Purpose:

This Instructional Memorandum (IM) prescribes the instructions for obligating Service Level Agreements (SLAs) at the Science Center level..

Background: 

In fiscal year (FY) 2006 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) restructured all the publishing services by establishing a Publishing Network organized under three Regional Publishing Managers (RPM).  The RPMs are aligned with the three regional offices with supervision provided by the Regional Geospatial Information officer (RGIO).  

Funding for the Enterprise Publishing Network (EPN) will come from the internal SLAs established between the Publishing Network and the individual science centers involved.  Estimated costs for FY 2006 publishing services are being provided by the science centers, in coordination with the Regional Management Officers (RMOs) and the RPMs.

Policy: 

All support provided by Publishing Service Centers (PSC’s) to the science centers will be formally documented using an internal SLA signed by the individual science center and the Visual Information Enterprise Publishing Network (VI/EPN).  Internal SLAs must cover the total costs of support and not exceed or cross fiscal year boundaries.  The VI/EPN will use the Federal Financial System (FFS) automated billing program, PCBill, to accomplish monthly billings and collections.  The fiscal service offices will set up the account structure and billing process for the Publishing Service Centers staff to charge.

Science Centers must enter an obligation in FFS in the amount agreed upon in the SLA.  It will do so using its customary operating procedures.  That is, a cost center may obligate the internal SLA using a common services account if that is the cost center’s current method of operation or it may obligate the internal SLA using individual cost accounts to direct charge publishing services to a specific project. The EPN SLA account form (attached) for the obligation must be submitted to their servicing Fiscal Service Office.

The VI/EPN will bill the cost centers for actual costs incurred on a monthly basis.  The billings will be accomplished using PCBill.  The billings to the cost centers will be based upon a pro-rata share of the VI/EPN’s actual costs, equal to the ratio of funding the cost center is providing to the VI/EPN.

The reference table shows each Publishing Service Center codes (PSC #) and corresponding account numbers.*   This information will be needed to process your cost center obligation in FFS.

Key Coding Information for establishing Cost Center Obligation of SLA follows:

Obligation Document:

Document Type            ‘8O’
Vendor Code               ‘999908R’
Document Number       [P] + [FY] + [ORGN] + [PSC identifier XX] +  [Line #]
Line Number                            01 through 99
                                                One line for each funding source (account number)
BOC                                        ‘253G’

Obligation Example:

P0681991201

Any questions regarding the establishment of the SLA obligating document should be directed to your servicing Fiscal Service Office. 

Note:

* The referenced account numbers have been used for salary only for the period October 1 through April 30.  Beginning May 1, 2006 these account numbers will be used for Other Expenses (OE).  Please work directly with your RPM and PSC chiefs if any questions arise.

Attachment

(signed)  Karen D. Baker                                                                   4/18/06
______________________________                                                __________________
Karen D. Baker                                                                                    Date
Associate Director for Administrative
   Policy and Services

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