GAO Reviews of Grants.gov

1
GAO Reviews of Grants.gov

• The National Grants PartnershipWebcast
  TeleconferenceOctober 20, 2009Jackie Nowicki,
  Assistant Director Nowickij_at_gao.gov

2
Background and Focus

• Part of a series of reports on grants
  streamlining initiatives (GAO-05-335,
  GAO-06-566, GAO-09-590R, and GAO-09-589)
• GAO-09-590R focus
• initial observations on improving grant
  submission policies that could help minimize
  disruptions to the grants application process
  during the Recovery Acts peak filing period
  (April-August 2009).
• GAO-09-589 focus
• benefits of Grants.gov and applicant experiences
  with submitting applications,
• governance structure of Grants.gov, and
• range of agency policies for processing
  Grants.gov applications.

3
Key Findings

• Grants.gov Offers Benefits, but Cumbersome
  Registration Requirements and Uneven System
  Performance Burden Applicants and Create
  Potential for Late Submissions
• Accountability and Responsibility for Grants.gov
  Performance among the Grants.gov Governance
  Entities Is Unclear
• Disparate Agency Policies Can Result in Different
  Treatment for Applications Submitted through
  Various Means

4
Conclusions and Recommendations

• Performance measures do not provide a clear
  picture of system performance or how well
  applicants are being served.
• Inconsistent coordination, unclear lines of
  authority, and confusion over roles and
  responsibilities have contributed to system
  unreliability at critical points in the
  application submission process.
• Disconnect between HHSs review of Grants.gov as
  an IT investment and the GEBs review/approval of
  Grants.govs budget and funding mechanism.
• HHS and the GPC continue to lack a systematic way
  to obtain grantees views on proposed changes to
  the Grants.gov system and governmentwide grants
  processes.
• Inconsistent agency policies increase applicant
  burden and sometimes disadvantage applicants who
  submit applications through Grants.gov vs. other
  means.

5
Agency and Congressional Response

• OMB and HHS generally agreed with GAOs findings
  and recommendations.
• FY2010 Labor, HHS, Ed Appropriations Committee
  Report directs GAO to further report on
  Grants.gov funding and oversight.
• Requested Reporting Date January 2010.
• Status Awaiting meeting with committee staff
  after house and senate conference the bill.