&EPA Committee on Integrity and Management Improvement (CIMI)
Bulletin 95-4
EPA 350-F-95-002
May 1995
EPA REGION VII IRC
077290
Conferences and Meetings
This Awareness Bulletin is intended to highlight EPA's
policy on scheduling conferences and meetings. It
emphasizes the importance of site selection, and discusses
Agency policy for charging registration fees for attendance at
EPA-sponsored conferences and meetings. These are high
profile activities at any agency, and we must ensure that strict
fiscal responsibility is exercised when selecting conference and
meeting sites. It is imperative that we avoid even the
appearance of improprieties in this area.
Background
It is widely recognized that well-planned and executed
conferences and meetings are an indispensable method of
conducting official business and achieving the Agency's
mission. However, in an effort to reduce administrative
expenses, President Clinton singled out Government meetings
and conferences for close review. As a result, the Office of
Management and Budget issued OMB Bulletin 93-11, dated
April 19, 1993, instructing agencies to keep conference costs to
a minimum and to document the alternatives considered and
rationale used in selecting conference sites. On September 14,
1994, the Agency issued Office of the Comptroller Policy
Announcement 94-10 to provide implementing guidance.
Guidelines
Justifications for conferences and meetings must indicate,
beyond reproach, that the sessions are mission-related and
cost-effective. To assist in this effort, the Agency has issued
the following guidelines regarding conferences and meetings:
• These events should be held, to the maximum extent
possible, in or near EPA regional cities or major laboratory
facilities (Headquarters is considered the same as a
regional city for this purpose);
• Cost comparisons are particularly important for cities
which could be construed as resort locations;
• The duration of these events and the number of
participants should be limited to the minimum required to
achieve the intended goal;
• Teleconferencing, video conferencing, and local training
should be used whenever possible;
• Travel should be authorized on an individual basis to
ensure that the number of participants is necessary and
justified; and
• The cost comparisons for conferences and meetings
involving travel by 30 or more people must be documented
and the final site selection must be approved by the
appropriate Assistant Administrator or Regional
Administrator.
Common Sense Considerations
There are many considerations in selecting the most
cost-effective conference location. In order to conduct a cost
analysis, it is necessary to obtain at least the following
information:
1. The number of people attending;
2. Where they are coming from; and
3. How long they are staying.
The total major costs will primarily consist of travel and per
diem costs of the participants. Other less obvious costs to
consider in choosing a location are ground transportation
(getting to and from airports), fees for rental of meeting rooms
and audio-visual equipment, and parking costs. In developing
cost estimates, it is important to remember that the cost of each
item must be necessary and reasonable.
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Registration Fees
EPA policy states that organizations planning conferences and
meetings should budget for their costs and avoid establishing
registration fees, if possible. If it is determined that registration
fees are necessary, they should only be used to cover
administrative costs, and not items of subsistence or per diem
which are reimbursable as ordinary travel expenses. Registration
fees must not include the cost of meals and items such as
entertainment, coffee, snacks, cocktails, and other similar items of
a refreshment nature.
Only expenses such as the costs of necessary supplies and
materials, printing, and renting of facilities and equipment can be
included in registration fees. The fee charged should not exceed
the actual amount of these expenses, and the conference
coordinator is required to provide a receipt to each participant for
submission with the travel voucher.
Conclusion
A conference, meeting, and related travel can be authorized only if
it will provide a direct benefit to achieving EPA's mission. These
events must be carefully scrutinized to keep costs to a minimum,
and to prevent travel from being used as a "perk" or in lieu of
personal benefits, incentives, or rewards for past performance. In
addition, registration fees should only cover the actual costs of
allowable administrative items, and should never be used to make
a profit.
It is the responsibility of every EPA employee to ensure that travel
dollars for conferences and meetings are spent wisely, registration
fees are used properly, site selections are based on required cost
comparisons, and attendance is limited to the minimum necessary
for accomplishment of the Agency's mission. For additional
information, please consult Office of the Comptroller Policy
Announcement 94-10, or contact your administrative officer or
servicing finance office.
If you know of or suspect any fraud, waste, or abuse pertaining to
conferences, meetings, related travel, or registration fees, please
contact the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in Headquarters or
the nearest Divisional Office of Inspector General. A telephone
hotline number to the OIG is also available: FTS (202) 260-4977
or toll free (800) 424-4000. Information is confidential.
As a step towards pollution prevention, one copy of this bulletin will be printed for every two
employees. This publication is also available via the Agency LAN Services Menu under
"Information Services"; CIMI-Prevention of Fraud, Waste and Abuse.
Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable Based Inks on Recycled Paper (20% Postconsumer)
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Committee on Integrity and Management Improvement (CIMI)
Customer Opinion Survey
For the past ten years at EPA, the Committee on Integrity and
Management Improvement (CIMI) has been working to increase employee
awareness of their responsibilities to prevent and report
indications of fraud, waste and mismanagement in the Agency/s
programs and activities. The committee, which is comprised of
senior Headquarters and regional managers and chaired by the
Inspector General, produces awareness bulletins and information
leaflets designed to highlight agency policy, practices and
procedures.
CIMI is conducting this survey to determine your views on the
usefulness of our products. The survey is in three sections. The
first section asks general questions about CIMI publications; the
second section asks specific questions about the CIMI awareness
bulletin enclosed with this survey; and the third section asks for
your input on potential CIMI projects. Please answer questions as
honestly as possible; all responses are kept confidential.
:Please return the survey to Barbara Cobb Mitchell, OIG/OM, Mailcode
2443, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460 (or fax to 202-260-
6976) by June 30, 1995.
SECTION I (Please check the correct response)
.1. ' Prior to this survey,
a. I had heard of CIMI and I knew what they did.
b.__ I had heard of CIMI but didn't know what they did.
. c.c I had never heard of CIMI.
2. Not including the attached bulletin, I have seen or read
. a.. 5 or more CIMI publications.
b._ '_ 1-4 CIMI publications.
C. None. (If you checked "None", go to Section II)
3. Please list the title or subject of any CIMI bulletins or leaflets you have
read.
4. Are you aware that CIMI documents are available on the Agency LAN?
. a. yes /
b. no
5. How did you obtain the bulletins/leaflets you have reviewed? (Check all that
apply)
a. received a hardcopy in the mail.
b. retrieved it from the LAN menu.
. C. other \ .
(Please indicate)
6. How would you prefer to receive CIMI documents?
a. in hardcopy form thru the mail. '•,
b. via the LAN system
c. other
(Please indicate)
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SECTION II (Please refer to the attached bulletin and check the correct response)
Title of Attached Bulletin
7. The subject of this awareness bulletin is
a. very important to me as an EPA employee.
b.___ somewhat important to me as an EPA employee.
c. not important to me as an EPA employee.
8. Before reading the bulletin, I was
a. very knowledgeable on this subject.
b. somewhat knowledgeable.
c. not knowledgeable at all.
9. ; After reading the awareness bulletin, I have
a. more understanding of this subject.
b. the same understanding of this subject.
c. less understanding of this subject.
10.' Did you know how to find out information on this subject prior to this
bulletin?
11. What did you like most about the bulletin?
12. What did you like least about the bulletin?
SECTION III (Please provide answers to the questions below) .
13. What topics would you like future CIMl documents to address?
14. Do you have any other comments, suggestions or questions for the Committee on
Integrity and Management Improvement?
BACKGROUND (This information is to assist us in analyzing the responses.
check the correct response.)
Please
15.
16,
17.
18,
I am a
a.
b.
Headquarters employee.
Regional employee.
I have been employed by EPA for
a. more than 7 years
b. 3-6 years
c. less than 3 years
My position is primarily described as
a. Management/Supervisor
Professional/Technical
Administrative
' b.
•
I am in Grade
a.
b."
GS 12 or above
GS 11 or below
19. Date you are responding to this survey_
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