Behind the Curtain at TCG

TCG Wins Place on Inner City 100 for Fourth Year Running

TCG has been named by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 fastest-growing inner city companies in the United States for the fourth year in a row. TCG ranked 46th on the 2013 list. The Inner City 100 program recognizes successful inner city companies and their CEOs as role models for entrepreneurship, innovative business practices, and job creation in America’s urban communities. Click here to read the full news release.

TCG Participates at NGMA’s 35th Annual Grants Training Conference

TCG recently participated as one of the exhibitors at the 35th Annual Training Conference of the National Grants Management Association (NGMA), which was held May 5-8, 2013, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. With 34 grants management engagements at 9 Federal agencies, TCG has more experience in federal grants management than any other company. Click here to read the full press release.

They're Here to Help

Site visits are for grantees, not federal agencies, says National Science Foundation officials.

Last week at the National Grants Management Association Annual Meeting a session on virtual site visits -- using shared desktops, conference lines, and videoconferencing -- had an underlying message. As Dale Bell, deputy director of the Division of Institution and Award Support put it, "We are on your side. We want you to be the best you can be."

Bell made it clear that the Cost Analysis and Audit Resolution Branch was not the same as the Office of the Inspector General, and in fact had very different aims. While the IG at NSF (and likely at other agencies) might be looking for fraud, waste, and abuse to eliminate or punish, this group was looking for problems to help solve. 

Because of their focus, Bell and his colleagues at the presentation --Tamara Bowman, team lead for the Award Monitoring and Business Assistance program, and Alex Wynnyk, chief of the Cost Analysis and Audit Resolution Branch -- did not take the IG's suggestion to "follow the money" when deciding which sites to visit or audit. The large grantee organizations have the infrastructure to ensure compliance, they reasoned. It is the smaller universities and research centers with smaller grants, in the $3 million to $10 million range, that need the most help from the Cost Analysis and Audit Resolution Branch.

Part of the branch's charge is to get institutions ready for audits by helping them set up good processes and follow them appropriately. With those processes in place and followed, there should be no waste, fraud, or abuse. No institution wants to be the subject of an IG report, which is read by members of Congress (who then point fingers).

So if you have a grant, welcome those desk audits and site visits: sometimes when the Feds call, they're on your side.

 

 

A Script to Automatically Update Clamav Packages - 2013

Five years ago I posted a script to automatically download and compile the latest clamav (an excellent open source multi-platform antivirus program).  Due to the reorganization of sourceforge, it needed to be updated.  Here it is:

#!/bin/sh
############################################
## Documentation:
## Please modify the url variable to the mirror closest to you.
############################################
#url="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/clamav/clamav/0.97/clamav-"
#urlend="?use_mirror=superb-sea2"
url="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/clamav/clamav-"
urlend=""
latest=`lynx -dump "http://www.clamav.net/download/sources" \
| grep "Latest stable release:" | awk '{print $5}' | head -1`
wget $url$latest.tar.gz$urlend && \
printf "The latest version of clamav or %s has been downloaded!\n" $latest && \
tar zxvf clamav-$latest.tar.gz && \
cd clamav-$latest
./configure --disable-zlib-vcheck &&
make && \
make install && \
printf "Ok I am updating to the latest virus definitions for \
version %s by running freshclam.", $latest && \
freshclam && \
cd ..

Yet another PMP at TCG!

Yet another TCGer has achieved his PMP certification! Congratulations to Devin Brewer, who worked incredibly hard to achieve this career milestone.

All TCG project managers are required to obtain the PMP certification because it helps us manage projects successfully and achieve significant recognitions for our company and our customers.

TCG Announces Participation at NGMA’s Annual Grants Training Conference

TCG will be one of the exhibitors at the 35th Annual Training Conference of the National Grants Management Association (NGMA), which will be held May 5-8, 2013, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. With 34 grants management engagements at 9 Federal agencies, TCG has more experience in federal grants management than any other company. Click here to read the full press release.

OMB Recognized as 2013 Computerworld Honors Laureate

IDG’s Computerworld Honors Program has announced that the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) MAX Federal Community has been named a 2013 Laureate. The annual award program honors visionary applications of information technology that promote positive social, economic and educational change. TCG supports OMB IT initiatives in a multitude of ways, and is proud to be associated with such a high-achieving organization.

Millennium Challenge Corporation Awards Software Development Contract to TCG

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)—a U.S. government foreign aid agency that supports investments in developing nations across the world to enhance economic growth and reduce poverty—has awarded TCG an order under the CIO-SP3 Small Business Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) for software development, modernization, and enhancement services with a base year and four one-year options. Click here to read the full news release.

OMB to Host Webinar about Proposed New Federal Grants Regulations

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will host an informational webinar with members of the grants community on February 8, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. regarding OMB's proposed grants reform initiative. No advance registration will be required for the webinar, which will be available via a link on cfo.gov. The documents associated with the proposed reforms are now available for review and comment on regulations.gov under docket number OMB-2013-0001.

NGMA Announces Call for Nominations for Annual Awards Program

The National Grants Management Association (NGMA) has issued a call for nominations for its Annual
Awards Program. The purpose of NGMA’s Annual Awards Program is to:

• Recognize achievement and express appreciation to professionals who demonstrate standards of excellence in grants management expertise;
• Encourage and inspire other grants industry professionals to recognize their potential and elevate their grants management competency; and
• Express appreciation to NGMA’s partner organizations, key stakeholders, and associated colleagues who assist and support NGMA’s mission on many levels.

Click here for more information on the awards categories and to access the nomination form. Award nominations are due by March 1, 2013. TCG is proud to support NGMA as a Director Level Corporate Sponsor.