A former Marine print-photojournalist, former State Department Public Diplomacy Officer, former U.S. Air Force Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist, former USACE Public Web Lead & former Denny's waitress
SEC. 701. DIGITAL ACCESS TO COMPLETED RESPONSES TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
(a) Requirement.—
(1) DATABASE OF COMPLETED FOIA REQUESTS.—Each agency shall make available all materials contained in the agency’s completed response to a request under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (in this section referred to as a “FOIA request”) in a structured database or in a searchable, sortable, downloadable, machine-readable database within 2 months after the date the FOIA request was completed.
(2) ELECTRONIC FORMAT.—All information is presumed to be available in an electronic format as described in paragraph (1) unless the agency demonstrates that excessive cost would place an undue burden on the agency.
(b) Public Availability.—All information included in the agency’s completed response to a FOIA request shall be made available to the public electronically and without cost through each agency’s website.SEC. 702. EXPLANATION REQUIRED FOR CREATION OF EXEMPTION IN THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
Section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting “with an explanation for the exemption” after “specifically cites to this paragraph”.SEC. 703. FOIAONLINE FOR AGENCIES.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall use FOIAonline to log, track, and publish all requests received under section 552 of title 5, United States Code.SEC. 704. AGENCY DEFINED.
In this title, the term “agency” has the meaning given that term under section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
Words of Fire brings together a broad range of disparate questions in my mind. Among the longest standing is the Isaac Asimov theory that mathematics could be used to predict the future. Another puzzle that I thought was unrelated was the inexplicable rise in gun violence. When I was a child in the northwest, there were several guns in every house and a gun in most vehicles, often hanging in the back window of trucks. Another anomaly I have thought about often is the relationship between language and violence, including why Charles Manson was imprisoned for life even though he never actually killed anyone. Additionally, I have wondered often about disinformation and misinformation and their impact on democratic institutions worldwide as well as the possibilities of a link between misinformation and a violent kinetic response. Helio Fred Garcia just put all of these seemingly random ponderings into one coherent whole.
For those who know little about Isaac Asimov, they might think it’s not reasonable to expect a science fiction author to know much about reality, but avid science fiction fans know that he was a scientist and that’s what made his writing so compelling. What’s more, he wrote the script that shaped much of the modern scientific development from talking robots and AI to the voice user interface revolution we are now experiencing. However, the theory that most fascinated me in the early 1980s was in his series called Trilogy, in which a scientist uses mathematics to predict the future, not of one individual, but in broad brush strokes. I majored in sociology and I’ve often pondered how we might make Asimov’s theory a reality. Reading Words on Fire, I realized it already happened. I just spent one of the most fascinating years of my professional life with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which makes extensive use of mathematic models to predict hurricane movements. They applied their science to the coronavirus, working to determine where the hot spots would likely be, when and how many medical patients would likely need care. They compared those numbers to the capacity of hospitals in those areas and worked with the state governments to build alternative care sites to help with surge capacity. Even though I have been sitting in those briefings for six months, I never realized they are the realization of Asimov’s theories I read as a child.
Fred Helio Garcia introduced me to a new term. Sto·chas·tic, defined by Oxford Languages as “randomly determined; having a random probability distribution or a pattern that may be analyzed statistically but may not be predicted precisely.” And the phrase stochastic terrorism, apparently something the FBI has long considered since the lone wolf scenario is remarkably difficult to detect and prevent. The stochastic terrorism model is a stochastic process, a random, model of those terror attacks intended by the random nature of their timing and targets to excite a generalized fear per Wikipedia. Fred isn’t the only author to connect language and the recent rise in terrorism. Wired Magazine and Quartz business magazine also observed this phenomenon in 2018 and 2019. Once I knew the term, it seems the internet is full of references. Fred says, “The name stochastic terrorism is drawn from a principle in statistics about seemingly random things still being predictable. Despite the unfamiliarity many people have with the word stochastic, the name caught on in the aftermath of the 2009 killing of Dr. Tiller, an abortion doctor. While the specific actors might not have been predictable, some kind of violent action could be mathematically determined to have a high probability based on a rise in violent rhetoric related to abortion services.
While the seemingly endless stream of horrifically violent acts seems to logically lead to stricter gun laws, that logic fails for me. Born in 1967, my youth was full of guns and I was unaware of any gun violence. I certainly never practiced drills at school to prepare for an active shooter. So what has changed? We have these standard mantras like guns don’t kill people, people kill people, but what has amazed me is how many people are not only using guns, but also cars to intentionally drive into crowds of people. Yes, people are killing random strangers recently, but why? Historically in the US, violence has been related to interpersonal relationships that went sour, gangs and/or mafia, as well as domestic violence. But random killing of strangers seems like an odd behavior to me. And even if we restrict guns, which I favor when regarding what I call weapons of mass destruction such as the Gatling gun or the .50 cal, I don’t see that as a solution that will reduce the number of people who want to kill random strangers. It would only reduce their total kill capability. So why are we seeing an increase in mass shootings?
I had come to the conclusion that we need mental illness control, not gun control. However, Fred illustrates that mental illness, while a contributing factor, is only a small slice of the story, which he calls the Lone Wolf Whistle. Fred lists 12 forms of language that contribute to violent acts – dehumanize, demonize or delegitimize, scapegoat, public health threat, safety threat, violent motive, exaggerated risk, sinister identity, conspiracy, discredit information, conflation, menacing image. For me, several of these overlap. It’s a well-known sociological theory that the worst forms of violence happen between groups of people. Sociological limitations require proper conduct when dealing with people we feel are part of our group. Norbert Elias, a German Jew with a front row seat to one of the world’s worst examples of human horror observed that the worst forms of violence happen between groups. As such, it is a critical first step to alienate, dehumanize, or delegitimize a person or group of people to make violence possible. This has unfortunately been a part of military operations in the US for as long as we have been a nation. The range of vulgar terms applied to foreign combatants is necessary for soldiers to be able to shoot.
It’s not enough to say, “They” are not like us. The second critical step is, they must be a threat. They must be the cause of current or potential ills, including physical or physiological safety. And particularly when targeting a group, conspiracy contributes to this treat issue, making the entire group part of the threat. If a group poses a threat, taking action not only doesn’t seem barbaric, it seems logical.
The mental health connection is that people who already have a tenuous grasp on reality and/or limited ability to curb impulses are the ones most likely to take the logical action presented by the alienating language that develops a threat from a given group of people, such as abortion doctors who are “committing murder” in the case of the previously discussed Dr. Tiller. As a result, I realize it’s not the guns that have changed, it’s the language illustrating a pressing need for violent action and illustrates the link between language and action.
Manson was imprisoned because he ordered murders. However, no one that Fred examines was ordered to murder anyone. Fred examines one case in detail that stands out strongly in my mind regarding a young man with a decidedly disturbed childhood who drove halfway across Texas to “kill Mexicans” in El Paso. I remember the case well because Latino friends were appalled, but I wanted more information: He had a rape list and a kill list in high school. I don’t think that’s normal. Fred details the links between news about El Paso holding border crossers, Trump’s recent visit to El Paso and according to the shooter’s manifesto, the triggering event was the “invasion” of Texas by a “caravan” of illegal immigrants.
But there’s more than just words. Fred explains that Hamm and Spaajj harvested patterns that detail the 5 stages of radicalization. They include personal and political grievance, an affinity with extremist groups (in this case White Supremacists), identification with an enabler (in this case President Trump), broadcasting terrorist intent and a triggering event.
Fred observes as many technology thought leaders have observed that one of the unintended consequences of the Internet is that fringe members of society can now find a place with others who think like them. This sense of belonging to a higher purpose can be a contributing factor in the violent kinetic response to misinformation.
The last and most critical element in this explosive cocktail is its potential long-term impact on geopolitical realities. According to one of my many colleagues who have studied public relations and audience segmentation, the Russian government has taken the “soccer mom” persona creation to a whole new level by micro segmenting U.S. society in ways that make the direction of disinformation more lethal. My reading of the Mueller report was that it had nothing to do with the election or politicians. The overriding goal was a change in the standard “US as the Great Satan” narrative. In order to effectively convince their own population that an authoritarian government is better than a democratic one, Russia needed to create the impression that democracy is anarchy waiting to happen. Among the ways they have done this is with fake social media personalities on both side of the alt left and right. These accounts are used to encourage people to protest and then this state sponsored disinformation campaign stirs up the opposition to have a counter protest. They are specifically trying to set up the conditions for random violence.
Fred focuses on the language of U.S. political leadership in the last few years, but his analysis doesn’t go far enough. Because the real enemy isn’t here inside our borders. The real enemies are cherry picking the comments that Fred is worried about and amplifying them to specific targeting audiences who will be most likely to respond to the lone wolf whistle. In addition to dangerous language, we have dangerous algorithms specifically working to provide fuel for violent acts. Our adversaries present a world in which U.S. leadership is neither desirable nor viable. Russia wants to undermine the concept of democracy as a desirable form of government. That government hopes to present an image of democratic nations as inherently unstably and physically unsafe. Thereby making authoritarian governments appear to be a better option.
The EU commission has repeatedly written about the destructive potential in disinformation. “Disinformation is ‘verifiably false or misleading information created, presented and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public’. It may have far-reaching consequences, cause public harm, be a threat to democratic political and policy-making processes, and may even put the protection of EU citizens’ health, security and their environment at risk. Disinformation erodes trust in institutions and in digital and traditional media and harms our democracies by hampering the ability of citizens to take informed decisions. It can polarize debates, create or deepen tensions in society and undermine electoral systems, and have a wider impact on European security. It impairs freedom of opinion and expression.”
One challenge with the language that Fred accurately identifies as dangerous is that it can be used both for the conscious purpose of division and for genuine opposition. Immediately after reading Words on Fire, I read Fauci. In it, gay men accused Dr. Fauci of murder because he religiously followed an antiquated, but widely accepted prolonged process for drug approval. Being accused of murder, an allegation that I thing the emotional people subjected to a deadly disease genuinely believed, cause Fauci’s attention. He reached out, befriended and learned from the community that called him a murderer. He subsequently rebelled against the established medical community and helped thousands of gay men get expedited access to critical medications, albeit, not proven.
In the Fauci case, I think the language was used genuinely. In the cases described by Words on Fire, the language was used for effect. So, in the end, what we have is a ruling that language shouldn’t be used to deceive and incite people, but it would be remarkably difficult to shape a law that follows this. Much like I know it when I see it. The phrase was used in 1964 by United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart to describe his threshold test for obscenity in Jacobellis v. Ohio. So while we have no legal law, we can certainly develop a social repulsion at barbaric language which incites and encourages violence.
(4) To improve the ability of the Government to achieve
agency missions and program performance goals.
(5) To promote the use of the Internet and emerging
technologies within and across Government agencies to provide
citizen-centric Government information and services.
(6) To reduce costs and burdens for businesses and other
Government entities.
(7) To promote better informed decisionmaking by policy
makers.
(8) To promote access to high quality Government information
and services across multiple channels.
(9) To make the Federal Government more transparent and
accountable.
(10) To transform agency operations by utilizing, where
appropriate, best practices from public and private sector
organizations.
(11) To provide enhanced access to Government information
and services in a manner consistent with laws regarding
protection of personal privacy, national security, records
retention, access for persons with disabilities, and other
relevant laws.
Government websites are required bylaw to be mobile friendly
This Act may be cited as the ``Connected Government Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL WEBSITES REQUIRED TO BE MOBILE FRIENDLY.
(a) Amendment.--Subchapter II of chapter 35 of title 44, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 3559. <<NOTE: 44 USC 3559.>> Federal websites required to
be mobile friendly
``(a) <<NOTE: Time period.>> In General.--If, on or after the date
that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, an
agency creates a website that is intended for use by the public or
conducts a redesign of an existing legacy website that is intended for
use by the public, the agency shall ensure to the greatest extent
practicable that the website is mobile friendly.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Agency.--The term `agency' has the meaning given that
term in section 551 of title 5.
``(2) Mobile friendly.--The term `mobile friendly' means,
with respect to a website, that the website is configured in
such a way that the website may be navigated, viewed, and
accessed on a smartphone, tablet computer, or similar mobile
device.''.
SEC. 601. REQUIREMENT FOR DISCLOSURE OF FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP OF ALL FEDERAL ADVERTISING OR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS. (a) Requirement.—Except as provided for in subsection (b), each advertisement or other communication paid for by an agency, either directly or through a contract awarded by the agency, shall include a prominent notice informing the target audience that the advertisement or other communication is paid for by that agency. (b) Exceptions.—The requirement in subsection (a) shall not apply to an advertisement or other communication— (1) that is 200 characters or less; or (2) that is distributed through a short message service. (c) Advertisement Or Other Communications Defined.—In this section, the term “advertisement or other communication” includes— (1) an advertisement disseminated in any form, including print or by any electronic means; and (2) a communication by an individual in any form, including speech, print, or by any electronic means.
Budgets and Budget justification
SEC. 603. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS AND APPROPRIATION REQUESTS.
(a) In General.—Section 3 of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) is amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 3. FULL DISCLOSURE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.
“(a) In General.—Not less frequently than monthly when practicable, and in any event not less frequently than quarterly, the Secretary (in consultation with the Director and, with respect to information described in subsection (b)(2), the head of the applicable Federal agency) shall ensure that updated information with respect to the information described in subsection (b) is posted on the website established under section 2.
“(b) Information To Be Posted.—
“(1) FUNDS.—For any funds made available to or expended by a Federal agency or component of a Federal agency, the information to be posted shall include—
“(A) for each appropriations account, including an expired or unexpired appropriations account, the amount—
“(i) of budget authority appropriated;
“(ii) that is obligated;
“(iii) of unobligated balances; and
“(iv) of any other budgetary resources;
“(B) from which accounts and in what amount—
“(i) appropriations are obligated for each program activity; and
“(ii) outlays are made for each program activity;
“(C) from which accounts and in what amount—
“(i) appropriations are obligated for each object class; and
“(ii) outlays are made for each object class; and
“(D) for each program activity, the amount—
“(i) obligated for each object class; and
“(ii) of outlays made for each object class.
“(2) BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS.—
“(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph—
“(i) the term ‘agency’ has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 31, United States Code; and
“(ii) the term ‘budget justification materials’ means the annual budget justification materials of an agency that are submitted to Congress in support of the budget of the agency, in conjunction with the budget of the United States Government submitted under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, but does not include budget justification materials that are classified.
“(B) INFORMATION.—The information to be posted shall include the budget justification materials of each agency—
“(i) for the second fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this paragraph, and each fiscal year thereafter; and
“(ii) to the extent practicable, that were released for any fiscal year before the date of enactment of this paragraph.
“(C) FORMAT.—Budget justification materials shall be posted under subparagraph (B)—
“(i) in an open format machine readable and text searchable;
“(ii) in a manner that enables users to download individual reports, download all reports in bulk, and download in bulk the results of a search, to the extent practicable; and
“(iii) in a structured data format, to the extent practicable.
“(D) DEADLINE.—The budget justification materials required to be posted under subparagraph (B)(i) shall be posted not later than 2 weeks after the date on which the budget justification materials are first submitted to Congress.
SEC. 604. IMPROVING RULEMAKING DISCLOSURE FOR THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS.
(a) Inclusion In The Rulemaking Docket Of Documents And Communications Related To The Implementation Of Centralized Regulatory Review.—As soon as practicable, and not later than 15 days after the conclusion of centralized regulatory review for a draft proposed or draft final rule, the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs shall include in the rulemaking docket the following:
(1) A copy of the draft proposed or draft final rule and supporting analyses submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review.
(2) A copy of the draft proposed or draft final rule that incorporates substantive changes, if any, made to the rule as part of implementing centralized regulatory review.
(3) A document describing in a complete, clear, and simple manner all substantive changes made by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to the draft proposed or draft final rule submitted by the agency to Office for review.
(4) A copy of all documents and written communications (including all electronic mail and electronic mail file attachments), and a summary of all oral communications (including phone calls, phone conferences, and meetings), exchanged as part of the implementation of the centralized regulatory review between or among any of the following:
(A) The agency responsible for the rule.
(B) The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
(C) Any other office or entity within the Executive Office of the President.
(D) An agency that is not the agency responsible for the rule.
(E) An individual who is not employed by—
(i) the executive branch of the Federal Government; or
(ii) an agency that is not the agency responsible for the rule.
(b) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) CENTRALIZED REGULATORY REVIEW.—The term “centralized regulatory review” means the institutional process of Presidential oversight of individual agency rules governed by Executive Order 12866 (58 Fed. Reg. 51735; relating to regulatory planning and review), or any successor to such Executive order.
(2) RULE.—The term “rule” has the meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(c) Rule Of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to preempt or displace the disclosure requirements under any other provision of law affecting administrative procedure, if such requirements are not inconsistent with the requirements of this section.
(c) Publication Of Information Categorized Using Government-Wide Entity Identifier.—Each agency shall, to the extent practicable, publish all public regulatory, procurement, assistance, and other reported information categorized using the unique entity identifier required under this section.
Work with your contractors; monitor and evaluate performance
Provide technical direction and guidance if delegated in the COR’s Letter of Designation
Support the mission and recommend changes
Monitor satisfactory performance and timely delivery within the financial constraints of the contract
Request for an Equitable Adjustment, commonly referred to as an “REA,”
Independent Government Estimate (IGE);
CLC222 Online Training for Contracting Officer’s Representatives
Micro-purchase (for DoD)Commodities and SuppliesServicesConstructionContingencies (CONUS) Contingencies (OCONUS) Simplified Acquisition Threshold Contingencies (CONUS) Contingencies (OCONUS) Commercial Items Commercial Items (Contingency) Large-purchase Cost or Pricing Data Subcontracting Plans space space $5,000 $2,500$2,000 $20,000 $30,000 $250,000 $750,000 $1,500,000 $7,000,000 $13,000,000 $150,000 + $750,000 $700,000 ($1.5M for construction)
Title 18 U.S.C. is the criminal and penal code of the federal government of the United States. It lists all federal crimes including numerous rules governing gifts between government employees, as well as between government employees and nongovernment sources, such as contractors and their employees.
Section 201(c) of Title 18 prohibits you, as a public official, from soliciting, demanding or accepting, directly or indirectly, any gift or bribe for or because of your official position.
Prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. 208 can be criminal or civil. If criminally indicted by the United States Attorney, the offender can receive up to one year of jail time and/or $10,000 fine per violation. If civilly indicted, the U.S. Attorney may recover up to $50,000 per violation.
Criminal violations require a higher burden of proof than civil violations. The burden of proof for a criminal violation is “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The burden in civil cases is “by a preponderance of evidence.”
For a COR, it is a criminal offense to seek, receive, or agree to accept anything of value in the following circumstances:
Being influenced in an official act: Never discriminate unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges, or accept for yourself or your family any favors or benefits that might be construed as influencing your governmental duties.
Committing or allowing fraud: Avoid fraudulent conduct and report fraud by others, when discovered.
Violating lawful duty: Do not engage in any business with the government or contractor that is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of your governmental duties.
As prescribed in 201.602-70, use the following clause:
CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (DEC 1991)
(a) Definition. “Contracting officer’s representative” means an individual designated in accordance with subsection 201.602-2 of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement and authorized in writing by the contracting officer to perform specific technical or administrative functions.
(b) If the Contracting Officer designates a contracting officer’s representative (COR), the Contractor will receive a copy of the written designation. It will specify the extent of the COR’s authority to act on behalf of the contracting officer. The COR is not authorized to make any commitments or changes that will affect price, quality, quantity, delivery, or any other term or condition of the contract.
Remember: Like most DoD websites, TMT only works in Internet Explorer
Module 1 – Home Page Navigation
Home Page Navigation Objectives
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
Access the various system views
Conduct searches from the home page
Access command bar options
Access navigation bar options
Navigate to TMT
Navigate to the Task Management Tool system using your organization’s URL
Select the EAMS option for CAC authentication to log on
Select the Login button
Choose either certificate once you are prompted, then click OK
TMT Home
The TMT Home page will appear, displaying the default system view containing a list of taskers assigned to you and your assigned teams
This list will also include taskers that you and your team have created
The Task Management Tool banner also acts as a Home button. When clicked, it returns TMT to the default system view.
System and Personal Views
Navigate through the system and personal views by clicking the view selector dropdown menu.
Select an option from this list to change the taskers displayed on your screen. We will cover the three main system views:
Active – My / My Team / Teams I Manage (default): displays all taskers initiated by or assigned to you or any team you are a member of, including your parent team and guest teams
Active – My / My Team: displays all taskers initiated by or assigned to you or your parent team
Active – My / My Team Overdue and Due in 7 Days: displays all taskers initiated by or assigned to you or your parent team that are overdue or due in the next 7 days
Search for Records
Use the Search for Records field (also called Quick Find) to find taskers with an initiator role using the Subject, External Tasker ID, and Tasker ID search criteria.
Sort Functionality
Sort columns by clicking on the column header. This action will list data for the column in ascending or descending fashion
For example, if you were to click on the Status Reason column, tasker statuses would be listed alphabetically
Filter
Filter, similar to Microsoft Excel, users can filter columns by clicking the filter icon
This can be used to narrow down the data in TMT allowing users to only view the information they need
Refresh
Refresh, after changes have been made to taskers, click the Refresh button next to the Filter button to ensure data displayed is up to date
Command Bar
The Command Bar includes the following functions:
+New: initiates the creation of a new tasker. The process of creating a new tasker will be covered later in the course.
Email a Link: creates an Outlook email with a link to the selected tasker
Excel Template: reporting functionality that exports view parameters to Excel for creation of custom analysis spreadsheets that can be re-imported and shared with other members of your organization
Export to Excel: Exports the displayed view as either a static snapshot or dynamic refreshable Excel spreadsheet
Charts
Click the Charts pane that runs vertically on the right side of the tasker home page to view available charts regarding taskers in the current view
Charts are intended to provide a summary view of the data displayed on the current view. These charts allow users to view the data by various dimensions.
Clicking on the chart images will further filter the views by a particular value. Users can also create their own charts.
Click the down arrow in the top left of the Charts Pane to view additional system charts
Primary Tasker Menu
Next to the Task Management Tool banner is the first Tasker Menu covering the navigation bar options:
Tasker: allows the user to navigate through different entities related to taskers, users, and teams
In the My Work section, the following options are available
Taskers: returns the screen to the homepage
Dashboards: displays multiple views on one screen. You can use existing dashboards or create your own
Extension Requests: are available if more time is needed to complete a tasker, assignees can initiate an extension request
In this section, the task assignor can approve or disapprove the extension request, automatically updating the assignee’s suspense date
Approvals: navigates the user to approval route steps, otherwise known as the Approval Process
The default view displays a list of approval requests awaiting my or my team’s review
The full Approval Process is covered in the Advanced Training CBT
Users and Teams provide the ability to look up all users that have a TMT account in your organization’s TMT environment. The following are a few tips when searching for teams or users
You can enter partial names when searching for users
Team searches default to All Active Teams, you can search for users within teams
You can export search results with selected teams or users
Exporting users and teams allows you to manage your team hierarchies and user alignment to those teams.
Templates: allows the user to create and save text, assignment, approval route, and tasker templates. These templates can be used repeatedly to expedite the functions required during the tasker lifecycle.
Templates will be covered in depth in the TMT Advanced Computer Based Training (CBT)
Metrics/Reports: Provides access to available metrics and reports related to the status of a user’s personal and/or team(s) taskers
Custom metrics and reports can be developed specific to the needs of an organization
TMT Support: allows users to access TMT training materials, cheat sheets, and how to guides
You can also select the question mark in the upper right hand corner to access TMT help sites
Secondary Tasker Menu
Taskers Menu: to access the 2nd Tasker Menu, click the arrow next to the 2nd Taskers title.
Here you can view your recently viewed taskers by the Tasker ID
Locate the functionality of a tasker that includes:
Understand Tasker ID Generation
General Section
Tasker Instructions
Document Libraries
Tasker Responses
Tasker Status
Tasker Roles
Let’s start with the tasker roles found in TMT. There are a number of roles that you can be assigned on a tasker. This section will describe each role.
First, there is the Initiator role
The initiator is the person or team who creates the tasker
An initiator may complete the task themselves, or task it down for further coordination
OPR stands for the Office of Primary Responsibility and is equivalent to a lead
If you are tasked as an OPR, your office is responsible for the response and task completion
A Primary OPR is the first OPR that is tasked
Note: It is recommended that an OPR be assigned at every level of the tasker
OCR stands for Office of Coordinating Responsibility and is equivalent to an assist
If you are tasked as an OCR, you are providing inputs to the action officer who is responsible for the task completion
OPR-C or OCR-C is an Office of Primary Responsibility or Office of Coordinating Responsibility that has been tasked by an OCR.
The “-C” indicates that these teams are assigned by an OCR
The CC role means information only.
This option can be used if you want a team to be aware of a tasker, but no action is required
Tasker Statuses
Every tasker assignment, including the initiator’s tasker, is a unique tasker copy that is associated with a master tasker copy. This link between tasker copies and the master tasker copy allows for simultaneous coordination on a single tasker.
A tasker copy’s status represents its relationship to the master tasker copy, at that moment in time.
When the initiator creates a task but has not yet assigned it for coordination, they will see a status of New.
A status of Assigned is seen by team’s that have received a tasker but have yet to accept or reject.
A status of Accepted is seen after the tasker has been accepted
A status of Rejected means that the tasker has been rejected by the assignee
A status of In OPR or In OCR means that the tasker is being worked on by the OPR or OCR
The next set of statuses are seen only by the assignor and help the assignor track if their assignees tasks are still being worked or are completed
A status of OPR Complete or OCR Complete means that the OPR or OCR has finished their work on the tasker
If the assigning team assigns an OPR, that team will see a status of In OPR or OPR Complete
If the assigning team only assigns OCRs, that team will see a status of In OCR or OCR Complete
A status of No Response means that the assignor of the task completed their copy of the tasker before their assigned OCR. This is typically seen if the suspense date has passed and the assignor cannot wait for the OCR’s response to complete the task
A status of Complete means that your team has finished all work on the tasker and clicked the Complete button
A status of Cancelled means that the tasker has been cancelled by the assignor
A status of Reopened means that the tasker was previously closed, but the initiator reopened it for your team to provide an updated response
A status of In Route means that the tasker is in an approval process
A status of Route Complete means that all reviewers in an approval route approved the tasker
A status of Route Disapproved means that one reviewer in an approval route disapproved the tasker
A status of Route Cancelled means that the route has been cancelled
Selecting a Tasker
On the TMT Home page, you can see the default system views containing the list of taskers assigned to you and your team. This view is adjustable to suit you and/or your team’s needs.
To view a tasker, select the blue hyperlinked Tasker ID
Viewing a Tasker
Once clicked, the tasker will open
Green Bar
The color of the top bar will change depending on the classification level of the tasker
Within the green bar, basic information is provided
The Tasker ID is displayed on the far left of the green bar
The tasker ID is a system-generated unique identifier that starts with an abbreviation for your organization, for example “HQDA”, followed by the date of creation in YYYYMMDD format. The Tasker ID ends with 4 to 6 randomly-generated numbers and letters, depending on your organization’s configuration.
The right side of the green bar displays the following information:
The classification shows the classification of the tasker
Status reason displays the current status of the tasker copy being viewed
The role displays the tasker copy owner’s relationship to the tasker, whether an Initiator, OPR, or OCR
Information Bar
Below the green bar is the information bar.
The information bar provides helpful hints, which aids in the efficient completion of the tasker lifecycle
General Section
Next is the General Section, which provides general information regarding the tasker
More information on the General Section will be provided in the Initiate a Tasker Module
My Instructions
If you are the initiator of a tasker, My Instructions should detail the desired outcomes from the tasker. If you are assigned a tasker, My Instructions should provide detailed directions for the response.
You can expand the My Instructions section by selecting the Expand icon
Insert Text from Template
Below the My Instructions section is the Insert Text from Template field. By clicking on the search icon, users can insert saved text templates to populate the My Instructions section.
Inserting text from templates is useful when initiating taskers that are created on a cyclical basis and delegated to the same people with the same instructions. They are also useful for standard outlines, if offices have specific requirements that must be included in the task.
Templates can be shared with teams or users, as needed
Further details on templates will be provided in the Advanced TMT training
Document Libraries
All TMT Document Libraries are SharePoint-based and include standard SharePoint functionality
The first document Library is Original Documents
This library includes original reference documents on which the tasker is based and documents that contain information needed by those who are assigned to work and complete the tasker
Documents within Original Documents can uploaded and edited by the Initiator only. It is read-only for all other users
The next document library is Supporting Documents
Supporting documents is where all the tasker coordination and work takes place. This library contains documents fully available to all assigned members of the tasker.
Typically, this is where OCRs post documents for review and consideration by the OPR, but any participant in the tasker can make updates. This is a great place to store a comment resolution matrix or any other document that needs to be built by those involved in the coordination.
The last document library is Final Documents
This library is reserved for the Primary OPR, subordinate OPRs, and the Initiator of the tasker to place final response documents for the tasker
It is read only for the tasker OCRs, OPR-Cs, and OCR-Cs
My Response
The My Response field is specific to each tasker copy and is where the assignee inputs their response to the tasker
Insert Text from Template
Similar to the instructions section, users can use the Insert Text from Template tool to populate a previously created Text Template
By clicking the search icon, the user can find existing templates
Again, templates will be covered in the TMT Advanced CBT
Tasker Status
The Tasker Status section is one of the most useful features of TMT, providing a glimpse into the entire tasker lifecycle, including the status for each assignment and approval route – tracking each owner, their role, status reason, suspense date, assigned date, and completed date
The tasker status table has a color scheme similar to a stoplight
Green: if a user or team’s status is in green font, the tasker response is not late and has not yet reached the warning threshold date set by the initiator
Amber: amber font means the user or team has reached the Warning Threshold to show that the suspense date of their tasker copy is near
Red: red font means that the suspense date has passed, and the tasker is overdue
Paper Icon
The Paper icon next to each name in the Owner column shows Tasker Details for the person or team’s copy of the tasker and includes status description, instructions, responses, who last modified the tasker copy, and the date of last modification
Consolidated Instructions
Everyone included in a tasker has their own copy of the tasker, so each person or team can enter their responses without overriding other assignees
In this section, users can see unique instructions to the assignees immediately subordinate to their own copy of the tasker
Consolidated Responses
Consolidated Responses displays the responses of the assignees immediately subordinate to the displayed copy of the tasker
Initiate a Tasker Objectives
Upon completion of this module you will be able to:
Create a Tasker
Populate the General Information Section
Generate the instructions for a tasker
Selecting New
From the home page, click the +New button to initiate a tasker
General Section
A blank tasker will appear with many fields for you to complete
In the General Section, ensure all required fields are filled in before attempting to save. Required fields are denoted with a red asterisk
Subject
The subject is a tasker descriptor
The subject should be short and to the point so that those involved with the tasker can easily understand the nature of the task
This is also a searchable field, so it is recommended that your organization develop a naming convention to maintain easily searchable taskers
Suspense Date
The suspense date sets the overall Tasker due date
Unique suspense dates for the OPR and OCR can be altered in Manage assignments and will be covered in the Manage Assignments module.
The TMT default suspense date is 21 calendar days from the current date, and can be adjusted as desired. Your specific organization may have the default suspense date configured to a value other than 21 days
Warning Threshold
The Warning Threshold is the point when the tasker will change from Green to Amber in Tasker Status.
The TMT default is 72 hours before the suspense date, but can be adjusted as desired. Much like Suspense Date, your specific organization may have Warning Threshold configured to value different than 72 hours
External Tasker ID
The External Tasker ID field can be used if tracking a tasker from an external tasking system
While inputting the external tasker ID does not connect the different systems, this feature can be used as a unique identifier and can help when searching or running metrics
If a tasker is sent through ETS (Enterprise Tasking Service) from another TMT organization, the External Tasker ID field will be automatically populated
Origin
The origin is the organization from whom the task is derived
For example: SA, OSD, Congress, or staff initiated
Owner
The owner is an auto-populated field that defaults to the Parent Team of the initiator of the tasker
In most cases, this value should not be changed otherwise you may lose control of the tasker
Active Suspense Extension Request
The Active Suspense Extension Request is not an active field when a tasker is being initiated
If the initiator creates a task, then assigns it for coordination, the OPR or OCRs on the task can request an extension to the suspense date
Upon this request, the initiator’s version of the tasker will then display that there is an active suspense extension request
Classification
The classification field allows the initiator to set the classification level
For the NIPR instance of TMT, users can select additional levels of unclassified taskers, such as:
Unclassified PII
Set the classification based on the nature of and information contained in the tasker
On the NIPR side in many TMT organizations, there is an option called SIPR Action Tracker
Use this option when tracking a tasker that exists in SIPR TMT
Since many people do not check SIPR every day, you can create your classified tasker in SIPR TMT, then create a SIPR Action Tracker in NIPR TMT to notify assignees that they have a tasker on SIPR
As a reminder, you should NEVER place classified information on an unclassified system
The tasker color banner will change for different classification levels based on specific organization configurations. Standard configurations will display the bar as green for NIPR unclassified. Blue for confidential, and Red for Secret
Of course, it will only be red for Secret on SIPR TMT
Is Private
Under normal circumstances, TMT allows every user to search for all taskers located in TMT. This is because TMT is intended to be an open and transparent system that improves accountability.
However, there are specific instances when all users should not be able to see a tasker, for example if it contains PII or sensitive personnel information
If you select the Is Private checkbox, only the initiator of the task and those directly assigned will be able to see the tasker. All other individuals or teams who are not involved with coordination of the tasker won’t be able to view or search for the private tasker.
Note that TMT allows taskers to be assigned to any team. Thus, while a private tasker is locked down to tasked teams and individuals, it is impossible to control whether other teams further delegate the assignments.
Priority
Priority defaults to Routine but can be updated
Please note that changing the priority to Expedite or Very High is only a tag and will not change the tasker lifecycle or suspense in TMT
Use increased priority tags with discretion, for if every tasker is a Very High priority, effectively nothing is
Action
The action field indicates the action required by the highest-level reviewer of the tasker
Category
The Category is a tag to show what the tasker is about
This is a configurable field by organization
Some examples of categories your organization may use are: Training, Legal, or Funding
Status Notes
Status Notes is an open text field for some TMT organizations that is unique to each tasker copy. It allows a tasker owner, such as the Initiator or OPR, to enter up-to-date information about the tasker
Some examples of relevant status notes are:
Estimated completion date
The person who is currently working on the tasker OR
The next action that will be taken
My Instructions
The My Instructions section is where the task initiator provides relevant instructions and directions for the tasker
The Initiator should be as detailed as possible here, providing
A Point of Contact
The purpose
Deliverable information
Background
Suspense information, and
Reference to any documents uploaded as part of the tasker
The quality of information in My Instructions dictates the quality of the response
Save
Once all the necessary information is completed, click the Save button on the left side of the command bar
A “Creating Tasker” pop up window will appear to let you know the tasker is being saved
Upon initial save of the tasker, the tasker ID is created in addition to the SharePoint libraries within the task
To verify the tasker has finished saving, the screen will refresh, and the banner will change from New Tasker to the Tasker ID
Please note: Some organizations have Pop-up blocker settings turned on for all computers. When managing assignments for the first time from a new computer, you should select “Always Allow” if the Pop-up blocker message appears. After you select “Always Allow” once from a given workstation, you should not have to do it again.
Manage Tasker Assignments Objectives
Upon completion of this module you will be able to
Assign tasks to others using manage assignments
Add OPR and OCRs
Check Tasker Status
Update OPR/OCR suspense dates and instructions
Select Manage Assignments
As mentioned in the Accept, Respond, and Complete module, if additional coordination is needed on an assigned tasker, it can be accomplished through Manage Assignments
To access Manage Assignments, click the ManageAssignments button in the Command bar within the tasker
Manage Assignments Window
Once Manage Assignments is clicked, the Manage Assignments window will appear
Only one OPR, Office of Primary Responsibility, can be assigned from your copy of the tasker, but many OCRs, Offices of Coordinating Responsibility, can be assigned
If at any point additional users or teams need to be assigned to the tasker, or if someone needs to be removed from the tasker, users must return to Manage Assignments
Lookup Teams or Users
To add assignees to the tasker, click the search icon to the right of the Assignments entry box
Please note: when logging onto a new computer, always allow “Pop-up blocker” if the popup message window appears
In the Advanced Lookup Records window, you can use the Look For dropdown to change the options seen
The Assignment Template option allows users to reference a previously created template
This feature will be covered in the Advanced training
Local Users displays all users on your instance of TMT
My Local Users displays all users within your team and users one organizational level below your team
Local Teams displays all teams in your instance of TMT
My Teams displays your teams and teams one organizational level below your team
Enterprise allows users to select teams from other TMT installations, such as CATMS
Only certain teams will have the ability to send a tasker to another TMT installation
External allows users to assign email only taskers to those outside the TMT network. Note that work on these taskers would need to be conducted outside the TMT system and then uploaded to TMT for review.
In this example, My teams will be used
Please note that it is recommended that when assigning taskers, teams, not individual users, should be assigned
This ensures multiple team members have access to the same tasker and prevents a single point of failure
To search for a specific team, use the search field to find the team name
Next, click the box for each of the teams needed
On the bottom of the page click the Add button, then OK
Teams can also be searched for using the open text search field
The advanced lookup records window will close automatically and return to the Manage Assignments window
Delete from Tasker
If a user or team is mistakenly added, the assignee can be deleted by clicking the checkbox next to the name and then the Cancel button
Tasker Role
Role selections will be defaulted to the OCR role
To make a team or user an OPR or CC, click the box in the OCR or CC column
OPR and OCR Details
In the OPR details and OCR details sections, users can enter individual instructions and suspense dates for the OPR and OCRs
Manage Assignments Options
On the bottom of the page, four options will be available:
Save as Draft allows you to save information in the Manage Assignments window so you can return to it later
The assignments will not be sent until the Manage Assignments window is opened again and the send button is clicked
Hand Off Draft allows users to give this tasker assignment to another TMT user or team to assume their role
This is useful when handing off the tasker draft to your tasking authority
Keep in mind, you will lose all control of the tasker once you hand off draft to your tasking authority, who can then send or cancel this tasker
Click Send to execute the tasker assignments
A notification of the assignment will be sent to the email addresses associated with the assigned team or user in TMT
In order to receive a team notification, users must be part of the organization email box or email distribution list associated with that team in TMT
Contact your local IMO with questions regarding organization email boxes or email distribution lists
The Cancel option will close the assignment window without saving your work
Click Send to send the assignments and Continue
Tasker Status
Once saved, details of this assignment can be reviewed in the tasker status section
This shows real-time information about the status of the work assigned in the tasker hierarchy
The row highlighted in blue shows which copy of the tasker you are currently viewing, which may not be one you have privileges to modify
Note that if users are viewing a copy of the tasker they do not own, the footer of the tasker will display as Read Only and they will not be able to make changes to that tasker
Upon completion of this module you will be able to
Locate tasker instructions and attachments
Accept a tasker
Reject a tasker
Respond to a tasker
Complete a tasker
Assigned Tasker, Tasker ID Link
From the home page tasker view, locate your assigned taskers
Assigned taskers will meet the following criteria:
The owner field will default to you or your parent team
The role displayed will be OPR, OCR, OPR-C or OCR-C depending on your role on the tasker
The status reason is Assigned, meaning that it is waiting for your review and acceptance
To access the tasker, click the tasker ID hyperlink in the tasker ID column
Accept
Accepting the tasker means that you will act on this task on behalf of yourself or your team
When making the decision to accept the tasker, review My Instructions, Tasker Status, and any SharePoint document libraries
To Accept the tasker, navigate to the Command Bar and choose the Accept Option
Once you click the Accept button, the Status Reason will change to Accepted
Please note that if you are wrongly assigned to the tasker, you can accept the tasker and enter “I have no equities in this task” in the My response field
Then, you can click Save and Complete
Reject
You can reject a tasker if you or your team are assigned incorrectly. You can refer to your organization’s business rules to see when you are allowed to reject a tasker.
To reject the tasker, navigate to the command bar and choose the Reject option
A Reject Tasker pop-up window will appear
There are two options in the Rejection Reason drop down
The first option is Recommend Reassignment
If you know who should have been tasked, you can recommend that team or user in the Recommended owner field followed by a comment in the Comments field
Alternatively, if you are unsure of the recommended owner, you can select the Other option followed by a comment in the comments field
The Tasker Status will now show rejected for this tasker copy
Once the tasker has been rejected, it cannot be accepted
Likewise, once a tasker has been accepted, it cannot be rejected
Acknowledge Receipt
If the assignor of the tasker chooses to force the recipient to accept the task, then the recipient will be presented with an Acknowledge Receipt button instead of Accept and Reject buttons
By clicking Acknowledge Receipt, you are accepting the task and the status reason will change from Assigned to Accepted
Please note that if you are wrongly assigned to the tasker, you can acknowledge receipt of the tasker and enter “I have no equities in this task” in the My Response field
My Instructions
Once the tasker has been accepted, follow the instructions in the My Instructions field to act on this task
To expand the My Instructions field, click the Expando button in the top-right of My Instructions
If additional coordination is needed and the tasker needs to be sent to additional teams or users, the manage assignments button can be clicked
The manage assignments process will be covered in the next module
Document Libraries
You can toggle between the different libraries by selecting Original, Supporting, or Final
OCRs are granted Contribute permissions to the Supporting Documents library, allowing them to upload and make edits to documents
In this example, the OCR role is assigned and therefore only the Supporting Documents library is available to edit
Select the Open in SharePoint button to open the highlighted document library in a new tab
Opening in a new tab will allow you to use additional SharePoint functions, if you so desire
Uploading Documents
To upload a new document, click the Upload button
Within the window, click the Browse button to choose a document from your computer
Once the document has been selected, click the Open button
Click the Upload File to add the document to the library
As seen, the document is now added within Supporting Documents
You can also upload a new document by dragging and dropping it from your desktop into the library window
Please note that uploading files with the same filename will overwrite the existing file but version history will be stored to allows you to revert back to one of the previous versions
To prevent overwriting someone else’s document, download the document, save it with a suffix on the end of the file name such as the date or organization name, then re-upload the document.
This will create a unique copy of the document
You can also create a folder in the document library for your organization
Editing Documents
To view and edit a document, click the document title link in the document library
The document will open on your computer
You can then add your edits and comments to the document and Save as your normally would to automatically save your updates back to the library
Responding to a Tasker
Once responsibilities for the tasker have been completed, write a response in the My Response field
To save the response, click the Save button
A response must be provided to complete your copy of the tasker
To expand the My Response field, click the Expando button in the top-right of My Response
Complete the Tasker
After all the work on the task is finished and the response has been provided, complete your copy of the tasker by clicking the Complete button in the command bar
A Complete Tasker window will appear allowing you to construct a notification that will be sent to the assignor of the task
The following options are available:
An Info copy of the tasker with your response can be sent to a TMT user or team
To send an info copy of the Tasker click the advanced look up button
Search for the user or team that needs to be added
Once found, click the OK button at the bottom of the page
The response entered earlier in the My Response field automatically populates here. You can edit in this response field to change the completion message that will be sent
Supporting Documents or Final Documents can be viewed if you are an OPR
Click the box next to the documents if you wish to include a link to the document in the completion notification
Once all information has been viewed, click the OK button to complete the tasker and send a notification to the tasker assignor
The status of Complete will now be visible in the Status Reason field
Upon completion of this module you will be able to create a senior leader approval route
Please note, the Approval Process will be covered in full in the TMT Advanced CBT
The following is only a basic description of the functionality
This approval process is often used by various levels of an organization to gain leadership approval
My Response
On an active tasker, ensure you have a response in My Response and the response is Saved
There must be a response to start an approval process
Submit for Approval
Click the Submit for Approval button to initiate an approval route
Manage Approval Route
A Manage Approval route window will open to build the route
Click the Search icon to add steps, meaning teams or users, to the route
Just as in Manage Assignments, click the teams or users for the stage utilizing the Look For dropdown menu and search box
Click Add, then OK
Click the dropdown menu next to the team or individual to select the action required of them
The possible actions are reviewed in the TMT Advanced CBT
To add new stages, click Add New Stage
Users can add as many stages as needed
Please note: stages occur sequentially and all steps within a stage occur simultaneously
All steps must be completed in a stage before the next stage is activated
Close a Tasker Objectives
Upon completion of this module you will be able to close a tasker
Locating Complete Taskers
The initiator of the tasker has the ability to fully Close the tasker, all other assignments should simply complete their tasker copies as discussed in Module 5
To locate taskers that need to be closed out, start at the Home page
From the Home Page, find a tasker in which you or your team are the initiator
The Role column will be initiator
The Status Reason should either be OPR complete, OCR Complete, or Route Complete
Note that an email notification will be provided to the initiator when the tasker is completed by OCRs or OPRs
To access the tasker, click the Tasker ID hyperlink in the Tasker ID column
Tasker Status Review
To verify all teams have completed their copy of the tasker, navigate to Tasker Status
Every assignment’s Status Reason should be Completed
Please note: if any OCR has not completed their portion of the tasker and the tasker needs to be closed, the Initiator can still close out the task without receiving their responses
If an OPR was assigned to the tasker and they have not completed their response, the initiator must either cancel them from the tasker or change their role to an OCR in Manage Assignments
Review Responses
The consolidated responses section will allow you to view all the responses
Enter Final Response
Once everything has been reviewed within the tasker, write your response in the My Response field
Once a response has been written, click the Save button
Close
In the Command Bar, click the Close button
A popup dialogue will appear, warning you that no further changes can be made to the tasker unless the tasker is reopened
Click OK
Status Change to Complete
The status will change to Completed in the Status Reason field
This tasker is no longer active and will now be available under the Inactive System View
My buddy Bassem said, “If the world turned vegan the emissions will be reduced by more than 60% we will save 80% of the water and 70% of the land and we will have less chronic diseases.” But, he admitted, we can’t turn everyone vegan. Still, the problem of large professional meat farming is a major issue.
My brother and his wife on The Crouch Ranch raise and process their own poultry and hogs and, of course, eggs. While some 83% of Americans do not live in apartments and therefore, theoretically could do some form of micro-farming like a backyard chicken coop, most local laws prohibit this.
Bassem agreed that grow what you eat could significantly improve our resource issue with regard to meat. But even for those who want to have a backyard poultry source, we need to push the politicians to agree to the idea.
This kind of micro-farming could address a number of issues in addition to climate change. COVID disrupted food chains. So the first thing I did was go to Home Depot and buy $115 worth of food plants which we have been eating since March. It’s cheaper to grow your own food, cleaner and there’s less doubt that it will arrive at your table. It’s also much tastier.
So write to your local legislators and ask them to allow you to have a backyard chicken coop.
In 2007, a nation was hacked offline via inaccurate information in their news cycle which caused protests that devolved into rioting. Then before the government could counter the inaccurate information, their media and power were hacked offline including all government websites.
I just received an email. I love the multilingual announcement. I love the respect for non Christian holidays. I love the inclusivity of Prince George’s County.
There is no school for students Friday, Sept. 25 due to professional development. Schools and offices are also closed on Monday, Sept. 28 for The Yom Kippur holiday. No habrá clases para los estudiantes el viernes, 25 de septiembre debido a que los maestros estarán participando en desarrollo profesional. Las escuelas y las oficinas estarán cerradas el lunes, 28 de septiembre en observación del día festivo Yom Kippur. Il n’y a pas d’école pour les élèves le vendredi 25 septembre, en raison du développement professionnel. Les écoles et les bureaux sont également fermés le lundi 28 septembre pour la fête du Yom Kippour.
35-Year Public Affairs & IT Professional 