US embassy cable - 00STATE228690

UNCLAS STATE 228690 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AOMS, AMGT, APER 
SUBJECT: OMS CONFERENCE MARCH 21-23, 2001 
 
FOR OFFICE MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS AND POST MANAGEMENT FROM 
THE OMS COORDINATOR - DONNA MMOH 
 
1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE A WORLDWIDE OMS CONFERENCE TO 
BE HELD MARCH 21-23, 2001 AT NFATC, CO-SPONSORED BY THE 
REGIONAL BUREAUS, THE BUREAU OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND NFATC. 
 
2. PAST OMS CONFERENCES HAVE BEEN A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS, 
COMBINING AN AMBITIOUS PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES AMPLE 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING, GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND SHARING 
OF IDEAS AS WELL AS FORMAL PRESENTATIONS TO HELP OMSERS 
FULFILL THEIR CHANGING ROLES AS OFFICE MANAGEMENT 
SPECIALISTS. THANKS TO THE BUREAUS' OVERWHELMING AND 
CONTINUING SUPPORT, MORE THAN SEVENTY OMSERS HAVE BEEN 
PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THESE CONFERENCES, AND 
MUCH HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AS A RESULT OF THEIR DIRECT 
PARTICIPATION. 
 
3. THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE WILL BE CONTINUING 
A DIALOGUE AMONG OMSERS, COLLEAGUES AND THEIR SUPERVISORS 
 
THAT WILL INCLUDE WORKSHOPS TO EXCHANGE IDEAS ON 
HARNESSING NEW AND IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY TO MEET THE NEEDS 
OF A MISSION. THE CONFERENCE WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY 
FOR OFFICE MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS TO BRING COMMON CONCERNS 
TO THE TABLE AND SHARE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS THAT ARISE IN 
THE FIELD. THEY WILL ALSO ATTEND WORKSHOPS THAT WOULD 
ENHANCE OFFICE MANAGEMENT SKILLS. WE PROPOSE TO SET UP A 
DAY OF TRAINING ON DATABASE AND SPREADSHEET MANAGEMENT AND 
DEVELOP IDEAS ON HOW THESE APPLICATIONS CAN BE APPLIED IN 
THE WORKPLACE. 
 
4. WE WILL IDENTIFY PARTICIPANTS FROM NOMINATIONS 
SUBMITTED BY POSTS. WE WILL LOOK AT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION 
(BUREAU), NOMINEE'S GRADE (FP-03/04; FP-05/06; FP-07/08), 
AND SIZE OF POST IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A TRULY 
REPRESENTATIVE GROUP. WE ANTICIPATE CHOOSING SEVEN 
PARTICIPANTS FROM EACH OF THE TWO JOINT REGIONAL BUREAUS 
(NEA/SA AND EUR/NIS), FIVE PARTICIPANTS EACH FROM EAP AND 
WHA, THREE FROM AF AND ONE FROM THE BUREAU OF 
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. WE WILL ALSO INCLUDE FIVE 
DELEGATES FROM THE DEPARTMENT. PARTICIPANTS OF THE MARCH 
2000 CONFERENCE WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND THIS 
SESSION. 
 
THE NOMINATION PROCESS 
 
5. NOMINATIONS OF FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICE MANAGERS FROM THE 
FIELD SHOULD BE SENT VIA CABLE TO HR/CDA/MLSP FOR THE 
ATTENTION OF THE OMS COORDINATIOR, DONNA MMOH. PLEASE 
INCLUDE THE NAME, GRADE AND CURRENT SECTION OF THE POST'S 
NOMINEE. INTERESTED DEPARTMENT FOREIGN SERVICE OMSERS 
SHOULD SUBMIT A NOMINATION THROUGH THEIR SUPERVISORS AND 
BUREAU EXECUTIVE OFFICES BY MEMORANDUM TO THE OMS 
COORDINATOR, HR/CDA/MLSP, ROOM 2425, MAIN STATE. 
NOMINATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, 
JANUARY 12, 2001. ONCE THE NOMINATIONS ARE IN, THE OMS 
COORDINATOR AND A PANEL OF MEMBERS OF THE OMS WORKING 
GROUP WILL REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND CHOOSE CONFERENCE 
PARTICIPANTS BASED ON THE SELECTION CRITERIA CITED IN PARA 
4. WHERE SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS MEET THE SAME CRITERIA, A 
FINAL SELECTION WILL BE CHOSEN BY LOTTERY. 
 
6. WE WILL NOTIFY PARTICIPANTS BY CABLE. BUREAU/POSTS 
WILL PROVIDE TRAVEL ORDERS. HOTEL ROOMS WITH BREAKFAST 
FOR THE NIGHTS OF MARCH 21, 22 AND 23 WILL BE AVAILABLE 
FOR OVERSEAS PARTICIPANTS AS PART OF THE CONFERENCE, AS 
WELL AS TRANSPORTATION TO NFATC AND RETURN. OTHER MEALS 
DURING THE CONFERENCE WILL BE PROVIDED AND CONFERENCE 
 
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD EXPECT THE SESSIONS TO CONTINUE INTO 
THE EVENING ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 AND THURSDAY, MARCH 22. 
CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS SHOULD PLAN TO ATTEND ALL 
SESSIONS. 
 
7. PLEASE CONTACT THE OMS COORDINATOR, DONNA MMOH AT 
X73313 OR E-MAIL MMOHDP@STATE.GOV, IF YOU HAVE ANY 
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS CONFERENCE OR IF YOU WISH TO 
MAKE SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONTENT OF THE SESSIONS. 
 
8. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
TALBOTT