Each manager should
have complete files for each grant he or she has "negotiated.” In
addition, the Grants Manager and Grants Accountant, at a minimum, should
also keep files. You may be wondering why the "negotiator" needs
files if someone else is going to be directing or coordinating the project.
The reason is simple...the funding agency considers the person who does
the negotiating of the grant to be the institution's "Grant Administrator".
This means that they will hold the negotiator accountable for seeing
that the funds are expended according to the negotiated budget and the
approved scope of the project. Therefore, the negotiator must have oversight
responsibility for seeing that a funded project's objectives are accomplished
and reported to the funding agency. State and federal auditors expect
the individual who negotiates the grant to have copies of all vital programmatic
information.
As the "Grant Administrator" you will need to maintain the
following files:
It is
important to have these files gathered and maintained at one location
at an institution. All purchase orders
charged to the grant should
be reviewed and signed by the person who negotiated
the scope and budget of the project. Some Project Directors
resent this supervision; however, it is important to hold one person
accountable for
seeing that grants
are being administered to comply with
the
funding agencies guidelines.
Few Grants Writers lose their jobs for preparing successful
proposals. Grants Administrators have
lost their jobs when they have mismanaged
grants received by their colleges, resulting
in some form of embarrassment for the college, its Governing
Board,
the Chief
Executive Officer,
or the individuals to be served.