FORMS MANAGEMENT
Sections
2.05.05 Approvals for Electronic Forms
2.05.07 Sample Forms and Instructions/Availability of Printed Forms
Appendix A - Requesting Approval and Reproduction of NIST Forms
Appendix B - NIST Forms Catalog
2.05.01
PURPOSE
This subchapter assigns responsibilities for Forms Management at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and describes procedures
for requesting approval and reproduction of various forms used within NIST.
2.05.02
SCOPE
This subchapter applies to Forms Management at NIST-Gaithersburg and
NIST-Boulder.
2.05.03
POLICY
It is NIST policy that forms and their use be standardized to the extent
possible throughout NIST. Standard, Optional, and Department of Commerce
Forms are to be used where required by government regulations.
2.05.04
DEFINITIONS
A form is any document, including letters, postcards, and memoranda,
printed or otherwise reproduced with space for filling in information,
descriptive material, or addresses including electronic forms. Certain
printed items without fill-in space, such as contract provisions, instruction
sheets, notices, tags, labels, and posters, may be considered as forms
when it is advantageous to identify and control them as forms for purposes
of reference, printing, stocking, distribution, and use with other forms.
Forms in general use at NIST are identified in the following series:
a. Standard Form (SF) - A form approved by General Services Administration for general use by all departments and agencies of the federal government.
b. Optional Form (OF) - A form used by one agency and approved by the General Services Administration for optional use by other agencies in lieu of an individual agency form.
c. Department of Commerce (CD) - A form for general use within the Department of Commerce.
d. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - A form originated and used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
e. Document Number (DN) - A form originated and used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. DN forms are usually temporary in nature.
f. Boulder (NIST/BL) - A form originated by NIST-Boulder for its use.
g. Other-Agency - A form originated within a government
agency (i.e. a Department of Defense (DoD) form, a National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) form, etc.)
2.05.05
APPROVALS FOR ELECTRONIC FORMS
a. Requests to develop new electronic forms or to convert current
paper forms to electronic forms must be submitted to the NIST Forms Management
Officer for approval.
b. Standard, Optional, Commerce, NIST, or Other-Agency Forms may be converted to electronic format provided each form is complete, including punctuation and line/box spacing, and must contain all instructions and questions which appear on the current official form.
c. Laser printers or near letter quality printers may be used to print electronic forms.
d. To purchase and install electronic forms software, contact the NIST IT Assistance Center (iTAC).
e. Approval received for an electronic form is ONLY for that edition
of the form. REVISIONS REQUIRE NEW APPROVAL.
2.05.06
RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities for Forms Management at NIST fall within the following
areas:
a. Forms Management Officer:
(1) Approves and takes appropriate action on requests for new, revised, reprinted, and electronic forms;
(2) Analyzes and designs forms to improve related procedures and flow of work (Note: Routine forms are designed by Forms Management; specialty forms may be sent to a contractor for design. The method used will be determined by the NIST Forms Management Officer.);
(3) Assigns NIST form numbers to forms used within NIST, forms to be reproduced outside NIST, and forms being sent by NIST organizational units to an outside destination and ensures new NIST forms do not duplicate existing standard, optional, Commerce Department, NIST, or other agency forms;
(4) Recommends the most efficient and economical methods of reproduction;
(5) Approves all requests for Forms Management services (whether in-house, DoC, or contractor). Requests must be signed and dated by the NIST Forms Management Officer before the request is accepted by the Printing and Duplicating Group;
(6) Maintains history file of all NIST forms;
(7) Updates the NIST Forms Catalog containing form number, form name, revision date, availability, and form owner (see Appendix B);
(8) Processes requests for approval of exceptions to Standard and Optional Forms and justifications requesting approval to overprint forms;
(9) Approves requests for new and revised stationery and envelopes, assuring that the format complies with Department of Commerce (DAO 214-2) regulations. Compliance with Postal Service regulations is determined by the Mail, Reproduction and Supporting Services Group in the Administrative Services Division; and
(10) Distributes transmittals listing revised and obsolete Standard and Optional forms to the NIST Supply Group Liaison and the Engineering, Maintenance, and Support Services Division at Boulder.
b. Printing and Duplicating Group:
(1) Returns to the NIST Forms Management Officer all requests for forms (numbered or unnumbered, NIST or other-agency) that have not been approved (signed and dated) by the NIST Forms Management Officer;
(2) Processes requests from the NIST Forms Management Officer to the Department of Commerce/Government Printing Office, including printing of specialty forms or form print jobs that exceed the in-house print limitation (5,000 copies or 25,000 total impressions);
(3) Sends three copies of all printed forms to the NIST Forms Management Officer;
(4) Returns master(s) (including negatives and any supporting documents) to the NIST Forms Management Officer; and
(5) When form is contracted for either printing or design, sends one copy of completed Form CD-10, Publication Services Request, to the NIST Forms Management Officer.
c. Boulder - Engineering, Maintenance, and Supporting Services Division:
(1) Serves as Forms Liaison to the NIST Forms Management Officer at Gaithersburg. As Forms Liaison, routes to the NIST Forms Management Officer requests for:
(a) Forms used solely at Boulder, which do not substitute for CD, SF, OF, NIST forms already available; and
(b) Design and improvement.
2.05.07
SAMPLE FORMS AND INSTRUCTIONS/AVAILABILITY OF PRINTED FORMS
a. Copies of the NIST Forms Catalog are available from the NIST
Forms Management Officer or by accessing Appendix B of this subchapter.
b. Some examples of NIST, CD, and SF forms most commonly used at NIST, together with instructions for their completion, appear in various subchapters throughout the NIST Administrative Manual.
c. Many Standard and Optional Forms, Department of Commerce forms, and NIST forms are available at the NIST Administration Online Forms Page, eApproval, and a limited selection of commonly used forms are available in the NIST storeroom. Links to other agency forms are available at the NIST Administration Online Forms Page.
d. All requests for development of new forms, revisions to existing
forms, or orders for printing forms are submitted to, processed by, and
approved by the NIST Forms Management Officer.