Grants & Assistance
Getting it Right – Federal Grant Time and Effort Reporting
Five years after full implementation of Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 2: Grants and Agreements, Part 200: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, commonly referred to as Uniform Guidance (2 CFR § 200), time and effort reporting, or Compensation – personal services (2 CFR § 200.430) is still a compliance risk for non-Federal entities.
read moreCAP Goal 8 – The Grants Reform Saga Continues
Somehow, I let talking about the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goal 8: Results-Oriented Accountability for Grants, slip into my grant blog schedule. Let’s just call it CAP Goal 8 — everyone else does.
read moreSeven Steps for Tackling the 2019 Single Audit Compliance Supplement
The Office of Management and Budget informed the grants community on June 28 that the 2019 Compliance Supplement (aka 2 CFR 200, Appendix XI) would be available on July 1. I’m sure that grants auditors and geeks like me took this as a sign to get ready for a not-so-relaxing read during the holiday week. I also took the additional step to review the recently released SF-SAC for fiscal periods ending in 2019, 2020, and 2021 in detail.
read moreEarning a Certificate Can Help You Win Federal Grants
Each stage of the grants lifecycle has countless details that an applicant must understand in order to navigate Federal grants funding. One of the best ways to ensure your organization gets the most funding possible and manages that funding appropriately is to have certified grants specialists working on your team. Here are some ways earning a Grants certificate could help you and your organization through each step of the grants lifecycle.
read moreSuffering from #NGMA2019 and OMB Overload?
It has taken me a bit to write my #NGMA2019 post. To be fair, I camped out for the first time in 30 years the weekend after and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued not one, but two memos the same week. More on that in a minute…
read moreTGIF and HAPPY #IGPD 2019!
I was harried as I wrote this. I don’t know about you, but I feel like the post-shutdown, winter-to-spring activities, hay fever spigot has been turned on. Wait…Make that fire hydrant.
read moreWhat Does the Federal Shutdown Mean for Grants?
There have been updates, announcements, new grant requirements, and changes to current grant requirements every month throughout 2018, leading to anticipated reforms in 2019 and beyond.
read moreStrengthening Federal Evaluation: Meet in the Middle?
The middle is hard because policy making is an emotional and often reactive process. And grants, which are policy tools, are often the instruments evaluated to inform policy, effectiveness, and compliance.
read moreThe Reform Proposal’s Potential Impact on Federal Grant Making
Any significant adjustments to an organization, be it mergers or eliminations, have a significant impact on the people affected. Sitting on a client site in 2004 during years one and two of the Department of Homeland Security taught me that change management and culture considerations are as important, if not more, to the success of the change as the gained efficiencies.
read moreTime to Skim the 2018 Single Audit Compliance Supplement
Not every agency included changes in this supplement. This makes sense as we anticipate release of the 2019 Compliance Supplement in early 2019, and many policies, regulations, and authorizing statutes have been stable during the past two years. That said, the number of programs included in the Department of Education (ED) section is striking – and reflective of the many policy changes that have been implemented since Secretary DeVos took over.
read moreWhat makes audit findings so Special?
“The specific requirements for Special Tests and Provisions are unique to each Federal program and are found in the laws, regulations, and the provisions of contract or grant agreements pertaining to the program. For programs listed in this Supplement, the compliance requirements, audit objectives, and suggested audit procedures for Special Tests and Provisions are in Part 4 – Agency Program Requirements or Part 5 – Clusters of Programs.”
read moreThe Compliance Conundrum With Federal Grants: National Grants Management Association 2018
It’s a conundrum that is consistently top-of-mind for many of us. At the individual project and program levels, sometimes we’re able to get from compliance to performance, but getting there for all $700B in annual federal grant spending is a whole new ballgame.
read moreChoose Your Own Adventure: Certificate or Certification?
Whether you’re looking at a certificate (which I think of as yours to keep) or a certification (re-cert requirements needed), you need to consider where you want to be. Either option is an investment in your skills, knowledge, qualifications, and marketability.
read more2 CFR 200: What You Need to Know in 2018
or the last year, the grants community has been expecting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to incorporate a number of grants-related laws into 2 CFR 200. OMB officials have commented that they are working on amendments, but have not provided an estimation on when the changes will be announced.
In anticipation of the changes, it is important for the grants community to be aware of the legislation that may potentially be incorporated into 2 CFR 200.
read moreGrant Pros + Bay Views = #GPAConf2017
I don’t know about you, but I tend to go in to a post-conference social media coma. Something has to give between coming off the professional development high and the dive back into the day-to-day low. And if you follow me, you know that I like to live tweet my conference experiences. It’s a fun, interactive way for me to talk about notes. And I needed them to write this post.
read moreTales from the Classroom
Over the last few months, I have traveled across the country teaching the full range of Management Concepts’ Grants curriculum to Federal employees and grant recipients. I view my time in the classroom as a mutually beneficial experience: Participants learn our grants curriculum and I learn from participants about their specific grants management challenges and best practices.
read moreBuilding Sustainability For Your Funding
One of the questions I’ve received most often since joining Management Concepts is, “Where else can I get funding?” This question goes to one of the weakest areas in the grant community: Sustainability. In this context, I’m not talking about the triple bottom line or climate change. It’s something much more basic: The resources that will keep your grant project going once funding source A is gone. Because deep down we all know that no funding stream lasts forever.
read moreOMB Releases 2017 Compliance Supplement
Here go my highlights from what you need to know from this year’s edition.Like last year, there aren’t too many changes. In fact, the Federal Register Notice lists the changes so that you don’t have to hunt and peck. From there, I recommend going straight to Appendix V within the 2017 Supplement for more details.
read moreA Midsummer Summary of Changing Grants Policy, Part 2
Part two of our two-part series takes us through more changes to grant policy made by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during their busy summer.
read moreA Midsummer Summary of Changing Grants Policy, Part 1
While summer is generally the time for taking a long vacation from work, officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have been busy revising grant policies.
read moreDATA Act Compliance Has Arrived
Three years of planning the implementation of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act) came to fruition on May 9, 2017 as Federal agencies were required to begin reporting spending by using governmentwide, standardized data elements.
read moreGrants Legal Issues Grab Headlines
When Congress originally authorizes a grant program, its original intent can be very different from the implementation of policies in the here and now.
read moreData and Grants: Patterns and Performance
The ability to identify and communicate patterns—through performance measurement in grants work—is an essential skill in an environment of limited resources for policy implementation.
read moreThe Presidential Budget and Federal Grants
OMB has only released a budget blueprint, which provides a high-level statement of policy goals. OMB expects to release the full budget later this spring. Even without the line-by-line budget requests detailed in the full budget, the budget blueprint does provide significant guidance for the grants community.
read moreOde to Grant Professionals
Have you ever had a run of unexpected events that seems to leave you knocked down? But you get up again and again. If you are lucky enough to be a grant professional, when you get up, you’ve often got someone pushing or pulling you up. Here are my top 5 reasons why.
read moreThe New Administration Signals Potential Changes for Grants Management
Since the inauguration, the Trump administration has taken significant action, through executive orders and memorandums, which may affect Federal grants. The extent to which grants management will be impacted is still unclear; however, it is important for Federal awarding agencies and grant recipients to keep themselves informed.
Here’s our rundown of what’s happened, what’s happening, and what’s on the horizon.
read moreHow a Member of the Grants Community Prepares for 2017
What a year 2016 was, and I’m not just talking about what you’re reading in your Facebook and Twitter feeds. It’s early January, and it’s time to make my top 5 New Year’s resolutions for work. Feel free to share yours with me – because as we know in the grants world, crowd-sourcing is essential.
read more2 CFR 200 Turns Two: The Research Community Seeks Greater Independence
With the implementation of 2 CFR 200, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sought to bring uniformity to grants management. What we are now beginning to see is the desire by some non-federal entities to begin exerting their independence and to have more flexibility with their federal awards.
read moreFive Months Until the DATA Act Deadline: An Implementation Update
On December 8, 2016, the House Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing entitled “DATA Act Implementation Check-in.” The Subcommittee heard from representatives from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and three Federal agencies. On the same day as the hearing, the GAO released a new report, “DATA Act: OMB and Treasury Have Issued Additional Guidance and Have Improved Pilot Design But Implementation Challenges Remain,” which examined the government’s progress to meeting the law’s requirements.
read more#GPAConf16: Good Times and IDC Dreams
I had such a good time at the 2016 Grant Professionals Association National Conference that I think I need a week to recover. I enjoyed meeting and reconnecting with colleagues from around the country who are dedicated to making the world a better place through grants.
But there is a dark side to going to events like this—you might go to a session on a topic that causes you to look at things from another perspective. And this perspective interrupts your dream cycle with scenarios and spreadsheets on indirect cost (IDC) rates.
read moreOpen Data: Your Future, Your Now
I took the opportunity to reflect on these broad topics together while I attended the Data Transparency 2016 + White House Open Data Innovation Summit.
read moreFederal-Wide Research Terms and Conditions
Last October, the National Science Foundation (NSF) published proposed Research Terms and Conditions (RTCs) for Federal awards. The proposed RTCs update the …
read moreThe DATA Act: Expanding Open Data and Transparency
Last week, I had the opportunity to present Management Concepts’ “Get Your DATA Act Together” webinar. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act …
read moreDATA Act Implementation Impact
If you’ve already read the two DATA Act reports issued by the GAO since late July, you already know that the government watchdog has documented its concerns…
read moreOMB Releases 2016 Compliance Supplement and the Revised SF-SAC Form
Last week, I wrote about my daily disappointment in waiting for the release of the 2016 Compliance Supplement and the revised SF-SAC Form. Well, good news, both…
read moreAnticipation Builds for OMB Audit Guidance
For the last few weeks, the first thing I do after making my first cup of coffee is to frantically check the Federal Register. I open my browser, click on the…
read moreSustainability – Looking Beyond Federal Funding
Last week, I had a generational difference moment during the week’s Grant Chat – using virtual reality as a method of communicating and demonstrating grant…
read moreGrants.gov: Applying for Grants Made Easier
As most grants applicants have experienced, applying for a grant is a team effort. Individuals may be tasked with separate responsibilities, such as developing…
read moreFederal Grants in 2016 – Pulse Check
We’ve reached that point in the year when we start thinking about next year’s Federal Grants Update course. This process starts with reviewing our FGU 2016…
read moreGrant and Cooperative Agreement Selection Reviews Matter
One of our main themes in our Federal Grants Update 2016 is risk mitigation. One of set of standard procedures every Federal grant and cooperative agreement manager…
read more#NGMA16 Wrap Up
Pshew! I hope all of this year’s National Grants Management Association (NGMA) Annual Training Conference attendees have recovered. I know that many of us were in…
read moreUnderstanding the Federal Budget Process for Grants
The Federal budget process can be a difficult concept to comprehend. I am in the (extreme) minority when I say that I find the budget process fascinating. For four…
read moreNGMA 2016 – Agenda Reflects Grants Community Challenges, Concerns
When NGMA released its final conference agenda last week, my gut reaction was, “Yep. These topics are spot on. This is where many of my colleagues in the Federal…
read moreIGPW: Grant Professionals – Leading at All Levels
Management Concepts is proud to sponsor once again this year’s International Grant Professionals Week (IGPW). We’d like to take a moment to recognize the impact of…
read moreDeveloping and Evaluating Performance Measures
The implementation of 2 CFR 200 has required Federal awarding agencies and pass-through entities to revise and revaluate processes for grants administration. Perhaps…
read morePresident Obama Signs the GONE Act
On January 28, 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Grants Oversight and New Efficiency Act (GONE Act) into law. Congress designed the GONE Act to hold Federal…
read morePerformance Measurement in the Pre-Award Phase
In the last year, the grants community has had to adapt many new practices and processes to implement the requirements found in 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance)…
read moreFederal Grants Update 2016 – Learning from Experience
Because 3,500+ of you completed Federal Grants Update in 2014 and 2015, we realized that we had the opportunity to go a bit deeper into the key issues surrounding…
read moreWhat to Expect in 2016?
Last month, one of my blog posts examined some of the significant developments for grants administration in 2015. Last year was, to put it mildly, a very busy year…
read moreResolve to Make 2016 a Great Grants Year
Happy first workday to the 2016 grants community! If you’re like me, I have given up on making New Year’s resolutions at home. I like chocolate, wine, and enjoying…
read moreA Year in Review for the Grants Community
December 19 marks the one year anniversary of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) releasing the interim final rule for the Uniform Guidance. In the last year…
read moreShow Me the Data?
If there is one theme I have tattooed in my brain as a result of all the conferences I’ve attended this quarter, including the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) National…
read moreCongress Approves Two-Year Budget Framework
Last month, President Obama and Congress agreed to a two-year budget. The budget increases Federal discretionary spending by $80 billion over the two year period…
read moreMeet me in St. Louis #GPAConf2015
It’s hard for me to believe that I’m getting on a plane next Wednesday morning for St. Louis for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) 17th Annual Conference…
read more2 CFR 200: A Living Document
It has almost been a year since 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance)…
read moreCheck Your Stakeholders’ 2 CFR 200 Knowledge
This is a bit of a mea culpa. At the end of the summer, I checked in with you on your Uniform Guidance implementation. One thing I asked you to do is, “Don’t assume…
read moreGrants at Home
My Sunday morning ritual includes a walk with my son to our neighborhood farmers market. It’s a mix of the donut truck, county council candidates, and farmers and…
read moreWrap it Up – Grant Closeouts
Today I had the opportunity to preview some of the initial work for our upcoming FAPIIS webinar. It’s exciting to work on something new and informative. Then my…
read moreRisk Assessments Under 2 CFR 200
The grants community is under increasing scrutiny and pressure to protect Federal funds from waste, fraud, and abuse. 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) establishes…
read moreSo, How Is Uniform Guidance Implementation Going?
Some of you might be thinking, “It’s only four months until Christmas.” I’m thinking, “wow, only four months until the Uniform Guidance first anniversary. So how…
read moreCorrective Action Plans: Opportunities for Improvement
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of the billions in Federal Financial Assistance were spent without any violations, overpayments, or nefarious actions? While the…
read moreUnique Federal Grants Challenges for Tribal Entities
This week we’ll focus on some of the particular issues that arise, both in general and under the Uniform Guidance, when a grant recipient is a tribal entity…
read moreFunded or Perish
Twenty years ago next month, my family and I boarded a plane bound for Baltimore and my freshman year at Johns Hopkins. While I never set out to be a researcher…
read moreFAPIIS is Here – What You Need to Know
On July 22, 2015, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the final rule to implement the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)…
read moreOMB Releases the 2015 Compliance Supplement
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the long-awaited 2015 Compliance Supplement this week. The Compliance Supplement is annual guidance designed…
read moreSurvey Says: Take Federal Grants Update 2015
Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our 2015 survey. The Management Concepts team is combing through the results now as part of our continuous update process for our Grants & Assistance…
read moreProcurement Policies and the Uniform Guidance
In a previous blog post, we discussed changes to procurement policies in the 2 CFR Part 200 – Uniform Guidance: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit…
read moreGrants Professionals Appreciation Week
Management Concepts is a proud partner of this year’s International Grant Professionals Week. I especially appreciate that the Grant…
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