Partner Events

April 27  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
Federally Supported Property

Documenting and managing federal interest in real and personal property is critical to avoiding disputes upon disposition of that property. Failure to fully understand the impact of a federal interest in your organization’s property can expose your organization to sizable liability.

This webinar discusses the federal government’s interest in the real and personal property that grant and cooperative agreement recipients acquire and improve with federal funds. FTLF Partner Nicole M. Bacon will discuss the concept of “federal interest,” including what it is, how it is created, and its long-term implications.  In addition, Ms. Bacon will discuss the requirements under the Uniform Guidance pertaining to the use, management, and disposition of grant-funded real and personal property.

May 4  |  1:00-2:00 PM ET
Webinar
Fulfilling the U.S. Department of Education's Compliance Mandates for HEERF Grant Recipients

Over the past year, Congress’ recent appropriation of millions more Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) dollars in the American Rescue Plan Act solidifies the need to address this area of compliance for the foreseeable future. Institutions of higher education continue to be subject to evolving compliance and regulatory requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. As recently as March 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education issued new guidance regarding the use of funds received under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant program. In our April 6, 2021 blog post, we summarized this recent guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education at a high level. During this training, we will further expand upon and clarify several aspects of the HEERF requirements and discuss new pandemic relief regulatory guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education (an update since our webinar on July 27, 2020).

May 19  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
Time and Effort Documentation

The most common compliance finding for federal grant recipients is a failure to adequately document the time and effort of the grantee’s personnel.  Fundamentally a requirement designed to ensure reasonable allocation of personnel costs, time and effort requirements are often misunderstood.  Compounding the confusion, the Uniform Guidance relaxed requirements for most grantees in late 2014, but the relaxed standards in the regulatory text led to few changes in actual practices by agency reviewers, auditors, and grantees who had grown accustomed to the more specific requirements under the prior OMB Circulars.

Join FTLF Managing Partner Ted Waters for a discussion of the purpose of time and effort, defensible systemic approaches under current standards, and a discussion of common mistakes.

 June 10  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
An Ounce of Prevention: Post-Award Considerations
for Grant Writers and Development Office Personnel

One of the best tools in eliminating risk in federal grant performance is careful crafting of the grant application.  Yet, too often, those tasked with developing grant applications lack the support they require in understanding the key risks inherent in post-award grant management.  This presentation is tailored to the perspective of grant writers, development office personnel, and senior leaders evaluating potential federal funding streams as their organizations grow.

FTLF Partner Scott S. Sheffler provides guidance on how to evaluate federal opportunities and key performance risks in advance of submitting an application and discusses critical areas of preliminary coordination.  In the strategic approach to federal opportunities, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

July 15  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
2021 Legal Update

Each year there are numerous important judicial, legislative, and administrative decisions that impact federal grant law.  These decisions shape the way the law is interpreted and ultimately applied by federal grantees.  This webinar, presented by FTLF Partner Scott S. Sheffler and Senior Counsel Phillip A. Escoriaza, will address important rulings that have occurred over the last year and the practical implications of those cases upon grantees.

August 19  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
The Allowable Cost System

Fundamentally, a grant from the federal government is simply an agreement by the government to reimburse a non-federal entity for certain costs of certain activities.  The limits of the government’s agreement are expressed primarily through the federal cost principles and are defined as “allowable costs.”  Join FTLF Partner Scott S. Sheffler to evaluate and discuss the scope and limitations on reimbursable costs, and key risk areas inherent in this system.

August 25 - 27  |  10:30 AM-5:00 PM ET
Live, 3 Day Federal Grants Management Training
Federal Funding Academy

A three-day overview of the federal grants system, covering everything from the legal underpinnings of the system through procurement and subaward requirements, cost issues, and audit resolution.

Federal Grants Practice Group attorneys Ted Waters and Scott Sheffler and independent grants consultant Jerry Bertrand dive deeply into and lead you through in-depth discussions of regulatory language and effective implementation – particularly when the regulations are ambiguous.  Impacts of the CARES Act and other COVID-19 pandemic-related declarations, funding, and flexibilities will be examined and explained.

At this highly interactive and at times humorous training session, you'll have plenty of opportunities for discussion with Ted, Scott, and Jerry. Take advantage of this opportunity to have your questions answered and to directly apply the knowledge you've gained from the training session.

September 15  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
Cost Allocation and Indirect Cost Rates

One of the most challenging compliance obligations of federal grantees is ensuring that they charge only “allocable” costs to their federal awards.  At its core a very straight-forward concept, in practice cost allocation can prove a complex endeavor.  From direct allocation, through cost allocation plans, and federally approved indirect cost rate agreements, an understanding of cost allocation principles aids grantees in efficiently and properly recovering project costs from the federal government.  Join FTLF Partner Scott S. Sheffler to build from cost allocation basics to intermediate allocation concepts, examine practical examples, and walk through the indirect rate agreement negotiation process.

October 21  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
Procurement Standards

An area of constant compliance focus, the federal procurement standards continue to evolve.  This webinar will walk through the core requirements of the federal procurement standards and will highlight key new aspects with the 2020 updates to the Uniform Guidance.

FTLF Partner Scott S. Sheffler will concisely address procurement considerations from the underlying legal requirements impacting grantee processes to the core competition requirements, preferences for small businesses and domestic sources, and new limitations on purchases of certain telecommunications equipment and services from Huawei Technology Company and certain other entities.  Tying the various requirements together into a logical and systemic whole, Mr. Sheffler will address the procurement standards from the practical perspective of a grantee’s need not just for compliance, but also efficient and repeatable systems.

November 10  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
Responding to Audit Findings

The federal grant system is, at its core, a “trust but verify” system in which compliance is driven by after-the-fact review of grantee actions.  Often, such after-the-fact reviews are in the form of Single Audit Act annual audits or Office of Inspector General audits.  

In this presentation, FTLF Managing Partner Ted Waters and Partner Scott S. Sheffler bring their day-to-day practice in resolving audit findings to bear for an in-depth discussion of risks, strategies, and opportunities in the audit process.  Based upon the legal underpinnings of the federal grant system and government rights to impose remedial measures, Mr. Waters and Mr. Sheffler provide practical guidance on the “do’s and don’t’s” in audit resolution.

December 9  |  1:00-2:15 PM ET
Webinar
The Single Audit Under the Uniform Guidance

As our first year of audits in the “year of coronavirus” nears its end, join CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner Carol Barnard of Aronson LLC and FTLF Partner Scott S. Sheffler for a discussion of the Single Audit Act annual audit.

All medium and large grantees must undergo a Single Audit Act annual audit (often referred to as the “Uniform Guidance”, “A-133” or “Subpart F” audit).  The Single Audit is the federal government’s most important tool for testing your compliance with the terms of your awards. Moreover, it is a major annual expense for your organization, so it is important to get it right.

In this webinar, Scott and Carol and will provide an in-depth look at this process from both the grants accounting and legal perspectives, covering key topics like:

•     The federal purposes and authorities for such audits
•     Grantee obligations during the audit process
•     What to expect from auditors and federal agencies during an audit
•     Join us to ensure you understand the process, your rights, and your obligations.

June 1 - 2, 2021
Virtual Instruction
COMM7006D001 - Interpersonal Communications

Learn proven techniques to work more productively and improve your everyday interactions with others. Discover conflict resolution strategies and negotiation techniques, and benefit from useful tips on tact and diplomacy.

This course is part of the Certificate of Accomplishment in Program and Management Analysis.

Enroll Anytime
Self Paced
Project Management

Enroll Anytime
Self Paced
PROJ8990T001 - Introduction to Microsoft Project 2016

This introductory course provides core knowledge and practice exercises for participants to directly operate Microsoft Project 2016. Participants use the software to develop a usable project plan, schedule tasks, manage project resources, and more. Participants navigate the Microsoft Project 2016 environment by defining a new project plan, organizing and linking project tasks, optimizing the critical path, setting the project baseline, adding and managing resources to the project plan, setting up resource calendars, resolving resource conflicts, customizing Gantt charts, creating timelines, custom reports and more.Management Analysis.