THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT

1. THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT Wyoming State Bureau of Land Management Agreement Procedural Guide

2. THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT INTRODUCTION Assistance Agreements are a growing trend and because Government Appropriations are limited, great value can be realized by developing and entering into partnerships to accomplish BLM projects. The BLM cannot circumvent the normal acquisition process so before we can enter into a cooperative agreement, stringent rules must be followed and authorized legislation must exist. As with all procurements, only warranted contracting officers can obligate the Government when entering into an agreement. Review of this short guide should help when planning your GP-CESU project and will ultimately help in finalizing an award.

3. THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVEECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT DEFINITIONS Cooperative Agreement (CA): Agreements that may be entered into that the primary purpose is to provide public support and stimulation and NOT for the direct benefit of the Government. Substantial BLM involvement is required and entering into a cooperative agreement shall only be authorized by Federal Statute. Task Order (TO): Is simply an agreement issued under the basic terms and conditions of an existing agreement and will basically be authorized under that basic agreement. A task order will define a brand new project, standing alone and requiring the same justifications as the basic agreements. Statement of Programmatic Involvement (SPI): A document submitted by the requester to provide reason and justification for entering into a cooperative agreement or task order. Instrument Selection Determination (ISD): Prepared by the Assistance Officer upon review of the SPI and is the final determination and approval for entering into an agreement. Other approvals are required. Partner: May also be referred to as �Recipient� or �Cooperator� and is the Research or University Partner affiliated with the GP-CESU and authorized to enter into agreements with GP-CESU affiliated Federal Government Agencies.

4. THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNITMANDATORY CRITERIA As with any cooperative agreement, if we can�t meet the following minimum criteria, we cannot enter into GP-CESU agreement: First of all the primary purpose of the agreement/task order is to provide �public support and stimulation.� This means that the project is to be accomplished for the benefit of the public and not for the �direct benefit� of the Government. The project cannot be a BLM mission need otherwise a procurement contract shall be used. Yes, even though an agreement is awarded, the Government will probably always receive some �indirect� benefit. Secondly, the agreement must be authorized by Federal statute reflecting the specific legislative authority that identifies the particular project or recipient types. Finally the BLM must provide substantially involvement during the course of the agreement. Basically meaning that the BLM is required to �assist� in project accomplishment and this assistance is far more than just providing funding and approving results. It is jointly working together without limitations to satisfy project objectives and may involve program over site, sharing of information, etc.

5. THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNITSTEP BY STEP PROCEDURES Step 1 � Coordinating At this point you and the partner should already know what your proposed project is. So your first step as the requester is to coordinate with the Wyoming State BLM Assistance Officer (AO) or Technical Representative (TR) to establish the validity of possibly using the GP-CESU Cooperative Agreement. If your proposed project does fall within the purview of the GP-CESU Strategic Plan and Mission Statement the AO will provide you with (electronically) a working package that includes boilerplates of all the required documents for your use and action. Those boilerplate documents include the following: Statement of Programmatic Involvement � Completed and signed by the Requester Standard Form 424 � Request for Application � Completed by the partner Standard Form 424A � Proposed Budget � Completed Jointly and should reflect a complete estimated detail of the contribution of the parties in terms of dollars, in-kind services, furnished property, etc. Standard Form 424 � Assurances � Completed by the partner Task Order � Included Form 1511-1 and Narrative � Complete in draft form by both parties. You should then coordinate and maybe meet with the partner to start completing the above documents and at any time you may consult the AO for guidance.

6. THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNITSTEP BY STEP PROCEDURES Step 2 � Submission of Agreement Documents to the AO All of the required documents should be in final form except the task order. The task order should be in draft format and reflecting the agreed to proposed efforts and other data. The partner will forward to the AO the SF424, 424A, 424B and any other proposal documentation. You will need to send to the AO your developed Statement of Programmatic Involvement (SPI) and draft task order. It is very important that these documents are sent electronically. You need to sign the SPI so a finalized hard copy of this document shall also be provided to the AO and if Government funding is to be transferred to the partner, a Purchase Requisition will also be submitted via the IDEAS network. Please try to make sure the AO receives everything together and avoid piece-meal submissions. The AO will start the time count and commence working your project only upon receipt of all pertinent documents. Standard lead time to finalize and send for review and signature to the partner is approximately 60 days. Much sooner if workload permits.

7. THE GREAT PLAINS COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNITSTEP BY STEP PROCEDURES Step 3 � AO Review and Finalizing of Agreement/Task Order Upon receipt by the AO of a complete request from the requester, a thorough review will be conducted by the AO. The SPI will first be reviewed and if all criteria is met, the AO will accomplish an Instrument Selection Determination (ISD) and obtain appropriate approvals. Once SPI/ISD is approved, the AO will review and finalize the task order/agreement and if necessary coordinate with the requester or partner as required. When the task order is finalized, it is mailed to the partner for review and signature. Upon receipt of signed document, pertinent State Director or Field Manager signature will be requested prior to AO signature. After AO signs, distribution will be as follows: Original copy for AO file Original copy to Cooperator/Partner Copy to Government Technical Representative Copy to BLM Finance for Award Obligation Copy to Host University � GP-CESU Office at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln The Government Representative/Requester will also be assigned and appointed by letter as the �Assistance Representative� to represent the AO on all technical matters. Post Award - The Government Assistance Representative as well as the Cooperator shall ensure that the task order/agreement is completed in accordance with the agreement terms and conditions including the timely report submittals and project completion. A copy of all report submittals and end products shall be provided to the GP-CESU Office for their files.