5 FAH-3 H-000
Introduction
5 FAH-3 H-010
Introduction
(CT:TAGS-91; 02-17-2022)
(Office of Origin: A/GIS/IPS)
5 FAH-3 H-011 CURRENT TAGS
5 FAH-3 H-011.1 TAGS and Subject
(CT:TAGS-91; 02-17-2022)
TAGS Subject
A
AADP Automated Data Processing
ABLD Building and Grounds
ABUD Budget Services and Financial Systems
ACOA Communication Operations and Administration
ACKM COMSEC Key Management
ADCO Diplomatic Courier Operations
ADPM Diplomatic Pouch and Mail
AEMR Emergency Planning and Evacuation
AFIN Financial Management
AFSI Foreign Service Institute
AFSN Foreign Service National Personnel
AGAO General Accounting Office
AINF Information Management Services
AINR INR Program Administration
AINT Internet Administration
ALEO Low Earth Orbit Satellite Coordination
ALOW Allowances
AMED Medical Services
AMGT Management Operations
AMTC Telecommunications Equipment Maintenance
ANET Communications, Circuits, and Networks
AODE Employees Abroad
AOMS Office Management Specialist Issues
AORC International Organizations and Conferences
APCS Personal Computers
APER Personnel
ASCH U.S. Sponsored Schools
ASEC Security
ASIG Inspector General Activities
ASUP Supplies and Equipment
ATRN Transportation Service
B
BBSR Business Services Reporting
BEXP Trade Expansion and Promotion
BMGT FCS Management Operations
BTIO Trade and Investment Opportunities
C
CASC Assistance to Citizens
CFED Federal Agency Services
CJAN Judicial Assistance and Notarial Services
CLOK Visa Lookout
CMGT Consular Administration and Management
CPAS Passports and Citizenship
CVIS Visas
E
EAGR Agriculture and Forestry
EAID Foreign Economic Assistance
EAIR Civil Aviation
ECIN Economic Integration and Cooperation
ECON Economic Conditions
ECPS Communications and Postal Systems
EFIN Financial and Monetary Affairs
EFIS Commercial Fishing and Fish Processing
EIND Industry and Manufacturing
EINT Economic and Commercial Internet
EINV Foreign Investments
ELAB Labor Sector Affairs
ELTN Land Transportation
EMIN Minerals and Metals
ENRG Energy and Power
EPET Petroleum and Natural Gas
ETRD Foreign Trade
ETTC Trade and Technology Controls
EWWT Waterborne Transportation
M
MARR Military and Defense Arrangements
MASS Military Assistance and Sales
MCAP Military Capabilities
MNUC Military Nuclear Applications
MOPS Military Operations
O
OIIP International Information Programs
ODIP U.S. Diplomatic Representation
OEXC Educational and Cultural Exchange Operations
OFDP Foreign Diplomats and Foreign Missions
OPDC Diplomatic Correspondence
OPRC Public Relations and Correspondence
OREP U.S. Congressional Travel
OSCI Science Grants
OTRA Travel
OVIP Visits and Travel of Prominent Individuals and Leaders
P
PARM Arms Controls and Disarmament
PBTS National Boundaries, Territories, and Sovereignty
PGOV Internal Government Affairs
PHSA High Seas Affairs
PHUM Human Rights
PINR Intelligence
PINS National Security
PNAT National Independence
PREF Refugees
PREL External Political Relations
PROP Propaganda and Psychological Operations
PTER Terrorists and Terrorism
S
SCUL Cultural Affairs
SENV Environmental Affairs
SMIG Migration
SNAR Narcotics
SOCI Social Conditions
T
TBIO Biological and Medical Science
TDTA Data & Analytics
TINT Internet Technology
TNGD Engineering Research and Development
TPHY Physical Sciences
TRGY Energy Technology
TSPA Space Activities
TSPL Science and Technology Policy
5 FAH-3 H-011.2 TAGS and Program (K) TAGS
(CT:TAGS-89; 05-24-2021)
TAGS Program (K) TAGS
KACT Strategic Arms Control (ACS) Treaties
KALM A Logistical Modernization Approach (ALMA) Program
KAWC Atrocities and War Crimes
KBCT Arab League Boycott
KBNC U.S.-South Africa Binational Com.
KCCP Classified Connectivity Deployment Program
KCFE Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
KCIP Critical Infrastructure Protection
KCIS Posts Classified Information Handling
KCOG Continuity of the Federal Governmen
KCOR Corruption and Anti-Corruption
KCRM Criminal Activity
KCSY Consular Systems
KDEM Democratization
KEAI Enterprise for the Americas Initiative
KECF The U.S.-Africa Economic Cooperation Forum
KEMS Electronic Messaging Systems
KESS Emergency Security Supplemental
KFAM Foreign Affairs Manual Policies
KFLO Family Liaison
KFPC Foreign Policy Trade Controls and East/West Trade
KFRD Fraud Prevention Programs
KFSC Financial Service Center Operations
KGCC Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission
KGCN Government-to-Government Claims Negotiations
KGHA Greater Horn of Africa Initiative
KGLB Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)
KHDP Humanitarian Demining Program
KHIV Emerging Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Programs
KICA International Cooperative Administrative Support Services
KICR International Coral Reef Initiative
KICT Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal
KIDE Investment Disputes and Property Expropriations
KIMT Information Management Training
KIPR Intellectual Property Rights
KIRC Information Resource Centers
KIRF International Religious Freedom
KISL Islamic Issues
KJRE Joint Reorganization Effort
KJUS Administration of Justice
KLIG Foreign Litigation
KLSO Language Support Operations
KMDR Media Reaction Reporting
KMFO Multinational Force Observers
KMSG Marine Security Guard Program
KNAR Nazi Assets and Restitution
KNEI Northern Europe Initiative (NEI)
KNET Department of State Telecommunications Network (DOSTN) Program
KNNP Nuclear Non-Proliferation
KNSD North-South Dialogue
KOCI Children’s Issues
KOFO Open Forum Operations
KOGL Open Source and Gray Literature
KOLY Olympic Games Reporting
KOMC Export Control of Defense Articles and Defense Services
KONP OpenNet Plus Program
KPAL Palestinian Affairs
KPAM Property Accountability Management
KPAO Public Affairs Office
KPAP Overseas Presence Advisory Panel (OPAP)
KPKO United Nations Peacekeeping Operations
KPLS Polls, Survey Research and Focus Groups
KPOW Prisoners of War/Missing in Action
KPRV Privatization
KPWR Power Support Program
KRAD Radioactive Contamination of the Environment
KREC Reciprocity
KRIM Regional Information Management Centers
KRVC Research Vessel Clearances
KSAC Security Advisory Council
KSAF Safety Program
KSCA Science Counselors and Attachés
KSEI Southeast European Cooperative Initiative
KSEO Security Engineering Operations
KSEP Special Embassy Program
KSLG Secure Logistics
KSPR Strategic, Performance and Resource Planning
KSRK Visas Shark Communication
KSTC Strategic Trade and Technology Controls
KSTT State Transition Team
KSUM Summit Meetings
KTDB National Trade Data Bank
KTEX Textiles
KTIA Treaties and International Agreements
KUNC United Nations Compensation Commission
KUNR UN Reform
KVIR Computer Virus and/or Anti-Virus Program
KVPR Visas VIPER Communications
KWBG West Bank and Gaza
KWIR Wireless
KWMN Women Issues
KWPA Worldwide Property Accountability
KWWW World Wide Web Sites
5 FAH-3 H-011.3 Sample TAGS Line
CT:TAGS-66; 06-13-2016)
TAGS: ETRD KNSD UNCTAD US JA (HUDSON, J D)
ETRD KNSD UNCTAD US
JA (HUDSON, J D)
SUBJECT PROGRAM (K) SUBJECT GEO-POLITICAL SUBJECT
TAGS TAGS ORGANIZATION TAGS PERSONALITY
5 FAH-3 H-012 INTRODUCTION: THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS HANDBOOK
5 FAH-3 H-012.1 Description
(CT:TAGS-83; 04-15-2019)
The Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAH) is an extension of the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). It supplements the FAM by providing implementing guidelines and procedures for policies and regulations contained in the FAM’s respective volume (e.g., a handbook with a prefix number of “6” supplements Volume 6, General Services). In some instances, a handbook may contain guidelines for other Federal agencies (e.g., USAID, USDA, Commerce). Each FAH begins with a prefix number and ends with a suffix number, indicating the number of the handbook within a specific series (e.g., 6 FAH-1 General Services Handbook). Material within a handbook has the same regulatory force, validity, and application as material within a FAM volume. Please see 18 FAM 201.1 Directives for more information about the Foreign Affairs Manual and Foreign Affairs Handbook.
5 FAH-3 H-012.2 Handbook Subject
(CT:TAGS-66; 06-13-2016)
The content and scope of this handbook are:
5 FAH-3—TAGS/TERMS Handbook: Uniform procedures for organizing and managing the information of the Department of State.
5 FAH-3 H-012.3 Format
(CT:TAGS-83; 04-15-2019)
a. The FAH is divided into volumes reflecting major functions. Each volume is divided into chapters, subchapters, and sections (or subsections, always commonly referred to as sections). At the beginning of each chapter, the chapter title and number are centered, in all capitals, and placed above the first subchapter of each chapter. Chapter numbers are H-000, H-100, H-200, etc. Each chapter can have nine subchapters, those for Chapter H-100 being H-110, H-120, H-130, etc., through H-190. Subchapter numbers and titles are centered, in all capitals, at the top of the subchapter’s first page except for subchapters H-110, H-210, H-310, etc., which have the chapter title and number. Each section can have nine major subdivisions, for example H-111, H-112, H-113, etc., through H-119.
b. Subsections begin at the .1 level, the next subdivision at .1-1. After the first sectional level, a number larger than nine is permissible, for example: H-111.35, or H-111.1-13. Although two further subdivisions of sections are possible (respectively, parenthetical capital letters in alphabetical order; parenthetical small roman numerals in numerical order), divisions below the hyphenated digit level are strongly discouraged. All heading numbers and titles are done in bold. The numbering format is:
H-100 CHAPTER
H-110 SUBCHAPTER
H-111 SECTION
H-111.1 Section
H-111.1-1 Section
c. When a section contains more than one paragraph, each paragraph is identified by a letter identification. The descending order of paragraphs and subparagraphs are: a.; (1); and (a). If a section contains only one paragraph followed by two or more subordinate paragraphs (identified as subparagraphs), the single (main) paragraph is not lettered but subparagraphs are identified by parenthetical numbers or letters, depending on their degree of subordination.
d. The effective date of any given material is the issuance date of the transmittal letter, indicated by the CT line immediately below the subchapter or section, in italics. For example:
(CT:FMH-1; xx-xx-20xx)
e. If the issuance date is different than the effective date, the effective date is shown on the line immediately following the issuance date. For example:
(CT:FMH-1; xx-xx-20xx)
(Effective Date: xx-xx-20xx)
f. Sections that are applicable to other agencies are indicated as part of the CT line. For example:
(CT:FMH-1; xx-xx-20xx)
(Uniform State/USAID)
g. Substantive offices can also show that the material, although unchanged for a period of time, was reviewed and is still valid. For example:
(CT:VISA-12; xx-xx-20xx)
(Revalidated xx-xx-20xx; CA/P)
5 FAH-3 H-012.4 Maintenance
(CT:TAGS-83; 04-15-2019)
a. FAH volumes are a necessary part of the Department’s supplies and, as such, are to be retained by the office or post. As the articulation and record of the Department’s regulations, policies, and procedures, the FAH must be kept current. It is strongly recommended that offices and posts include FAH maintenance as part of the job descriptions of designated employees. Responsibilities for FAH maintenance include:
(1) Keeping only necessary handbooks on hand and making them readily available;
(2) Distributing new material promptly;
(3) Ensuring that each handbook holder (including officers) is accountable for maintaining the FAH in current status; and
(4) Ensuring that FAH materials are retained by the office or post when handbook holders/users depart for home leave, reassignment, transfer, or TDY for use by their substitutes or successors.
b. Changes are issued by change transmittals (CTs), and replacements are made by subchapter.
c. Although lists of CTs are issued occasionally, direct questions concerning the update and/or revision status of FAH materials to A/GIS/DIR. Also direct questions concerning FAH content, format, style, etc., to A/GIS/DIR. For substantive interpretations of content, contact the responsible office, which is listed in the change transmittal.
5 FAH-3 H-012.5 Intranet
(CT:TAGS-66; 06-13-2016)
The Foreign Affairs Manual and its supplemental Foreign Affairs Handbook series are available on the Department of State's Intranet site. This is the official electronic version of these materials. Regulations are updated on the website as they are issued and generally available before alternative formats are released.
5 FAH-3 H-012.6 Requests
(CT:TAGS-83; 04-15-2019)
a. Direct requests for copies to A/GIS/GPS. Distribution changes and direct public requests for FAH materials should be sent to A/GIS/GPS, Room B934. All requests must be in writing.
b. Clear all requests through the post administrative officer or bureau executive director, and provide your funding information when submitting requests. Use KFAM and AINF on all official communications.
c. Each Change Transmittal includes the cost printed at the bottom of the first page. Requesters may obtain the cost of CTs issued under this system by contacting A/GIS/GPS at (202) 736-7470.
5 FAH-3 H-013 TAGS/TERMS: THE SYSTEM
(CT:TAGS-83; 04-15-2019)
NOTE: This section is undergoing revisions, please contact Records@state.gov for assistance with requesting new TAGS.
a. Information is the major product of the Department of State. It is gathered, used, rearranged, generated, and disseminated on a vast range of subjects every working day. Organizing and managing that information is the basis for the TAGS/Terms System. TAGS (Traffic Analyses by Geography and Subject) and Terms work together to provide an easy to use, subject-oriented means to store and later find all of the information. The following paragraphs will identify the principal TAGS/Terms System components, and then briefly describe how to use them.
b. TAGS are of three general types: Subject TAGS are four-letter acronyms that identify broad, general subject matters, Geo-Political TAGS (2 letters) identify specific world locations, Program (or K) TAGS are used to identify information relevant to a specific Program (e.g., The Post Reporting Program, and the Olympic Committee). There are two other categories that are relevant: Personalities and Organizations.
c. Every cable that is generated must have at least one Subject TAGS to indicate the general subject content of that communication, although as many Subject TAGS as may be appropriate should be used. The TAGS are assigned by the originator. TAGS are needed to give the recipient clear clues as to the content, and future researchers the capability to easily retrieve the communication.
d. In addition to the various TAGS, the originator should use very specific, words (Terms) in the message title subject line (or summary). These additional words further refine the material and will aid in identifying the information at a later date.
e. Terms that have been found to be useful for information retrieval are collected and listed in the last major section of the TAGS/Terms Handbook (the “TERMDEX”). Each Term in that list also shows Subject TAGS that commonly relate to the Term listed. However, no individual Term is irrevocably tied to any given Subject TAGS. The grouping given in the Termdex simply reflects past usage and may be of assistance to a drafter in finding subject matter being communicated. In a similar fashion, the Terms that are listed with each of the Subject TAGS entries in the Subject TAGS section are listed to give drafters more precise, narrower, reflections of subject content when preparing either a document title line or summary paragraph based on a given Subject TAGS.
f. Importantly, each Term listed is an agreed upon, “chosen” Term representing synonymous, or closely related analogous Terms. For instance “Artist” is shown in place of musician, painter, and sculptor, because it was the Term of choice for that general category. Each Term shown has been the specific subject of examination by A/GIS/IPS. Officers and staff from all bureaus and extensive communications with posts were included in the review process. The primary factors in choosing each Term was its “representativeness” of its own group of synonyms and the assumed likelihood of its future choice by an information searcher as an information retrieval tool. Within those considerations, it is useful and important for drafters, indexers and document filers to use these selected Terms in titles, summaries and on file folder tabs (for detailed examples of TAGS and Terms as filing categories see Section VI).
g. Finally, the lists of Terms in the Termdex and with individual Subject TAGS are not at all meant to be final, exclusive lists. Please add new Terms as needed to fit your own office or post needs. If you add new Terms please send a memo to A/GIS/IPS. Please DO NOT add Terms that are synonyms for existing, listed Terms. The synonyms subvert the process of retrieval of information and can invalidate or confuse the search results.
h. Requests for new TAGS must be in writing (approved by a DAS-level in the requesting office/post) addressed to A/GIS/IPS. Please include a brief description of the TAGS, a suggested TAGS acronym and title, frequently used Terms (if a new Subject TAGS), and justification for the creation of a new TAGS. Also include a point of contact if we have questions. In the case of Program (K) TAGS, we will also need the symbol of the office/bureau that will have action on these cables. If the action office is not always the same office but depends on the subject matter, please indicate this. IPS also approves other TAGS line items such as organization acronyms and terms. Please include any changes to “Organizations” and “Terms” from the Termdex. IPS will evaluate the request and notify you of the status. Once approved, IPS will prepare an ALDAC cable and Department Notice announcing the new TAGS and notify the offices in IRM that must update their cable handling systems to accept it. The requesting office/post will need to notify the communications center/system manager to ensure your cable profiles (AMAPS and CableExpress) are updated to indicate your interest in cables tagged with the new TAGS and that these are distributed to your office.
5 FAH-3 H-014 TAGS ARE YOUR TICKET TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS EVENTS!
(CT:TAGS-66; 06-13-2016)
a. The documents that are created at the Department and the posts describe foreign affairs events. TAGS are used to organize and retrieve these documents. The following illustrations are provided to show you why TAGS are vital to information location and retrieval.
b. When you attend a sporting event, play, etc., before you get to your seat you must first find the proper section. When using TAGS/Terms, the same is also true. In the case of TAGS/Terms, the TAGS group is the same as a section at a social event, because before you choose the proper TAGS, you must choose the correct Subject TAGS group. TAGS are made up of nine subject groups: Administration, Business, Consular, Economic, Military & Defense, Operations, Political, Social, and Technology & Science.
c. Once the proper section has been identified, you must then find your row. When dealing with TAGS/Terms, the rows are the TAGS within each Subject TAGS group. In the Economic section, for instance, the rows are EAGR, EAID, EAIR, ECON, etc.
d. Once the row has been found (TAGS), you must find your seat (Term). In the example above, the TAGS is ETRD and the Term is Tariff.
e. At an event one usually gets popcorn, candy or something to drink to enhance the evening. You can do the same with your documents by using Subject Organizations, Subject Personalities, K TAGS and Geo-Political TAGS.