(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Single Audit Information Service.) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released a new Data Collection Form for Reporting on Audits of States, Local Governments, Indian Tribes, Institutions of Higher Education and Nonprofit Organizations (SF-SAC) for audits conducted under Subpart F of OMB’s uniform guidance.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Development Handbook.) Officials from two state agencies shared lessons learned on conducting pre-award risk assessments, as well as advice for other federal agencies and grant applicants, during a recent webcast hosted by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Council on Financial Assistance Reform (COFAR).

We’ve gotten to the point where we’ve decided to use some reverse psychology. You know how it seems that if you don’t water your lawn in hopes that it will rain, sure as the world, it won’t rain. However, if you give up and go ahead and soak your lawn, shortly thereafter, you’ll get a downpour from the skies.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that many federal agencies did not properly report their major management challenges or their performance goals as required under the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRMA) (Pub. L. 111-352). In response, GAO recommended that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clarify its guidance to federal agencies related to GPRMA requirements, and made other specific recommendations for the agencies it reviewed.

It’s been pretty busy over the last week or two at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), although the news coming out of OMB doesn’t yet include the 2016 Compliance Supplement. Of interest to the single audit community, OMB has issued a new Data Collection Form (SF-SAC) for audits of fiscal years after Dec. 26, 2014, making it the first SF-SAC to comply with the uniform guidance. It also has released a revised Circular A-123, now titled Management's Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control. We will provide articles on both of these important issues in the Thompson’s Single Audit Information Service and the Grants Compliance Expert.

Grantseeking can be a daunting task even for seasoned applicants, and may seem nearly impossible if you’re a newer or smaller organization, or one with less experience with grants development. You might be eligible for any number of public or private funding sources, but when you’re working with limited resources, the prospect of finding the right opportunity — let alone preparing a proposal and submitting the application — can be overwhelming. This is where external consultants can help you find and secure the funding you need to serve your organization’s mission.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Single Audit Information Service.) The National Parks Service (NPS) did not maintain numerous required oversight documents in its grant files, and also failed to conduct pre-award risk assessments, relating to a cooperative agreement to clean up damage caused by Hurricane Sandy at the National Parks of New York Harbor, according to a recent Department of Interior (DOI), Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit.

One of the most aggravating things in life is witnessing regression. Whether it be watching your favorite ballplayer finally coming out his slump only to fall back into his old, futile swinging habits, or having a family member that had been sober for years fall off the wagon again in his or her renewed battle with alcoholism, regression has the feel to it that all previous progress made has been negated.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Development Handbook.) The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently updated its regulations relating to the ability of religious organizations to apply for USAID funds for overseas projects involving houses of worship and other religious structures. The change, USAID said, is intended to eliminate restrictions that were greater than those required by the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, and allow applicants to receive USAID funding to rehabilitate structures used for inherently religious purposes in certain circumstances, especially when other funding streams are not available.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently amended its grant closeout policy related to program income earned by recipients of HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding that also are Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) formula grant recipients.