You are on page 1of 4

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON

APR 12 2017

Memorandum

To:

From:

Subject: ts, Cooperative Agreements, and Other Significant Decisions

A hallmark of my management of the Department of the Interior (Department) will be


empowering local managers to make responsible decisions. Local managers are closest to the
public we serve and to the precious resources we manage on their behalf. I also have a duty to
learn about the Department's operations as I take the helm of the ship. Only by understanding
the varied operations will I be able to lead this great Department in fulfilling its important
mission on behalf of the American people.

The Department annually distributes $5 .5 billion in grants and cooperative agreements to a


variety of grantees and cooperators to advance mission objectives. In order to help me to
understand the immense impact grants and cooperative agreements have on the mission delivery
of the Department, I am directing implementation of the following temporary procedures for
processing grants and cooperative agreements:

Effective immediately, bureau heads and office directors will use the attached template to
report all planned Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 grants and cooperative agreements of $100,000
or more before final award. The reports should be submitted through the Assistant
Secretaries to Mr. James Cason, who has been delegated the authority of the Deputy
Secretary. The Office of Acquisition and Property Management will assist Mr. Cason
in reviewing these reports. No grants should be awarded until the review has been
completed. You will be notified about your clearance to proceed with awards following
this review.

In addition, to better assess the overall functioning of the Department's critical programs:

Each bureau head and office director shall ensure that their office obtains proposed
records of decisions (RODs) and uses the attached template to report on proposed
decisions prior to issuance. Proposed decisions that are not termed "ROD" but have
nationwide, regional, or statewide impact shall also be reported using the template. All
reports should be submitted to Mr. Cason. A decision should not be issued until he has
reviewed the report and provided clearance.

The above procedures are temporary and are being implemented to assist me in understanding
how we make important decisions to advance the mission of the Department, assess how we are
2

aligning our grants and cooperative agreements to Department priorities, and to assure
coordination with the Office of Communications for significant announcements. The review and
processing of grants, cooperative agreements, and RODs will return to their regular order as soon
as possible.

Attachments: Template for Data Call on FY 2017 Grants and Cooperative Agreement Awards
Template for Data Call on Proposed Records of Decision and Other Significant
Decision Documents

cc: James Cason


Acting Solicitor
DAS-BFPA
Director, PAM
Template for Data Call on Fiscal Year 2017 Grants and Cooperative Agreement Awards
The Department of the Interior leadership is establishing a new process, as of April 10, 2017, for
reviewing all planned Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 grants and cooperative agreements of $100,000 or
more before final award. The purpose is to better understand priorities being addressed,
opportunities for addressing new priorities, and for significant announcements. Please use the
following template to provide information for each grant or cooperative agreement totaling
$100,000 or more to be awarded in FY 2017. Please submit the information to Mr. Jim Cason
as you prepare grants and cooperative agreements for award, following clearance through bureau
heads and assistant secretaries. You will be notified about clearance to proceed with awards
following this review.
Information requested:
1. bureau or office
2. name of grant or cooperative agreement and anticipated issue date (month/year)
3. catalog of Federal domestic assistance (CFDA) number
4. purpose of grant or cooperative agreement
5. mandatory or discretionary nature of grant or cooperative agreement (if mandatory, cite
authority)
6. current priorities being addressed by the grant or cooperative agreement
7. flexibility to direct grant or cooperative agreement to new priorities
8. source of funds
9. amount of grant or cooperative agreement and expected total value
10. targeted recipients/awardees
11. location ofrecipients/awardees
12. potential media interest
Template for Data Call on Proposed Records of Decision and Other Significant Decision
Documents

Please use the following template to provide information for each proposed Record of Decision
or other decision with nationwide, regional, or statewide impact. Please submit the completed
information through your assistant secretary to Mr. Jim Cason. You will be notified of your
clearance to proceed with issuance of a decision following the review.
Information requested:

1. bureau or office
2. title of document
3. one paragraph summary of proposed decision
4. need and deadline (if any) for issuance
5. positions of affected stakeholders
6. other relevant considerations

You might also like