IT Works for Efficient Grant Management

succeeding with the project for which those funds were awarded. A grant manager is tasked with putting together a plan to balance the different tasks required of this position. According to a report by Henry Flood of The Grantsmanship Center, this planning and structure is essential to effective grants management.

This plan for effective grant management and organization can include anything from figuring out how to meet the funding source’s requirements and meeting similar obligations with documentation. It can also include things such as documenting everything according to federal regulations including filing and certifying effort reports, financial reporting period reports, and much more.

Efficient Planning

For this reason, having a plan of action that is not only a reliable one, but one that will be the most efficient possible is something that staff connected with procuring and reporting on the grants always have in place. The plans typically include various online and offline strategies, and sometimes both.

For instance, having a great organizational structure is not strictly an online effort, although it does help if it is. In fact, many administrators find it easier to file some reports, write documents; keep track of time and effort reporting and financial reporting offline, while later transferring that offline work into an online application for official reporting.

Some of the organizational structures EAs tend to use include

• Creating project files specific to each grant that has been awarded
• Complete project and task management plans
• Compliance, financial and purchase tracking and reporting plans
• Security policies and procedures related to projects and organization
• Business practice and records auditing process including resolution steps
• Overall quality control

While faculty may be used to organizing things offline, or used to using a hybrid system, having not yet upgraded to a complete online system, the issue with this is that no matter how efficient the organizational plan is, it will take more time to complete offline. Administrators are doing their jobs twice.

Online = Efficient and Cost Effective

This is why EAs began moving to online systems some time ago, and these days, those systems are more popular than ever. They typically integrate complete organizational control through a web application, thus saving time. A complete grants management system includes everything that an effort administrator or grant manager needs to organize, document and file reports.

This is the type of complete integration and organizational control that the IT Works software systems offer, right out of the box. From complete control over the College administration process for funding to allowing efficient research into even the most organizational intensive grants tracking, the full IT Works has a program that is can help without spending half the grant on implementing it.

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Effort Administrator: Better Effort Reporting

Modern businesses are using technology designed with the specific goal of making work easier, and implementing multiple types of software to cover different aspects of each job within an organization has become the norm. This is especially true of those organizations that need to keep massively detailed reports – while this accounts for the vast majority of businesses in the United States, this is especially true of any organization utilizing grant funds.

Help with Grant Tracking

Grant tracking and effort reporting requires very specific reports and statements for continued qualification as a recipient of the funds. For instance, some department managers might use project management software that can help delegate tasks to staff, manage clients, and manage billing and inventory, among other things. Others, such as Effort Administrators and other faculty associated with effort reporting tasks, might use an effort reporting software system that helps to streamline the reporting and certification processes. However, whether the implementation of this system is worth the effort or not is completely dependent on whether the system makes the effort administrator’s job easier or not.

Streamlining the After Award Process

The basic process of documenting and reporting on the efforts put forth by the faculty after the award has been issued consists of a multi tiered reporting process. This includes formally documenting all research efforts, reporting and tracking time worked, tracking funds, and even issuing sanctions and suspensions when necessary. Even information such as phone calls, emails and on-site visits are documented, then after reporting on the efforts, the reports are verified, and an effort certification statement is issued. This statement certifies that the reports of efforts put forth by faculty are true and accurate to the best of that person’s knowledge.

Implementing a grant tracking system that streamlines the above processes without creating the need to put in too much extra effort is ideal. However, some software systems can be cumbersome to implement and require special training to use.

Evaluating Options

The one thing to remember when deciding which effort reporting and certification technology or software to use is that no matter what the job is that the technology is being used for, that technology should never, ever, make the job more difficult to complete.

It is always a good idea to evaluate any software or technology before jumping in and implementing it to make sure it is worth the effort of implementing in the first place. This is especially true of effort reporting software. Software is created to make things easier, not more difficult and, unfortunately, some organizations implement a technology based on nothing more than recommendations of others, and then find out they would have been better off using their previous system – no matter what it was.

If you are considering new software for your grants management department, then you should consider allowing IT Works Inc. demonstrate Effort administrator by filling out the contact form. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how little effort is required.

Effort Administrator: Better Effort Reporting

Given the limited funding available to the various organizations that apply for and receive grants – or not – and considering the decreased funding over the last year overall in any sector, it is clear these organizations are having a difficult time bouncing back from the almost three-year long recession. In fact, the decreased grant awards makes it clear that a better grant management system is needed to help maximize funds already in play while remaining as cost-effective as possible.

State of Grantseeking

According to The State of Grantseeking Fall 2011 report released by PhilanTech and GrantStation, grant sizes decreased overall in a single year’s time – despite the fact that the vast majority of organizations polled that applied for a grant in any capacity either applied for the same number or applied for more grants to acquire funding.

The report also showed that of those polled, 37 percent of organizations that applied for the same number of grants or even more grants than they did last year actually received fewer grant awards overall. However, even though funds are decreased, it can be possible to continue to operate as normal, and maybe even justify and receive a larger grant with the next application.

Updating the Grants Management System

With a better way to manage grants, that is a better way to record, report and justify how, why and when those grant dollars are spent, it is possible to make the case for continued and increased funding.

That’s not to say that current record keeping tactics are not working for any given industry, or that those tactics are in themselves a problem – they are not, and the current tactics are probably perfectly suited to any given department. However, there can be record keeping issues that manual or outdated software systems simply cannot keep up with when considering the current technological advancements of grant tracking and grant accounting software programs.

Applying Technological Advances to Effort Reporting

Considering that 72 percent of those organizations polled stated their faculty was responsible in part for all grant seeking for the year, using newer grants management systems that can account for different faculty security clearances can help curb errors and anomalies in the effort administrator reports themselves.

Overall employee accountability, effort reporting, and the issuance of effort certification statements are issues that effort administrators must manage. Using up to date, out of the box complete solution such as IT  Works’ Effort Administrator allows for better, more efficient management of the grant efforts, and is a much more cost efficient solution. In other words, the solution that allows employees to focus on their work, rather than the reporting, and thus increasing the chances of securing increased funding in the future.

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Web Based Effort Administrator Helps EAs Everywhere

Effort administrators understand that tracking their research grants takes time, especially if the effort certification and reporting technology the EAs are using is difficult to navigate, or not as flexible as they would like. Investing in any new technology, whether to replace an existing effort reporting system or to get one started to make reporting easier is a tedious and time-consuming task. Because of this, EAs have to wonder whether investing in the latest web-based effort reporting and certification technology would even make a difference to their grants management tasks or not.

You bet it does.

Especially if it is web-based, as a system with a web interface offers many features a software package does not. The truth is, most of the grant manager software systems currently on the market eat away at the bottom line, especially when factoring the purchase, implementation, and maintenance of the system, not to mention training the faculty to use it the software. These tasks also eat away at time that most researchers and other faculty simply do not have.

For this reason, EAs look at solutions from many of the grant management software and effort reporting systems on the market, but they should be looking at an all-in-one package from a web-based solution. Using a complete effort certification and reporting technology with a web interface removes some of the steps  that would be needed to implement and use a specific software, making reporting more efficient.

Some of the features offered by a web-based effort reporting and certification technology include:

• Interactive and easy to use web interface
• Multiple effort reporting options and easy to use customization tools
• Instant certification statements and ability to project future reporting needs
• Compatible with almost any Windows or Mac-based workstation and browser

A web-based effort reporting and certification technology also has a smaller learning curve. Since most people are familiar with how web applications work, it makes training employees to use the system to track grant efforts much more efficient, leaving more time for research.

All of these features are what make Effort Administrator the clear choice in effort reporting and certification technology. It is web-based, and just happens to have the distinction of being the most cost-effective of all complete grant management systems available to the research community today. Besides the federal requirements for grant tracking and effort certification and reporting, isn’t cost effectiveness one of the reasons EAs track their efforts?

Specialized Software Skills are Not Needed

First of all, it is important to note that you do not need to try to find someone who has unique or exclusive computer skills. Anyone who has enough software skills to be able to work in a government office, college, research institute, or non-profit foundation likely has adequate skills to operate grant management software.

There is one exception—if the grant software is not already installed and set up, you may need to have someone (perhaps an associate from the software vendor) do this for you.

Skills to Look for in a Grant Department Manager

Now you know that you do not need to seek out a software specialist. But what do you need to look for in a grant department manager? Look for someone who will be competent at the following tasks:

• Managing a variety of projects simultaneously – Grant management software will make this task simple and uncomplicated; however, it can still be stressful. You need a grant department manager who is able to handle the stress and manage the projects.

• Ensure the accuracy of all information – The software does have built-in templates and forms; however, it will be the responsibility of the department manager to make sure that everything is accurate.

• Communicate effectively – The grant department manager must be able to use documents and email to communicate with stakeholders, affiliates, financial officers, grantees, and funders.

• Make grant administration smooth – The manager must use the grant software and his own talents and knowledge to help the grant process flow smoothly.

Hosted Online Systems

This type of system is accessible via a web browser. Companies pay a software vendor for online access to the software, which is also called Software-As-a-Service (SAaS). All grant data and information is stored on the vendor’s servers. No hardware purchases are necessary.

Though this type of grant management software may sound unstable, it is actually quite secure. Many banks and hospitals use similar systems for their data management.

Installed Systems

With this software, companies buy the system and have it installed onto their own network and computers. Most of these grant management systems are based upon Windows; therefore, companies using another operating system may not be able to use this option. This software is typically rich in features, but may not have online capabilities.

Companies that choose this type of software must do their own data backups and software updates. So, it is necessary to have an experienced computer technician on staff who is able to perform these actions.

Online Web Software

A few vendors offer grant management software that companies can purchase and download to their own web servers. Companies can then access the software from anywhere that there is an online connection.

This type of software is similar to a Hosted Online System; however, with Online Web Software a company will need to purchase hardware. In addition, the company must have qualified IT personnel in order to handle installation, software updates, and data backups.

Custom-Built Systems

Some companies have unique needs and, for them, a custom-built grant management system can be a good alternative. A vendor can design a system with features and toolsets that provide the company with the functionality it requires.

The downside to a custom system? The cost. It can be extremely expensive to hire a software developer to create a system. But there are also other considerations. It can take a software developer quite a long time to design custom software. Also, the developer will need to be willing to maintain and upgrade the software as needed—and the company must pay for this work.

What Does a Grant Administrator Do?

A grant administrator, or department manager, has many duties for the funding organization. He is in charge of working with current grantees and reviewing grant proposals from potential grantees in order to make recommendations to that funding board.

Administrators must be good communicators in order to be able to work well with those who apply for grants and the other members of the grant organization.

Administrators also need to track grants to make sure that they comply with funding regulations. They must also work on grant budgeting; it is their responsibility to keep the funding organization to its strict budget.

How Do Grant Administrators Manage the Grants Process?

Most grant department managers use grant management software to assist them in handling incoming requests for funding, processing new grants, and tracking existing grants.

Grant management software helps to save time. Administrators use this software for a wide variety of tasks, including the following:

• View grant funding data as a whole or track grant expenditures
• Analyze grant budgeting
• Run reports on grant projects
• Document information regarding a specific grant

Choosing Grant Management Software with Browser Access

Grant department managers are often able to help select grant software for use in their organization. If this is possible, grant administrators should try to select software that is able to run online in a browser. If an organization already has grant software, it may be possible to obtain an update in order to have browser access.

Browser access is ideal for grant management software because it enables staff to use the software anywhere there is an Internet connection. In addition, grant applicants can complete grant proposals online. Because the Internet has become increasingly important over the years, it is a good idea for grant organizations to pursue this avenue of grant management software.

In order to ensure that grant management is done properly, it is typically best for non-profit organizations to invest in grant management software. A software program can help keep all grant information in one easy-to-access place. Software also enables the grant department manager to sort, arrange, and track grants and their funding as needed.

It is essential that grant department managers are well-informed about certain aspects of how to work with grants. Here are some of the important considerations:

Grant Terms and Conditions

Each grant will have its own terms and conditions. It is important for the grant manager to understand all of the expectations of the funding agency so that the non-profit organization will be able to fully comply. For instance, are administrative expenses covered by the grant? Or does the grant cover only research-related expenses? Make sure all employees know the grant conditions so that there is no confusion.

Funding Grid

A funding grid details grant funds that have been received and how they have been allocated for spending. It also shows how they have been spent as per grant guidelines. Funding grids typically show more than one funding agency and more than one grant because they are created for the master budget or for the budget of each large project. Most organizations use accountants to create funding grids.

Compliance Reviews

The grant department manager will need to complete periodic reviews of the grant-funded projects in order to ensure that the funds are being used for their intended purpose. These reviews give the manager an opportunity to correct any problems that arise. Also, most grant funding agencies require progress updates, so these reviews serve that purpose as well.

Research administrators can benefit immensely from employing some type of grant management system to help them with the application process and disbursement of the funds that they receive. In fact, most of the systems that are developed to help with the grant process are designed with research administrators in mind.

A lot of the grant management systems that are available for this adept group of individuals to use are made to be user friendly, and extremely affordable. The systems are set up in a way that research administrators can track their grant proposals and their budgeting parameters at the same time.

Since, most research administrators spend a lot of time searching for grants and applying for them, these software programs can save researchers the hassle of having to keep with mounds of financial paperwork. Anything that has the ability to be tracked through these systems will be tracked. This includes any proposals that were submitted, the award type, the agency that is offering the funding and their agency number.

Aside from managing the monetary aspects of their projects, research administrators also spend a lot of time managing their research teams that they have employed underneath them. A lot of the grant management systems can help research administrators manage the human resources information of their projects also.

There are a lot of benefits that accompany having a management system in play. Research administrators cannot only manage the funds that they are using and applying for to help with their research, but they can also manage administrative duties at the same time-with the same software.

While applying for a grant is not difficult for most college students to do, keeping up with the entire process is a daunting task for the administrative staff. Colleges do not get paid, unless students are given funds through special loan programs or grant money from government sources. The administrative staff will have to do all of the backend work to ensure that their students receive the money they need to attend their school.

Keeping track of grant money that is being received and going out can be difficult to do, when dealing with thousands of students at one time. Grant tracking software makes it possible for administrative staff to track all of the grant money that has come into their institution and left the institution. By having the ability to track the way that money is being dispersed, colleges can plan strict budgets for the money that they have on hand.

When students that are attending a university apply for a grant, their application process is simple. On the other side of the arrangement, the administrative staff employed by the university that the student is trying to attend will have to do everything that they can to track the students grant money that they receive. Staying organized can be a troublesome task; this is why schools are beginning to incorporate new software systems to make the grant process a little less stressful for all parties involved.