14 FAH-1 H-100
DELEGATED RESPONSIBILITIES
14 FAH-1 H-110
DEPARTMENT-WIDE MANAGEMENT CONTROLS
(CT:PPM-15; 07-12-2012)
(Office of Origin: A/LM)
14 FAH-1 H-111 AGENCY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OFFICER
(CT:PPM-15; 07-12-2012)
(Uniform State/USAID)
a. The Director, Program Management and Policy (A/LM/PMP), is the designated Property Management Officer (PMO) for the Department of State. See 14 FAM 411.2, paragraph a, for details.
b. USAID Agency Property Management Officer: The Chief, Overseas Management Division, Management Services Office, Bureau for Management (M/MS/OMD), is the designated USAID Property Management Officer (PMO) for USAID property abroad. See 14 FAM 411.2, paragraph b, for details.
14 FAH-1 H-112 POST RESPONSIBILITIES
14 FAH-1 H-112.1 Property Management Officer (PMO)
(CT:PPM-15; 07-12-2012)
(Uniform State/USAID)
a. The post’s property management officer (PMO) must be a U.S. citizen direct-hire employee. Functional responsibility for property management is inherent in the positions of the post management officer or USAID executive officer. Therefore, the head of the establishment abroad must designate, in writing, the incumbent of one of those positions to serve as PMO. At small posts not having these positions, the principal officer will serve as PMO.
b. See 14 FAM 411.2-1 for further details on the responsibilities of the PMO.
14 FAH-1 H-112.2 Accountable Property Officer (APO)
(CT:PPM-15; 07-12-2012)
(Uniform State/USAID)
a. Functional responsibility for the accountable property officer (APO) is inherent in the position of the general services officer (GSO) for posts abroad.
b. State only: The executive director of each bureau or office is accountable for personal property in the control of that bureau or office located in the United States.
c. The APO must be a U.S. citizen direct-hire employee designated in writing by the property management officer (PMO).
d. At a small post not having a general services officer to serve as APO, the PMO will retain APO operational responsibilities or may designate an APO who is a U.S. citizen hired under a personal services agreement, a direct-hire foreign national, or foreign national serving under a personal services agreement if the individual is under the direct supervision of the management officer or executive officer.
e. See 14 FAM 411.2-2 for further details on the responsibilities of the APO.
f. In addition, the APO for posts abroad is responsible for:
(1) The preparation of Form DS-132, Property Disposal Authorization and Survey Report, for State or for USAID, documenting shortages or damages, and the forwarding of Form DS-132 to the PMO for approval or referral to the property survey board;
(2) The preparation of property reports required by the owning parent agency;
(3) Personally conducting periodic, unannounced spot counts of expendable and nonexpendable property in warehouses to verify the accuracy of property records. Discrepancies between property records and physical count must be reconciled (see 14 FAH-1 H-614); and
(4) The periodic review of material and supplies issues ensuring not to exceed a 30-day supply.
g. The APO must make a personal and thorough review of property operations to ensure that documentation is being used for property transactions, and that all property operations are in compliance with regulations and policies. A review of the property records and the acquisition document file will help. Look for a pattern of purchases and for types of material that may show an abnormal frequency of replacement. This could mean, for example, that property is being discarded prematurely, or that property is being pilfered.
h. Warehouse inspection: The APO should personally inspect the supplies and equipment at the warehouse. He or she must note the steps taken to protect the contents of the warehouse. Are they being kept dry and protected? Does the facility have adequate racking, bins, racks, and other storage aids? Are sensitive items adequately protected? Is the stock maintained in a neat and orderly condition? Is the physical security of the facility adequate to prevent unauthorized entry? Unneeded property that has accumulated in the warehouse should be inspected. At posts where property operations are lax, it is common to find an accumulation of discarded, unserviceable, and obsolete items "cluttering up" the warehouse. Such property should be screened and classified as to condition and serviceability, and a decision made as to whether it should be disposed, or reconditioned and returned to stock. Action should be taken immediately, as continued storage of unneeded property is a waste of space.
i. Self-audit: If time permits, the APO should conduct an in-depth self audit of all property activities using 14 FAH-1 Exhibit H-112.2 as a guide. The audit will help the APO become acquainted with property management operations and provide a good picture of the condition of the operations. Such a review will help identify those areas in need of attention.
j. A sound management control system must ensure that no one individual is in the position to control all aspects of any transaction affecting the receipt, storage, or disposition of expendable or nonexpendable personal property. The following criteria should be used when determining separation of duties:
(1) If the employee has purchasing duties, do not assign the employee:
(a) Paying duties; or
(b) Receiving duties;
(2) If the employee has receiving duties, do not assign the employee:
(a) Purchasing duties;
(b) Paying duties; or
(c) Property record-keeping duties;
(3) If the employee has paying duties, do not assign the employee:
(a) Purchasing duties; or
(b) Receiving duties;
(4) If the employee has property record-keeping duties, do not assign the employee:
(a) Physical inventory duties (the exception to this is when bar code scanning equipment is used. In those situations, the accountable property officer must question any manual entry to the scanner);
(b) Stock pulling duties;
(c) Receiving duties; or
(d) Property disposal duties; and
(5) When circumstances prevent total separation of duties, the accountable property officer must review and document the result of the review twice annually. Maintain documentation (even when there are no discrepancies) in the inventory/reconciliation file (see 14 FAH-1 H-612). Select at random several receiving reports and related documents, such as vendor packing lists and Despatch Agency notifications prepared during the past several months, and compare the receiving reports with the documents looking for:
(a) Discrepancies in quantities between what should have been shipped by the vendor, what was received by the Despatch Agent, and what was received at post; and
(b) Short/partial shipments for which the balance was never received.
k. Make sure that all accountable personal property listed on the receiving report has been posted to the records. Examine the issue patterns for expendable items, paying particular attention to items which have a ready local market or are attractive for personal use such as tools, light bulbs, batteries, and paper products; and conduct spot inventories on warehouse expendable and nonexpendable stock items, selected at random, and compare the results with records.
14 FAH-1 H-112.3 Post Property Disposal Officer (PDO)
(CT:PPM-15; 07-12-2012)
(Uniform State/AID)
a. The designated post property disposal officer (PDO) must be a U.S. citizen designated in writing by the property management officer (PMO) and should be an official other than the accountable property officer (APO). It is desirable, but not mandatory, that the PDO also have property management and supply management experience.
b. See 14 FAM 411.2-4 for further details on the responsibilities of the PDO.
14 FAH-1 H-113 THROUGH H-119 UNASSIGNED
14 FAH-1 Exhibit H-112.2
SELF-AUDIT CHECKLIST
(CT:PPM-15; 07-12-2012)
GENERAL
Is Form DS-582, Property Management
Report, on file and valid (i.e., was inventory
taken and reconciled in a timely manner)? Yes ____ No ____
Is 14 FAM easily accessible for property
operations staff? Yes ____ No ____
Are copies of written delegations on file
designating:
Property management officer (PMO)? Yes ____ No ____
Accountable property officer (APO)? Yes ____ No ____
Property disposal officer (PDO)? Yes ____ No ____
Has a property survey board been
established? Yes ____ No ____
Have survey board members been
delegated in writing? Yes ____ No ____
Is damaged and/or stolen property being
reported in accordance with policy? Yes
____ No ____
Has a preventive maintenance program
been established? Yes ____ No ____
SEPARATION OF DUTIES
Are all of the following duties separated
from each other:
Procurement? Yes ____ No ____
Receiving? Yes ____ No ____
Payment? Yes ____ No ____
Property records maintenance? Yes ____ No ____
Conduct of physical inventories? Yes ____ No ____
Property disposal? Yes ____ No ____
REQUISITIONING PROCEDURES
Are procedures in place to
request personal property and to request
repair services to personal property? Yes ____ No ____
Are requests for procurement action
approved by signature of accountable
officer? Yes ____ No ____
Does receiving office sign for receipt of
property delivered? Yes ____ No ____
Does the occupant or occupant's designee
sign for receipt of property delivered to
residence? Yes ____ No ____
Are requests for repair/service to residential
personal property approved by signature of
the facilities or accountable property
officer? Yes ____ No ____
Upon completion of repair/service to
personal property in an office or residence,
is document signed by recipient to indicate
work is acceptable? Yes ____ No ____
Are procedures in place to assure that a
completed copy of the repair/service
reaches the individual responsible for
property records? Yes ____ No ____
Are property disposal actions properly
documented and approved before disposal
action is taken? Yes ____ No ____
Have all documents been posted to the
property records? Yes ____ No ____
RECEIVING
Is a specific individual designated in writing
to receive property? Yes ____ No ____
Is anyone other than the designated
individual allowed to sign for receipt of
incoming property? Yes ____ No ____
Have written receiving procedures been
given to the receiving clerk? Yes ____ No ____
Does receiving clerk receive copies of
acquisition documents routinely? Yes ____ No ____
Does post notify the receiving activity
at the Logistics Management office
(A/LM/OPS/WLC/MAT) warehouse or the
appropriate Logistics Management office
(A/LM/OPS/TTM/TO) Despatch Agent of all
the post’s orders to transit that facility by
providing a copy of each applicable
procurement document? Yes ____ No ____
PROPERTY RECORDS
Is information technology (IT) equipment
on property records? Yes ____ No ____
State only:
If nonserialized property under
$5,000, or serialized property under $500 is
not tracked on ILMS, are stock control
records
maintained on stock in the warehouse? Yes ____ No ____
ILMS
Are the following data elements routinely
entered:
Total acquisition cost as defined in its
definition under 14 FAH-1 H-013? Yes
____ No ____
Purchase order number? Yes ____ No ____
Repair/maintenance information? Yes ____ No ____
Shipping/handling/installation costs? Yes ____ No ____
Information required for capitalized
property? Yes ____ No ____
PROPERTY RECORDS
Have minimum and maximum levels been
established on stock records? Yes ____ No ____
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Are individual inventory files maintained
for each residence? Yes ____ No ____
Are residence inventories taken when
occupant leaves and when new occupant
moves in, and are the inventories signed
by occupant and general services office
representative? Yes ____ No ____
WAREHOUSE
Are expendable items deteriorating because
of heat/humidity? Yes ____ No ____
Is property damaged because of dampness
or leaky roof? Yes ____ No ____
Is furniture damaged by careless handling? Yes ____ No ____
Does warehouse have suitable racks/
shelving? Yes ____ No ____
Does warehouse have appropriate materials
handling equipment? Yes ____ No ____
Does warehouse have sprinkler system
and/or fire extinguishers? Yes ____ No ____
Are fire extinguishers clearly marked and
easily accessible? Yes ____ No ____
Are designated fire exits clearly identified
and clear of storage? Yes ____ No ____
Is there adequate protection from theft of
any construction material stored outside? Yes ____ No ____
Is property belonging to various agencies
identified? Yes ____ No ____
Are items highly vulnerable to theft housed
in a secure area? Yes ____ No ____
Is fireproof room or storage container built
for hazardous items? Yes ____ No ____
Are hazardous items isolated in a separate
part of the warehouse? Yes ____ No ____
Are items susceptible to oxidation stored
in a well-ventilated area? Yes ____ No ____
Is property set aside for disposal discarded
within a reasonable period of time? Yes ____ No ____
DISPOSAL
Is Form DS-132, Property Disposal
Authorization and Survey Report (for
State), prepared for all disposal
actions? Yes ____ No ____
Are disposal actions receiving the
necessary pre-disposal approvals? Yes ____ No ____
Are attempts made to redistribute excess
property in accordance with regulations
prior to disposal by sale? Yes ____ No ____
Are sale day actions being monitored by
the property disposal officer? Yes ____ No ____