I.  Welcome (Cliff Lee) -

Note: we are under high alert once again so in the event of an evacuation during the meeting, participants are requested to exit through the back doors and report across from the mall at the American History Museum. If an evacuation is necessary, alarm bells will ring and an announcement will be made over the loudspeaker advising us to leave the building.

II. Retroactive 2003 Pay Adjustment (Cliff Lee) -

The 1st pass of PAYE for PP-09 is tomorrow for everyone! There will be a meeting to discuss the retro pay process at 1:00 pm in Room 1605 South Building. A draft bulletin will be available for distribution at the 1:00 PM meeting. Information and processing instructions are included in the bulletin. Further information is available from agency point of contacts participating in the weekly conference calls on the retroactive locality pay adjustment.

III. Sunset of Paper Bulletins from NFC (Cliff Lee) -

NFC Bulletin 03-01, "Electronic Distribution of Bulletins" dated April 22, 2003 (handout) states that as of September 30, 2003, NFC will discontinue distribution of hard copy bulletins and will rely solely on E-mail distribution and internet access via Pubs & Forms on the NFC home page.

A. Q&A's

1. Q: If you do nothing, all distribution lists will cut off. A: Yes
   
   
2. Q: If a new chapter or directive is issued, how will that be sent out? A: Unsure, but suspect that they will be handled electronically also. Penny will have DAB verify that in our notes.

   POST MEETING UPDATE: The plan is to go completely paperless with everything by September 30, 2003. This date may be extended to the end of October 2003, depending on whether NFC completes the development of the permanent web application that allows agencies to update addresses and/or order documentation by September 30.

IV. Thrift Savings Plan (Jody Nyers) -

A. Catch Up Contributions will be effective in PP 16. The system will be ready for data entry from PP 13 forward. Glenda indicated that if they cannot begin the deductions until PP-16 then they will not open the front-end until PP-16 to prevent any potential problems with the documents in future. So NOTE that it will be PP-16 when data entry will be allowed and deductions can begin. Jody indicated that the current field size limits the contribution amount to three characters, eg., $999. However, regulations do permit up to $2,000. Glenda indicated that the field for Federal catch-up has been expanded to four characters and will permit the entry of $2,000. There will be a PAYE edit to prevent more than $2,000 per year in TSP Catch Up contributions. HOWEVER, the non-Federal catch-up contribution is still limited to the three characters. OCC & FDIC need to make sure that their processors are aware of this.

B. Q&A:

1. Q: Is there an IRIS screen to see the field amount? A: Yes, IRIS 118 will reflect these deductions, however, you must press the enter key to see the multiple plan codes.
   
   
2. Q: What will the plan code be? A: Plan code = 06.
   
   
3. Q: Will NFC be editing on the maximum contribution amount? A: Yes. It is $2,000.
   
   
4. Q: What is the document type in EPIC that users use to enter TSP Catch Up contributions into the system? A: There will be a new EPIC client to include this functionality which will be available in mid-July. At this point PPSPS does not have the new document number.
   
   
5. Q: Can an employee elect catch-up contributions via Employee Express (EEX) and/or the Employee Self Service (ESS)? A: Glenda Dorsey indicated that EEX will have this functionality. Steve Cunningham indicated that ESS will also have it.
   
   
6. Q: Does this mean that we are going to need a new EPIC client? A: Glenda: Yes, but you will only need it if you have someone electing this option.

C. Implementation of the Daily Valuation System – TSP has still not given an official go on the new system; however, it appears June may be the month. If, however, it is not ready then the next date would be July 1st as it has to be started at the beginning of a month. At the OPM Benefits Conference next month, TSP will be providing their answer during their portion of the conference on June 6, 2003. We should be able to provide more information on this at the June CAPPS meeting.

V. Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) (Jody Nyers) -

Two BALS have been issued by OPM and forwarded to the benefits officers. Those BALs are: BAL 03-801 and 03-802. FSA's are scheduled to be effective in PP-12, the first pay date in July. It will be operated in a manner similar to the LTCI process that is currently in place. This means the employee signs up with the carrier and not the agency. GovExec.com issued information this morning saying that OPM was delaying the enrollment's but not the implementation.

Post Meeting Note: OPM has indicated the FSA website is up and phone lines are active; however, they are not able to accept enrollments at this time. Hopefully, this will be cleared up very shortly.

A. Cheryl Ruf spoke with Eleanor Ratcliff earlier today and Eleanor indicated that the enrollments were on hold pending a response on the issue of the $4 administrative charges.

B. Employees should be making educated choices about this benefit. They are the ones that must monitor the system and ensure that their claims are made.

C. Glenda Dorsey stressed that NFC will simply be sending the bi-weekly contribution to the carrier (SHPS, Inc.). The information available in IRIS will be limited to the biweekly deduction amount and the cumulative deductions. An employee will have to go to the carrier for any adjustments, changes, requests for data, etc.

D. Employees must realize that this is not an automatic election. Annually, they must elect this option and work directly with the carrier (SHPS, Inc.) to make their elections.

VI. Employee Express Update (Jody Nyers for George Morris) –

Testing is scheduled for June 15-27, 2003. Macon has updated a lot of hardware and software, as well as, some functionality.

A. EEX will not permit elections for Long-Term Care or Flexible Spending Accounts. However, they will provide a link to those vendors.

B. Veteran's Administration (VA) volunteered to put together a "life event" package for EEX. This will be an addendum to the General Info, and will give the employee "reminders" of what changes should be considered for possible "life event" situations. Verification of "life event" situations still require the employee to deal with the servicing personnel office for approval and entry of changes.

C. Plan Smart Choice - A private company has a software package which allows employees to see the pros/cons of various benefits (FEHB, FEGLI, etc). This may be offered for the entire EEX client base. At present, USDA is using it. If you would like more information on this feature, please contact Eleanor Ratcliff on 202-690-4368.

VII. Classification Standards Implementations (Cliff Lee for George Morris)

A. 999 title codes - It appears that agencies are using the 999 code for as much as 10% of the titles in PMSO. This is essentially using a ‘wild card' just to get information to validate on the Master Record. This option allows users to by-pass classification standards and enter erroneous titles. This option should be used very RARELY as an interim process until a valid title code can be established.

B. Sunset of 0334 series - As of June 30, 2003, OPM will stop accepting the 0334 series as a valid series in CPDF. Other series are going thru changes and/or implementation as well. CAPPS reps should be contacting their classifiers to determine what still needs to be done to ensure that the agencies can meet this and other deadlines.

VIII. SPPS Web (Lynda Wilson) –

SPPS on the Web will be implemented in PP-15, July 27, 2003. At that time the client version of SPPS will no longer be available for use. A copy of the DRAFT bulletin was distributed. Please note that the effective date in the bulletin is incorrect. It should read July 27, 2003.

Agencies currently using SPPSWIN are: NFC, FS, APHIS, ARS, BB, DHS, SCS, OIG, BC, CU EI FEMA FHA, FSIS, NRC, IN, USAID, AOC, FQ, DOC, DOJ, FDIC, FCA, FCC, FMC, FP, HC, JP, LA, LOC, USMS, MSPB, NEH, OSC, PU, SB, JA, UT, IRS and DO.

A. Q&A's

1. Q: Cheryl Ruf - Why were agencies not given more time on this? USDA has had problems with the OCIO approving the use of detailed OHRM data on the web. A: Lynda: It is our understanding that all the POIs using SPPSWIN have been notified of the change. If you have problems with this, you must notify NFC as soon as possible. NFC had hoped that any issues agencies may have had would have been brought up earlier. It was scheduled for earlier in the year and has already been postponed.

   POST MEETING UPDATE: A new client version of SPPS will be distributed with the implementation of the web version. The bulletin will contain information regarding this.

2. Q: Mary Arnold – Will you need a separate security request? A: If you already have SPPSWIN you don't need to submit another request.

   POST MEETING UPDATE: If the user is currently using SPPSWIN, then a security request is not needed. The user simply uses the Web URL instead of the Client Server software. The access is the same, so the user is automatically "converted" However, if the user is currently using only the mainframe version of SPPS, then a security request will be needed to access SPPS Web. Agencies notify Mose Lindsay when they want to begin using SPPS as Mose must sign-off on all requests for SPPSWIN (and/or web if the user goes directly from mainframe to web). This is to ensure that all users have the proper training on the different functionalities available in SPPSWIN or Web.

3. Q: Vicki Cline – Do we have the IT requirements out on this system yet? A: Penny did not know and will check on this. The information may be in the brochure. Lynda indicated that the info was in the original draft bulletin, but it does not appear in the latest draft that she just handed out. Q: Vickie - Can you provide a copy of the brochure? A: Sheila Ratcliff joined the meeting a few moments later and indicated that the minimum system browser requirements were Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6.0 or Netscape's 6.2.3. There are no requirement for the desktop.
   
   
4. Q: Vicki – Are there any concerns over the number of employees that can log onto the SPPS server. Specifically, have the usage problems experienced in STAR Web been addressed for SPPS Web? A: Penny indicated that yes, the problem has been addressed and should not occur with SPPS Web. That was one of the reasons for the delayed implementation.

IX. CPDF Corrections (Glenda Dorsey) -

OPM currently disburses the CPDF error report via hard copy which means that the data is getting to the agencies sometimes as late as a month after the reported pay period. OPM has established an electronic distribution system that will require user ID's and passwords (similar to Reporting Center). OPM will e-mail the agencies when new data has been posted and the agencies can then access the system on-line. OPM has asked NFC for a contact point listing in electronic format. Glenda indicated that Helen sent a security access request form and instruction sheet. (This is the handout distributed at the beginning of the meeting based upon Helen's May 21 e-mail.) Agencies should complete the form in the hand out and FAX it to GESD at 504-255-5543 by June 4, 2003. If you miss this date then you will need to contact OPM directly at 202-606-1203 to determine where to submit your forms. If your agency will have more than one person doing this, please copy the form and submit one for each user.

A. Q: Does the electronic capability meant that this data is now available on a bureau level as opposed to just a departmental level? A: Glenda thinks it will be sorted by Department/Bureau. Whomever in your agency is currently receiving your error reports should be able to tell you what OPM wants. The agency contacts redistribute the report to a lower level and OPM wanted to eliminate this step.

X. Reporting Center (RC), Employee Personnel Page (EPP), & Employee Self Service (ESS) (Steve Cunningham) -

The web team is addressing recommendations from the security office regarding the number of open sessions and passwords a single user can have on any one web application. Security is requesting that users be limited to one web session at a one time. User passwords are to be "beefed-up" (i.e., minimum length, alpha/numeric, and rotating). Additional, information in this area will be forthcoming.

A. ESS – Phase 3 is scheduled for October 2003. It will include savings bonds (start, stop, and changes), FEHB (open season and limited non-open season transaction), PC-HB, TSP Catch-up Contributions. NFC's goal is to offer the same options that are available via EEX.

B. Reporting Center – As of the Feb/Mar 2003 time frame, usage statistics show that approximately 3,500 detail reports were run in the Payroll/Personnel arena. Most of the reports run were statistical reports. While the detail data is out there, many agencies have not signed up to use it.

1. Printing issues - NFC has received several problem reports on the print format of reports from the RC. The reports will looks good on screen but will not fit on the page properly. NFC is implementing a global PDF feature for this. It has been working well on other systems and should make for a print-friendly format for RC reports.
   
   
2. PAYTA data is scheduled to be included in the detail data by the end of year. Security issue - must start strengthening the passwords; notification will be forthcoming. Passwords must be longer and subject to changing them. Reporting Center will have a quarterly issuance on what's new, etc.
   
   
3. Q&A's

a. Q: Cheryl Ruf - What is NFC's stance on adding other elements to the RC (i.e., position title/retirement info for stats and the "s" in U.S. Department of Agriculture is printing as "U.s. Dept...."). A: Any "problems" with the current reports can be send to Steve at webmaster@nfc.usda.gov. However, requests for modifications to the current reports or requests for new reports must be sent to: NFC.GESDREQUEST@usda.gov

b. Q: Sue McMenamin - She has been experiencing logon issues. Every time she submits a report, she gets the data, but then the system requires her to log in again before she can run another one. She has already submitted an e-mail to Steve. A: Steve may need additional info and will work with Sue directly.

c. Q: Mary Arnold - Has NFC given any more thought to making the RC available via PKI? DOC is currently one of the agencies that does not want to make detail data available under the current security. A: Steve in charge of implementing PKI for these systems. NFC's current plan is to have a pilot in place by July for RC and STAR Web. He will be looking for volunteers who want certificates. The vision for these applications in the future is to offer applications with or without PKI since some agencies want the stronger security. Individuals participating in the pilot will be granted access to ‘real data'. C: Mary wants to be added to this list. C: Any others who wish to participate can contact Steve.

d. Q: Cheryl - FSIS will be interested in participating. What is the cost? A: The overhead or operational cost has not yet been established. Penny will pass info to Randy Speed who is the project lead on this and will be working to determine the costs associated with PKI. Please send an email to Penny if you are interested in the PKI certificate and participating in the test. Email to Penny.Forbes@usda.gov by June 2, 2003.

e. C: Steve also indicated that the NFC web applications will be available via the Federal Bridge. Agencies can cross authenticate and if you have a PKI via another vender. However, we need to know that as well.

f. Q: Kelynn Lewis - Is NFC able to take agency specific requirements for RC? A: Steve – Yes, agencies can send in a request for specific enhancements to NFC.GESDREQUEST@usda.gov

g. C: Jo indicated that some of the NFC reps are planning to give a 1-hour presentation on PKI at the July meeting. PPSPS hopes to have more info on this at the next meeting.

h. C: Steve indicated that once an agency purchases PKI, the certificate can be used for digital signatures. NFC does not have that in the 1st phase, but will be able to do that down the road. Authentication with PKI is the first step and then we can enhance applications and permit signing documents online. C: Jo indicated that anyone planning to have managers sign T&A's on line in STAR Web will need to go this extra route due to GAO requirements.

XI. User & Work Group Updates

A. Awards (Jo Bonner) The next meeting is scheduled for 9:30 EST on June 11 in Lincoln 3. The 848-Referral bonus was postponed from PP-09 and is tentatively rescheduled for PP-12. However, this is dependent on the Retro Pay raise processing. In addition, the effective date for the changes to the SFS Presidential awards has not been projected.

B. EPIC (Lynda Wilson) The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 EST on June 26 in Lincoln 1&2. Lynda hopes to get back on regular schedule once the retro pay raise has completed.

Access to PACT, PRES, & PEP51 - If you are 100% EPIC then you should submit security requests to remove these old applications to prevent users from accessing the old systems.

1. Mary Arnold has started doing this and NFC is taking away more than the desired applications. Users without access to the old systems can no longer access IRIS 600 and a few other screens. Mary will send an email to Penny detailing this info.
   
   
2. There also appears to be a problem with new employee's making it to the IRIS 600 screens. Lynda has sent information on this in the past. Does anybody have any current ones? If so, please send ssn's to Lynda and she will forward them to NOLA. Mary indicated that these are the same people that are do not have the "name" field populated when the SSN is entered in EPIC.
   
   
3. Another agency is experiencing a different type of access problem. Some individuals could get into EPIC but could not process and save. Appears to be about half of the staff but the next day it works okay. It is as if there are fluctuations in security. Penny indicated that agencies should call OCC and let them know you have a problem. The number is 504-255-5037.
   
   
4. Sue McMenamin indicated that she had tried logging into EPIC and had received a message that the password was expired. She went to the mainframe and it worked fine. Others present indicated that they had encountered the same problem periodically.

C. FESI – no update

D. Leave Share (Jo Bonner) The requirements are under review by NFC's requirements staff.

E. RIF - no report (Debby Berry) These requirements are also under review.

F. T&A - (Jo Bonner) The next T&A meeting will be held on June 12th in the Resource Room. The User Group will meet at 9:30 EST and the Requirements Group will meet at 1:00 EST.

1. There is a problem with the leave accrual reduction program for individuals on LWOP-US and an SPR has been submitted. The routine put in place in PP-03 to by-pass the SCD counters accidentally included a by-pass of the accrual reductions if the employee reaches an increment of 80 hours of non-pay time for that pay period. It appears to only be happening for those pay periods in which a T&A is submitted for these individuals and/or a corrected personnel action is done. At this point, NFC does not have a target date for the fix. In the interim, agencies need to make sure they monitor this and make sure that the employees are aware of it.
   
   
2. Rhonda Hickey inquired if there would be a problem with the way her restored AL cases applied. Jo did not think the order mattered, but would check on it for her.

   POST MEETING UPDATE: Jo reviewed the case in the SPR and the system documentation for RAL and responded to Rhonda on May 28th. The end result is that it does not matter in which of the 3 field combos the RAL data is entered as long as the years and hours are correct for that period.

3. Shavon Butler requested clarification on the military leave fields. She will give Jo an example after the meeting.

POST MEETING UPDATE: Jo reviewed the case submitted by Shavon and explained the data to her on May 28th.

XII. SSN Masked on Earnings & Leave Statement (E&LS) (Cliff Lee) -

A proposal was raised a few meetings ago to only list the last 4 digits of the social security number on the hard copy E&LS. Responses from agencies were almost universally in favor of masking the first 5 digits. There was only one dissenting vote and thus the majority wins this one. PPSPS will submit this request to NFC South.

XIII. Potpourri

A. Cheryl Cotton - Has a bulletin been prepared on the interim FEGLI limitations since the system cannot accept the living benefit option. A: Jody indicated that OPM's regulations indicated that the agency should process an 805 and use a specific remark code. The system is supposed to stop the deductions for premiums but it does not. NFC is researching to find out what was supposed to trigger the stop. Currently agencies must send an AD-343 every pay period to get it stopped each pay period. Jody has submitted a system problem report on it and is working with the programmers to resolve it. C: Cheryl that is fine. However, until it is resolved can something be done so that the agencies do not have to submit a manual request each pay period!

B. Regina Miles – Peace Corp processed a change in retirement and submitted an AD-343 for adjustments to those pay periods beyond the 26 pay period limit. The corrections re-set the retirement counters and the system maxed out – the employee was CSRS-offset. Instead of the additional deductions going to retirement they were added to the salary payment. In addition, it appears that they are not withholding the proper FERS percentage. C: Cheryl Cotton indicated that it is probably due to the FEHB pre-tax. Jody requested that Regina send her an e-mail with the SSN so that it could be checked out.

C. Bettina Ponsart - OCC has 401K and non-federal TSP catch-up. There are only two categories for this on the E&L statement. TSP federal and non-federal. Therefore, everything is lumped together. She realizes that the paper E&L may be full, but is it possible to make changes on the EPP to split this data out? C: Cheryl Cotton indicated that DOJ has experienced a similar problem with the SAMBA deductions showing up in the FEGLI account. Steve can explore this possibility. Agencies are requested to consider an EPP drill down screen for pay data similar to the one that is available for leave data currently. If there are additional data elements that your agency feels should be included on such a drill down, please send them Jody at Jody.Nyers@usda.gov by June 13th. We will discuss your ideas at the next CAPPS meeting and a combined request will be submitted to NFC.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 EST on June 18th in the Lincoln Rooms.