text:
Procurement Information Circular
November 23, 2010
PURPOSE: This Procurement Information Circular (PIC) is issued to provide guidance to the procurement community on the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) of 2009, PL 111-5. This guidance is applicable to contracts. Grants are addressed under a separate Grant Information Circular (GIC 09-03.)
This guidance is supplemental to Agency guidance on implementation of the Recovery Act. Contractors, as recipients of Recovery Act funds, have specific tracking and reporting requirements which are different from and should not be confused with the tracking and reporting requirements NASA, as a Federal Agency, has pursuant to the Recovery Act.
BACKGROUND: On February 17, 2009, The President signed the Recovery Act (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1enr.pdf). The Act's purpose is to provide a stimulus to the US economy, and, among other provisions, it provides funds to Federal agencies for use on contracts and assistance agreements.
On March 20, 2009, The Administration issued a memorandum addressing responsible spending of Recovery Act Funds (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Memorandum-for-the-Heads-of-Executive-Departments-and-Agencies-3-20-09/). The Administration is committed to ensuring that Recovery Act funds are spent responsibly and in a manner that is transparent to the American public. Consequently, use of the funds is limited to projects that demonstrate the potential to:
- deliver programmatic results,
- achieve economic stimulus by optimizing economic activity and the number of jobs created or saved in relation to the Federal dollars obligated,
- achieve long-term public benefits, and
- satisfy the Recovery Act's transparency and accountability objectives.
The Administration empowers agencies to exercise their discretion and judgment in implementing the Act and stresses responsible management. Agencies are to ensure that Recovery Act funds are expended for projects that promote economic recovery and are not used for imprudent projects. For example, the guidance specifically forbids spending under the Recovery Act for casinos, aquariums, zoos, golf courses, and swimming pools. Projects of a similar nature are also inappropriate for receipt of Recovery Act funds.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued implementation guidance to Federal agencies which will be updated and supplemented periodically. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_default).
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council originally issued five (5) rules to make changes to the FAR. The original five interim rules were published and became effective on March 31, 2009, and four of the five were finalized between June and August, 2010. The rule addressing contractor reporting requirements has not yet been finalized, but it has been supplemented by a sixth FAR rule, issued in July, 2010, which also addresses reporting. The new and revised clauses included in the rules are available for use in contract actions through the Contract Management Module (CMM).
Furthermore, automated systems, both internal to NASA and Government-wide, have been created or modified to support the posting and reporting requirements of the Recovery Act. They are designed to meet the accountability and transparency requirements of the Act.
1. General Principles
a. Contracting Officers (COs), in coordination with the requesting office, shall ensure that requests for contract services to be funded with Recovery Act funds meet the objectives of the Act, and that projects funded are based on merit and further the objectives of the Act, including job preservation, job creation, and economic recovery.
b. The Recovery Act, and all associated guidance, expresses a clear preference for award of fixed-price, competitive contracts. COs shall support these principles and maximize the use of fixed price, competitive contracts, as appropriate, in awarding contracts that use Recovery Act funding.
c. NASA has established Program Plans and more specific Project Plans which set forth the Agency's strategic plan for allocating and spending Recovery Act funds.
d. Recovery Act funds shall not be utilized on any new contract, order or modification under which payment is made through the Letter of Credit (LOC) payment method, except for contracts and orders with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Should circumstances arise where Agency plans support using Recovery Act funds on any LOC contract other than one with JPL, the CO shall request a waiver from this restriction via e-mail to the HQ Procurement Contract Management Division. See paragraph 9. Invoicing, for JPL-specific final invoicing procedures for contracts utilizing LOC payment procedures.
2. Requisition Requirements
a. The requiring office is responsible for generating a requisition to initiate a procurement action under the Recovery Act, and for ensuring that the requisition is consistent with approved Program and Project Plans. A separate requisition is required for each Recovery Act action, and a Recovery Act requisition may not include any requirements or funds for other than Recovery Act actions.
b. Requisitioners must create Recovery Act requisitions in the Financial Management System and include the word "Recovery" followed by the appropriate Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) in the Short Text Description block at both the Item Overview level and the Item Detail level (under the services tab.) The requiring office must coordinate with the CO prior to initiating the requisition in order to obtain CLINs. It is imperative that the Financial Management System reflect CLINs as they are identified in the hard copy contractual document and, consequently, on the contractor's invoice, to enable proper payment. The requiring office is responsible for editing all Recovery Act requisitions initiated prior to the date of this PIC, Rev. C, to include the word "Recovery" and CLIN designations in the Financial Management system.
c. The requiring office is also responsible for including a specific description of the supplies or services to be contracted for pursuant to the requisition. The description must identify discrete supplies or services that are severable from non-Recovery Act funded supplies or services. Recovery Act funding may not be used for incremental funding unless the increment has distinct parameters and the contractor's performance of the specific increment is measurable.
- Distinct parameters mean that the work can be distinguished by a beginning and an end. If an increment of work under an existing contract is to be funded with Recovery Act funds, the requiring office is responsible for establishing a beginning and an end of the Recovery Act work. Among other options, the beginning and end may be expressed as dates or as identifiable points of service or completion. For example, Recovery Act increments may:
o begin on September 1, 2009 and continue until December 31, 2009.
o begin following NASA's approval of a plan or report, and end upon NASA's acceptance of a plan or report.
o begin when a specific project is 25 percent complete and end when it is 40 percent complete.
Parameters should be established which ensure that NASA will be able to examine and evaluate Recovery Act work separate and distinct from non-Recovery Act work.
- Measurable performance means that NASA can quantify and judge the quality of service or production received during the specified increment. Because the Federal Government will be measuring what it receives for corresponding amounts spent under the Recovery Act, it is insufficient to say, for example, that NASA received three months of service. Therefore, the requiring office is responsible for specifying performance for the incremental period in a manner that permits evaluation and review of the work performed. For example, measurements for a Recovery Act increment may include:
○ meeting specified milestones between beginning and ending dates.
○ successful completion of significant identified activities.
○ on time delivery of required reports, documents, or supplies.
d. In support of the transparency requirements of the Recovery Act, and in order to facilitate mandatory reporting requirements, the description must clearly identify the supplies or services without using technical jargon, Agency-unique language, or acronyms. The description should be easily understood by the general public and suitable for public disclosure.
e. COs are responsible for reviewing the requisition to ensure that spending is consistent with the intent of the Recovery Act, but COs may generally rely upon the requesting office for assurance that the requested acquisition is consistent with approved Program and Project Plans. COs must ensure that the CLINs identified in the requisition are identical to the CLINs utilized in the contract document.
3. Pre-award Considerations; CO Responsibilities
a. Recovery Act funds may not be obligated unless the contract, order, or modification includes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Recovery Act clauses. If offerors or contractors refuse to accept the Recovery Act clauses, and hence, Recovery Act funds, the CO shall notify the HQ Office of Procurement, Contract Management Division. Notifications should include a brief summary of the Recovery Act action and the contractor's objection. Also identify efforts made by NASA to secure acceptance, CO contact information, and contractor point of contact with contact information.
b. When making Recovery Act awards, COs shall not combine multiple requisitions on a single contract action. Each Recovery Act requisition shall result in a separate contract award, order award, or modification to an existing contract or order. Any contractual document that obligates Recovery Act funds must not include any non-Recovery Act funds, or any Recovery Act funds that were provided via another requisition.
c. FAR 4.1501 identifies procedures for ensuring that Recovery Act acquisitions are appropriately identified as such, and that they are distinguished from other, non-Recovery Act acquisitions. It is a NASA requirement that COs establish specific CLINs to identify all work on any contract or order which is funded, in whole or in part, with Recovery Act funds. When Recovery Act funds are added to existing contracts, COs must establish and assign CLINs to describe and segregate both Recovery Act requirements and non-Recovery Act requirements. For new awards that are funded in full with Recovery Act dollars, establishment of a CLIN to describe and segregate the work will facilitate later additions of non-Recovery Act funds to the contract, on a unique CLIN.
d. For contracts that contain NASA Form 533 reporting requirements, COs shall ensure that the contract contains directions for contractors to segregate Recovery Act funds from non-Recovery Act funds on NASA Form 533, Financial Management Reporting. Because segregation of funds is an existing requirement under NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) Clause 1852.242-73, and NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 9501.2, referenced therein, direction to the contractor is consistent with paragraph (a) of the clause. When adding Recovery Act funds, COs should set forth detailed reporting categories in the schedule. Directing the contractor to segregate Recovery Act funds on NF 533 is not viewed as a change as described in paragraph (e) of 1852.242-73. NASA does not anticipate any additional charges associated with segregation of Recovery Act funds on NF 533.
e. COs shall obtain a proposal for each and every Recovery Act requirement. A proposal is required not only for new awards, but also for Recovery Act requirements added to existing contracts, even if the Recovery Act work is work that was covered by the contractor's original proposal. COs shall direct offerors or contractors to submit separate proposals for Recovery Act requirements and non-Recovery Act requirements. Recovery Act and non-Recovery Act costs cannot be combined in one proposal. Negotiation documents, which might include a detailed pre and post negotiation memorandum for large, new awards, or just a memo to file for modifications to existing awards, shall indicate that pricing of work to be performed with Recovery Act funds was negotiated or agreed-upon as a stand-alone effort, and is separately identifiable. COs, in conjunction with the requiring office, should determine the appropriate level of detail for proposals, consistent with the contract action. Care should be taken to request only the level of detail necessary, thereby minimizing bid and proposal costs.
- When Recovery Act funds are obligated on a new contract or a new order, or on an existing contract or order for new work, the proposal shall meet the regulatory requirements for FAR Parts 12, 13, 14, or 15, as appropriate.
- When Recovery Act funds are added to existing contracts to fund existing work which was covered by a proposal at time of award, the level of detail should be sufficient to allow separate pricing of the Recovery Act effort, and to permit segregation of costs associated with the Recovery Act effort. The purpose of a new proposal, in these cases, is to ensure that the amount of funding on the Recovery Act line item accurately relates to the effort defined for that line item. There must be a relationship between the work and the funding and the contractor must agree that the relationship is realistic. Through submission of a proposal, the contractor specifies a realistic cost estimate for the Recovery Act work, and NASA secures the contractor's agreement that the Recovery Act work is realistically funded. Consequently, COs must request, and contractors must provide, a proposal to price the Recovery Act modification, but the proposal will usually not be a traditional proposal. In these cases, COs should generally request basic estimates which resemble budgetary estimates or consist of general cost information culled from the original proposal. Likewise, COs may request contractors to assign general estimates to each of the measureable tasks in the Recovery Act line item without providing an associated cost breakdown. As another option, COs may share NASA's independent cost estimate for the Recovery Act work with the contractor and it can serve as the proposal if the contractor affirms that the estimate is realistic for the Recovery Act work.
f. COs shall create all Recovery Act contractual documents in the Contract Management Module (CMM). Further, COs shall utilize the PRISM milestone templates in CMM. NASA's ability to track, manage, and report on Recovery Act requirements is enhanced when NASA can place reliance on its automated systems and leverage the
ability to share information between systems. Automated systems also provide checks and balances which serve as an oversight mechanism to identify missing, incomplete, or incorrect actions. CMM's interface with the financial management system will facilitate proper implementation of the Recovery Act. Therefore, it is vital that documents are created in CMM in accordance with the milestone templates.
g. COs are reminded to make careful and considered responsibility determinations for companies receiving Recovery Act funds. Particular attention should be paid to the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), which should be checked and verified several times prior to award to ensure that no parties that have been excluded from Federal contracting will receive Recovery Act funds.
4. Posting Requirements
a. Posting of Presolicitation Notices
In accordance with FAR 5.704, COs shall use FedBizOpps (FBO) to post presolicitation notices for contract actions that will be made using Recovery Act funds. Contract actions include new contract awards, new task or delivery orders, and modifications to existing contracts or orders. Some Recovery Act presolicitation notices are for informational purposes only, as identified in FAR 5.704. They serve the transparency objectives of the Act by notifying the public of anticipated Recovery Act awards, regardless of whether a presolicitation notice was posted at the time of original award. Inasmuch as the Recovery Act includes specific elements for presolicitation notices that are in addition to the standard requirements for presolicitation requirements, it is important to carefully follow the instructions in FAR 5.7.
When using NAIS EPS for submitting pre-award notices to FedBizOpps, using their electronic e-mail interface, COs must select the radio button that indicates the acquisition is a Recovery Act action and use the word "Recovery" as the first entry in the title field, prior to the actual title of the pre-solicitation notice. For reporting purposes, automated systems will use the "Recovery" tag to pull and identify actions, so it is important to ensure that the word Recovery appears first and is spelled correctly. The entry/search is not case sensitive.
b. Announcing Contract Awards
In accordance with FAR 5.705, COs must publicize contract actions that are made, in whole or in part, with Recovery Act funds, by posting an award notice in FBO. Contract actions include new contract awards, new task and delivery order awards, and modifications to existing contracts and orders. Recovery Act award announcements shall be posted as 'post award notices' rather than any other type of notice. The Recovery Act requires that, if the award is not both fixed price and competitive, the award notice include the rationale for using other than a fixed price and/or competitive approach.
c. Entering Data into the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS)
FAR 4.605(c) provides the requirements for entering awards made using Recovery Act funds in FPDS. In addition, and because FPDS entry directions are likely to change from time to time during the course of Recovery Act spending, instructions shall be prominently displayed on the home page at https://www.fpds.gov.
COs must enter the Treasury Account Symbol (TAS) in the Description of Requirements field in FPDS to identify obligation of Recovery Act funds. This applies to original awards, awards of orders, and to modifications of existing contracts or orders. The TAS should be entered in the following format: TAS::XX XXXX::TAS. (The acronym TAS followed by two colons precede the code and two colons followed by the acronym TAS follow the code.) The TAS entry, in this format, must be the first thing entered in the Description of Requirements field. The TAS must precede the description of the contract action. While Recovery Act funds may be added to an existing contract or order, Recovery Act funds cannot be co-mingled with non-Recovery Act funds for reporting purposes. Therefore, COs must record each obligation of Recovery Act funds as a separate entry in FPDS.
OMB has designated five TAS codes for NASA's use in obligating Recovery Act funds:
Science, Recovery Act – 80 0119
Aeronautics, Recovery Act – 80 0125
Exploration, Recovery Act – 80 0123
Cross Agency Support, Recovery Act – 80 0121
Office of Inspector General, Recovery Act – 80 0116
On reimbursable actions, where other agencies have provided Recovery Act funds to NASA for obligation on NASA contracts, the requesting agency should advise the NASA CO of the appropriate TAS code.
In support of the transparency provisions of the Act, COs must enter clear and concise descriptions of the supplies or services being procured, avoiding technical jargon and Agency-specific language and acronyms. Furthermore, COs should take extra care to ensure that the competition information entered in FPDS matches competition information identified in FBO.
5. Reporting Requirements
a. Contractors that receive Recovery Act funds are required to report on the use of the funds quarterly. FAR clause, 52.204-11, was created under an interim rule in March, 2009. Subsequently, in July, 2010, a second interim rule was published revising the clause. The revised clause imposes additional requirements so it is important to know which clause governs which contracts. Contracts issued after July, 2010 should contain the revised clause which includes requirements for first-tier subcontractors to report job information to the prime contractor for reporting into FederalReporting.gov. The revised clause also refers contractors and their first-tier subcontractors to a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available online. The clause is available in the Contract Management Module (CMM). COs must ensure that all solicitations, contracts, or orders that include Recovery Act funds also include the clause. If contractors refuse to accept the clause and Recovery Act funds, COs must notify the HQ Office of Procurement, Contract Management Division. The clause requires contractors to utilize the tool at www.FederalReporting.gov to report first-tier subcontracts, executive compensation, and jobs created or retained, work progress, and amount invoiced, among other things. The Federal Reporting website is publically available and the information reported by Federal contractors will serve to provide transparent information on the use and effectiveness of Recovery Act funds.
b. Consistent with accountability and transparency requirements of the Act, the reporting requirements apply to Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) items, Commercial item purchases, Simplified Acquisitions, and Sealed Bid awards, in addition to negotiated awards made pursuant to FAR Part 15.
c. Compliance with the reporting requirements of FAR 52.204-11 is a contract requirement, and non-compliance may be grounds for withholding payment, or invoking other contractual remedies. Given the Recovery Act's commitment to transparency, and the detrimental impact non-compliance with reporting has on transparency, withholding of payment may be a necessary tool to effect compliance and promote transparency. Inasmuch as most of the Agency's Recovery Act actions do not include a separate price for the reporting component, any withheld amount must be reasonable and associated with the value of the reporting effort. COs should withhold payment only in those cases where the contractor has not complied with contract requirements. Payment should not be withheld in anticipation of a contractor failing to submit a final report, but if a contractor fails to submit a final report after all payments under the contract have been made, a demand for payment, in an amount commensurate with reporting effort, may be an appropriate action. Notation of a contractor's failure to comply with Recovery Act reporting requirement should always be reflected in past performance reviews. COs should consult with their Office of General Counsel (OGC) when considering withholding of payment as a contractual remedy on Recovery Act actions. OGC should assist the CO in setting a withhold amount, consistent with case law. COs should also adopt procedures to remind contractors of their reporting obligations, especially when the contractor has completed Recovery Act funded work and been paid, and the final report is all that remains of Recovery Act activity.
d. To assist contractors in completing their report, contracting officers are responsible for providing the following data elements to the contractor. The data elements should be provided in writing via a letter, or e-mail, or "Quick Reference Card" which may be developed at the Centers. It is also acceptable to identify the correct entries for the following data elements directly in the award document if they are clearly presented in summary fashion so that the contractor is not required to search throughout the award document to identify the individual data items. The goal underlying the requirement for the CO to provide the contractor with this information, most of which is otherwise available to the contractor, is to decrease errors. Therefore, COs should bear this goal in mind when communicating with the contractor and convey the information in the simplest and most easily recognizable form that will facilitate accurate reporting.
(i) Award Type (inform contractors that they must select, from the pull down menu, the reporting option for "Federally Awarded Contract;"
(ii) Award Number;
(iii) Order Number, if applicable;
(iv) Funding Agency Name
(v) Funding Agency Code (four characters, 8000 for NASA, different if reimbursable);
(vi) Awarding Agency Name;
(vii) Awarding Agency Code (four characters, 8000 for NASA);
(viii) Government Contracting Office Code (6 characters or less);
APL00 NASA Management Office at APL
ARC00 Ames Research Center
DFRC0 Dryden Flight Research Center
GRC00 Glenn Research Center
GSFC0 Goddard Space Flight Center
HQTR0 NASA Headquarters
JSC00 Johnson Space Center
KSC00 Kennedy Space Center
LARC0 Langley Research Center
MSFC0 Marshall Space Flight Center
NMO00 NASA Management Office (JPL)
NSSC0 NASA Shared Service Center
SSC00 Stennis Space Center
(ix) Award Date;
(x) Amount of Award (the total amount of Recovery Act funds obligated);
(xi) North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), known as "Activity Code" at http://www.Federal Reporting.gov; (the six character NAICS code specific to the solicitation which may not necessarily be same as the contractor's self-described NAICS code.
(xii) Program Source (Treasury Account Symbol (TAS)) Code (format will be two digits, a space, and then four digits. See paragraph 4.c of this PIC for NASA's TAS codes by program.
(xiii) Sub Account Number for Program Source (TAS) Code, if applicable (format, if applicable, will be three digits). NASA contracts will not have sub account numbers.
e. Contractors are responsible for obtaining their congressional districts. The reporting system will prompt the contractor for both their physical locale congressional district and the primary place of performance congressional district. While COs are not required to provide contractors with their congressional districts, COs, while compiling the information in d. above, should check FPDS for congressional district numbers, both locations, and work with the contractor to ensure that congressional districts reported for Recovery Act are consistent with the award document and FPDS. Congressional districts are linked to zip codes, and occasionally, the contractor's location or place of performance may have a zip code that is associated with a postal zone that is in a different congressional district. If this situation arises, Contractors should enter the correct congressional district when reporting at FederalReporting. It may be necessary to use a 'dummy' zip code as the system will automatically check to see that the congressional district and zip code match. An accurate congressional district takes precedence. COs shall work with their contractors, providing advice on data entry, and reviewing contractors' entries as part of the review and validation process.
f. Reporting requirements are continuing to evolve and changes to the FederalReporting tool continue to be made. The following topics are among the most significant recent requirement and system changes:
- implementation of a 'continuous corrections' period,
- identification of final or completed Recovery Act work for reporting purposes
To be responsive to the continuously evolving nature of Recovery Act reporting, NASA has established a Recovery Act reporting help line which will serve as the first point of inquiry for reporting questions or concerns. Inquiries should be submitted via e-mail to: email@example.com. This line is available to Agency personnel and contractors. If you refer contractors, please ask that they identify the Center and the CO in their message. That way, the CO can be included in the response and have a record of the advice provided to the contractor.
Further, the FederalReporting.gov website is staffed with a helpdesk which may be utilized by Agency personnel and contractors to obtain information on reporting requirements and the reporting system. Contact information is on the home page at FederalReporting.gov. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have been developed and are continuously updated. They are posted on the Office of Federal Procurement Policy website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_faqs_contractors/. Federal Reporting.gov has a link to the OFPP site. Likewise, the NASA Procurement Knowledge Management Portal has a link to the OFPP site. Agency personnel are encouraged to consult these sources for answers to specific reporting questions as the Recovery Act reporting requirements are rapidly evolving.
g. Contracting Officers are responsible for reviewing contractors' reports in FederalReporting.gov for:
- consistency with award information,
- significant errors, and
- material omissions
- administrative and technical accuracy
h. COs are responsible for validating the accuracy of contractors' reports. However, contracting officers are not required to validate data for which they would not normally have supporting information, such as the compensation information required of contractors and first-tier subcontractors. The contracting officer is responsible for informing the contractor of any inconsistencies with the award, significant errors, or material omissions and requiring that the contractor correct the report. Contracting Officers will be supported in this activity by others in accordance with the process set forth in Enclosure 1 to this PIC. Contractors have satisfied their Recovery Act reporting obligations, and will no longer be required to submit quarterly reports after submission of their final report, as defined herein. A Contractor's final report is the report submitted for the quarter during which the following circumstances in 1 and 2 occur:
1 (a) The contractor has completed the required Recovery Act-funded deliveries or services (including construction) and
(i) the Government has accepted these supplies or services
(including construction); or
(ii) the agency is satisfied that the Recovery Act-funded deliveries or services (including construction) are complete per agency requirements.
(b) All Recovery Act funded option provisions, if any, have expired; or
(c) The Government has given the contractor a notice of complete termination for the Recovery Act funded contract, order, or portion of the contract or order funded by the Recovery Act, and there were no termination costs paid with Recovery Act funds. For rental, use, and storage agreements, the Government has given the contractor a notice of complete termination for the Recovery Act funded agreement or portion of the agreement funded by the Recovery Act and there were no termination costs paid with Recovery Act funds or the agreement period has expired.
2. The contractor has invoiced* for all Recovery Act funded supplies and services (including construction). The contractor's final report will indicate a "Y" in the Final Report data field and "Fully Complete" in the Project Status data field in FederalReporting.gov. Indication of a final Section 1512 report does not replace any other closeout procedures required by the contractor or Federal agency. For more information on administrative closeout procedures, please see Federal Acquisition Regulation Section 4.804.
* As applicable, the invoiced amount as referenced here for the final report excludes rates (e.g. rate adjustments) and fees (e.g. award fee) payable to the contractor at a future date. Reference section 11, Closeout Process, for handling of the rates and fees.
6. Audit Rights, GAO/IG Access to Contractor Employees, and Whistleblower Protection
a. Contracts, orders, and modifications that are funded with Recovery Act dollars are subject to audit and examination, consistent with the accountability and transparency requirements of the Recovery Act. The FAR previously provided audit rights for certain types of contracts. Where that right did not previously exist, changes have been made to existing clauses to add an alternate that addresses audit rights for Recovery Act contract actions.
b. COs must ensure that any contract that includes Recovery Act funds, includes the appropriate clause to provide audit rights: FAR 52.212-5 (Commercial Items), 52.214-26 (Sealed Bidding) and 52.215-2 (Negotiation). COs shall modify, on a bilateral basis, in accordance with FAR 1.108(d)(3), existing contracts to include the FAR clauses (Alternates) for future orders, if Recovery Act funds will be used. In the event that a contractor refuses to accept such a modification, the contractor will not be eligible for receipt of Recovery Act funds.
c. In order to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse of Recovery Act funds, the FAR has been amended to provide for agency Inspectors General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review concerns raised by the public. Therefore, the clauses cited above which provide audit rights have also been revised to provide for the right of IG and GAO to have access to contractor and first-tier subcontractor personnel.
d. Likewise, FAR 3.9 has been added to provide whistleblower protections for contractor employees who report 'covered information' related to use of Recovery Act funds. A new FAR clause, 52.203-15, requires contractors to post notice of employee whistleblower protections. COs must ensure that this clause is included in all contracts that obligate Recovery Act funds.
7. Construction Contracts
a. The Recovery Act requires that any construction project funded with Recovery Act funds be in the US and outlying areas. Definitions and limitations are set forth in FAR 25.6.
b. New FAR coverage has been added at FAR 25.6 to specify the application of the Buy American Act to construction projects funded with Recovery Act funds. The Recovery Act provides a strong preference for American-made materials by mandating use of evaluation factors designed to favor awards to firms offering domestic materials.
c. For all Recovery Act contract actions, it is important that Recovery Act funds not be comingled with non-Recovery Act funding. This is particularly important in construction contracts where Recovery Act funds are expected to be added to existing contracts. In order to meet the accountability requirements of the Act, the new work should be separately identifiable and able to be segregated from prior work funded with non-Recovery Act funds.
d. Contract provisions and clauses are provided at FAR 52.225-21, -22, -23, and -24 to specify a requirement for domestic iron, steel, and manufactured goods in construction contracts, and to address Trade Agreements when foreign-made materials are proposed. These provisions and clauses must be included in any construction contract which obligates Recovery Act funds. The provisions and clauses are available in CMM.
e. COs are reminded that the Davis-Bacon Act applies to Recovery Act construction contracts, regardless of dollar value. The Recovery Act specifies that all laborers and mechanics, employed by contractors and subcontractors on projects funded, in whole or in part, with Recovery Act funds, shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a character similar in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor.
8. Communications with Lobbyists and Other Interested Parties
The Office of General Counsel has issued separate guidance regarding communications with Registered Lobbyists and Other Interested Parties about Recovery Act funds. The guidance is available from the HQ Office of General Counsel.
9. Invoicing Procedures:
a. The Office of Procurement has developed suggested language which sets forth instructions to contractors for submitting invoices for contract work funded with Recovery Act money. COs shall include specific Recovery Act invoicing instructions in all Recovery Act contract actions, worded substantially as follows:
Special Invoicing Instructions for Contracts Containing Recovery Act Funds
In addition to the requirements set forth in any payment and invoicing clauses contained within the contract, the following special requirements apply to those contracts with work authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (herein after referred to as the Recovery Act).
- All requests for payment for work performed subject to the Recovery Act shall be submitted separately from requests for payment for any other work performed under the contract.
- All requests for payment for work on contracts, funded in whole or in part, with Recovery Act funds, shall identify the applicable Contract Line Item Number(s) (CLINs) associated with the supplies or services being invoiced.
- All invoices/vouchers shall be submitted via e-mail with no more than one invoice/voucher per e-mail submission. Invoices shall be submitted to firstname.lastname@example.com.
- The NASA Shared Services Center is the Designated Billing Office for Recovery Act invoices, except for cost type contracts where DCAA is designated as the billing office for verification of vouchers. (COs should tailor the language in this bullet to identify the appropriate DBO for the specific Recovery Act requirement.)
b. The final invoice for a Recovery Act CLIN, exclusive of any rate adjustments, discounts, or other adjustments related to closeout, should be marked 'Final for Recovery Act'.
NSSC – Closeout Department
Building, 1111 C Road
Stennis Space Center, MS 3952
10. Prohibition on the use of the Governmentwide Commercial Purchase Card for purchases funded with Recovery Act appropriations
11. Closeout Process
a. Contracts with Recovery Act funds are subject to the same closeout requirements as contracts funded with other funds (see FAR Parts 4 and 42 for closeout procedures), except as authorized by this PIC and/or NASA class deviation to FAR 42.708 Quick-closeout procedures, approved as part of this PIC and included as Enclosure 2 to this PIC. The deviation to FAR 42.7 permits the use of expanded quick-close out procedures and the application of those procedures to individual contract line items funded with Recovery Act funds. When utilizing the deviated quick-closeout procedures, COs are also authorized to deviate from the NASA FAR supplement guidance in 1842.78, Quick-closeout procedures and 1842.78-70, NASA quick-closeout procedures, to the extent necessary to be consistent with the deviated FAR process. Notwithstanding the authority to deviate, the supplemental guidance provided in 1842.78 and 1842.78-70 may be utilized to the extent that it applies to the deviated quick-closeout process. Contracts funded with Recovery Act funds should be closed as soon as possible following physical completion. Contracting officers are encouraged to use quick closeout procedures for cost-type contracts funded with Recovery Act funds, to the greatest extent practicable.
b. Closeout generally occurs at the completion of an entire contract, but in cases where the Agency partially funded cost reimbursable contracts with Recovery Act funds, closeout of Recovery Act-funded CLINs, prior to close out of the non-Recovery Act-funded portion of the contract, supports the Agencies goals. NASA seeks to ensure an orderly closeout of all Recovery Act activities, ensuring that the Agency effectively manages the Recovery Act funds, consistent with legislative and Federal policy intent.
c. While considering contract or CLIN closeout, it is important to remember that contractor Recovery Act reporting requirements remain in effect after all other Recovery Act-funded work may be complete, until the contractor submits an acceptable final Recovery Act report. (see 5. Reporting Requirements above, for guidance on final reports.) No action to close the contract, or a Recovery Act CLIN, should be taken before the final Recovery Act report has been entered at FederalReporting.gov and the CO has determined that the report is final per Agency requirements and has approved the final report with no comment.
d. Quick closeout procedures shall not be used when deficiencies in contract administration or performance have been identified, or when the Inspector General (IG), Government Accountability Office (GAO), or other oversight or audit entity notifies the CO of complaints on contract administration or performance, or of their intent to audit or investigate. If closeout has begun, it should be halted until the matter is deemed resolved by the appropriate auditing/investigative entity.
e. For fixed price contracts that were funded, in full or in part, with Recovery Act funds, the close-out process should follow standard procedures. There are no Recovery Act-specific close out procedures for fixed price contracts.
f. However, the majority of NASA's Recovery Act actions take the form of Recovery Act-funded CLINs on cost-type contracts that are also funded with other-than-Recovery Act funds. In these circumstances, particularly if the non-Recovery Act funded portions will continue for an extended period of time after performance on the Recovery Act CLIN is complete, COs shall make every effort to close the Recovery Act-funded CLIN. Contractors are not obligated to engage in quick close out for Recovery Act-funded CLINs, but many will probably willingly cooperate because the formal completion of all performance and cost requirements related to the Recovery Act benefits the contractor as well as NASA.
g. A contractor's final invoice for Recovery Act effort, along with the invoice's supporting documentation, shall be used as the contractor's final cost submission for quick close out evaluation purposes.
h. Contents of Quick Closeout Modifications:
(i) For cost reimbursable contracts, where pre-existing work was carved out of the Statement of Work and reidentifed by a separate line item number and funded with Recovery Act funds, or where new work was added to existing contracts and is identified by a unique line item number, the Recovery Act line item should be closed with a contract modification upon completion of the Recovery Act effort, including final reporting. (ii) It is unlikely that the contractor was able to perform precisely the specified work stated in the line item description, and funded with Recovery Act funds, at the estimated dollar amount. In those cases where the work completed does not exactly match the estimated amount on the line item, contracting officers shall issue modifications to redefine the line item to describe the work that was accomplished for the Recovery Act funding provided. To the extent that requirements remain on a Recovery Act line item after the estimated funding has been exhausted, the requirements shall be transferred to other existing line items or a newly created line item on the contract.
(iii) The closeout modification shall reference the modification that created the Recovery Act line item and shall state that its purpose it to closeout the Recovery Act line item to reflect:
- physical completion of the Recovery Act effort
- Government acceptance of the Recovery Act work,
- the Contractor's completion of Recovery Act obligations,
- final agreement on all cost, direct and indirect, for Recovery Act line item(s)
(iv) The modification shall also include a statement regarding fee. Because of the various ways fee was treated in the creation of Recovery Act CLINs, the close out modification should reference the fee terms that were agreed to, and then specify whether the instant modification represents final fee settlement and payment, or whether the fee associated with Recovery Act CLINs remains open to be settled in conjunction with other line items, as would be the case when the fee associated with ARRA efforts is funded with non-ARRA funding. In cases where ARRA funding is used to fund the fee associated with the ARRA funded efforts, Contracting Officers are authorized to negotiate final fee in advance of having the formal fee evaluation (e.g. An ARRA funded CLIN was added to an existing CPAF contract and ARRA funding was added to the award fee pool for payment of fee on the ARRA funded effort. The Contracting Officer can negotiate the final ARRA fee associated with the ARRA effort in advance of the formal award.)
i. If quick close out procedures cannot be used for Recovery Act-funded CLINs, CO should issue modifications to closeout performance, not cost, on Recovery Act-funded CLINs. The modification should summarize all the work completed with Recovery Act funds, and will either delete, or move to another CLIN, any uncompleted work. In these situations, it is recognized that final closeout, which may be years after the completion of Recovery Act work, will involve adjustments to costs and to provisional rates that were paid during the Recovery Act performance period. Final settlement of costs at closeout will utilize funds available for that purpose at the time of settlement which may not be Recovery Act funds. It is the responsibility of the contracting officer to ensure that performance closeout of the Recovery Act CLINs establishes final performance parameters for which sufficient Recovery Act funding is obligated on the contract to pay direct cost incurred, provisional indirect costs, and fee, if applicable.
j. To the extent that COs have taken action to close out Recovery Act CLINs prior to issuance of Rev. H of this PIC, and the modifications do not specifically meet all the requirements herein, but effectively accomplish the intent, it is not necessary to issue another modification. In those cases, the CO shall document the file, for audit purposes, to indicate that the timing of the closeout mod preceded the policy changes in this PIC, Rev. H.
12. Evolving Guidance
a. Federal implementing guidance for the Recovery Act is being reevaluated on an ongoing basis and will be revised periodically. This PIC will be updated as necessary to reflect changes made by Federal offices as well as changes made internally to NASA procedures.
b. The Integrated Acquisition Environment (IAE) program has committed to posting the most current direction related to reporting under the Recovery Act at the various websites including Recovery.gov, FederalReporting.gov, FedBizOpps and FPDS. COs are encouraged to visit the sites for current direction. To the extent that the websites specify instructions that differ from those in this PIC, the website's instructions supersede the instructions in this PIC.
CANCELLATION: This PIC supersedes PIC 09-06G and shall remain in effect until canceled or superseded.
HEADQUARTERS CONTACTS: Leigh Pomponio, Office of Procurement, Contract Management Division, (202) 358-0592, e-mail: email@example.com.
William P. McNally
Assistant Administrator
Office of Procurement
PIC List
NASA Process for Reviewing Contactor Reporting under the Recovery Act.
1. In accordance with FAR 52.204-11, supplemental Federal Register Notices, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance (see references below), recipients of Recovery Act funds are required to report quarterly, beginning in October, 2009 at FederalReporting.gov. Thereafter, reporting months are January, April, July, and October for the immediately preceding quarter or until the recipient has completed all efforts funded with Recovery Act funds. The procedures herein apply to Federal contracts funded in whole or in part with Recovery Act funds. Procedures for grants and cooperative agreements are set forth in Grant Information Circular (GIC) 09-03.
2. A NASA Mailbox has been established as the first point of inquiry for Recovery Act reporting questions and issues. The address is: firstname.lastname@example.com. In addition, a Federal help desk has been established to support FederalReporting.gov and the help desk may be utilized for information and direction for Recovery Act reporting. Additionally, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) has developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to respond to reporting issues. They are available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_default. Because the system and the requirements are new, there are many uncertainties. OFPP, in conjunction with the FAR Council, is responding to emerging issues quickly by continuously updating the FAQs. The FAQs will be version-controlled so you will be able to identify when changes and additions are made, and also which guidance was in effect at a given point in time. If you receive inquiries from contractors regarding reporting, they should be referred to these sources.
3. Because the FAR rule was issued before FederalReporting.gov was developed, the role of contracting officers (CO) and other agency reviewers in ensuring Federal contractor compliance with the requirements of FAR 52.204-11, is evolving. CO and contractor responsibilities will be further defined through a second interim, and ultimately a final rule.
4. Agencies are required to review contractors' reports for:
- consistency with award information,
- significant errors, and
- material omissions
- correct administrative and technical data
A significant error is defined as data that is not reported accurately and where such erroneous reporting results in significant risk that the public will be misled or confused by the contractor's report. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- the cumulative invoiced amount reported is in excess of the obligation
- the contractor incorrectly selects 'fully complete' to describe an incomplete project.
- the Recovery Act obligation was for a relatively small amount and the contractor reports the number of jobs created or retained as an unrealistically high number.
A material omission is defined as data that is not responsive to a specific data element. When reviewing for material omissions, agency reviewers should do so with the goals of transparency in mind. For example, where the contractor is required to provide a narrative description, is it sufficiently clear to facilitate understanding by the general public?
Administrative and Technical matters are those not appropriately categorized as significant errors or material omissions. They are issues which significantly impact the reliability of the report, but they are not representative of a contractor not complying with the reporting requirements. Administrative and technical issues include, but are not limited to:
- inadvertent deactivation of reports,
- duplicate reports,
- unlinked reports, or
- record identifier issues (contract number and associated award information)
5. In addition to reviewing contractors' reports, COs are responsible for ensuring accuracy and validating contractors' entries. COs shall notify contractors if the Agency review finds gross errors, material omissions, or entries that are otherwise inconsistent with the award. The schedule and the process for review and notification are further described below.
6. Contracting Officers are the Agency officials responsible for reviewing and providing comment on contractor Recovery Act reports. COs will be supported in this effort by COTRs, the Accounts Payable office (NSSC), and others, as needed. All Agency personnel who play a role in Recovery Act reporting shall register at FederalReporting.gov. Registration should be accomplished immediately so that the system can be accessed on the first day of the reporting period.
The HQ Office of Procurement, Analysis Division is responsible for running a series of reports, during the month immediately preceeding each reporting period, and into the reporting period, that identify contractors that have received Recovery Act awards but are not registered at FederalReporting.gov, and for providing those reports to the cognizant COs. COs shall contact the identified contractors and encourage them to register early. COs shall provide assistance to contractors in completing the registration process.
7. COTRs will provide the CO with a quarterly report addressing data elements m, and p – r, in paragraph 9. The Accounts Payable Office will provide the CO with input addressing item v. in paragraph 9. These responsibilities, along with the communication process, are further defined below. Additionally, COs may request input or assistance from any other Agency sources as may be helpful to respond to the specific circumstances of any given action.
8. In each of the reporting months, the official reporting schedule will be posted at FederalReporting.gov. Because the schedule has varied considerably from one quarter to the next, this guidance addresses only the general segments of the reporting process without specific mention of days and time periods during which the activity is to be accomplished. The segment descriptions herein should be utilized in conjunction with the schedule at Federal.Reporting.gov. The reporting requirements and the reporting schedule at Federal.Reporting.gov will take precedence over the information in this PIC.
Contractors prepare and submit their reports. A specified number of days is allowed for initial reporting, generally followed by a period in which reports can be submitted but are considered late. Time is also allocated for prime recipients (i.e. grantees) to review their sub recipient entries and to make corrections. Because prime contractors make all system entries for their subcontractors, there is no corresponding activity for prime contractors to verify subcontractor system entries, but prime contractors can continue to make edits to their own entries during this period.
- Agency personnel may view contractor reports beginning on day 1 but cannot officially enter the system to begin the review and validation process until the system is opened for Agency review.
- Reports are available for agency review and validation.
- Period of CO and contractor reconciliation and edits.
- Contractor reports are published on Recovery.gov, generally at day 30.
- System maintenance; no system entry
- System is unlocked and reports are opened for edit
- Period of continuous corrections
- agencies may comment on data submitted
- contractors may make corrections
- no late submissions accepted
9. Contractors are required to report the following data elements:
a. Funding Agency code (same as c. unless reimbursable) *
b. Funding Agency name (same as d. unless reimbursable) *
c. Awarding Agency code (8000) *
d. Awarding Agency name (NASA) *
e. Program Source (TAS number) *
f. Award number *
g. Order number, if applicable *
h. Contractor's DUNS *
i. Government Contracting Office Code (see center designations in 5.d.) *
j. Government Office Contracting *
k. Contractor name and address *
l. Contractor's congressional districts (both recipient district and place of performance district) *
m. Final Report? (yes/no button) (Is this contractor's final report at Federal Reporting.gov, i.e. have they completed Recovery Act work?) * & ** (see below for instructions on determining whether a contract action is complete for purposes of Recovery Act reporting.)
n. Award type (drop down list, select "Federally Awarded Contract") *
o. Award date *
p. Award description: a description of the overall purpose and expected outcome, or results of the contract, or action under the contract, funded by the Recovery Act, including significant deliverables and, if appropriate, associated units of measure. **
q. Quarterly activities: A description of all significant services performed and/or supplies delivered, including construction, for which the prime contractor invoiced in this calendar quarter. **
r. Project status: The status of the work completed. Contractor will select from 4 options: not started, less than 50 percent completed, completed 50 percent or more, or fully completed. **
s. NAICS *
t. Estimate of the combined number of jobs created or retained, calculated quarterly, non-cumulative. (Information on how to calculate jobs may be found at Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Federal Contractors at http://www.FederalReporting.gov)****
u. Amount of award (Recovery Act obligation) *
v. Total Recovery Act funds invoiced (cumulative) ***
w. Primary place of performance (city, state and congressional district) *
x. Names and total compensation of each of the five most highly compensated officers (reporting required if conditions apply- see FAR 52.204-11. To determine if the public has access to the compensation information, see the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission total compensation filings at http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html) ****
y. Total number of sub awards to individuals (per quarter, not cumulative) ****
z. Total number of sub awards less than $25K (per quarter, not cumulative) ****
aa. First tier subcontract information (per quarter, not cumulative) ****
- subcontractor's DUNS number (for subcontracts of $25K or more) ****
- award number ****
- subcontractor's name ****
- subcontractor's physical address ****
- subcontractor's primary place of performance ****
- subcontractor's congressional district ****
- amount of subcontract ****
- date of subcontract ****
- subcontractor's parent company ****
- compensation information, name and total compensation for each of the five most highly compensated officers of the subcontractor. (reporting required if conditions apply. See FAR 52.204-11) ****
COs can verify these data elements from file and/or FPDS
COTRs will provide CO with information to review these data elements.
Accounts Payable (NSSC) will post information on disbursements to their website for CO use in reviewing this element.
Specific information not available to Agency personnel. CO will check that contractor entries appear reasonable.
10. Based on the above requirements and schedule, the following procedures are established to ensure that contractor Recovery Act reports are appropriately reviewed and validated, and that gross errors, significant omissions, and administrative and technical issues are identified and reported for correction.
a. On the first business day of each reporting month (Oct, Jan, April, and July) the
Contract Analysis Division of the HQ Office of Procurement is responsible for running and distributing an FPDS system report (hereafter referred to as 'The Master Quarterly Reporting List' or the 'Master List') which identifies all NASA contracts/contractors required to report that period. The Analysis Division shall also check that contractors appearing on the Master Quarterly Reporting List are registered at FederalReporting.gov. If they are not, that information should be included on the Master Quarterly Reporting List before it is distributed.
Note that FPDS posts a daily report on Recovery Act awards that allows filtering by contracting and funding agency and contracting office. As more and more Recovery Act awards are being made, searching by contractor DUNs number is one of the most effective means of locating a contract.
The Contract Analysis Division shall distribute the Master Quarterly Reporting List, by the fifth business day of the month, to:
- Procurement Officers (through the Procurement Officers' distribution list) who will then ensure further distribution to all COs with Recovery Act actions.
- Mission Directorate POCs
- HQ Recovery Act Team
- Center Recovery Act POCs
b. Contracting Officers are responsible for distributing the Master Quarterly Reporting List to all COTRs appointed on their Recovery Act contracts.
c. During the early days of each reporting month, while contractors are reporting at Federal Reporting.gov, the COTR should provide the contracting officer with brief status reports on progress, and quarterly activity. COTRs should provide information that will permit the CO to review contractor's entries for those data elements identified in paragraph 9 by two asterisks. Prior to day 10, NSSC,, will post Recovery Act disbursement information to https://www.nssc.nasa.gov/portal/site/customerservice/menuitem.8c0cf94258aa985b48969daf4dd72749/ which COs (except those at NMO/JPL[1]) will use to determine the reasonableness of contractors' entries on the element in paragraph 9 marked with three asterisks. It is important to note that contractors are required to report amount invoiced to date, and the information posted by NSSC will be disbursements. Therefore, the amounts are not expected to match, but taking into consideration a 30 day payment cycle, CO will have the information necessary to conclude whether a contractor's entry includes a gross error or material omission. There is no mandatory format for the status reports. It is anticipated that experience during the early reporting periods will result in the development of templates to ease the status reporting activity.
Throughout the reporting period, The Contract Analysis Division will distribute automated, agency extract reports to be used as a tool in identifying reporting issues. The agency extract reports may be accompanied by specific directions or requests for specific actions to be taken.
c. Agency personnel may view contractor's reports prior to the Agency validation period. Agency personnel are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to verify that contractors have filed a report and to spot inaccuracies or potential problems. Bear in mind that contractors may still be making final edits up until the cut off for contractor report submission. but they must submit a report prior to or on the final day of contractor reporting for their report to be considered timely.
COs should utilize the days prior to the Government review and validation period to notify the contractor, outside of the FederalReproting.gov system, of any gross errors, material omissions, or administrative and technical inaccuracies. This period is considered an open communication period, during which the CO works with the contractor to ensure that the posted information represents an accurate picture of the Recovery Act project and its current status. The contractor has the ability during this time to make edits to their original entries.
e. Once the Government review and validation period begins, COs shall formally review their contractors' reports at FederalReporting.gov. COs shall utilize the award information, FPDS and other system information, as necessary, and the status reports from the COTR and web posting by NSSC/Accounts Payable Office to review and determine the accuracy of the contactor's entries. While COs should have been continuously working with their contractors outside of the system to ensure the accuracy of the report, COs must now work within the automated system to document agency comments and final agency verification. The CO shall complete the Agency's official review of the contractor's report in the FederalReporting.gov system. COs will be presented with three choices:
Reviewed, no comments,
Reviewed with comments, or
Not reviewed.
It is NASA policy that all contractor Recovery Act reports will be reviewed. Therefore, only the first two options are available to COs.
f. It is anticipated that the communication process that took place early in the reporting month was successful and that all necessary edits were made prior to day 29. Therefore, in the majority of cases, the CO shall assign the status:
Reviewed, no comments
This is the appropriate selection even if the Agency had 'unofficial' comments, or made official comments in the system prior to the end of the Government review and validation segment. If the contractor's report has no gross errors or material omissions, and if it accurately portrays the administrative and technical information, then the official Agency remark should be 'reviewed, no comment.'
g. If, at the end of the Government review and validation segment, the contractor's report contains what are considered to be gross errors or material omissions, or if it is otherwise administratively or technically incorrect, then COs shall assign the status as:
- Reviewed, with comments
This selection will allow the CO to enter summary level remarks. Agency remarks must be accurate and should be aimed at clarifying the public record by making note of contractor entries that may be unclear or misleading. The purpose of the Agency comments is to ensure that when they are considered together with the contractor's entry, the information accurately informs the public and provides transparency which is a key element of the Recovery Act.
To facilitate oversight and trend analysis at the Agency level, it is important to maintain and evaluate a record of how frequently and on what issues NASA is 'reviewing with comments'. Furthermore, OMB now requires agencies to report on and provide evidence of corrective action relative to contractor's reports. Therefore, if the CO's final review results in 'reviews with comments', a copy of the comments shall be provided, before they are posted to FederalReporting.gov, via e-mail, to: firstname.lastname@example.com and email@example.com. The FederalReporting.gov system will electronically deliver all Agency remarks to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. The Board may make the Agency remarks available for public viewing on Recovery.gov
If the CO selects 'reviewed, with comments', the system, after closing for maintenance, will reopen to a 'continuous correction' period. If the contractor makes edits during this period, the status of the report in the system will automatically change from the 'reviewed with comments', as assigned by the CO, to 'reviewed and resubmitted.' Therefore, if the CO 'reviews with comments', it is important to go back into the system to see if the contractor has 'reviewed and resubmitted'. If they have, and assuming the CO is now satisfied with the record, the CO shall enter 'reviewed, no comment' at this point. Such an action locks the report from further changes and ensures that the report that is displayed publically on Recovery.gov accurately reflects that the Agency has no outstanding issues with the contractor's report.
COs shall notify the Recovery Act Implementation Executive, Julie Pollitt, of any Agency comments that remain unresolved before the close of the Government review and validation segment. Further, COs shall continue to notify the Recovery Act Implementation Executive of all corrective action that continues throughout the 'continuous correction' period.
At the close of each reporting period, the Procurement Office, Analysis Division, shall run a master report showing all Agency entries for the reporting period. Further, the Analysis Division shall run a report identifying all NASA contracts which indicate either 'not reviewed' or 'reviewed with comments'. These reports are to be provided to the Recovery Act Implementation Executive.
The system does not require the contractor to make corrections based on Agency review, or otherwise require Agency approval of the report before it is finalized in the system. In all instances in which the Agency makes comments on contractors' reports, either during the informal communication period, or during the formal system comment period, COs shall ensure that the contract file is documented with a record of the comments, a summary of the communications and final disposition or resolution.
h. It is NASA policy that all contractor Recovery Act reports be reviewed. If the CO does not select either 'Reviewed, no comments', or 'Reviewed with comments', the system will default to 'Not reviewed'. Therefore, it is mandatory that COs select one of the two options. While the Board may choose to make Agency comments available for viewing in Recovery.gov, at a minimum, the Agency status assignments will be publically displayed. COs should make every effort to avoid a system default to 'Not reviewed'.
i. Inasmuch as many Recovery Act contracts are now either complete or nearing completion, special note should be taken of newly established guidelines on how to determine whether a Recovery Act report is a final report. Contractors that have complied with their Recovery Act quarterly reporting requirements, in accordance with the clause 52.204-11, will no longer be required to submit Recovery Act reports after their final report, as defined below, is submitted. A Contractor's final report is the report submitted for the quarter during which the following circumstances in 1 and 2 occur:
1(a) The contractor has completed the required Recovery Act-funded deliveries or services (including construction) and
(i) the Government has accepted these supplies or services (including construction); or (ii) the agency is satisfied that the Recovery Act-funded deliveries or services (including construction) are complete per agency requirements.
(b) All Recovery Act funded option provisions, if any, have expired; or
(c) The Government has given the contractor a notice of complete termination for the Recovery Act funded contract, order, or portion of the contract or order funded by the Recovery Act, and there were no termination costs paid with Recovery Act funds. For rental, use, and storage agreements, the Government has given the contractor a notice of complete termination for the Recovery Act funded agreement or portion of the agreement funded by the Recovery Act and there were no termination costs paid with Recovery Act funds or the agreement period has expired.
2. The contractor has invoiced for all Recovery Act funded supplies and services (including construction). The contractor's final report will indicate a "Y" in the Final Report data field and "Fully Complete" in the Project Status data field in FederalReporting.gov. Indication of a final Section 1512 report does not replace any other closeout procedures required by the contractor or Federal agency. For more information on administrative closeout procedures, please see Federal Acquisition Regulation Section 4.804
11. Please contact Leigh Pomponio, NASA HQ Office of Procurement, with any questions on this process.
PURPOSE: To issue a class deviation to allow for use of quick close out procedures in more instances than currently permissible under FAR 42.708, and also to permit use of quick closeout procedures to close individual contract line items funded with Recovery Act CLINs.
BACKGROUND: FAR Case 2008-020 is in process which will change the FAR to allow the use of quick closeout procedures in more instances than is currently permissible. The case has been approved by the Councils and is currently under review at the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). It is expected to be published as a proposed rule no later than February, 2011. The FAR case is not statutory; it was undertaken in response to large backlogs of closeout actions across the Government and included a risk assessment to determine appropriate actions eligible for quick closeout.
Significant changes that will be made to FAR 42.708 as a result of FAR case 2008-020 include the authority to settle direct costs and the establishment of parameters for determining relatively insignificant unsettled costs.
This class deviation will permit NASA to utilize the new quick closeout procedures prior to their promulgation.
Additionally, this deviation will allow contracting officers to apply quick closeout procedures to individual Recovery Act line items. That is, NASA will be able to partially close the Recovery Act portion of contracts when the Recovery Act portion qualifies for quick closeout and when the contractor agrees to quick closeout. Because of the accounting and fund segregation requirements associated with Recovery Act funds, it is in NASA's best interest to closeout Recovery Act-funded CLINs, prior to and separate from the closeout of the non-Recovery Act-funded portion of a contract.
GUIDANCE: Contracting Officers should maximize use of the authority provided in this class deviation. While contractors consent to quick closeout for final contact closeout when the contract contains FAR 52.216-7, contractors have no contractual obligation to agree to quick closeout for Recovery Act line items a separate closeout action. However, quick closeout of Recovery Act line items may be very appealing to contractors as they seek to end their responsibilities under the Recovery Act. Additional guidance on the use of this deviation for Recovery Act-funded line items can be found in PIC 09-06, Section 11, Closeout.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This class deviation is effective with the issuance of PIC 09-06, Rev. H, and shall remain in effect until all Recovery Act closeout has been completed.
42.708 Quick-closeout procedure.
(a) The contracting officer responsible for contract closeout shall negotiate the settlement of direct and indirect costs for a specific contract, task order, delivery order or Recovery Act-funded CLIN to be closed, in advance of the determination of final direct costs and indirect rates set forth in 42.705, if --
(1) The contract, task order, delivery order or Recovery Act CLIN is physically complete;
The amount of unsettled direct costs and indirect
(i)] $1,000,000; or
(ii) 10 percent of the total contract, task order, delivery order, or Recovery Act CLIN amount.
(3) The contracting officer performs a risk assessment and determines that the use of the quick-closeout procedure is appropriate. The risk assessment shall include—
(i) Consideration of the adequacy of the contractor's accounting, estimating, and purchasing systems and any significant deficiencies that have been identified;
(ii) Other concerns of DCAA or the cognizant audit organization responsible for auditing the contractor, such as non-compliance issues, prior findings of unallowable cost, and
(iii) Any other pertinent information, such as prior year's actual rates and NF 533 submissions.
(4) Agreement can be reached on a reasonable estimate of allocable dollars.
(b) Determinations of final indirect costs under the quick-closeout procedure provided for by the Allowable Cost and Payment clause at 52.216-7 shall be final for the contract, task order, delivery order, or Recovery Act-funded CLIN it covers and no adjustment shall be made to other contracts for over- or under-recoveries of costs allocated or allocable to the contract covered by the agreement.
(c) Indirect cost rates used in the quick closeout of a contract shall not be considered a binding precedent when establishing the final indirect cost rates for other contracts, or for other CLINs on the same contract when quick closeout procedures are used to close a Recovery Act CLIN.
- Section 1512 of ARRA
- FAR, Part 4, and 52.204-11
- Notices and instructions at FederalReporting.gov
-Federal Register Notice (74 FR 42877) Aug. 25, 2009
- Federal Register Notice (74 FR 48971) Sep 25, 2009
- OFPP Guidance dated Sep 30, 2009, New Requirements for Contracting Officers, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
- OMB Guidance dated Nov 30, 2009, M-10-05, Improving Compliance in Recovery Act Recipient Reporting (November 30, 2009)
-OMB Guidance dated Dec 18, 2009, M-10-08, Updated Guidance on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – Data Quality, Non-Reporting Recipients, and Reporting of Job Estimates
- OMB Guidance dated March 22, 2010, M-10-14, Updated Guidance on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
- OMB Guidance dated September 24, 2010, M-10-34, Updated Guidance on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Resources/ Links:
Recipient Reporting Data Model:
- https://www.FederalReporting.gov (under the downloads tab)
ARRA Recipient Reporting: Agency Report Review (includes screen shots)
- www.FederalReporting.gov
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_default
- Recovery.gov (link on home page)
NASA Recovery Act Reporting Mailbox
- firstname.lastname@example.com
Helpdesk: 877-508-7386, or
firstname.lastname@example.com, or
live help button at: https//www.FederalReporting.gov
[1] Separate instructions for reviewing 'invoices submitted' will be provided to NMO-JPL.


text:
- Dana Deasy, CIO and Group VP, Information Technology and Services (IT&S), BP
Dana presented "The gift we've been given – reinventing the IT organization". He is the CIO of BP, an energy company that made over 360 billion dollars selling oil and gas. In fact, it is the fourth largest company in the world, with 92,000 employees in more than 100 countries. Back in 2007, business was good but the senior management team felt that IT needed to be straightened out.Dana was brought in as a "fresh thinking" outsider, managing a group 4000 IT staff composed mostly of contractors, dealing with more than 2000 IT suppliers and more than 60 versions of SAP.
Dana presented the results of their IT makeover. In the first year, he was able to cut out 400 million US dollars from the IT budget, including the reduction of 500 people from the IT staff. He increased the employee/contractor ratio to 40/60, with plans to bring this up to 65/35 over the next year. He was able to get 1800 IT employees to perform a self-assessment to understand their strengths and weaknesses. He was able to centralize the IT leadership team, and deploy a common [ITIL] best practices implementation.
What did he learn from all this? Here were his top four "lessons learned":
- No time to dwell but know your facts
- Work in parallel to push the pace of change
- Listen but in the end take your own counsel
- Tell a compelling story to energize your employees and your leadership
- Chris Capossela, Senior VP of Information Worker Product Management Group, Microsoft
Chris presented "Uncovering Value in the Cloud and On Your Desktop", onhow Microsoft customers are taking advantage of the software they have already purchased.For example, Jamba Juice was able to use Microsoft SharePoint to cut down locating documents from 15 minutes to just seconds, reducing 10-15 hours per week for more than 500 managers. More importantly, they were more confident that document they found was the right one. This is often referred to as "one version of the truth." In another example, Tyson Foods was able to connect Microsoft Word to their SAP application, and have that then connect to their Microsoft SharePoint.
Chris was amazed that many Microsoft customers don't take advantage of all that is available to them.He gave four examples:
- Planning Services: If you buy an enterprise license to Microsoft products, you get planning services, from either Microsoft's own Microsoft Consulting Services or from thousands of Microsoft Business Partners. Only 8 percent of customers take advantage of this.
- Home Use Rights: For enterprise license customers, employees can purchase "home use rights" to use the Enterprise level of Microsoft Office software for only 10 US dollars, but only about 3 percent take advantage of this.
- Training: Many enterprise licenses come with 2-4 weeks of training vouchers, but only 40 percent take advantage of these vouchers.
- E-Learning: Microsoft also offers e-learning, which Microsoft customers can either have delivered from Microsoft's own hosted services, or they can get a copy of the E-learning materials hosted inside their own company firewall. Again, few take advantage of this.
Chris wrapped up his presentation by citing some examples of customers that migrated from in-house, on-premises collaboration software to Microsoft's "Exchange Online" and "SharePoint Online" cloud computing Software-as-a-Service [SaaS] offerings. The cloud versions of these software do not offer all the features as the on-premise versions, but Microsoft is working to close this gap.
(IBM offers similar cloud computing services for email and collaboration called [LotusLive])
- Gary Heil, Founder, [Center for Innovative Leadership]
Gary presented "Tough Times: Opportunity for Innovation and Corporate Makeover". He had some greatquotes intended to help people become better leaders, like this:
"Leadership failures do not usuallyresult from leaders not knowing what todo; rather these failures result becauseleaders fail to do what they know fullwell they should and must do.Most leaders never get fully comfortable withthe changes that they wish for theirorganizations."
His recommendations:
- Change the Conversation - employees want to have a compelling reason to change.
- Create a compelling description of the future - employees want a vision of where they are headed.
- Emotionally enlist employees in the cause - leaders are not remembered for their attributes, as much as the causes they stood for.
- Help me understand the business - employees often do not have information in context to act accordingly.
- Choose passionate - employees want to see leaders that are passionate and confident on the process and strategic direction.
- Create a To-Stop list - we all have "to do" lists, but perhaps you need a "to don't" list. In other words, a list of bad habits and practices you need to discontinue.
Gary indicated that trust must be given before it is earned. If a leader doesn't trust the employees, how do you expect the employees to trust the leader? When asking employees to change their behavior, or self-assess their own skills, a leader must emphasize "I mean you no harm." Otherwise,mistrust will undermine the intended results.
The keynote sessions the past three days have provided clear motivation to the CIOs and IT leaders in the audience to consider making the necessary changes, with impressive results and actionable advice.
technorati tags: IBM, FITF09, Forrester, Forrester Research, FORR, IT Forum, BP, Dana Deasy, Microsoft, Chris Capossela, LotusLive, Cloud+Computing, Gary Heil, CFIL[Read More]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Paddle, float, relax, and repeat, all the while, taking in the majestic sight of Prague from the Vltava River waters. A leisurely, affordable and enjoyable way to see the city, especially on a hot day. Tips: Leisure: pack some ice cold beverages along with your camera! Active: see how many times you can paddle around in an hour!
Please reserve with your accommodation or at email@example.com.


text:
Site plan approved
Efforts to build a restaurant-type facility on Dunkirk's harborfront took a step forward recently as the city harbor commission approved the footprint of the site plan.
City Code Enforcement Officer Allan Zurawski is a member of the commission and chaired the meeting in the absence of Chairman Jim Nichols.
Zurawski explained the commission's approval is the first of several steps Chadwick Bay Marina operators Jeff Gambino and Mike Pucci will have to take before their project can be built.
Commission members expressed some concern about parking for fisherman being reduced again in the boat launch area, but it was pointed out the lease between the city and the operators granted the operators rights to the space in question, which is located adjacent to the current site of the marina office building.
The commission reviewed two plans, one calling for a two-story structure and the other a one-story configuration. Both plans called for the same amount of ground space to be used.
According to Zurawski, the operators. who were not present, are hoping to have construction complete by the end of the 2013 building season.
"He has two options here. One is to be the first floor only, he's leaning more toward the original option, which is the second floor. Option one is the restaurant, option two is the upper area, the second floor," Zurawski said. "What we're here to do is take a look at the site plan, approve it so it can move on to the planning board, and on to council. He's hoping to get our approval tonight."
Zurawski added he was not "presenting" the plans, just providing them for commission review. Zurawski said there would probably be sufficient parking in the area.
Parking for fishermen was brought up again with questions about the marina using its boat-storage area for customers of the proposed restaurant.
"We'd like to ask for your (the town council's) participation as we have planned to do a re-enactment of the first official town board meeting," he added.
Other things slated to make up the bicentennial celebration are a youth essay contest being coordinated with Brocton Central School faculty, and a talent show for all ages.
The large-scale celebration is scheduled for the same weekend as Brocton Central School's Alumni Reunion weekend and the Brocton/Portland Community Festival, July 12-14, allowing for many out-of-towners to take part in the activities of the weekend.
The annual fireworks display, which is a community festival fan-favorite, is scheduled for Saturday evening, and a Sunday parade will end the weekend's events.
The Bicentennial Celebration will continue on through the official dedication of the re-furbished four-corner arch in the Village of Brocton and details of that event will follow as the construction allows.
Town Councilman, Jerry Boltz, who is the Chairman for the Brad Anderson Recognition Committee, reported to the council and those attending the council meeting on the work in progress.
"We're starting to solicit and accept donations toward the fund for the honorary statue that will depict Brad Anderson and Marmaduke. We're currently working with Brocton Central School and the staff of the Brocton Review for some press coverage and special events that will be part of the honor to Brad," stated Boltz.
The committee recently secured permission from Universal Uclick, the governing national syndicate which carries the Marmaduke comic panel in over 500 daily newspapers worldwide to advertise for the sole purpose of raising funds for the monument.
With that important hurdle out of the way, the committee will begin to roll out their marketing initiatives to raise money for the statue to be completed and placed in its designated space on the Town of Portland property on Main Street.
"We're also in the process of having the selected artist begin work on the 'marquette' (which is a small scale version of what the monument will look like to be used for advertising purposes) and contracts are being signed for that. We're pleased to announce that we're also working with elementary and high school art faculty at BCS on some upcoming art projects centered around Marmaduke. Not only is Brad Anderson a well-known local artist, but his character Marmaduke is world-renowned. Although this is a big undertaking, Brad is known nationally and worldwide and we're confident that we will make this a worthwhile and successful project to properly honor Mr. Anderson and his accomplishments," concluded Boltz.
Anyone interested in joining the committees for the Portland Bicentennial Celebration or the Brad Anderson Recognition Committee may contact the Town of Portland Clerk's office for more information.


text:
Made a little tougher in the Highlands for the Highland weather.
We are proud to be recognised by the major accreditation boards for the various products that we offer.
From 1 July 2013 it became mandatory for manufacturers to apply CE marking to any of their products which are covered by a harmonised European standard (hEN) or European Technical Assessment (ETA).
With so many companies competing for your order, the world of home improvements is a potential minefield for even the most discerning of consumers. Many companies are claiming to sell Energy Rated Windows which can reduce your carbon footprint and reduce your fuel bills, now you can check for yourself which ones are genuine.
We strive to give you the right information, allowing you to choose the very best product for your home. This could be windows, doors or a conservatory.
GreenGorm Windows
By installing our A Rated Windows, the average UK home could save money on their fuel bills, and save as much as 1704kg of CO2 per year, the equivalent of taking a Ford Mondeo of the road for a year!


text:
Bamboo Poles & Bamboo Stakes
Product Actions
Additional Information
Naturally Strong, Naturally Beautiful Bamboo
- Lightweight, long-lasting bamboo is ideal for supports and structures
- A naturally beautiful landscape accent
- Several sizes to choose from
Smart gardeners know bamboo is strong, lightweight, inexpensive, weathers well and lasts several seasons in the garden. With a few simple tools bamboo poles can be fashioned into fences, frames, arbors, trellises any structure you can imagine.
#2 Bamboo (3' tall x approx. 3/8" diameter). Use as plant stakes and markers, or as supports for row covers and potted plants.
#4 Bamboo (5'10" tall x approx. 3/4" diameter). An all-purpose size, good for bean tepees and A-frames, trellises, pea fences, and as rails in decorative fencing.
#6 Bamboo (7' tall x approx. 3/4" diameter). Similar to #4, but taller, for larger plant supports, longer rails, and privacy fences ($10 additional shipping).
- #2 Bamboo Pole - 3' tall x approx. 3/8" diameter
- #4 Bamboo Pole - 5'10" tall x approx. 3/4" diameter
- #6 Bamboo Pole - 7' tall x approx. 3/4" diameter
- #6 Bamboo Poles, Set of 50 has a $10.00 additional shipping charge
- Sorry, no shipments to AA,AE,AF,AK,AP,GU,HI,PR,VI


text:
Collection restrictions : Buyer Collects from Property Office 09:00 AM - 4:00 PM Monday thru Friday.
Collections can be made outside of these hours if arranged in advance by calling Hastings Property Store 101 ext 560341.
Payment for this auction must be made within 14 days of closing. Should payment not be made within this period, we reserve the right to re-auction the item/s
All collections need to be made within 14 days of payment, items not collected maybe relisted as per Bumblebees Terms and Conditions.
Delivery Option - Pedal Cycles : Please note, without exception, all pedal cycles sold on this auction site by Sussex Police, are for collection only.
1x Yellow Aggressor GT. 20" Frame. ,Good Frame Condition - Slight Rust. Chain &, Brakes require attention. 1x Black &, Blue Silverfox ORB. 18" Frame. Good Frame Condition - Slight rust. Rusty chain. Requires attention - No pedals1x Silver Scooter
We recommend that any bike purchased be serviced prior to use
These goods being auctioned are second hand, unless stated otherwise. The police force that listed the item and Bumblebee Auctions claim no responsibility for the authenticity, commercial value or quality of any of the items sold through Bumblebee Auctions. The working condition (unless stated otherwise) of these items are not determined and it is advised that all electrical items should be tested by a competent person prior to use. Where a description refers to 'stone's' , 'Yellow' or 'white' metal in respect of Jewellery items then that should be taken to mean it's substance is unknown.
Click Here to Relist This Item
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text:
Verify the operator conducts a periodic evaluation of pipeline integrity based on data integration and risk assessment to identify the threats specific to each covered segment and the risk represented by these threats. [§192.917 and §192.937(b)][See Details...]
Verify that the approach for establishing the reassessment method is consistent with the requirements in §192.937(c). [§192.937(c) and §192.941][See Details...]
For pipelines operating at < 30% SMYS, the operator may choose to use a "low stress reassessment" method to address threats of external and internal corrosion. If this method is used, verify that the operator addresses the following requirements [§192.941]:[See Details...]
Verify that the requirements for establishing the reassessment intervals are consistent with section §192.939 and ASME B31.8S-2004. [§192.937(a), §192.939(a), §192.939(b), §192.913(c), and ASME B31.8S-2004, Section 5, Table 3][See Details...]
If the operator elects to deviate from certain requirements listed in §192.913(c), verify that the operator uses a performance based approach that satisfies the requirements for exceptional performance as follows: [§192.913 and ASME B31.8S-2004][See Details...]
Verify that the operator's program requires that it apply for a waiver, should it become necessary, from the required reassessment interval. The waiver request must demonstrate that the waiver is justified as specified in the rule. Such a waiver request may only be made in the following limited situations: [§192.943][See Details...]
Each protocol element will have top-tier protocols that address the high level requirements. The regulatory requirement upon which the protocol is based is contained in brackets; e.g., [§192.905(a)]
Each top-tier protocol will have detailed "sub-tier" protocols which collectively lead the inspector to draw overall conclusions about compliance with the top-tier protocol. The regulatory requirement, upon which each sub-tier protocol is based, is also contained in brackets.Notes on protocols:


text:
I don't want champagne, I AM champagne.
EoT 2011 Nannuo this morning. I can see why this is/was one of Nada's favorites. I am humbled and grateful to be drinking such good tea.
Does anyone else use Puerh for "recovery from intoxication"?
JakubT wrote:Well said, there is a champagne feeling indeed!
JakubT wrote:Knee deep in Scott's anonymous samples. After having beta, theta, iota, lambda and kappa without being too keen on them (ok, kappa is fine), mu seems to do it for me.


text:
Education Institute Develops Hollywood's Citizen Leaders
July 17, 2000
The City of Hollywood, Florida wants all residents to have an opportunity to participate in local government decision-making and become leaders in their community, and it has developed a program to accomplish this.
Hollywood's Educational Civic Institute (ECI), launched in 1997, is a leadership and training program that helps residents learn about all aspects of local government. Upon completion of the program, they are encouraged to become active members of City boards, advisory committees and community organizations that work to improve the quality of life in the City.
"This is a wonderful program that has contributed to the enrichment and leadership development of many of our citizens," says Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti. "Citizens who have completed the Educational Civic Institute have gone on to serve on the City's Budget Advisory Board, the City-Wide Master Plan Committee, the African American Advisory Board and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Advisory Board."
Offered once each year, the ECI program consists of two-hour class sessions held on Monday evenings over an eight-week period. Those completing the program participate in a graduation ceremony and then become part of the City's Civic Infrastructure Team.
When the ECI was created, its specific objectives were to 1) strengthen City- stakeholder partnerships for improved responsiveness to community concerns; 2) improve understanding of the governmental decision-making process; 3) give participants access to the decision-making process; 4) provide the tools necessary to develop an overall vision for the City Đ going beyond involvement in single issues; and 5) increase awareness of the City's volunteer opportunities.
Following an evaluation of these initial goals, specific goals were established for the 1999 program. The new goals called for 1) increased community awareness of the ECI program, to result in heightened resident interest and an increase in requests for applications; 2) a 50 percent increase in the number of program participants; 3) an increase in the percentage of participants who complete the program; 4) an increase in the number of program graduates who become involved in City boards and committees; and 5) incorporation of a leadership training program into the ECI curriculum.
Planning for the 1999 ECI program began in May, and the curriculum that was developed was aligned at that time with the City's strategic direction.
To expose participants to the diversity of the City's facilities and their uses, classes have been held in a variety of locations. Mayor Giulianti, who has supported the program since its inception, engages each year's classes in discussions of local government issues. In 1999, with the addition of a session involving City Commissioners, participants were divided into groups of 10 for roundtable discussions.
To recruit participants for the 1999 ECI program, City staff members developed an integrated marketing, public relations and media relations campaign. The marketing tools included:
To ensure ample opportunities for interaction among participants and ECI presenters, class size is limited to 50 participants. In 1999, more than 200 people requested applications for the class and, following enrollment of the 50, a waiting list of 30 people developed. A nominal fee of $10 is paid by each participant.
Detailed information on Hollywood's Educational
Civic Institute is available from the City's public relations director,
Arlene Allen-Mitchell, at (954) 921-3644 or at email@example.com.