In its circulars, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) communicates the cost principles, administrative rules, and audit rules associated with federal grants. As of 2011, when the process of developing the Uniform Guidance began, eight separate OMB circulars governed federal grants. Regulations were difficult for grantees to understand and follow. For state educational agencies like TEA, they were cumbersome to enforce.
The goal of the new Uniform Grant Guidance is to replace the multiple OMB circulars with federal grant rules that are consistent for all grantees. The Uniform Guidance emphasizes the following:
- “Strengthening accountability” to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse
- Adding flexibility to allow grantees to develop their own processes to demonstrate performance outcomes
- Stressing performance over compliance, with auditors expected to evaluate “outcomes” rather than “processes”
The Uniform Guidance went into effect Dec. 26, 2014. The new regulations govern all federal grants awarded by the US Department of Education to the state or to an LEA on or after that date. Join us to hear from the Texas Education Agency on how they are interpreting the new Uniform Grant Guidance requirements for all federal grants. Session and materials partially funded through federal funds.