Behind the Curtain at TCG

NGP requests Grants.gov improvement suggestions

From our friends at the National Grants Partnership:

The team at Grants.gov is soliciting your input to the below questions concerning the next generation of Grants.gov. We would appreciate if you could provide you thoughts to thengp@aol.com no later than COB next Wednesday, February 10th. We will then organize the responses and send to Grants.gov team. Thank you for your continued interest in a more efficient and effective grants process. -The NGP

Questions:
1. What are the top 5 improvements you would like to see in the current Grants.Gov site?
2. What are the top 5 problem-areas of the current Grants.Gov site? What CAN'T you currently do or what is TOO HARD to do?
3. Outside of Find and Apply functionality, what other aspects of the Grants Management Lifecycle would you like to see in the NextGeneration of Grants.Gov?

Grants.gov wants your enhancement suggestions

Grants.gov has published a form on which applicants can submit suggestions for ways in which the system could be improved. Weirdly, it's a Word document (how about an online form?!) but it's certainly an excellent step to gather customer comments and suggestions to help guide the Grants.gov development path.

Maryland's Merril Oliver Appointed to Presidential Executive Order Workgroup

Hot news just in from NGMA:

The President of the National Grants Management Association (NGMA) and Deputy Director of the Maryland Governor's Grants Office, Merril Oliver, was appointed today to an Executive Order workgroup signed into effect by President Barack Obama, November 2009, to explore "administrative actions designed to improve the incentives and accountability of State and local governments, as well as other entities receiving Federal funds, for reducing improper payments...." Oliver is one of 4 high-ranking state officials on the 16-member workgroup comprised of federal and state representatives.

Oliver states that she is "excited to collaborate with such distinguished colleagues to offer a positive solutions-based approach to reducing improper payments and driving increased accountability for direct measurable results with expenditure of federal funds." The workgroup is charged with offering its recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within 180 days of enactment of Presidential Executive Order #13520.

Congratulations, Merril!

GSA setting up "Grants Management" schedule

GSA is setting up a new "Grants Management" SIN (Special Item Number) on their Financial and Business Solutions (FABS) Schedule, a GSA contract through which Federal agencies can buy services. An industry day is being held tomorrow. Registration info is here. The new SIN will:

"Support and assist federal grants management personnel in all phases of the grants management process including, but not limited to, assessing compliance of grantees' business and financial management systems, assisting awarding agencies in ensuring grantees' responsible and accountable use of grant funds, assisting with ensuring that grantees' performance is in full compliance with grants requirements, assisting government Grants Management Officers, Grant Management Specialists, and other grants management personnel, advising government personnel in managing Grant Financial Management systems, managing the project period of performance schedule, evaluating on-going status reports, final reports, and other deliverable products required under the grant program, and assisting in grant close-out procedures."

1512 Reporting Extended until January 22, 2010

Just got this release via Cornelia Chebinou of the NGP...

Recovery Act Reporting Period Extended until January 22, 2010

WASHINGTON—The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, acting to provide the public with as complete a picture as possible of Recovery Act spending, has decided to allow recipients to submit reports until midnight, PST, January 22.

The change gives an additional week to recipients to get their reports filed at FederalReporting.gov. This is the second reporting period under the Recovery program, and recipient data will be posted on Recovery.gov on January 30.

In a statement, the Recovery Board, consisting of Chairman Earl E. Devaney and 12 Inspectors General, said:

“An overarching goal of the Recovery Act is to make data available to the American public that is as complete and accurate as possible. Several significant changes have been made to the reporting process that appear to have impacted recipients’ ability to submit timely reports. These changes include the release of revised reporting guidance by the Office of Management and Budget and implementation of edit checks designed to increase the accuracy of the data being reported.

“These changes, coupled with the reporting period coinciding with a national holiday period, led to the decision to extend reporting until January 22. Recipient reports submitted after January 15, the previous deadline, will be identified on Recovery.gov as late.’’

GPC asking for feedback on grant receipt timeliness

In the Federal Register last week, the GPC issues this notice, which "announces an outreach effort for feedback on, topical items that impact individuals/organizations' ability to submit , grant applications in a timely fashion." Anyone can submit comments up to the January 31 deadline, through the form on this page.

NGP 2/2/10 draft agenda released

The draft agenda for the February 2 NGP webcast and meeting is now available. You can register to attend in person by e-mailing TheNGP@AOL.com, or attend the (free) webcast by going to http://tcg.acrobat.com/thengp at 1.30pm on February 2.

1:30 pm -1:40 pm - Introductory Remarks
1:40 pm -2:20 pm - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Update - GAO, RATB and OMB (invited)
2:20 pm – 2:35 pm - Grants.gov Update
2:35 pm – 2:55 pm – State, Local and Non-profit Collaboration for Improved Grants Management/Grants Streamlining
2:55 pm – 3:00 pm - Closing Remarks and Next Webcast

Learn about the MAX Federal Community

The MAX Federal Community now has almost 27,000 users. This is an incredible achievement, enabling staff across the Federal government to collaborate using some really great technology. FCW is hosting an "eSeminar" all about it, with the Community's master gardener, Emily Fort, talking about...

• How agencies can enable information-sharing and debate in a secure environment;
• The best ways to ensure information-quality and accountability in an open forum;
• How interagency working-groups can use collaborative technologies to not only share, but create meaningful content;
• Knowledge-management implications for federal agencies; and
• About the next-generation collaborative environment.

Go here to learn more and sign up

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TCG Named as a SmartCEO Future 50 Fast Growth Company

TCG has been named by SmartCEO as one its Emerging Growth Future 50 Fast Growth Companies in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.  Washington SmartCEO magazine, in partnership with Clifton Gunderson LLP, announced the publication’s fifth annual Future 50 winners in the January 2010 issue.

The Future 50 program recognizes the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Greater Washington area based on employee and revenue growth. In addition to the Future 50 companies, SmartCEO also recognized Emerging Growth winning companies under $10 million in revenue and Blue Chip winning companies, with excess of $150 million, or more, in revenue.  TCG was named as an Emerging Growth company. For more details, see the press release on the TCG website.

TCG’s Dan Turner Featured on Leaders Portfolio

Leaders Portfolio with Rebecca Blacksmith, which airs on Washington DC’s Money 1260 Radio, featured TCG's Dan Turner as a guest on this prestigious show.  The interview aired during the 11 a.m. program on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 on WWRC-1260AM. You can listen to an on-demand audiocast of the interview at http://leadersportfolio.com/archives/1622.  For more information, see the press release on the TCG website.