U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Enhancing Grants Management Technical Assistance

The National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) is pleased to be partnering with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deliver technical assistance to the recipients of DHS federal grant funding.

The impetus behind this collaboration is a report from the Task Force on State and Local Homeland Security Funding, which poses several recommendations to ensure that federal funding reaches implementing agencies in a streamlined, efficient, and timely manner. Moreover, this service is a critical addition to the Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program (HSPTAP) Catalog that addresses a multitude of skills needed within the homeland security community.

In 2005 and 2006, NCJA developed and delivered a series of Regional Enhancing Grants Management Technical Assistance Workshops to assist in building the capacity of the SAAs and the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASIs) to administer and manage grant funds in areas to include auditing, building public/private partnerships, electronic grants management systems, evaluation, financial and programmatic monitoring, research and strategic planning.  Specific technical assistance provided during the Regional Workshops was based on priorities identified by the SAAs and UASIs through a survey of grants management needs.

In May 2006, NCJA conducted the first Enhancing Grants Management Technical Assistance Workshop for the Port Security Grant Program with participation by the Ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Diego, California. A subsequent presentation was conducted for the Port of New York-New Jersey in January 2007 and an additional Port Workshop is scheduled for July 2007 in Boston, MA.  Ongoing technical assistance is also being provided through direct, on-site consultation and training.  Download slides, with sample documents, here:  Homeland Security Grant Program;  Port Security Grant Program

In addition to technical assistance delivery, the NCJA compiled a Compendium of Promising Grants Management Practices  (click here for Word document) in order to share effective procedures, policies and protocols across the homeland security community. Please let us know if you have a grants management best practice to share or if you would like to request technical assistance.

For further information on HSPTAP services, contact the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk at (800) 368-6498, e-mail: askcsid@dhs.gov

*For more information on the Enhancing Grants Management TA Project, please contact NCJA Senior Staff Associate Lisa Nine, (202) 421-7693 (cell) or (202) 628-8550, ext. 172 (voice mail only).

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement #2006-TH-T6-K003, awarded to the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Points of view or opinions contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and/or NCJA.