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Slide 1

Strategic Compensation Conference

Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
Juanita P. Stokes
Deputy Director
Office of Allowances
U.S. Department of State
August 2002

Slide 2

U.S. Department of State
OFFICE OF ALLOWANCES

MISSION

Protect the interest of USG agencies, its civilian employees and their families serving overseas by ensuring appropriate reimbursements for extraordinary costs and difficulties associated with serving abroad.

Slide 3

The Department of State Standardized Regulations
(DSSR)

Where we get the authority to do what we do:

Law: 5 US CODE 5921-5928
Executive Order 10903 (Jan. 1961)
DSSR (Apr. 1961) Government-wide Regs
Agency Implementing Regulations

Slide 4

HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THIS?

Reimburse for Extraordinary Costs:

Post (cost of Living) Allowance
Education Allowances
Separate Maintenance Allowance
Foreign & Home Service Transfer Allowances
Evacuation Payments

Slide 5

"Post" (Cost of Living) Allowance

Reimburse for goods and services more expensive than in Washington, DC

Slide 6

Education

Reimburse for adequate education for dependent children in grades K-12

Slide 7

Educational Travel

One annual round trip between U.S. high school or college and foreign post
Not paid concurrently with education allowance

Slide 8

Separate Maintenance

Reimbursement for additional expense of maintaining family members elsewhere than at post.

Slide 9

Foreign and Home Service Transfer Allowances

Reimburse for extraordinary, necessary and reasonable expenses for establishing employee and family at assigned post either foreign or domestic)

Slide 10

Evacuation Payments

Payments help cover hotel, meals, laundry, local transportation and essential items not shipped from post (air freight replacement)

Slide 11

Incentives For Difficulties Associated with Living Abroad

Quarters Allowances
Post Differentials
Danger Pay

Slide 12

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Temporary Quarters Subsistence (TQSA)
Living Quarters Allowance(LQA)
Extraordinary Quarters Allowance (EQA)

Slide 13

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Temporary Quarters Subsistence (TQSA)

Necessary & reasonable cost of temporary lodging & meals upon arrival or prior to departure from posts

Slide 14

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Living Quarters Allowance (LQA)
- Covers most (or all) of your rent and utility expenses when USG housing is not available.

Slide 15

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Extraordinary Quarters Allowance
- Covers lodging and meals when employee/family must vacate permanent quarters during TOD due to crisis (fire, structural damage, etc.) or USG renovations

Slide 16

DIFFERENTIALS

Post (hardship) Differential

Incentive to serve at posts with environmental conditions significantly worse than in the US.
5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% posts

Slide 17

DIFFERENTIALS
Difficult To Staff Incentive Differential (DTSID)
- Additional pay of 15% for difficult to staff positions at 15%, 20% and 25% posts.
Combination of DP and DTSID, not to exceed 25%.

Slide 18

Danger Pay

Incentive to serve at posts where there is war and/or civil insurrection.

Slide 19

HOW TO CONTACT US

Office of Allowances
U.S. Department of State
Internet for DSSR and Allowances: www.state.gov/m/a/als
Internet e-mail:allowancesO@state.gov
Phone: 202-663-1121
Fax: 202-261-8707

Slide 20

Office of Allowances Web Site

Internet Address

www.state.gov/m/a/als/

[The following slides represent computer screens from the Internet.Located at the top left of slides 21-24 are graphics of an American flag and the world.At the top right of those slides, there are the words U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE followed by the following links:]

Home
Contact Us
FOIA
Privacy Notice
Archive
Search
About the State Department
Press & Public Affairs
Travel & Living Abroad
Countries & Regions
International Topics & Issues
History, Education, & Culture
Business Center
Other Services
Employment

Slide 21

At the left side of the slide, there is a box that includes the following links:

Bureau of Administration
Office of Allowances
Foreign Per Diem Rates
Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
Table of Allowances (Section 920)
Quarterly Report Indexes
Frequently Asked Questions

In the middle of the slide:

Office of Allowances

The Office of Allowances in the Bureau of Administration, develops and coordinates policies, regulations, standards, and procedures to administer the government-wide allowances and benefits program abroad under the Department of State Standardized Regulations – DSSR – (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas).

The office compiles statistics of living costs abroad, quarters allowances, hardship differentials, and danger pay allowances, and computes the established allowances to compensate U.S. Government civilian employees for costs and hardships related to assignments abroad.See the DSSR.

07/01/01 Summary of Allowances and Benefits [This is a link.]

At the right side of the slide, there is a box labeled "e;Highlights"e; that includes a graphic of an eagle and the following links:

Per Diem Rates

Domestic Per Diem Rates (CONUS), see:General Services Administration
Non-contiguous U.S. Rates, see:Department of Defense

At the bottom of the slide:

This site is managed by the Bureau of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State.External links to other internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therin.

Slide 22

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/c1843.htm

At the left side of the slide, there is a box that includes the following links:

In the middle of the slide:

Standardized Regulations (DSSR)

000 General Provisions

100 Quarters Allowances

200 Cost-of-Living Allowances

Slide 23

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/920/

At the left side of the slide, there is a box that includes the following links:

Bureau of Administration
Office of Allowances
Table of Allowances (Section 920)
Biweekly Updates
Full Table of Allowances

In the middle of the slide:

Table of Allowances (Section 920)

Section 920, Post Classification and Payment Tables, and Amendments to the Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas)

The Section 920 publication provides a complete listing of all allowances, differentials, regulation changes, and other information related to U.S. Government American civilian employees working in foreign areas. Thirteen publications are made annually, each reflecting changes occurring in two biweekly pay periods. Effective the first day of each pay period, any allowance or differential changes are announced by cable and after two change cables have been issued, a revised Section 920 is published.

At the bottom of the slide:

This site is managed by the Bureau of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

Slide 24

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/920/bwkly/

At the left side of the slide, there is a box that includes the following links:

Bureau of Administration
Office of Allowances
Table of Allowances (Section 920)
Biweekly Updates
2002
2001
2000
1999

In the middle of the slide:

Biweekly Updates

2002

2001

Post Classification & Payment Tables - Web DSSR 920

Web 920 screens
Examples

Kabul, Afghanistan
Reykjavik, Iceland

[The following slides represent computer screens from the Internet.Located at the top left of slides 26-28 are graphics of an American flag and the world.At the top right of those slides, there are the words U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE followed by the following links:]

Slide 26

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/web_920.cfm

Return to Allowances [This is a link.]

DSSR Section 920 Post Classification and Payment Tables

Select an Effective Date and Click Continue

08/25/2002 – TLSR615 [This has been selected from a drop list box.]

Continue [This is a label that can be clicked on.]

Slide 27

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/web_920a.cfm

Return to Allowances [This is a link.]

DSSR Section 920 Post Classification and Payment Tables

Select a Country from the dropdown list and click Display Posts

AFGHANISTAN [This has been selected from a drop list box.]

Display Posts [This is a label that can be clicked on.]

Having trouble locating a post?"e;Use the Posts Listed by Country Name in Alphabetical Order"e; to determine the correct post/country combinations that are listed within the table of allowances – DSSR section 920.[This is a link.]

View "e;footnotes"e; for effective date selected.Also provides an alternative to allowance information by post.[This is a link.]

Slide 28

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/web_920b.cfm

Return to Allowances [This is a link.]

DSSR Section 920 Post Classification and Payment Tables

Select a Post and Click View Table

KABUL [This has been selected from a drop list box.]

View Table [This is a label that can be clicked on.]

View "e;footnotes"e; for effective date selected.Also provides an alternative to allowance information by post.[This is a link.]

Web Version of DSSR 920
Kabul, Afghanistan

LQA = See footnote d
Post Allowance = 0
Transfer zone = 2
p = danger pay
differential = 25%
n = days 1 -42 paid
{footnotes see separate screen)
Education - at post inadequate
Reporting requirements

State (lead agency)
month/year due

Key to Past Changes

Prior and recent

Slide 30

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/getreport.cfm

TO THE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS (GOVERNMENT CIVILIANS, FOREIGN AREAS)

TL:SR-611

Apr 21, 2002 - Part A & May 5, 2002 - Part B

Country/Post: Afghanistan - Kabul

Living Quarters Allowance/Post Allowance/Differential Rate

Change	FamilyStatus		LQA2	LQA3	LQA4	Post Allow	Trans Zone		Diff Rate
	See Footnote	d				0	2	p	25n

Education Allowance

Grades	At Post	Away from Post

K-12	150	35350

Reporting Schedule

Agency	Retail Type/Due	Educ. Due	Diff. Due	LQA Due	Keys to Past Changes
St		Jun	Feb/E	Aug	576A/592A

Web Version of DSSR 920 Reykjavik, Iceland - 2 slides

Change:

b = away edu - 7-12
c = PA Parts a & b

LQA = with/without family rates
Post Allowance = 25%

c = both TL’s

Transfer zone = 1
differential = 0%
Education - K-6 adequate

part b change

Reporting requirements

State (lead agency)
month/year due

Key to Past Changes

Prior and recent
changed in both TL’s

Slide 32

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://aoprals.a.state.gov/perdiems/920/getreport.cfm

Department of State

Washington, D.C.20520

SECTION 920, POST CLASSIFICATION AND PAYMENT TABLES, AND AMENDMENTS TO THE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS (GOVERNMENT CIVILIANS, FOREIGN AREAS)

TL:SR-612

May 19, 2002 - Part A & Jun 02, 2002 - Part B

Country/Post: Iceland – Reykjavik

Living Quarters Allowance/Post Allowance/Differential Rate

Change	Family Status		LQA2	LQA3	LQA4	Post Allow	Trans Zone	Diff Rate
bc	WF	e	8900	7800	6200	25 c	1	0
	WOF		8100	6200	5400

Slide 33

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://aoprals.a.state.gov/perdiems/920/getreport.cfm

Change	Family Status		LQA2	LQA3	LQA4	Post Allow	Trans Zone	Diff Rate
bc	WF	e	8900	7800	6200	25 c	1	0
	WOF		8100	6200	5400

Education Allowance

Grades	At Post	Away from Post
K-6	16350	16350
7-8	21700	3100b
9	22350	3100b
10-12	30400	3100b

Reporting Schedule

Agency	Retail Type/Due	Educ. Due	Diff. Due	LQA Due	Keys to Past Changes
St	Y/May/O	Jun	-	May	612A/612B

Slide 34

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/reports/TLSR611/_post_list.htm

Department of State

Washington, D.C.20520

SECTION 920, POST CLASSIFICATION AND PAYMENT TABLES, AND AMENDMENTS TO THE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS (GOVERNMENT CIVILIANS, FOREIGN AREAS)

Part A contains a list of posts and allowances which changed in the first two weeks of this period.

Part B contains a list of posts and allowances which changed in the second two weeks of this period.

Footnotes C contains a list of posts and allowances for posts where the same allowance changed in both the first and second two weeks of this period.

Other Footnotes

POST CLASSIFICATION AND PAYMENT TABLES BY POST

Post	Country
Abidjan	Cote D'Ivoire
Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates
Abuja	Nigeria
Accra	Ghana
Adana-Incirlik	Turkey
Addis Ababa	Ethiopia

Slide 35

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/reports/TLSR611/__std_ftn.doc

POST CLASSIFICATION AND PAYMENT TABLES SECTION 920

FOOTNOTES TO SECTION 920

(Explanations on how to use the post classification and payment tables are included in

Section 920 of these regulations)

a – effective April 21, 2002

b – effectiveMay 05, 2002

c – Changes were effective on both of the above dates.The allowance or other revision printed

in this Section 920 was effective May 05, 2002.The changes effective April 21, 2002 are listed

at the end of these footnotes.

d -No current cost information is available as all U.S. Government employees are in Government owned or leased housing.Any US Government organization with employees eligible for the LQA should submit housing cost information to the Department of State as required by Section 072 and 077 of these regulations.Until more suitable housing cost information can be used to establish LQA rates for the locality, the following LQA rates are authorized:

LQA GROUPS		2	3	4
	WF	10300	9400	8500
	WOF	9900	8500	7500

e - The LQA rates are established for the benefit of only a few or no current employees and therefore do not necessarily represent overall local quarter costs.(See Sections 072 and 077 for information on the reporting of housing cost data.)

g -The following are within the Tokyo-To (Kanagawa-Ken) area:Atsugi, CampZama, Fussa, Machida-Shi, Sagamihara, Tachikawa and YokotaAB.

h -When payment is made directly to a DOD school rather than as an education allowance to the employee, such payment must be considered to be in lieu of the education allowance.Thus, an employee whose child changes schools (DOD school, local school, U.S. school) during a school year, must deduct any payment made, or to be made, directly to the DOD school on the child's behalf from these rates.An employee cannot be granted or have paid on his/her child's behalf, an amount greater than the rates published for any one school year.

m -The 'away from post' rate of $28,950 is for use only in attending schools located outside of South Africa.The school 'at post' rate may be used in attending day or boarding schools in

South Africa.

Slide 36

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/reports/TLSR611/__std_ftn.doc

n -An employee who serves for a period of 42 consecutive calendar days or more on detail (Section 511d) in Afghanistanmay be granted the post differential at the prescribed rate for the number of days served, beginning with the first day of detail.

p - In addition to the listed post differential rate, employees are eligible for danger pay allowance, DSSR (652f), as shown below:

Area	Rate	Eff. Date	Area	Rate	Eff. Date	Area	Rate	Eff. Date
Afghanistan	25%	12/02/01	Liberia:			Russia:
Algeria	25%	2/06/94	Other	25%	4/23/00	ChechnyaProvince	15%	5/23/99
Bosnia-Herzegovina:			Pakistan:			Sierra Leone	25%	5/23/99
Sarajevo	15%	1/18/98	All areas except Peshawar	25%	4/07/02	Somalia	25%	1/13/91
Other	25%	7/19/92	Peshawar	25%	9/23/01	Sudan	15%	12/26/93
Burundi	25%	2/04/96	Peru – Departments of:			Tajikistan	15%	10/12/97
Central African Republic	20%	6/17/01	San Martin (ex. the City of Tarapoto)	15%	10/10/99	Uganda:
Colombia	15%	11/27/96	Huanuco (entire Departamento)	15%	10/10/99	Other	15%	3/12/00
Iraq	25%	8/11/90	Apurimac (Province of Chincheros only)	15%	10/10/99	Yemen	15%	3/10/02
Israel:			Ucayali (Province of Padre Abad only)	15%	10/10/99	Yugoslavia, Federal Republic Of:
Gaza Strip	25%	8/02/01	Ayacucho (Provinces of La Mar and	15%	10/10/99	KosovoProvince	25%	7/19/98
Jerusalem:			Huanta only)			Pristina	20%	9/12/99
Jerusalem	15%	4/21/02
West Bank	25%	8/02/01	Junin (Provinces of Satipo and	15%	10/10/99
Lebanon	25%	10/21/83	Chanchamayo only)
Liberia:			Pasco (Province of Oxapampa only)	15%	10/10/99
Monrovia	15%	4/08/01

s – (Not in Use)

t -(Not in Use)

u - In accordance with Section 151 of PL 101-246, danger pay is authorized for DEA employees while at the locations listed below.The authorized post differential for each location is revised by the removal of credit for political violence for those employees receiving danger pay.

Slide 37

At the top of the slide, there is the following address:

http://www.state.gov/WEB_920/reports/TLSR611/__std_ftn.doc

u - In accordance with Section 151 of PL 101-246, danger pay is authorized for DEA employees

while at the locations listed below.The authorized post differential for each location is revised

by the removal of credit for political violence for those employees receiving danger pay.

DANGER PAY		REVISED POST DIFFERENTIAL
	Effective Date		Effective Date
Bolivia	15% 3/15/95	Cochabamba	5% 3/15/95
		La Paz	10% 11/26/95
		Santa Cruz	10% 3/15/95
		Other	10% 3/15/95
Mexico	15% 3/15/95	Differentials unchanged

v - A danger pay allowance under Section 652g of the Standardized Regulations is authorized for Federal Civilian employees who accompany U.S. Military forces designated by the Secretary of Defense as eligible for imminent danger pay for the designated areas.The amount of danger pay shall be the same flat rate amount paid to uniformed military personnel as Imminent Danger Pay (currently $150 per month). Danger pay authorized under Section 652g will not be paid for periods of time that the employee either receives danger pay authorized under Section 652f or post differential that would duplicate political violence credit which is already included in the differential rate.Political violence credit is included in the differential rates for the following designated areas except:Iran and the Persian Gulf. Effective 1/7/96, the following designated areas are: Croatia (except Zagreb and Vukovar); and Yugoslavia, Former Republic Of(except Belgrade, Kosovo Province, Montenegro Province and Pristina) Effective 10/13/96, the following designated areas are: Kuwait (except Kuwait City); Saudi Arabia (except Dhahran Area, Jeddah, Riyadh and Taif); Iran; and the Persian Gulf

U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 | (202) 606-1800 | TTY (202) 606-2532

U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Strategic Compensation Conference

Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) Juanita P. Stokes Deputy Director Office of Allowances U.S. Department of State August 2002

Slide 2

U.S. Department of State OFFICE OF ALLOWANCES

MISSION

Slide 3

The Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)

Slide 4

HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THIS?

Slide 5

"Post" (Cost of Living) Allowance

Slide 6

Education

Slide 7

Educational Travel

Slide 8

Separate Maintenance

Slide 9

Foreign and Home Service Transfer Allowances

Slide 10

Evacuation Payments

Slide 11

Incentives For Difficulties Associated with Living Abroad

Slide 12

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Slide 13

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Slide 14

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Slide 15

QUARTERS ALLOWANCES

Slide 16

DIFFERENTIALS

Slide 17

DIFFERENTIALS

Slide 18

Danger Pay

Slide 19

HOW TO CONTACT US

Slide 20

Office of Allowances Web Site

Internet Address

Standardized Regulations (DSSR)

Table of Allowances (Section 920)

Biweekly Updates

Post Classification & Payment Tables - Web DSSR 920

Web Version of DSSR 920 Kabul, Afghanistan

Education Allowance

Web Version of DSSR 920 Reykjavik, Iceland - 2 slides

Education Allowance

Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
Juanita P. Stokes
Deputy Director
Office of Allowances
U.S. Department of State
August 2002

U.S. Department of State
OFFICE OF ALLOWANCES

The Department of State Standardized Regulations
(DSSR)

Web Version of DSSR 920
Kabul, Afghanistan