All USGS Emp - Management of Non-Accountable Property Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 14:35:42 -0500 To: "USGS Employees" From: " All Employee email, Reston, VA" Subject: All USGS Emp - Management of Non-Accountable Property Management of Non-Accountable Property Earlier this year, an issue of "OPS Notes" included an item about the possibility of an audit of non-accountable property http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/pnap.html , to be conducted by the Office of the Inspector General. Since then, many USGS employees have expressed interest in better understanding the appropriate way to handle non-accountable property, both during its normal useful life, and when it's time to dispose of the property. Accordingly, this message is being sent to all employees as a reminder of the responsibilities we all have as users of Government-owned property. Additional information can be found on the Program Support pages to which this document is linked. Non-accountable property is all property with an acquisition cost of less than $5000 with the exception of the following which are all accountable regardless of acquisition cost: Firearms Museum property http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/pmp.html Leased property, with a lease term of six months or more On-road vehicular equipment which requires a Government license plate Other agencies' property used by USGS, when owning agency requires that it be tracked Since no formal record-keeping system is required for non-accountable property, it is important that we employ other practices to effectively manage, control, and safeguard these valuable assets. Here are some suggested control methods for non-accountable property. Use them in combination as appropriate to your work situation. A. Provide physical security, i.e., locked offices, fences, equipment locks, equipment cabinets, security cradles, etc. B. Use check-out logs, hand receipts, and property passes http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/ppass.html when property leaves the workplace or is shared. C. Perform thorough budget reviews, as a means of monitoring equipment requirements and identifying losses. D. Periodically review property management practices and document the review. E. Report http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/handbook/hb/408-2-h.html#c5 serious incidents involving improper use or abuse of equipment http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/handbook/hb/408-2-h.html#c511 . F. Use the Property Management Interface System (PMIS), http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/pmis.html , a mainframe computer system which allows managers and supervisors to track property under their custodial jurisdiction within their organizational units. If you choose to use PMIS, you must commit to maintain accurate records. Inaccurate data in PMIS is likely to produce audit criticism that our controls are ineffective. In addition to effectively controlling non-accountable property, there are a few other important responsibilities to remember: o mark all equipment to identify it as bureau property; decals for this purpose are available through your administrative office. The decals should be used to record information needed for excess reporting purposes, such as manufacturer's serial number, year purchased, and acquisition value http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/pfaq.html . o properly care for property during use and perform maintenance as necessary to keep items in useable condition. o ensure that separating employees are cleared of all property, prior to separation http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/par2.html . If equipment is not accounted for satisfactorily, the supervisor should so note in Part A of the Employee Clearance Report. o promptly report items which are no longer required to support programs through the available/excess process http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/pd.html . o dispose of equipment appropriately, and properly document loss of or damage to equipment, as follows: - useable non-accountable property (both serviceable and economically repairable), must be disposed of according to the General Service Administration's regulations or Federal statutes. (Please note that the regulations governing the disposal of useable excess/available property were not affected by the change in the accountability threshold). Such items may be transferred via a Property Transfer Request (form 9-064) to a local Office of Program Support warehouse in Reston, Denver, or Menlo Park, or may be reported as excess on a Report of Excess Personal Property (SF-120) to the appropriate property management office (headquarters or regional). - unuseable non-accountable property may be transferred to a local OPS warehouse for disposal, or it may be abandoned or destroyed locally after removal of all U.S. Government identification. Managers should maintain documentation justifying disposal of any item prior to its anticipated full useful life. - lost or damaged non-accountable property need not be documented on a Report of Survey (form DI-103), except in cases of apparent property irregularities, as defined in the Property Management Handbook, Chapter 5,Paragraph 11 http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/handbook/hb/408-2-h.html#c5 . You are encouraged to contact Property Management staff at headquarters and/or the two Regional Service Centers (staff names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses are posted on the program support pages http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/persnl.html ) if you have any questions or concerns about the management of personal property of any kind. We appreciate your support of the bureau's property management program.