Federal Manager's Daily Report

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OMB has proposed a variety of changes to regulations under 2 CFR governing grants issued by federal agencies, which it said will further the President’s Management Agenda goal of “developing a risk-based, data-driven framework that balances compliance requirements with demonstrating successful results,” in the words of the notice.

Grants managers “report spending a disproportionate amount of time using antiquated processes to monitor compliance.

Efficiencies could be gained from modernization and grants managers could instead shift their time to analyze data to improve results,” it says.

The changes would: standardize terminology and data standard elements; encourage agencies to measure the recipient’s performance in a way that will help improve program goals and objectives, share lessons learned and spread the adoption of promising practices; and implement provisions of several recent changes in law, including raising the threshold for “ micro-purchase” simplified acquisitions from $3,500 to $10,000 in some cases.

The notice was published in the January 22 Federal Register for a 60-day comment period.

See also, OMB Issues Guidance on Religion in Awarding Federal Grants