Transmittal No. 140 - Appropriated Fund/Gift Funds for Light Refrershments (LR)

-----Original Message-----

From: Papier, Joel (NIH/OD)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 1:45 PM

To: List ICTRAVELPOC-L

Cc: Stith, Kenneth (NIH/OD); Koitz, Barry (NIH/OD); Howard, Florence (NIH/OD); NIH Executive Officers; Frasier, Diane (NIH/OD); Weker, Laurie (NIH/OD); Romanesk, Annette (NIH/OD); OD-Budget Officers Long

Subject: FW: OFM Transmittal No. 140 - Appropriated Fund/Gift Funds for Light Refreshments (LR) - Internal vs. Non-Internal Meetings

Importance: High

All,

Please disregard the previous email on this subject. Inadvertently, it was numbered Transmittal No. 139 when in fact, that numbered transmittal was sent out last Friday for a special travel request. Thus, to avoid any confusion, please consider OFM Transmittal No. 140 on this subject matter as the official document.

Thanks,

Joel

-----Original Message-----

From: Papier, Joel (NIH/OD)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 1:40 PM

To: List ICTRAVELPOC-L

Subject: OFM Transmittal No. 140 - Appropriated Fund/Gift Funds for Light Refreshments (LR) - Internal vs. Non-Internal Meetings

Importance: High

All,

As the result of recent discussions this office had w/ the IC Budget Officer group, the following information is provided in our attempt to clarify the policy guidance recently issued to the community on the above subject. The policy guidance is contained in NIH Manual Chapter 1160-1 "Entertainment" at the following web site address:

<http://www1.od.nih.gov/oma/manualchapters/management/1160-1/>

Please make wide distribution of this information to your respective Administrative and Procurement communities.

Thanks,

Joel

1) When we're referring to Conferences/Meetings (non-training related) Event Type "C" on the matrix (Appendix 3 and Appendix 4) and the corresponding definitions, here is the rule of thumb that should be followed for Internal Meetings:

If it's an internal meeting (i.e., a meeting between NIHers only or between NIHers and other government employees) you should not authorize the use of appropriated funds or gift funds for LR when the meeting is held in the official duty station area, i.e., local travel. Whether the meeting is held on a day-to-day

or non-day-to-day basis is irrelevant.

Example: If NIHers meet w/ other Feds every other month to discuss a rewrite of the HHS accounting standards, appropriated funds/gift funds should not be authorized for LR. If LR are provided, all of the attendees contribute out of pocket to the costs of the LR. The same scenario should apply for scientific/research-oriented meetings between NIHers and/or other Feds.

2) Similarly, for Event Type "C", here is the rule of thumb that should be followed for Non-Internal Meetings:

If it's a non-internal meeting (i.e., a meeting between NIHers and Nonfederal Persons (could also include other Feds)), you should use discretion

when authorizing the use of appropriated or gift funds for LR when the meeting is held in the official duty station area. Just because we have Nonfederal

Persons coming here to advise should not result in our feeding them LR every time they set foot on campus. Again, whether the meeting is held on a day-to-day

or non day-to-day basis is irrelevent.

Example A: Grant review meetings that occur on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

These meetings are in support of the IC's objectives and are routine in nature, and appropriated funds should not be used to provide LR.

If you want to provide LR, have all of the attendees contribute out of pocket to the costs of the LR.

Example B: Nonfederal Persons visiting to advise on special inititiatives by the Administration, Congress, HHS, etc., or to meet to discuss recent international or national health events, e.g., Avian Flu, Mad Cow Disease (Jacobs-Kreutschfeld), SARS, or to discuss strategic planning initiatives for the outyears, etc. The use of appropriated or gift funds for LR for these activities is permissible.

3) Avoid selecting off-site (or off-campus) meeting facilities when a small number of Nonfederal Persons have been invited to attend a conference, meeting, etc. In this scenario, there should be ample space in NIH buildings and facilities or other government facilities. If the only alternative is to convene the meeting at a non-government off-site location, e.g., Pooks Hill Mariott, you must adhere to the guidelines in FTR 301-74.19. That regulation provides -- For a conference you sponsor in whole or in part for 30 or more attendees, you must maintain a record of the cost of at least three alternative sites considered and these records must be made available to the Office of the Inspector General or other interested parties.