Intergovernmental Personnel Act Agreements

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 1, 1993

Reviewed 3/26/19

SUBJECT: IFAS; Intergovernmental Personnel Act Agreements

1. Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments facilitate exchange of personnel between federal and non-federal governmental agencies for their mutual benefit. 
2. Two types of IPA's may occur:
   1. Type I is the assignment of an IFAS faculty member to a federal agency.
   2. Type II is a federal employee assigned to IFAS. 
3. Type I -- An IFAS faculty member requesting an IPA appointment should obtain review and approval of his or her request through the contract and grant process. IFAS and the University have a standard process for review and formal acceptance of all extramural funds, and the person's salary will be paid by the federal agency from an IFAS grant account while on the IPA appointment.
   
   To insure all appropriate offices have reviewed the IPA request, the following procedure should be used:
   1. IFAS faculty member, in coordination with IFAS Personnel Office, completes the federal agency's IPA form, stipulating that current salary and fringe benefits are subject to University-approved annual increases and potential rate changes. 
   2. IFAS faculty member completes University signature approval form (copy attached). Review and approval is designated by signatures:
      1.  Faculty member ("Principal Investigator" line).
      2. Unit Administrator ("Department Head" line).
      3. Dean
         • For a faculty member whose appointment covers two or more functional areas (Extension, Teaching, Research), his or her major appointment governs the appropriate Dean for review.
         • For a faculty member whose appointment is specific to one area, the Dean for that area will review.
      4. IFAS Sponsored Programs. 
      5. Division of Sponsored Research. 
   3. The IPA Application documents will be forwarded by the IFAS Personnel Office to the federal agency specified on the signature sheet. The faculty member to be appointed should be certain the agency's address is supplied.
4. Type II -- IPA assignments of federal employees to IFAS require review and approval by IFAS. If the Type II IPA appointment involves IFAS receiving any federal agency funds for disbursement to the federal employee, then the typical signature procedure specified for Type I appointments would apply because a grant account must be established. Normally, agency funds are disbursed directly to the individual, rather than through IFAS, and the procedure outlined below is appropriate.
   1. Following initial communication between the federal employee and appropriate IFAS administrators, the federal employee forwards to the appropriate administrator(s) an Assignment Agreement signed by the individual and his Agency's Authorizing Officer. The agency authorizing officer will submit the Agreement to the appropriate IFAS administrator who will review, sign as the Authorizing Officer for IFAS, and complete any requested information. 
   2. The IFAS approval form (attached) and a copy of the Assignment Agreement will be circulated by the Dean's office to allow for internal notification, review, and approval by all areas affected. 
   3. When the approval form has been fully executed and returned to the appropriate Dean's office, the original Assignment Agreement will then be forwarded to the agency.

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FROM: INTERNAL MANAGEMENT MEMORANDUM NUMBER: 6C1-6.30-5-1 (Revised)