B-100489, APR 17, 1962

B-100489, APR 17, 1962

PRECIS-UNAVAILABLE

ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES:

I AM ADVISED THAT AS A RESULT OF DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE AND THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE, THE FACILITIES OF THE FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS AND CERTAIN SUB CENTERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE STORAGE, PROCESSING, AND SERVICING OF CURRENT ACCUMULATIONS OF DOCUMENTATION UNDER ARMY, NAVY, AND AIR FORCE COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACTS, UPON COMPLETION OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE AUDITS AT THE VARIOUS SITES. I AM INFORMED ALSO THAT SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIES IN SHIPPING COSTS WOULD BE POSSIBLE UNDER SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT, IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT A NUMBER OF THE CENTERS ARE LOCATED IN OR NEAR SOME OF THE LARGER COST PROJECT AREAS.

ACCORDINGLY, AND SUBJECT TO YOUR CONFIRMATION OF MY UNDERSTANDING, IT IS PROPOSED TO ISSUE APPROPRIATE INTERNAL INSTRUCTIONS AND TO ADVISE THE DEPARTMENTS OF THE AIR FORCE, ARMY, AND NAVY THAT ORIGINAL AUDITED DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACTS WILL HEREAFTER BE TRANSMITTED TO FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS OR SUB CENTERS OPERATED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES:

1. IN CASES WHERE A COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACT IS TERMINATED, THE CONTRACT, AND THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE AUDIT THEREOF HAS BEEN PERFORMED IN THE FIELD, THE RELATED DOCUMENTATION WILL BE SENT TO FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A GEOGRAPHICAL SCHEDULE AS AGREED UPON BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE AND THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE. THE PARTICULAR DOCUMENTS TO BE SENT WILL BE DESIGNATED BY THE FIELD AUDIT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE.

2. CARDBOARD CONTAINERS, SIZE 15" LONG, 12" WIDE, AND 10 1/2" DEEP, UNIFORMLY ADOPTED BY THE FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS, WILL BE UTILIZED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PRACTICABLE IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE RE-BOXING AND SHELVING PROBLEMS. (FEDERAL SUPPLY SERVICE - ITEM 53-B-24992-130).

3. THE CONTAINERS WILL BE STENCILED OR LABELED TO SHOW NAME OF CONTRACTOR, CONTRACT NUMBER, DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS, AND WILL BE NUMBERED 1 OF 5, 2 OF 5, OR AS THE CASE MAY BE.

4. G.S.A. FORM 396, RECORDS SHELF LIST, AND G.S.A. FORM 397, TRANSMITTAL OF GOVERNMENT RECORDS, PREPARED BY THE SHIPPING AGENCY, WILL BE USED FOR ALL SHIPMENTS TO THE FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS. SUCH FORMS WILL BEAR EVIDENCE OF APPROVAL BY FIELD AUDIT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE. A SUPPLY OF THESE FORMS WILL BE OBTAINED FROM THE CENTERS. AN ORIGINAL AND THREE COPIES WILL BE SENT TO THE CENTER IN ADVANCE OF EACH SHIPMENT. ONE COPY RECEIPTED BY AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CENTER WILL BE RETURNED TO THE INSTALLATION TRANSFERING THE RECORDS, AND ONE RECEIPTED COPY WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO THE EXAMINATION AND SETTLEMENT BRANCH, DIVISION OF AUDITS, GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON 25, D. C., FOR RECORDS CONTROL PURPOSES.

5. ANY EXPENSE INCIDENT TO THE TRANSPORTATION OF COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACT RECORDS FROM THE VARIOUS AUDIT LOCATIONS TO DESIGNATED FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS WILL BE BORNE BY THE CONTRACTING AGENCIES.

6. ANY EXPENSE INCIDENT TO THE STORAGE, SERVICING, AND MAINTENANCE OF THE COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACT RECORDS WHILE IN THE CUSTODY OF THE FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS WILL BE BORNE BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.

7. IN NO EVENT WILL COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACT RECORDS IN THE CUSTODY OF THE FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS BE DISPOSED OF WITHOUT WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL.

AS YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE RECENTLY OBTAINED AUTHORITY FROM THE CONGRESS (HOUSE REPORT NO. 1729, APRIL 8, 1952) TO DISPOSE OF ITS COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION AFTER A MINIMUM RETENTION PERIOD OF SIX YEARS FROM THE DATES OF THE TRANSACTIONS. ACTING UNDER SUCH AUTHORITY, AND BECAUSE OF THE URGENT NEED BY THE ARMY OF THE SPACE NOW OCCUPIED BY THE COST RECORDS AT THE ARMY FINANCE CENTER IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A SCREENING HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF EFFECTING AN IMMEDIATE DISPOSAL OF THE RECORDS MORE THAN SIX YEARS OLD. ON THE BASIS OF A RECENT SURVEY, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT OF A TOTAL OF 41,000 CUBIC FEET OF RECORDS COMPRISING THE PRESENT ACCUMULATION, APPROXIMATELY 37,000 CUBIC FEET WILL BE SUBJECT TO DISPOSAL AT THIS TIME, LEAVING AN ESTIMATED QUANTITY OF 4,100 CUBIC FEET OF RECORDS UNDER SIX YEARS OLD FOR WHICH NEW SPACE MUST BE PROVIDED. IN CONNECTION WITH THIS LATTER GROUP, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO ME THAT SPACE IS AVAILABLE IN REGION 6 PENDING EXPIRATION OF THE ESTABLISHED RETENTION PERIOD.

IT IS HOPED YOU CAN CONCUR IN THE ABOVE PLANS AND I SHALL APPRECIATE AN EARLY REPLY.