All non-federal entities must maintain proper cash management procedures. While most grantees and subrecipients understand that this includes proper disbursement and reimbursement procedures, non-federal entities may find themselves in hot water if they do not follow proper cash management rules related to income earned in a federal program, and applicable credits received during the award, or in tracking and recording cash and in-kind contributions for matching or cost sharing requirements. This webinar will discuss the applicable financial management rules, including how to record and use program income, applying credits to federal awards in line with the regulations, and how to properly document matching funds and services.

This virtual training will address the recent COVID guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget.  It will address issues related to the allowability of costs in light of school closures, cancellations, etc.  Topics include, but are not limited to, time and effort documentation, travel and cancellation expenses, period of allowability waivers, etc.

This webinar will discuss the general principles on classifying costs as direct or indirect, and then dive into the practical difficulties of implementing those principles. These difficulties are exacerbated by common misunderstandings and incorrect application of indirect cost rates by different federal agencies, pass-through agencies, subrecipients and contractors. We will sort through the confusion, answer your questions, and give advice on best practices moving forward.

For most federal programs, the single largest category of expenditures is salaries and wages. This means the biggest risk most grantees and subrecipients face relates to how federal funds are used to pay employees. The only way to mitigate this risk is with documentation supporting these salary and wage costs in line with the requirements of the Uniform Grant Guidance. This webinar will discuss the minimum rules to maintain time & effort documentations, as well as what flexibility exists in how such documents are maintained. In addition to discussing the specific rules, this webinar will also feature examples of compliant time distribution records and best practices for ensuring such records are supported by a system of internal controls ensuring costs are accurate and allocable to the federal program.

The Uniform Grant Guidance requires all non-federal entities to maintain effective internal control over their federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the entity is managing that award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award itself.  Such controls should be in compliance with certain standards that include assessing a non-federal entity’s risk of noncompliance.  Conducting such an assessment requires specific knowledge of applicable grant rules, a comprehensive review of internal policies and procedures, and an honest assessment of the entity’s adherences to grant rules and regulations.

This webinar will discuss the key areas that any risk assessment must include, as well as discussion of best practices for organizing and completing a risk self-assessment.  The session will cover the basics of an assessment, who should be involved, the questions everyone should be asking, and proper follow-up techniques on corrective actions.

The session will cover a series of new guidance documents released by the U.S. Department of Education on its implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Those informal guidance documents cover such topics as equitable services for private school students, transferability, and the publication of new report cards, and have been updated to reflect new administration policy as well as Supreme Court decisions. Attendees will hear how these new documents may change their current policies and procedures, the importance of how these shifts are framed and the significance of the information that is being deleted as well as added. Finally, the webinar will cover some ongoing conflicts and unanswered questions surrounding the use of Title IV, Part A funds under ESSA – including what funds can be used to purchase devices and whether funds may be used for weapons purchases and training.

The webinar will discuss the different written policies and procedures all non-federal entities must maintain regarding the use of federal funds.  Topics will include the best process to follow for drafting procedures, how often written procedures should be reviewed and updated, and key issues all procedures should include.

The webinar will review the procurement rules and requirements under the Uniform Grant Guidance, including contract administration, free & open competition, methods of procurement, and conflict & gratuity policies.

This webinar will help prepare State departments of education and school districts to determine eligibility for and administer federal disaster relief programs.  These programs are made up of a patchwork of federal policy, including some that are set in statute – like Project SERV – and others that are built on previous disaster relief bills, like Emergency Impact Aid (EIA) and Emergency Aid to Restart School Operations (“Restart”).  This webinar will trace the history of these programs to help give grantees a better sense of the statutory authority at play.  It will also cover the formation of the new disaster response unit (DRU) at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and what that means for the administration of these programs, as well as the dynamic between Congress and ED over how to administer these programs, and what their limitations are.

Webinar attendees will also learn about challenges and best practices on administering these grants – including ensuring allowable expenses within ED’s guidance.  We will also address the balance between needing to spend the funds quickly while maintaining effective control and oversight, and focus on the risks unique to these funding streams.

The time and effort requirements under the Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG) are much less prescriptive than the detailed Personnel Activity Reports and Semi-Annual Certifications required from the prior OMB Circulars. With less requirements under the UGG, nonfederal entities have significant flexibility collecting time and effort documentation. However, even with the expanded flexibility, entities still need to ensure compliance. This webinar will cover the time and effort requirements under the UGG as well as recommendations on how to collect documentation while balancing flexibility with compliance.

This session will focus on the allowable use of funds under section 135 of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).  The new law balances some flexibility with strict requirements related to those needs identified by the local districts, colleges, and other eligible recipients.  The webinar will also discuss certain pitfalls eligible recipients may encounter as they navigate the new allowable costs under Perkins V.

Equitable may not be equal but it can sure be confusing!  This webinar will look at the equitable services requirements under ESSA Titles I, VIII, and IDEA. The webinar will explore what is required and what is a best practice regarding consultation, provision of services, allowability, formation of cooperative relationships, timelines, and complaint procedures.

More than three years after it was signed into law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) continues to cause problems for State and local educational agencies. The various programs under the law have many unanswered questions that could still lead to audit liabilities down the road.  Two complicated topics focus on the consolidation and transferability of various funds authorized under ESSA.  Schoolwide consolidation of funds seems like a daunting prospect for many States and districts, but the rules on consolidation allow for considerable flexibility when it comes to allowable use of funds. ESSA also allows for the consolidation of administrative funds.  Likewise, the Title V transferability provisions of the law allow SEAs and LEAs the opportunity to shift funds based on the needs of students.  This session will focus on the statutory and regulatory requirements for consolidation and transferring funds under ESSA.

Was OMB’s uniform grant guidance good news for indirect costs? What are the differences between restricted and unrestricted rates? How do program administrative caps impact indirect cost recovery? This webinar will cover these questions and more! Bonnie Graham will break down this complicated area to help you understand what are indirect costs, and how are they calculated and charged.