The National Park Service is offering this cooperative agreement to create and manage student business plan internship opportunities.

OVERVIEW
The NPS is committed to providing educational and job training opportunities to students so that they can gain a better understanding and appreciation of NPS resources. It has been established historically that through agreements between non-profit organizations and the Service that these resources can be maintained in a cost effective and efficient manner. However, this training has historically been geared specifically towards youth and focused solely on facilities and natural resource maintenance.

The principal purpose of this agreement is to identify a non-profit organization that can cooperatively support NPS efforts to create and manage undergrad and graduate level educational and job training opportunities. These opportunities are designed to promote the long-term health of our national parks by developing and improving financial planning and management tools at the park or program level.

The primary program model for this cooperative agreement is the Business Plan Internship (BPI) program. The BPI program is focused on graduate level students engaged in projects that address specific operational analysis needs of park units and/or program offices. BPI interns are grouped in 2 or 3 person teams and placed on-site, to complete multi-week week projects. Project management is provided by the Washington Office of the Comptroller’s Business Management Group.

For the purposes of this agreement, the NPS Business Management Group (BMG) acts as the on-the-ground expert on all financial and business management tools used within the Service. NPS involvement is necessary to provide the expertise needed to guide the planning process and provide technical assistance on completing management analysis documents. The NPS provides program management.

The partner organization provides in-depth administrative and logistical support for the program. Partner expertise in managing all administrative functions of the program is essential to the successful and timely completion of projects.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Jointly administer an internship program focused on improving the financial and operational health of our national parks and NPS programs. The internship program should provide students with in-depth NPS financial and operational training, exposure to park and/or program level operations, and the opportunity to conduct substantive analysis and evaluation which lead to recommendations on how best to achieve NPS operational goals.
• Promote and stimulate student interest in NPS education and job training programs related to financial and operational analysis and/or management.
• Encourage students from disciplines (MBAs, MPPs, etc) underrepresented in public service to explore jobs in the public sector.
• Build a lifelong stewardship ethic for public lands in students from top universities.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The NPS will:
• Provide meaningful assignments to summer interns by determining the parks and/or program offices that will participate in the BPI program and matching the interns with appropriate projects.
• Provide appropriate project management and oversight and ensure quality control or all project deliverables/work products.
• Establishes applicant requirements and selection criteria used to choose interns; conduct interviews and make intern selections.
• Provide training to interns and ensure that they are properly prepared for all work that they perform. Training and project management will also be provided throughout the project to enhance the participants’ understanding of park/program mission and goals.
• Provide all necessary equipment and work site transportation for interns.
• Provide housing, contingent upon availability.

The Partner will:
• Establish a marketing plan to advertise internship programs at top level graduate programs across the country, based on past experience and NPS guidance as well as independent research. Outreach to minority and underserved groups will be a priority.
• Manage internship postings/announcements, collect and organize application material, and provide the NPS with all qualified applications.
• Coordinate communication with applicants and potential interns regarding the status of their application and hiring procedures.
• Organize information sessions and interviews at agreed upon targeted graduate schools.
• Coordinate and manage the internship hiring process, including necessary paperwork, payroll, travel, etc.
• Organize logistics for the internship training and internship wrap-up events.
• Arrange for travel, stipend payment and insurance for interns.
• Coordinate post-project evaluation of interns and provide feedback to NPS in order to improve program process for future interns.

The NPS and Partner together will:
• Substantially cooperate to the fullest extent possible to assure that the efforts of each party are coordinated and result in the fulfillment of the principal purpose of this agreement.
• Substantially participate and collaborate in the management and performance of the scope of work by reviewing and approving one stage before approving the next stage of work.

OVERVIEW
The NPS is committed to providing educational and job training opportunities to students so that they can gain a better understanding and appreciation of NPS resources. It has been established historically that through agreements between non-profit organizations and the Service that these resources can be maintained in a cost effective and efficient manner. However, this training has historically been geared specifically towards youth and focused solely on facilities and natural resource maintenance.

The principal purpose of this agreement is to identify a non-profit organization that can cooperatively support NPS efforts to create and manage undergrad and graduate level educational and job training opportunities. These opportunities are designed to promote the long-term health of our national parks by developing and improving financial planning and management tools at the park or program level.

The primary program model for this cooperative agreement is the Business Plan Internship (BPI) program. The BPI program is focused on graduate level students engaged in projects that address specific operational analysis needs of park units and/or program offices. BPI interns are grouped in 2 or 3 person teams and placed on-site, to complete multi-week week projects. Project management is provided by the Washington Office of the Comptroller’s Business Management Group.

For the purposes of this agreement, the NPS Business Management Group (BMG) acts as the on-the-ground expert on all financial and business management tools used within the Service. NPS involvement is necessary to provide the expertise needed to guide the planning process and provide technical assistance on completing management analysis documents. The NPS provides program management.

The partner organization provides in-depth administrative and logistical support for the program. Partner expertise in managing all administrative functions of the program is essential to the successful and timely completion of projects.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Jointly administer an internship program focused on improving the financial and operational health of our national parks and NPS programs. The internship program should provide students with in-depth NPS financial and operational training, exposure to park and/or program level operations, and the opportunity to conduct substantive analysis and evaluation which lead to recommendations on how best to achieve NPS operational goals.
• Promote and stimulate student interest in NPS education and job training programs related to financial and operational analysis and/or management.
• Encourage students from disciplines (MBAs, MPPs, etc) underrepresented in public service to explore jobs in the public sector.
• Build a lifelong stewardship ethic for public lands in students from top universities.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The NPS will:
• Provide meaningful assignments to summer interns by determining the parks and/or program offices that will participate in the BPI program and matching the interns with appropriate projects.
• Provide appropriate project management and oversight and ensure quality control or all project deliverables/work products.
• Establishes applicant requirements and selection criteria used to choose interns; conduct interviews and make intern selections.
• Provide training to interns and ensure that they are properly prepared for all work that they perform. Training and project management will also be provided throughout the project to enhance the participants’ understanding of park/program mission and goals.
• Provide all necessary equipment and work site transportation for interns.
• Provide housing, contingent upon availability.

The Partner will:
• Establish a marketing plan to advertise internship programs at top level graduate programs across the country, based on past experience and NPS guidance as well as independent research. Outreach to minority and underserved groups will be a priority.
• Manage internship postings/announcements, collect and organize application material, and provide the NPS with all qualified applications.
• Coordinate communication with applicants and potential interns regarding the status of their application and hiring procedures.
• Organize information sessions and interviews at agreed upon targeted graduate schools.
• Coordinate and manage the internship hiring process, including necessary paperwork, payroll, travel, etc.
• Organize logistics for the internship training and internship wrap-up events.
• Arrange for travel, stipend payment and insurance for interns.
• Coordinate post-project evaluation of interns and provide feedback to NPS in order to improve program process for future interns.

The NPS and Partner together will:
• Substantially cooperate to the fullest extent possible to assure that the efforts of each party are coordinated and result in the fulfillment of the principal purpose of this agreement.
• Substantially participate and collaborate in the management and performance of the scope of work by reviewing and approving one stage before approving the next stage of work.