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10 Common Procurement Mistakes Under Federal Grants (and How to Avoid Them)
Speakers: Jayna Marie Rust, Thompson Coburn LLP
Audit or review findings, loss of funding, and disputes with contractors…all recipients want to avoid these, but what are they? This session will highlight some of the common mistakes that recipients make when procuring goods or services with/involving federal grants, as well as why the mistakes can be problematic. Led by a federal contracts and grants attorney, this session will also discuss how these mistakes can be avoided.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify common issues in procurements
- Identify instances when legal guidance is necessary or helpful in the procurement process
- Outline how certain procurement issues may be avoided
Course Level: Intermediate
Prerequisite or Advanced Preparation: Have some prior awareness of the procurement policies and procedures applicable to grant recipients. Deep knowledge is not required, but this is not an introductory course.
Auditors Gone Wild
(Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Jillian Neimeister, AmpliFund (Session Facilitator), Carol Kraus, Illinois Governor's Office of Management & Budget (Retired), and Lori A. Beeler, Illinois Governor's Office of Management & Budget
Just when you think you’ve heard it all… Join this session as this dynamic panel shares audit horror stories about those audited and those auditing. You’ll walk away with clear takeaways on what to include in your Audit Request RFP, information on how to hire a qualified CPA, and an understanding of processes and reviews to have in place to reduce labor hours and the duplication of efforts.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to hire a qualified CPA firm to conduct your Single Audit
- Learn what to include in your Audit Request for Proposals
- Understand the right processes and reviews to have in place to reduce labor hours and the duplication of efforts
Course Level: Intermediate
Be The Source—Developing Stronger Ties with Your Grant Staff Even When Swimming in Hostile Waters
Speakers: Ashley C. Ross, CDC Foundation
Grants management is a complex business requiring an often many-layered approach from initiation to spending to reporting to invoicing all the way through closeout. Many of us find ourselves as the in-between—not working and spending “in the field” and maybe not even invoicing and approving reports—but having to track and report on all aspects. This requires a quick tap toe dance with our internal and external partners to pull all the information to you as well as maintaining strong relationships where the internal partners may see you as compliance or auditing. How do we manage it and how can we become the “source” where all grant personnel naturally and easily come to you to share, to question and to be the one trusted person who can advocate for them?
Learning Objectives:
- How to identify your strengths as a partner
- How to build better relationships even in seemingly hostile circumstances
- How to become the source and trusted partner/advocate
Course Level: Basic
Beyond Compliance: Improving Subrecipient Monitoring for Better Outcomes
(Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Lisa Stinson, Crowe, LLP (Moderator), Glenn Richter, Department of Health and Human Services, Lori Beeler, Illinois Governor's Office of Management & Budget and Lashon Brown, Valencia College
Subrecipient monitoring is a Uniform Guidance requirement to ensure grantees are administering programs in accordance with federal requirements. From pre-award risk assessment to post-award monitoring to closeout, recipients have responsibilities to assess subrecipients’ compliance. Lack of training and other factors pose risks to prime recipients seeking to comply with requirements and improve outcomes. This panel discussion will present proven techniques and best practices to more efficiently assess, monitor and manage the subrecipient monitoring process.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the monitoring activities performed at each stage of award and expectations related to subrecipient monitoring
- Demonstrate a more collaborative and effective subrecipient monitoring process with all stakeholders (subrecipient, program monitors, and fiscal monitors)
- Understand best practices and tips performing risk-based monitoring
Course Level: Intermediate
Beyond the Metrics: Telling Your Grant Impact Story
Speakers: Tim Podkul and Nicole Togno, Fors Marsh
Federal grant reporting requirements sometimes fall short of capturing the breadth and depth of the impact of grant programs. As federal agencies increasingly emphasize evaluation and outcome metrics, it’s critical for grant recipients to effectively share how their work affects the communities they serve. This session will introduce and demonstrate strategies grantees can use to tell their impact stories through partnerships, proposals, evaluation plans, and dissemination activities.
Learning Objectives:
- Understanding of how the move toward federal evidence building may affect grant recipients
- Strategies for leveraging performance data beyond reporting requirements
- A toolkit grants managers can use to tell their impact story to funders, partners, and constituents
Course Level: Basic
Buy America Requirements for Federally-Funded Infrastructure
Speakers: Scott Sheffler and Phillip Escoriaza, Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act created new Buy America standards for all federally-funded infrastructure. Federal agencies have approached the new requirements in varied ways, including, in some cases, through waivers delaying implementation or excepting categories of projects. FTLF attorneys Scott Sheffler and Phillip Escoriaza will discuss these new statutory requirement, implementing OMB guidance, comparative sources of interpretive guidance, and the status of federal implementation.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the new statutory requirements
- Discuss compliance obligations and strategies
- Analyze areas of ambiguity and potential comparative sources of interpretive guidance
Course Level: Intermediate
Coming Together to Ensure Quality, Compliance, and Expediency in the Disaster Management Reimbursement Process
(Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Rebecca Silva Gonzalez and Diana Soler, Falcon Sanchez & Associates, Zulma Rovira Perez, COR3-Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency, Government of Puerto Rico, and Billie Pearsall, ICF International
An introspective review of the process of the federal funds received by Puerto Rico from natural disasters and the pandemic. How we have managed to work together to improve and enhance the grants management process within a centralized government system to improve the disbursement of funds while focusing on compliance. Where we were, where we are and where we aim to be: a story of collaboration to attain a common goal.
Learning Objectives:
- Increase the awareness of the issues and approaches that affect an expeditious and effective approval and disbursement of funds requests
- Improve the process and controls for the disbursement of funds in compliance with guidance requirements
- Enhance the communication and collaboration in processes and procedures between state government, and its collaborators (subcontractors) to process funding requests more effectively and efficiently, reviewing qualifications, and approval of funds while maximizing compliance
Course Level: Intermediate
Conquering the Single Audit—Best Practices for Making Your Organization "Audit-Proof"
Speakers: Sarah K. Hluchan, Management Concepts, Sly Atayee and Joseph O’Meara, BDO
When you work with your auditor, do you understand what criteria they’re actually reviewing against? What are auditors looking for during a Single Audit? What are best practices for audit preparation? This session provides best practices and advice from federal compliance experts, including a real-life auditor, to help grantees prepare for the Single Audit and maximize their chances for a clean audit report.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the basics of what an auditor reviews with examples of what testing is completed
- Understand recent trends in audit findings with tips on how to avoid them
- Explore best practices for mitigating risks around audit findings and setting up for success
Course Level: Overview
Considerations for Educational Agency and Education-Focused NGO Recipients of ARPA Coronavirus State and Local Government Fiscal Recovery Funds: A Case Study in the District of Columbia
Speaker: Lee Hagy, District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
Nationally, education agencies and subrecipient education-focused NGOs are taking creative, evidence-based approaches to help students recover from the negative impacts of the COVID-19pandemic. This session will offer a case study of how American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds are being used to help students in the nation's capital and present lessons learned that may assist other grant managers at SEAs, LEAs and education-focused NGOs as they administer ARPA funds in their jurisdictions.
Learning Objectives:
- Mandatory Items to Include in RFAs, Grant Award Notifications, and Communications for ARPA-funded Education Projects
- Identifying key distinctions between traditional U.S. Department of Education (USED) grants, such as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and the use of ARPA Department of Treasury funds to supplement these grant activities
- How to strategically adjust programs that work and plan to scale long-term solutions for successful ARPA-funded pandemic education recovery programs
Course Level: Intermediate
Crafting Clear Subaward Agreements
Speakers: Sly Atayee and Dan Durst, BDO
This session is specifically designed to address the challenges faced by pass-through entities when issuing subawards. We will review the required elements of a subaward agreement and discuss additional terms and conditions that go above and beyond to ensure there is a seamless subrecipient relationship in post-award. If your organization issues subawards to subrecipients, this is a can't-miss session.
Learning Objectives:
Attendees will have an understanding of the required elements of a subaward agreement and also come away with best practices for crafting subaward agreements that enable smooth administration in post-award.
Course Level: Intermediate
Current State of Grants Management—Based on Grants Survey 2022 Results
Speakers: Rujuta Waknis and Heather Morgan, REI Systems
The audience will hear the results of our Annual Grants Survey. They will learn about the grants community, understand best practices, challenges and lessons learned, be able to compare themselves against similar organizations and also hear about initiatives that have contributed to other organizations’ successes.
Learning Objectives:
- Current state of grants management as it relates to grants processes, training, technology, data and policies
- Common issues and challenges faced by the grants community that includes federal, state, local and tribal governments, non-profits and grant recipients
- Factors that lead to success based on the survey responses
Course Level: Overview
Data-Driven Post-Award Risk Assessments: Leveraging Dynamic Data Inputs and Processes
Speakers: Lucy Mungle, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (DOJ OJP) and Matthew Nelson, Deloitte
This session will describe how the DOJ OJP is able to leverage dynamic data to produce post-award risk assessments. The DOJ OJP data landscape recently shifted to the deployment and use of the JustGrants grants data monitoring system. Within JustGrants, dynamic real-time data is gathered as stakeholders interact with the system. Leveraging the innovative dynamic data inputs and processes have allowed for the generation of more robust, transparent, and timely post-award risk assessments.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how DOJ OJP is leveraging dynamic data sources in risk assessment in a way that is mindful of the continuously changing landscape of grant risk and grant management
- With DOJ OJP as the example, learn how approaches, plans, tools and techniques have changed with using dynamic data sources for post-award risk assessment measurement creation
- Leave with a new perspective on how enhancements to risk assessment are made possible by using real-time dynamic data. This can be critical for many funding agencies and prime recipients in efforts to meet requirements and to overcome challenges with resource constraints and evolving risks to meeting the goals and objectives of grant programs
Course Level: Intermediate
Directed Grants in the New Congress: Earmarks- What are They, How They Work, What are the Terms?
Speakers: Phillip Escoriaza and Edward ("Ted") Waters, Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP
With ample bipartisan support, earmarks returned to the congressional appropriations process and continue being a formidable, yet often overlooked source of directed funding for nonprofits. In this session we will cover what earmarks are, will review the terms and conditions key funders, including HHS and other federal agencies, impose in administering congressional earmarks and will share with participants ideas on how your Institution should formulate a strategy for getting on the earmarks list in the new Congress.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand differences between authorizing legislation and appropriations, what appropriation riders are and their legal effect
- Review the legal underpinnings of earmarks, what they are and how Congress earmarks funds
- Discuss terms and conditions federal awarding agencies apply to earmarked funds
Course Level: Intermediate
FEMA: Procurement Under Grants Training
Speakers: Isabel Fitzgerald and Nielsen Leon, FEMA
FEMA's Procurement Disaster Team (PDAT) will lead this session on the federal procurement rules applicable when purchasing under a FEMA award. This training is intended for any non-federal entity (states, tribal governments, territories, local governments, non-profits, hospitals, houses of worship, and institutions of higher education) interested in learning more about the federal procurement rules. This session will also address hot topics, such as emergency and exigency procurements, required contract provisions, socioeconomic contracting, competition, and more.
Learning Objectives:
- Gain a general knowledge of the Federal Procurement Rules
- Learn how to avoid the most frequent findings of procurement non-compliance
- Know where to access key resources and tools for information on procurement under FEMA awards
Course Level: Overview
From CARES to IRA: Maximizing Federal Funding for Long-Term Impacts
Speakers: Andrea Veach and Deb Harris, ICF
With so much pandemic relief and infrastructure funding in the pipeline, state, municipal, local, and tribal governments (and practitioners who work with these jurisdictions) need to have a general understanding of opportunities for transformative, long-term, and sustainable investments in their communities. Let us walk you through funding sources, how to leverage them to maximize the impact of your projects, and think about what comes after you receive the award.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn terminology associated with funding maximization such as leverage, braid, and stack to present grant management strategies to leaders and stakeholders in your communities
- Become familiar with financial planning techniques to incorporate a budget impact analysis into your grant management process
- Gain insights into quick start approaches and keys to being able to stand up a program quickly, then scale it while ensuring a consistent grantee experience and compliance
Course Level: Overview
Grants Closeout—How's Your Backlog?
Speakers: Inga Paredez and Lydia Vollmann, Guidehouse
Closeout is an important step at the end of the award lifecycle that can be challenging for both recipients and awarding agencies. In this session, we will discuss the challenges in closeout, why closeout is important, and the opportunities to improve the process.
Learning Objectives:
- What is grants closeout
- Why is it important to close out an award
- What are the major challenges in performing timely closeout
- How the closeout process can be less burdensome for both awarding agencies and recipients
Course Level: Intermediate
Grants Monitoring—Don't Forget About Subrecipients
(Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Lucy Mungle, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Jennifer Edmonds, State of Michigan and Crystal Wolf, Guidehouse (Moderator)
Grants and other financial assistance is an effective way to support citizens and promote growth of our country through research and development. Grants managers must effectively monitor the grant recipients and sub-recipients to confirm the program meets it’s intended objectives and limits fraud, waste, and abuse.
Learning Objectives:
- Key requirements around grants monitoring
- How to leverage technology to perform monitoring
- Efficient ways to assess subrecipients
Course Level: Intermediate
Grants Quality Service Management Office (QSMO): Striving to Improve the Federal Grants Management Experience
Speakers: Andrea Sampanis and Mary Beth Foley, Grants Quality Service Management Office (QSMO), HHS
The Grants Management QSMO is striving to transform government-wide grants management end-to-end. Despite recent progress to standardize business processes, data, and adopt shared solutions, there remain significant opportunities for the Grants QSMO to improve the user experience and service quality for applicants, recipients, and agencies; streamline and modernize the expansive and aging grants system landscape; and better leverage the buying power of the government to access high quality shared solutions and reduce costs.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the purpose and major initiatives of Grants QSMO
- Understand the purpose of the Grants QSMO marketplace
- Provide feedback on your experience with federal grants management
Course Level: Basic
How to Stay Off the 5 O'clock News: Managing the Risk of Fraud in Grants Management
Speakers: Thomas Stanton, KPMG LLP, Stacey Alles and Gina Salazar, Colorado Office of the State Controller
Issuing grants is a crucial way for state and local governments to help society and fulfill its policy objectives. Yet, disbursing these grants effectively, while ensuring that due diligence checks are carried out consistently and thoroughly, can be a huge undertaking. Increasingly, this is becoming the responsibility of state and local personnel who are tasked with disbursing grants to their communities, in addition to their day jobs. The pandemic quickly launched government grant making into the public consciousness as the government created new ways to support businesses, individuals and, ultimately, the economy. This landscape has become fertile ground for fraudsters. Manual controls to mitigate against fraud are not cut out for government grant making at pace and leave huge gaps for human error. Technology such as artificial intelligence models and natural language processing can play a valuable part in complementing human expertise—helping to identify fraud and enabling steps to prevent it. This can reduce the burden on grant recipients and ensure better compliance and improve the user experience for applicants who increasingly apply for grants online.
Learning Objectives:
In this session, we will show you best practices to automate fraud detection and prevention controls throughout the grant making process so you will be able to identify patterns in applicants behavior, spot anomalies and use insights to make informed decisions and take immediate action against fraudulent activity.
- Identify fraudulent red flags in the grant management process
- Share best practice tools (AI models) that can be used to prevent and detect fraud throughout the grant process
- Fraud escalation—actions you can take when you identify fraud
Course Level: Basic
If You Think Compliance is Expensive, Try Non-Compliance!
Speaker: Stacie Massey, State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management
With the influx of federal funds available for COVID-19 and infrastructure, it is important more than ever to have a solid compliance framework. Legacy policies and procedures may no longer support the evolving grants landscape within your organization. Time invested in evaluating and developing a sound framework will help mitigate future non-compliance and the potential for repayment of funds. This session will discuss elements of a compliance framework, the key areas of the Uniform Guidance that should be considered and provide some real-life examples of the cost of non-compliance.
Learning Objectives:
- Understanding cost principles and other major sections within the federal Uniform Guidance and the risks of non-compliance;
- Awareness of sections within the Uniform Guidance that require policies and procedures; and
- Ability to evaluate current organizational policies, procedures, and practices to identify areas of risk at meeting federal compliance requirements.
Course Level: Overview
I'm a New Grants Manager, HELP!
Speaker: Sabrina Renteria, FSA Advisory Group
It’s like they say, if you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know where you’re going. In the grant world, it’s imperative to know where the grant came from, how you obtained it, and its purpose to know how to move forward with it. This session will provide an overview of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA), Notice of Awards (NOA), and provide you with tips and tricks to prepare you for success!
Learning Objectives:
- Ability to navigate an FOA and understand your grant’s purpose (know where you came from)
- Ability to read and understand a Notice of Award letter (know how you got it)
- Best practices to manage your grant (know how to move forward with it)
Course Level: Basic
Importance of Utilizing Indirect Cost Rates and Direct Administrative Costs
Speakers: Mara Ash and Cindy Watson, Business & Financial Management Solutions, LLC
Indirect costs and direct administrative costs are similar, but they are not the same. Very often, these costs go unclaimed and are misunderstood by grant managers. Come learn the purpose of each, how to use them to recover organizational administrative costs, and how to treat the costs once recovered.
Learning Objectives:
- Compare the similarities and the differences between indirect costs and direct administrative costs
- Investigate if documentation is needed to claim costs
- Explore how to use recovered costs
Course Level: Basic
Keeping Your Grant Train on Track—Avoiding Ethics and Conflict of Interest Derailments
Speaker: Kathy Brunot, University of Alabama
This session will focus on ethics and conflict of interest situations that can derail your grant projects and potentially result in serious legal ramifications for your organization and future grant eligibility. We will look at some case studies, policies, and training curriculum that can strengthen your grant program to avoid these situations.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about a code of ethics in the grants profession and how unethical behavior can affect grant projects
- Learn about the different types of conflict of interest and how they can affect grant projects
- Develop a framework for applying ethics and conflict of interest in grant proposals
Course Level: Basic
Leveling the Playing Field with Environmental Justice: Making Grant Applications, Reviews, and Panel Evaluations Fair and Equitable
Speakers: Cheryl Kelly, Olivier Brunet, Megan Brown, and Lydia Woods-Boone, National Park Service (NPS), State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division
Environmental Justice (EJ) is meant to ensure the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people. Participants will learn about the current work of the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group which creates healthy and sustainable communities by bringing together the federal family to address critical EJ issues. Specific case studies will be provided of grant application processes, compliance reviews and panel evaluations that all have changed in response to EJ objectives.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn about Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations and the establishment and current work of the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group.
- Participants will discover the various EJ tools available to better craft, evaluate federal or state undertakings and financial assistance opportunities.
- Participants will hear specific case studies of grant criteria that seeks to better serve minority and low-income communities or those traditionally under-represented in grant awards.
Course Level: Update
Management Review and Corrective Action
Speaker: Mara Ash, Business & Financial Management Solutions, LLC
Management reviews and following up on corrective actions are the oft-forgotten components of subrecipient monitoring. Why? And what can we do to bring the overlooked back into the fold? In this session, we will discuss strategies to streamline management reviews and corrective action follow-up to ensure we are mitigating risk without adding more work.
Learning Objectives:
- Investigate management reviews roadblocks
- Examine reasons why corrective actions aren’t followed to resolution
- Integrate management reviews, corrective actions and risk
- Discover how this integration can improve monitoring and reduce findings and questioned costs
Course Level: Basic
Mitigating Grant Fraud and Other Compliance Issues
Speaker: Ken Dieffenbach, U.S. Department of Energy, OIG
This session will cover both the basics and emerging issues related to fraud and other compliance issues. We will discuss recent cases as well as prevention and risk mitigation strategies.
Learning Objectives:
- The ability to identify common fraud risks in grant funded programs, including organizational and personal conflicts of interest, issues related to compliance with award terms and conditions, and theft of funds
- Concepts related to fraud prevention and risk mitigation, such as employee and other stakeholder training, key internal controls related to procurement actions and payroll transactions, and appropriate oversight of agency credit cards and other financial tools.
- An understanding of emerging issues related to the recent federal infrastructure spending laws, including recipients receiving funding from multiple sources, research security issues, and enhanced government grantor oversight measures including the use of data analytics.
Course Level: Intermediate
OMB Update
Speakers: Deidre Harrison and Nicole Waldeck, Office of Management and Budget
OMB Officials will highlight the activities and policy directives in the grant areas, focusing on the implementation of the 2 CFR Revisions, the federal government roll-out of COVID -19 and Infrastructure Investments funds and the directives of the President’s Management Agenda related to grants.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn the highlights of the 2 CFR revisions, its implementation issues by federal agencies & recipients and frequently asked questions
- Know the agency implementation and resources regarding the massive COVID-19 and Infrastructure Investments Funds, including OMB interactions with the audit & oversight communities
- Become knowledgeable on the overall objectives and directives of the 2022 President’s Management Agenda and how it will impact grants management.
Plenary Panel Discussion: Ethics and Conflicts of Interest Plenary Panel
How different roles in grants management mitigate and respond to challenges in ethics and conflicts of interests.
Learning Objectives:
- Identifying challenges
- Managing political and public pressures in grants management
- Best practices to avoid and address pitfalls
Panelists:
Jaishiri Mehta, Senior Counsel, Dept of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General
Tanya Johnson, Grants Compliance Officer, Cherokee Nation
Samantha Humphrey, Director of Economic Development, Grant Management and Public Information Officer, Chambers County, Texas
James Ortmann, Senior Counsel, Dept of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General
Moderator:
Claire Hilleary, Senior Manager, Moss Adams
Plenary Panel Discussion: Grants Attorney Q&A Panel
Hosted by the American Bar Association, Grant Law Committee
Attorneys from the American Bar Association Public Contract Law's Grant Law Committee will discuss the top questions they have seen as well as answer the questions you have related to compliance under the Uniform Grants Guidance, stimulus federal funding, and other grants concerns!
Learning Objectives:
• Learn the current top legal issues facing granting agencies and recipients in today’s environment;
• Gain an understanding of industry trends; and
• Listen and learn from questions your peers are asking practicing grant attorneys.
Panelists:
Jana Patterson, Esq., Senior Counsel, Federal Assistance Law Division, U.S. Department of Commerce
Tiffany Kesslar, Esq., Partner, Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Dismas “Diz” Locaria, Esq., Partner, Venable LLP
Andrew Victor, Esq., Attorney Advisor, Acquisition & Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Moderator:
Melissa Prusock, Esq., Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Plenary Panel Discussion: OIG Panel—Recent Findings and Hot Topics
Representatives from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) with experience at four agencies will provide attendees with an update regarding the top issues in grants management, recent findings and the top concerns with a look-ahead.
Panelists:
Marc Meyer, Marc Meyer, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations and Senior Executive for the Front Office, USAID OIG
Chuck Ward, Assistant Inspector General for Audit Operations and Special Reviews, OIG, U.S. Department of Transportation
Kathleen Sedney, Assistant Inspector General for Audits, Inspections, and Evaluations for the U.S. Department of Interior OIG
Ken Dieffenbach, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the U.S. Department of Energy OIG
Moderator:
Kerry Neal, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Grants, and Risk Management, U.S. Department of Education
Preparing for Grant Closeouts
(Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Bert Nuehring, Crowe, LLC (Moderator), Frances Cordell and Christine Beste, Delaware Emergency Management Agency
Successfully closing out grants is a process that can help grant managers be prepared for future audits or program evaluations by oversight bodies. Preparing supporting documentation and obtaining the necessary information from other parties is essential to completing the reports for grant closeout. This session will present information to grant managers on how to ensure that the final reports are received and evaluated for completeness, allowable costs are determined, any amounts due or owed are properly accounted for and that appropriate payment arrangements are made. The session will also provide some useful tools to be used for the closeout process including reconciliation procedures, liquidation of obligations and reporting.
Learning Objectives:
• Learn about the documentation necessary for closeout of the grant
• Identify the steps to be followed throughout the grant life cycle to prepare for a successful grant closeout
• Learn about how to maintain the documents necessary to support grant closeouts
Course Level: Basic
Preparing Your Organization to Handle Mega Construction Grants & Compliance
Speakers: Jodie Kim, Azadeh Meshkaty, and Christine Daoud, Deloitte & Touche LLP
When federal, state, and local agencies receive an influx of large federal grants, such as those funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), they must shift their focus from regular planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operations towards execution of much larger scale new construction projects with key terms, conditions, and legal requirements that must be met. This session discusses the main hurdles faced by these entities. Topics covered include leading practices on how to structure and support federal requirements and how to measure progress and performance to successfully deliver multi-million or multi-billion-dollar, grant-fueled construction programs.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand organizational pressures of receiving large construction grants
- Discuss creative solutions, and the importance of data, to balance workforce constraints and the administration of grants
- Understand contracting for the administration of these program and performing construction
Course Level: Intermediate
Procurement Under Pressure: Requirements, Competition, and Emergencies
Speakers: Brette Fishman, Department of Treasury and Nielsen Leon, FEMA
Understanding procurement requirements for purchases with grant funds may seem daunting. There are different requirements by recipient type, purchase, and circumstances. This session will help demystify procurement requirements, explain when competition is required, as well as how procurement is different under federally declared disasters. It will also address where to find information on deviations from typical procurement requirements for grants and unique requirements for several pandemic response and recovery programs.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand federal financial assistance procurement requirements for different types of recipients
- Be able to identify and apply competition requirements for procurement using federal financial assistance
- Learn how emergencies impact procurement requirements and about idiosyncrasies of procurement for several pandemic response and recovery programs
Course Level: Overview
Selection Strategy—How Do Grant Makers Pick Winners?
Speaker: Nick Sellars, OCM
Fair processes and probity should always govern grant making, but how do decision-makers really deliberate on which applications to fund (and determine who misses out)? Nick Sellars is a Winston Churchill Fellow and Probity Adviser from Australia who researches government grant making in the USA, United Kingdom and Australia. Nick speaks with experience (and Aussie larrikin humour) about how best to design grants and run excellent selection processes.
Learning Objectives:
This session is ideal for government officials and others who design and deliver grant programs. Learn useful concepts from around the world, like: "the grants triangle", "grant shaping", "grant commissioning" and "grant curatorship". Use these new skills to elicit great applications, save time (and cost) in assessment, and strengthen policy outcomes.
Course Level: Intermediate
Stop Wasting Time and Start Subrecipient Monitoring
Speaker: Glenn McCormick, City of Fort Lauderdale
Subrecipient monitoring is often misunderstood. Who is a subrecipient? What is a risk analysis? Learn to escape the paralysis. The failure to properly properly monitor subrecipients may result in lost funding, underutilization, and audit findings. This introductory session will provide a roadmap for subrecipient monitoring, what it involves, and how to implement a subrecipient monitoring plan that complies with the regulations.
Learning Objectives:
- Conduct a risk analysis that complies with 2 CFR 200.
- Plan and perform desk reviews and sites visits.
- Provide technical assistance or implement compliance measures to ensure efficient and effective grant management.
Course Level: Basic
Streamline Processes for Allocating ARPA Dollars
Speakers: Shelby Glover, Chelsea Sadler, Christine Nguyen, and Kevin Pennington, City of Chattanooga
How to effectively distribute ARPA dollars to sub-recipients in a timely manner so that all players know what the process is and can anticipate a timeline of events to execute their projects fully. The session will cover the solicitation process all the way through the selection process and administering of payments until projects are fully implemented. The session can help with allocating other funds through this similar selection process that was required with ARPA dollars.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to implement an equitable selection process to choose ARPA subrecipient subwards
- Learn how to onboard subrecipients to ensure compliance and project success
- Learn how to monitor subrecipients under OMB and ARPA guidelines
Course Level: Basic
Strings Attached: Introduction to Grant Accounting and Compliance
Speakers: Peter James, City of DeSoto and Jennifer Ripka, Weaver
This session covers basics of grant organization (centralized vs. decentralized), grant accounting concepts, internal controls, and compliance. It also includes helpful suggestions for gaining cooperation and compliance within the organization and outlines the basics of subrecipients vs. contractors vs. beneficiaries.
Learning Objectives
- Basics of compliance & cost principles
- Basics of subrecipient monitoring
- Understanding some of the "hidden" costs/challenges of grants
Course Level: Basic
Subrecipient Monitoring—Challenges to Effective Federal Oversight and Transportation Grant Management
(Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Darren Murphy, Aisha Evans, Kathryn Novicky, and Luke Brennan, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation
The DOT Office of Inspector General (OIG) has reviewed grant oversight by the Federal Highway, Federal Transit, and Federal Aviation Administration and found overlap in challenges they face in efforts to ensure subrecipients are exercising efficient and effective stewardship, funds are tracked and monitored, and reimbursement payments are for reasonable and allowable costs. In this session, a panel of DOT OIG managers will discuss findings from their several reports that cut across the various transportation modes.
After attending this session, attendees will be better able to understand and demonstrate knowledge of the challenges federal officials and grantees both face in:
- Monitoring performance of subrecipients,
- Ensuring subrecipients have adequate internal controls, and
- Ensuring subrecipients bill grantees correctly.
Course Level: Intermediate
Creating a Risk Based Monitoring System
Speakers: Tiffany Kesslar, Esq., CGMS and Madelaine Cleghorn, Esq.
Risk, it's not just a fun board game! Pass-through entities must evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance. In addition, all grant recipients must evaluate and monitor their own compliance, which includes an analysis of internal risks that could prevent compliance under a grant award. The difficulty is that many non-Federal entities do not know what that risk assessment should look like or how it could assist in the determination of those top compliance concerns or issues. This session will discuss the top areas of noncompliance, the general protocols of a risk assessment, and walk through an actual risk assessment tool. We will then conclude with what to do when you have an entity that is of higher risk.
- Attendees will learn the requirements to assess risk under the Uniform Guidance as both the grant recipient and for the pass-through entities.
- Attendees will be provided examples of how to create a risk assessment tool.
- Attendees will be provided guidance on how they can reduce identified risks to assist in achievement of compliance.
Course Level: Intermediate
Teaching to the Test! What You Need to be Prepared to Answer During Your First Single Audit
Speaker: Danny Martinez, Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC
This course will walk new grantees through what to expect during their first Single Audit process with a specific emphasis on SLFRF funds. We will cover internal controls over compliance and compliance and leave attendees with actionable advice to crush their Single Audit!
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the scope of the Single Audit
- Learn what the compliance requirements are and how to identify those that are direct and material to your program
- Determine if you have auditable controls over compliance for your federal programs
- Know how to fill gaps and strengthen controls over compliance in those areas where controls are weak
Course Level: Basic
The Code of Trust: Five Steps for Creating Allies
Speaker: Robin Dreeke, Trust Expert, People Formula
Each of us craves psychological comfort, healthy relationships, and being valued by others. But most of us struggle with the communication skills required for success. Based upon his second best-selling book; Robin shares his time as a Master Spy Recruiter and the Head of the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program Human Behavior and his five steps to forging the trust required to not only recruit spies, but the skills required to overcoming skepticism and creating allies for every aspect of life.
Robin will provide an overview of personality assessment and human motivations, five steps to forging trust, and the four keys to communication.
Differences and Similarities: Contract & Grant Management vs. Project Management
Speaker: Peter Dale, Heluna Health
Within grants and contracts, there are many team members contributing towards the overall success of a grant project. Two key positions are the Grant & Contract Manager and Project Manager. Typically, one is focused on the overall grant requirements agreed upon between two organizations and the other project deliverables/outcomes, organizing and managing efforts, timelines and tasks to complete a project successfully. This presentation focuses on difference and similarities of both key positions and how each play an integral role in reaching mutual satisfaction among parties.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the specific skills and experience necessary to be a Grants & Contracts Manager (GCM)
- Specific skills and experience necessary to be a Project Manager (PM)
- Formulate roles and responsibilities of a GCM and PM and how they support clients and funders
- Know the differences and similarities between a GCM and PM and understand and acquire the necessary tools for GCMs and PMs to work together on grants/contracts
- Identify the required ongoing Professional Development and Certifications as a Career Professional
Course Level: Basic
The Secret Life of Grants: Hidden Costs
Speaker: Nicolie Lettini, eCivis
Maximizing and sustaining revenue is more important now than ever. ARPA funding and federal grants are a chief source of revenue across the board for state, local, and tribal governments, and vehicles for achieving resilience. Agencies spend on average 30-40% of total program cost in indirect cost to support federally funded grant programs. However, much of this indirect cost ends up being subsidized by the general fund. It is critical that agencies understand their true costs in order to support their programs long-term and remain rooted in resilience. This session will impart awareness of true program cost, enabling sustainability; and uncover the opportunity for maximizing grant funding.
Learning Objectives:
- Become familiar with the concept of indirect cost and common misconceptions.
- Understand the impact of indirect cost on grant programs, included ARPA-funded programs.
- Learn about the potential to leverage indirect cost rates on past grant funding and claim reimbursement.
Course Level: Basic
Training Grants Staff in a Virtual World
(Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Renee Cooper, GrantSolutions (Moderator), Shaunta Johnson, Department of Health and Human Services, Laura Mahoney, Federal Railroad Administration, DOT
One of the most significant challenges for grant-making organizations across the country in the past few years is training new talent. The rise of remote work has presented unique challenges in this area. Learn practical strategies for training grants staff from the first-hand experience of leaders in the grants community.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will be introduced to the biggest challenges in recruiting and training grants staff and practical steps that can be taken to address them.
- Attendees will learn how to effectively communicate their organization's culture to potential applicants.
- Attendees will learn the benefits of training standardization and eLearning solutions and how to implement them at their organization.
Course Level: Intermediate
Ways to Shape Federal Funding Packages—Not Just Conform to Them
Speaker: Dionne Deschenne, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
Did you know that we as grant professionals and recipient organizations can actually help to shape the funding that is offered? We can! Federal agencies and Congress want to hear from potential funding recipients about what they need funding to cover, and what conditions within funding packages prevent them from making application. The more effectively that we can convey and justify our requests and input, the more readily they can consider and implement it, and we can have access to the funding that our organizations really need! Come and learn how to participate in shaping funding.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss the ways in which funding is allocated and funding packages are created.
- Discuss the mechanisms and methods for conveying needs and requests to funding agencies.
- Discuss the reasons why taking this step is crucial and can be transformative, for recipients, agencies, and taxpayers alike.
Course Level: Intermediate
We Have the Grant, Now What? A Toolbox for Grant Intake and Audit Preparation
Speaker: Carla McMullen, Wake Technical Community College
This session will provide an overview of tools used to intake federal, state, local grants, train grant personnel in administration and compliance with Uniform Guidance and funder terms and monitoring. Auditors review written procedures, and our understanding documents serve this purpose while providing hands-on instructions for grant leads. This session is good for all levels of experience and will share sample tools and trainings used by Wake Tech to effectively administer and monitor over 60 grants annually.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will increase their knowledge in meeting audit requirements for written procedures for grant-related activities.
- Attendees will navigate a sample monitoring tool to gain knowledge of best practices related to documenting grant activities that preserve historical implementation of projects.
- Attendees will gain a better understanding of how to develop Project Director’s Trainings that prepare grant leads in compliance and audits.
Course Level: Intermediate
Welcome to the World of Federal Grants! Now What?
Speakers: Steven A. Spillan and Madelaine Cleghorn, The Bruman Group, PLLC
This session will act as an introduction to administrators who are new to the federal grants arena, focusing on key federal requirements, common mistakes and pitfalls when it comes to compliance and internal controls, and best practices for avoiding audit and monitoring findings.
Learning Objectives:
- Understanding what federal rules apply to all federal grant awards.
- Learning what to look for when it comes to noncompliance, fraud, waste, or abuse in federal awards.
- Gaining insight on best practices for strengthening internal controls and avoiding audit exceptions under federal grants.
Course Level: Basic
What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You: Using Desk Reviews for Grant Compliance
Speakers: Rebecca Davis and Sarah Schroeder, Ellucian
From programmatic to fiscal aspects, grant project compliance is paramount to mitigate risk to awards and achieve project outcomes. Hear about the importance of a structured desk review process to raise awareness, identify areas of weakness, and ensure compliance with grant funder requirements. Grant awards engage departments across the organization, including project staff, finance, HR, IT, and more. An effective desk review increases awareness and helps to operationalize a more structured grant compliance strategy.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to use desk reviews to stay on target with grant objectives and budgets.
- Learn about the four primary areas of the grants management structure in relation to compliance and organizational capacity.
- Learn and discuss best practices for managing projects from grant implementation to project closeout.
Course Level: Overview
Who's the Prudent Person in Your Neighborhood? Identifying and Understanding the Naysayers
Speaker: Johna Rodgers, Johna Rodgers Consulting, LLC
What the heck is a “prudent person,” and why do they get to decide what’s reasonable or not? In this session, we will consider the people in your grant universe who interpret policies and guidance in ways that leave you shaking your head. Participants will learn to see and interpret the rules from their “prudent person’s” viewpoint, enabling better, more proactive decisions that benefit their programs.
Learning Objectives:
- To recognize the prudent people in their sphere of influence
- Strategies to meet and understand prudent people where they are and, therefore, be better able to prevent difficult situations
- To critically interpret internal and external policies and guidelines like a “prudent person” might
- When to fight and when to flee
- Who to call for just-in-time guidance on specific issues
Course Level: Intermediate
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2023 Annual Grants Training Session Descriptions
