Definitions

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Agreements are agreements for assignment of personnel and reimbursement of salary and fringe benefits between government agencies. Most commonly, UMB enters into IPA agreements when an individual is hired by UMB but is temporarily assigned to work on a Veterans Affairs (VA)-funded project such as a Merit Award.

Joint Personnel Assignment (JPA) Agreements. This term is used in two ways:

• Agreements for assignment of personnel and reimbursement of salary and fringe benefits between UMB and the Baltimore Research and Education Foundation (BREF), which is the VA's Foundation. UMB enters into JPA agreements when an individual is hired by UMB but is temporarily assigned to work on a BREF-funded project.
• Agreements for assignment of VA personnel to work at UMB. Sometimes known as "reverse JPAs", these agreements allow UMB to pay the VA for personnel hired by the VA but temporarily assigned to work for a UMB project.

Forms

IPA/JPA Form for VA/BREF. Other agencies sometimes use a different form that they will provide to you.

VA IPA Policy and Forms

Process

For JPAs for UMB employees working on a BREF award, or for IPAs with federal locations other than the Baltimore VA Medical Center: Use routine procedures for non-S2S (system-to-system) proposals and the Kuali Research details at the bottom of this page.

For JPAs for VA employees working on a UMB project:  Use the Subaward Request.

For all IPAs that will be awarded by the Baltimore VA Medical Center, the following must occur:

• IPAs must not be started by a department without the assigned employee’s VSC fingerprint adjudication/clearance.
• Confirm that the proposed employee for this IPA is not on the OIG Exclusionary List. Please include printout from OIG Website.
• Complete the VA IPA Worksheet
• Route the IPA in Kuali Research. The IPA must be routed before it is signed for UMB.
• A partially executed IPA must be delivered to the Baltimore VA Research Service office at least 60 days in advance of the start date.
• For early terminations: Use the VA IPA Termination Worksheet

Baltimore VA IPAs:

VA IPA Training Slides April 2016

• Part 2, Item 5: 5 CFR part 334 states that an employee who has served for four continuous years on a single assignment may not be sent on another assignment without at least a 12-month return to duty with his or her regular employer. Successive assignments without a break of at least 60 calendar days will be regarded as continuous service under the mobility authority. Agreements may not be comprised of a 60-day break within one assignment to make two intervals of the same assignment. Consecutive IPA assignments are an inappropriate use of this authority (taken from the VAMHCS POLICY MEMORANDUM 512-05-HR-030).
• Part 3, Item 6: VA, BREF or other federal agency; should match the Sponsor field in Kuali Research
• Part 4, Section A (items 9-12): The "Position Currently Held" section describes the UMB information for the employee. The "Immediate Supervisor" in Block 12 is the PI in Kuali Research. This PI will be in the department that hired the employee; the VA, BREF, or other agency will reimburse this department for the employee's salary and fringe benefits for the period of assignment.
• Part 4, Item 14: The employee that will be assigned to the VA or another agency must have been employed by UMB for at least 90 days before entering into an Intergovernmental Personnel Act agreement.
• Part 4, Section C (items 15-18): The "Position To Which Assignment Will Be Made" section describes the information about the VA/BREF or other agency position.
• Part 5, Item 19: Type of assignment: "On detail to a Federal agency."
• Part 5, Item 20: The dates of assignment should match Block 36 as well as the Start Date and End Date in the Kuali Research Proposal Details.
• Part 6, Item 21: Always identify the VA Grant title here —please refer to the VA IPA Training Slides April 2016 (slides 12-14) for acceptable Reason for Mobility Assignment descriptions.
• Part 7, Item 22: All major duties and responsibilities must be listed. Administrative and support duties should not be listed. The following must be included in all IPAs for the employee:
  
  • Tour of duty (day and hours employee will work).
  • Location of work (Building, department, and room).
  • Employee is responsible for hours of duty and for notification to supervisor of any inability to present for work.
• Part 8, Item 23: The Rate of Basic Pay During Assignment should match Part 4, Item 14. State or Local Annual Salary.
• Part 9, Items 26 and 27: Please refer to the VA IPA Training Slides April 2016 (slides 18-20) for instructions.

Kuali Research:

• Create your proposal in Kuali Research‌: Proposal Development Guide: Non-S2S Proposals
• Enter the sponsor
  
  • Sponsor code for the VA is 000098, VA Maryland Health Care System
  • Sponsor code for BREF is 001313, Baltimore Research & Education Foundation
• Select IPA as the Activity Type.
• On the Key Personnel section,
  • Enter the supervisor's name from Block 12 of the IPA form, and list them as Principal Investigator.
  • Enter the employee’s name from Block 2 of the IPA form, and list them as Key Personnel, Other.

Budget:

• In Budget Settings, select Off-Campus (All-Off).
• Baltimore VAMC and BREF: The amount of the agreement should cover salary and fringe benefits for the assignee's percent effort on VA/BREF work.
• Other VAs, other federal agencies: The agreement should cover salary and fringe benefits plus F&A at the negotiated rate. Travel costs may be reimbursed through the IPA if both parties agree.

Regulations

5 USC sections 3371 through 3375: Link to United States Code

5 CFR part 334: Link to Electronic Code of Federal Regulations

VA Handbook 5005/32 (IPAs)