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overnment travel reengineering is in full swing. It kicked off in December 1995 with 25 recommendations for simplifying government travel from the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (an alliance of federal chief financial officers). Nearly two years later, 17 of the recommendations are in place, marking a major renovation in the way government runs travel.
Key improvements include a flat 75 percent reimbursement rate for meals and incidental expenses on first and last days of travel, no more submitting receipts on expenses under $75 (except lodging), and approval of travel expenses by a single official. Streamlining could add up to serious savings on the government's $8 billion annual travel bill.
With most of the rule changes in place, "it appears everything is going fine and employees are satisfied with the changes we've made," says Jim Harte, program analyst at the General Services Administration's travel and transportation management policy division.
Unfortunately, those on the ground don't seem to be feeling the effects yet.
Trickle Down
I haven't seen that many [changes] come through," says Judith Petroski, travel services manager at the Smithsonian Institution. "A lot of things have been done by individual agencies, but I've not seen many on the government policy level. There's the minor [rule] about per diems on the first and last day of travel, and the one about not needing receipts under $75, but that's about it."
She's not alone. Few travelers and travel managers see much improvement in the aggravations and indignities of federal travel.
"We haven't seen any change," says a federal attorney based in Seattle who spoke on condition that he not be identified. "[The travel agent] should tell you what else is available instead of just giving you the 'official route.' I've had instances when they wanted to put me on a five-hour route rather then two-and-a-half-hour route that was cheaper."
Justice Department travel specialist Janet Brown has gotten better equipment. "The new software has streamlined things for us. But getting updates is like pulling teeth. We're three to four months behind on per diem rates because of that," she says. As a result, her office has to compute reimbursements at the old rate and the accounting department has to correct them.
Still, "it's a great improvement over typing [travel vouchers] on a typewriter with five carbon copies," Brown says.
After 27 years in federal travel, Petroski is skeptical about reengineering. "Even if it's minor, congressmen like to get up in arms about a little abuse, and the regulations will creep back," she says.
Sally Rinaldi, travel policy specialist at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, is a bit more optimistic. "It's a long way from where we are now to where we want to be," she told the Society of Travel Agents in Government in September. "But in the long run, there are benefits to everyone: travelers, travel managers, taxpayers, and the [travel] industry."
On the Horizon
Travel tinkering may trickle further down once the rules are written in language employees can understand. GSA has been busy translating the Federal Travel Regulations into plain language as they revise the rules. The agency expects to have all the temporary duty regulations in plain language by January at the latest. (Regulations can be found at www.gsa.gov.)
GSA, the Justice Department and the Education Department have taken reinvention a step further with an initiative that allows their travelers to share the benefits when they save the taxpayers money. The Travel Gainsharing program gives half of any savings to the travelers. For example, an employee who spent the night with friends or family while on official travel would get half the amount saved on lodging. An employee who uses frequent flier miles on an official trip would get half the city-pair fare. The incentive has saved GSA $163,000 since January 1995.
Two air travel shake-ups also will affect the economics and procedures of government travel in the coming year or so.
Electronic ticketing for airline reservations is taking hold. Twenty percent of all air travelers now walk up to the gate without a paper ticket. Paperless ticketing will save approximately $7 per ticket, and airlines, travel agents and agencies are jockeying to see how they'll split the savings.
The airline industry's September announcement that most commercial carriers will cut travel agents' commissions from 10 percent to 8 percent could bring travel reductions in some agencies if the travel industry passes the increased cost on to its government customers. At the Smithsonian Institution, unusual among federal agencies because its travel office is in-house, the commission goes back to the office funding the travel. "Programs depend on this money," Petroski says. "The 20 percent cutback will just make them squeeze a little tighter - cut back on trips or have shorter trips."
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