Grants Blog

Federal Grants Update 2012 Is On The Way!

Lisa — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:52:53 +0000

We’ve just posted information about our annual Federal Grants Update course to the Management Concepts web site. This one-day seminar is a great way to keep track of the latest developments in grants management and to learn about pending changes that may impact your day-to-day grants work. This year we’ll be discussing OMB’s plans for consolidating and [...]

GRANT Bill Focuses on Preaward Issues, Single Audits

Lisa — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:03:38 +0000

There has been a lot of talk in Congress about grants accountability, but mostly in the realm of post-award administration. Now comes a bill that addresses those topics before an award is made. HR 3433, the s-called GRANT Act, would call for some rather dramatic shifts in the way discretionary grants are awarded. For example, federal agencies [...]

OMB Creates New Grants Policy Council

Lisa — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:26:59 +0000

The Office of Management and Budget has just created a new Council on Financial Assistance Reform to ”foster more efficient and effective federal financial management.” The council will work with the Government Accountability and Transparency Board and federal agencies to: coordinate the development and implementation of a standardized business process, data standards, and IT work with key stakeholders to eliminate unnecessary regulatory, [...]

New Real Property Reporting Form Released

Lisa — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:13:47 +0000

The Office of Management and Budget has approved a new Real Property Status Report Form, providing grantees with a governmentwide form for reporting on real property status or seeking disposition instructions. The General Services Administration published the form (SF-429) as interim final last September, but OMB returned it to GSA in December 2010 for further revisions. OMB [...]

Join the Conversation About Recovery Act Oversight

Lisa — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:03:01 +0000

Log in next week (Oct. 17-24) to join an online conversation discussing ways to prevent fraud and abuse in federally funded Recovery Act programs. This week-long public dialog is sponsored by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and the National Academy of Public Administration. While the scope of this discussion will focus primarily on oversight of Recovery Act [...]

Agencies Told To Spend Remaining Recovery Money

Lisa — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:21:30 +0000

In a recent memo, the Office of Management and Budget told federal agencies to send out the remaining Recovery Act funds as quickly and efficiently as possible — or they could be returned to the federal treasury in two years. OMB said ”there remain billions in discretionary Recovery Act funds that, although they have been obligated, have not yet [...]

GAO Releases “Semi-Final” Yellow Book

Lisa — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:50:08 +0000

December Update: It is now final. In mid-December, GAO released the final version of the Yellow Book. Click on the link below to access the standards, as well as a summary of the major changes. GAO just released a new version of the Yellow Book that “contains the intended content for the final 2011 Revision of [...]

Let OMB Know What You Think About the FFR

Lisa — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:49:08 +0000

Do you have comments on the usefulness of the Federal Financial Report (SF-425), how it could be improved, other ways to collect the same information, or similar ideas about the collection of financial information? Well, OMB wants to hear from you. In the July 28 Federal Register, OMB invited comments on the renewal of the SF-425. [...]

Comments Sought on Potential Changes to 2 CFR 220

Lisa — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:47:43 +0000

Federal agencies are asking for your help in finding ways to reduce the administrative burdens and costs associated with cost principles compliance in federally sponsored research projects. Colleges, universities, grants offices, associations, and others involved in research have until July 28 to offer their ideas. For several years, a federal interagency task force has been looking [...]

What’s the Future of Grants Management?

Lisa — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:50:58 +0000

Yesterday, a House subcommittee held hearings on “Improving Oversight and Accountability in Federal Grant Programs.” Officials from OMB, GAO, federal agencies, and the private sector all testified. And while (in my opinion) there was not a lot of new information or new ideas, the fact that Congress is now paying more attention to grants management [...]