REVIEW/APPROVAL FORM FOR WIDELY

ATTENDED GATHERINGS (WAG)

Name of Employee

Signature of Employee

Telephone Number

IC	(for blanket determination)

Name of Supervisor

Conference or event (WAG)

Date of Request	Date of WAG

Location of WAG	Time of WAG

Provided below are the elements that need to be assessed to determine if acceptance of an offer of free attendance is appropriate under the exception to the gift rule found in the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (5 CFR Part 2635.204(g)). The employee initiating the request completes Questions 1-9. The employee should consult with the Ethics Coordinator (EC) to determine if Question 10 and all its elements must be addressed. The employee forwards the completed checklist to the EC for review and recommendation.

1.	Is the employee assigned on official duty to participate as a speaker, panel member or otherwise to present information on behalf of NIH at a conference or similar engagement?

Yes	No

If yes, attendance on the day(s) of the employee's actual presentation is a customary and necessary part of his performance of the assignment and does not involve a gift to the individual or the NIH. No further action is necessary.

If No, or the invitation includes attendance for days when the employee will not be making a presentation, proceed to Question 2.

2.	Has someone other than the sponsor of the event designated the employee to be invited and will someone other than the sponsor bear the cost of the employee's attendance?

If the answer to either is No, proceed to Question 3.

If the answer to both is Yes, the invitation may not be accepted under the widely attended gathering exception UNLESS more than 100 persons are expected to attend the event and the gift of free attendance has a market value of $335 or less.

If the market value of the gift of free attendance is $335 or less AND more than 100 persons are expected to attend proceed to Question 3.

If the answer to either question is No, this gift may not be accepted under the WAG exception.

3.	Was the offer of free attendance solicited?

If Yes, the invitation may not be accepted.

If No, proceed to Question 4.

4.	Is the event "widely attended" within the meaning of 5 CFR 2635.204(g)(2)? Currently, there is no precise test for determining whether an event is "widely attended" but several factors may be relevant to this determination in a given case:

a.	Is the event open to members from throughout a given industry (for example. the healthcare industry) ?

Yes	No

If Yes, please provide a brief description including the different interests and points of view they may represent.

b.	Will individuals in attendance represent a range of persons interested in a given matter (for example, federal, state or local officials, health care practitioners, and pharmaceutical industry representatives)?

Yes	No

If Yes, please provide a brief description of likely attendees.

c.	Is the event expected to be attended by a large number of people?

Yes	No

If Yes, please provide the approximate number of expected attendees:

5.	What is the purpose of the event and where will it be held?

6.	Is attendance at this event in the interest of the agency because it will further agency programs or operations?

Yes	No

If Yes, explain how the event relates to the employee's duties and how attendance would further agency programs.

If No, the gift may not be accepted under this exception.

7.	A WAG exception involves a gift to an individual rather than to the NIH. Therefore, any individual subject to a leave system must be on his own time or have an excused absence.

Will the event be after duty hours, e.g. evening, weekend?

Yes	No

If during duty hours the employee may be on excused absence in accordance with applicable NIH policies and practices.

Yes	No

8.	Does the invitation include attendance by the employee's spouse or other guest?

Yes	No

If Yes, does your spouse work at the NIH?	Yes	No	If Yes, which IC?

If Yes, will other attendees at the event generally be accompanied by their spouse or other guests.

Yes	No

Note: If yes, and someone other than the event sponsor is paying, the value of the guest's free attendance must be aggregated with the value of the employee's free attendance in applying the $335 ceiling for WAGS offered by nonsponsors.

9.	What is the monetary value of the gift of free attendance and how was this cost determined (conference fee, ticket price, etc.)

Note: If the value of the WAG is $335 or if it is valued at more than $134 and the employee accepts other such gifts from the same source in excess of $134 each if the aggregate value reaches $335 or more, the employee must report this on the financial disclosure form in the appropriate section on gifts.

10.	Does the event sponsor have interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the attendee's official duties? ( if the sponsor is an organization/association, do the majority of its members have such interests?)

Yes	No

If the response to Question 10 is No, please forward this checklist to the EC for action. If the response to Question 10 is Yes, authorization to attend may be granted only if the Deputy Ethics Counselor (DEC) issues a written finding that the NIH's interest in the employee's participation outweighs concern that acceptance of the gift may or may appear to improperly influence the employee in the performance of his official duties.

If the response to Question 10 is Yes, please provide the following information to assist the DEC in reaching a decision:

Describe the purpose and the importance of the event to NIH.

Provide Information on the nature and sensitivity of any pending matter(s) affecting the interests of the sponsor of the event:

Describe the significance, if any, of the employee's role in the matter described above:

Provide information on the identity of other expected participants at the event:

Supervisor Review:

Name:	Date

Recommend Approval:	Recommend Disapproval

Comments:

Signature:	Date:

EC Review:

Name:	Date

Recommend Approval:	Recommend Disapproval

Comments: (i.e., cleared by spouse's EC if applicable)

Signature:	Date:

DEC Action

The approval may be a blanket determination to cover any or all categories of invitees for whom the answer to Question 10 would be No.

A Written determination may be issued to cover two or more employees whose duties similarly affect the interests of the sponsor or its members for those employees for whom the answer to Question 10 would be Yes.

This form constitutes my written determination that:

Attendance at this event is approved.

Attendance at this event is not approved.

The sponsor's offer to the employee's spouse/guest is authorized.

Name of DEC	Date

Additional Information attached (e.g., Letter of Invitation)

NIH WAG Form, Revised 12/2000 (6/8/08 values revised)	wag.wpd