Grants Part III Managing Subgrants

1. Grants Part IIIManaging Subgrants Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

2. Two Areas of Management Responsibility • Program Management • Fiscal Management Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

3. Think Your Programs & Process Through • Program Goals, Policies and Issues • Make sure the project is completed • Financial Policies, Systems and Processes • Make sure the funds were spent apropriately Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

4. Know What FEMA Requires • State HMGP Administrative Plan documents the process used to administer the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program • FEMA Grant Management Training • New guidance from other Department of Homeland Security grants Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

5. Know What Your State Wants • State Hazard Mitigation Plan and other policy • State financial management policies • Available resources and systems (state and federal) Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

6. For the HMGP State Administrative Plan there are 16 FEMA “required” elements. Reference Table in Guidebook. Criteria for Administrative Plan Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

7. Financial Procedures • Need to be defined prior to making grant awards • Tracking and reimbursing costs (project & admin) • Making advance payments • Identifying and paying for allowable costs • Withholds and final payments Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

8. Applications Types of Projects Types of Applicants Contact Information Payment Information Open and Closed Projects Project Status Disasters Lock-in (HMGP only) Obligations by Project Federal Payments State Payments Match Contributions Subgrantee Admin Grantee Admin Management Costs Tracking Applications and Grants: What’s important? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

9. Announcing the Program • Announcing that funds are available • Local officials? • Mailing lists? • Briefings to elected officials and the press? • Using the web? • General public briefings? • Press releases? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

10. Grant Application • Your grant application • Develop with all phases in mind - announcement to close-out • Will other state agencies need information from the subgrantee? • Format - paper or web based? • Time frame for submitting back to state? • Penalty for late submissions? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

11. Help Subgrantees Stay on Track • Providing Technical Assistance • Toll free or hot lines? • Staff with knowledge to assist? • Field visits? • E-mails? • Q and A’s posted to web site? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

12. Reviewing Applications • Reviewing Applications • Will you create a database to track all applications? • Will a team review all applications or will you review and prioritize? • The Applicant • Is the applicant eligible? • Is the applicant capable? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

13. Reviewing Applications • The Project • What’s the scope? • Is it a state priority? • Is it cost-effective? • Is there a budget with a non-federal match? • Is it reasonable? • Is it categorically excluded? Will it require an EA or EIS? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

14. Submitting Applications to FEMA • Will your State Hazard Mitigation Team prioritize? • Submitting to FEMA • Entering into NEMIS • Notifying applicants that were not submitted to FEMA - don’t delay bad news • FEMA denials? What is your appeal process? • Notifying applicants who receive a FEMA award? • Press releases? Individual letters to mayor? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

15. Monitoring Subgrantees • Quarterly Reports • Purpose - monitor progress/report to FEMA • Incentives - can withhold payment if not submitted • Format - paper or web based? • Techniques for Collecting Data • Site visits - purpose, when/how, what if you find something? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

16. Monitoring Subgrantees • Getting Paid • How will a subgrantee require reimbursement? • Standard state form? • What type of documentation will you require? • Keeping track of all payments to subgrantee including administrative costs Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

17. Monitoring Subgrantees • Methods of Monitoring • Periodic or Quarterly Reports • Site Visits • Reviewing Reimbursement Requests • Problems • Schedule • Scope of Work • Budget • Loss of the non-federal match - what do you do? Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

18. Monitoring Subgrantees • Making changes • Review the same as an application • Budget increases require B/C • Schedule within agreed limits of program • Scope cannot constitute a new project Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

19. Monitoring Subgrantees • Other remedies • Suspend payments • Request Audit • Terminate the grant • Terminating a Grant • State initiated • FEMA initiated Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

20. Close Outs • What is required? • Site visit: Reviewing progress & paperwork • Can subgrantee account for all funds expended? • De-obligating unused funds • Final payment to subgrantee • Are you the “auditor”? No. • Audits • Single Audit Act • Special Audits • Responding to Audit findings Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers

21. Review State Administrative Plans, Applications, Forms, etc. • Take this time to either: • 1. Review the State Administrative Plans the students brought with them, or • 2. Take excerpts from good State Administrative Plans and review them collectively with the class, or • Pass out and review sample grant applications, quarterly reports, request for reimbursement, etc. Reviewing real-life examples will be more effective to the students than simply talking about it Network of State Hazard Mitigation Officers