Authorized Representative Role - Grants Management

AR Roles and Responsibilities The AR:
Has decision making authority for the grant program, and is the approver for the majority of grant-related work (e.g. grant application documents, budget forms, reviewer rubrics, OGAN’s, financial reporting forms, budget revisions, and programmatic reporting)
Ensures grantee work plan and programmatic goals are being met
Ensures funds are expended appropriately
Collects required program data and manages reporting 8/26/2022 4 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Agency Finance The Grants Team is part of Agency Finance. Agency Finance is responsible for:
Managing all incoming federal grants
Ensuring adherence to federal laws and regulations from fiscal perspective
Preparing, reviewing, and submitting financial reports
Reconciling all federal grant awards to the state’s SWIFT accounting system
Setting up and co-managing division budgets
Conducting periodic review meetings with divisions for comprehensive analysis of accounts 8/26/2022 5 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Agency Finance Organizational Chart 8/30/2022 6 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov Lynette SealSPA Coord Rene Huelsman-PetersonManagement Analyst 3 Budget/Compliance Accounting Services Accounts Payable/Payroll Procurement Grants<br>

What is a Grant Coordinator? The Grant Coordinator is the RFP logistics expert. The Grant Coordinator:
Provides grant opportunity template documents and assists with development and timeline for the grant opportunity application and award process
Performs accessibility checks and posts grant opportunity documents to the competitive grant webpage
Provides reviewer training and coordinates the review process
Drafts award or denial letters once the review process is complete
Completes data requests 8/26/2022 7 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

What is a Grant Specialist? The Grant Specialist is the payment and desk audit expert. Grant specialists are expected to know and implement State and federal regulations for sub grants to Education stakeholders. The Grant Specialist:
Conducts pre-award risk assessments
Drafts and executes OGANs
Performs fiscal monitoring
Finalizes budget amendments/revisions in MDE’s grants management system (GMS)
Processes and documents grantee Financial Reporting Forms (FRFs)
Completes closeout evaluation 8/26/2022 8 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Types of Grants There are three types of grants managed through Grant Services:
Single Source (including Targeted grants of less than $5,000)
Legislatively Named
Competitive 8/26/2022 9 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Grant Application A grant application is required for all three types of grants.
Grant Applications:
collect the required administrative information needed to process an Official Grant Award notification (OGAN)
include a list of assurances the grantee agrees to comply with when they submit the application in the event they receive an award
include the grantees scope of work and project budget 8/26/2022 10 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Single Source/Targeted Grants Only used if one agency, organization, or school district is capable of carrying out the program, and is not specifically named in legislation.
Requires Single Source Justification form, completed by AR, and a grant application and budget completed by the grantee.
Less than $5,000 can be a targeted grant – no Single Source Justification form needed.
Single Source Justification, application materials, and risk assessment (if applicable) are used to draft the OGAN.
Grant funds cannot be spent and work cannot begin until the OGAN is fully executed. 8/26/2022 11 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Legislatively Named Grants The specific agency, organization, or school district is named in legislation.
The grantee is required to complete a legislative grant application and state budget. The Grant Specialist works with the Authorized Rep. to create these materials.
Application materials, along with a risk assessment (if applicable), are used to draft the OGAN.
Only type of grant that can incur expenses up to 60 days before OGAN execution without a 16A violation (obligation incurred prior to encumbrance in SWIFT). 8/26/2022 12 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Competitive Grants This type of grant is awarded based on a competitive process, which includes a review by a team of reviewers.
Grant Coordinator works with the MDE Authorized Rep to create application materials.
Application materials, along with a risk assessment (if applicable), are used to draft the OGAN.
Grant funds cannot be spent and work cannot begin until the OGAN is fully executed. 8/26/2022 13 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Competitive Grant Timeline Division Leadership assigns an AR to a program with funds that need to be sub-granted.
The AR and Grant Coordinator meet to set timeline and begin drafting application documents. This process will take anywhere from 4-6 months depending on complexity. 8/26/2022 14 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Competitive Grants – General Documents AR and Grant Coordinator will co-develop:
RFP Instructions. This is the document that interested grantees review prior to applying to ensure they meet minimum qualifications and for detailed information on the funding available.
Application. This is a fillable word document that applicants will fill out and submit to be reviewed by a team of independent reviewers.
Budget Template. The template applicants will fill out with their proposed spending plan.
The Grant Coordinator creates a MS Teams Channel for these documents. 8/26/2022 15 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Grant Application Review and Approval Single source grant applications are reviewed and approved by the AR.
Legislatively named grant applications are reviewed and approved by the AR.
Competitive grant applications are reviewed by independent reviewers that score and prioritizes application. The AR, in consultation with division director and/or MDE leadership, award based on review results and RFP priorities. 8/26/2022 16 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Budget Review/Approval Grant Specialist provides budget templates that can be customized to fit the needs of the program.
There may be a specific UFARS Finance Code that restricts eligible expenditures and the budget form will need to reflect that.
As an Authorized Rep. you must align the grantees budget and work plan so that the program goals are met. 8/26/2022 17 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Official Grant Award Notification (OGAN) Grant Specialists use the application materials and risk assessment to draft the OGAN.
The OGAN:
States the Purpose of Funding/Grant
Outlines program and financial reporting expectations according to federal or state guidelines
Clarifies any additional terms of the grant (e.g. required training, minimum progress made, etc.)
ARs review the OGAN draft and will be the first to sign the OGAN upon finalization. 8/26/2022 18 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Summary: Competitive Grant Responsibilities Authorized Rep. will:
Draft initial RFP from MDE template
Document question and answers during Q and A period
Recruit reviewers
Review results from review and select applications for funding
Serve as grantee’s primary point of contact for the life of the grant
Grant Coordinator will:
Provide RFP templates to AR
Review RFP documents to ensure that they meet the criteria of the grant (state and federal requirements)
Complete communications and accessibility checks on the documents and post online
Oversee and coordinate the grant review
Send award and non-award letters 8/26/2022 19 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Summary: Competitive Grant Responsibilities Grant Specialist will:
Conduct pre-award risk assessment
Draft and execute OGANs
Perform fiscal monitoring
Finalize budget amendments/revisions in MDE’s grants management system (GMS)
Process and document grantee Financial Reporting Forms (FRFs)
Complete closeout evaluation
Agency finance will:
Ensure adherence to federal laws and regulations from fiscal perspective
Prepare, review, and submit financial reports
Reconcile all federal grant awards to the state’s SWIFT accounting system
Conducting periodic review meetings with divisions for comprehensive analysis of accounts 8/26/2022 20 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

During the Grant The AR and Grant Specialist collaborate together to complete the following during the life of the grant:
Budget and Work Plan Revisions
Financial Report Form (FRF) Approval
Interim/Final Program Report(s)
Reporting to Legislature or Federal Awarding Agency
Closeout 8/26/2022 21 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Budget Revisions Budget Revisions
1. Used when there is a proposal for a new line item (object code)
2. Adding funds to an object code that is allowable but has a $0 balance
3. Change of an approved line item greater than 10% of the total grant award
4. Expenses should not be incurred prior to approval of the budget revisions
Please Note
• Budget should align to the work plan, goals and activities
• Costs must be reasonable, allowable, allocable and necessary to complete the work 8/26/2022 22 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Reviewing and Approving Financial Reporting Forms (FRFs) Grant Specialist and AR partnership:
Review rate of spending
Must align with approved budget
Review FRF dates (OGAN outlines FRF due dates and reporting periods).
FRF approvals (preparer and approver signature/date)
Please Note:
FRFs are cost reimbursable. Avoid overlapping date periods.
Payment must be completed within 30 days of receipt of all applicable/required elements 8/26/2022 23 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Interim and Final Reports Reporting requirements outlined in OGAN and are used to measure progress against the grant goals
Legislation, statute or federal award language may specify data that must be collected
Written report required annually at minimum per state grant policy (OGM)
Authorized Rep. is responsible for collection and filing/retention of interim and final reports. Grant Services maintains fiscal files.
Please Note:
If you are waiting for interim or final progress report information hold the payment until that is received. The state reserves the right to withhold payment for any reimbursement request deemed to be in question of being allowable, allocable and reasonable, or for which adequate supporting documentation does not exist. 8/26/2022 24 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Legislative Reporting and Responding Federal and State funding often includes an expectation for annual reporting. 
Most federal programs require the program area to submit a five-year plan demonstrating stakeholder engagement and responsiveness.
The AR responds to proposed legislative budget and programmatic change requests at the state and federal levels.
The AR collaborates with MDE Government Relations staff as needed. 8/26/2022 25 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Closeout All Final reports shall be complete and approved prior to final payment.
Files must be maintained per record retention schedule (for grantee and for MDE).
Grant closeout evaluation addresses grantee performance (Did they comply with award terms and meet program goals? If grantee didn’t utilize all funding appropriately, why?) May impact the programs funding level in the future. Routed by Grant Specialist to AR for signature.
Analyze fund cancellations after final payment, ensure the PO is closed, and the funds unencumbered. 8/26/2022 26 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Best Practice Reminders/Resources Tracking spreadsheets
Standard templates and written procedures
Data management and filing structure
Grants Management Team
Missy Lorey, Grants Management Supervisor
Bette Benson, RFP Coordinator 8/26/2022 27 Leading for educational excellence and equity, every day for every one. | education.mn.gov<br>

Thank you! 8/26/2022 28<br>