The grants preparation and management process involves a variety of people and offices at both the campus and the College level. The Project Director will undoubtedly be involved in the preparation of new or continuation proposals so he/she needs to be aware of the roles and responsibilities of the key people.
If you are new to the College, it would be wise to acquire copies of the current organization charts so you can get a handle on how it is organized. The K-drive is the source for this information. A description of the key peoples' roles as they relate to grants follows.
Grants Writer: the principal author of the proposal. The Grants Writer
needs to work closely with all the individuals who will be responsible
for implementation of the funded proposal. The Grants Writer is also
responsible for contacting the Grants Manager as early as possible
to let him or her know that a proposal will be coming, to discuss any
needs
for technical assistance, and the proposal review and signature process.
Project Director: responsible for overseeing the grant, managing the
budget, and ensuring that the proposed activities get done in the manner
promised. In many cases, the Grants Writer and the Project Director
is the same person. The Project Director is usually supervised by a
Dean
or other relatively high level administrator who has responsibility
for monitoring the project progress to ensure that corrective action
is taken
if needed.
College President: approves all outgoing proposals before they are
submitted. The president is also responsible for approving whether
the grant funding
should be accepted prior to submittal to the District Governing Board.
Grants Manager: The Grants Manager provides technical assistance, reviews
proposals, and coordinates the proposal review and signature process
within the College. Copies of the proposal and related information,
such as award letters, proposal/budget modifications, and annual and
final
reports should be provided to the Grants Manager.
Grants Accountant: The Grants Accountant sets up the account, produces
financial reports for the funding agency, maintains account journals,
processes transactions, and provides information to auditors as requested.
The Grants Accountant also provides technical assistance and guidance
to the Project Director on fiscal matters.
Legal Counsel: reviews and signs proposals that are in contract form
and all Intergovernmental Agreements and other contracts.
Purchasing Director: responsible for establishing, directing, and coordinating
purchasing processes and procedures.
Human Resources Director: responsible for directing and coordinating
employment procedures and processes.
Grants Review Committee: provides technical assistance.
Vice President of Academic Affairs: takes the Grant Proposal Form
forward to the President’s Advisory Council (PAC) for consideration,
signs Administrative Recommendation of Grant form prior to submittal,
and prepares
an Action Item for the District Governing Board for each successful
grant.
Vice President of Business and Administrative Services: reviews, approves
and oversees budgetary planning and decision-making, and signs Administrative
Recommendation of Grant form prior to submittal.
Institutional Research Director: provides technical assistance and
data analysis to support grant objectives and reporting requirements.
Program Officer: answers questions and provides technical assistance
both before and after a grant is awarded. Monitors the project performance.
In some agencies, Program Officer may also perform the role of the
Grants Officer.
Grants Officer: negotiates and approves award and the grant budget
for the funding source. Also approves major changes requiring grant,
contract,
and budget modifications.