Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM)
Frequently Asked Questions about Training
- What is the Process for Requesting Training?
- What priority is training and education for IFPM requirements?
- Is college credit required to meet the GS-401 standards?
- Can the Forest Service pay for tuition and fees?
- Can the Forest Service pay for college credits?
- How do I document completion of training or education?
What is the Process for Requesting Training?
FSH 6109.13 Chapter 23.11 - Procedures for Requesting Training
All training must be approved in advance through the LMS. See "Training Request" process. Once the training has been approved by the supervisor, manager, or other delegated official, procurement can be made for individual training and/or group training using the following methods.
Purchase Card
The Purchase Card is used to pay for training less than $2,500.00 in conjunction with the form SF-182 process. All purchases made with the purchase card are subject to the Purchase Card Procedures set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13.106-1. The form SF-182 must be used to document any training that will require the completion of a Continued Service Agreement.
Request, Authorization, Agreement and Certification of Training (SF-182)
The electronic version of the form SF-182 is available in the LMS. Employees registering for a training event must fill out this form in the LMS and forward it to their supervisor for approval. The electronic form SF-182 in the LMS can be printed off and used as a document obligating funds for multiple participants at a training event. This form is authorized for use to contract for training and to certify payment of approved training expenses under the following conditions:
- The cost is of a fixed nature. The price is standardized per student, course, program or service.
- The program, course or instructional service is off-the shelf and there is no modification or development resulting in increased cost to the government.
- The cost of the program, course, or instructional service does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold or process dollar limit of $100,000.
What priority is training and education for IFPM requirements?
FSH 6109.13 Chapter 23.2 - Training Priority
Training should be reviewed and approved based on the following criteria:
- Training is needed to assure the safety and health of the workforce.
- Regulatory and certification training is required for the current position.
- Training addresses the competency needs of the current position.
- Optional training that includes health and wellness workshops and training to prepare an employee for his/her identified career goals.
Is college credit required to meet the GS-401 standards?
Ref: Nnational IFPM Web site Q&A's
Do I need to purchase college credit for the NWCG courses I have taken in order for them to count?
No, as long as you maintain a certificate of completion for the course or that it is documented in the Incident Qualifications and Certification System.
College credit is not required to meet the standards. However, the course must have either college or agency credit hours assigned to it and the student must successfully complete the course (auditing a course is not sufficient). Documentation of the successful completion of the course is required.
Can the Forest Service pay for tuition and fees?
FSH 6109.13 Chapter 23.42 - Approval of Authorized Training Expenses
The approval of authorized training expenses will be made by the supervisor or the approving official through the LMS at the same time the supervisor or approving official approves the request for training as directed in section 23.11.
- Once the approval has been documented in the LMS, payment for authorized training expenses can be made with a purchase card or form SF-182.
- Authorized expenses include tuition, books, materials, supplies, and registration fees (5 CFR 410.401).
- The government may not pay or reimburse an employee for the cost of examinations, licenses, or certifications, even if required by the state where the federal employee works.
- For bargaining unit employees, per applicable collective bargaining agreement, management may need to consider reimbursement of expenses incurred by an employee in attendance at officially approved work-related courses on his/her own time.
- The following expenses shall not be authorized for payment for any employee:
- Costs imposed by an educational institution for the sole purpose of granting a degree.
- Membership fees that are not a condition of enrolling or participating in training.
- Premium pay for employees while in training, unless the employee normally receives premium pay or the payment of premium pay reduces the overall cost of the training (http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/directives/fsh/6109.11/).
- Costs of fees required for any employee to take professional certification/ accreditation or license examinations, unless they are required by the government as a condition of employment, except when:
- The examination serves as a diagnostic tool to determine deficiencies in knowledge and skills needed by an employee in the performance of official duties; or
- The cost of the examination is a part of the cost of a training program.
Can the Forest Service pay for college credits?
5 CFR § 410.308 Training to obtain an academic degree.
(a) Prohibition. (1) Under 5 U.S.C. 4107(a), an agency may not authorize training for an employee to obtain an academic degree, except for shortage occupations as defined in § 410.308(b).
(2)(i) The prohibition on academic degree in 5 U.S.C. 4107(a)(2) is not to be construed as limiting the authority of agencies to approve and pay for training expenses to develop knowledge, skills, and abilities directly related to improved individual performance. If, in the accomplishment of such training, an employee receives an academic degree, the degree is an incidental byproduct of the training.
(ii) Paying an additional rate of tuition because a student is a degree candidate is prohibited. An agency is only authorized to pay the tuition and fees charged for a nondegree student, even though the employee is enrolled as a degree candidate. If it is not possible to distinguish between costs associated with the acquisition of knowledge and skills and the costs associated with the acquisition of an academic degree at an institution, an agency is authorized to pay in full the tuition of an employee participating in an authorized program of training at that institution.
Also, here is direction from the national IFPM website-Q&A's:
I have an employee that is short 8 semester hours for qualifying for a GS-0401 Fire Management Specialist position, can the agency pay tuition and provide work time for class time? If so, is there an agreement that the employee needs to sign?
The agency can pay for and provide work time for this education, however it must be in the best interest of the government and not only for personal gain. The employee may be required to sign an agreement.
How do I document completion of training or education?
FSH 6109.13 Chapter 27.21 - College/University Credits
The employee shall submit a transcript to the supervisor after completion of a university or college course that the agency sponsors and for which credits are awarded, to verify that the course was completed successfully. A copy of the transcript should be maintained in the employee's Official Personnel Folder.
Also, the Supplemental Qualification Standard for the GS-0401 FIRE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST describes under option B.- Combination of Experience and Education, the following direction...
- Documentation verifying the coursework was completed and met accreditation and discipline (items B.1.a.1, B.1.a.2 above). The OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, General Policies and Instructions, Part E.4 describes proof as: an official transcript; statement from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official; or equivalent documentation.
- Other Education Creditable (Agency): Other Education creditable can be found in Attachment 3 of the Supplemental Qualification Standard for the GS-0401 Fire Management Specialist.
NOTE: Agency "modules" listed in Attachment 3 of the Supplemental Qualification Standard for the GS-0401 Fire Management Specialist are creditable college courses. Employees are not required to pay for credits to be credited toward 401 qualifications. However, proper proof must be submitted.