IPAs and JPAs

Assignment Agreements

Definitions

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Agreements are agreements for the assignment of personnel and reimbursement of salary and fringe benefits between the Federal government and state and local governments, colleges and universities, Indian tribal governments, federally funded research and development centers, and other eligible organizations.

Federal Government employees may be assigned to UMB or UMB employees may be assigned to the Federal Government.

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 are agreements for the 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.

Reverse IPAs or JPAs are agreements for the assignment of VA or other Federal personnel to work at UMB. These agreements may allow UMB to reimburse the Federal agency for personnel hired by the Federal agency but temporarily assigned to work for a UMB project.

Forms and Resources

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

VA IPA Policy and Forms

Slides on IPAs, JPAs and JAs (October 2023) - SPA presentation to RAC Mentoring of 10/26/2023

Process

All IPAs or JPAs with BREF or Federal agencies other than Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS)  

Create your proposal in Kuali Research‌ (KR): Proposal Development Guide: Non-S2S Proposals

Enter BREF or the federal agency as the sponsor 

  • The KR Sponsor Code for BREF is 001313, Baltimore Research & Education Foundation

Select the Activity Type that best describes the work the assignee will be involved in.

On the Sponsor & Program Information section, Anticipated Award Type:  select Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement.

On the Key Personnel section:  

  • The assignee’s supervisor at UMB is entered with the role of Principal Investigator.  NOTE:  For JPAs with BREF, this may be the same person as the supervisor listed on Block 12 of the assignment form.
  • The assignee from UMB is entered with the role of Key Personnel – Assignee.

Budget:

  • In the Budget > Budget Settings, change the On-Campus Flag setting to “All Off”
  • The amount of the agreement should cover salary and fringe benefits for the assignee's percent effort on the assigned work. Travel costs are not available for BREF assignments, but other agencies may cover travel or other costs.
  • BREF does not allow F&A; on the Rates section of the budget, change the rate to 0.00. For other agencies, the negotiated rate for IPAs should be included as part of the KR budget and the agreement budget. 

Reverse IPAs/JPAs  

VA/BREF employees working on a UMB project when UMB will reimburse the VA/BREF:  Use the Subaward Request

Other Federal employees where no reimbursement will be made – route in Kuali Research using the unfunded agreement request form. Most likely the OF-69 form will be the template for the agreement. NOTE: Do not enter the Social Security Number in Field 3 of the OF-69 form. Leave blank or enter only the last 4 digits.

All IPAs with the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) 

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 VAMHCS Service office at least 60 days in advance of the start date.

For early terminations: Use the VA IPA Termination Worksheet

Completing the OF-69 for VAMHCS IPA Agreements

VA IPA Training Slides April 2016

Do not enter the Social Security Number in Field 3. Leave blank or enter only the last 4 digits.

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).  **The Cleland-Dole Act includes language allowing the VA to make exceptions to the 4-year time limitation for IPA Agreements.  We are waiting for the VA policy regarding this change but the VA may request that IPAs exceed the 4 year time limitation.**

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 normally 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 Proposal

Create your proposal in Kuali Research‌:  Proposal Development Guide: Non-S2S Proposals

Select the Activity Type that best describes the work the assignee will be involved in.

Enter the VA as the sponsor 

  • The KR Sponsor Code for the VA is 000098, VA Maryland Health Care System

On the Sponsor & Program Information section, Anticipated Award Type:  select Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement

In 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, Assignee.

Budget

  • In the Budget > Budget Settings, change the On Campus Flag setting to All Off 
  • The amount of the agreement should cover salary and fringe benefits for the assignee's percent effort on VA work. The VA does not allow F&A on IPA Agreements. On the Rates section of the budget, change the rate to 0.00.

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)