Loading...
Agenda 05/28/2013 Item #11A 5/28/2013 11 .A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recommendation to approve plans for a Grant Management pilot program with selected Victim Advocacy Organizations. OBJECTIVE: Pilot a streamlined and robust grant management process for selected victim advocacy organizations in order to increase the amount of grant funding available to further their critical services. CONSIDERATIONS: Pursuant to Item 10G on the March 26, 2013 BCC agenda, a proposal is being brought forth to authorize a pilot program for a new Grant Management approach for select Victim Advocacy Organizations(VAO's). VAOs provide essential services to victims of crime and dependency. In the absence of such help, in one of many possible worst case scenarios, these victims could end as wards of the State. At this time, the VAOs in Collier County identified for this program include: Drug Free Collier, The Shelter for Abused Women and Children, The Children's Advocacy Center, David Lawrence Center, and Project Help. Developing an enhanced VAO Grants Assistance Program, and introducing needed victim focused criminal ordinances will serve to bolster protection and aid to these victims, in turn benefiting the community as a whole. The recommendations offered do not result in the expenditure of local tax dollars. Rather, the recommendations will result in more State and Federal taxes coming back to the county. The program contemplates cooperation and coordination by and between the VAOs, the county's grants administration staff, and the Clerk of Court's staff. Recommendations include but are not limited to: fee based county assistance in the grants selection, drafting and application process; providing a legal mechanism to allow private donations to be leveraged by the county as matching gifts to Federal and State grants for the benefit of the VAOs thus expanding eligible grant funding; assigning dedicated county staffing specialized in VAO grants administration and auditing; introducing a revised approach to VAO grants administration that will allow for expedited and streamlined reimbursement processing; and, developing local ordinances that will allow for prosecution of crimes related to the victims served by the VAO's, where such offenses might otherwise go unpunished. The intent is to develop this as a pilot program that(if proven successful over time)can then lead to the introduction of similar programs for the benefit of other non-profits in Collier county. The operational objective of the pilot program is to establish protocols to operate a compliant, efficient grant management program with good program outcomes and clean program and fiscal compliance. The core team recommends the pilot consist of no more than five (5) grants. A report to the Board will be provided upon completion of these five (5), or before that, if sufficient information is available that we can rely on the experience as a basis for future recommendations. The report will describe the experience and also, if all goes well, offer recommendations for an expanded program. All stakeholders have been afforded the opportunity to provide input to this and have reached consensus on the attached proposal. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is approved as to form and legality and requires a majority vote for Board approval. -JAB GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no growth management impact associated with this item. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the Proposal for Victim Advocacy Organization Grant Acquisition and Management Process pilot program. Prepared By:Kim Grant,Interim Director, Housing, Human&Veteran Services Packet Page-63- 5/28/2013 11.A. COLLIER COUNTY Board of County Commissioners Item Number: 11.11.A. Item Summary: Recommendation to approve plans for a Grant Management pilot program with selected Victim Advocacy Organizations. Meeting Date: 5/28/2013 Prepared By Name: AlonsoHailey Title: Operations Analyst,Public Service Division 5/16/2013 1:32:47 PM Submitted by Title: Interim Director,HHVS Name: GrantKimberley 5/16/2013 1:32:49 PM Approved By Name: AlonsoHailey Title: Operations Analyst,Public Service Division Date: 5/16/2013 2:03:07 PM Name: Joshua Thomas Title: Grants Support Specialist, Date: 5/16/2013 2:37:41 PM Name: BelpedioJennifer Title: Assistant County Attorney,County Attorney Date: 5/17/2013 8:33:15 AM Name: CarnellSteve Title: Director-Purchasing/General Services,Purchasing Date: 5/17/2013 10:42:59 AM Name: KlatzkowJeff Packet Page-64- 5/28/2013 11 .A. Title: County Attorney Date: 5/17/2013 11:08:56 AM Name: StanleyTherese Title: Management/Budget Analyst, Senior,Office of Manage Date: 5/21/2013 4:24:51 PM Name: OchsLeo Title: County Manager Date: 5/21/2013 4:51:59 PM Packet Page-65- 5/28/2013 n n. COLLIER COUNTY PROPOSAL FOR VICTIM ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION GRANT ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT PROCESS PILOT PLAN Packet Page-66- 5/28/2013 11 .A. VAO PROPOSAL GRANT ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT PROCESS CONCEPT VAOs provide essential services to victims of crime and dependency.In the absence of such help,in one of many possible worst case scenarios,these victims could end as wards of the State.At this time,the VAOs in Collier County identified for this program include:Drug Free Collier,The Shelter for Abused Women and Children,The Children's Advocacy Center,David Lawrence Center, and Project Help.Developing an enhanced VAO Grants Assistance Program,and introducing needed victim focused criminal ordinances will serve to bolster protection and aid to these victims,in turn benefiting the community as a whole.The recommendations proposed do not result in the expenditure of local tax dollars.Rather,the recommendations will result in more State and Federal taxes coming back to the county.The program contemplates cooperation and coordination by and between the VAOs,the county's grants administration staff,and the Clerk of Court's staff. Recommendations to be considered inch ide but are not limited to:fee based county assistance in the grants selection,drafting and application process;providing a legal mechanism to allow private donations to be leveraged by the county as matching gifts to Federal and State grants for the benefit of the VAOs thus expanding eligible grant funding assigning dedicated county staffing specialized in VAO grants administration and auditing introducing a revised approach to VAO grants administration that will allow for expedited and streamlined reimbursement processing and, developing local ordinances that will allow for prosecution of crimes related to the victims served by the VAO's,where such offenses might otherwise go unpunished.The intent is to develop this as a pilot program that(if proven successful over time)can then lead to the introduction of similar programs for the benefit of other non-profits in Collier county. The operational objective of the pilot program is to establish protocols to operate a compliant, efficient grant management program with good program outcomes and clean program and fiscal compliance. The core team recommends the pilot consist of no more than 5 grants. A report to the Board will be provided upon completion of these 5,or before that,if sufficient information is available that we can rely on the experience as a basis for future recommendations. The report will describe the experience and also,if all goes well,offer recommendations for an expanded program. STAKEHOLDERS Ultimately, the key stakeholders are the victims served by virtue of grant funded programs and services. The key operational players in this process are: • Victim Advocacy Organizations (a key representative will be designated; operational, fiscal and managerial staff will all playa role) • Collier County,County Manager Organization 2 Packet Page-67- 5/28/2013 11 .A. o Grant Compliance Office(manager and grant accountants) o Housing.Human and Veteran Services (III IVS) (director, grant manager, grant coordinator,grant accountant and accounting supervisor) • Collier County Clerk of Courts Agency Finance Division (Finance Manager, Grants accountants A core team will be created consisting of the following roles: Grant Compliance Office Manager, Grant Coordinator,Grant Accountant,VAO representative,and a Clerk of Courts representative. The VAO representative is considered the driver of the process. The Finance Division and the III IVS department will assign a dedicated resource. All steps of the process will receive sign-off from the VAO and III IVS staff to ensure common understanding and documenting agreements made. The Clerk agrees to continue to work with staff and VAO's to fulfill their statutory role insuring lawful payment and continue to work to expedite the processing of lawful payments.This team will develop,over time,specialized expertise in the acquisition and operation of grants available to Victims Advocacy Organizations. The core team representatives will jointly attend relevant training courses. During the pilot process,roles and responsibilities will be clarified and documented QUALIFICATION AS A VAO PARTNER For the pilot program, specific entities have been selected as partners, as identified in the concept section. In order for the Grants Assistance Program(and future expansion) to wark, the VAO's must demonstrate or develop necessary capacity to effectively operate a grant funded program. During the pilot implementation,an assessment and development tool will be created and tested. Characteristics to be evaluated may include such items as financial stability, experience with or capacity for understanding and implementing grant regulations, trained and experienced staff, ability to track and report on program results. GRANT IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION In addition to grantor generated notices to those on their email listings,there are two main sources for Federal Grants identification The first is eCivis,and the county has an active subscription for this service. Each VAO may sign a Memorandum of Understanding available on the BCC website to receive a gratis sign-on to this system in order to perform searches for applicable grants. Currently eCivis has 24 outside agency participants. The second is grants.gov,a website available for any individual or entity to utilize for location of Federal grants. At the state level,each VAO can enroll in the State of Florida Vendor Bid system at myfloridacom. Due to the availability of these technological resources,VAO's are encouraged to use these resources for grant identification In addition,should any VAO wish to receive guidance in locating grants,the Grants Couipliance Office in the Office of Management and Budget would accept a consultation appointment and provide assistance as needed During the pilot,there would be no fee for this service. An initial grant evaluation tool will be developed This tool will outline key grant elements, including compliance components,readiness,and risk Once a grant of interest is identified,the 3 Packet Page-68- 5/28/2013 11 .A. VAO will complete the evaluation tool and submit it to the grant coordinator.The grant coordinator will serve as the County coordinator and gather input from all County identified staff. A collective evaluation by the core team will be made as to whether or not to apply for the grant. This is an essential new element of the process to get all parties on board from the start. GRANT APPLICATION If it is determined that the grant will move to application,the GCO will prepare a Quick Compliance Guide. This will outline all key single and state audit requirements for this grant,and be prepared in review of the grant application and information from the grantor website. The Guide will inch ide such information as dates of completion,reporting requirements,budget guidelines,how to handle match,payroll,program income,procurement,changes after award and closeout. This will be reviewed with all parties to ensure appropriate knowledge and understanding,and will eventually serve as a guide for program implementation The VAO and HHVS grant staff will sign off on this document as representing the collective understanding and agreement. The Clerk agrees to continue to work with staff and VAOs to fulfill their statutory role insuring lawful payment and continue to work to expedite the processing of lawful payments. Simultaneously,the VAO will provide all grant related documents to the team and begin outlining the application. The grant coordinator will develop a timeline for grant preparation,including adequate time to receive proper review and BCC approval. Such applications will be clearly identified as being part of the VAO Pilot Program when presented for approval. The application will be reviewed and approved by the core team and appropriate members of management and submitted as per the grantor submission instructions, most likely through the County Grant Compliance Office. While awaiting the anticipated award, the grant coordinator and grant accountant will evaluate the need for any updated procedures or practices for effective operation of this grant;and coordinate acceptance of any required changes with the core team. It has been noted that not every VAO may have the expertise or capacity to search for or apply for grants. In response,it has been suggested that a fee for service arrangement be created with the County performing those functions. The implementation team recommends that the pilot be used as a route to determine the specific needs,the anticipated time and effort involved,and how this option might come to fruition,and report at the end of the pilot period their findings,and if recommended, a fee for service structure. GRANT ACCEPTANCE If awarded,the grant award information will be reviewed by the core team to determine whether any conditions of award would change the intended course of action If no issues exist, the core team will prepare and agree on subrecipient or contract agreement language between the County and the VAO, taking into consideration all grant and other requirements. The grant coordinator and grant accountant will then prepare the item for board approval of award acceptance and budget appropriation GCO requires budget setup in the SAP Grants Management System within the appropriate sponsor and sponsor categories which ties to the grant award budget. Such awards will be clearly identified as being part of the VAO Pilot Program. 4 Packet Page-69- 5/28/2013 11 .A. GRANT SET UP, MANAGEMENT, REIMBURSEMENT, MONITORING AND CLOSEOUT The Quick Compliance Guide will be updated to reflect the award, the current procedures, identify individuals responsible for specific tasks and any further expectations of the VAO's or the County departments. This will be signed by all parties to represent the operating terms of the arrangement, in addition to the signed subrecipient agreement. It is envisioned that a kick-off meeting will be conducted to review all terms and assure full understanding of all parties as to expectations with program execution This will include definition of the requirements for payment reimbursement and a draft monitoring tooL The grant coordinator will take the lead in administratively setting up the grant in the County's systems. The GCO setups an audit ready grant file at the point of application on the County's Sharepoint system that is accessible by all County agencies, including Finance, GCO and the Department. The grant coordinator will act as the main contact between the VAO and the County throughout the program implementation The VAO will clearly identify who the grant coordinator will primarily work with during these phases. One monitoring will take place prior to the first reimbursement request to assist the VAO in preparing all required documentation The VAO will take the lead in the program operation, operating as outlined in the application, the subreLipient agreement and the Quick Compliance Guide, and work with the grant coordinator or any member of the core team,as needed. When the first reimbursement request is submitted,the grant coordinator, grant accountant and grant manager will review and approve according to the outline provided at the kick-off meeting, resolving any outstanding items.The approved request will then move onto Finance for their review It may be necessary for the core team to meet to resolve any issues,with the intent of ironing out the process for all future reimbursement requests. The program will receive semi-annual monitoring, and operation will continue until the grant is expended At this time, the core team will agree that closeout is appropriate, and the grant coordinator will coordinate closeout,including conducting a final monitoring It is recognized that there are not always standard timeframes for grant related activities throughout any phase of the initiative. However,each grant or project will be considered individually in order to define for the VAO and all parties the expectations for duration of various activities to inch Ide timeframe for grant acceptance and timeframes for reimbursements. MEETING MATCH REQUIREMENTS Some grants require a match. It is the County's intent to establish a mechanism where designated match funds can be held for the specific purpose being applied to a designated grant. A VAO may choose to submit or document match using this mechanism, or using their own mechanism Match and which method of collecting and documenting match will be discussed as part of the application process. A mechanism to establish a Trust Fund dedicated to VAO match funding will be prepared by the County Attorney's Office and presented to the Board 5 Packet Page -70- 5/28/2013 11 .A. ORDINANCE DEVELOPMENT The County Attorney's Office will work with VAO's, staff and the Sheriff's Office to develop proposed ordinances for the Board's consideration to enhance victim's rights and services in Collier County. The Sheriff's Office is asked to dedicate a point person for these efforts. IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE Task Responsible When Obtain BCC Approval of the Pilot Plan III IVS May2013 Provide materials to all VAO's on grant identification, begin GCO/VAO's June 2013 grant identification Develop VAO Partner Qualification Tool Core Team June 2013 Develop Grant Evaluation Tool Core Team June 2013 Define and document roles and responsibilities of all participants Core Team June 2013 Develop Standard Timeline and Performance Measures for this Core Team June 2013 new process Ready to start pilot program All July 2013 Pilot Report to the BCC All TBD, after 5 projects Match Fund Development CAO TBD Ordinance Revisions,as applicable CAO TBD 6 Packet Page-71-