In-Progress Accountability

OHS ensures in-process accountability on all of our grants using a multi-faceted approach. To ensure accountability OHS will use a Grant Administration Unit (GAU) to address the day-to-day concerns of managing the grants and ensuring outcomes and OHS will use a Monitoring and Audits Unit (MAU) to ensure that the subgrantees are following all applicable rules and meeting outcomes by conducting on-site monitoring reviews.

The GAU will address how the deliverables are being tracked by developing a percentage complete matrix for each project. The GAU program representative will be required to keep in regular contact with the subgrantee to ensure that the desired outcome (project completion) is on-schedule and not over budget. The program representative will be required to approve each Financial Management Forms Workbook for the grantee related to each of the individual grants. The workbook will allow the representative to track all activities of the grant in a comprehensive manner. This tracking method will include fiscal tracking and programmatic detail that will identify which parts of the grant are in progress and how much reimbursement has been approved for each project or sub-allocation of the project. Using the financial workbook, the program representative will also be required to approve payments for the subgrantee, as the payments are requested. These payments will then be authorized by the manager in charge of the unit and the Deputy Director at OHS, after full approval claims for payment will then be forwarded to accounting for processing of the actual checks, this process will allow us to expedite payments and ensure that there will be no inappropriate payments. The Financial Management Forms Workbook will track the financial status at the project/grant level in addition to the ALS which will allow us to make payments per project and timely. The Financial Forms Workbook will capture multiple source funding and will be used as a cash flow budgeting tool that will allow us to estimate expenditures by quarter to manage cash flow appropriately The Financial Forms workbook will be the primary vehicle that will coordinate the activities of those entities that are monitoring progress on the projects and making the payments.

In addition to the GAU and the duties described above, OHS will also be utilizing an extensive on-sight monitoring program for each sub-grantee. The Monitoring and Audits Unit (MAU) is responsible for monitoring subgrantees and ensuring that audit requirements have been met. Monitoring of subgrantees provides a comprehensive picture of how preparedness and response capabilities are increasing statewide. Monitoring also ensures that OHS funds are spent in the most efficient and effective manner and that those expenditures have occurred consistent with the original intent and the rules associated with the grant. This is achieved by conducting administrative, programmatic and fiscal monitoring of the subgrantee's reporting processes, project activities, operational procedures, internal operations, record keeping and accounting systems. This monitoring will ensure that the subgrantees are operating effectively and efficiently, while also ensuring that any deficiencies in the subgrantee's processes are detected and corrected in a timely manner.