Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs) are public-public partnerships designed to support the Army mission by allowing state and local public entities to partner with Installations to receive, share, or provide installation support services. For more information please visit IGSA Partnerships.

Title 10, United States Code Section 2679, National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA), authorizes the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish intergovernmental support agreements with State and local governments to provide, receive, or share installation support services. NDAA 2015 has since clarified use of these authorities. For more information please visit IGSA Partnerships.

The Army may enter into IGSAs with State and local governments. States include the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Local governments are defined to include a county, parish, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, and any agency or instrumentality of a local government. The local government need not be inclusive of or contiguous to the installation.

Representatives of these municipal partners may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Local, and State Governments (Small Business Specialists, City Managers, Emergency Management, Public Works)
• Regional Planning Organizations
• Economic Development Organizations
• Community and State Colleges and Universities

For more information please visit IGSA Partnerships.

The Secretary of the Army is given the authority through 10 USC 2679 to approve IGSAs. In June 2018, this authority was delegated. IGSA proposals with an annual execution value equal to or less than $1,000,000 ($1M) will be routed from the originating command to their respective headquarters for review and approval (see Delegation of Authority to Approve IGSA to Landholding Command). The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (DASA) for Installations, Housing and Partnerships (IHP) is the Approval Authority for IGSAs with an annual execution value from $1,000,000 ($1M) to $3,000,000 ($3M) (see Delegation of Authority to Approve IGSA to IHP). The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations Energy and Environment (ASA IE&E) is the approval authority, delegated by the Secretary of the Army, for IGSA proposals with an annual execution value great than $3,000,000 ($3M). If the proposed IGSA is approved the originating command will receive an approval letter signed by the approval authority.

The OACSIM Partnership Office assesses concept packets for factors such as cost savings, cost avoidance, operational efficiencies, complexity, speed of execution, and other factors. Concepts that can be implemented most quickly, provide the greatest savings, and can provide lessons learned for expansion to other sites will be strongest candidates. Broadly speaking, successful IGSA partnerships should also be able to demonstrate a plan to leverage resources, create mutual value that exceeds what the partners could individually achieve, address common issues while addressing challenges unique to each partner, and communicate with local government and community stakeholders.

Consistent with the limited authority found in 10 USC 2679, the Army’s IGSA program is focused exclusively on Public-Public opportunities. Installations may pursue public-private partnerships through alternate, more appropriate channels. The OACSIM Partnership Office is also the POC for Public-Private Partnerships.

There is neither a quota for, nor a cap on, the number of IGSAs that may be approved. The Army is proceeding smartly but deliberately. IGSA implementation is left to the installation. Once the concept packet is approved, the partners should sign a transaction document which outlines the terms and conditions of the partnership. These agreements should be negotiated at the installation level and completed agreements should be shared with ACSIM within 180 days of concept approval. The transaction document or agreement does not need to go through any additional approval process at higher headquarters, but it is strongly recommended that you work with both your resource management and legal team to ensure the Army is protected

The Army is interested in identifying opportunities to leverage its resources more efficiently as well as exploring ways to maximize the skill sets of its workforce. Workforce assessments, community planning, installation/master planning, needs assessments, and economic studies will inform Army decisions. In addition, the Army will abide by and follow all applicable laws and regulations throughout the decision-making process.

Elimination of DoD government civilian positions is not the goal of the IGSA program. Nothing in the Initiative eliminates or alters Office of Personnel Management processes or procedures protecting civilian employees. IGSA’ s statutory authority also specifically states under 10 USC 2679(3)(d) that “The Secretary concerned shall ensure that intergovernmental support agreements authorized by this section are not used to circumvent the requirements of the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 regarding public-private competitions.”

Lack of federal funding is threatening the Army’s ability to contract for many basic installation support services going forward. Rather than discontinue a support service, the Army would rather explore implementation of an IGSA, which reallocates responsibility for performing a service among federal, state and/local governments so that all parties can afford to continue soliciting for services and receive said service.

The Army is in the process of fully determining how it may best utilize the IGSA authority granted by 10 U.S.C. 2679. It has not yet been determined how such agreements will be structured in every case and what provisions relating to many different issues, including those related to small business programs, will be included in such agreements. Completed BCAs submitted to the OACSIM Partnership Office for consideration are required to first have been coordinated with local Small Business Advisors to identify impacts to these programs.

The OACSIM Partnership Office primary points of contact for the IGSA program are:

Mr. Ivan Bolden, Chief of Army Partnerships at (703) 545-4200 or via e-mail at: ivan.g.bolden.civ@mail.mil

Mr. David Leinberger, Army Community Partnership Program Manager at (571) 256-9745 or via email at David.J.Leinberger.civ@mail.mil