Training on USAID Rules & Regulations - Grants & Cooperative Agreements

This training covers a wide range of guidelines and requirements for USAID funding and is intended to improve NGO staff members' capacity to efficiently administer their programs and uphold donor compliance. This highly interactive training equips you with the abilities and knowledge you need to properly implement the intricate instructions found within the regulations, regardless of your prior experience with USAID financing or your level of program experience.

Target Participants
This course is ideal for anyone managing or bidding on a USAID grant or cooperative agreement from finance, compliance, program, administrative, or new business development teams; Independent auditors or CPAs who perform compliance or financial audits within the development sector and USAID staff, especially Agreement Officers and Agreement Officer’s Representatives.
Course Duration
Online                                7 Days

Classroom-based            5 Days
What You Will Learn
By the end of this course the participants will be able to:

• Work and negotiate with key USAID employees, such as agreement officers and their representatives, with confidence.
• Navigate current USAID laws and regulations with the assurance needed to discover solutions, address difficulties that arise frequently, and deal with auditresults
• Understand why, how, and when to submit previous approvals, waivers, and extensions in addition to how to leverage them to save time and money.
• Describe how your organization's policies and USAID laws and regulations interact.

Course Outline
Introduction to USAID

• Introduction to USAID
• USAID implementing mechanisms
• Types of awards
• USAID rules and regulations

USAID Rules & Regs; Pre-Award Considerations

• Rules and Regulations
• First phase of the Award cycle; 2 CFR 200, Subpart C
• Navigating the rules exercise
• Organizational preparation for USAID funding
• Second phase of the award cycle

Ethics

• Why are ethics needed?
• Pre-award certifications and assurances
• Policies needed
• How to ensure compliance to the ethical standards within the organization

USAID Authorization and Award Structure

• Continuation award cycle: implementation
• Authorization structure in USAID (AO/AOR); substantial involvement in the award

AOR designation letter

• Authority AO vs AOR exercise
• Unauthorized commitments
• Award layout
• Award Budget

USAID Financial Management

• Financial management
• Standards for financial management systems
• Internal controls, payments, banking and interest
• Financial management discussion
• Cost sharing (difference with cost allocation)
• Program income
• Revision of budget and program plans
• Budget revisions and prior approvals exercise

Cost Principles and Indirect Costs

• 2 CFR 200 Subpart E
• Timekeeping and time allocation
• Cost principles exercise
• Indirect costs

Procurement and Property Standards

• Procurement regulations mapped out
• Procurement policies & eligibility rules: 22 CFR 228; MSP 5&6
• Telecommunications and Surveillance
• Procurement exercise including restricted and ineligible items, vetting process, prior approvals
• Foreign government-controlled organizations; Nationality of employees andconsultants
• Restricted items; Long-term leases; Waivers

Subaward Management

• Difference between procurement of goods, services, and subawards
• Contractual relationship: USAID, Prime, Sub
• Different kinds of subs
• Responsibility of prime
• Registration for federal award systems (UEI, SAM)
• FFATA Reporting
• Sub agreement, amendments, and flow-down provisions
• Sub-recipient monitoring: Reporting/visits

Audit

• Different types of audits
• Audit thresholds
• How to prepare for a smooth audit process
• Common audit findings

Branding and Travel

• Branding and marking
• International travel
• Fly America Act

Award Exercise, Close-out and Disposition

• Reporting requirements
• Award review exercise
• Award cycle
• Record retention
• Close-Out policies and procedures
• Post-Award use of USAID-Funded goods and commodities
• Develop a close-out timeline exercise

Training Approach
This course is delivered by our seasoned trainers who have vast experience as expert professionals in their respective fields of practice. The course is taught through a mix of practical activities, presentations, group works and case studies. Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
Certification
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued a certificate.

Tailor-Made Course
We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide training needs. A training needs assessment will be done on the training participants to collect data on the
existing skills, knowledge gaps, training expectations and tailor-made needs.