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NIH POLICY MANUAL

1710 – NIH Manual System

Issuing Office: OM/OMA/DMS 301-402-4606
Release Date: 11/06/09

  1. Explanation of Material Transmitted: This revised chapter contains policy and procedures for issuing NIH Manual Chapters. It contains a new requirement for review and concurrence of each chapter revision by the OGC Public Health and Ethics Divisions. It also contains a new requirement that Issuing Offices have an initial consultation with DMS before they begin writing a new chapter, revising or rescinding an existing chapter. The chapter also contains updated URLs and revised review and approval forms (NIH Forms 414-6 and 414-7). In addition, the numbering scheme has been expanded to include the new 2400 series for ethics related chapters.

    2. NIH Manual Chapters are accessible (exceptions: information technology, privacy, grants chapters, and delegations of authority) to anyone with Internet connections. The exceptions are limited to NIH access only.

  2. Filing Instructions:

    3. Remove: NIH Manual 1710 dated 09/01/04
    Insert: NIH Manual 1710 dated 11/06/09

PLEASE NOTE:

  • For questions on this chapter, contact the issuing office listed above

  • For on-line information on the NIH Manual System, go to http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/

    • Plain Language: We try to write clearly. If you can suggest how to improve the clarity of this information, please call 301-402-4606 or email manuals@od.nih.gov.

    * The NIH Manual System contains guidance for NIH employees and is the official NIH policy issuing mechanism. It is appropriate to write an NIH Manual Chapter when an NIH component plans to issue a policy that affects: (1) a significant number of people at NIH; or (2) people outside the policy issuing office.

A. What is the purpose of this chapter?

This chapter describes the NIH Manual System and establishes procedures to follow when you prepare a new or a revised NIH Manual Chapter, or rescind an existing chapter.

The NIH Manual System Web Site is located on the Web at http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/. The chapters are available in both a searchable web format and a PDF (Portable Document Format) format for local printing as needed. NIH Manual Chapters are accessible to those with internet connections. (Internal information technology, privacy and grants chapters, and all Delegations of Authority in the 1130 series are limited to internal NIH staff only.) This chapter provides you with the guidance needed to prepare your chapter for electronic distribution via the Web. Appendix 1 contains a summary of this information for Issuing Offices.

B. What other references are relevant to this chapter?

  1. HHS General Administration Manual Chapter 1-00 “HHS Staff Manual System”

  2. HHS Section 508 information at http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/

  3. NIH Manual 1743 “Keeping and Destroying Records” available on the Web at http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/management/1743/ [Note: This reference must be included in all NIH Manual Chapters.]

  4. Plain Language information at http://www.plainlanguage.gov and Plain Language Initiative at NIH at http://execsec.od.nih.gov/

  5. Data Quality Act, Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2001, Pub. Law 106-554, § 515 (2000)

C. What is the NIH Manual System?

The NIH Manual System is the official formal mechanism for issuing NIH policy. The System is comprised of a series of NIH Manual Chapters. It provides an organized, central repository of information that is accessible to all NIH employees.

Designated offices have the responsibility for writing new and revising existing NIH Manual Chapters that fall within the various functional areas that comprise the System. It is appropriate to write an NIH Manual Chapter when an NIH component plans to issue a policy that affects: (1) a significant number of people at NIH; or (2) people outside the policy issuing office.

  1. How does the Office of Management Assessment (OMA) number and issue the NIH Manual Chapters series?

    2. We number and issue individual NIH Manual Chapters based on the following functional series. In turn, we assign numbers within each of the functional series, upon request from the Issuing Office.

    • Management (1000 – excludes 1130 [DOAs – see # 2 below])

    • Equal Opportunity (2200)

    • Human Resources [Personnel] (2300)

    • Ethics (2400)

    • Property and Logistics (2600)

    • Information Technology (2800)

    • Intramural (3000)

    • Grants (4000 and 5000)

    • Acquisition (6000 – includes all simplified acquisition and contract policy)

    • Combined Grants and Contracts (7000)

  2. How are Delegations of Authority (DOAs) included in the NIH Manual Chapters series?

    3. The NIH Manual System includes NIH Manual Chapter 1130, Delegations of Authority http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/. The issuing process for delegations differs from the process that we use to issue NIH Manual Chapters. Please contact the NIH Delegations Officer at 301-402-4606 if you need assistance.

D. What are the responsibilities of the various NIH offices involved in the writing, revision, review, approval, and posting of a chapter?

  1. Management Guidance and Operational Responsibilities:

    2. The Division of Management Support (DMS), OMA, is responsible for:

    • Meeting with all issuing offices before they begin writing new, or revising/rescinding existing NIH Manual Chapters;

    • ensuring the appropriate review of draft chapters by functional area staff within OMA;

    • obtaining required review of each chapter and processing approved NIH Manual Chapters (new, revised, and rescinded) by the OGC Public Health and Ethics Divisions;

    • processing new and/or revised NIH forms to be included in NIH Manual Chapters; contact the NIH Forms Officer at (301) 496-8155.

    • converting final chapters (that issuing offices submit in Word) to .html (Hyper Text Markup Language) and .pdf formats, and posting them on the NIH Manual System Web Site to be compliant with Section 508. [.HTML is the authoring language used to create documents on the Web; PDF is a file format developed by Adobe Systems that captures formatting information from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send files as formatted documents and have them appear on the recipient’s monitor or printer as they were intended.];

    • sending announcements on the NIH-MANUAL-CHAPTERS e-mail listserv to appropriate NIH staff concerning new, revised, and rescinded NIH Manual Chapters; and

    • maintaining the permanent official record of each chapter, which includes one hard (paper) copy of the chapter and a signed Form NIH 414–7, “NIH Manual Chapter Concurrence and Approval Record.”

  2. Executive Officer Responsibilities:

    3. If you are an Executive Officer then you must…

    • designate your IC Manual System Contact (MSC) to serve as the liaison between your office and DMS by sending an email message to manuals@od.nih.gov and specify the name, organization, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the MSC;

  3. Issuing Office Responsibilities:

    4. If you are an issuing office then you must…

    • contact your IC Manual System Contact and work with them as needed following the procedures described in Section E.

    • contact DMS at 301-402-4606 and meet to discuss the proposed NIH Manual Chapter and required steps. DMS and the Issuing Office will work closely to ensure proper procedures are followed.

    • write and revise all NIH Manual Chapters for which you have functional responsibility; (It is appropriate to write an NIH Manual Chapter when an NIH component plans to issue a policy that affects: (1) a significant number of people at NIH; or (2) people outside the policy issuing office.)

    • review and revise your chapters whenever there are substantive changes or within 5 years, whichever comes first;

    • ensure that your chapter is grammatically correct, free of typographical errors, and written in the format that we recommend in this chapter, using Plain Language requirements; see Appendix 2 for additional information.

    • submit draft chapters to DMS via e-mail to manuals@od.nih.gov for review and clearance within OMA;

    • ensure the appropriate review of your chapter by NIH reviewing offices and document that review by completing Section A of NIH Form 414-6, “NIH Manual Chapter Review Record” (the form is on-line at http://forms.nih.gov/adobe/misc/NH414_6.PDF);

    • maintain all substantive comments that you receive from the reviewing offices;

    • resolve and document issues that arise during the review process;

    • incorporate appropriate review comments into your chapter;

    • prepare your chapter in final form;

    • submit your chapter to the appropriate official for approval (see Section D.6. of this chapter);

    • submit your approved chapter to DMS in accordance with guidelines that we specify in this chapter; and

    • review your final chapter when we post it on the Web at the NIH Manuals System Web Site located at http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/ and notify DMS at 301-402-4606 about any necessary changes.

    Note: In rare cases, when there is more than one issuing office for a chapter, a primary issuing office is designated and used as the contact point to coordinate necessary revision or rescission of the chapter.

  4. Review and Concurrence Responsibilities:

    5. We are committed to ensuring that information provided in NIH Manual Chapters is accurate and up-to-date. In order to accomplish this, we require issuing offices to clear their chapters with other offices and officials that may have an interest in a particular chapter. We summarize the most important review and concurrence requirements below.

    If you are an issuing office and…then…
    you mention an organization (or make reference to an official at NIH) in your chapter you must provide the organization (or identified individual) with the opportunity to review all or selected parts of your chapter.
    your chapter is within the 6000 series you must obtain concurrence from the NIH Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA)
    your chapter involves legal matters you must send it to the HHS Office of the General Counsel (OGC), located in Building 31, Room 2B-50, for review and comment. Call OGC first at 301-496-6043 to determine the appropriate name of the reviewer so you can send the chapter via email. (This review differs from the required OGC review mentioned in Section D1.)
    your chapter involves or references government ethics matters You must send it also to the HHS Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Ethics Division, located in Building 31, Room 2B-47, for review and comment (separate, also, from the required OGC review mentioned in Section D1). Call 301-402-2577 to coordinate review.
    If you are a reviewing office then… you must review the chapter and provide comments to the issuing office within 5 working days. Notify the Issuing Office if you need additional time. Use email or complete Section B of Form NIH 414-6 “NIH Manual Chapter Review Record” (the form is optional) and available on the Web at http://forms.nih.gov/adobe/misc/NH414_6.PDF to indicate your approval of the chapter and any changes that you are suggesting.

  5. Manual System Contact (MSC) Responsibilities:

    6. OMA maintains a formal liaison with each issuing office in the form of an MSC. We summarize the most important MSC requirements below.

    If you are an MSC then …

    • you must be knowledgeable about the NIH Manual System, this manual chapter, and the on-line web site at http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/ ;

    • you must contact DMS at 301-402-4606 when someone in your organization is planning to write, revise, or rescind a chapter and arrange an initial meeting to discuss necessary procedures;

    • you must coordinate with the issuing office to ensure that format and clearance procedures are followed; and

    • you must sign NIH Form 414-7, Section C, before the chapter is submitted for approval and posting.

  6. Clearance and Approval Responsibilities for Final Chapters:

    7. You must have one of the following officials sign the Approval Line of Section C of Form NIH 414-7, “NIH Manual Chapter Concurrence and Approval Record,” to indicate the official’s approval of the chapter. The form is available on the Web Site at http://forms.nih.gov/adobe/misc/NH414_7.PDF. Scroll down to NH414_7.

    If your policy covers…then…
    general administrative issues, e.g., ethics, property, acquisition, etc., the Deputy Director for Management (DDM) must sign;
    extramural policy issues, e.g., grants, the Deputy Director for Extramural Research (DDER) must sign;
    intramural policy issues, the Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR) must sign;
    human resource issues, the Director of Human Resources, NIH must sign and the DDM must concur;
    information technology (IT) issues, the NIH Chief Information Officer (CIO) must sign; or
    finance, travel issues the Deputy Chief Finance Officer (CFO) must sign.

    Note: Some policies may cover more than one area as noted above. In these cases, the issuing office should discuss necessary clearances with DMS at 301-402-4606.

E. What procedures do I follow to issue a new chapter, issue a revised chapter, or rescind an existing chapter?

  1. How do I issue a new chapter?

    • contact DMS at 301-402-4606 to arrange a meeting to discuss the chapter number, the title, required procedures, management controls, and approval requirements;

    • write a draft chapter in Word using the format discussed in Section F of this chapter;

    • send the draft chapter concurrently to appropriate reviewing offices, and to manuals@od.nih.gov for OMA review;

    • incorporate review comments, if appropriate, and obtain a subsequent clearance from the original reviewing office providing the comments, if needed;

    • retain the official record copy of comments;

    • prepare the final chapter and send the final chapter and NIH Form 414-7 for approval to the DDM, DDER, DDIR, NIH CIO, NIH Deputy CFO, or Director of Human Resources, NIH in accordance with Section D6 (see form on-line at http://forms.nih.gov/adobe/misc/NH414_7.PDF;

    • send final, approved package to: DMS/OMA, 6011 Executive Blvd., Room 601-G, MSC 7669.

      • The final package must include:
      (1) two paper copies of the complete chapter, including transmittal sheet, table of contents (optional), chapter text, and appendices (optional);
      (2) Word copy of the information described in (1) above sent via e-mail to manuals@od.nih.gov;
      (3) signed NIH Form 414-7. (DMS requires the original approval signature.)

  2. How do I revise an existing chapter?

    • contact DMS at 301-402-4606 for the latest version (if available) of the chapter you want to revise and for guidance concerning the best procedures to follow (minor editorial changes do not require all these steps);

    • Depending on the complexity and breadth of the changes, DMS may have a variety of options available that would speed up and simplify the revision process.

    • send the draft chapter concurrently to appropriate reviewing offices, and to manuals@od.nih.gov for OMA review;

    • incorporate review comments, if appropriate, and obtain a subsequent clearance from the original reviewing office providing the comments, if needed;

    • retain the official record copy of comments;

    • prepare the final chapter and send the final chapter and NIH Form 414-7 for approval to the DDM, DDER, DDIR, NIH CIO, NIH Deputy CFO, or Director of Human Resources, NIH in accordance with Section D6 (see form on-line at http://forms.nih.gov/adobe/misc/NH414_7.PDF);

    • send the final, approved package to: DMS/OMA, 6011 Executive Blvd., Room 601-G, MSC 7669.

      • The final package must include:
      (1) two paper copies of the complete chapter, including transmittal sheet, table of contents (optional), chapter text, and appendices (optional);
      (2) Word copy of the information described in (1) above sent via e-mail to manuals@od.nih.gov;
      (3) signed NIH Form 414-7. (DMS requires the original approval signature.)

  3. How do I rescind an existing chapter?

    • contact DMS at 301-402-4606 to discuss your rationale for rescinding the chapter;

    • write a transmittal sheet explaining why you are rescinding the chapter and indicate, if appropriate, what other guidance is available for other manual users;

    • submit the transmittal sheet via e-mail to manuals@od.nih.gov for OMA review;

    • incorporate appropriate OMA comments into the transmittal sheet;

    • send the final transmittal sheet and NIH Form 414-7 to the DDM, DDER, DDIR, NIH CIO, NIH Deputy CFO, or Director of Human Resources, NIH, in accordance with Section D6, for approval; and

    • send the final approved package to: NIH Directives Officer, 6011 Executive Blvd., Room 601-G, MSC 7669

      • The final package must include:
      (1) two paper copies of the transmittal sheet;
      (2) Word copy of the transmittal sheet sent via e-mail to manuals@od.nih.gov;
      (3) signed NIH Form 414-7. (DMS requires the original approval signature.)

F. How do I format my NIH Manual Chapter?

You must prepare your chapter in Word using the outlining format specified in this chapter. You must include a transmittal sheet and the chapter text. Additionally, you must include on each page required header information. Templates for the header information and chapter text are available at the NIH Manual Chapters Web Site located on the Web at http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/. Click on “How to Submit Chapters.” We encourage you to also include a table of contents, hyperlinks, and appendices as discussed below.

  1. What is the transmittal sheet?

    2. The transmittal sheet is the cover page which explains why you are writing, revising, or rescinding the chapter.

  2. What do I need to know about the table of contents?

    3. The table of contents highlights the design of your chapter. It is optional, but we recommend it if your chapter is longer than 10 pages.

  3. What do I need to know about chapter text?

    4. The chapter text is the body of your chapter. It is comprised of appropriate sections, beginning with capital letter designations (A, B, C, etc.) like those we used in this chapter. Issuing offices determine the appropriate section headings, with the exception of the last two sections which are required: Records Retention and Management Controls. (See http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/mc/examples/manualchapters/chapter.html. Scroll down to Sections H and I.)

  4. What are hyperlinks?

    5. Hyperlinks are automatic links to other Web Sites. Each hyperlink must include the complete Web address (URL) after the information that you want to hyperlink to. [Note: We will use this URL to create the hyperlink in the .html version of the chapter. The URL will also appear in the .pdf version of the chapter.] DMS will routinely set hyperlinks to existing NIH Manual Chapters and DOAs. URLs within the text of a document should appear without delimiters (angle brackets or parentheses).

    Note: Only use underlining for hyperlinked information. Otherwise, use bold or italics for emphasis.

  5. What should I do with appendix information?

    6. Appendix information is information that relates to your chapter but does not need to be included as part of the chapter text. This could include information that you reference in the chapter, e.g., a list of references, definitions that are too lengthy to include in the chapter text, or other explanatory information that relates to the chapter. You include a header with the chapter number, appendix number and date on each page of an appendix that you prepare for your chapter. You number appendices numerically (1, 2, 3 . . .). You submit appendix information in an electronic format if possible; otherwise, you can contact DMS at 301-402-4606 for assistance.

G. How do I get my NIH Manual Chapter distributed?

DMS posts all new and revised chapters on-line at the NIH Manual System Web Site. Subsequently, DMS distributes an e-mail notification on the NIH-MANUAL-CHAPTERS Listserv. You may subscribe to this Listserv at http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/ by clicking on “Sign-Up for E-mail Notification” (on the left side of the menu) and following the directions to join the Listserv.

Paper copies of chapters are available for printing directly from the .pdf version of specific chapters at the NIH Manual System Web Site. A link to the .pdf version of each chapter is in the left frame.

H. What should I do if I have ideas for improving the NIH Manual System?

We welcome ideas or suggestions for improving the NIH Manual System. We encourage you to submit your ideas or suggestions to OMA by e-mailing them to manuals@od.nih.gov.

I. What records retention and disposal responsibilities do I have regarding a new, revised, or rescinded chapter?

Each manual chapter must contain a standard statement that covers the records retention and disposition requirements. This standard statement serves two purposes. It notifies NIH staff and contractors who must maintain official records covered by the policy about the specific records retention requirements for those records. This is done by including the appropriate citation from the NIH Records Control Schedule that relates to the specific records that must be maintained according to the policy requirements. The standard statement also reminds employees that e-mail messages that are evidence of NIH activities or have informational value are considered Federal records and must be appropriately maintained as part of the official record.

Standard Records Retention and Disposal Statement – you must include the following information in all NIH Manual Chapters:

Records Retention and Disposal

“All records (e-mail and non-e-mail) pertaining to this chapter must be retained and disposed of under the authority of NIH Manual 1743,"Keeping and Destroying Records, Appendix 1, "NIH Records Control Schedule," Section _____ Item(s) _____ (all items that apply) and repeat if there are additional sections.

NIH e-mail messages. NIH e-mail messages (messages, including attachments, that are created on NIH computer systems or transmitted over NIH networks) that are evidence of the activities of the agency or have informational value are considered Federal records. These records must be maintained in accordance with current NIH Records Management guidelines. Contact your IC Records Officer for additional information.

All e-mail messages are considered Government property, and, if requested for a legitimate Government purpose, must be provided to the requester. Employees’ supervisors, NIH staff conducting official reviews or investigations, and the Office of Inspector General may request access to or copies of the e-mail messages.

E-mail messages must also be provided to Congressional Oversight Committees, if requested, and are subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. Since most e-mail systems have back-up files that are retained for significant periods of time, e-mail messages and attachments are likely to be retrievable from a back-up file after they have been deleted from an individual’s computer. The back-up files are subject to the same requests as the original messages.”

Records Retention and Disposal – specifically for this chapter, NIH Manual 1710:

All records (e-mail and non-e-mail) pertaining to this chapter must be retained and disposed of under the authority of NIH Manual 1743, “Keeping and Destroying Records,” Section 1100, Item F-1.

NIH e-mail messages. NIH e-mail messages (messages, including attachments, that are created on NIH computer systems or transmitted over NIH networks) that are evidence of the activities of the agency or have informational value are considered Federal records. These records must be maintained in accordance with current NIH Records Management guidelines. Contact your IC Records Officer for additional information.

All e-mail messages are considered Government property, and, if requested for a legitimate Government purpose, must be provided to the requester. Employees’ supervisors, NIH staff conducting official reviews or investigations, and the Office of Inspector General may request access to or copies of the e-mail messages.

E-mail messages must also be provided to Congressional Oversight Committees, if requested, and are subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. Since most e-mail systems have back-up files that are retained for significant periods of time, e-mail messages and attachments are likely to be retrievable from a back-up file after they have been deleted from an individual’s computer. The back-up files are subject to the same requests as the original messages.

J. What internal controls responsibilities do I have regarding a new, revised, or rescinded chapter?

You must include an internal controls section at the end of your chapter. This requirement is based on the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act of 1982 (31 U.S.C. 3512) and OMB Circular A-123, Management’s Responsibility for Internal Control. The internal controls section must include the standard statement provided below. For information regarding internal controls, please contact DQM at 301-496-2461.

Standard Statement:

INTERNAL CONTROLS: The purpose of this manual issuance is to [you describe the purpose].

  1. Office Responsible for Reviewing Internal Controls Relative to this Chapter (you must insert the name of the issuing office):

    2. [You list the issuing office and any other offices that will share responsibility for coordinating the review procedure to ensure appropriate internal controls are in place for the chapter. If an office outside of the issuing office is given responsibility for reviewing internal controls, the issuing office must have documentation of the other office’s concurrence.]

  2. Frequency of Review (you list in years):

    3. [You state how often the review will be required. This will be dependent on the level of risk posed if the chapter was not properly executed (generally between 1-5 years). Examples include:

    • 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, or 5 years

    • Annually

    • Ongoing*

      • *Note: ongoing can be either manual or built into automated systems.

  3. Method of Review:

    4. [You determine the type of review that most appropriately provides the program area the necessary documentation to show that the ICs are generally in compliance with the manual chapter.]

    Internal controls reviews of policy compliance entails testing sample transactions to determine the following components: effectiveness of the policy, and proper execution of the policy. When testing, if a sample does not show evidence that the policy was properly executed, it is noted as an exception. An exception is evidence that a control is not operating or designed effectively. For examples on sample testing, see the Risk Management Guidebook posted at the NIH Risk Management Program website at http://www3.od.nih.gov/oma/ma/NewRisk/.

    If a review to test for policy compliance was conducted by an outside source or other NIH component, you may rely on the work of others.

  4. Review Reports are sent to: _______________________________________

    5. [Reports are sent to the NIH senior official responsible for the area covered by the chapter, i.e., Deputy Director for Management (DDM) for management/general administration, Deputy Director for Extramural Research (DDER) for extramural research, Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR) for intramural research, NIH Chief Information Officer for information technology policy, NIH Deputy Chief Finance Officer for finance and travel policy, and Director of Human Resources, NIH for human resource policy. If a chapter review covers more than one of these areas, a copy must be sent to the senior official for each of these areas.]”

Internal Controls – specifically for this chapter, NIH Manual 1710:
INTERNAL CONTROLS: The purpose of this chapter is to provide guidance on the NIH Manual System.

  1. Office Responsible for Reviewing Internal Controls Relative to this Chapter: The Office of Management Assessment, Division of Management Support, has operational responsibility for the NIH Manual System.

  2. Frequency of Review: On-going review.

  3. Method of Review: Chapters are reviewed by DMS for compliance with this chapter prior to the Issuing Office forwarding the chapter in final to the Approving Official.

    4. Ongoing review of chapters is done based on new/revised Federal, HHS, and NIH policy. In addition, chapters are reviewed based on reorganizations which affect chapter nomenclature. Chapters are also reviewed for accurate hyperlink information.

  4. Review Reports: Are sent to the DDM upon request.




Appendix 1 –Writing NIH Manual Chapters – Summary of Information for Issuing Offices

  1. Contact: DMS at 301-402-4606 before writing any chapter (new, revised, or rescinded); Meet to discuss procedures and next steps. This enables DMS to be aware of upcoming changes and notify appropriate OMA staff to ensure timely review of the chapter once it is submitted by Issuing Office.

  2. Develop draft chapter – templates are available at http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/ – "How to Submit Chapters" – Submitting Manual Chapters." Sample templates for both the transmittal sheet and chapter text are available in Word (.doc) and .pdf formats.

    • Header information is optional on draft chapters but required on final chapters. With the exception of the transmittal sheet, all pages (e.g., table of contents, chapter text, and appendices) require header information;

    • Table of Contents is optional but recommended for chapters > 10 pages long;

    • Appendices are optional, depending on chapter content;

    • Required: specific text for last 2 sections of chapter: (1) Records Retention and Disposal and (2) Internal Controls; and

    • Hyperlinks – type out URL's for hyperlinks in Word version of chapter (DMS will set hyperlinks in .html version).

    • Bolding vs. Underlining – Only use underlining for hyperlinked information; otherwise use bolding for emphasis.

  3. Submit draft chapter in Word to:

    • OMA* for review and comment (please submit via e-mail to: manuals@od.nih.gov);

    • any organization/individual title specifically mentioned in chapter text (to ensure concurrence); and

    • issuing office internal offices for review as necessary.

  4. Incorporate appropriate reviewer comments & prepare final chapter.

  5. Send final chapter:

    • for approval by DDM, DDER, DDIR , NIH CIO, NIH Deputy CFO, or Director of Human Resources, NIH (2300 series only), as appropriate

    • for final processing to NIH Directives Officer, DMS (6011 Exec. Blvd./601G).

      • The final package must include:
      (1) two paper copies of the complete chapter, including transmittal sheet, table of contents (optional), chapter text, and appendices (optional);
      (2) Word or WordPerfect copy of the information described above on disk or via e-mail to manuals@od.nih.gov;
      (3) signed NIH Form 414-7.

___________________

*OMA Review: OMA staff review chapters based on specific functional areas, including forms, records, Privacy Act, etc. DMS coordinates OMA review and comments, and returns appropriate comments to issuing office for consideration/negotiation as necessary.




Appendix 2 – Plain Language Information

  1. Plain Language Action Network – http://www.plainlanguage.gov/ – detailed information about plain language

  2. Plain Legal Language – http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/Legal/ – detailed guidance on plain legal language

  3. Plain Language On–line Training – http://plainlanguage.nih.gov/CBTs/PlainLanguage/login.asp – tips and techniques for improving communication skills with the use of plain language

  4. Plain Language Tools – http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/index.html – provides guidance on using plain language in government

  5. Document Checklist for Plain Language – http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/quickreference/checklist.cfm – checklist to see if your document meets plain language standards

  6. Executive Secretariat Style Guide for Internet Terms – http://execsec.od.nih.gov/help/terms/guide.html – guidance for internet terms
 
 
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