DHS/FEMA Technical Assistance Project

The National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) is providing technical assistance to recipients and subrecipients responsible for the administration of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Managment Agency (FEMA).  This assistance is available through the Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program (HSPTAP).

The Grants Management Technical Assistance (GMTA) Program assists FEMA’s State, regional, local, and Tribal jurisdiction stakeholders understand and apply basic and advanced grants management business principles and processes to improve their overall administration.  The GMTA is adapted to fit the specific needs of the jurisdictions, and, most importantly, be sustained by FEMA partners in homeland security and emergency management in support of state and local initiatives. 

Why This Initiative?

The GMTA Program was initially designed in August 2004 to meet the grants management needs expressed by the State Administrative Agencies (SAAs) and identified in the recommendations in the June 2004 Report from the Task Force on State and Local Homeland Security Funding. 

Target Audience:

Since August 2006, the TA Program has been expanded to include FEMA Direct Recipients such as the State Administrative Agency (SAA), Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) personnel, etc. and/or subrecipients (e.g. Urban Area Securities Initiative (UASI).

Why NCJA? 

The NCJA is recognized as a broad-based organization spanning government levels and disciplines. The NCJA possesses extensive experience at the federal, tribal, and state levels. The experience includes skill in the following:
• policy and legislative analysis
• writing and editing for criminal justice audiences
• strategic planning
• program development, planning, implementation and evaluation
• designing, developing and delivering high caliber conferences, seminars, focus groups and meetings on issues of concern to federal, state, tribal, and local criminal justice policymakers and practitioners.

The NCJA participates in high level national committees such as the Global Justice Information Sharing Advisory Committee reporting to the U.S. Attorney General and maintains liaison with an array of federal justice and non-justice agencies, professional justice associations, and leading research institutions. 

In addition, NCJA is the convener of the executive directors of the major public safety and criminal justice associations, including the National Emergency Management Association. This group, the Executive Directors Roundtable, meets to discuss strategic issues facing public safety and homeland security as they impact the state and local justice community.

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.