DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY
201 12th STREET SOUTH, STE 203
ARLINGTON, VA 22202-5408

MEMORANDUM FOR :

DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
(DEFENSE EXPORTS AND COOPERATION)
(D ASA(D E&C)/SAAL- ZN)
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
(INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS)
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
(INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS)
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR SECURITY ASSISTANCE

DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE - DENVER CENTER

SUBJECT :

Implementation of Electronic Countersignature Process for Leases (DSCA 03-16)

REFERENCE :

1. DSCA Memorandum I-O1/009272-PMD "Implementation of Electronic Countersignature Processes (DSCA 01-21 )"
2. Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 6

Reference (a) implemented the electronic coordination and countersignature of Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) documents. This capability was initially limited to LOA documents, in that the authority to sign the lease determination cannot be delegated below the Director, DSCA, and additionally, the ability to generate PDF files of leases was not available. These issues have been resolved, and leases will now be electronically coordinated and countersigned. The following policy guidance and instructions are provided for this purpose and should be given wide distribution to everyone involved in the document preparation and coordination process of leases.

1. Electronic countersignature procedures are mandatory for all countries' leases with the exception of emergency situations and classified leases. For these exceptions DSCA will accept hard copy documents and all DSAMS milestones must still be entered for these documents. DSCA should be notified in advance that these documents will be processed in hardcopy form.

2. DSCA is notified automatically when lease documents have moved to "proposed" status in DSAMS. We will then expect an e-mail requesting DSCA approval and forwarding all applicable files (cover memorandum, and when required, the congressional notification certification). E-mails submitting packages for countersignature must be sent to policy-dsca@dsca.mil. DSCA cannot review the package until both of these actions have taken place -the "proposed" status change and receipt of the e-mail.

3. In order to discriminate between lease documents received electronically, a specific naming convention for files submitted for countersignature is required. Each e-mail subject line and each PDF file for a lease should include the lease designator. If the lease is an amendment, that too should be addressed in the naming of the lease file. For example, a DSCA lease to Bandaria could have the following file names: "BN-Q-ZAA-BASIC-PKG.pdf' (for a basic lease) or "BN-Q-ZAA-AO2.pdf' (for amendment 2). The subject line of the e-mail should reflect the same name as the lease file attachment.

4. The electronic countersignature process requires the use of DSAMS and Adobe Writer for PDF file creation. Instructions on how to create a PDF file of a lease in DSAMS are attached. The PDF lease files are submitted in the e-mail to DSCA (policy-dsca@dsca.mil).

5. As with LOAs, DSCA reviewers will enter comments in the "Lease Remarks" section of DSAMS. This field is at the "lease" level and does not automatically identify which document version the reviewer is commenting on (e.g., Amendment 2, Basic Lease, etc.). To track these comments, DSCA reviewers will use a specific format when creating a title for their comments. The title must be entered as follows: Document Version, Revision Number (if applicable), Individual's Office, Concur/Nonconcur. A sample entry might read: "AO2, Rev2, ERASA-ASA, Nonconcur." DSCA reviewers must enter Lease Remarks for all nonconurrences. Comments may also be entered for concurrences (optional).

6. Implementing agencies should use existing DSAMS Management Flags to provide notification, as a minimum, when documents have been countersigned by DSCA (Milestone --DCSGN), returned from DSCA (Milestone --DDOCRTN), or rejected from DSCA (Milestone --DCSGNRJ).

7. When the lease is countersigned and the implementing agency has received notification that the lease is in "offered" status (OSTATUS), the implementing agency will sign the document and send it to the customer. Once the lease is in "offered" status, DSAMS will post "DSCA Approval Authorized" and the date of the DCSGN milestone in the countersignature block. DFAS-DELAY will receive Management Flags when a lease moves to "offered" status and "implemented" status (ISTATUS).

Reference (b) requires a determination that there are compelling foreign policy and national security reasons for leasing, rather than selling defense articles, and that the defense articles are not needed for public use for the duration of the lease. The authority to make this determination is not delegated below the Director, DSCA, and continues to require his/her signature, vice an electronic signature. DSAMS report RP 111 "Lease Certificate of Determination" generates the lease determination, which is printed out by DSCA and signed by Director, DSCA prior to the DSCA Countersignature Milestone (DCSGN) being posted in DSAMS.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Ms. Dawn Burke at (703) 601-3864 or e-mail dawn.burke@dsca.mil. Guidance in this memorandum is effective immediately.

Tome H. Walters, Jr.
Lieutenant General, USAF
Director

ATTACHMENT :
1. Lease Milestone Matrix
2. Creating Lease PDF Files

CC :

DSADC
USASAC
AFSAC

Attachment 1
Lease Milestone Matrix

Attachment 2
Creating Lease PDF Files

To create a PDF file of a lease in DSAMS, the following steps are required:

1. Go to the View menu in DSAMS

2. Select Response Documents

3. Select RP 109 Lease

4. Enter the lease designator data

5. Lease Previewer will display the Lease

6. Go to the File menu in the Previewer

7. Select Print

8. Go to the Name dropdown menu to select printer (you will not actually print a document from your printer)

9. Select Client\(user name) \Acrobat Distiller for your printer

10. Select OK

11. Assign a file name to the lease, using the lease designator as the name, when prompted

12. Acrobat Writer will open, and display the PDF file of the lease

13. Go to the File menu in Acrobat Writer

14. Select Send Mail

15. An e-mail will open with the lease attached

16. Attach a copy of the forwarding cover memorandum, and when required, the congressional notification certification to the e-mail

17. State the document name in the e-mail's subject field

18. Send the e-mail to policy-dsca@dsca.mil