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REVERSE OF TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION FORM)
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL EMPLOYEES
WITH REGARD TO TRAVEL
As the nation's principal steward for natural resources, the Department relies heavily on travel to fulfill many of its mandated missions.
The following articulates the respective roles and responsibilities of employees and supervisors in the travel process.
General Guidelines
• DOI's policy is to make travel as convenient and painless to
employees as well as "economically neutral." "Economically
neutral" means that employees traveling on official business
are not expected to use their own personal funds to finance
official travel.
• The Department has arranged to have each employee, who
is expected to travel, to receive an individual Government-
sponsored travel charge card, which is an important element
of the Department's travel program.
• Travelers are expected to exercise the same care in
incurring expenses while on official government travel that a
prudent person would exercise if traveling on personal
business.
What Travelers Can Expect
• To receive an individual Government-sponsored travel
charge card.
• To receive an advance of funds for travel in an amount
which covers only the expected meals and incidental
expenses and other out of pocket expenses charged to a
charge card associated with a trip. The advance will be
provided primarily through the use of ATM.
• To have the services of a Travel Management Center (TMC)
available to them, for making the necessary travel
arrangements and providing ticketing services.
• To promptly receive and be paid any travel reimbursement
approved by your supervisor and owed to you.
• To receive prompt professional advice and guidance on
matters relating to travel policy or regulations.
What is Expected of Travelers
• To perform official travel, as directed by your supervisor.
• To use your individual Government-sponsored travel charge
card for all chargeable expenses associated with official
travel.
• To abide by Federal, Departmental and bureau policies and
procedures governing official travel.
• To limit your ATM travel advance amount to estimated
meals and incidental expenses that cannot be charged to
your travel card, as authorized by Departmental policy and
Government travel regulations.
• To use the services of the Department's recommended or
contracted Travel Management Center(s) for all travel
related services.
• To submit your travel voucher for approval within five days
after completion of travel.
• To promptly pay the travel charge card contractor for
amounts charged on your individual Government-sponsored
travel charge card.
• To use a Government official telephone for all authorized
telephone calls while on official travel and, if unavailable, to
use a Government issued telephone charge card for
authorized telephone calls.
What is Expected of Supervisors
• To ensure that employees who are expected to travel
receive an individual Government-sponsored travel charge
card prior to commencing official travel.
• To authorize and approve travel in support of the
organization's mission.
• To ensure directed travel is carried out as efficiently and
effectively as possible.
• To approve and review travel vouchers promptly upon
receipt.
• To ensure approved travel was necessary to achieve
program objectives, charges appear reasonable and travel
actually took place.
• To initiate disciplinary action against employees whose
travel advance or individual Government-sponsored travel
charge card's are delinquent or misused through no fault of
the Department and/or bureau/office.
• As "Accountable Owners" (individuals responsible for
carrying out Departmental policies relating to travel), DOI
supervisors are expected, when necessary, to obtain
assistance/advice relating to the authorizations and
approvals of travel expenses to ensure adherence to travel
policies and regulations.
• To ensure that upon the employee's departure from the
Department and/or bureau/office, the LOTA and
Government-sponsored travel charge card are canceled.
