Memo outlining streamlined processes for discretionary grants

U.S. Department of Education—Office of the Chief Financial Officer—Grants Policy and Oversight Staff

Memo

To: Rachel Potter, EOP/OMB/OIRA

From: Julius Cotton, ED/OCFO/GPOS

CC: Joe Schubart, ED/OM/RIMS

Date: 2/5/2021

Re: Streamlined Clearance Process for Discretionary Grant Information Collections (1890-0001, 1890-0006 and 1890-0009)

The Department of Education has several streamlined processes for discretionary grants, which allows ED to provide better customer service to grant applicants and help meet ED’s goal for timely awards of discretionary grants. This supports ED’s goal by meeting the award dates each fiscal year. We propose that the different clearance processes for discretionary grants (1890-0001, 1890-0006, and 1890-0009) continue to be streamlined in the following manner:

Streamlined Discretionary Grant Clearance Process, 1890-0001

This process was originally approved by OMB in January of 1997. This includes discretionary grant applications which contain program specific information. If a grant does not fit the generic clearance (1890-0009) below, then a program may choose this process to obtain OMB approval. As originally agreed by OMB, the 60-day comment period notice is waived; therefore, only a 30-day comment period notice is required. The Department will publish a 30-day notice at the same time the full Information Collection Request (ICR) is submitted to OMB for approval. OMB would still have 60 days, following the beginning of the public comment period, to reach a decision on the collection. These discretionary grants will use their individualized OMB control numbers but notate they are using the 1890-0001 process when these ICRs are submitted to OMB.

EDGAR Criteria Process, 1890-0006

Although this is rarely used, this process allows grant programs, in a subsequent year of the approved collection, to change their program specific criteria to EDGAR criteria. This process generally relates to programs who have used the 1890-0001 process in a previous year but wish to move one or more criterion to EDGAR in a subsequent year of their approved application. If the program still has program specific requirements, they cannot use the 1890-0009 process and therefore, must use this process ONLY if some or all program specific criteria wil be changing to EDGAR criteria, there are no other substantive changes to the approved application, and the application still contains a program specific requirement. No public comment period notices are required since the Master Plan covers this process, and the individual applications account for their burden under their indiviudal OMB control numbers. ED submits these requests via the OMB83 C (change worksheet) process. A copy of the proposed selection criteria to the approved application is also submitted for review. Based on the original OMB/ED agreement, the clearance time for this process is 10 days at OMB.

Generic Discretionary Grant Process, 1890-0009

In December 2001, OMB approved the information master plan, “Generic Grant Application,” under OMB control number 1890-0009. This is the most streamlined process for discretionary grant applications. It can include new or existing discretionary grants. There are no comment periods for individual grant applications since the Master Plan (original collection) provided the public with an opportunity to comment. Program offices may submit their individual discretionary grant applications under this process as long as they use EDGAR selection criteria or statutory criteria, in addition to all the standard forms. No program specific information fits under this process; otherwise, the 1890-0001 process must be used. Differences in the individual grant application packages using 1890-0009 would be reflected in the official application notices and discretionary grant application packages. The information contained in the official application notice may include background information on the program and grant competition, priorities, statutory selection criteria and/or EDGAR selection criteria. To obtain OMB approval, ED will submit the request via the OMB83C (change worksheet) process with the individual application hours added to the cumulative total. In addition, a copy of the draft closing date notice or notice of priorities will be submitted with this request. Based on the original OMB/ED agreement, the clearance time for this process is 10 days at OMB.

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