. Complete a cost comparison for conferences exceeding $20,000 for at least three locations that were considered as part of the conference site selection. One of the sites must include a location near where the majority of attendees are stationed. (See Attachment 2, Sample of a Conference Cost Comparison. Attachment 2 provides three site examples for multiple attendees traveling from multiple locations.)

C. Submit conference requests in the excess of $20,000 to:

BD FSB BRANCH CHIEF
1400 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE
ROOM 2144 SOUTH BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20022
E-mail: Sheila.fant@fsis.usda.gov

IX.            APPROVAL PROCESS TIMELINES

The following timelines are provided to ensure advance approvals of conferences are met.

X.            ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY CONFERENCE REPORTS

A. Annual Conference Plan Reports. Program offices must complete and submit an Annual Conference Plan Report for annual conferences being sponsored by their program that exceed $20,000 to FSB at the end of each fiscal year. (See Attachment 3, Instructions for Completing the Annual Conference Plan Report.)

B. Quarterly Conference Attendance Reports. Program offices must complete and submit a Quarterly Conference Attendance Report (see Attachment 4, Sample of Annual Conference Plan Report and Quarterly Conference Attendance Report) for each individual from their program office attending a conference to FSB within the following timeframes:

XI.            INQUIRIES

Contact the Chief, FSB at 202–690–3787 with questions.

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