Federal Investigations Notice

Notice No . 02-05

Date: April 10, 2002

Subject: Investigations Billing System

As a result of a recent systems upgrade at OPM, and in conjunction with the Treasury Department's new Intra-governmental Payment and Collections System (IPAC), OPM is revamping its investigative billing process. In making changes to our current service we have listened to the feedback received from our customers and will also be working with a sample group of small, medium and large agencies to ensure that our efforts meet your needs.

The new processes will be implemented in two phases. During Phase 1 we will be transitioning from our old accounting system to a new one, while concurrently implementing a new billing format and collections process. During Phase 2 we will finalize the new processes and launch the OPM Investigations Web Site.
Beginning in June, you will no longer receive the case detail of your investigative activity on a hardcopy invoice and the IPAC transmission as you have in the past. Instead, you will receive a summary report of your activity by each Submitting Office Number (SON), and each case type within that SON. This change will have the following benefits:

• A more concise picture of your activity giving the specific number and costs of each type of investigation that was requested, and the specific SON location where those costs should be allocated.
• Increased efficiency in the processing of collections information by the IPAC system that will allow Treasury to transmit the data to you at a more manageable level.
• A significant reduction in the amount of paperwork. Not only will your OPM invoice be in a clearer, streamlined format, but you will also be able to print all of your information from the IPAC system in less time.

In addition to this invoice, you will still receive a report (similar to the Special Billing Report that you now receive) that will list all of the case detail activity, subtotaled by SON with a grand total that matches your invoice amount. You will also receive detailed information regarding adjustments to records open prior to the system change.

During Phase 2, OPM will produce additional reports that will be available to you, both in hardcopy and online. At that time we will launch a secure web site, where authorized personnel from your organization will have continuous online access to your data. When the site becomes operational you will be able to:

• Access your invoice online
• Print either a summary or detail version of your invoice directly from the site
• Download your invoice to a spreadsheet or text file on your PC
• View prior month's invoices and historical data, including an aging report showing any outstanding balances
• Electronically notify OPM of any disputed charges.

OPM is making these enhancements to provide you with the best customer service possible and to assist you in dealing with the ever-changing financial environment. We hope that these changes will improve your financial interactions with us, and allow you to conduct your investigative efforts in a more manageable fashion. Throughout the implementation we will be soliciting your comments and feedback regarding the new report format and will contact some of you for specific comments. If you would like to share your thoughts regarding these changes please contact Tom Coleman in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer on (202) 606-3706 or e-mail at tjcolema@opm.gov.

We look forward to working with you on an ongoing basis to improve our services and better serve you in the future.

Kathy Dillaman, Acting Associate Director
for Investigations

Kathleen M. McGettigan
Chief Financial Officer

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