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This week in history: On August 10, 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was founded in Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Congress with funds bequeathed by English scientist James Smithson.
OCFO Job Announcements
No openings this week. To feature an opening in the next Week in Review, use the OCFO Week in Review submissions form.
New: GSA Facility COVID-19 Community
Level Tool
In response to employee feedback, the agency has developed the GSA Facility COVID-19 Community Level Tool to help improve understanding of protocols related to symptom screening, mask wearing, and screening testing.
The tool, which utilizes CDC data and is updated each Friday, empowers employees to know before they go and arrive at a GSA facility with a clear understanding of COVID-19 protocols.
Using the tool is simple – select the facility you intend to enter, and all data will automatically populate. Remote employees not reporting to a duty station can find information about their area’s COVID-19 Community Level using the CDC’s COVID-19 County Check.
For questions or comments regarding this new tool, email safergsaworkforce@gsa.gov.
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Update: August Mandatory Training Deadlines
Due Wednesday, August 31
- Insider Threat Awareness and Reporting
- Internal Controls at GSA and You
- No FEAR Act
- Plain Language
These courses are now available in Online University. The four-part Security and Privacy Awareness training is past due.
To access your mandatory training, click on My Learning on the Online University home page. Once you're on the transcript page, click on the Open Curriculum button next to GSA 2022 Mandatory Refresher Training for Employees. On that page you'll find all the required training courses.
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Reminder: Last Chance to Take the 2022 HR Survey
Take the annual HR survey, which is available until Monday, August 15, to provide the Office of Human Resources Management feedback on their service offerings. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and your input will inform OHRM's HR strategy and HR products and services moving forward.
If you have any questions, please email ohrmsurveys@research.gsa.gov.
Reminder: Feds Feed Families 2022
This year’s 2022 Feds Feed Families campaign has launched. Visit USDA's Feds Feed Families page for helpful ways to participate!
GSA’s goal is to beat last year’s contribution and donate more than 130,000 pounds of food by the campaign’s close at the end of this month. Please consider getting involved and visit the FFF Hub to record your donations this year!
Since its inception, GSA employees have graciously donated more than 2 million pounds of food.
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ICYMI: This Week's Messages from GSA Leadership
8/11: Chief Administrative Services Officer Bob Stafford provides an update on the new GSA Facility COVID-19 Community Level Tool
Check out the Messages from Leadership page on InSite, where you can find past messages from GSA leaders.
Last Call: OCFO Night at Nats Park!
OCFO is sponsoring a Nationals outing for those in the D.C. area. The game is on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 7:05 versus the A’s. Tickets are approximately $20.
If interested, please indicate your desire for tickets by Monday, August 15 by adding your name to this spreadsheet. Send questions to Evan Farley. Thanks (and go, Nats)!
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New: Learn About the New Spot Award Bot!
The RPA team's latest automation, the GSA Spot Award Bot, speeds up processing time for Special Act awards for GSA employees and improves spot award compliance with regulation, policy, and budget requirements. This bot saves an estimated 2,000 hours! Learn more about the automation on the new RPA team site!
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New: Take a Minute for Records Management
It’s important to ensure proper handling of government records. Each organization within GSA should identify what physical records exist in their custody and workspaces. When records are no longer in use, they need to be properly labeled and stored or disposed of, depending on which category they fall into.
If your office has boxes (or file cabinets) of records, these records need to be reviewed and handled appropriately. Here’s how:
- Inventory all records no longer in business use. During the inventory, document in a spreadsheet (find a sample spreadsheet here) in the OCFO Records Management Folder.
- Using the GSA Records Retention Schedule, determine when the records will no longer need to be retained and add that date (the disposition) to the inventory spreadsheet with each box. For example, if a box of records has a disposition instruction of "destroy six years after the records are no longer needed for business purposes," the disposition date would be six years after the date of the most recent record in the box. Always apply the disposition instruction to the most recent record in a box.
To continue your journey in records management, please check out this tip sheet from the National Archives to explore what a record is and the differences between temporary and permanent records.
For more information, refer to this records management guidance. If you have any questions, please reach out to Les Painter.
Welcome to the OCFO Analytics Corner! Each week, the Analytics Community of Practice (A-CoP) team will be sharing events, training, resources, and more. Complete this Google Form to receive more information about the A-CoP or to get involved.
Avoid Death by Presentation
Everyone knows the feeling of dragging through unnecessary PowerPoint presentations, both as a presenter and as an attendee. But how do we balance getting to the point in presentations while making sure anyone who missed the meeting isn't missing out on information? By differentiating between Slide docs and Slide decks, you can make sure you're communicating effectively to any audience.
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Every week we will feature OCFO colleagues who have been recognized by their peers for their great work and character. This is a quick, easy, and fun way to acknowledge and thank one another. To recognize one (or more) of your peers in the next Week in Review, use the OCFO Shout Outs Google Form. |
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Shout out to Tyler Sova (BGF) Tricia Dejarnett (BGF)!
Tyler and Tricia work very hard each month to ensure TTS Revenue and UFCOs are processed accurately, timely, and are compliant. They always go above and beyond as needed to consistently meet all deadlines with both regular work and special projects. They consistently provide a high level of analytical support to the group, always having a value-added presence. It's a privilege to work with individuals that have so much talent and potential.
Submitted by: Jeffrey Miller (BGF)
Shout out to Michael Montenegro (BGF), Jon Bauer (BGF), and Angela Cizek (BGF)!
Shout out to team members who jumped in to provide data required with an extremely fast turn around. Appreciate team members making themselves available immediately to work on the project. Thank you, team, for your support and dedication!
Submitted by: Dennis McNamara (BGF)
Shout out to Mike Veres (BR3F), Jewell Anderson (BIA), James Nastasi (BR2L), Josh Grannan (BR2F), Erik Ebinger (BGF), and Carla Quade (QF0BAC)!
Huge THANK YOU to the Datathon 3.0 planning committee for pulling together another great experiential training event for our analytics community of practice! Not only did they plan the event, find the data, dream up the questions, and schedule the judges, they've also been serving as coaches and cheerleaders to our four Datathon teams. This is what our community is all about — helping each other connect and learn!
Submitted by: Ashleigh Sanders (BIA)
Shout out to Fatime Diabate (BGF)!
Shout out to Fatime for always willingly supporting any of our team's projects and initiatives, in addition to managing her own workload. Her helpfulness and dedication to supporting FEDSIM does not go unnoticed. Thanks, Fatime!
Submitted by: Derek Blanchard (BGF)
Visit the Mandatory Training page on GSA's InSite for mandatory training deadlines and watch the Announcements section for training reminders.
Looking for enterprise-wide training opportunities? Check out the FY22 course list.
New: Be the Change in Accessibility Training
Are your meetings and documents inclusive for your colleagues who require accommodations for vision or hearing? Could you be doing more?
Join Section 508 experts on Tuesday, August 16, from 1-3 p.m. Eastern, for a cross-agency presentation, Be the Change in Accessibility. Learn the latest trends and recommendations in meeting the IT needs of persons with disabilities.
Submit questions in advance on IT accessibility challenges you encounter in your daily work. Registration closes August 15, so sign up today!
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New: Register for the OCFO Financial Taxonomy Training Today!
Don't forget to sign up for the OCFO Financial Taxonomy Training course to be held on Wednesday, August 17, from 3-4 p.m. Eastern.
This is one of the key initiatives of the OCFO organization and will drive many current and future strategic efforts. Stop by to learn about what the financial taxonomy is, why it is important and how it will benefit you.
Please sign up by Tuesday, August 16, using this Google Form. Participants will receive credit in OLU for the attending the course.
New: Upcoming Budget Line of Business Trainings & Events
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New: Training Opportunities from the Office of Civil Rights
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) provides monthly training opportunities that are critical to GSA’s ongoing effort to create and foster a more equitable workplace. Register today for upcoming training opportunities. If you have questions or need to request an accommodation, contact OCR at ocr@gsa.gov.
All Employees
Supervisors Only
Reminder: Apply for the Data to Decisions Data Science Practitioner Training Cohort!
In this program, open to all GSA employees, you’ll build technical skills and learn how to create intuitive dashboards. The program includes:
- Thirteen data science classes to gain better business insights from data
- A capstone project to apply your skills to a real-world business problem
- Self-study with Python, SQL and Tableau to further your learning
Apply to participate by filling out this Google Form.
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Reminder: Register for Treasury's 2022 Government Financial Management Conference
Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service is pleased to announce that the 2022 Government Financial Management Conference (GFMC) is open for registration. The GFMC is a free virtual conference which provides up to 10 NASBA continuing professional education (CPE) credits. All educational sessions will be led by federal financial management experts and select business partners.
To learn more about the conference, which will take place August 24-25, 2022, visit the GFMC site. To register, visit: https://cvent.me/18Woo2. Registration closes on Friday, August 19, 2022.
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August Enterprise-wide Training Opportunities
Check out these enterprise-wide course offerings:
For a full listing of courses available this month and throughout the year, check out the enterprise-wide course offerings list.
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