What GAO Found To design and administer federal grant programs, agencies must navigate a variety of requirements and guidance. While there are certain standard requirements, each grant program has different authorizing legislation and may also be subject to agency-specific regulations and guidance. For some aspects of grant design and administration, agencies also have more discretion to make decisions. As a result of these factors, there is substantial variation in the design and administration of grant programs across federal agencies. To improve consistency and coordination for federal grants management, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) established the Council on Federal Financial Assistance (COFFA) in August 2023. In fiscal year 2024, COFFA represented 38 of the 40 grantmaking agencies that obligated grant funding and over 99 percent of the total grant funding obligated by the federal government. COFFA is co-chaired by OMB and a member agency—the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Member agencies communicate and collaborate in a variety of ways through COFFA, as shown in the figure below. For example, each agency has designated a senior official, known as a Senior Financial Assistance Officer, to serve as a single point of contact for grant programs at their agencies…
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Grants Management: Efforts to Address Challenges Through Government-wide Collaboration
Source: US GAO Reports — US Government, Public Domain