Bureau of Indian Affairs

9/9/2020 version 1.3 Bureau of Indian Affairs

Instructions for BIA to begin a new agreement with a CESU Network Partner:

  • BIA staff/manager at a BIA Division/Region/Agency office requests from BIA Tribal Resilience
  • Program (TRP) the following:
    •  Framing document (for SOW)
    • ASAP enrollment form (system from where the CESU partner withdraws their funds)
    • Form for Justification for Financial Assistance for Limited or No Competition
  • Framing Document:
  1. The BIA Division/Region/Agency office fills out the general Framing Document (purpose, SOW, budget, signatory POCs and addresses, etc.). BIA Division/Region/Agency office fills this out w/the CESU partner (university, research non-profit, tribe) they want to work to harmonize their SOWs, timelines, and budgets. The CESU partner will likely know who to work with on the university signatory side, but if not, look up the CESU and university contact at the CESU website: http://www.cesu.psu.edu/.
  2. BIA Division/Region/Agency office returns Framing Document to Grants and Agreements Officer (Jo Ann Metcalfe jo.metcalfe@bia.gov, Central Office (may cc the BIA Tribal Resilience Program (TRP) Acting Coordinator, rachael.novak@bia.gov) - even if it’s not TRP-related, TRP manages these for BIA in terms of distributing info on this partnership mechanism.)
  3. Grants and Agreements Officer will use it to populate the cooperative agreement and prepare the funding document.
  • ASAP enrollment form
  1. BIA Division/Region/Agency office needs to ensure the CESU partner is enrolled with an ASAP account with BIA (they might mistakenly think they’re ok with one with another fed agency but they need one specifically with BIA). ASAP is the system where the university partner withdraws their funds from as they progress along in the SOW.
  2. If the CESU partner is not currently enrolled in ASAP w/BIA, the BIA Division/Region/Agency needs to send the ASAP form to their CESU partner. The CESU partner should start on that quickly so all can move forward in a timely way. This can take 2-3 weeks to process.
  • Form for Justification for Financial Assistance for Limited or No Competition
  1. BIA Division/Region/Agency office fills out the form for Justification for Financial Assistance for Limited or No Competition (see bracketed and bolded language to fill out in the form). The language cited in the FAR exemption for CESU coop agreements is already there (competition is “strongly encouraged” but not required). (Ask TRP if you need examples.)
  2. BIA Division/Region/Agency office returns the filled out Justification for Financial Assistance for Limited or No Competition to Grants and Agreements Officer (JoAnn Metcalfe jo.metcalfe@bia.gov) may also cc the BIA TRP Acting Coordinator, rachael.novak@bia.gov).
  • Purchase Request (PR)
    • BIA Division/Region/Agency office routes a signed PR from their division/region/agency office to Grants and Agreements Officer (JoAnn Metcalfe jo.metcalfe@bia.gov). Grants and Agreements Officer will need this to generate the funding agreement.
  • Signatures
    • Grants and Agreements Officer sends the funding agreement and coop agreement package that is generated from the framing document back to the BIA Division/Region/Agency office for signature and asks the BIA staff to then send the package to the CESU partner for signature. BIA Division/Region/Agency office needs to send this back to Grants and Agreements Officer (JoAnn Metcalfe jo.metcalfe@bia.gov) may also cc the BIA TRP Acting Coordinator, rachael.novak@bia.gov).
    • The BIA Division/Region/Agency office should emphasize to the CESU partner the quarterly Reporting requirements/dates to meet listed in the coop agreement. CESU partner needs to send these to the Project Officer (PO) at the BIA Division/Region/Agency. Without these quarterly reports, the PO (whether BIA Division/Region/Agency office or TRP) can’t approve the drawdown of funds.
  • COR Certification
    • The Project Officer (PO) at BIA Division/Region/Agency office needs their COR certification and includes it in the file so they are approved to sign off on funding drawdowns (the PO will be getting these from Kevin Herrera and/or Jo Ann Metcalfe).