R 242023Z MAY 12 ALCOAST 260/12 COMDTNOTE 7500 SUBJ: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ORDER - ACTION ORDER THREE A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 191815Z JAN 12/ALCOAST 029/12 B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 021732Z FEB 12/ALCOAST 045/12 C. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 071610Z FEB 12/ALCGFINANCE 004/12 D. PERSONNEL AND PAY PROCEDURES MANUAL, PPCINST M1000.2 (SERIES) 1. This is the third Action Order promulgated in support of refs A thru C. Ref B clarified policy for eliminating direct expenditures in the financial systems by ensuring obligations are recorded prior to approving travel settlements. 2. Ref C, paragraph 2.F, clarifies that funding obligations shall be recorded as a best formulated estimate based upon current market value analysis. As the Coast Guard (CG) progresses towards eliminating large categories of direct expenditures resulting from Document Type (Doc) 11 and Doc 13 travel, we recognize a pervasive need to review estimation guidance and consider an acceptable obligation tolerance, aimed at reducing personnel resources invested matching obligation to settlement variances. 3. COMDT (CG-8) conducted a cross-service analysis of obligation protocol at the Transportation Security Administration and Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, as well as automated system protocol utilized by both Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement towards reconciling travel settlements with obligations. Each organization has distinct procedures for reconciling expenditures to obligations. 4. Pay and Personnel Center (PPC) recently updated the Authorizing Officials TDY checklist in Ref D for travelers to complete the TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 prior to requesting TDY travel. A. Direct Access (DA) auto-generates batch travel estimates based on market values. With the exception of orders created through DA for travel by central issuing authorities such as Training Quota Management Center, FORCECOM and Reserve Readiness for A and C-schools and reserve orders, all individual TDY travel requests shall use the TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 or a locally approved equivalent. B. The TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 provides travel managers with a complete account of required authorizations for compliance with travel and fiscal policy (supervisory, obligation and funding authority). All locally approved equivalent travel request worksheets shall include these authorizations as well as cost estimate documentation. For purposes of accountability, the TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 or locally approved equivalent shall be attached as a .pdf file in FPD doc remarks. C. The TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 Cost Estimate Calculations section hyperlinks to defensetravel.dod.mil and General Services Administration websites to assist travelers and authorizing officials providing accurate travel cost estimates. This estimate does not cover all costs. Specifically, lodging taxes (14 percent national average in 2010), rental car fuel costs, parking, taxis, tolls, and other unforeseen charges that may be legitimate to the travel. Not including these items in the estimate may result in obligations falling short of actual expenses. D. The TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 Cost Estimate Calculations section provides travelers and approving officials the opportunity to calculate and explain Other Costs in block m. To remain compliant with policy and meet the flexibility needs discussed above, CG-8 authorizes units to calculate and include up to a ten percent increment of other identified costs (total blocks c, i, j, k and l) in block m, annotating as Additional Expenses. (1) Travel estimates for orders generated via DA feed per 4.C. are also authorized to include up to an additional ten percent increment for Additional Expenses. (2) This authorization is provided as a tool, per above guidance, to assist units with travel estimates and optimally manage personnel hours required for matching obligations to eventual settlements. (3) Authorization of the ten percent increment for Additional Expenses is not intended to limit individual units from otherwise proactively managing their TDY travel obligations. Responsible authorities may have and use a more accurate estimate of other costs or may determine that additional expenses for incidentals are not pertinent to their travel needs and forego application of the ten percent increment towards travel estimates. 5. An analysis of fiscal year 2011 variances for expenditures exceeding obligations shows that an additional ten percent of miscellaneous costs built into obligations could have prevented 12,060 occurrences of direct expenditures (amounting to almost half a million dollars in aggregate costs). 6. Requiring use of the TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 or locally approved equivalent serves to align CG travel policy with fiscal policy. The supervisor signature ensures that travel is necessary. The AO verifies cost calculations (used to create the obligation estimate). The hard copy TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 can be routed appropriately to unit-approved personnel (UAP) to record the obligation in FPD. Attaching a digital copy of the TDY request worksheet enhances auditability, assuring accuracy and completeness. A travel estimate, as it name suggests, is a tool subject to inaccuracy. A ten percent accommodation between market estimates and travel obligations acknowledges this reality while keeping the CG optimally aligned with federal accounting practices. 7. Action: A. It is incumbent upon issuing authority, authorizing officials, administrative and finance personnel, and travelers to follow TDY travel policy when preparing and obligating travel orders. B. All TDY travel shall be obligated utilizing an appropriate estimate factoring all costs of the value of TDY travel. This cost estimation must be documented on the TDY Travel Request Worksheet, Form CG-2070 or locally approved equivalent. C. Sufficient funds must be obligated prior to travel. The amount of the obligation must be verified prior to approving travel settlement in TPAX. Note: For A and C-schools, if travel settlement exceeds amount obligated, requests for adjustment should be sent to FORCECOM before final AO approval of claim. Submit members travel orders and T-PAX travel voucher summary (TVS) to A-CSchoolTravelClaimAdjustment(at)uscg.mil for action. Members will be contacted once action has been completed. D. Supporting documentation shall be maintained IAW Ref. C and the Document Support Matrix https://collab.uscg.mil/lotus/myquickr/cg-85-office-of-financial-tran sformation/documentation-support-matrix E. Resource Management Offices shall work with units under their financial administrative control to implement remediation. CG-852 will continue to provide guidance via ALCOAST action orders to identify and remediate areas of identified noncompliance and facilitate best practices towards alignment with federal standards. 8. COMDT (CG-8) appreciates that administrative and financial personnel across the CG are dedicated to ensuring fiscal accountability. All feedback and assistance provided towards the development of policies and procedures which assist with financial transformation efforts are critical to this end. 9. POC: For questions concerning this action order, contact LCDR Susan Maitre, Susan.M.Maitre(at)USCG.mil. 10. Ms. Margo Sheridan, Director of Financial Operations, Comptroller, sends. 11. Internet release authorized.