1. Grants Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR) Overview
Rimas T. Liogys
Director
Policy, Planning, and Systems

2. Topics Vision for Strengthening Financial and Administrative Services
Grants Vision and Strategic Goals
BPR Recommendations Overview
BPR Implementation Approach
Grants Operating Model
FY06 Performance Metrics
Expected BPR Implementation Results
Menu Slide
This is the context we are working in, and some opportunities and challenges that we face.
The 2004 election has brought the need to create new relationships on the Hill.

3. Vision for Strengthening Financial and Administrative Services
“[W]e are working to improve the management and delivery of financial and administrative services. Numerous studies… documented opportunities for improvements in financial and administrative service areas and recommended changes to both our organizational structure and business processes.”
- Memorandum from Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), September 9, 2004
Vision
Clear, consistent policies and procedures
Properly resourced workforce with appropriate competencies and skills
Value-added business processes with maximum use of automation for improved timeliness and quality of service delivery
Performance metrics that enable program assessments, diagnostics, and customer satisfaction
Assurance that processes are aligned with NOAA goals, properly governed, and effectively managed
Increased organizational capabilities in new processes and improved performance in current processes

4. Grants Vision and Strategic Goals
Grants Vision Statement:
Enable achievement of NOAA's mission through
effective and efficient grant program partnerships
Grants Strategic Goals:
Increase [internal and external] customer outreach, service and understanding of grant programs
Strengthen Grants Management coordination, planning, execution and monitoring
Measure Grant results against NOAA's mission

5. BPR Approach Business Process Reengineering Training
Phases I II
III IV
Business Process Reengineering Training
Assessment of “As-Is” Environment
Design of “To-Be” Processes
Implementation of BPR Transformation
Activities:
Participate in tailored training in BPR tools and techniques – to include approximately 60 NOAA and 40 other Department of Commerce staff
Complete an Action Learning Module that prepares participants for next phase
Perform a 90-day end-to-end assessment of 8 administrative business areas across NOAA with trained NOAA staff
Identify areas of duplication and redundancy as well as opportunities and recommendations for improvement
Participate in “To-Be” design effort with trained NOAA and Department staff
Focus areas:
Budget Formulation and Execution
Grants Administration
Workforce Management
Analyze current business processes, develop new business processes, and develop implementation plan
Execute the plan to implement new organization and business processes changes
Evaluate, measure, and adjust the new business processes
Executive Leadership committed to strengthening NOAA’s Financial and Administrative Services
NOAA’s vision for the BPR effort:
Consistent policies and procedures across NOAA – eliminate the need to “shop for the best answer”
Properly resourced staff – “right people in the right jobs”; and the right number of employees
Value-added processes….leverage and enhance the IT systems we currently have to ease the manual work staff does and free time up for them to do more value-added work and analysis
Assurance processes are aligned………
Increased organization (LO and corporate offices) capabilities
BPR effort initiated in September 2004
“As-Is” Phase II assessments for 8 functional areas completed and final report released April 11, 2005
“To-Be” Phase III activities started in March, 2005
TMT has conducted the majority of Phase III activities for Grants: including best practices research, deep analysis of Phase II data, interviewed SME’s and conducted liaison meetings and focus groups; identifying major issues and developing improvement recommendations. Org/Change management activities including the impacts of the new process on roles and organization structure; culture gap analysis, capability and skill analysis.
Final Report released end of November; January 06 for Budget
Phase IV implementation (January ’06 for Grants)

6. Grants Operating Model
Customers
Grant Services
OAR*
GMD Reps
LO Reps
Outreach & Advisory Services •
Stakeholder Relationship Management
Grants -
Budget Planning and Review
Proactive Site Visits
Progress Reviews
Education and Outreach
Performance Measurement against
Mission Goals
Customer Service
Teams
FALD Attorneys
Operational Services
Federal Funding Opportunities
Merit Reviews
Minimum Requirements
Reviews
NEPA Reviews
Award, Post
Award, and
Close
out Processing
Grants Online
Grants.gov –
Grants Website
NEPA Coordinators
NOS*
NMFS/MSI/NESDIS*
NMFS/Corp/NWS*
*GMD Reps = Grants Officers, Policy Advisors, Audit Specialist,
Team Leads, Specialists, and Technicians
LO Reps = Grants Coordinator, Program Managers, Federal Program
Officers, and Program Assistants
Clear Roles
Accountability
GMS/FPO
Certification
End to
Performance
Metrics
Efficient and
Effective Processes
Knowledge
Management
Operating Enablers
Collaborative, “
One
NOAA ”
Grants Management Operating Model
NMFS*
OAR/MSI*
OAR/NESDIS/Corp/NWS*
Grants Administration Operating Model

7. BPR Recommendations Overview
Summary of Grants BPR recommendations
Increase emphasis on grants planning
Reduce transaction processing; Redistribute workload throughout the fiscal year
Realign roles and responsibilities to improve efficiency; Enhance NOAA-wide communication, collaboration, and outreach
Develop standard operating procedures, policies, and consistent processes across NOAA
Increase skill levels of Grants personnel

8. BPR Implementation Approach

9. Initial BPR Recommendation Results
Updated FY06 Grants Performance Metrics
Increased focus on measuring Grant results in helping achieve NOAA’s mission goals
Balanced focus on critical metrics in addition to timeliness in processing grants, including:
Customer satisfaction
Employee skill proficiency
NMFS Grants Planning Pilot
Developing Broad Area Announcement
“Benefits from process reengineering to be identified by end of FY 06”

10. FY06 Performance Metrics
FY06 Metrics
Baseline
Targets
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Long Term
% of GMS and FPO certified
24%
35%
50%
100%
% of grants awarded 30 days prior to the start/effective date
TBD
55%
70%
85%
% of multi-year grant awards
36%
40%
45%
% of non-competitive grants
19%
15%
10% 5%
% of grantee satisfaction (unsuccessful grant applicants and grant recipients)
~70%
75%
95%
% of internal grant community satisfaction
% of grants awarded enhancing NOAA’s Mission Goals
For each proposed metric, the Grants BPR Team identified targets for the upcoming 3 fiscal years and a long-term target. These metrics expand upon the As-Is performance metrics and enable NOAA’s Grants Community to measure additional elements beyond timeliness.
In addition, the Grants BPR Team developed a detailed process and approach to measure each proposed performance metric , detailing the frequency, approach/process, and considerations/assumptions.
Examples – Hip Pocket

11. Expected BPR Benefits Reduce cost to process a grant
Increase grant processing capacity
Decrease cycle time to process a grant
Shift focus of grants personnel from low value added to high-value added activities
Improve grant workload distribution
Increase ability to award grants 30-days prior to their start date, leading to increased customer satisfaction

12. Backup Slides

13. BPR Recommendations Overview
19 Grants BPR recommendations help achieve several desired outcomes:
Increase emphasis on grants planning
Award existing multi-year grants/non-competitive continuations in first quarter
Formalize process for identifying Grant-related earmark recipients in a timely manner
Provide grants mission-related data to LO’s to assist with future funding decisions
Reduce transaction processing; Redistribute workload throughout the fiscal year
Create an exception to the requirement to publish solicitations in the Federal Register
Increase the number of new multi-year Grant awards
Reduce the number of non-competitive Grants

14. BPR Recommendations Overview
Realign roles and responsibilities to improve efficiency; Enhance NOAA-wide communication, collaboration, and outreach
Establish GMD prioritization criteria for processing awards
Build collaboration between GMD and LO staff into the end-to-end Grants process
Conduct proactive site visits
Design and implement a comprehensive knowledge management website
Realign GMD and FALD responsibilities

15. BPR Recommendations Overview
Develop standard operating procedures, policies, and consistent processes across NOAA
Standardize electronic Grant package submissions
Develop consistent approach to the pre-application process
Develop consistent approach to conducting merit reviews
Implement enhanced NEPA grant requirements
Develop Construction Grants policies and SOP’s
Formalize/Publicize process for Grantee compliance
Increase skill levels of Grants personnel
Develop a NOAA-wide Federal Program Officer certification program
Develop a GMD Grants Specialist certification program
QW -

16. BPR Implementation Approach