In our last post, we explained whether the grants management process should be centralized or decentralized, and why.

In this post below, we'll look at how to keep better track of your grants.

When it comes to Grants Management, governments often need to identify whether a centralized or a decentralized approach is better. In the blog post below, we’ll explain the differences between a centralized and decentralized grants management process, and cover which one is preferable for a more efficient grants management.   

​In our last two blog posts, we provided an Excel template to help you develop a grant status report and a sample Grants Management Procedures template for you to refine your grants management process.

In this post below, we cover requirements of the Office of Management and Budget's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (the “Uniform Guidance”).

When it comes to grants management, every government entity needs to have its important procedures written-down, including responsibilities, deadlines, billing, accounting, compliance, application and acceptance, close-out, and documentation.

Read below on how to set up proper grants management procedures.

Have you ever wished you had a grant status report that showed in a simple format whether your government is billing, collecting and spending grants in a timely manner? Or have you had a problem even identifying every grant that the government holds? 

We developed a simple grants report for a client that you may find useful as a template to get a head start on preparing an effective grant status report for your government. Click here to jump directly to the download of the template.

Read more below on how to keep track of your grants.

Just like a business will suffer losses when its customers are not happy, so will government officials feel a bigger burden when citizens’ needs are not being met. With smartphone apps available at their fingertips, people today are used to receiving quick, favorable and customized service. And customers today have more power in their hands than ever; if they are unsatisfied with the level of service they receive, they will let their frustrations be known – via multiple channels: in person, with phone calls, on social media platforms, through review sites or by submitting petitions.
 
They bottom line is: whether you're a business or a local government, the level of customer service you provide will shape your path forward. Let's shape it positively.

Organizations that collect significant amounts of cash go to great lengths to keep their own employees from stealing from them. As an article on Fortune explains, US retailers are especially affected by losing cash through employee theft, and Forbes reports that “dishonest employees steal over six times the amount stolen by shoplifters.” It’s thus critical that businesses put in place internal cash handling controls. Internal controls over employees who collect cash are often visible in venues such as big box retail stores, movie theaters, parking lots, and golf courses. Governments can learn some lessons from these private sector organizations on how to help make their cash collections safer.

Risk assessment, or risk identification, describes the process of uncovering and managing possible threats to a project or asset, which will adversely affect an organization’s ability to achieve its business objectives. The practice of risk assessment helps to mitigate, minimize or completely eliminate these risks, and therefore – if done right – can help your project or asset management succeed. 

Understand the key elements of risk and how they will affect your project. Plus, I'll explain an effective method for your team to identify and assess the risks in your implementation project.

Read Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 if you missed them.

Below, in part 4, we'll go over policy and reporting issues, and offer a conclusion on how your government can best deal with the rising pollution remediation costs.

The pollution remediation costs your government must report in its annual financial statements may dramatically increase as a result of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 49, “Accounting and Financial Reporting for Pollution Remediation Obligations” (GASB 49). This four-part series will cover the requirements, potential liabilities and suggested operations that will help you implement these changes.

​Read Part 1 & Part 2 if you missed them.

Below, in part 3, we'll show you simple estimation calculations that will help determine your liability.