There are three primary avenues for staffing installation programs with available funding: in-house installation staff (GS or state employees), Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) staffing, and staffing support provided by contractors and cooperators
The Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program (5 USC Sections 3371 through 3375) provides for assignments to or from state and local governments, institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments and other eligible organizations that are intended to facilitate cooperation between the federal government and the non-federal entity through the temporary assignment of skilled personnel. โOtherโ eligible organizations include: a national, regional, statewide, area-wide, or metropolitan organization representing member state or local governments; an association of state or local public officials; a nonprofit organization that offers, as one of its principal functions, professional advisory, research, educational, or development services, or related services, to governments or universities concerned with public management; or a federally funded research and development center. These assignments allow civilian employees of federal agencies to serve with eligible non-federal organizations for a limited period without loss of employee rights and benefits. Assignment agreements can be made for up to two years, and may be intermittent, part-time, or full-time. The agency head, or his or her designee, may extend an assignment for an additional two years when the extension will be to the benefit of both organizations. Cost-sharing arrangements for mobility assignments are negotiated between the participating organizations. The federal agency may agree to pay all, some, or none of the costs associated with an assignment. Each assignment should be made for purposes that are of mutual concern and benefit to the federal agency and to the non-federal organization and that it is for sound public purposes.
At installations, there are varying opportunities to use volunteers to support natural resources management projects. A handful of installations may achieve measurable gains by using volunteers, but the primary benefit of those programs is their value in education and outreach within the installation and with surrounding communities.
Next Page: Funding Implementation – Contracts and Agreements
Author
David S. Jones, RA IV, Ecologist/Project Manager
Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands
Warner College of Natural Resources
Colorado State University