Under incoming assignments, employees from nonfederal organizations come to work for the federal government. NSF Has Been a Major User of the IPA Program

According to OPM data, NSF has been one of the most active users of the IPA program among those federal agencies sending employees on temporary assignments to universities, state and local governments, or other nonfederal organizations. Nearly two-thirds (29) of the 45 participants were temporarily assigned to universities, 1 to a local government, and the other 15 to other nonfederal organizations, including research institutions and professional associations. These assignments were also designed to allow employees to share their NSF expertise. In 41 of the 45 assignments, the partnering institution made at least some contribution to the costs of the assignments. NSF spent about $7.2 million on 45 IPA assignments that were ongoing from January 1995 through December 2000. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

Concerning the external Intergovernmental Personnel Act’s (IPA) mobility program, we were asked to provide information on (1) the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) use of the program, (2) the NSF program’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, (3) the program’s costs to NSF and its partnering institutions, and (4) the benefits that NSF has identified from participating in the program.
What GAO Found

The Intergovernmental Personnel Act's (IPA) mobility program authorizes the temporary assignment of employees between federal agencies and state and local governments, universities, Indian tribal governments, and other nonfederal groups. These assignments, which may last up to four years, are intended to increase cooperation between the federal government and the non-federal entity. The National Science Foundation (NSF) temporarily assigned 45 of its employees to nonfederal organizations between 1995 and 2000, making NSF one of the most active users of the IPA program among federal agencies. NSF assigned 29 participants to universities, one to a local government, and 15 to other nonfederal organizations, such as research institutions or professional associations. NSF's implementation of the IPA program conformed to applicable laws and regulations. Although the partnering institutions nearly always made some financial contribution to these assignments, NSF paid about 78 percent of the total costs associated with the 45 assignments that GAO reviewed. The estimated total cost of these assignments to NSF was about $7.2 million for the six-year period GAO covered. NSF's external IPA assignments benefit not only the assignees but also the partnering institutions and NSF, according to NSF officials.