1 GAO Reviews of Grants.gov The National Grants Partnership Webcast & Teleconference October 20, 2009 Jackie Nowicki, Assistant Director

2 Background and Focus Part of a series of reports on grants streamlining initiatives (GAO , GAO , GAO R, and GAO ) GAO R focus:  initial observations on improving grant submission policies that could help minimize disruptions to the grants application process during the Recovery Act’s peak filing period (April- August 2009). GAO 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 HHS’s review of Grants.gov as an IT investment and the GEB’s review/approval of Grants.gov’s 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 GAO’s 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 Status: Awaiting meeting with committee staff after house and senate conference the bill.