Calculation of Indirect Costs and Available Flexibility Bonnie Graham, Esq. Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Fall Forum 2014

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Total Cost of Federal Awards 2

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Costing Options: 3 1. Direct Charge 2. Cost Allocation Plan (CAP) 3. Indirect Costs/Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC What are Direct Costs? 4  Costs that can be identified specifically with a particular final cost objective ( (a))  “Cost objective” means a function, activity, award, organizational subdivision, contract or work unit for which cost data are desired and for which provision is made to accumulate and measure the cost  EX. Compensation of employees for effort on the performance of the award; materials and equipment; travel expenses 

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC What are Indirect Costs? 5  Costs incurred for common or joint purposes benefiting more than one cost objective  Cost cannot be readily and specifically identified with a particular cost objective without effort disproportionate to the results achieved  EX: Accounting; Human Resources; Payroll; Legal Division; Utilities 

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Definitions  “Administration” is defined as general administration and general expenses such as the director’s office, accounting, personnel, and all other types of expenditures not listed specifically in “Facilities”  Nonprofits – includes library expenses  IHEs – library expenses included in “Facilities”  “Facilities” is defined as depreciation on buildings, equipment and capital improvement, interest on debt associated with certain buildings, equipment and capital improvements, and operations and maintenance expenses  Appendix III, B. 1. 6

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Selected Items of Cost 7 Advisory Council allowed only if authorized by statute OR as an indirect cost where allocable to federal awards, Bonding costs required in the general conduct of operations, (c) Commencement and convocation costs allowable only as indirect student activity costs Unused leave payments must be charged indirectly, (b)(3)(i)* Proposal costs should normally be treated as indirect costs (may be charged directly only with prior approval by federal agency), Rearrangement and reconversion of facilities are allowable as indirect costs,

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC How Are Indirect Costs Charged to Federal Awards? 8  Calculation: It’s a fraction!!  Top: “Indirect Cost Pool”  Bottom: “The Base”  Can be “Total modified direct cost base” or “Salaries and Wages”, etc.

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Top: Indirect Cost Pool 9  EX: Accounting; Personnel; Legal; Utilities  All employees must be paid with nonfederal funds (even though giving some benefit to federal programs)  Would not keep time distribution records (as long as not split between indirect and direct)

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Bottom: “Modified Total Direct Cost Base” 10  All direct costs (All federal and nonfederal expenses)  Must show benefit to federal program  Minus:  Equipment  Alterations/renovations  Portion of each subaward / subcontract exceeding $25,000 (i.e., only first $25k is included in base)

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Applying the Rate 11  Apply rate (percentage) to the base (apply to your current year direct costs minus capital expenditures, etc., NOT entire grant!)  That “reimbursement” has no federal accountability

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Wrong Way/Right Way: Modified Total Direct Cost Base (MTDC) 12

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Applying the Rate - Frequency 13  Can claim indirect costs periodically (monthly, quarterly, annually)  Must be based on actual expense already incurred (i.e., couldn’t take all at beginning of year)

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Restricted Indirect Cost Rate 14  Special rules for non supplant programs  Restricted indirect cost rates  EDGAR 34 CFR

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Restricted Indirect Cost Rate 15 Purpose – Disallows inclusion in rate calculation of admin expenses that would otherwise be incurred Formula: General management costs and fixed costs Other expenditures

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Restricted Indirect Cost Rate 16 General Management Costs Direction and control of agency Organization wide Certain Occupancy and space Fixed Costs Retirement, social security, pension Unemployment compensation Property, employee, health and liability insurance

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Restricted Indirect Cost Rate 17 General Management Does Not include Divisional administration (component costs) Governing body Chief executive officer Chief executive officer of any component Operation of immediate offices of those officers

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Restricted Indirect Cost Rate 18 Other expenditures (MTDC) Grantee total expenditures Occupancy and space Costs related to chief executive officers Costs related to components Does Not include Subgrants (and subcontracts) Capital outlays Others

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC How To Get An Indirect Cost Rate? 19  Non-federal entities apply to “cognizant agency for indirect cost”  Unless specified by OMB, generally the “cognizant agency” is the federal agency with the preponderance of direct funding.  “Cognizant agency” authority may be delegated to nonfederal agencies  For example, SEAs have methodology approved through “delegation authority” from ED. LEAs apply to SEA.

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Submission of Indirect Cost Rate Proposals Organization Chart 2. Cost Policy Statement 3. Financial Reports 4. Personnel Cost Worksheet And Allocation, Direct Versus Indirect 5. Statement of Employee Benefits 6. Indirect Cost Rate Proposal(s) reconciled with the financial report of budget. Total Costs Concept. 7. A completed Certificate of Indirect Costs 8. Support Schedules (equipment, depreciation, terminal leave payments, subawards) 9. Listing of grants and contracts

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Submission of Indirect Cost Rate Proposals 21 ED’s Indirect Cost Group  Risk assessment – streamlined review of indirect cost applications for low-risk grantees  Negotiation of rate:  Disagreements resolved by Chief Financial Officer  ICG Review of LEA plans:  “Exceptions” must be included in the plan (e.g., charter schools or smaller districts)  Amend the plan with changes (e.g., to add regional service centers, charter schools)

Indirect Cost Policies and Procedures Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC 22  Need documented procedures on how to develop indirect cost rate. Procedures should cover:  Approval process (timeframe, bases of data used)  Classification of costs (identification of direct v. indirect)  Unallowable costs (selected costs in UGG, examples, treatment of unallowable costs)  Excluded costs (consistent with UGG, examples)  Types of rate (provisional, final, fixed, predetermined)  Other issues:  Charter schools and Regional Service Centers  Treatment of food costs

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Super Circular Omni Circular Uniform Grant Guidance 23

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Consistent Application of Negotiated ICRs 24  Federal agencies must accept a non-federal entity’s negotiated indirect cost rate  A different rate may be used for a class of Federal awards or single Federal award only if:  Required by statute or regulation, e.g. ED Restricted Rates, or  Approval of Federal awarding agency head (per delegations authority) based on documented justification  Further, deviations from negotiated rates must be publicly available, established in policies, and included in announcement of funding opportunity  Federal awarding agency must notify OMB of any approved deviation  Section (c)

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: De Minimis Rate 25  Non-federal entities may receive a de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of MTDC if the non-federal entity never had a negotiated indirect cost rate  Received without any review of actual costs  De minimis rate is allowable for use indefinitely  Section (f)  But: State or Local Government and Indian Tribe receiving over $35M - Not eligible (Appendix VII)

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Requirements for Pass-through Entities 26  Pass-through entities must provide an indirect cost rate to subrecipients, which may be the de minimis rate.  Section

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Requirements for Pass-through Entities FAQs:  Not required for nonfederal subawards  No limit on number of layers of subrecipients  Pass-through required to reimburse indirect costs even if temporarily using state funds while waiting for Federal funds  Advance agreement of Fed agencies to determine single indirect cost rate for blended subawards 27

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Requirements for Pass-through Entities FAQs:  Subrecipients are not required to establish ICR – may direct charge all costs  Pass-through cannot force proposed subrecipient w/o a rate to accept less than de minimis rate  If pass-through refuses to honor federally negotiated ICD, “remind” them of obligation under UGG 28

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Extension of Negotiated ICR 29  Entities with an approved federally negotiated indirect cost rate may apply for a one-time extension, without further negotiation subject to the approval of the negotiating federal agency  Extension for “up to” 4 years (may be fewer)  Must renegotiate after extension to ensure rates continue to be based on actual costs  Section (g)

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Extension of Negotiated ICR FAQs:  “Current negotiated rate” means the rate in effect (not expired) when the entity requests the extension  Includes only “predetermined” and “final” rates (not “provisional” or “fixed” rates)  Documentation requirements to support extension “should be kept to a minimum”  Requests submitted 60 days prior to due date of next proposal for indirect costs (later, case-by-case)  Fixed rate with carry-forward cannot be extended. Must first negotiate a final or predetermined rate, which then could be extended.  Section (g) 30

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Direct v. Indirect Costs Administrative Costs 31  Salaries of administrative and clerical staff should be treated as “indirect” unless all of following are met: 1. Such services are integral to the activity 2. Individuals can be specifically identified with the activity 3. Such costs are explicitly included in the budget 4. Costs not also recovered as indirect  Section

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Administration vs. Indirect 32 Administrative costs may be direct OR indirect Administrative Cost Cap  Limit applies against total grant amount  Grantee should list administrative costs in budget breakout

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Administration vs. Indirect 33 All costs of administrative activities count towards the administrative cost cap  Must review Indirect Cost pool and identify which costs meet program definition of administrative  Admin cap will NOT limit indirect costs associated with programmatic / non-administrative costs!!!

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Consistent Treatment 34 NO Double Dipping!!!!

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC NEW: Indirect (F&A) Costs Identification and Assignment 35 IHEs: Appendix III  1.3% Utility Cost Adjustment  OMB and Federal Agencies reviewing cost implications of full reimbursement of actual costs Nonprofits: Appendix IV Treatment of participant support costs expanded to all types of organizations

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC What’s Next? 36  Federal Agencies have until Dec. 26, 2014 to finalize conforming regulations  Agencies must get OMB approval if they want to promulgate more restrictive rules  OMB approval is NOT required if agency simply “clarifies” OMB rules  BUT - EDGAR Part 76 (restricted rates) is not part of the UGG  Indirect Cost Group: Expect changes on restricted rates, but not by the Dec 26 deadline. Will issue separate regulations.  Changes to the cost allocation guide “on the horizon”

Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC 37  This presentation is intended solely to provide general information and does not constitute legal advice or a legal service. This presentation does not create a client-lawyer relationship with Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC and, therefore, carries none of the protections under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct. Attendance at this presentation, a later review of any printed or electronic materials, or any follow-up questions or communications arising out of this presentation with any attorney at Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC does not create an attorney-client relationship with Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC. You should not take any action based upon any information in this presentation without first consulting legal counsel familiar with your particular circumstances.