Grant recipients (both pass-through entities and subrecipients) may want to take note of an interesting item in OMB’s recent guidance on implementation of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (PL 111-204). OMB says that for grant programs, agencies must consider payment recapture audits at the grant recipient level. “Federal agencies should work with stateRead… Read more »
I recently served on a grand jury, which is definitely some experiential learning. It allows one to discover many facets of the community that may not be encountered so regularly in the course of everyday life. The way a grand jury works is that you hear many, many case summaries, each of which takes anywhereRead… Read more »
“Folks, I have some good news and I have some bad news” the pilot announced. “We have landed in Atlanta way early, but there is a plane at our gate and it will be about 20 minutes before they move.” Throughout the plane you could hear the moans and comments about the airline’s inability toRead… Read more »
This week Congress will vote on a continuing resolution to fund the federal government for the remainder of the current fiscal year. I’ve been looking at the proposal and noticed a few things that might be of interest to grants professionals. First, while the theme of transparency and accountability grow, Congress is planning to slashRead… Read more »
I’ve adopted a new practice I want to share with you, because it’s making a real difference in my own life, and maybe it could in yours, too. You know the bumper sticker, “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty?” The one some people sneer at? Well, the people who made and display thatRead… Read more »
In Congress the stakeholders’ desire to put just one more ornament on a piece of legislation leads to “Christmas Tree Bills” which often collapse under their own weight. Trying to pack too much into a project (or our lives) can lead to a diffusion of priorities and efforts. Keeping in mind an instructive saying thatRead… Read more »
Trying to pack too much into a project (or our lives) can lead to a diffusion of priorities and efforts. Keeping in mind an instructive saying that has passed down from my mother-in-law into our family’s vernacular, “Choose your battles” can assist in either sphere. Early in our marriage my wife and I faced aRead… Read more »
As gas prices rocket upward I am reminded of a small personal project I undertook a few years ago that holds lessons for many larger troubled projects in both the public and private spheres. It all started innocently enough when my wife asked me if I could mow the lawn one Saturday afternoon. Since theRead… Read more »