The BIG Meet, Hampden 1 December 2009 Grant management – what to expect

Aims of this session  To provide an overview of BIG’s monitoring framework  To explain the guidance and advice available  To help you prepare by sharing some of our experience

Monitoring Events Monitoring events for all grants –Monitoring systems check (6 months into year 1) –End of year report –Annual accounts –Telephone calls –End of grant report And sometimes –Mid year reports –Visits

Payments Revenue payments usually released quarterly in advance Some payments are locked against monitoring events e.g. end of year reports Discuss with your Grants Officer if you think there might be delays in submitting information needed to release payment

Monitoring Systems Check Takes place 6 months into year 1 We want to know how you are going to gather monitoring information over the lifetime of grant It’s not a progress report It will help ensure you’re gathering the information you need to report on progress (and make filling in your end of year report easier!)

End of year reports To tell us about Progress against outcomes Progress in achieving milestones Expenditure against agreed budget Any changes you want to make for the next year −Form will be sent to you 2 months in advance and is due back within 3 weeks of the end of the project year

End of year reports Familiarise yourself with the format Plan in your own and others time (e.g. finance staff) Speak to your Grants Officer in advance of the deadline if you have any questions or concerns

Changes to your grant Most projects will require some changes to their plans over their lifespan Many can be approved by your Grants Officer Some changes require higher levels of approval (e.g. committee approval for changes to outcomes) Early communication with your GO helps us provide you with timely advice

Information & Advice Grant offer letter  details the grant amount but also the outcomes and milestones we expect you to deliver Terms and Conditions of Grant  All activity including any changes still needs to meet the terms & conditions ‘Guide to Your Grant’ booklet and forms Grants Officer

Example 1: After successfully completing year one of your four- year project, you have learned that the Scottish Government is now going to roll out a service which will duplicate part of the service you were funded to provide by BIG. Outcomes one and two of your project will not be affected, however it seems that the Government project will be larger in scale and will directly work with the target beneficiaries for outcomes three and four that you identified in your BIG application.

Example 2: Your project coordinator was instrumental in developing the grant application that received BIG funding. After completing year two of your five-year project, he/she has resigned to take up another post. You recruit a new coordinator who suggests that the delivery method for one of the project outcomes is flawed and that the milestones are not relevant.

Example 3: -You are approaching the end of the first year of a three- year grant. Your finance officer mentions to you that the actual expenditure on the grant is less than had been forecasted and that there is currently an overall under spend. -In particular there is a significant under spend in the organisational overheads budget. -You know that there will a considerable strain on the staff travel budget, as demand for site visits is higher than was anticipated and heating costs will increase dramatically due to price increases by suppliers.

Example 4: Half way through the first year of your project a key staff member contracts a rare tropical disease. The prognosis is that they will be absent from work for 6 to 8 months.