DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY  2800 DEFENSE PENTAGON  WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-2800

12/20/2000

MEMORANDUM FOR :

SEE DISTRIBUTION

SUBJECT :

Implementation of Electronic Countersignature Processes (DSCA 01-21)

REFERENCE :

1. DSCA Memorandum 01-08, "Case Coordination and Tracking (CCT) Enhancements," 17 Apr 01

The referenced memorandum announced our plans to enhance the Defense Security Assistance Management System (DSAMS) to allow us to electronically coordinate and countersign Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) documents. The modifications to DSAMS are progressing very well and we are on schedule for a 13 Aug 01 implementation date. We would like to thank all of the military departments for their participation in this project -- your efforts have been instrumental in making this happen.

The changes being made to DSAMS include additions/deletions/modifications to system milestones, automatic status progression for certain documents, ability to create portable document format (pdf) versions of the documents, etc. In order to ensure a smooth implementation, we would like to offer more detailed information about these changes as well as some "tips" for successfully submitting an electronic countersignature package. The following policy guidance and instructions are provided for this purpose and should be given wide distribution to everyone involved in the document preparation and coordination processes.

1. Users will have an opportunity for training prior to implementation. If you have not already been scheduled to attend a session, please contact your DSAMS training point of contact for information on training times and locations as soon as possible. Members of the DSAMS training team will also be on-site at various locations during the week of implementation to address any problems/concerns.
2. Our referenced memorandum provided a list of milestones and their associated status changes that will be effective with CCT implementation. The military departments have expressed some concern with automatic implementation of modifications as originally planned. Therefore, we have decided to delay implementation of this piece of CCT to allow the military departments time to establish working groups and determine what system or procedural changes may be required within their organizations in order to implement this change. Automatic implementation of modifications will be delayed until 18 Feb 02 and we have revised the matrix to reflect this delay (attachment 1). Each of the military departments and other interested implementing agencies should provide DSCA/P3-P2 with a firm plan of action by 17 Aug 01 indicating what actions they will take to meet this new deadline. Working groups should be established as soon as possible with all players (to include DSCA) participating.
3. Electronic countersignature procedures will be mandatory for all countries' cases -- including Taiwan. For Taiwan case documents, all milestones will be entered within DSAMS and the implementing agency will be responsible for transferring signature dates and information onto the cover memorandum to the American Institute in Taiwan. Automatic status changes will be performed for leases also, but lease documents will continue to be processed in hardcopy format at this time.
4. DSCA will continue to accept hardcopy documents for emergency situations and classified cases. All DSAMS milestones must still be entered for these documents and DSCA should be notified in advance that these documents will be processed in hardcopy form.
5. We understand that some documents may already be in the "pipeline" after 13 Aug 01. Through 24 Aug 01, we will continue to process any hardcopy document that is received as long as it is in "proposed" status. Any hardcopy documents that are received in "development" status will be returned to the implementing agency for submittal through the electronic countersignature procedures. Any hardcopy documents that are rejected by DSCA for any reason, must be resubmitted using electronic countersignature procedures. After 24 Aug 01, DSCA will no longer accept hardcopy documents for countersignature unless it is an emergency walk-through or a classified document.
6. DSCA will be notified automatically when case documents have moved to "proposed" status. We will then be expecting to receive an e-mail requesting our approval and forwarding all of the applicable files (document, manpower worksheet, etc.). All e-mails submitting packages for countersignature must be sent to: loa-dsca@osd.pentagon.mil. DSCA cannot review the package until both of these actions have taken place -- the "proposed" status change and receipt of the e-mail. When we receive notification that a document is in "proposed" status, we will allow a 24 hour grace period to receive the associated e-mail package. If we have not received it by that time, the document will be rejected back to the implementing agency for resubmittal. If you are having system problems at any time and cannot meet this timing requirement, please contact DSCA/COMPT-RM.
7. DSCA receives 30-40 LOA documents each day. In order to ensure consistency in the packages we receive, we are requiring a specific naming convention for files submitted for countersignature. Samples of these file naming conventions are provided with this memorandum (attachment 2) and will be emphasized/practiced in the training.
8. The electronic countersignature process requires the use of DSAMS and Adobe Writer for pdf file creation. The training provided will show users how to create and bookmark files using this software. We understand that creating these files and putting them into the desired bookmark format may not be easy at first. To accommodate everyone's learning curve, DSCA will accept e-mails with appropriate attachments that are not all converted to pdf files (i.e., manpower worksheets in Excel) for an interim period of time. By 18 Feb 02, however, all packages must be submitted in the standard bookmark format. It should be noted that the pdf files are solely for internal USG coordination -- the system will automatically identify them as "Draft."
9. Under electronic countersignature procedures, the Automated Case Approval System (ACAS) will no longer be used. The ACAS eligibility field on DSAMS screens will be "grayed out" in this release so that it can no longer be entered. Instead of ACAS, we will be using Automated State Department Approval (ASDA) to allow cases to be approved by State without DSCA countersignature. For ASDA eligible cases (same rules that applied under ACAS), implementing agencies will not forward pdf packages or files to DSCA.
10. Under the new procedures, DSCA reviewers will be entering their comments in the "Case Remarks" section of DSAMS. This field is currently at the "case" level and does not automatically identify which document version the reviewer is commenting on (e.g., Amendment 2, Modification 1, Basic LOA, etc.). To make it easier to track these comments, we will require DSCA reviewers to use a specific format when creating a title for their comments. The title must be entered as follows: Document Version, Revision Number (if applicable), Individual's Office, Concur/Nonconcur. The Individual's Office should match the identifier used on the countersignature mailboxes that have been established. A sample entry might read: "A02, Rev2, ERASA-ASA, Nonconcur." DSCA reviewers must enter Case Remarks for all nonconcurrences. Comments may also be entered for concurrences (optional).
11. Implementing agencies should use existing DSAMS Management Flags or establish new Management Flags to provide notification, as a minimum, when documents have been countersigned by DSCA (Milestone -- DCSGN), returned from DSCA (Milestone -- DDOCRTN), or rejected from DSCA (Milestone -- DCSGNRJ). In most instances, existing Management Roles should suffice, but it may be necessary to create new ones based on your changed business process. Some users may already be receiving a Management Flag for document status changes and would be notified of the above actions through that Flag; however, these new Flags will provide more information for the status change. New and changed Flags and Roles should be created as soon as possible after the 13 Aug 01 deployment of DSAMS Release 6.05.
12. This new release of DSAMS allows for holds and suspensions to be placed on documents. These capabilities cannot be used as a substitute for rejecting documents or for moving documents through the process in a timely manner. Unlike in the past, holds in the new system do not "stop the clock" -- the time period during which the case is on hold will be included in the LOA processing metric time calculations.
13. When the case is countersigned and the implementing agency has received notification that the case is in "offered" status, the implementing agency will sign the document and send it to the customer. At this time, the implementing agency will also be responsible for sending a hardcopy of the document and the termination liability worksheet (if applicable) to DFAS-AY/DE. Under our previous procedures, DSCA sent a copy of the documents to DFAS-AY/DE -- since we will no longer be receiving the hardcopies, it is necessary for the implementing agencies to take over this function.

If you have any questions about these procedures or require additional information regarding electronic countersignature, please contact Beth Baker, DSCA/P3-P2, (703) 604-6612 or e-mail beth.baker@osd.pentagon.mil. We are excited about the implementation of these procedures. We will all need to be patient during the first few weeks of this process (allowing for learning curves, etc.), but we are confident this new automated procedure will greatly improve the consistency and timeliness of all document reviews. Thank you for your cooperation.

Tome H. Walters, Jr.
Lieutenant General, USAF
Director

ATTACHMENT : 
1. Status Changing Milestone Matrix
2. File Naming Conventions

DISTRIBUTION :

DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
(INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS)
ATTN: SAUS-IA-DSZ
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

DIRECTOR, NAVY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS OFFICE
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
(INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS)
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

DIRECTOR, NATIONAL IMAGERY AND MAPPING AGENCY

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE REUTILIZATION AND MARKETING SERVICE

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AGENCY

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE LOGISTICS INFORMATION SERVICE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR INFORMATION ASSURANCE, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY

DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR SECURITY ASSISTANCE, DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE -- DENVER CENTER

CC :

AMSAC-OL-MP