1. 1 Panel Review Orientation Administration for Children and Families Office of Grants Management Division of Discretionary Grants

2. 2 Overview Conflict of Interest Confidentiality ACF Certification Form Evaluation Criteria FOIA

3. 3 Conflict of Interest A conflict of interest exists if you, your spouse, child or partner: –Serve as an officer, director, trustee, partner, employee of or consultant to the applicant, its parent or subsidiary organization. –Are negotiating prospective employment with the applicant, its parent or subsidiary organization. –Have a financial interest in the grant application, the applicant, its parent or subsidiary organization.

4. 4 Confidentiality Reviewers are required to treat applications with strict confidence before, during, and after the review process. Applications are the private property of the applicant. Treat them as you would want your private property to be treated. Do not discuss applications outside of the panel meetings. For example, in the hotel dining areas or other areas outside of the hotel where people gather socially.

5. 5 Confidentiality Cont… Do not contact the applicant for clarification of information or for any other reason. –In order to ensure that the process is fair and free of bias, ACF maintains a scrupulous process of screening applications for compliance with the announcement at the time they are submitted. Applicants are not allowed to make corrections or additions after the closing date. Do not photocopy applications. Remember – they are the private property of the applicant.

6. 6 Confidentiality Cont… Protect the copies of the applications in your possession, as well as any notes you may have prepared to assist you in panel discussions. Do not leave confidential items open or unprotected in public places. Do not casually discard confidential information (such as notes) into waste cans. Return all applications, forms, notes or comments, and other confidential information materials, to the contractor at the end of the week.

7. 7 ACF Certification Form

8. 8 Evaluation Criteria Read the evaluation criteria Review the whole application Score each application Summary comments should be clear, concise and include page numbers on each page Double check calculations of scores and averages Sign summary forms

9. 9 Freedom of Information (FOIA) ACF will not release the following materials to requestors: –Privileged or confidential information obtained from applicants involving commercial or financial matters –Pre-decisional, deliberative documents, the disclosure of which would inhibit the decision-making process –Reviewers names and scores Scores (either for individual criteria or in the aggregate) will be released to the applicant only –Rankings of applications –Salaries of applicant's staff provided in the application –Proprietary information on an applicant although such information may be released back to the submitter) –Unsuccessful applications

10. 10 FOIA’s Cont… The following materials may be released: –Copies of successful applications (excluding any proprietary information, sensitive budget information, names/titles/salaries of applicant's staff) –Narrative review comments (whether included on actual reviewer score sheets or as a separate document that summarizes the applicant's major strengths and weaknesses) may be released to an applicant but only regarding that applicant's own application and only after information identifying the reviewer(s) has been removed.

11. 11 Closing Remarks Thank You! If you have problems or concerns during the reviewing of applications, the facilitators should feel free to contact The Office of Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants for guidance.