What Are the Technical Assistance Delivery Methods?

Three levels of assistance are available to FEMA grantees.  These levels vary in intensity, resources, and coordination.

Level One: Information Resources

• Delivery of telephone and/or electronic information, including sample resources and publications from recipient or subrecipient colleagues; networking and referral.

Examples:

• Share sample monitoring report forms and protocols with an SAA requesting assistance in developing a subrecipient monitoring program for their Homeland Security grants.

• Provide guidance on federal financial audits for a UASI in preparation for an A-133 audit.  In such cases, referral to specific guidance in the Code of Federal Regulations is provided to the requesting agency.

Level Two: Templates, Models, Samples

• Development of models, templates and samples, as well as other specific needs/issues, as requested by the recipient and/or subrecipient.

Examples:

• Preparation of a Basic Grants Management Workshop curriculum in the form of a Power Point presentation which can be delivered by the requesting agency and/or the TA Provider at an annual statewide grants workshop.

Level Three: On-site Direct Deliveries and/or TA Workshops

• Meeting facilitation; direct guidance and consultation; intensive, short-term, site-specific workshops. The duration of the TA delivery varies depending upon the TA requestor’s needs.

Examples:

• Level Three Direct TA Delivery for Direct Recipient (e.g. SAA or TSGP grantee) and/or Subrecipient (e.g. UASI): The GMTA TA Provider will create customized, direct TA delivery services and evaluation assistance to the direct recipient agencies.  The assistance includes in-depth, detailed, on-site guidance including suggestions for and/or the creation, revision or update to existing policies, procedures, forms and processes for all the areas of grants management.  The Level Three Direct Deliveries do not include the conduct/delivery of workshops for subrecipients of FEMA.  The Direct TA Delivery to a FEMA subrecipient, such as a UASI, would, instead, focus on more intensive, one-on-one assistance as described above. The average Direct TA delivery lasts 4-5 days and includes a de-brief with staff to evaluate the assistance provided.

• Level Three Direct TA Workshop for Subrecipients such as state/local agencies, including UASIs):  FEMA requires the requesting agency to pay for the TA Provider’s associated travel and supplies costs for any workshop for subrecipients.  FEMA continues to pay for the TA Provider’s personnel and other associated costs of a subrecipient workshop delivery. 

This project is supported by Cooperative Agreement #2007-TH-T7-K004, 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.