On April 25, 2024, the Grants Administration division of the Intergovernmental Relations Office briefed the Travis County Commissioners Court on a suite of challenges that Travis County offices and departments face in applying for, and implementing, grant-funded projects. At his work session, Grants Administration made recommendations to address many of these challenges with a particular focus on the application and Court approval process, as opposed to managing grant-funded projects post-award. Starting with FY 2025, the Budget Rules housed the Court approval process.<br><br>Today, the Grants Administration division is bringing forth a draft Grants Administration Policy that addresses the entire life-cycle of grant awards with a particular focus on executing and implementing grants post-award. The Policy incorporates the initial policies adopted into the Budget Rules so that all of the Commissioners Court's policies regarding grants are in one location. The Policy also formally articulates many requirements that Travis County is already subject to, but which are not formally adopted by the Commissioners Court. It also sets forth new policies that are considered best practices and which will assist in the management and implementation of grant-funded projects, including:<ul><li>A policy detailing the elements of an application that must be documented prior to submission, requirements around the inclusion of indirect costs in proposed budgets, and the criteria for proposing funding new services with a grant.</li><li>A policy stipulating what kinds of modifications to a grant-funded project or award terms must be approved by the Travis County Commissioners Court, and the process for receiving that approval.</li><li>A policy requiring offices and departments with grant awards submit quarterly performance reports, including measures and narrative, to Grants Administration, as well as submit reports on "significant developments" as soon as possible.</li><li>A policy detailing the process for determining whether a third-party organization is a subrecipient or a contractor, and how offices and departments should create contracts with those third-parties. </li></ul><br>Grants Administration developed this policy based on best practices articulated by the Government Finance Officers Association, the National Grants Management Association, and the requirements articulated in 2 C.F.R. §200 and the Texas Grants Management Standards. Grants Administration also reviewed this draft policy, and incorporated feedback from, various offices and departments including the Planning and Budget Office and the County Auditor's Office.