Conservation, use, and protection of America’s natural, cultural,
and historical heritage constitute an essential component of the
mission of the Department of the Interior. Scientifically-informed
and technologically-based stewardship of our public lands, waters,
wildlife and special places – if it is to succeed –
must be done in collaboration and partnership among Interior agencies,
with other governmental entities and, most importantly, with the
citizens who share and give form to our mission.
We are committed to building partnerships to encourage conservation
and preserve our natural and cultural resources; to bringing innovative
approaches to solving land management and water disputes; and to
developing energy, including renewable sources of energy, in the
most environmentally protective manner.
A partnership is basically an agreement between two or more organizations,
created to achieve or assist in reaching a common goal. Partnerships
may involve one organization utilizing another's unique abilities,
equipment or services, or it may be a "sharing" of resources
(money, time, knowledge, equipment, etc.) to accomplish short or
long-term objectives for one or all of the participating partners.
Types of Partnerships
The Department engages in many types of formal and informal partnership
arrangements including: grants and cooperative agreements; memoranda
of understanding; donations to the Department; and statutory partnerships.
These tools are available for use in structuring the partnership
arrangements specific to the needs of, and to the mutual benefit
of the parties involved.
Grants and Cooperative Agreements
Partnership grants are used by the Department when it is supporting
a public purpose and does not anticipate any substantial involvement
with the recipient after funds are transferred, for example, where
an agency grants funds to an organization that will use the funds
for a specified purpose. Cooperative agreements are similar to grant
agreements, but are used when the Department will be actively involved
in the activity for which the funding or in-kind service is being
provided. Another type of grant arrangement is the challenge assistance
or cost-sharing agreement, which requires the provision of matching
funds to leverage the effectiveness of the grant funds. Criteria
for when to use a grant or cooperative agreement are found in the
Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act at 31 U.S.C. §
6305.
Memoranda of Understanding
Memoranda of Understanding are useful when partnership arrangements
do not involve the transfer of funding, property, services, or human
resources by either party, but is instead based on mutual agreement
on processes, products, or outcomes accomplished by working cooperatively
with other Federal or non-Federal partners on issues of mutual interest.
Memoranda of Understanding are based on the appropriate statutory
authority for the formation of the partnership, and should generally
include the following elements: heading; background; statement of
purpose; identification of statutory authorities; procedures to
be followed and responsibilities of the parties; and administrative
provisions.
Donations to the Department
Although most Department partnerships do not involve a direct transfer
of resources to the Department, there are certain situations in
which an outside party may want to donate money, property, or services
to the Department. These donations are considered “gifts”,
and are generally defined as gratuitous conveyances of ownership
in property without anything being given by the Department in return.
Gifts to the Department can only be accepted if there is specific
statutory authority to receive it. Most of the Department’s
bureaus have gift acceptance authority; however each situation must
be evaluated in consultation with the Partnership Primer, Part D:
Partnership Authorities to determine whether the Department has
the requisite statutory authority, for the specific set of circumstances
to accept the gift from outside entities. Gifts to the Department
must conform to Departmental ethics rules and must not create the
appearance of impropriety.
Statutory Partnerships
A substantial number of general statutory (programmatic) authorities
can be broadly thought of as partnership tools because they enable
Department partnership action. Congress also often enacts legislation
that authorizes specific partnerships or partnership activities.
These partnership tools often define a relationship in which the
Department will work with other Federal or non-Federal entities,
including state, local and tribal governments. In these situations,
Congress determines the scope of the partnership and usually provides
specific authority in addition to the bureau’s general statutory
authorities. Legislation to implement a particular partnership activity
may be proposed to Congress through appropriate official channels
and through the bureau’s congressional liaison office.
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