OPM has published a fact sheet on the federal government’s Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program intended to debunk commonly held misperceptions about it and to get agencies to use it more.
It found out from federal nurses in a recent study that the program is little understood and largely unknown, but OPM says it can be used to meet agency needs in positions that are hard to fill, such as those in the IT field and health care.
The program allows for temporary assignment of personnel between the federal government and state and local governments, colleges and universities, Indian tribal governments, federally funded research and development centers, and other eligible organizations.
Agencies do not need OPM approval to make IPA assignments – to use it agencies need only enter into a written agreement.
According to OPM, agencies may enter into IPA assignments on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis, an agency may enter into an IPA agreement with state and local governments, institutions of higher education, and Indian tribal governments, and federal employees serving in IPA assignments can serve as both recruiters and ambassadors for positions in their home agencies.
Further, agencies may document IPA assignments for intermittent, part-time, and full-time employment, OPM said.