THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

The Joint Committee on

Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review

Report # 553

Improving Mississippi’s Ability to Compete for Federal Project Grants

Executive Summary

Introduction

Although several types of external funding might be available to state agencies, this report addresses funding made available through federal project grants. According to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance,1 project grants provide funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects.2 Unlike a formula grant, a project grant awards funds on the basis of a competitive process.

The information presented in this report applies primarily to state agencies and excludes local units of government because the state’s planning and development districts are available to assist local governments in securing and administering federal, state, and private foundation grants.

PEER’s primary objective was to determine the most feasible methods of improving and expanding the capabilities of Mississippi state agencies to identify, apply for, and secure federal project grant funds.

Conclusions

Why should Mississippi become more competitive in identifying and applying for federal project grants?

PEER believes that Mississippi state agencies have recently missed opportunities to obtain millions of dollars in federal project grant funds. Because the federal Budget Control Act will significantly curtail federal discretionary spending over the next ten years, the competition will increase among states for limited federal project grant dollars.

How do other states seek to improve their chances of securing federal project grants?

PEER identified several states that have attempted to address deficiencies in individual state agencies’ abilities to secure federal project grants by providing assistance through state-level grants offices. The key activities of such offices are identifying grant opportunities, assisting with grant applications, providing training in grantsmanship skills, tracking grant funding, and choosing which grants to pursue based on strategic policy goals.

What is Mississippi’s current approach to obtaining federal project grants?

Mississippi relies primarily on individual state agencies to implement the majority of activities related to seeking and obtaining federal project grants. Agencies report that their grantsmanship expertise consists of staff who have little or no training in the field and who must juggle grant-writing duties with other job responsibilities.

What opportunities does Mississippi have to improve its federal project grant-seeking efforts?

The Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) could help improve Mississippi’s federal project grant-seeking efforts by becoming more proactive in performing each of the key support activities PEER identified in this report. DFA has both general and specific statutory authority related to the process by which state agencies seek grants from federal sources. PEER believes that DFA could expand its role in grant seeking and grant application and suggests the following specific actions the department could take to do so.

Also, PEER recommends that agencies’ project grant applications be aligned with priorities set by the Governor in a statewide strategic plan at the beginning of each four-year term.

Improving Identification of Federal Grant Opportunities

  1. In order to stay abreast of available federal funding, DFA should continue its subscription with the Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS) service for the foreseeable future. In addition, to the extent allowable under the terms of its contract with FFIS, DFA should make the data available through this service to all executive branch agencies. Also, DFA should educate state agencies’ staff, preferably through an online webinar, on how to tailor their FFIS grants searches based on funding needs and priorities.
  2. DFA should continue to research the availability of federal project grants for specific purposes, upon the request of state agencies.
  3. DFA’s budget staff should encourage agencies to seek federal project grant funds by making them aware of opportunities and directing them to staff and/or online information that can assist them in the grant application process.
  4. DFA staff should encourage state agencies’ staffs to monitor data reported in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, the Consolidated Federal Funds Report, and The Federal Assistance Award Data System in order to identify available federal project grant funds for which Mississippi state agencies could apply. Also, in conjunction with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, DFA should amend the budget request forms to require state agencies to describe federal project grants for which the agencies applied during the preceding fiscal year and the agencies’ success in obtaining such funds.

Utilizing and Developing Grant Writing Expertise

  1. DFA should encourage state agencies to identify existing staff to serve as grants coordinators for the agencies. DFA staff should work with the grants coordinators (and the State Personnel Board) to identify grant writing training needs within the agencies, as well as steps that could be taken by DFA and the agencies to make the grants identification and application process more efficient.

Improving the Collection and Reporting of State Agency Federal Grants Data

  1. With the development of its Transparency Mississippi website and the imminent upgrade of the state’s enterprise information system in MAGIC, DFA is positioned to have the ability to collect and report detailed federal grants data for all state agencies. In recognition of the importance of a comprehensive grants database to state lawmakers and policymakers, DFA should ensure that Transparency Mississippi and MAGIC are fully operational as quickly as possible. DFA should report any external impediments to their full implementation (e. g., failure of state agencies to provide necessary data) to leadership in both the executive and legislative branches in order to develop appropriate corrective action.

State Agencies Should Apply for Project Grants that Align with Established Statewide Priorities

  1. By July 1 of the first year of each Governor’s term of office, he or she should develop a state-level strategic plan that sets the priorities, goals and objectives of his or her administration (refer to PEER’s report Enterprise Mississippi: A Vision for State Government (Report # 518, December 8, 2008). Such a plan would direct resources, including federal grant funds, toward achieving state-level priority goals and objectives.

                                                                            

1  The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance lists all federal programs available to state and local governments, federally recognized tribal governments; territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.

2  Project grants may include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants.

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