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Q: What equipment
must be bar-coded?
A: All
accountable equipment must be bar-coded. This includes
-
All capitalized personal
property;
- All office furniture and
equipment having a unit cost of $5,000 or more;*
- All
sensitive
items
- All borrowed or leased
personal property;
- All Government-owned
accountable property in the hands of contractor,
financial assistance programs, accountable, or sensitive
personal property; and
- All software with an
acquisition cost of $25,000 or more.
- Material inventories
where the value is controlled by general ledger accounts
Q. What paperwork is
necessary to remove DOC property from the buildings?
A: Federal
agencies must control all accountable personal property
by keeping records to show an audit trail or chain of
custody. The Department's Personal Property Management
Manual mandates the use of Optional Form 7, Property
Pass, a temporary authorization for an individual to
remove property from a Government-occupied building for
mission purposes. All
Bureau Property Management Officers (PMO) shall submit a
memorandum and Commerce Department (CD) Form XX to the
Office of Security, designating Authorizing Officials to
issue and sign the OF-7, which authorizes the removal of
Government property from Federal buildings.
This memorandum should be updated on an as needed
basis by the Bureau PMO.
CD Form XX will serve as a supplement to the
memorandum submitted by the Bureau PMO and include the
names of the Authorizing Officials.
Designees authorized to issue and sign the OF-7
may include the following: Bureau PMO, Bureau Property
Accountability Officers, and Bureau Property Custodians.
Additionally, a copy of the Bureau PMO appointment
orders should be forwarded to the Office of Security for
file.
Q: What do I do if I
lose property?
A: The
Property Custodian (PC) assigned responsibility for
property that is lost, missing, stolen, damaged or
destroyed, shall complete the appropriate portion of
Form CD-52, "Report of Review of Property", and forward
it through the Property Accountability Officer (PAO) to
the Property Management Officer (PMO). The Property
Board of Review will review the circumstances
surrounding the loss, theft, damage, or destruction of
the property and forward the CD-52, "Report of Review of
Property", with results of the Board's findings and
recommendations to the PMO. The following information
should be contained on the CD-52 or on a separated
attached sheet:
-
The details of the circumstances surrounding the
loss, theft, damage, or destruction of the property;
-
The date (s) of the incident;
-
The names, phone numbers, title, and office of
individuals involved in the circumstances;
-
The date an investigation by the Security Office was
requested and status of the investigation ( if
applicable);
-
Pertinent information to the circumstances such as
where the property was stored, how the property
used, how often the property is used, and who
typically uses the equipment;
-
The details of the efforts to find or repair the
property;
-
The acquisition cost and current depreciated value
of the property, repair costs and replace cost;
-
The PMO’s rational for establishing the Property
Board of Review; and
- The PAO and PMO shall provide available copies of
investigations, police reports, or other such
information to the Property Review Board.
Q: What is my role
in the inventory process?
A: In accordance with the
Department's Personal Property Management Manual, the
Department must conduct a 100% physical inventory
annually. Physical inventories of accountable personal
property are scheduled by the Property Management
Officer (PMO) for each Operating Unit. PMOs are
responsible for establishing inventory schedules,
monitoring inventory progress, and providing assistance
to both headquarters and field office property
management officials. Physical inventories must be
completed at regular intervals, generally at least once
a year or a cycle commensurate with the value of the
personal property and the complexity of operations of
the Operating Unit. Property management activities and
financial accounting activities should coordinate the
establishment of schedules and procedures for taking
such inventories. Inventory determinations should be
made for all classes of property and applied on a
consistent basis from one fiscal year to another.
Adjustments required must be documented and posted
promptly to the records and accounts.
It is the responsibility
of the Property Accountability Officer (PAO) to work
with supervisors in obtaining personnel to assist in
conducting physical inventories. Property Custodians
(PC) may assist with physical inventories as considered
necessary and appropriate by the PAO. A PC, whenever
possible, shall not be given the sole responsibility for
taking a physical inventory of property assigned to
his/her custodial area. Exceptions to this policy must
be approved by the Operating Unit's PMO.
Q: When leaving or
transferring from DOC, what forms to do I need to
complete and what is the process to clear property?
A: Employees shall return
all property to the Property Accountability Officer
and/or the Property Custodian and complete CD-126, "Separation
Clearance Certificate" form.
Additionally, in accordance with
Department Administrative Order (DAO) 202-299, Clearance
of Employee Accountability, mandated by the Office of
Human Resources Management, that states each Operating
Unit should develop "...internal operating procedures
for it's employees to clear their accountability for
property. Please see your Bureau Property Management
Officer for specific property management internal
clearing procedures.
Q: How do I turn in
equipment or furniture that is no longer needed?
A: To have
surplus/excess property and/or furniture to be removed
from offices within the HCHB, please follow the
procedures listed below:
-
Inform the Property Accountability Officer (PAO) and/or
Property Custodian (PC) of the request
PAO
and/or PC will initiate an electronic request for
excess to Moving and Logistical Services in the
Personal Property Management System
Movers should pickup surplus/excess equipment/furniture
within 48 hours of accepting request
To have
surplus/excess property and/or furniture removed from
offices outside of the HCHB,
please contact your Bureau Warehousing Manager, or visit
the
GSA Disposal Listing for GSA disposal points by
state.
**Please DO NOT leave any
property or furniture in the hallways. This is
considered a safety hazard.
** All computers should be WIPED
prior to requesting excess by the Bureau's Information
Technology Helpdesk.
Q: What is a hand
receipt and what is the purpose?
A: A hand receipt is the
complete inventory listing of items within one
designated custodial area. The purpose of a hand receipt
is to ensure accountability through a chain of custody.
A Bureau’s PMO is ultimately responsible for ensuring
the accountability of all personal property within their
Bureau’s custodial area through the establishment of
what is known as a chain of custody. A chain of custody
provides records that illustrate the location of
accountable property and the individuals responsible for
its care and safekeeping. This accounting must be
continuous, from the time of ordering and acquisition,
until the ultimate consumption or disposal of the
property. The chain of custody process is initiated when
the PMO certifies the annual 100% physical inventory.
The PMO then physically signs this equipment down to one
or more Property Accountability Officers (PAOs) on what
is know as a hand receipt. PAOs then distribute this
property down to the different custodial areas to
Property Custodians (PCs) on hand receipts. PCs then
finalize this process by hand receipting this equipment
down to the end user (the person who actually uses the
piece of equipment).
Q: What is the
personal property management network?
A: Heads
of Operating Units are responsible for managing their
personal property through a management structure
comprised of Property Management Officers (PMO),
Property Accountability Officers (PAO), and Property
Custodians (PC); otherwise known as the property
management network. The responsibilities of the PMO,
PAO, and PC must be assigned to separate individuals. An
employee’s role as a PMO, PAO, or PC may not always be
reflected in his or her job title; however, a property
specific performance critical element must be
incorporated into their performance plan (see Appendix C
of the Department's Personal Property Management
Manual, dated October 2007). Additionally, property
officials must complete training the requirements
outlined in the "Department of Commerce Training
Certification Handbook" before the Department Property
Management Officer will certify them as a Property
Official.
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