Dear Colleagues:
It’s 30 September 2013 and as of this writing, there is still no agreement to either a new operating budget or passage of a Continuing Resolution that would enable the U.S. Government to continue its operations beyond midnight tonight. Like you, we are watching and waiting to see what will happen as the discussions and negotiations within Congress and the White House continue throughout the day today.
With the unknown comes many questions about what to do tomorrow (and beyond?) in the event of a government shutdown. Last week’s communication intended to lay the groundwork for guidance and this memo adds more specific instructions based on new information gathered. Your division and department managers are working together to make sure that the impact on the company and employees is minimized. Jay, the DVPs, and contracts staff are developing processes to make sure that project directors and related staff understand the status of their contract and labor can be managed most effectively.
Although we have heard from some of our clients, such as USAID, SSA, and HUD, that on-going contract work and grants will be largely unaffected by a shutdown, the information below should assist staff in making decisions as to ‘what to do’ in the event of a government shutdown:
1. If the contract on which you work is funded, and no Stop Work Order has been issued by the Contracting Officer, Abt is required to continue to work consistent with the terms of the contract.
2. If the Contracting Officer has issued a Stop Work Order on the contract on which you work, performance may not continue. In this case, your management team will provide further direction to you, and which will include information on how to complete your timecard.
3. In the event that access to facilities, people, or tools and data is effectively denied as a result of the shutdown and continued performance is not possible, this will be considered a “constructive Stop Work Order” and c your Division Management will provide more specific instruction.
Again, any Abt employee assigned to work at a government facility should follow the guidance from their on-site supervisor and inform their Division Management what they are being told. In the event that an Abt staff member is not allowed to go to their government office, they should arrange to come to the nearest Abt office and check in with their Division Management.
Rest assured that Jay and the DVPs are already discussing the temporary reassignment of staff affected by a government shutdown. We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide you with further updates as they may become available. Should there be any questions, you are welcome to contact your Contracts Representative or me directly.
Regards,
Lisa Ashcraft | Vice President, Contract Operations | Abt Associates
4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 800 North | Bethesda, MD 20814-3343
O: 301-347-5915| F: 301-634-1801| lisa_ashcraft@abtassoc.com
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