US embassy cable - 00STATE228649

UNCLAS STATE 228649 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM THE ICASS SERVICE CENTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KICA, AFIN, AMGT 
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 18, 2000, ICASS WORKING GROUP MEETING 
 
1. SUMMARY:  RESULTS OF IEB BOARD MEETING (PARA 2); REPORT 
FROM THE ISC (PARA 3); AND BILL PAYMENT AND DISPUTES 
POLICY (PARA 4). 
 
PLEASE NOTE:  THE ITEMS THAT FOLLOW SUMMARIZE ICASS 
WORKING GROUP (IWG) MINUTES AND THEREFORE REFLECT ONLY 
WHAT WAS SAID AT THE MEETING BEING REPORTED, WHICH MAY 
OR MAY NOT FULLY OR ACCURATELY DESCRIBE A SITUATION, 
POLICY, OR ISSUE. 
 
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OLD BUSINESS 
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2. RESULTS OF IEB BOARD MEETING:  LARRY EISENBERG (FCS) 
REPORTED THAT THE IEB SUPPORTED THE STUDY GROUP'S 
PROPOSAL RECOMMENDING ASSESSMENT TEAM VISITS TO A 
NUMBER OF POSTS.  THEY AGREED TO FUND THE STUDY IF THE 
GROUP CLARIFIES THE SCOPE OF WORK.  ONCE THE PROPOSAL 
GAINS APPROVAL OF THE IWG AND THE ISC, THE ASSESSMENT 
CAN GO FORWARD.  IF THERE ARE ANY UNRESOLVED ISSUES, 
THEY SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE IEB MEMBERS FOR IMMEDIATE 
RESOLUTION WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE SPRING IEB MEETING. 
 
DAVID MEIN (IWG CHAIR) REPORTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF 
JUSTICE'S (DOJ) POSITION ON THE BANGKOK FURNITURE POOL 
WAS PRESENTED AS ONE OF PRINCIPLE AND NOT MONEY.  (THE 
ISSUE IS THAT DEA CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE HOUSING 
POOL UNLESS IT PARTICIPATES IN THE FURNITURE POOL AS 
WELL.)  MR. MEIN NOTED THAT IEB CHAIR PAT KENNEDY 
(STATE) AFFIRMED HE ALWAYS BELIEVES IN CHOICE BUT THIS 
IS AN EXAMPLE OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHOICE-THE RIGHT 
OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER TO CHOOSE HOW IT WILL PROVIDE 
ITS SERVICES.  MR. KENNEDY AFFIRMED THAT STATE IS NOT 
ATTEMPTING TO SET PRECEDENT FOR ESTABLISHING FURNITURE 
POOLS WORLDWIDE.  HE OFFERED TO SHARE WITH THE IEB 
MEMBERS THE COST DATA THAT HAD BEEN PROVIDED BY POST 
AND CONCLUDED BY SAYING FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS 
ISSUE WILL BE ADDRESSED AT THE NEXT IEB MEETING. 
 
THE IEB ALSO ACCEPTED THE AWARD COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS 
AND AGREED TO FUND THE TRAINING INITIATIVES PROPOSED BY 
THE TRAINING COMMITTEE. 
 
3. REPORT FROM THE ISC:  BRAD BARTLETT (ISC) REPORTED ON 
THE RECENT SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION TO POST.  THE SOFTWARE 
TEAM HAS BEEN RECEIVING AND RESPONDING TO INQUIRIES 
FROM POST ON THE NEW SOFTWARE. 
 
PATRICIA GARATE (ISC) OUTLINED THE TENTATIVE BUDGET 
REVIEW TIMELINE AND THIS LED TO A DISCUSSION CONCERNING 
THE ABILITY OF POSTS TO MEET THE NOVEMBER 15 DEADLINE 
FOR BUDGET SUBMISSION.  IT WAS AGREED THAT THE ISSUE 
WOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR 
FURTHER CONSIDERATION. 
 
DAVID BALL REPORTED ON POST SPECIFIC TRAINING. 
TRAINING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN KINGSTON AND TEGUCIGALPA 
IN NOVEMBER; TENTATIVE PLANS INCLUDE CAIRO AND RIYADH 
IN FEBRUARY 2001; AND ISLAMABAD AND NEW DELHI IN MARCH 
2001. 
 
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NEW BUSINESS 
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4. BILL PAYMENT AND DISPUTES POLICY:  DAVID MEIN DREW 
MEMBERS ATTENTION TO THE NEW POLICY PROPOSAL MADE BY 
THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR COLLECTING OUTSTANDING 
INVOICES FROM NON-PAYING AGENCIES.  HE ALSO EXPLAINED 
THAT THERE IS A FINANCIAL IMPACT TO ICASS BILL PAYING 
AGENCIES WHEN THE WORKING CAPITAL FUND NEEDS TO BE 
REPLENISHED, AND THE PROPOSAL OFFERS A METHOD FOR 
HANDLING THIS.  CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF 
THIS PROPOSAL WILL BE AN THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT IWG 
MEETING. 
 
THE FULL TEXT OF THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 18, 2000, 
IWG MEETING ARE AVAILABLE ON THE ICASS INTERNET SITE 
(WWW.ICASS.COM) AND THE INTRANET SITE 
(HTTP://205.128.25.153/). 
 
5. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
TALBOTT