1. Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the Office of Employee Development (OED) National Training Center (NTC) Fee-for-Service component; to explain its objectives, scope, and the responsibilities of those individuals using or managing the component; and to establish policies and procedures for the component's use and operations.
2. Component Objective. The objective of the NTC component is to provide a mechanism without fiscal year constraints for reimbursing the NTC for training services performed for Water Discipline programs, other USGS Disciplines, and other Federal agencies (OFA), as well as for cooperator employees.
3. Scope. The NTC is a Fee-for-Service component of the WCF. This facility is located at the Denver Federal Center. The NTC provides the technical and managerial services necessary to conduct USGS training programs. These programs include, but are not limited to (1) specialized training for USGS employees, cooperators, and international participants in many areas of hydrology, hydraulics, water-resources investigations, and computer applications; (2) management seminars; and (3) various special workshops. All services are provided on a reimbursement basis, with the price of each training course calculated to cover all direct and indirect costs associated with each course (in compliance with Chapter 4, sec. 3.C (1)–(3)).
The NTC is an instructor-based training facility. The support staff at the NTC provides approximately 30 classes annually, and these are attended by about 450 students. Except for a few courses that are offered through correspondence or offsite, the courses are presented in classrooms at the NTC. A small number of classes include either field demonstrations or exercises and field trips. Conference rooms are used generally by local groups, and the teleconferencing facility is used primarily by non-Water personnel. The NTC serves as a focal point for Water and other USGS Discipline workshops, seminars, and meetings during which the groups are supplied with breakout rooms, telephone service, copying services, and so on. The course coordinators and instructors are drawn from Water Discipline scientists and engineers who are nationally and internationally recognized authorities. These individuals serve as the primary training staff for all training sessions. Experts from other Disciplines of the USGS, other Government agencies, universities, and industries also serve as lecturers and special consultants.
A. The Deputy Director is responsible for the following:
(1). Providing the Chief, NTC, and staff with guidance on component policies and procedures and periodically reviewing the NTC component for compliance with these policies and procedures.
(2). Providing internal reports and financial plans to the Bureau Budget Officer on the operation and financial condition of the component.
(3). Approving initial and revised component instructional plans and providing component oversight, including pricing schedules and other necessary documents.
B. OED Chief (Approving Official) is responsible for the following:
(1). Complying with the policies and procedures of the component and notifying the Deputy Director of any discrepancies or problems.
(2). Developing the annual operating budget and instructional plans for the NTC component.
(3). Certifying that component funds are available prior to the approval of an expenditure request.
(4). Preparing necessary financial reports.
(5). Maintaining all necessary documentation for the NTC component.
(6). Reviewing and developing annual pricing schedules.
A. Pricing.The NTC operates on a full-cost-recovery basis. The fees are reviewed annually. Courses are scheduled and announced throughout each fiscal year (fig. 1). Employees are nominated and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The acceptance of employees into a particular course serves as a client agreement. The fees cover all direct and indirect costs associated with the training course.
B. Interagency Agreements. The Budget Execution and Finance Committee develops a standard Bureau agreement form.
(1). The NTC captures and evaluates cost data for operational decision-making and fee setting.
(2). Systems and services must be identified in discrete classifications such that costs related to each category of service can be accounted for, accumulated, and reported.
(3). Costs must also be categorized as direct, indirect, or overhead (in compliance with Chapter 4, sec. 3.C (1)–(3)). The methodology for calculating overhead rates must take into consideration the following factors:
(A). NTC support labor costs - Systems management (that is information technology), facilities and management services, personnel functions, financial management, procurement, and contracts.
(B). Other support costs - Equipment, supplies, printing and reproduction, miscellaneous contractor services, and travel.
(C). Depreciation and amortization.
(D). Indirect rates must be reviewed annually to determine whether any significant changes in activity have occurred that require the gathering of new source data (1) upon which to apply the overhead methodology and (2) for the calculation of an updated overhead rate.
(1). It is the policy of the NTC to bill clients upon acceptance into a course.
(2). External customers are billed through the appropriate billing mechanism. (that is, IPAC or bankcard)
E. Budget. The operational budget is dependent upon courses planned. The OED Chief is responsible for projecting budget requirements and monitoring expenditures against the approved budget.