The following list is a suggested guideline for establishing the eligibility of an IRS employee for use of a cellular phone:

All new requests for cellular phones must be made using the new automated ordering tool. An IRS employee can easily determine the latest plans available and order a cellular phone through the "Get It" button on the MITS Services’ Products and Services Catalog at: http://mitscatalog.web.irs.gov. First and Second Review Managers are required to approve the request before the order can be submitted to Voice Services and considered by the Wireless Program Office. The order will be sent to the vendor after funding and approvals are verified. The local Information Technology Services (ITS) point of contact (POC) will contact the employee making the request as soon as the cellular phone is received.

Cellular phones are authorized to only be equipped with the features necessary to perform an employee’s required duties. Features and enhancements that incur additional costs and are not necessary for the accomplishment of an employee’s official duties are prohibited (such as ring tones, text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, and Internet browsing). An employee is not authorized to have both a cellular phone and a pager unless sufficient justification can be obtained.

The local ITS POC will contact the customer to make the appropriate arrangements for equipment pick-up or installation when required.

Camera phones are not authorized for purchase.

GSA Administrative Order (consistent with CFR 101-35.201/GSA Notice OAD 601) specifies that the occasional personal use of cellular phones, at minimal cost to the Government, may be authorized by the appropriate area of management. A call may be made from a cellular phone only if it cannot be made at any other time with a Government provided desk set telephone.

Because cellular phones have additional "air time" and possible other charges, an individual is expected to use a regular phone, if available. This stipulation applies to personal calls and official calls.

Additional guidelines based on GSA regulations provide the following for cellular phone use in those specific instances when a land line, or Government provided telephone, is not available.

An employee has a duty to protect and conserve Government property and to use this property only for authorized purposes. These purposes are those for which Government property is made available to employees for purposes authorized in accordance with law or regulation. One should be aware of prohibited uses, as some misuse can cause disciplinary action to be taken and certain specific types of misuse can result in criminal prosecution.

An employee may be required to reimburse the government for unauthorized personal calls. In accordance with Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 735.205, the following practices are prohibited and a willful violation may result in criminal, civil, or administrative action, including suspension or dismissal:

If a cellular phone is lost or stolen, contact the vendor and request that service be suspended. Vendor’s telephone numbers are listed below.

Lost or stolen equipment must be reported to the local security office where an incident report will be filed.

To receive a replacement cellular phone, the employee’s manager is required to submit a formal request in writing for the replacement to the local ITS POC. A copy of the security incident report must accompany the request.

When an employee is reassigned to another organization or post of duty (POD), the employee shall notify the local ITS POC with the date of the change, the new address and new manager’s name. The local ITS POC will make a determination to either return the cellular phone or allow the individual to take it to their next assignment.

When an employee leaves the service, the employee shall return the cellular phone to the local ITS POC. Failure to return government property may affect the final compensation received by the employee.

All new and current users of IRS issued cellular phones must log onto the Enterprise Networks e-wireless ordering system at http://wireless.web.irs.gov and complete the validation process.

At the time of registration, the user will need to have the current cellular phone number, the name of the cellular phone service provider, and the current cellular phone make and model. This information is printed on the front of the phone, or on the back of the phone under the battery.

Annual cellular phone validation will be required to ensure uninterrupted wireless service. If validation does not occur, service on the cellular phone will be discontinued.

To be considered for a Flexi Place Pager, all IRS employees must meet the criteria specified in the following paragraphs (2 through 6).

An employee must have been in the Service’s employ for at least twelve (12) months and have a "Fully Successful" (or equivalent) performance appraisal. If the employee has worked for more than twelve (12) months and does not have an appraisal, he/she will be assumed to be "Fully Successful." If the employee is on a Performance Improvement Plan, he or she is not considered to be fully successful and not eligible for participation in the Flexi Place Program.

The employee must not have received any disciplinary/adverse action in the last twelve (12) months that would impact the integrity of the Flexi Place Program.

The employee must be at the journey or full working level of his or her position, or have been in the position for more than two (2) years, whichever is less. Any employee participating in a Flexi Place arrangement on the date the 2002 National Agreement of the IRS and NTEU was effective who does not meet this criteria will be eligible to request Flexi Place Pager.

Employees who are in an occupation that involves regular and recurring duties that can be effectively accomplished outside of the traditional setting; require frequent or regularly recurring visits to client and stakeholder locations; or can be accomplished by an employee working independently of other co-workers, support staff and his or her manager, without any adverse impact on individual customer service, may subject to the approval of their supervisor, be eligible to participate in the Flexi Place Program. See Article -50 Section 2 of Internal Revenue Service and National Treasury Employees Union National Agreement.

A pager must be defined in the requestor's user technology portfolio (when completed) as a required business tool, and must comply with any applicable Flexi Place agreements.

When management determines that the use of a pager is warranted, the user is to contact their local ITS POC to discuss the user’s requirements. The local ITS POC will work with the user to complete the appropriate request. The local ITS POC will resubmit approved requests via electronic copy (e-copy) to the local Information Technology Service, Voice Services support staff. Once approved, they must fax a copy of the request with managerial signature to 202 283-4777. All other pager requests have been centralized on the following web site: http://GetITservices.web.irs.gov.

The Flexi Place Pager will be sent to the ITS POC via the vendor. The local ITS POC will contact the customer to make the appropriate arrangements for equipment distribution.

Flexi Place Pagers are authorized to only be equipped with the features necessary to perform an employee’s required duties. Features and enhancements that incur additional costs and are not necessary for the accomplishment of an employee’s official duties are prohibited.

The customer is required to prepare and sign a Form 1930, Custody Receipt for Government Property prior to receiving the pager. The Form 1930 must be signed by the employee using the pager and presented at the time of pick-up. The ITS POC and the employee will maintain a copy in their files until the device is returned.

An employee has a duty to protect and conserve Government property and to use this property only for authorized purposes. These purposes are those for which Government property is made available to employees for purposes authorized in accordance with law or regulation. One should be aware of prohibited uses, as some misuse can cause disciplinary action to be taken and certain specific types of misuse can result in criminal prosecution.

An employee may be required to reimburse the government for unauthorized personal pages. In accordance with Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 735.205, the following practices are prohibited and a willful violation may result in criminal, civil, or administrative action, including suspension or dismissal:

Lost or stolen equipment must be reported to the local ITS POC.

To receive a replacement pager, the employee is required to submit a letter to the local ITS POC from the employee’s manager stating the following:

Upon completion of the above criteria, the employee must submit and sign a new Form 1930, Custody Receipt for Government Property prior to receiving a replacement pager.

If the pager is stolen or lost outside of normal business hours, it is the employee’s responsibility to contact the vendor and report the incident.

When an employee is reassigned to another organization or post of duty (POD), the employee shall notify the local ITS POC with the date of the change, the new address and new manager’s name. The local ITS POC will make a determination to either return the pager or allow the individual to take it to their next assignment.

When an employee leaves the service, the employee shall return the pager to the local ITS POC. Failure to return government property may affect the final compensation received by the employee.

Employees are allowed to call the vendor to troubleshoot that individual pager. If the vendor cannot resolve the problem, employees must contact their local ITS POC for resolution.

Local ITS POCs are authorized to call the vendor with their daily operations, such as troubleshooting, replacing defected equipment, disconnecting pagers, etc. Features and enhancements that incur additional costs must come through the Information Technology Services, Voice Services support staff.

The designated POC will receive a monthly bill detailing the pagers account summary.

POCs are responsible for verifying the billing for their area, certifying correctness within three (3) business days to ITS, Voice Service support staff via e-mail.

Yearly validation of pagers will be required by all current users of IRS issued Flexi Place Pagers. Users must log onto the Enterprise Networks e-wireless ordering system at http://wireless.web.irs.govand complete the validation process. An e-mail will be sent to the user when it is time to validate the pager.