CONFIRMED AGENDA

 

DAY 1:

8:00 am – 9:00 am
REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST (provided)

9:15 am – 10:45 am
SUBTLE AND NOT-SO-SUBTLE UNIFORM GRANT GUIDANCE CONTENT THAT CAN ROCK YOUR GRANT WORLD
Over three years have passed since the Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200) took effect. Whether you are an experienced Federal grants administrator, or someone who is relatively new to grants, by now you should be familiar with UGG.

But the content in UGG can be overwhelming, so it is valuable to know how to look beyond the basics and pay closer attention to areas that are currently attracting a lot of attention from grantees and auditors. This session focuses on the topics in UGG that “rock” our worlds in ways that may warrant re-examining our organizational approaches to compliance.

10:45 am – 11:00 am
BREAK

11:00 am – 12:30 pm
INTERNAL CONTROLS: YOUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
The nonprofit community was recently stunned when it was revealed that a large national nonprofit organization suffered an embezzlement of over seven million dollars at the hands of one of its most trusted accountants. Adequate internal controls are critical to preventing fraud, waste, and abuse. OMB expects all non-Federal entities to have a documented system of controls that provides reasonable assurance that Federal awards are being managed in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. In this session, we will discuss the basic principles of internal controls, the key requirements in 2 CFR 200, differences between preventative vs detective, proper segregation of duties, and common control activities related to high-risk areas in the organization.

12:30 pm – 1:15 pm
LUNCH (provided)

1:15 pm – 1:30 pm
A LOOK AT THOMPSON’S GRANTS COMPLIANCE EXPERT
Learn how to access your conference slides and Grants Toolkit. Plus, get an overview of subscribers’ favorite features!

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
PROCUREMENT STANDARDS: START OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT!
The Compliance Supplement has been updated, the audit teams are preparing, but are organizations complying with the 2 CFR 200 Procurement Standards? Uniform Guidance contains certain standards with which all non-Federal entities are required to comply when acquiring property or services with Federal funds. These requirements, termed the “Procurement Standards,” are set forth at 2 CFR 200.317 through 200.326 and focus primarily on facilitating competition in procurement. The Office of Management and Budget announced in the Federal Register on May 17, 2017, that the grace period for implementation of the Procurement Standards will be extended one additional fiscal year for non-Federal entities. This update extends the grace period through December 25, 2017. All non-Federal entities must have a compliant procurement system in operation for fiscal years beginning on or after December 26, 2017. If your organization has not implemented the new Procurement Standards or has recently drafted new policies and procedures this is a can’t-miss session. We will discuss the purpose and applicability of the Procurement Standards, required procurement methods, and the audit criteria that will be applied in 2019.

3:00 pm – 3:15 pm
BREAK

3:15 pm – 4:45pm
INTRO TO INDIRECT COST RECOVERY
One of the major benefits afforded by the implementation of Uniform Guidance is the ability for non-Federal entities to negotiate rates for indirect cost recovery. Unfortunately, many organizations still have not taken advantage of this benefit. Organizations owe it to their mission and to their stakeholders to take full advantage of and recover every dollar of funding that is available. In this session, we will discuss the basic principles of indirect cost recovery including direct vs indirect costs, pools vs bases, allocation methods, cost principles, distorting items, proposal timelines, and the application of rates.

4:45 pm - 5:00 pm
Q & A and DAY 1 WRAP UP

6:30 pm - ?
Networking Dutch Dinner (location TBD)
Join the Thompson Grants Team, your presenters, and fellow attendees for a networking dinner in Minneapolis! Use this opportunity to make helpful connections and enjoy an evening out after a busy first day of training. The restaurant location will be determined at a later date and an email from Thompson Grants will be sent to determine your interest.
Please Note: Separate checks will be provided.

DAY 2:

8:30 am – 9:00 am
REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST (provided)

9:00 am – 10:30 am
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: MAKING UGG WORK, AT WORK
Even if you understand the requirements in the Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200), it is often tougher to figure out HOW to make your organization compliant. Having written policies and procedures is required by UGG, however these policies and procedures must make sense within the organization’s culture in order to be properly implemented.

Well-written policies and procedures make life easier for all those involved in the effective stewardship of grant funds, and they also protect the organization in the event of an audit. This session will help you translate UGG requirements into meaningful operations-level guidance and actions.

10:30 am – 10:45 am
BREAK

10:45 am - 11:30 pm
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES PART TWO: APPLYING WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED
Now that we’ve reviewed how to develop a well-written policy and procedure, it’s time to test this knowledge and apply what you’ve learned. The goal of this session is to improve your skills to write organizational policies and procedures that align with grant regulations.

11:30 pm – 12:30 pm
LUNCH (provided)

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
TIME AND EFFORT? PARS? PAYROLL CERTIFICATION? WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
One of the major changes included in the Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200) is “payroll certification,” which is much less prescriptive and much more flexible than previous time and effort documentation requirements.

But increased flexibility is not necessarily “better.” Will Time and Effort continue to be the #1 audit finding? This session covers the changes in time and effort documentation requirements, and the increased responsibility placed on grantees.

2:00 pm – 2:15 pm
BREAK

2:15 pm – 2:45 pm
TIME AND EFFORT PART 2 – TO CHANGE, OR NOT TO CHANGE? THAT IS THE QUESTION
During this session we will closely walk through UGG 200.430(i) Standards for Documentation of Personnel Expenses to understand what it says (and does not say). You will also have the opportunity to work in small groups to examine a sample time and effort form (or bring your own!) to identify compliant and non-compliant features. By the end of this session you should be able to develop ideas to strengthen your organization’s time and effort documentation process.

2:45 pm– 3:00 pm
BREAK

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
SUCCESSFUL SUBAWARD ADMINISTRATION
Uniform Guidance introduced significant new responsibilities for pass-through entities and audit finding have shown that many are still struggling to keep up. In this session we will cover pass-through entity responsibilities, indirect rate negotiation, risk assessments, common pitfalls and how to avoid them, and best practices for successful subaward administration from the pass-through entity and subrecipient perspective.

4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Q&A AND DAY 2 WRAP UP