Core Courses

• None

Elective Courses

• Business Analysis and Requirements Management Master Track
• Project Management Master Track
• Agile in Government Master Track
• Program Management Certificate Program

Mandatory

Suggested

The Federal Grants Process

• Differences between Discretionary and Mandatory Grants and How They Impact the Grants Process
• Stages in the Grants Process
• Roles of Program and Grants Management

The Requirements Framework

• Federal Requirements Affecting Grants
• Statutes
• National Policy Requirements
• Programmatic Requirements
• The Uniform Guidance
• Grant Terms and Conditions
• Internal Agency Policies
• Order of Precedence
• Exercise: Which Authorities Apply?

Establishing Program Requirements

• Purpose and Function
• Difference Between Guidelines or Regulations
• Rulemaking Under the Administrative Procedure Act
• Who Is Responsible for Developing Program Regulations and Guidelines?
• Suggested Steps
• Suggested Contents
• Exercise: What’s in Program Regulations and Guidelines?
• Review and Clearance
• Publication and Dissemination
• Exercise: Evaluating the Adequacy of Program Guidelines and Regulations

Instrument Selection

• The Role of The Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act
• Defining Substantial Involvement
• Inappropriate Instrument Selection
• Effect on Pre- and Post-award Administration
• Fixed Amount Awards

Announcing Funds Availability

• Competition on Discretionary Grants
• Single-Source Awards and Unsolicited Applications
• Developing Application/State Plan Instructions
• Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO)
• Purpose of Grants.gov
• Characteristics of Evaluation Criteria
• Researching and Writing Evaluation Criteria
• Establishing the Relative Importance of the Criteria
• Drafting Substantial Involvement Descriptions in NOFOs
• Grants.gov
• The Federal Register
• Direct Contact
• Federal Agency Websites
• Providing Technical Assistance

Application/State Plan Review and Evaluation

• Relationship of Applicant Plans to Agency Performance Goals
• Assessing Feasibility of Project Plans
• Exercise: Assessing Feasibility of Applicant Project Plans
• Understanding Costs and Grant Budgets
• Allowability, Allocability, and Reasonableness
• Exercise: Assessing the Reasonableness of Discretionary Grant Project Budgets
• Merit Review of Discretionary Grants

Monitoring Techniques and Job Tools

• Definition and Purpose of Monitoring
• How Long Should Monitoring Continue?
• How to Maintain Accountability and Transparency
• Monitoring Awards Against Federal Award Agreement Requirements
• Risks and Resources
• The Monitoring Plan
• Desk Reviews
• Site Visits

Progress Reporting

• Progress Report Requirements under OMB Circular 2 CFR 200
• Providing Feedback
• Monitoring Progress
• Financial Reports
• Monitoring Receipt of Reports
• Resolving Problems Identified in Reports
• Documenting Report Review and Followup

Prior Approvals

• Responsibilities of Agency Personnel
• Grant Prior Approvals
• Expanded Authorities
• Procedures for Requesting and Granting Prior Approval
• Resolving Problems Identified in Monitoring Prior Approvals

Audits

• Applicability of Audit Requirements
• Inspector General Audits
• Government Accountability Office Audits
• Agency Responsibilities
• The Compliance Supplement and Program-Specific Audit Guides
• The Federal Audit Clearinghouse Database
• Obtaining the Single Audit Reporting Package
• Mining the Audit Report for Monitoring Information
• The Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs
• Prior Audit Findings
• Exercise: Using the Single Audit as a Monitoring Tool
• Audit Disallowances and Followup

Resolving Recipient Problems

• Unintentional Problems
• Intentional Problems
• Technical Assistance
• Negotiation
• Remedies for Noncompliance
• Exercise: Responding to Fraud and Abuse
• Recipient Appeals of Adverse Actions

Ethics and Legal Requirements

• What are Ethics?
• Applicable Authorities
• Grants Situations That May Lead to Ethical Dilemmas
• Determining the Appropriate Course of Action
• Ethics Resources
• Restrictions on Information Collection and Release

Closeout

• What Is Closeout?
• Report Submission
• Disposition of Property
• Settlement of Accounts
• Exercise: Creating an Action Item List