New Partners Initiative NPI Round One Partners Meeting

New Partners Initiative (NPI) Round One Partners’ Meeting February 25 th – February 29 th, 2008 Benoni, South Africa Folami Harris, Regional Coordinator AED NPI Southern Africa

10 Steps for Working with Sub. Partners New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 2

Session Objectives: 1. Provide an overview of the partner selection and sub-grant management process • • review recommended steps for the selection of partners explore USG regulations and best practice for the management of sub-grants to partners 2. Analyze challenges encountered in managing partners and sub-grants 3. Discuss strategies for overcoming these challenges New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 3

Process for Session • Facilitate reflection and analysis of: partner recruitment and selection process strategies used to manage partners & sub-grants challenges experienced solutions …strategies that prove to be effective • Presentation focusing on: USG regulations for grants management best practices in management of partners New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 4

Reflection & Analysis -40 Min • • Form 4 groups, each with a recorder/reporter Share, reflect and analyze your sub-grant management process: 1. introduce your programme and implementing partners 2. explain how your partners were selected for sub-grants 3. describe the processes in place for managing subgrants and the challenges experienced, if any 4. describe how you addressed these challenges and the results achieved New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 5

USG Regulations & Best Practice for Partner Selection and Sub-Grant Management New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 6

Comparing Experiences 20 Min • Similarities? • Differences? • Reasons for these? New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 7

Step 1: Identify Your Partner The strength of partnerships lies in shared interest and mutual respect: – combining complementary strengths to achieve greater impact – equal involvement in assessment, planning, monitoring and evaluation New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 8

Step 1: Identify Your Partner Elements to consider: • actual and potential management history • actual and potential capacity to implement technical elements of programme • community credibility New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 9

Step 1: Identify Your Partner More elements to consider: • tension between time needed to show results and time needed to build capacity • openness to change and technical support • change/growth management needs New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 10

Step 1: Identify Your Partner For NPI, you would have identified who you will work in partnership with through 1 of 4 ways: – submission of partner’s name in initial application (prior to winning the award) – USG directed – sole source – competitive selection New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 11

Step 2: Get USG Approval for Your Partner as a Sub-Grantee • If your partners are to receive sub-grants from your award, they must be approved by USG • Requirements for USG approval of partners for sub-grants differs depending on the partner selection process New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 12

Step 2: Get USG Approval for Your Partner as a Sub-Grantee If included in initial application – if application is approved, no further requirements If USG Directed – documentation from a legal representative of the US Government stating that they have directed such inclusion New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 13

Step 2: Get USG Approval for Your Partner as a Sub-Grantee If sole sourced – documentation on why no other entity could feasible meet the required needs If selected competitively –e. g. RFA/RFP – documentation of the RFA process New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 14

Step 2: Get USG Approval for Your Partner as a Sub-Grantee All approval requires documentation of: • your process for identifying the sub-grantee (Selection Memorandum) • solicitation documents: – RFA issued – responses to RFA – evaluation matrix • evaluation criteria for selection New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 15

Step 2: Get USG Approval for Your Partner as a Sub-Grantee …plus • the complete application/proposal submitted by the partner selected for sub-grant – technical application – budget and budget narrative – cost and pricing information • the draft agreement to be entered into between you and your partner/sub-grantee New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 16

Step 3. Determine Mechanism for Awarding Sub-Grants Two primary types of award mechanisms: • Standard Agreement agreement you have in place governed by USG Mandatory Standard Provisions and the Required as Applicable Standard Provisions • Fixed Obligations Grants (FOG) limited to USD$100, 000 payments tied to deliverables New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 17

Step 4. Conduct Pre-Award Assessment Is the organization capable of administering and implementing sub-grant in alignment with USG regulations and national laws. – What is its track record in managing and implementing HIV responses (Management Questionnaire & Informal Consultations) – What kind of infrastructure exists? (On-site Assessment) – Are last year’s audited accounts on file? (Documents Collection) New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 18

Step 5. Negotiate the Amount of the Sub-Grant to be Awarded Review your partner’s technical application and budget to ensure: • consistency with your program objectives • programme activities are logically connected and technically sound • activities are consistent with USG regulations • costs are reasonable and verifiable • costs are directly allocable to program New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 19

Step 6. Secure USG Approval of Sub. Grant • these steps are not consecutive; some are simultaneous • approval of sub-grant award generally occurs alongside the sub-partner approval process New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 20

Step 7. Assess Sub-Grantee’s Potential for Cost-Share Contributions, both cash and in-kind can be accepted as cost-share when they are: • not included as contributions for any other USGassisted program • reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project objectives • charges that would be allowable under the applicable Federal cost principles • not paid by the USG under another grant or agreement • verifiable from the sub-partner’s records New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 21

Step 8. Manage the Sub-Grant Award All regulations branding requirements and mandatory provisions flow-down from your agreement to sub-grantees • provide meaningful orientation and training for subgrantee’s to be compliant with agreement • link payouts on FOGs to deliverables • link payouts on standard agreements to documented, allocable costs incurred • monitor and support sub-grantee –but don’t interfere in day to day management New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 22

Step 9. Report Appropriately and On Time • adhere to reporting schedule and formats • reports should meet your programme management needs as well as PEPFAR requirements • seek guidance when in doubt New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 23

Step 10. Close-Out of Agreements When the end of the grant period is reached, the grant must be “closed out” • obtain close-out statements from sub-grantees certifying that there are: • • • no outstanding expenses no outstanding credits no outstanding deliverable assets are inventories and disposed of according to regulations publications and materials produced with USG funds are catalogues and filed New Partners Initiative Round One Partners Meeting 24