This course is part of the comprehensive training program for the FEMA eGrants system. This course is the first in the series of Independent Study (IS) courses for eGrants and will address the functions in the eGrants External System used by Subapplicants. The purpose of this course is to provide you with the knowledge to:

• Complete a subapplication in eGrants
• Review a subapplication in eGrants
• Submit a subapplication to an Applicant using eGrants
• Check the status of a subapplication in eGrants
• Revise a subapplication in eGrants

The Office of Management and Budget streamlined the Federal Government’s Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards into a consolidated set of regulations. These regulations are located in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200, and are referred to as the "Super Circular." The Super Circular also introduced new terminology, including "Recipient" instead of "Grantee" and "Subrecipient" instead of "Subgrantee."

Because terminology has changed, many of the terms used in the eGrants Internal and External Systems screens are not consistent with the current terms used in the Super Circular. This course will reference eGrants screen labels as they appear, but will use Super Circular terminology throughout the rest of the course. Below is a table to assist you in understanding the terminology you will encounter in this course.

This lesson provides an overview of the course and an introduction to various course features and functionality.

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to describe the:

• Course structure
• Course navigation
• Knowledge Check functionality
• Slideshow functionality
• Screen features and navigation tools

Take a moment to review the lesson plan for this course. The lesson plan is labeled Lesson List and is located on the right side of your screen.

This course contains nine lessons. The lessons may be accessed sequentially or independently. The time to complete each lesson varies. A page tracker is displayed at the bottom middle of the screen to help you gauge your movement through the lesson. The estimated time required to complete each lesson will be stated on the lesson’s first screen.

After completing the course, take the Final Exam to:

• Gauge your knowledge of the topic
• Receive credit for taking the course

Slideshows are used in this course to display the eGrants screens a user would encounter when entering data.

At times during a lesson, there will be a Knowledge Check activity to review one of the concepts from the lesson. Instructions will appear at the top of the screen explaining how to complete the activity.

After you select the Check button, feedback on your answer selection will appear in a dialog box. To close the dialog box window, select the close link at the bottom of the window.

Try the sample Knowledge Check question below.

• The goals and structure of the course
• How to navigate within the course using screen features and your keyboard
• How to access slideshows
• How to interact with Knowledge Checks

Remember, you must complete all lessons and pass the Final Exam to receive credit for the course.

Now that we have introduced the course goals and discussed the various navigation elements and features of the course, let’s get started. To begin the course, select the Next button or choose a lesson from the Topic drop-down list.

State and territorial governments, federally-recognized tribal governments, and local governments use an "external" version of eGrants to:

• Apply electronically for assistance through the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant programs
• Electronically manage their FMA and PDM applications and subapplications
• Electronically manage federal awards and subawards for the FMA and PDM grant programs, as well as the legacy Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC) and Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) grant programs.

FEMA uses an "internal" version of eGrants to review submitted applications and subapplications.

Select an official from each government to learn more about how they use the eGrants system.

Local Government Official:
Local governments like ours, and some federally-recognized tribal governments, use eGrants to create and submit pre-applications to Applicants in state, territorial, and federally-recognized tribal governments, if they require them. Pre-applications only apply to project subapplications and, if required, must be approved prior to being granted permission to create and submit a subapplication. After our pre-application is approved, we can use eGrants to create and submit a subapplication to the Applicant.

State Government Official:
As Applicants, we use eGrants to manage Subapplicant user access, and to review and process subapplications. If we approve a subapplication, we attach it to our application and submit it to FEMA. If we don’t approve a subapplication, we may stockpile it for future consideration or we may ask the Subapplicant to revise and resubmit it. We can also create our own subapplications and include them in our application. FEMA may request revisions to our application or to a subapplication. For revisions to a subapplication, we can either make the changes ourselves or we can release the subapplication back to the Subapplicant and ask them to make the revisions. For revisions to an application, we’ll just make them ourselves and resubmit the application back to FEMA for review. If FEMA obligates our federal award, we can view the award package in eGrants. Afterwards, we use eGrants to submit our Quarterly Performance Reports to FEMA.

FEMA Official:
We use eGrants to manage Applicant user access and to review subapplications and applications for completeness, award eligibility, cost-effectiveness, the cost of the proposed project, and to document the status of Applicant mitigation plans. If we approve an application, we process it and the associated subapplications for federal award. We may make amendments to the award package later. If we don’t approve a subapplication, we may ask the Applicant to make revisions and to resubmit the subapplication. After we obligate a federal award, we monitor its status by reviewing the quarterly performance and financial reports that the Applicant submits to us.

In some cases, the first step in the subapplication process is the completion of a pre-application. However, pre-applications are not required by all Applicants. Applicants determine when—or if—this requirement is appropriate. If pre-applications are required, this requirement applies to all Subapplicants within the Applicant's state, territorial, or tribal area.

When pre-applications are required, they are only required for project subapplications. If a pre-application is required, it will appear as a menu option at the beginning of the eGrants process. If it's not required, it will not appear.

The application process in eGrants follows a specific work flow:

• Initially, a Subapplicant creates a subapplication and submits it to the appropriate Applicant for review.
• Next, an Applicant official reviews the subapplication. He or she may request revisions.
• If revisions are requested, the Subapplicant may revise the subapplication and resubmit it.
• Once the subapplication is reviewed and complete, the Applicant may include it in a larger application that is submitted to FEMA.
• Subapplications not selected to be included in an application may be "stockpiled," or retained for future consideration.

• eGrants allows users to create, submit, review, and process subapplications and applications.
• FMA and PDM subapplications and applications can be processed using eGrants.
• SRL and RFC legacy federal awards and subawards can be managed using eGrants.
• Applicant users include state, territorial, and federally-recognized tribal government officials.
• Subapplicants include local government and federally-recognized tribal government officials.
• The eGrants workflow involves the creation and submission of a subapplication to the Applicant. The Applicant may then include that subapplication in the larger application that it submits to FEMA.

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Identify the steps in the eGrants registration process

The registration process is required before attempting to access eGrants for the first time.

This process involves four steps:

• You need to contact the appropriate Applicant official to receive an Access Identification (ID) code. This step prevents unauthorized individuals from clogging the system with bogus User ID requests.
• Use the FEIMS registration screens to create an account.
• Once your FEIMS account has been created, you need to request privileges to access eGrants. The Applicant official will approve or reject this request. If your request is rejected, you will not be permitted to access eGrants.
• If the request is approved, you will receive an e-mail notification which authorizes you to create, submit, and/or manage subapplications in eGrants.

Since we already have an Access ID number from our Applicant, the Columbia Department of Emergency Management, you now need to set up your FEIMS account.

• Open your browser.
• Type in the FEIMS URL: https://portal.fema.gov/famsVuWeb/home. Bookmark this site to avoid having to re-type the URL.
• Since this is the first time you are logging into eGrants and because you don't have a Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card, select the New Non-PIV User? button.

To enter the FEIMS system, you must complete the security check question by entering into the text box the letters shown in the graphic and selecting the Submit button.

This will help protect your information from automated attacks.

During the registration process, you must create a unique FEIMS User ID. This User ID should be something you can remember and must also meet the following criteria:

• All ID letters should be lowercase
• The ID must have a minimum of seven characters
• The ID cannot exceed a maximum of 10 characters
• The ID must not contain any special characters (e.g., %, $, or ?)

Subapplicants need to check with their Applicant official to learn of any required naming conventions for their area. Our Applicant doesn't have any special requirements, so you can use rivercity2 as your User ID.

During the registration process, you must create a unique FEIMS password in addition to your User ID. This password should as be something you can remember and must meet the following criteria:

• The password must contain a minimum of eight characters
• The password may not contain special characters (e.g., #, @, or ?)

For security reasons, it is recommended that you change your password every 30 to 90 days.

To complete the FEIMS registration form you will need to complete the Contact(s) section. This is where you identify the name of your organization, River City.

It is important to ensure that everyone within the same organization inputs the name consistently. To guarantee that this happens, rather than typing in the organization name, you should search the system to find the name as it already appears.

To locate the name of your organization in FEIMS:

• Select the Search link in the Contact(s) section.
• Type the first few letters of your organization's name in the Organization text field.
• Select the Search button.

Once you have completed all of the fields in the Registration Form and created a User ID and a password, your FEIMS account will be created.

You will then need to request privileges for access to eGrants by selecting the "Click here to request new privileges" link.

When the Available Applications screen displays:

• Select the Request Access button to the right of the Mitigations eGrants Application icon.
• Type your Access ID in the text entry field and select Submit.

You will need to wait for our Applicant, the Columbia Department of Emergency Management, to approve your request for eGrants access.

• View/Print: This level means that you have the ability to view and print subapplications and/or applications in eGrants.
• Create/Edit: This level means that you have the ability to do the above tasks and also to create, update, and change subapplications and/or applications in eGrants.
• Sign/Submit: This level means that you have the ability to do all of the above tasks and also to sign and submit applications to FEMA.

The final step in the eGrants registration process is receiving an e-mail from the Applicant official. In our case, the e-mail will come from someone at the Columbia Department of Emergency Management. The e-mail will be an official record of approval of your access to the eGrants system and may include information about the specific role assigned to you in the system.

Now that you’re approved, you can log into and access the eGrants system.

If you bookmarked the FEIMS login page at URL https://portal.fema.gov/famsVuWeb/home, you can select the bookmark to open it in your browser.

If any of your personal information, such as your phone number or e-mail address, changes after you’ve registered, you can update it by selecting the Edit Profile link in the upper right corner of the Subgrant Applicant Homepage.

When you are finished working in eGrants, you will need to exit the system by logging out. There is a right way and wrong way to log out.

• The first step in setting up a FEIMS account is to request an Access ID from the Applicant.
• Requests for access to eGrants must be approved by the Applicant.
• You can update your personal information after registration by selecting the Edit Profile link on the eGrants Subgrant Applicant Homepage.
• Different access levels in eGrants provide the user with different privileges.
• To log out of eGrants, always select either the Logout link in the upper right hand corner of the screen or the Logout button, if it is available on the screen.

When you are done with this lesson, you will be able to:

• Identify the eGrants system screen features and their uses

Navigating within eGrants is like navigating within other Web-based applications by using navigation features such as links, buttons, and scrollbars.

Buttons

Users may select a button to perform a specific function. There are several buttons that appear throughout the eGrants system. Select a button to view a description of its function.

Save: Stores data from the current screen into the eGrants system.

Save and Continue: Stores data from the current screen into the eGrants system and advances to the next screen.

Go Back: Used to return to the previous screen without losing data entered.

Add Task (dimmed): Sometimes a button will appear gray and dim. A dimmed button is not active and indicates that you must complete a task before it is reactivated.

Attach File: Initiates the option to select a file to be attached to a subapplication.

Entering information within eGrants is similar to entering information within other web-based applications. There are two primary ways to enter data in eGrants:

Another navigation feature in eGrants is the scrollbar located along the right edge of any screen that requires scrolling to see the entire page. The scrollbar enables you to move up and down in screens that are longer than your Internet browser’s window.

To use the scrollbar, just select the arrow at either the top or bottom of the scrollbar. Another option is to select the scrollbar itself and drag it in the direction you want the screen to move.

eGrants also utilizes hyperlinks to provide more information. They are displayed in blue underlined text or designated as links for those using assistive technology.

• Hyperlinks open a new window that displays additional information without taking you away from your current screen in eGrants.
• Help links are a special kind of hyperlink that displays a pop-up window with details about the information you need to enter into a text field. Help links appear to the right of the field as the word "Help" in blue, underlined text.

There are three types of menus within eGrants:

• Main menu
• Task menus
• Sidebar menu

The main menu appears at the bottom of the eGrants screen.

Task menus, such as those found on the Subgrant Applicant Homepage, allow you to navigate to a particular task to perform.

In the example below, you have four task options from which to choose.

The sidebar menu appears on the left side of subapplication screens.

Selecting the hyperlinked name of a section allows you to jump right to that section of the subapplication without having to move through all the sections sequentially.

• You primarily enter data in eGrants using drop-down menus and text entry fields.
• Use the scrollbar to view all the information on one page
• Select the hyperlinks and Help links for additional information.
• Use the main menu, task menus, and sidebar menu to accomplish other navigation and data entry tasks.
• Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
• To avoid losing information, you should always use the Save or Save and Continue buttons.
• After 20 minutes of inactivity, eGrants will close the session and any unsaved data will be lost.

It is important to know which type of subapplication is being proposed because the sections required for each type varies.

There are four types of subapplications in the eGrants system:

Project: Project subapplications are completed for any mitigation measure or activity proposed to reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering. Typically, projects are "brick and mortar" construction or a type of physical measures. Examples of activities that are eligible project types are acquisition, elevation, or relocation of flood-prone properties or retrofitting buildings to withstand wind or seismic events. There are also other mitigation activities that may be considered. For a complete list, please refer to the latest Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Guidance and Addendum at URL https://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance-program-guidance. A FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan is required to receive a project subaward.

Planning: Planning subapplications are completed for local, state, territorial, federally recognized tribal, or multi-jurisdictional mitigation planning activities that will result in the creation of a new or updated mitigation plan. Planning subapplications are for completing mitigation plans that demonstrate the Subapplicant's commitment to reducing risks from natural hazards and serve as a guide for decision makers as they commit resources. A FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan is not required to be able to receive a planning subaward.

Management Costs: Management costs subapplications are completed by Applicants for activities that are directly related to the administration of programs or promotion of mitigation activities and may include outreach and training, environmental or historic preservation reviews, developing subapplications, performing Benefit-Cost Analyses, etc.

Technical Assistance: Technical assistance subapplications are completed by Applicants for activities that promote the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program to communities.

One of the options listed in the task menu on the Subgrant Applicant Homepage is Create New Application. This option allows you to create a blank subapplication into which you will enter all the appropriate data.

For the acquisition scenario, starting with a blank subapplication is appropriate. Sally has all the necessary data for you to input. In the slideshow below, Sally demonstrates how to create a new subapplication.

You can also begin a new subapplication by copying an existing subapplication. The resulting copy will be either partially or completely filled with data from the original one, depending on which sections of the subapplication you selected to be copied and the status of each of those sections.

When copying an existing subapplication, you need to be careful to avoid copying:

• Outdated information: Since the original subapplication was created in the past, some information may have changed. For example, contact information may have changed since the previous subapplication was created. Also, the grant program guidelines may have changed.

• Irrelevant Information: While the original subapplication may have been for a similar project, it's not safe for you to assume that all of the information in the previous subapplication will be appropriate for the new one.

It's always best to review every item in the subapplication for accuracy prior to submission. Furthermore, it's a good idea to review the grant program regulations and guidance to ensure all required and relevant information is provided in the subapplication.

You’ve just completed the Creating Subapplications lesson. In this lesson, you learned that:

• Subapplicants must create a project pre-application, when requested by an Applicant
• Subapplicants may create project or planning subapplications
• To start a new, blank subapplication, you can select the Start New Application button from the Start New Subgrant Application screen
• To start a new subapplication populated with data previously entered in another subapplication, you can select the Copy Exiting Application button from the Start New Subgrant Application screen
• You should ensure that all information from a copied subapplication is current and relevant to the new subapplication

A subapplication contains many sections. While planning and project subapplications have a few of the same sections, most of them are different.

The sections of a subapplication can be accessed using the sidebar menu, as shown in the example sections of a project subapplication on the right side of the screen. The sections also appear in the Application Status screen when a new subapplication is created. All sections of a subapplication must be completed before it can be successfully submitted to an Applicant.

Preview all the sections of a project subapplication to become familiar with the information requirements. Select each of the numbered links in the sidebar menu to the right to view the information requirements. Click on the image displayed to view a dialog box that provides important details about that section.

After you look through the information required, Sally will demonstrate how to complete all of the subapplication sections.

This is where you provide detailed information about the mitigation activity proposed in our subapplication.

There are three parts to the Scope of Work section. Part 1 asks for the name, type of hazard to be mitigated, type(s) of mitigation activity(ies) proposed, and a description of the location of the affected area. For Flood Mitigation Assistance subapplications, it is important to specify “Flood” as the primary type of hazard to be mitigated.

Part 2 asks for latitude and longitude for the project area; an explanation for the need for the activity, who it will benefit, and how the activity will be implemented; and information on the project manager and contractors for the project. In addition, details on the technical feasibility of the project are required.

Part 3 asks for information on how the project will address the identified hazard and any residual risks that will remain after completion of the project. It also asks for information on when the activity will take place, why the activity was selected from other alternative solutions, and information on long-term maintenance that will be provided for the area impacted.

We will learn how to complete Part 1 of the Scope of Work section later in this lesson.

The Subapplicant section will appear for all types of subapplications. A complete Subapplicant section will contain detailed information about the organization requesting the subaward. The information includes type of Subapplicant, tax number, and Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). The fields that are marked with an asterisk (*) are required, while the remainder are optional.

Sally will help you complete the Subapplicant section of the River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication. She will provide you with the appropriate information for the screens as you need it. River City is the name of the Subapplicant.

Subapplicants must provide information about each community that will benefit from the subaward funds. This information will help the Applicant summarize information in its application.

Subapplicants should include information defining the project area in the Community Profile field in this section. The project area information will include details such as descriptions of the general population, special populations, significant industries, and businesses.

Sally is ready to show you how to work on the Community section of the River City subapplication.

If any other mitigation plan has been adopted, the Subapplicant should provide information on that plan by selecting the Add Plan button.

Sally will show you how to complete the top portion of the Mitigation Plan section for the River City Floodplains Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication.

The Scope of Work section is for providing more detailed, specific information about the proposed mitigation activity, including a detailed description of the activity, its location, the method proposed to complete the activity, feasibility data, and identification of the contractors and project manager. This level of detail will provide the Applicant, as well as FEMA, with sufficient information to evaluate the proposed activity for effectiveness and eligibility for a subaward.

In a project subapplication, the Properties section allows the Subapplicant to designate the properties to be mitigated for each project activity selected in the Scope of Work section. Before you can add a property to the Properties section, you have to complete the Scope of Work section. Some of the types of activities selected in the Scope of Work will require property information and some will not. You must complete all four pages of the Properties Section to successfully submit your subapplication.

There are four steps to adding a property. First, select the Add Property button for an activity that will impact a property. Second, you will need to enter the property address and information about the owner and co-owner, if applicable. The last two parts of this section collect information about the property such as:

• Age and type of structure
• Purchase price
• Latitude and longitude
• Membership in National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and policy number
• Identification as a FMA Repetitive Loss property
• Identification as a FMA Severe Loss property
• Property Locator number
• Base Flood and First Floor Flood Elevations (if required)
• Property action

For FMA subapplications, it is necessary to provide the NFIP identification number for all properties.

The Schedule section is where you add detailed information about the length of time and sequence of each proposed activity listed In the Scope of Work section. You must list each task that is required to complete the activity, the expected timeframe, and when it should occur within the overall schedule for the activity. You are also required to provide information about the personnel who will perform each task.

Sally will show you how to add a task to the River City Floodplain Acquisition Project—Phase 1 schedule.

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The Cost Estimate section provides the detailed line item budget for each proposed activity. If more than one mitigation activity is proposed, then the Cost Estimate is broken out by the activities identified in the Scope of Work section. The cost estimate must be itemized rather than listed as a lump sum. You’ll need to have at least two line items for the section to be considered complete. Personnel and Equipment are two common line item costs listed.

You must click the Add Item button to add each new cost item.

Information required for each cost item includes:

• Item Name (i.e., general description of the cost)
• Subgrant Budget Class (selected from a drop-down list)
• Unit Quantity (e.g., 1 ,2 ,3 ,...n)
• Unit Measure (e.g., each, acres, cubic feet, etc.)
• Unit Cost per item
• Cost Estimate

The total of all cost items will be the total Cost Estimate for the subaward.

The Cost Share section allows the Subapplicant to identify the total amount and sources of the Non-Federal Cost Share for the subaward. For example, the PDM grant program allows a maximum of 75% of the total cost estimate to be met by federal funds, and so a minimum of 25% of the total cost estimate must be met by non-federal funds. You can adjust the Proposed Non-Federal Share dollar amount to reflect the actual non-federal contribution to the subaward.

Sally will show you how to work on the Cost Share section of the River City subapplication.

The Cost Share section also allows the Subapplicant to identify all of the sources of the non-federal funds and whether each source will be cash or in-kind services. You may list the funding sources by selecting the Add Cost Share button.

Information required for each cost share includes:

• Source agency (e.g., state, local, private non-profit, tribal, etc.)
• Name of source agency
• Funding type (cash or in-kind)
• Amount

This section also has an Attach File button to use to attach a funds commitment letter.

The Environmental/Historic Preservation Review section is required for project subapplications only. The EHP Review section does not appear on planning, management costs, or technical assistance subapplications.

The EHP Review section is broken down into 11 parts covering relevant environmental laws and executive orders. Responses to each of these sections allow FEMA Reviewers to identify any potential environmental impacts that may result from the mitigation activity and to identify remedies to eliminate or lessen any adverse impact.

To complete this section, you can either move through Sections A–K sequentially using the Save and Continue button, or use the drop-down menu to navigate to any of the sections.

The Evaluation section is used for entering detailed information on the Subapplicant and the proposed project or planning activities for use by the Applicant during the review process, and for PDM subapplications, during the National Review Process.

Specific details that need to be collected include:

• Community participation in programs such as the Community Rating System and Firewise Communities
• Community's adoption of building codes
• Desired outcomes, methodologies, performance expectations, timelines, milestones, and staff and resource plans
• Partners' involvement, long-term financial and social benefits, and outreach activities
• Percentage of population benefitting, as well as the cost-effectiveness (BCA) of projects

This section of the subapplication will appear only if Assurances and Certifications is enabled by the Applicant in the administration preferences. The Assurances and Certifications section is intended to provide documents listing federal requirements for FEMA federal awards. There are three documents that may appear in this section. The form contained in Part I differs based on whether or not the proposed activities entail construction.

FEMA Form 20-16A, Assurances Non-Construction Programs: This document asks the Subapplicant to certify that it will comply with a series of requirements including non-discrimination, environmental standards, and audits. If the subapplication circumstances do not include a Non-Construction program, select “Not Applicable” for this form.

or

FEMA Form 20-16B, Assurances Construction Programs: This document asks the Subapplicant to certify that it will comply with a series of requirements including non-discrimination, environmental standards, and audits. If the subapplication circumstances do not include a Construction program, select “Not Applicable” for this form.

FEMA Form 20-16C, Certification Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements: This document asks the Subapplicant to certify that it will adhere to requirements regarding lobbying, debarment, suspension, and other responsibility matters as well as drug-free workplace requirements.

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: This document asks the Subapplicant to disclose its lobbying activities. Complete this only if you are applying for a subaward of more than $100,000 and have lobbying activities using non-federal funds. If those circumstances do not apply, select “Not Applicable” for this form.

Many sections of the subapplication form have a Comments text field and an Attachment button. To facilitate the review of the subapplication by the Applicant and FEMA reviewers, it is best to add comments and attachments directly to the section they concern.

• Comments are text only and may provide additional information.
• Attachments may be any file type up to 50 MB (e.g., Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDF files, etc.). For larger files or paper documents, you may indicate to the Applicant that you will be sending additional documentation by mail and provide tracking information. The attachment file name should clearly reflect the contents of the attachment.

This section will appear for all types of subapplications and it consolidates all the comments and attachments in the subapplication for easy review. It also provides the Subapplicant with an opportunity to provide information not covered by the subapplication sections. This may include any information that could potentially help the Applicant or FEMA come to a decision regarding this subapplication or provide documentation to support information provided in the subapplication.

Within the Comments and Attachments section, Subapplicants are provided with the opportunity to attach various files that provide additional information to the Applicant. These files may be either paper or electronic files.

Sally will show how you how to attach an electronic file in the Comments and Attachments section of the River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication.

In many cases, Subapplicants find that documents they want to attach within the Comments and Attachments section may exist only as a hard copy, or in a paper form. In that case, they must mail the files directly to the Applicant. However, information about the mailing should be entered into the eGrants system. This ensures that you create a complete subapplication file with reference to any non-electronic information that was mailed. Once received, the Applicant should make every effort to scan those documents to create an electronic file.

Sally wants to show you how to complete the Comments and Attachments section of the River City subapplication to reference a supporting paper document that was sent through the mail.

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• You can search for an un-submitted subapplication.
• You can review your progress toward completing your subapplication from both the Application Status and Review and Submit sections.
• Information regarding the Subapplicant, the community impacted, and affected properties are captured in the Subapplicant, Contact Information, Community, and Properties sections. Planning, management costs, and technical assistance Subapplicants do not need to complete the Properties section.
• The hazard mitigation activities that are planned, the proposed schedule, details about the estimated costs, funding sources, and the analysis of the benefit of the activities vs. the cost are documented in the Mitigation Activity Information, Scope of Work, Schedule, Cost Estimate, Cost Share, and Cost Effectiveness sections. Planning, management costs, and technical assistance Subapplicants do not need to complete the Cost Effectiveness section.
• Agreements to adhere to a variety of federal employment, environmental, historic preservation, and other laws and FEMA regulations are documented in the Environmental/Historical Preservation Review and Assurances and Certifications sections. An Applicant may or may not require a Subapplicant to complete the Assurances and Certifications section.
• If applying to the PDM grant program, Subapplicants must complete the Evaluation section so their subapplication can be assigned a priority status.
• Many of the subapplication sections include a Comments text field and an Attachments button for uploading electronic document files. However, Subapplicants can add additional information to their subapplication using the Comments and Attachments section. Subapplicants can also indicate that they are sending additional documentation to the Applicant by mail.

Within eGrants, a user has the ability to grant, update, or revoke access to their subapplication. Some of the reasons to grant someone else access to a subapplication include the following situations:

• Vacation: Arturo is creating a subapplication, but he is about to leave for a two-week vacation. He doesn't want work on the subapplication to stop while he's gone. He gives Teresa, a co-worker, access to the subapplication so she can continue entering data in his absence.
• Advice: Sayid, a new employee, has completed his first subapplication, but he isn't sure that everything was entered correctly. He gives Claire, a more experienced eGrants user, access to his subapplication so that she can check his work and make sure that information has been entered correctly.
• Sharing: LaTonya, Destiny, and James are all involved with a proposed project to reduce recurring damage due to coastal erosion. They are completing a subapplication in the hopes of receiving funds for their proposed project. LaTonya creates the subapplication and provides access to Destiny and James so that they may help enter the information on the proposed project.

When providing someone access to a subapplication, different levels of access can be provided and more than one level may be provided.

• Sign/Submit: This is the highest level of access, and it allows a Subapplicant to review, sign, and submit a subapplication.
• Create/Edit: This is the middle level of access, and it allows an eGrants user to view, create, and update a subapplication, but not to sign or submit it.
• View/Print: This is the lowest level of access, and it allows an eGrants user only to view subapplication data and print the information.

There are a few business rules related to the provision of access in eGrants. The first rule states that a subapplication or application owner may authorize or revoke access to the subapplication or application by other eGrants users who are within the same organization. However, the additional user's authorized role will determine the highest level of access he or she may be granted to any subapplication or application. In addition, Subapplicants can share their subapplications with Applicants prior to submitting them to the Applicant.

Example: Tameka, a community official in Alexandria, VA, has Sign/Submit level access in eGrants. She wants to provide Grace with access to her subapplication. However, Grace only has a Create/Edit level of access in eGrants. Therefore, Tameka may not provide Grace with Sign/Submit access to her subapplication, but she may provide Grace with Create/Edit access.

Example: Katie, a state official in Boston, MA, has Create/Edit level access in eGrants. She wants to provide Luong with access to her application. She has completed the application, and it is ready to be reviewed and submitted. Luong has a Sign/Submit level of access in eGrants. Therefore, Katie may provide Luong with Sign/Submit access to her application.

eGrants users can authorize access to their subapplications to other registered users in the eGrants system within their same organization. Sally wishes to grant Michael Johnson, her co-worker, access to the River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication so that he can verify that you have completed the sections correctly.

To find the access options from the Subgrant Applicant Homepage, select the Update/Complete an Un-submitted Application(s) link.

Sally is going to show you how to search for Michael in the eGrants system in order to give him access to the River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication.

When you provide an eGrants user access to your subapplication, you must state which level(s) of access you are authorizing and how long the user will have access to the subapplication. However, you can set the access time limit for as long as you wish.

Sally wants you to provide Michael Johnson with Create/Edit access to the River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication. However, she believes Michael only needs a short period of time to review the subapplication.

There are a variety of reasons that you may need to update or change the level or duration of access you've provided to an eGrants user.

You learn that Michael Johnson has just been promoted, and his new position has signature authority for River City. Sally wants to update Michael's access privileges to the Sign/Submit level so he can submit the completed River City Floodplain Acquisition subapplication to the Applicant.

From time to time, there may be a reason that you might need to revoke someone's access to a subapplication.

For example, if, instead of being promoted, Michael took a position in another city. He would no longer be working on the River City floodplain acquisition project, and he would not need access to the subapplication. Sally would need to revoke his access to the River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication in eGrants.

Sally will show you how to revoke an eGrants user's access.

• eGrants users may provide individuals with access to subapplications, modify that access, or revoke the access.
• From lowest to highest, the access levels are: View/Print, Create/Edit, and Sign/Submit.
• An eGrants user may provide access to subapplications he or she has created to another user as long as the individual to whom the access is granted is within the same organization.
• The additional user's existing eGrants access level is the highest level of access he or she may be granted to any subapplication.
• A justification for granting, updating, or revoking an eGrants user's access must be provided.
• The time limit on an individual's access to a subapplication must also be indicated.

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Identify the steps to update and submit a subapplication

When working on subapplications, many times you will not have all the information you need to complete a subapplication when you first create it. You will find that subapplications may be in different stages of development; some sections may be complete, while others may need more information.

eGrants allows you to create a subapplication, enter some information, save the subapplication, and then return to it at a later time to update and complete it.

The Application Status screen lists the various sections in the subapplication. Next to each section, the status of that section is displayed as either "Incomplete" or "Complete." Before a subapplication is submitted, all sections must be complete (i.e., have a status of "Complete"). To update a section, select the status link to the right of the section name.

While working on a section of a subapplication, it is important to save your data by selecting either the Save or Save and Continue button at the bottom of the screen.

After completing each section of a subapplication, you will face a decision:

• If the subapplication is ready for submission, you may select Review and Submit Application link from the sidebar menu. Remember: Only users with Sign/Submit access in eGrants may submit a subapplication.
• If the subapplication is not ready for submission, you may select Return to Home Page link from the sidebar menu.

When all sections of a subapplication have a status of "Complete," the subapplication may be submitted to the Applicant. Only users with Sign/Submit access may submit a subapplication. The Review and Submit link in the sidebar menu facilitates this process.

• You may begin a subapplication in one eGrants session and complete it in a different session
• When returning to eGrants to update a subapplication already begun, you should choose the Update/Complete Un-submitted Application link on the Subgrant Application Homepage
• To determine if a subapplication is complete, you should check the status of each section
• eGrants users must have Sign/Submit access to be able to submit a completed subapplication to an Applicant

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Identify the steps to revise and resubmit a subapplication

After a subapplication is submitted to the Applicant, it is a good idea to monitor the status of the subapplication as it is being reviewed by the Applicant—and then by FEMA, if the Applicant choses to submit it as part of its application. Some of the possible review status levels include:

Pending at Grantee—The subapplication has been submitted, but has not yet been reviewed by the Applicant for possible inclusion in its application.

Submitted to Stockpile—The subapplication was not selected to be included in the Applicant's application, but was retained by the Applicant for future consideration.

Approved by Grantee—The Applicant has approved the subapplication for inclusion in its application.

Attached to Grantee—The Applicant has included the subapplication in its application.

Revision Requested by Grantee—The subapplication is pending revision by the Subapplicant to address the Applicant's revision requests.

Submitted to FEMA—The Applicant submitted the subapplication as part of its application to FEMA.

Revision Released to Subgrantee—FEMA has reviewed a section or sections of a subapplication and has requested revisions to it, and the Applicant has released it for revision by the Subapplicant.

Approved by FEMA—FEMA has approved the subapplication and obligated it in a federal award to the Applicant.

In some situations, you may need to make changes to a subapplication after you submitted it. For example, you would want to revise a subapplication if data changes, if a lower-cost solution is found, or if new information becomes available. Also, the Applicant may request a revision to the subapplication.

Once a subapplication is submitted, the information is "locked;" that is, no changes may be made to the subapplication without a revision request.

There are several types of revisions of a submitted subapplication that can be requested:

• An Applicant may request that a Subapplicant make revisions to a submitted subapplication.
• A Subapplicant may request that an Applicant return a submitted subapplication for revision. A Subapplicant should contact their Applicant official to request a revision.
• FEMA can also request that revisions be made to one or more sections of a subapplication that was submitted as part of an application. An Applicant could make revisions to the section(s) of the subapplication or could release the section(s) of a subapplication to the Subapplicant to make revisions.