Welcome to the FEMA Grants Portal - Transparency at Every Step course.
This course will provide in-depth training to Recipients and Applicants to bring clarity to the Public Assistance process, specifically regarding the use of the Public Assistance Grants Portal. The course will cover all information needed to substantiate a project in Grants Portal, including the documentation required for each phase of the Public Assistance process. By the end of the course, State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Recipients and Applicants will be able to use Grants Portal as it pertains to the Public Assistance Program.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Demonstrate the benefits of transparency by using Grants Portal
Explain how the Recipient and the Applicant can use Grants Portal to review and manage projects throughout their life cycle
Describe the user-friendly approach to navigating Grants Portal
Lesson 1 Overview and Objectives
This lesson provides an overview of administrative requirements, course goal and objectives, and provides an overview of the management and coordination capabilities of Grants Portal.
Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:
Identify administrative requirements of the course
State the goals and objectives of the course
Describe the Grants Portal capabilities and benefits
Grants Portal
FEMA developed the Grants Portal to streamline the Public Assistance process and facilitate collaboration between FEMA, Recipient, and the Applicant. The system benefits the Recipient and the Applicant in the following ways:
Facilitates full project visibility
Sign in to their account and view their project status during the Public Assistance process
Enhances coordination and communication
Communicate with and set up meetings with their Program Delivery Manager via Grants Portal
Streamlines work
Upload all work and documentation related to the Applicant's project into Grants Portal. It also sends automatic notifications when there are tasks to complete
Improves document collection and retention
Upload pertinent documentation and store it in the system for future use. These can be updated at any time
Grants Portal as It Pertains to Public Assistance
The Recipient and the Applicant can use the Grants Portal to complete a wide range of tasks during the Public Assistance process, such as:
Set up and manage organizational details
Add personnel
Upload documents
Assign staff
Collect and receive information from FEMA
Submit supporting documentation in one consolidated location
Submit and manage Requests for Public Assistance
Review the Damage Description and Dimensions
Scope and cost a project
Monitor project status
Review and approve projects
Administrative Management of Grants Portal
FEMA provides an easy three-step process for the Recipient and Applicants to obtain access to the Grants Portal.
FEMA grants access to the Recipient
The Recipient grants access to the Applicant
The Recipient and Applicant manage their personnel
Support Hotline for Grants Portal
The Grants Portal also has a support hotline, which can be reached at 1-866-337-8448. A Recipient or Applicant should use this if they have any questions about Grants Portal.
Lesson 1 Summary
This lesson provided an overview of the administrative requirements, goals, and objectives of the course as well as an overview of the management and coordination capabilities of the Grants Portal.
The next lesson provides an overview of the capabilities of Grants Portal including account management.
Lesson 2 Overview and Objectives
This lesson provides an overview of the capabilities of the Grants Portal and covers the necessary information to establish and manage profile accounts. This lesson also describes information management in the Grants Portal including receiving notifications and uploading required documentation.
Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:
Describe various procedures for profile account initiation within Grants Portal
Review best practices for account management within Grants Portal
Technical Capabilities of Grants Portal
Grants Portal is a web-based project tracking system used by FEMA and its stakeholders. Grants Portal acts as a collection and retention center for documentation required by FEMA for an Applicant to obtain grant funding.
Grants Portal:
Facilitates full project visibility
Enhances coordination and communication
Streamlines work
Improves document collection and retention
FEMA recommends Recipients and Applicants use the Internet browser Mozilla Firefox to fully utilize all technical capabilities and to ensure optimal performance of Grants Portal.
Grants Portal: Full Project Visibility
Within Grants Portal, both Recipient and Applicant can view the status of projects. Grants Portal shows if FEMA is reviewing the project, if FEMA ordered a site inspection, and if FEMA obligated or denied a project.
Grants Portal: Coordination and Communication
Grants Portal allows FEMA, Recipient, and Applicant to communicate and coordinate with one another on all tasks related to the Applicant's project. Some examples are as follows:
The Program Delivery Manager creates and sends calendar updates for meetings, such as the Recovery Scoping Meeting, via Grants Portal
The Program Delivery Manager submits Essential Elements of Information and Requests for Information via Grants Portal
The system notifies the Applicant of the new tasks through the notification bell
Grants Portal: Streamlined Work
Grants Portal streamlines work and provides a central location in which all participating parties carry out their tasks. These capabilities include:
Setting up and managing organizational details in advance of an event
Adding personnel
Uploading insurance documents
Assigning staff
Collecting and receiving information from FEMA
Submitting supporting documentation in one consolidated location
Submitting and managing Requests for Public Assistance
Reviewing and signing the Damage Description and Dimensions
Scoping and costing a project
Reviewing and signing the scope of work and cost estimate
Monitoring a project's status
Reviewing and approving submitted grants
Grants Portal: Documentation Collection and Retention
Applicants can also upload and store documentation in the system at any time before a disaster is declared. When an event occurs and they have an approved Request for Public Assistance, then the Applicant receives an Event Profile and can upload information that pertains to that event.
Documentation may include:
Payroll policies
Insurance policies
Mutual Aid agreements, if applicable
Purchasing/procurement policies
Obtaining Access to Grants Portal
As discussed in the previous lesson, FEMA provides an easy three-step process for Recipient and Applicants to obtain access to Grants Portal and create an organization account:
FEMA grants access to the Recipient
Recipient grants access to the Applicant
Recipient and Applicant manages their personnel
Grants Portal Organization Account (1 of 2)
The organization account is a central location where Public Assistance processes are documented and monitored, as well as a tool that FEMA, Recipient, and Applicant can use to interact with each other. This centralized workspace greatly facilitates the Public Assistance process.
The first step to set up an organization account for both the Recipient and Applicant occurs after FEMA and the Recipient have their initial meeting. This occurs at the beginning of an incident for Recipients and Applicants who have not already created an account in Grants Portal or who have not received an invite during a non-event.
Grants Portal Organization Account (2 of 2)
Once FEMA has established the Recipient account, the Recipient will send the Applicant an invitation via Grants Portal that will send an email:
The Applicant should regularly check their email they provided to the Recipient
The Applicant should:
Open the email that was generated from Grants Portal with the email address of support@pagrants.fema.gov
Read the email thoroughly
Select the link in the text to begin creating an organization account
To create and submit an organization account request, an Applicant must provide the following information in Grants Portal:
Organization information
Contact information
Location information
Applicable counties
Obtaining Access to Grants Portal: FEMA to Recipient
Recipients receive initial access to Grants Portal once an event occurs.
Once the Recipient selects the link in their email, the hyperlink brings them to the Grants Portal site to register their organization. The first screen asks for the Recipient to input their basic information.
Directions for inputting basic information:
Ensure the requesting organization is correct
Input the organization name (e.g., Georgia Emergency Management Agency)
Select the type of organization represented (e.g., State government, U.S. Territory or possession, or Native American Tribal government)
Enter the organization Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number
Select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready
Obtaining Access to Grants Portal: Recipient to Applicant (1 of 2)
Agencies, private nonprofits, and other organizations who incurred costs or damages related to the incident attend the Applicant Briefing, led by the Recipient.
The Recipient is responsible for collecting the Applicant's name, agency name, phone number, and email address on a sign-in sheet.
The Recipient then uses their rights granted by FEMA to invite or directly enter Applicants into Grants Portal. Applicants should regularly check the email for the invitation or notification to join Grants Portal.
Obtaining Access to Grants Portal: Recipient to Applicant (2 of 2)
Once the Applicant selects the link in their email, the hyperlink brings them to the Grants Portal site to register their organization. The first screen asks the Applicant to input their basic information.
Directions for inputting basic information:
Ensure the requesting organization is correct
Input the organization name (e.g., Dallas, City of)
Select the type of organization represented (e.g., City, County, Private Nonprofit)
Enter the organization DUNS number
Select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready
After Applicants create an account, the Recipient must approve it. Grants Portal sends an organization account request email to Recipients that informs them that a request was added to their workflow.
Note: The process by which the Recipient Invites Applicants to join Grants Portal will be discussed later in this lesson.
Grants Portal Organization Account: Contact Information
Once the Applicant selects the "Next" button on the screen asking for basic information, a new screen loads asking for the organizations primary contact information.
Directions to enter primary contact information:
Enter first name
Enter last name
Enter title
Enter phone number
Enter primary email
Either select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready, or enter information for an alternate contact
The contact information section also allows the Applicant to input information for an alternate contact. The alternate contact should be someone who can act as the primary contact if the primary contact is unavailable.
Directions to enter alternate contact information:
Enter first name
Enter last name
Enter title
Enter phone number
Enter email
Select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready
Grants Portal Organization Account: Organization Location (1 of 2)
Grants Portal directs the Applicant to the organization location screen once they select the "Next" button on the contact information screen.
The Applicant enters the primary location address of their organization. The Applicant also inputs their mailing address, but only if it differs from the primary location address (e.g., An Applicant who has a P.O. Box should provide this information as their mailing address).
Directions to enter primary location of your organization:
Enter address 1 of the organization's location (e.g., 500 C Street SW)
Enter address 2 of the organization's location, as needed (e.g., Suite 400)
Enter the city in which the organization resides
Enter the state in which the city is located
Enter the zip code of the organization's location
Enter the county of the organization's location
Either select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready, or enter information for a mailing address, as needed
Grants Portal Organization Account: Organization Location (2 of 2)
If an Applicant's organization has a different mailing address than the primary address of the organization, they also input the mailing address.
Directions to enter the organization's mailing:
Enter the organization's address 1 of where it receives mail (e.g., P.O. Box 45)
Enter the organization's address 2 of where it receives mail, as needed (e.g., 500 C Street SW)
Enter the city in which the organization resides
Enter the state in which the city is located
Enter the zip code of the organization's location
Enter the county of the organization's location
Select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready
Once the Applicant selects the "Next" button, Grants Portal takes them to the facilities location section. Here, the Applicant adds the county location of their facilities or counties in which they have responsibility for activities. Organizations that have Statewide responsibilities have different steps to take than organizations that have facilities or responsibility for activities in a limited number of counties.
Directions for organizations who have statewide responsibilities:
Select the "Mark Statewide" button
Select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready
Directions for organizations that have facilities or responsibility for activities in a limited number of counties:
Select the "Add" button next to the counties the organization has either facilities in or responsibility for activities
Select the "Next" button to move onto the next screen when ready
When selecting the "Next" button, Grants Portal loads a page that completes the access request. The Applicant reviews the information on the page to make sure it is correct.
To review organization information:
Read the information provided on the screen and ensure it is all correct
If any information is incorrect, use the "Previous" button to go back to the section which needs editing
Select the "Submit" button at the bottom of the webpage
Grants Portal Organization Account: Completion (1 of 2)
Once the Applicant selects the "Submit" button, a congratulations screen appears. The Applicant has completed their organization account.
Recipients:
Upon completion, Grants Portal sends a message and task to FEMA personnel, indicating that the Recipient completed their organization account
Grants Portal immediately sends an email to the Recipient that states they successfully initiated an organization account request
FEMA then reviews the organization account request, approves it, and Grants Portal sends the Recipient an email which prompts them to add additional personnel.
Grants Portal Organization Account: Completion (2 of 2)
Applicants:
Upon completion, Grants Portal sends a message and task to the Recipient, indicating that the Applicant completed their organization account
Grants Portal immediately sends an email to the Applicant that states they successfully initiated an organization account request
The Recipient reviews the organization account request and approves it
Grants Portal sends another email to the Applicant prompting them to create their account and add personnel
Grants Portal Organization Account: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to create and submit a Grants Portal organization account request.
Grants Portal Account Activation
Once an organization account is successfully created, the Applicant will be able to create individual user accounts. The individual user accounts are the entry point where most of the work is conducted. Grants Portal will send emails containing log in information to each new user, where they will need to follow the instructions to log into the system.
The subsequent slides outline the activation process.
Activating a Grants Portal Account: Activation Email
The next step in acquiring access to Grants Portal is setting up a personal Grants Portal account.
Recipients:
Recipient personnel will receive an email with a username and temporary password which they use to log in to Grants Portal.
Applicants:
Upon obtaining Recipient approval for the organization account, individual users receive an email with a username and temporary password which they use to log in to Grants Portal.
Directions to activate Grants Portal account:
Open the email from FEMA
Review the email and take note of the username and temporary password
Select the link that says to sign in with the temporary password.
Activating a Grants Portal Account: Welcome Screen
When the individual user selects the link in their email, it brings them to Grants Portal to set up their account.
Directions to activate a Grants Portal account:
Read the screen that welcomes the user
Select the "Next" button to move to the next screen when ready
Activating a Grants Portal Account: Choosing a Password
After the individual user selects the "Next" button, Grants Portal directs them to a screen that allows them to set up the password for their account.
Directions to create a password:
Ensure the username is correct
Choose and enter a password
The password must be at least eight characters long
The password may include uppercase and lowercase characters, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols
Re-enter the password to confirm it
Select the "Next" button to move to the next screen when ready
Activating a Grants Portal Account: Selecting a Security Question
Selecting the "Next" button brings the individual user to a screen that asks the individual user to select a security question and answer.
Directions for setting a security question and answer:
Select a security question (e.g., What is your oldest sibling's middle name?)
Enter a personal answer to the question
Re-enter the security answer to confirm it
Select the "Next" button
Activating a Grants Portal Account: Review Screen
After the individual user selects the "Next" button they review the information provided to activate their Grants Portal account.
Directions to review activation information:
Review the username
Ensure that the password is correct
Review the security question
Ensure the security question answer is correct
Activating a Grants Portal Account: Congratulations Screen
Selecting the "Next" button brings the individual user to the final activation screen. This screen congratulates the individual user for activating their account. The individual user now has access to Grants Portal.
Activating a Grants Portal Account: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to set up a Grants Portal account.
Logging in to Grants Portal
Once a Recipient or Applicant sets up their organization account and completes their personal account, they can sign in to Grants Portal.
Directions to sign in to Grants Portal:
Open an Internet browser
Select the Internet browser's address bar and type in the Grants Portal website.
Type in the individual user username
Type in the individual user password
Select the "Sign In" button
Logging in to Grants Portal: Privacy Notice Pop-Up
After selecting the "Sign In" button, a pop-up window with a privacy notice window will appear. The privacy notice informs the individual user that FEMA collects the information in Grants Portal for grants purposes.
Directions to access Grants Portal:
Read the privacy notice
Select the "Accept" button
Logging in to Grants Portal: Attention Pop-Up
After selecting the "Accept" button, a pop-up window with an attention notice will appear. The attention notice informs the individual user that they are accessing a United States Government information system.
Directions to access Grants Portal:
Read the attention notice
Select the "Accept" button
Grants Portal Dashboard
After the account setup process is complete, the individual user will be taken to the Grants Portal Dashboard. This is the main screen where the individual user will be able to navigate to other parts of Grants Portal.
It is important to note that the Dashboard is completely customizable depending on the user's preference. There will be more information on customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard in a later lesson of this course.
Inviting an Applicant to the Grants Portal (1 of 5)
After an incident occurs and the President declares an emergency or major disaster, Recipients hold an Applicant Briefing. At this meeting, the Recipient collects information from attendees. They then use the information to invite the Applicants to create organization accounts and personnel accounts in Grants Portal.
Directions to invite an Applicant to the Grants Portal:
Select the "My Organization" tab on the left side of the dashboard
Select the "Organization Profile" under the "My Organization" tab
Inviting the Applicant to the Grants Portal (2 of 5)
Once Grants Portal loads the "Organization Profile," the Recipient then manages their subrecipient organizations' profiles to add an Applicant.
Directions to invite an Applicant to the Grants Portal:
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the subrecipient organization profiles drop-down list
Inviting the Applicant to the Grants Portal (3 of 5)
After the Recipient selects the "Manage" button, the "Subrecipient Organization Profiles" page loads.
Directions to invite an Applicant to the Grants Portal:
Select the "New Organization" button
Select "Invite" from the drop-down list
Inviting the Applicant to the Grants Portal (4 of 5)
After the Recipient selects "Invite" in the drop-down list, Grants Portal directs them to the "Invite Organization" page.
Directions to invite an Applicant to the Grants Portal:
Review the requesting organization to ensure the Recipient's organization is inviting the Applicant
Select the text box next to "Organization Name" and input the Applicant's organization
Select the drop-down list next to "Type" and choose the appropriate type of organization to represent the Applicant
Select the text box next to "First Name" and enter the contact's first name (i.e., The person who attended the Applicant Briefing)
Select the text box next to "Last Name" and enter the contact's last name
Select the text box next to "Phone Number" and enter the contact's phone number
Select the text box next to "Email" and enter the contact's email
Select the "Save" button in the top-right corner of Grants Portal once done entering information
Inviting the Applicant to the Grants Portal (5 of 5)
After saving the invitation, Grants Portal automatically sends an email invitation to the Applicant. Grants Portal also loads the "Organization Invitation" page for the Recipient to review the information input for the Applicant.
Directions to invite an Applicant to the Grants Portal:
Review the information to ensure all information is correct
Inviting the Applicant to Grants Portal: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to invite the Applicant to Grants Portal.
Reviewing the Applicant's Organization Account Request (1 of 5)
After the Applicant completes the organization account request, Grants Portal notifies the Recipient that they have an organization account request task to complete in Grants Portal.
Directions to review the Applicant's organization account:
Read the email
Select the link in the email to go to Grants Portal
Sign in to Grants Portal
Reviewing the Applicant's Organization Account Request (2 of 5)
After the Recipient selects the link in their email and signs in to Grants Portal, they navigate to the "Invitations and Requests" tab.
Directions to review the Applicant's organization account:
Select the "Subrecipients" tab on the left side of Grants Portal
Select the "Invitations and Requests" tab located under "Subrecipients"
Select the magnifying glass next to the name of the organization for the organization account you want to review
Reviewing the Applicant's Organization Account Request (3 of 5)
Grants Portal loads the "Organization Request" page once the Recipient selects the magnifying glass. Here, the Recipient reviews an organization's information and navigates to the organization's workflow.
Directions to review the Applicant's organization account:
Review the organization's information
Select the link next to "Workflow"
Reviewing the Applicant's Organization Account Request (4 of 5)
After the Recipient selects the link next to "Workflow," Grants Portal directs the Recipient to the "Workflow Details" page. The Recipient approves or rejects the organization account request at this time.
Directions to review the Applicant's organization account:
Review the workflow information and type-specific information on the screen
Select the "Approve" button at the top right of the screen if the organization account is approved
Select the "Reject" button at the top right of the screen if the organization account is not approved
Reviewing the Applicant's Organization Account Request (5 of 5)
Once the Recipient either chooses to accept or reject the organization account request, a pop-up window appears asking if the Recipient is sure of their determination.
Directions to review the Applicant's organization account:
Select the "Yes" button in the pop-up window
Once the Recipient approves the Applicant's organization account, Grants Portal sends the Applicant an email with a username and temporary password to set up their personal account.
Reviewing the Organization Account Request: Video Example
Please watch the video on reviewing the organization account request submitted by the Applicant.
Creating an Organization Profile for the Applicant
A second way for the Recipient to invite an Applicant to the Grants Portal is by creating an organization account for them. This typically occurs if the Applicant does not have access to the internet or cannot complete the organization account for another reason.
Directions to add an organization account for Applicants:
Select the "My Tasks" tab on the left side of the screen
Select the "Subrecipients" tab under "My Tasks"
Select the "Organization Profiles" tab under "Subrecipients"
Select the "New Organization" button in the top-right corner of Grants Portal
After the Recipient completes the organization account, the Applicant receives an email which states that the Recipient approved their organization account and provides them with a username and temporary password.
Creating an Organization Account for the Applicant: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to create an organization account for the Applicant.
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (1 of 11)
Recipients have a third option to invite Applicants to join Grants Portal. This option is helpful when a Recipient wants to invite multiple Applicants at once.
This most often occurs after the Applicant Briefing. A Recipient has numerous organizations to invite once they collect information on the sign-in sheet at the briefing.
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (2 of 11)
To begin inviting multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal, the Recipient signs in to Grants Portal and navigates to the "Subrecipient Organization Profiles" page.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Sign in to Grants Portal
Select the "My Organization" tab on the left side of Grants Portal
Select the "Organization Profile" tab under "My Organization"
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the Subrecipient organization profiles drop-down list
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (3 of 11)
Once the "Subrecipient Organization Profiles" page loads, the Recipient begins the process of importing the list of the Applicants they want to invite to Grants Portal.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Select the "New Organization" button in the top-right corner of Grants Portal
Select "Import" from the drop-down list
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (4 of 11)
Once the Recipient selects "Import" in the drop-down list, Grants Portal directs them to the "Import Organization Invitation" page. The Recipient downloads the invitation template and uploads it to Grants Portal.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Select the "Download Template" button in the top-right corner of Grants Portal
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (5 of 11)
A pop-up window appears once the Recipient selects the "Download Template" button asking the Recipient to open the spreadsheet which holds the template.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Select the "OK" button in the pop-up window
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (6 of 11)
The template opens in Microsoft Excel once the Recipient selects "OK" in the pop-up window. The Recipient enables editing of the document before they populate the spreadsheet. The Recipient then inputs the following information into the template for the multiple organizations they want to invite to Grants Portal:
Organization name
Organization type
Contact's first name
Contact's last name
Contact's email
Contact's phone number
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Select the "Enable Editing" button in the task bar
Enter the appropriate information for all organizations to be invited to Grants Portal
Save the template as a file that can be uploaded later
Exit out of the file
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (7 of 11)
After completing and saving the organization invitation template, the Recipient navigates back into Grants Portal to the "Import Organization Invitation" page.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Navigate to the "Import Organization Invitation" page in Grants Portal
Select the "Upload Spreadsheet" in the top-right corner of Grants Portal
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (8 of 11)
The File Explorer window then pops up. The Recipient navigates their files to find the saved file. The completed template can now be uploaded into Grants Portal.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Navigate File Explorer to find the saved completed template
Select the file that holds the organizations' information.
Select the "Open" button
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (9 of 11)
After the Recipient selects the "Open" button, a row appears under "Import History" in the "Import Organization" page. The row is highlighted in blue. The Recipient continues the process to upload the information from the document into Grants Portal.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Look for the blue highlighted row on the screen for the file uploaded into Grants Portal. It is the top row
Select the "Continue" button in the row on the right-side of Grants Portal
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (10 of 11)
When the Recipient selects the "Continue" button, Grants Portal populates with the organization information from the uploaded spreadsheet. Grants Portal runs a scan for misinformation in the spreadsheet. The system then notifies the Recipient of the following information:
Total records imported
New organization invite records
Records with errors
Records with warnings
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Review the information provided by Grants Portal to identify if any errors or warnings exist in the spreadsheet
Select the "Cancel Import" button if errors or warnings exist in the spreadsheet (note: review the organization information in the spreadsheet for any errors and then repeat the process of uploading the spreadsheet)
Select the "Commit Import" button if no errors or warnings exist
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations (11 of 11)
After the Recipient selects the "Commit Import" button, a pop-up window appears asking if the Recipient is sure they want to import the file.
Directions to invite multiple Applicants to join Grants Portal:
Review the pop-up window information
Select the "Commit Import" button on the pop-up window
Once the Recipient imports the spreadsheet, Grants Portal will send an email to all of the organizations requesting they set up an organization account.
Inviting Multiple Applicant Organizations: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to invite multiple Applicant Organizations to Grants Portal.
Features of the Organization Account
The following slides will explain how to manage different parts of the organization account such as:
Setting up and editing your Organization Profile
Editing and managing locations
Uploading pertinent documentation to Grants Portal
Familiarity with the features of Grants Portal is important for the Recipient and Applicant before starting the Request for Public Assistance and other items later in the grant application process.
Setting Up and Editing Your Organization Profile (1 of 2)
Recipients and Applicants who have a Grants Portal account have the option to set up and edit their organization profile. From the organization profile, the Recipient and Applicant can manage which of their personnel have access to Grants Portal.
These personnel should be trusted and have in-depth knowledge of the damages caused by the event.
Directions to set up and edit your organization profile:
Select the "My Profile" tab on the left side of the Grants Portal screen
Select the "Organization Profile" tab on the left side of the Grants Portal screen
Setting Up and Editing Your Organization Profile (2 of 2)
Once a Recipient or Applicant selects the "Organization Profile" tab, Grants Portal directs them to their "My Organization Profile."
Here, a Recipient or an Applicant sets up and edits anything they need including:
"Level 2" designation (e.g., Fort Collins) - only in Applicant Grants Portal account
"Type" designation (e.g., city or township government, State government)
"Is Active" designation
"FEMA PA Code" designation
"DUNS Number"
Recipient Regions - only in Recipient Grants Portal account
Subrecipient Organization Profiles - only in Recipient Grants Portal account
Personnel
Locations
Counties with Facility
Insurance Profile
Applicant Event Profiles
Documents
Events - Note that if the Applicant has been in multiple events, those will be listed here. However, the Applicant cannot edit this section.
Action Log
Adding Personnel User Accounts (1 of 3)
Another function of Grants Portal is that Recipients and Applicants can add personnel user accounts so that multiple people have access to the system from their organization.
To add personnel user accounts:
Sign in to Grants Portal
Select the "My Organization" tab on the left side of Grants Portal
Select the "Organization Profile" on the left side of the Grants Portal
Select the "Manage" button located to the right of the Personnel drop-down list
Adding Personnel User Accounts (2 of 3)
After the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, Grants Portal directs them to the "Manage Personnel" page. This page displays all personnel user accounts linked to their organization.
To add personnel user accounts:
Select the "Create" button in the top-right corner of Grants Portal
Adding Personnel User Accounts (3 of 3)
A pop-up window requesting the Recipient or Applicant to input the new personnel user account information appears.
To add personnel user accounts:
Select the text box next to "First Name" and input the person's first name
Select the text box next to "Last Name" and input the person's last name
Select the text box next to "Middle Initial" and input the person's middle initial
Select the text box next to "Title" and input the person's title
Select the text box next to "Email" and input the person's email
Select the text box next to "Confirm Email" and re-enter the person's email
Select the text box next to "Phone" and enter the person's phone number
Select the text box next to "Mobile Phone" and enter the person's mobile phone number
Select the text box next to "username" and enter the person's username
Select the "Save" button once you enter all information
Adding Personnel User Accounts: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to add personnel user accounts.
Editing Your Organization Profile: General Information (1 of 2)
If a Recipient or Applicant in charge of their organization profile needs to change the general information of their organization, they do so in the "My Organization Profile" section of Grants Portal.
Directions to change general information:
Select the "Edit" button in the top-right corner of the screen
Editing your Organization Profile: General Information (2 of 2)
After the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Edit" button, Grants Portal directs them to the "Edit Organization" page. On this page, the Recipient or Applicant edits the:
"Name" designation (e.g., Colorado, Fort Collins)
"Type" designation (e.g., State government, city or township government)
"DUNS Number"
"Active" designation
Directions to edit the "Name" designation:
Select the text box next to "Name"
Type in your new organization's name
Directions to edit the "Type" designation:
Select the drop-down list next to "Type"
Select the type of entity your organization is
Directions to edit the "DUNS Number":
Select the text box next to "DUNS Number"
Enter your organization's DUNS Number
Directions to edit your "Active" designation:
Check or uncheck the checkbox next to "Active"
Select the "Save" button to save all edits. Once the Recipient or the Applicant selects the "Save" button, Grants Portal immediately directs them to the "My Organization Page."
Editing Your General Information: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to edit your organization's general information.
Editing Your Organization Profile: Manage Locations (1 of 4)
Another option the Recipient or Applicant has on the "My Organization Profile" page is to edit the locations of their facility.
Directions to edit the organization location:
Select the "Manage" button opposite the location drop-down list
Editing Your Organization Profile: Manage Locations (2 of 4)
After the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, Grants Portal redirects them to the "Manage Locations" page. Here, the Recipient or Applicant edits or adds organization locations.
Directions to edit an organization location:
Select the "Edit" button next to the address of the location you want to edit
Directions to add an organization location:
Select the "Add" button in the top-right corner of the screen
Editing Your Organization Profile: Manage Locations (3 of 4)
Once the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Edit" button next to their location address or the "Add" button in the top-right corner, a pop-up window appears. The Recipient or Applicant edits or inputs any of the following information within the pop-up window:
Address
Secondary Address (e.g., building, suite)
City
State
Zip Code
County
Primary Location
Directions to edit or input address information:
Select the text box next to "Address"
Delete unwanted information
Input the correct information
Directions to edit or input secondary address information:
Select the text box below the address text box
Delete unwanted information
Input the correct information for a secondary address
Directions to edit or input city information:
Select the text box below the secondary address text box
Delete unwanted information
Input the correct city
Editing Your Organization Profile: Manage Locations (4 of 4)
The Recipient or Applicant continues to edit or add organization locations.
Directions to edit or input State information:
Select the drop-down list for States
Select the appropriate State
Directions to edit or input zip code information:
Select the text box under the State drop-down list
Delete unwanted information
Input the correct information
Directions to edit or input "Primary Location" designation:
Check or uncheck the box next to "Primary Location"
Once the Recipient or Applicant completes all the changes, they select the "Save" button. Grants Portal brings the Recipient or Applicant back to the "Manage Locations" page.
The Recipient or Applicant selects the "Save" button again on the "Manage Locations" page to ensure all changes are made. Upon selecting the "save" button, Grants Portal directs Recipients or Applicants to the "My Organization Profile" screen.
Manage Locations: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to edit Applicant locations in Grants Portal.
Editing Your Organization Profile: Uploading Documents (1 of 4)
The Recipient or Applicant can upload other documents on the "My Organization Profile" screen of Grants Portal. Some examples of these documents are:
Procurement and payroll policy
Annual purchase agreements
Private nonprofit organizations can also upload pertinent documentation required by FEMA for eligibility purposes. These include:
Accreditation
Insurance Policy
Charter and By-Laws
Tax Exemption certificate
Directions to upload documents:
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the document drop-down list
Editing Your Organization Profile: Uploading Documents (2 of 4)
Once the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, Grants Portal directs them to the "Manage Documents" page. The Recipient or Applicant now edits, removes, or uploads their project-specific documentation on this page.
Directions to remove documents:
Select the "Remove" button next to the document you wish to remove
Select the "Yes" button when a pop-up window appears asking if you are sure you want to delete the document
Directions to edit documents:
Select the "Edit" button next to the document
Directions to upload documents:
Select the "Add Document" button in the top-right corner of the page
Editing Your Organization Profile: Uploading Documents (3 of 4)
When the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Edit" button, a pop-up window appears.
Directions to edit your document:
Select the text box next to "Filename" and enter the correct name of the file
Select the text box next to "Description" and enter a description of the document
Select the drop-down list next to "Types" and select the appropriate type for the document you previously uploaded
Select the drop-down list box next to "Category" and select the appropriate category for the document
Select the "X" next to inappropriate categories to delete them
Select the "Save" button
Editing Your Organization Profile: Uploading Documents (4 of 4)
When the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Add Document" button, a pop-up window appears.
Directions to upload a document:
Select the "Drag and drop a file here" box and choose the appropriate document from the saved location. The user can also drag and drop the appropriate document into the dotted "Document Upload" box
Select the text box next to "Filename" and enter the correct name of the file
Select the text box next to "Description" and enter a description of the document
Select the drop-down list next to "Category Filter" and select the appropriate Category Filter for the document previously uploaded
Select the drop-down list box next to "Category" and select the appropriate category for the document
Select the "X" next to inappropriate categories to delete them
Select the "Save" button
Uploading Documents: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to upload documents to Grants Portal.
Managing Staff Roles, Contact Information, and Logins
Beyond inviting Applicants and other personnel to Grants Portal and editing the organization profile, Recipients and Applicants can manage their staff. This includes managing staff:
Roles
Contact information
Login information
Managing Staff Roles (1 of 4)
Recipients and Applicants have the option to manage staff roles of the personnel they invite to use Grants Portal and who are affiliated with their organization. Recipients and Applicants use this function to limit or to provide authorities within Grants Portal so personnel can accomplish their job.
To manage staff roles, the Recipient or Applicant must sign in to Grants Portal and navigate to the "Manage Personnel" page.
Directions to manage staff roles:
Sign in to Grants Portal
Select the "My Organization" tab on the left side of Grants Portal
Select the "Organization Profile" tab under "My Organization"
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the "Personnel" drop-down list
Managing Staff Roles (2 of 4)
Once the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, the "Manage Personnel" page loads. On this page, the Recipient or Applicant chooses the person and roles to edit.
Directions to manage staff roles:
Choose the staff and roles to manage
Select the "Manage" button to the left of the person's last name
Managing Staff Roles (3 of 4)
After the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, the specific staff's "Manage Personnel" page loads. This screen contains the general information and user information for the staff member. A Recipient or Applicant edits any of the following for the staff on this page:
General information
User information
Contact information
Roles
Password reset requests
Login history
Directions to manage staff roles:
Select the roles drop-down list
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the organization roles drop-down list for the staff roles to manage
Managing Staff Roles (4 of 4)
After the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button for the staff's organization roles to edit, a pop-up window appears in Grants Portal, with the specific roles the personnel have related to grants management.
The Recipient or Applicant edits the staff's role by checking and unchecking boxes next to the roles the staff should have in Grants Portal. Staff can have multiple roles in Grants Portal.
If a Recipient or Applicant has any questions about the responsibilities and abilities a role provides to a staff member in Grants Portal, place the cursor over the question mark to the right of the role, and Grants Portal informs them.
Directions to manage staff roles:
Select and unselect check-boxes for the roles the staff member should or should not undertake
Select the "Save" button
Managing Staff Roles: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to manage staff roles.
Managing Staff Contact Information (1 of 4)
Recipients and Applicants have the option to manage contact information for the personnel they invite to use Grants Portal and who are affiliated with their organization. Recipients and Applicants use this function in case a staff member cannot.
To manage staff roles, the Recipient or Applicant must sign in to Grants Portal and navigate to the "Manage Personnel" page.
Directions to manage staff contact information:
Sign in to Grants Portal
Select the "My Organization" tab on the left side of Grants Portal
Select the "Organization Profile" tab under "My Organization"
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the "Personnel" drop-down list
Managing Staff Contact Information (2 of 4)
Once the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, the "Manage Personnel" page loads. On this page, the Recipient or Applicant chooses a person on their staff with the roles they want to edit.
Directions to manage staff contact information:
Choose the staff and roles to manage
Select the "Manage" button to the left of the person's last name
Managing Staff Contact Information (3 of 4)
After the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, the specific staff's "Manage Personnel" page loads. This screen contains the general information and user information for the staff member. A Recipient or Applicant can edit any of the following for the staff on this page:
General information
User information
Contact information
Roles
Password reset requests
Directions to manage staff contact information:
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the contact information drop-down list
Managing Staff Contact Information (4 of 4)
Once the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, Grants Portal loads the "Personnel Details" page. The Recipient or Applicant adds, edits, and removes phone numbers and email addresses linked to the staff member.
Directions to manage staff contact information:
Select the "Edit" button under "Phone Numbers" to edit the staff member's phone number
Select the "Remove" button under "Phone Numbers" to remove the staff member's phone number
Select the "Add Phone Number" button, to add a phone number for the contact
Select the "Edit" button under "Email Addresses", to edit the staff member's email address
Select the "Remove" button under "Email Addresses", to remove the staff member's email address
Select the "Add Email Addresses" button, to add an email address for the contact
Managing Staff Contact Information: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to manage staff's contact information.
Managing Staff Login Information (1 of 3)
Recipients and Applicants have the option to manage staff login information of the personnel they invite to use Grants Portal and who are affiliated with their organization. Recipients and Applicants use this function in case a staff member forgets their password or gets locked out of their account.
In order to manage staff login information, the Recipient or Applicant must sign in to Grants Portal and navigate to the "Manage Personnel" page.
Directions to manage staff login information:
Sign in to Grants Portal
Select the "My Organization" tab on the left side of Grants Portal
Select the "Organization Profile" tab under "My Organization"
Select the "Manage" button to the right of the "Personnel" drop-down list
Managing Staff Login Information (2 of 3)
Once the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, the "Manage Personnel" page loads. On this page, the Recipient or Applicant chooses which person to manage login information for.
Directions to manage staff login information:
Choose the staff login to manage
Select the "Manage" button to the left of the person's last name
Managing Staff Login Information (3 of 3)
After the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Manage" button, the specific staff's "Manage Personnel" page loads. This screen contains the general information and user information for the staff member. A Recipient or Applicant edits any of the following for the staff on this page:
General information
User information
Contact information
Roles
Password reset requests
Under "User Information," a Recipient or Applicant resets the staff member's password by sending them a temporary password.
Directions to manage staff login information:
Select the "Send Temporary Password" button under "User Information"
Managing Staff Login Information: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to manage staff logins.
Editing Your Organization Profile: Uploading Insurance Documents (1 of 2)
From the "My Organization Profile" screen, a Recipient or Applicant uploads their insurance documents.
Directions to upload insurance documents:
Select the "Upload Insurance Document" button to the right of the insurance profile drop-down list
Select the "Help" button to the right of the insurance profile drop-down list if you need help with the action
Editing Your Organization Profile: Uploading Insurance Documents (2 of 2)
Once the Recipient or Applicant selects the "Upload Insurance Document" button, a pop-up window appears in which they can upload their insurance documents.
Directions to upload insurance documents:
Select the "Select Document" button
Navigate to the appropriate document from the saved location and select "Open"
Select the text box next to "Filename" and enter the name of the file
Select the text box next to "Description" and provide an accurate short description of the document
Select the category drop-down list and select the accurate category that represents the insurance document
Select the "Add Document" button
Uploading Insurance Documents: Video Example
Please watch the video to review how to upload insurance documents to Grants Portal.
Request for Public Assistance
The Recipient and Applicant can also submit the Request for Public Assistance in Grants Portal. There will be a notification on the Dashboard to begin the process for submitting a Request for Public Assistance. This begins the Public Assistance process to acquire grant funding.
The Request for Public Assistance and how to submit it, as well as the procedure for the Recipient to approve it, will be covered in the next lesson: Phase I: Operational Planning.
Lesson 2 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned about different methods for organizational profile initiation and management.
The next lesson will cover Grants Portal usage as it relates to Phase I of the Public Assistance process and Operational Planning.
Lesson 3 Overview and Objectives
The lesson describes submitting a Request for Public Assistance, and the information requirements to validate the request and initiate project formulation in Grants Portal.
Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:
Explain how to use Grants Portal during Phase I of the Public Assistance process.
Phase I: Operational Planning
This is Phase I of the Public Assistance process: Operational Planning.
The objective for this phase is to identify the Applicants' disaster impacts and recovery priorities. FEMA gathers information to determine the operational needs of the incident.
Phase I Grants Portal Activities
In Phase I of the Public Assistance process, Recipients and Applicants carry out many tasks in Grants Portal. These include the following:
Review the Event Profile
Submit a Request for Public Assistance
Approve the Request for Public Assistance
Develop the Damage Inventory
Reviewing the Event PA Requests Profile
Grants Portal houses the Event PA Requests Profile, an Applicant's profile for an event. Applicants can upload their Damage Inventory and other documents pertinent to the event, as well as review the summary of the event as it pertains to their damage in the profile. The Event PA Requests Profile provides General and Event Information.
General Information
FEMA Public Assistance Code
State Government
Status
Request for Public Assistance Date
Process Step
Event Information
Job Number
Event Name
Event Type
Incident Type
Incident Level
Incident Start Date
Incident End Date
Declaration Date
Declared Counties
There are also several drop-down menus below, including the Stats/Summary section, Contacts, Locations, Damage Inventory, EHP Profile, Documents, Comments, Requests for Information, Discussion, and Process Status History sections. All of these bars can be expanded by selecting on the arrow to the right of the bar title.
Request for Public Assistance
An important function of Grants Portal is that it allows the Applicant to submit their Request for Public Assistance. Applicants do this when an event occurs, after the Applicant Briefing, or at any time after the event has been presidentially declared.
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (1 of 8)
To begin submitting a Request for Public Assistance, the Applicant signs in to Grants Portal, which loads their Dashboard. There will be a notification at the top of the page stating that the Applicant may submit a Request for Public Assistance.
This notification will only appear if a location in a designated county for the event is listed in the Applicant's Event PA Requests Profile. Grants Portal will also send out an email notifying the Applicant that they may submit a Request for Public Assistance. Before submittal, the Applicant should review their Organizational Profile to ensure the information and contacts are listed correctly.
Steps to submit a Request for Public Assistance. The Applicant should:
Select the hyperlinked text that states, "Please click here to begin the RPA submission process"
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (2 of 8)
This brings the Applicant to the "Request for Public Assistance" page. Instructions are provided on this page, explaining that the Applicant must answer a series of questions regarding their organization, contacts, mailing addresses, and supporting information. Once completed, the Applicant reviews the overall submission. After reviewing, they submit the request to FEMA.
Once submitted, the Applicant receives notifications through Grants Portal regarding their Request for Public Assistance status.
Steps to submit a Request for Public Assistance. The Applicant should:
Read the instructions and select the blue "Next" button at the bottom right corner of the screen
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (3 of 8)
The Applicant then arrives at the "General Information" tab. Here, Grants Portal displays the General Information associated with the Applicant's request. This includes the Applicant name, FEMA PA Code, DUNS Number, Event Name, and the Participated in PDA drop-down list.
Steps to submit a Request for Public Assistance. The Applicant should:
Select the applicable event in the Event drop-down list
Select Yes or No in the "Participated in PDA" drop-down list
Select the blue "Next" button in the bottom-right corner of the screen
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (4 of 8)
At this stage, the Applicant is at the "Contacts" tab. Here, the Applicant must indicate their primary and alternate contacts for this event. The indicated contacts will receive regular notifications and will be able to use Grants Portal to track the request progress as well as interact with designated FEMA partners such as the FEMA Program Delivery Manager.
Steps to submit a Request for Public Assistance. The Applicant should:
Under "Primary Contact," select the desired name from the drop-down list
The name, title, email address and phone number will be displayed beneath the drop-down list
Under "Alternate Contact," select the desired name from the drop-down list
Select the blue "Next" button at the bottom right corner of the screen
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (5 of 8)
After completing the "Contacts" tab, the Applicant adds information for their primary location and mailing address in the "Addresses" tab. These addresses will be used for scheduling meetings and sending formal written correspondence.
If the Applicant needs to modify the addresses, they will have to begin the Request for Public Assistance process again after entering the correct information in their Organizational Profile.
Steps to submit a Request for Public Assistance. The Applicant should:
Verify Primary Location or select the "Change" button
Verify the mailing address or select the "Change" button
Select the blue "Next" button in the bottom right corner of the screen once all the information is complete
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (6 of 8)
After completing the "Addresses" tab, Grants Portal loads the "Other Information" tab. Here, the Applicant can provide any additional information, such as a brief narrative describing the reasons for requesting assistance.
Steps to Submit a Request for Public Assistance. The Applicant should:
If necessary, enter any additional information in the text box
This section is optional and may be skipped by selecting on the blue "Next" button in the bottom right corner of the screen
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (7 of 8)
After completing the "Other Information" tab, the Applicant reviews the information from all tabs in its entirety. The Applicant must review all information for accuracy before selecting the green "Submit" button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Steps to submit a Request for Public Assistance. The Applicant should:
Review all information
Select the "Submit" button
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance (8 of 8)
After selecting "Submit," a Congratulations Screen appears. It states that the Request for Public Assistance has been successfully processed and submitted to the Recipient organization for review. The application is complete by submitting a Request for Public Assistance.
Submitting a Request for Public Assistance: Video Example
Please watch the video on submitting the Request for Public Assistance.
Reviewing the Request for Public Assistance
Once the Applicant submits the Request for Public Assistance, the Recipient receives an email from Grants Portal stating they have a Request for Public Assistance to review. Grants Portal also notifies the Recipient via their "My Tasks" tab in the system.
The Recipient reviews the submission and either approves or denies the Request for Public Assistance.
If the Recipient approves the Request for Public Assistance, it is forwarded to FEMA for review.
Approval of Request for Public Assistance (1 of 5)
The following slides outline the review and approval process of the Request for Public Assistance from the Recipient perspective.
The Recipient must navigate to the "My Tasks" section in the "My Organization" pane on the left side of the screen. This is where workflow items can be viewed.
Steps to approve the Request for Public Assistance:
Select "Workflow Items" from the "My Tasks" section on the left side of the screen
Approval of Request for Public Assistance (2 of 5)
Once "Workflow Items" is selected, Grants Portal redirects the Recipient to the "My Workflows" page. Here the active project workflows can be viewed, and search filters applied.
Steps to approve the Request for Public Assistance:
Select the "Filters" drop-down to expand the section
Select "Recipient RPA Eligibility Type" from the "Type" dropdown
Select the magnifying glass to the left of the relevant workflow
Approval of Request for Public Assistance (3 of 5)
The Recipient can now view the Workflow Details including Workflow Information such as:
Class
Type
Description
Status
Created on (date)
They can also view Type-Specific Information such as:
Event title
Applicant
Type
Primary Contact
Alternate Contact
Physical Location
Mailing Location
RPA Comments
Steps to approve the Request for Public Assistance:
After verifying all information is accurate, select the green "Eligible" button or the red "Ineligible" button at the top right of Grants Portal
Approval of Request for Public Assistance (4 of 5)
If the Recipient determines that the Applicant's Request for Public Assistance is eligible, a pop-up box will appear, asking if they are sure of the determination.
Steps to approve the Request for Public Assistance:
Fill out the "Reason" text box, providing an explanation why the Applicant has been determined to be eligible
Select the "Yes" button
Approval of Request for Public Assistance (5 of 5)
If the Recipient determines that the Applicant's Request for Public Assistance is ineligible, a pop-up box will appear, asking if they are sure of the determination.
Steps to approve the Request for Public Assistance:
Fill out the "Reason" text box, providing an explanation of why the Applicant has been determined to be ineligible
Select the "Yes" button
Approval of Request for Public Assistance: Video Example
Please watch the video on approving the Request for Public Assistance.
The Damage Inventory
The Damage Inventory provides initial information on the damages the Applicants believe were caused by the event. During the Exploratory Call, the Program Delivery Manager will introduce the Applicant to the Damage Inventory and review in greater detail during the Recovery Scoping Meeting.
The Applicant has 60 days from the Recovery Scoping Meeting to identify damages from the event and enter the Damage Inventory to Grants Portal.
Developing the Damage Inventory: Adding Damages
To begin adding single damages to the Damage Inventory, the Applicant navigates to the "My Organization" pane.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
Select "Applicant Event Profiles" in the "My Organization" pane
Then select the magnifying glass on the left of the Event number
Developing the Damage Inventory: Managing
After selecting on the magnifying glass, the Applicant can see the project details.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
Scroll down to the Damage Inventory bar
Select the "Manage" button in the bottom right corner of the screen
Developing the Damage Inventory: Add Damage
Once the Applicant selects "Manage," the Damage Inventory and all current entries can be viewed.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
To add a single damage, select the "Add Damage" button in the top right corner of the screen
Developing the Damage Inventory: Select Damage Type
Selecting "Add Damage" causes a pop-up window to appear. It asks, "What type of Damage do you want to create?" and displays two options: Standard Damage and Management Cost.
Standard Damage entails damages that are categories A-G. Management costs pertain to reimbursement of Category Z- Directed Administrative Costs.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant must:
Select "Standard Damage"
Developing the Damage Inventory: Damaged Site Information
The pop-up window will disappear after the Applicant selects on "Standard Damage." The Applicant returns to the Event PA Requests Profile with the General Information and the Event Information. Complete the fields for the Category of Work, the facility name, the Damage Description, location, and repair information.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
Once all information is complete, it can be saved in Grants Portal
Select the green "Save" button in the top right corner of the screen
Developing the Damage Inventory: Event PA Requests
To access the Damage Inventory, the Applicant follows the same steps as the previous process. First, navigate to the My Organization Profile in the task pane.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
Select the "My Organization" tab
Select the "Organization Profile" tab
Select "Applicant or Recipient Event Profiles" Requests.
Select the magnifying glass to the left of the Event title to access the project details
Developing the Damage Inventory: Template
Adding multiple damages at one time is significantly easier when using the Damage Inventory Template. The following steps show the Applicant how to use the template to upload multiple damages at once to Grants Portal.
Developing the Damage Inventory: Manage Damage Inventory
Once the Applicant selects an Event Title, project details such as the Request for Public Assistance decision date, the Recovery Scoping Meeting completion date, the Damage Inventory deadline, and the current process step can be viewed.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
Scroll down to the Damage Inventory
Select the "Manage" button on the right side of the screen
Developing the Damage Inventory: Downloading Template
Once the Applicant has navigated to the "Damage Inventory" bar, the list of current damages associated with the project can be viewed.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
To download the Damage Inventory template, select the "Import" button at the top right corner of the screen
A drop-down list will appear. Select the "Download Template" option on that drop-down list
Developing the Damage Inventory: Download Template Pop-Up
After selecting on the "Download Template" option, a pop-up window appears.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select the "Open With" option and ensure that it is set to open with Microsoft Excel
Select "OK"
Developing the Damage Inventory: Enable Editing
Once the Applicant has downloaded the Damage Inventory template, the file download opens with Excel and the Applicant is able to view the spreadsheet template.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select "Enable Editing" in the "Protected View" bar at the top of the spreadsheet
Once the Applicant enables editing to the spreadsheet, the template is automatically populated with the necessary damage information:
Incident Number
Applicant Name
Applicant Point of Contact information
Additionally, the following damage information can be edited:
Category of Work
Address of damaged site and GPS coordinates
Detailed damage description
Developing the Damage Inventory: Filling the Template
The Applicant completes each of the columns in the spreadsheet and ensures that the updated Microsoft Excel spreadsheet is saved to their desktop.
It is extremely important that the Applicant does not modify or change the spreadsheet template in any way, or skip rows when entering damage information.
Developing the Damage Inventory: Uploading the Template
The Applicant returns to Grants Portal to upload the completed Damage Inventory Spreadsheet.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
In the "Applicant or Recipient Event Profile" on the same page where the Damage Inventory template was downloaded, select the "Import" button at the top right corner of the screen
From the drop-down list, select "Upload Spreadsheet"
Developing the Damage Inventory: Selecting the File
A File Upload pop-up window will appear. The Applicant should locate where the Damage Inventory template was saved.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select the file template
Select "Open"
Developing the Damage Inventory: Example Errors
Grants Portal will detect errors if any information was entered incorrectly into the template when the Applicant uploads the template. There will be a notification in the top of the Applicant Event Profile of the number of records with errors.
Applicants should scroll down to review the red boxes at the bottom of the screen to view what items the Grants Portal has deemed as an error. This will assist you to be able to correct these items.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Verify the errors or warnings
Select the red "Cancel Import" button on the right side of the screen
Developing the Damage Inventory: Cancel Import
The "Cancel Import" pop-up window appears. It asks, "Do you wish to cancel this import?"
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select the red "Cancel Import" button
Resolve any errors on the Microsoft Excel worksheet
Save the spreadsheet to their computer and then re-upload the correct spreadsheet
Developing the Damage Inventory: Importing the Template
If the Damage Inventory template has no errors, there will be no error or warnings in the Import Damage Inventory section.
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select the green "Commit Import" button
Developing the Damage Inventory: Commit Import
After selecting on the "Commit Import" button, the pop-up window will appear. It asks, "Do you wish to commit the changes in this import?"
Steps to develop the Damage Inventory:
Once ready, select the "Commit Import" button
Developing the Damage Inventory: Upload Successful
The Applicant's newly uploaded Damage Inventory is visible in the "Import Damage Inventory" section.
Developing the Damage Inventory: Video Example
Please watch the video on developing the Damage Inventory.
Editing a Submitted Damage Inventory: My Event PA Requests
The Applicant may wish to edit a Damage Inventory that has already been uploaded to Grants Portal. Much like the previous process, the Applicant will navigate to the "My Organization" pane.
Steps to edit the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select "Event PA Requests" from the "My Organization" pane on the left side of the screen
Select the magnifying glass next to the current Event
Editing a Submitted Damage Inventory: Damage Inventory Bar
The Applicant is now in the "My Applicant or Recipient Events Profile" of the event selected to edit. The Applicant can scroll down to the "Damage Inventory" bar.
Steps to edit the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Scroll down to the "Damage Inventory" bar
Select the "Manage" button on the right side of the screen on the "Damage Inventory" bar
Editing a Submitted Damage Inventory: Editing the Damage Inventory
Once the Applicant is in the Manage Damage Inventory page, all the uploaded damages can be viewed.
Steps to edit the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select the blue "Edit" button on the left of the Damage Inventory to be edited
Editing a Submitted Damage Inventory: Editing the Damage Information
Now the Applicant can edit the General or Damage Information as needed.
Steps to edit the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
Select the text box next to the "Damage Description" and edit it as needed
When finished, select the green "Save" button at the top right corner of the screen
Editing a Submitted Damage Inventory: Confirm Edit
The "Save Changes" pop-up window will appear.
Steps to edit the Damage Inventory. The Applicant should:
If the Applicant has made all necessary edits to the Damage Inventory, select the blue "Yes" button
Editing a Submitted Damage Inventory: Video Example
Please watch the video on editing a submitted Damage Inventory.
Exploratory Call (1 of 2)
After submitting the Request for Public Assistance and once both the Recipient and FEMA approve it, FEMA assigns a Program Delivery Manager to the Applicant. The Program Delivery Manager will be the main point of contact from FEMA to the Applicant.
The Program Delivery Manager will set up an appointment to call the Applicant and discuss the Public Assistance process, the Applicant's damages, and to build a relationship. This is known as the Exploratory Call.
Exploratory Call (2 of 2)
The Exploratory Call is the first opportunity to develop a relationship between the Applicant and FEMA. It establishes the foundation for the Applicant to have an efficient and successful Public Assistance grant process. The information gathered during the Exploratory Call enables the Program Delivery Manager to create a tailored agenda for the Recovery Scoping Meeting and provide effective customer service to the Applicant.
For more information regarding the Exploratory Call, please refer to course: IS-1003 Exploratory Call, Damage Inventory, and Recovery Scoping Meeting.
Recovery Scoping Meeting
The Program Delivery Manager discusses and schedules the Recovery Scoping Meeting during the Exploratory Call. Grants Portal will generate an email notification that communicates key information such as the meeting time, date, and personnel who will be attending the Recovery Scoping Meeting.
For more information regarding the Recovery Scoping Meeting, please refer to course: IS-1003 Exploratory Call, Damage Inventory, and Recovery Scoping Meeting.
Lesson 3 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned how to submit a Request for Public Assistance, information requirements to validate the request, and initiate project formulation in Grants Portal.
The next lesson explains identification and verification for Applicant damage, and describes FEMA review of damage eligibility.
Lesson 4 Overview and Objectives
The lesson describes capturing the Applicant's incident-related damage in Grants Portal.
Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:
Describe the key steps for capturing Applicant's incident-related damage in Grants Portal during Phase II of the Public Assistance process
Phase II: Damage Intake and Eligibility Analysis
This is Phase II of the Public Assistance process: Damage Intake and Eligibility Analysis.
The objective is to capture the Applicant's incident-related damage and determine eligibility within sixty days of the Recovery Scoping Meeting.
Phase I Transition to Phase II
In the previous lesson, participants learned about Grants Portal activities for Phase I: Operational Planning.
At the end of Phase I, the following should have occurred:
The Applicant's incident-related damage, which were placed into projects or multiple projects, will be moved to processing lanes based on the complexity of the work
Finalization of the Damage Inventory
A project will either be routed to the field or the Consolidated Resource Center, based on work completed
The FEMA Program Delivery Manager will group similar damages into projects with the Applicant to prepare for Phase II.
Introduction to Phase II (1 of 3)
In Phase II of the Public Assistance process, FEMA captures all the Applicant's disaster-related damage within 60 days of the Recovery Scoping Meeting.
The Program Delivery Manager begins the phase by making eligibility recommendations regarding the Applicant's facility to the Public Assistance Field Leadership. When the facility is determined eligible, the Program Delivery Manager logically groups damages into projects and places them into one of three lanes based on complexity.
Projects that are 100% complete move into the Completed/Fully Documented Lane
Projects with work to be completed are placed in the Standard or Specialized Lane
The lane in which the Program Delivery Manager places the project determines the process of Phase II. The next screen describes the actions completed in each lane in Phase II.
Introduction to Phase II (2 of 3)
Completed/Fully Documented Lane:
The Program Delivery Manager requests Essential Elements of Information, also known as supporting documentation
The Applicant submits required Essential Elements of Information
The Program Delivery Manager reviews the documents loaded into the Essential Elements of Information to ensure they support the claimed damages
If the work is deemed eligible by Field Public Assistance Leadership, the Program Delivery Manager routes the project(s) to the Consolidated Resource Center
Introduction to Phase II (3 of 3)
Standard and Specialized Lanes:
The Program Delivery Manager requests Essential Elements of Information
The Program Delivery Manager creates Site Inspection Work Orders
FEMA and the Applicant conduct the site inspection
The Site Inspector/Technical Specialist develops the Site Inspector Report and the Damage Description and Dimensions
The Program Delivery Manager reviews the Site Inspector's Damage Descriptions and Dimensions
The Program Delivery Manager ensures the Applicant's damages are grouped appropriately
The Applicant completes the submission of all Essential Elements of Information
The Program Delivery Manager reviews the documents uploaded and verifies the Essential Elements of Information are received
The Applicant reviews and signs the Damage Description and Dimensions
The Program Delivery Manager completes the Development Guide Questions with the Applicant
The Applicant may decide to develop their own scope of work and cost estimate
The Program Delivery Manager forwards the project to the Consolidated Resource Center
Phase II Grants Portal Activities
Throughout the actions in the Completed/Fully Documented, Standard, and Specialized Lanes in Phase II of the Public Assistance Delivery Model, the Applicant uses Grants Portal. The rest of this lesson covers Grants Portal activities involved in these lanes.
Grants Portal activities for Phase II include:
Monitoring Site Inspection Work Orders
Monitoring projects
Reviewing and approving Damage Description and Dimensions
Completing requests for Essential Elements of Information
Managing Requests for Information
Organizing Damage and Scheduling the Site Inspection
After the Field Public Assistance Leadership determines that the Applicant's facility is eligible, the Program Delivery Manager organizes damages into projects and the project is assigned to the Completed/Fully Documented, Standard, or Specialized Lane.
For work to be completed placed in the Standard or Specialized lanes, the Program Delivery Manager schedules a site inspection with the appropriate personnel. For further information, please refer to the course: IS-1004 FEMA Site Inspection.
Site Inspection Work Orders
The Site Inspection Work Orders are sent to the FEMA Site Inspection Task Force Leader who assigns a FEMA Site Inspector.
For more information on the site inspection, please refer to the course: IS-1004 FEMA Site Inspection.
Monitoring Site Inspection Work Orders (1 of 4)
Tracking Site Inspection Work Orders in the Grants Portal is important for coordinating with the FEMA Program Delivery Manager and Site Inspector to accurately record incident-related damage in a timely manner.
The Applicant can monitor Site Inspection Work Orders in Grants Portal.
Steps to track a Site Inspection Work Order. The Applicant should:
Navigate to the Grants Portal Dashboard page
Select the "Work Orders" tab under the "My Organization" pane
Monitoring Site Inspection Work Orders (2 of 4)
Once the Applicant selects the Work Order, Grants Portal directs them to the "My Site Inspection Work Orders" page.
The "My Site Inspection Work Orders" page displays information regarding the status, number of damages, and contact information for each Site Inspection Work Order that has been scheduled for the Applicant.
Steps to track a Site Inspection Work Order. The Applicant should:
Select the magnifying glass near the Work Order number to display additional details regarding each Site Inspection Work Order
Monitoring Site Inspection Work Orders (3 of 4)
From this page, the Applicant can view general information regarding the individual Site Inspection Work Order as well as detailed information regarding:
Contacts
Damages to be Inspected
Site Inspectors
Monitoring Site Inspection Work Orders (4 of 4)
The Applicant is encouraged to review the Damages to be Inspected for each Site Inspection Work Order prior to the Site Inspection. This helps in planning a time effective strategy or plan to see all the designated sites.
Site Inspection Conduct
Site inspections are required for identifying and recording incident-related damages timely and accurately for all work to be completed.
During site inspections, the Applicant and FEMA inspect the damages identified in Grants Portal, specifically the Damage Inventory.
Further information is included in the course: IS-1004 FEMA Site Inspection.
Monitoring Site Inspection Work Orders: Video Example
Watch the video on Monitoring Site Inspection Work Orders.
Damage Description and Dimensions
Following the site inspection, the Site Inspector develops the Damage Description and Dimensions using information from the Site Inspection Report. The information gathered during the site inspection will be entered into Grants Portal and automatically generate the Damage Description and Dimensions.
The Program Delivery Manager reviews the Damage Description and Dimensions and discusses it with the Site Inspector if there are any questions.
The Program Delivery Manager then approves the Damage Description and Dimensions and notifies the Applicant, via Grants Portal, that it is ready for review and electronic signature.
Notification of the Damage Description and Dimensions
The Applicant will receive notifications through Grants Portal via email that the Damage Description and Dimensions is complete and ready for review and signature.
Applicants can also track and monitor projects by selecting the "My Tasks" tab on the Dashboard of Grants Portal.
Viewing the Damage Description and Dimensions (1 of 2)
In order to continue the Public Assistance process after the Site Inspection, the Applicant must agree to the Damage Description and Dimensions. To review and sign the Damage Description and Dimensions, the Applicant navigates Grants Portal.
Steps to review the Damage Description and Dimensions. The Applicant should:
Select the "My Organization" tab on the left side of the screen
Select the "Projects" button, then select a Damage Description and Dimensions for review
Viewing the Damage Description and Dimensions (2 of 2)
Once the Applicant selects the project, Grants Portal directs them to the Project Details page. From this page, the Applicant loads the Damage Description and Dimensions.
Steps to review the Damage Description and Dimensions. The Applicant should:
Scroll down to the Damage Description and Dimensions bar on the "Project Details" page
Select the "Damage Inventory" drop-down list
Review the Damage Descriptions and Dimensions
Signing the Damage Description and Dimensions
After reviewing the Damage Description and Dimensions, the Applicant either reach out to their Program Delivery Manager if there are any questions or sign it if the Applicant concurs.
Steps to sign the Damage Description and Dimensions: The Applicant should:
Scroll to the top of the "Project Details" page
Select the yellow "Send Back" button if changes are needed
Select the green "Sign DDD" button to sign the Damage Description and Dimensions
Project Signature
When the Applicant selects the "Sign DDD" button, Grants Portal navigates to the Sign Document drop-down list. The Applicant signs here.
Steps to sign the Damage Description and Dimensions: The Applicant should:
Select the "Select to Sign" Ribbon
Input Signature and Style
Once the Applicant selects the "Select to Sign" ribbon a pop-up window appears. The Applicant enters the signees name and the style of signature.
Steps to sign the Damage Description and Dimensions: The Applicant should:
Select the text box next to "Print Name" and enter the signees name
Select the drop-down list next to "Signature Style" and choose the handwriting style for the signature
Enter the account password
Select the "Sign" button
Submitting the Signed Damage Description and Dimensions
Once the Applicant enters all of the required information and selects the "Sign" button, the pop-up window disappears. Grants Portal auto-fills the signature and the date. The Applicant can submit the signature now.
Steps to submit the signed Damage Description and Dimensions. The Applicant should:
Select the "Submit" button
Confirm Signed Damage Description and Dimensions Submittal
After the Applicant selects the "Submit" button, a pop-up window appears and asks the Applicant to confirm the submittal.
Steps to confirm the submittal of the signed Damage Description and Dimensions. The Applicant should:
Select the "Yes" button
Signing the Damage Description and Dimensions: Video Example
Please watch the video on Signing the Damage Description and Dimensions.
Essential Elements of Information
During the Recovery Scoping Meeting, the Program Delivery Manager discusses documentation that the Applicant must submit to support their facility, work, and cost claims. Based on this conversation, the Program Delivery Manager indicates required documentation needed to learn more about the damage claims, which serves as the request for Essential Elements of Information.
The Program Delivery Manager will enter the Essential Elements of Information in Grants Portal after the Recovery Scoping Meeting and logically group all damage line items into projects. Depending on the project's Category of Work, the Program Delivery Manager may select additional Essential Elements of Information based on the categories of damages included in the project. The Applicant will then be able to upload requested documents that support damage claims.
In order to make eligibility recommendations to Public Assistance Field Leadership, the Program Delivery Manager needs all Essential Elements of Information. Throughout Phase II of the Public Assistance Delivery Model, the Applicant submits the Essential Elements of Information. Without the required information, the Applicants grant funding is jeopardized.
The following slides will outline processes for the Essential Elements of Information in the Grants Portal.
Accessing the Essential Elements of Information
After the Recovery Scoping Meeting occurs, the Applicant must upload supporting documentation for their facility, work, and cost claims, and answer any Essential Elements of Information from FEMA.
The Applicant achieves this through Grants Portal.
How the Applicant can answer the Essential Elements of Information:
Navigate to the My Organization section on the task pane and select "My Organization"
Select "Event PA Requests"
Select the magnifying glass to the left of the project you are working on
Essential Elements of Information: Event PA Requests Profile
The Applicant is now able to view the Event PA Requests Profile, which contains General Information as well as Event Information.
Addressing Essential Elements of Information. The Applicant should:
Scroll down to the "Projects" bar
Essential Elements of Information: Locate Projects
Addressing Essential Elements of Information:
After the Applicant has scrolled down to the "Projects" bar within the "Event PA Requests Profile", select the down arrow to expand the "Projects" bar
Once the "Projects" bar is expanded, the Applicant can view the projects which have pending Essential Elements of Information.
Select the magnifying glass next to the project to work on
Essential Elements of Information: Locate Project Essential Elements of Information
Now that the Applicant opened the project to work on, locate the project's requested Essential Elements of Information.
There will be a notification at the top of the screen stating, "This project is pending EEI Completion."
Addressing Essential Elements of Information:
Select the text below the notification that states, "View Project EEI"
Alternatively, the Applicant can scroll down to the "Essential Elements of Information" bar
Essential Elements of Information: Select Essential Elements of Information
In the "Essential Elements of Information" bar, the Applicant can see the list of the required Essential Elements of Information.
Addressing Essential Elements of Information:
Select the magnifying glass next to the Essential Element of Information to be completed
Essential Elements of Information: Review Unanswered Questions
The Applicant is now in the Project EEI section and must complete the Unanswered Questions.
Addressing Essential Elements of Information:
Expand the "Questions" bar by selecting on the arrow to the right
Select "Manage EEI Answers"
Essential Elements of Information: Answer Questions
Once the Applicant selects "Manage EEI Answers" the unanswered questions can be answered.
Addressing Essential Elements of Information:
Ensure that all questions are answered
Select the blue "Save" button at the top right corner of the screen when all the questions have been answered
Essential Elements of Information: Review
Once the Applicant answers all the unanswered questions, review and verify the answers.
Addressing Essential Elements of Information:
The Applicant verifies and confirms that the answers are correct by reviewing them again
Essential Elements of Information: Unanswered Questions: Video Example
Please watch the video on answering Unanswered Questions for Essential Elements for Information.
Essential Elements of Information: Document Upload (1 of 3)
Now that the Applicant has completed the answers for all requested Essential Elements of Information, supporting documentation must be uploaded or attached. The following screens will explain how to upload required documentation through Grants Portal.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
As before, navigate to "My Organization" on the left
Select "Event PA Requests"
Select the magnifying glass next to the project to upload documentation
Essential Elements of Information: Document Upload (2 of 3)
Once the Applicant opens the event to upload documents, scroll down to the specific project to be updated.
Uploading documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Scroll down to the Projects bar
Essential Elements of Information: Document Upload (3 of 3)
The Applicant then locates the specific project and required Essential Elements of Information.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Expand the "Projects" bar
Select the magnifying glass next to the project to update
Select the "View Project EEI" or simply scroll down and expand the "Essential Elements of Information" bar
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: Select Project
After selecting "View the Project EEI", the Applicant can see the Project Brief Description.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Locate the Essential Element of Information to be updated and select the magnifying glass on the left
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: Review Questions
The Applicant can now view the General Information about the project and the Essential Elements of Information questions in EEI Question bar.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Review the questions and prepare the appropriate documents to be uploaded
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: New Documents
Once reviewing the Essential Element of Information and preparing the documents to be uploaded is complete, the Applicant begins the upload process.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Scroll down to the "Required Documents" bar and expand it by selecting on the down arrow
Select the blue "Add" button next to the Essential Elements of Information
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: New Document Pop-Up
A pop-up window appears labeled "Attach Maintenance Records and Site Inspection Reports."
Uploading documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Select the green "Upload New" button in the bottom right corner of the pop-up window or drag and drop a file into the dotted box at the top of the pop-up window.
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: Select New Document
The Applicant navigates to where the document is saved. The Applicant can also drag and drop the document into the pop-up window to skip these steps.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Select the appropriate document
Select "Open"
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: Add Document Description and Category
After the Applicant selects the document file, complete the Description box and select a Category it pertains to from the drop-down list. This "tags" the type of document.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Type the description of the document
Select "Category" to add a document tag
Select the blue "Add Document" button
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: Attach New Documents
After selecting the "Add Document" button, Grants Portal directs the Applicant to the "Upload New Document to EEI" pop-up window.
Uploading Documentation for Essential Elements of Information:
Verify it is the correct document by placing the mouse over the file name
A File Details box will pop up and show the Description, Category, and file size of the document
Select the green "Attach Selected" button
Essential Elements of Information Document Upload: Remove Documents
The Applicant can also remove a document. To remove a document that was attached to an Essential Element of Information, the Applicant can select the red "Remove" button to the right of the document.
Essential Elements of Information: Document Upload: Video Example
Please watch the video on uploading documents for Essential Elements of Information.
Essential Elements of Information: Add Comments (1 of 2)
Adding comments to an Essential Element of Information is an easy process. An Applicant should add a comment if there is no supporting documentation, or if they want to refer FEMA to a different document that was uploaded.
If the Applicant has the same document listed in multiple sections in Grants Portal, but does not want to re-upload it multiple times, they can add a comment indicating where the document is uploaded.
For example, all Force Account Labor sheets attached to the first Essential Element of Information in the project will be referenced in other sections.
Add comments to an Essential Elements of Information:
Navigate to the "Required Documents" bar within the Essential Element of Information and select the "Add" comment bubble to the right of the "Add" document
Essential Elements of Information: Add Comments (2 of 2)
This will cause an "Add Comment" pop-up window to appear. In the comment box, the Applicant can:
Type the comment
Select the type of comment
Document Unavailable - Reason
General Comment
Then select the green "Save" button to close the pop-up window
Essential Elements of Information: Verify Comment
After the Applicant closes out the pop-up window, return to the Required Documents bar.
Add comments to an Essential Elements of Information:
The Applicant selects on the comment that now appears to the right of the "Add" comment bubble to verify that the comment added is accurate
Essential Elements of Information: Send to FEMA (1 of 2)
Once all documents are attached to the Project EEI, the Applicant is now ready to send the Essential Elements of Information back to FEMA. There will be green checkmarks that confirm everything is complete next to each Essential Element of Information item.
Add comments to an Essential Elements of Information:
Confirm that the documents are attached
Select the blue "Submit to FEMA" button at the top right corner of the page
Essential Elements of Information: Send to FEMA (2 of 2)
A pop-up window will appear asking if the Applicant is ready to submit the Essential Element of Information to FEMA.
Add comments to an Essential Elements of Information:
Enter any further comments necessary into the text field
When complete, select the blue "Submit" button
Essential Elements of Information: Add Comments: Video Example
Please watch the video on adding comments for Essential Elements for Information.
Request for Information
If the Applicant does not provide the documentation for Essential Elements of Information in a timely manner, or if FEMA staff determine that more documentation is needed, FEMA may issue a Request for Information.
The Request for Information process occurs in Grants Portal. There is a 30-day deadline for the Applicant to respond to the Request for Information in Grants Portal.
Note: For more information on the Request for Information process, please refer to the course: IS-1018 Determination Memorandums and Appeals.
Locating Requests for Information in Grants Portal
Once FEMA issues a Request for Information, the Applicant receives a notification through Grants Portal and via email.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Sign in to Grants Portal
Select the bell icon located in the top right corner of the screen
Select the "Review" button to the left of the Request for Information
Viewing Requests for Information
Once the Applicant selects the "Review" button, Grants Portal loads the Request for Information page. A notification at the top of the page details the deadline to reply to the Request for Information
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Expand the "Additional Information" drop-down list
Review the requested documentation under the "Additional Information" drop-down list
Scroll down to the "Line Items" drop-down list
Requests for Information: Upload Documentation
After scrolling down to the "Line Items" drop-down list, the Applicant begins the upload process.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Expand the "Line Items" drop-down list
Select the "Upload Line Document" button
Request for Information: Upload Document Pop-Up
Once the Applicant selects the "Upload Line Document", a pop-up window titled "Upload Document" appears.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Select the "Select Document" button or drag and drop the document into the dotted box to upload it.
Request for Information: Select Document to Upload
File Explorer opens once the Applicant selects the "Select Document" button. The Applicant searches File Explorer for the document and uploads it if they are uploading it manually.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Select the desired document and select "Open"
Request for Information: Document Information
Once the Applicant selects the appropriate document, the document information is completed.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Select the Line Item from the drop-down list
This defines the document (E.g., procurement)
Add the document description
Add document category type
Select the "Add Document" button
Request for Information: Confirm Document Upload
Once the Applicant selects the "Add Document" button the window disappears they confirm that the document uploaded properly.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Expand the "Documents" drop-down list
Review and confirm uploaded document
Scroll to the top of the page
Submit a Request for Information Response (1 of 2)
After the Applicant ensures the document was uploaded correctly, the Request for Information response is submitted.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Select the "Submit RFI Response" button at the top right of Grants Portal
Submit a Request for Information Response (2 of 2)
After the Applicant selects the "Submit RFI Response" button, a pop-up window appears.
Steps to complete the Request for Information. The Applicant should:
Select the blue "Yes" button from the pop-up window
Responding to Request for Information: Video Example
Watch the video on Responding to Request for Information.
Lesson 4 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned about identification and verification of Applicant damage in Grants Portal, and how FEMA reviews damage eligibility.
The next lesson explains development of the scope of work and cost estimates for Standard and Specialized work in the Grants Portal.
Lesson 5 Overview and Objectives
This lesson describes development of the scope of work and cost estimates for Standard and Specialized work in the Grants Portal. This lesson also covers the use of Grants Portal to monitor the approval process for scope of work and cost estimates.
Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:
Describe the key steps for developing the scope of work and cost estimate in the Grants Portal
Phase III: Scoping and Costing
This is Phase III of the Public Assistance process: Scoping and Costing.
The objectives are for either FEMA or the Applicant to develop and validate the project scope of work and cost estimates.
Phase III Grants Portal Activities: The Three Project Lanes
As mentioned in the previous lesson, the Public Assistance process segments projects into three lanes based on complexity.
Completed Work Lane
Standard Lane
Specialized Lane
Projects in the Standard or Specialized Lane require the scope of work and cost estimate to be built. Either the Applicant or FEMA, based on the Applicant's decision, will write the scope of work and cost estimate.
The Consolidated Resource Center is a centralized location where subject-matter experts are available to process grant applications across multiple incidents. This is where FEMA reviews and creates a project's scope of work and cost estimate. Based on the review, FEMA determines eligibility. If the project is eligible, it moves onto Phase IV.
Completed Work
During Phase III of the Public Assistance process, the objective is to validate or develop the scope of work and cost estimate of a project based on codified damages. Pending grant obligation, no further actions are necessary for Completed Work during this phase.
The Completed Work lane can cover all Categories of Work and may require site inspections, though generally they do not.
Standard and Specialized Work
At the beginning of Phase III, the Applicant will decide between two choices for scoping and costing project(s).
FEMA (via the personnel at the Consolidated Resource Center) will develop the scope of work and cost estimate based on the Damage Description and Dimensions on the Applicant's behalf
The Applicant can choose to develop the scope of work and cost estimate themselves and submit to FEMA for review
In the case where the Applicant chooses to develop the scope of work and cost estimate, FEMA will validate both items and conduct a compliance review. Personnel from Environmental and Historic Preservation, Hazard Mitigation, and Insurance, will also conduct a review if necessary.
If additional information is required throughout project formulation, or during FEMA's review, the Consolidated Resource Center may process the Request for Information and the Applicant will receive a notification through the Grants Portal via email. The Applicant will be able to monitor the progress through the program compliance review process on the Grants Portal.
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work and Cost Estimates
The Applicant works in Grants Portal to develop the scope of work and cost estimate. If the Applicant chooses to develop their own scope of work and cost estimates for their project, there are certain considerations that should be kept in mind.
Does the Applicant have a certified engineer or qualified cost estimator?
Are documented local costs (unit costs) readily available?
Are the recovery operations on a scale, where taking on scoping and costing is beyond capacity?
Does the work require specialized expertise, factors, or considerations?
The answers to these questions may affect how the Applicant chooses to approach their scope of work and cost estimate development.
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Navigate to the Project
To begin developing the scope of work, the Applicant navigates to the Organization tab in Grants Portal and completes the following steps:
Select "My Organization"
Select "Applicant Event Profiles"
Select the magnifying glass next to the appropriate event
Once the Applicant selects the magnifying glass next to the event, Grants Portal directs them to the "Applicant Event Profile" page.
Steps to create a scope of work. The Applicant should:
Select the "Expand Projects" drop-down list to expand it
Select the magnifying glass to the left of the selected project
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Project Details
Now the Applicant can view the Project Details in Grants Portal. Grants Portal displays a notification at the top of the screen stating, "This project is pending Scope & Cost Completion by Applicant."
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Scope & Cost Summary
Steps to create a scope of work. The Applicant should:
Scroll down to the "Scope & Cost Summary" drop-down list
Expand the "Scope & Cost Summary" drop-down list
Select the "Complete Scope & Cost" button
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Manage Scope & Cost
Once the Applicant selects the "Complete Scope & Cost" button, Grants Portal directs them to the "Manage Scope & Cost" page.
Steps to create a scope of work. The Applicant should:
Select the "Scope" tab
Select the "Add Scope" button
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Enter Scope of Work
Now the Applicant is now able to enter the scope of work for the project in the text field.
Steps to create a scope of work. The Applicant should:
Enter the scope of work
Select the "Save Scope" button
The Applicant should always be sure to save all their work when they are finished entering the pertinent information for the scope of work.
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Review and Edit
After entering and saving the scope of work, the Applicant completes the process of submitting their scope of work. The Applicant has two options: submit the scope of work or edit the scope of work if they see something is wrong.
Steps to create a scope of work. The Applicant should:
Select the "'Complete this Scope'" button in the top right corner of the screen; or
If any edits need to be made, select the "'Edit Scope'" button
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Rework
If the Applicant selected to edit their scope of work rather than submit it, they follow this next step the scope of work is updated by unlocking it, making the necessary changes, and repeat, then go through the process of submitting the scope of work again.
Steps to create a scope of work. The Applicant should:
Select the "'Unlock for Rework'" button
Edit the scope of work
Select the "'Save Scope'" button
Select the "'Complete this Scope'" button
Applicant-Developed Scope of Work: Video Example
Watch the video on the Applicant-developed scope of work.
Applicant-Developed Cost Estimate: Add the Project Cost
Adding the cost estimate is very similar to the process of adding a scope of work to a project. The Applicant adds the costs on the "Manage Scope & Cost" page, the same location where the scope of work was added.
Applicant-Developed Cost Estimate: Enter Cost Information
After selecting the "Contract/Vendor Costs" a pop-up window appears. From the pop-up window, the Applicant can enter all relevant cost information.
Steps to add costs. The Applicant should:
Select "FEMA Cost Code"
Enter the cost description in the appropriate field
Enter the quantity
Select the unit
Enter the unit price
Enter the city adjustment factor (if applicable)
Select "Add Item" at the bottom of the pop-up window
Applicant-Developed Cost Estimate: Edit or Remove a Cost Line Item
Once the Applicant selects the "Add Item" button, the pop-up window disappears.
The Applicant also has the option to edit or remove costs instead of adding a cost.
Steps to edit costs. The Applicant should:
Select the "Options" drop-down list on the left side of the screen
Select "Edit" or "Remove" depending on the necessary action
Applicant-Developed Cost Estimate: Complete Scope and Cost
Once the Applicant completes all edits or removes unwanted costs, the costs are locked in.
Steps to add costs. The Applicant should:
Select the green "Complete and Lock" button in the top right corner of the screen once ready
Applicant-Developed Cost Estimate: Manage Scope and Cost
The Applicant can make any last-minute changes to the cost estimate on the "Manage Scope and Cost" page.
Steps to manage costs. The Applicant should:
Select the orange "Unlock for Rework" button in the top right corner of the "Manage Scope & Cost" page
Select the "Cost" tab
Make the necessary changes
Select the "Save Scope" button
Select the "Complete this Scope" button
Applicant-Developed Cost Estimate: Video Example
Watch the video on the Applicant-developed cost estimate.
Finalizing the Applicant-Developed Scope and Cost
Once all edits are saved the Applicant is ready to submit the scope and cost to FEMA.
Select the "Go Back" button
Finalizing the Applicant-Developed Scope and Cost: Submitting to FEMA
The previous step will bring the Applicant back to the "Project Details" page. To submit the scope and cost, select the green button in the top right corner of the screen labeled "Submit for Validation."
The general project information such as the Project Number, Category of Work, Project Title and type, and status are visible in the screen. The Applicant should verify that these details are all correct, and if not, make the necessary edits.
If everything is correct, select "Submit for Validation"
Finalizing the Applicant-Developed Scope and Cost: Confirm Submit
After selecting on the "Submit for Validation", a confirmation window will appear on the screen. It will read, "Are you sure you want to submit the project's Scope and Cost to FEMA for validation? You will no longer be able to modify the Scope and Cost for this project."
If ready to submit, select "Yes"
FEMA Review of the Scope of Work and Cost Estimate
After submitting the scope of work and cost estimate, FEMA will conduct a compliance review. If additional information is required throughout project formulation, the Consolidated Resource Center will process the Request for Information and the Applicant will receive a notification through Grants Portal via email.
Throughout the scoping and costing process, the FEMA Program Delivery Manager will continue to work with and support the Applicant. The Program Delivery Manager will coordinate with the Consolidated Resource Center personnel regarding project development.
The Program Delivery Manager is responsible for:
Ensuring the correct documents (scope of work and cost estimate) are uploaded into Grants Portal
Coordinating with Consolidated Resource Center personnel, sharing information and maintaining situational awareness
Following up with the Request for Information documents requested to the Applicant
Reviewing the draft scope of work and cost estimate
Reviewing the project with the Applicant and discussing any edits
Recipient Review of the Project and Applicant Approval
The Recipient will review the project (including the most important sections of the project such as the Damage Description and Dimensions, scope of work, and cost estimate) in Grants Portal.
The Applicant will receive a notification when the scope of work and cost estimate are complete through Grants Portal via an email notification. The Applicant will review and electronically sign the scope of work and cost estimate in Grants Portal.
The following slides outline the process for reviewing and submitting a project with a complete scope of work and cost estimate.
Reviewing, Signing, and Submitting a Project: Signing (1 of 4)
When the Applicant is notified that the scope of work and cost estimate require approval, navigate back to the "Project Details" section. To sign and submit a project, select the green button at the top right corner of the screen labeled "Sign DDD/Scope/Cost."
Select the green "Sign DDD/Scope/Cost" button.
Reviewing, Signing, and Submitting a Project: Signing (2 of 4)
Sign Document Bar
The Applicant is now in the "Applicant DDD/Scope/Cost Approval" section, where they scroll down to the "Sign Document" bar.
Reviewing, Signing, and Submitting a Project: Signing (3 of 4)
Signing the Project
After the Applicant reviews the contents of the scope of work, cost estimate, and all other components of the project, select the button to sign and submit the project
At the bottom of the section in the "Sign Document" bar, there is a text field where the Applicant types their name, the date of signature, and selects on the orange button labeled "Click to Sign"
Reviewing, Signing, and Submitting a Project: Signing (4 of 4)
After selecting the "Click to Sign" button, the "Sign Document" pop-up window will appear.
Enter the Applicant's full name in the "Print Name" text field
Select the "Signature Style" from the drop-down menu
Enter the Applicant's Grants Portal password
Select the green "Sign" button at the bottom of the pop-up
Reviewing, Signing, and Submitting a Project: Submit (1 of 2)
The "Sign Document" bar should now contain the appropriate information.
If the Applicant is ready to submit the final project, select the green "Submit" button in the bottom right corner of the screen
Reviewing, Signing, and Submitting a Project: Submit (2 of 2)
After selecting the "Submit" button, the "Confirm Submit" pop-up window will appear.
Select the blue "Yes" button to submit, or "No" in order to return to the project and make any final edits
When selecting "Confirm Submit" the Grants Portal will state:
"Are you sure you want to Submit? Please ensure you have reviewed the Damage Description and Dimensions and Scope and Cost Information on this page."
Reviewing, Signing, and Submitting a Project: Video Example
Watch the video on reviewing, signing and submitting a project.
Reviewing, Submitting, and Signing a Project: Best Practices
When reviewing, submitting, and signing a project in Grants Portal, the Applicant should use the following best practices to ensure everything is correct.
Compare the Damage Description and Dimensions to the Scope of Work to ensure all items that were damaged are included in both areas even if the repair has been completed
When reviewing the cost estimate, ensure all costs from the provided documentation are included in the cost estimate (e.g., freight/shipping, mobilization/demobilization, contract costs)
Review any Hazard Mitigation Proposal and coinciding documents
If any items are not correct or included, the Applicant should notify and discuss the issue with their Program Delivery Manager immediately.
FEMA-Developed Scope of Work and Cost Estimate
If the Applicant chooses to have FEMA complete the scope of work and cost estimate on their behalf, FEMA will have the following responsibilities throughout the formulation process.
The FEMA Program Delivery Manager is responsible for:
Meeting with the Applicant to achieve full document disclosure
Achieved through continued use of Essential Elements of Information
May be requested through the Request for Information process
Assisting the Applicant with uploading supporting documents into Grants Portal
Coordinating with Consolidated Resource Center personnel, sharing information and maintaining situational awareness
Work to resolve the Request for Information sent to the Applicant
Reviewing the draft scope of work and cost estimate
Reviewing the project with the Applicant and discussing any edits
Once the project reviews are complete and the Program Delivery Manager concurs with the project, the Recipient Point of Contact is notified. Once the Recipient concurs on the project, the Program Delivery Manager approves the project and sends the project to the Applicant for review and concurrence in Grants Portal. The Program Delivery Manager will contact the Applicant to discuss the project.
Applicant Responsibilities under a FEMA-Developed Scope of Work and Cost Estimate
The Applicant is responsible for:
Answering the Requests for Information by uploading the requested documentation in Grants Portal and notifying the Program Delivery Manager
Reviewing the project and providing concurrence in Grants Portal
Being proactive in communicating any issues with the Program Delivery Manager
If the Applicant wants changes made to the project, the Applicant will send the project back through Grants Portal and contact the Program Delivery Manager.
Lesson 5 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned about development of the scope of work and cost estimates for Standard and Specialized work in the Grants Portal.
The next lesson explains the use of the Emergency Management Mission Integrated Environment for reviews and obligation, the monitoring of reports in Grants Portal, and customization of Dashboard items.
Lesson 6 Overview and Objectives
The lesson describes the use of the Grants Portal to monitor the approval process for scope of work and cost estimates.
Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:
Explain the reviews and obligation processes in Emergency Management Mission Integrated Environment
Define the reporting and monitoring process as it relates to Grants Portal
Phase IV: Obligation
This is Phase IV of the Public Assistance process: Obligation.
The objective is to obligate projects, complete the Recovery Transition Meeting with the Applicant, and transition Field Operations to the Region.
Note: All Projects are completed in Emmie
Emergency Management Mission Integrated Environment as the System of Record
The Emergency Management Mission Integrated Environment is the software that the Recipient will use to complete the process of the funding and approval of grants.
All information from Grants Portal including project documents will be copied and entered into the Emergency Management Mission Integrated Environment software. Once all additional reviews, including Recipient review in this software, the project is then copied and transferred into Grants Portal for Applicants to be able to see the final version of the project prior to grant obligation.
The Recovery Transition Meeting
This phase is the conclusion of the Public Assistance process with FEMA and Applicant will be able to view the details of the Recovery Transition Meeting in Grants Portal.
The Recipient and the Applicant should come prepared to the Recovery Transition Meeting to ask any last questions to the Program Delivery Manager.
Recipient Responsibilities:
Coordinate with the Program Delivery Manager in order to attend the Recovery Transition Meeting
Assist the Applicant by asking questions of the Program Delivery Manager
Ensures all the required Recipient forms are completed
Applicant Responsibilities:
Ask clarifying questions about the closeout process
Identify audit requirements
Ensure that all damages have been captured and placed into a grant
Sign the Recovery Transition Meeting form during the meeting and then electronically sign in Grants Portal
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting (1 of 7)
The following slides outline how to sign a Recovery Transition Meeting in Grants Portal. To start the process, navigate to "My Organization."
Select "Event PA Requests" from the "My Organization" pane on the left side of the screen
Select the magnifying glass to the left of the event
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting (2 of 7)
There will be a notification at the top of the section containing general information about the project. The notification will state that the project is "pending Recovery Transition Meeting approval."
Select "Review RTM or Sign RTM Report"
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting (3 of 7)
The Applicant is now able to view the "Recovery Transition Meeting" section. There are tabs across the top labeled:
"Recovery Transition Meeting"
"RTM Checklist"
"Notes"
"Schedule History"
Instructions to review and verify the Recovery Transition Meeting:
Select each of these tabs to review and verify that the information provided is correct
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting (4 of 7)
After verifying that the information contained in all four tabs is accurate, the Applicant selects the "Sign RTM" button on the top right corner of the screen.
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting (5 of 7)
After selecting the "Sign RTM" button, the "Sign Recovery Transition Meeting" page will appear and a summary of the Recovery Transition Meeting details will be at the top of the page. There will also be reminders for the Applicant regarding how to reach the Program Delivery Manager. The Program Delivery Manager upon the completion of the Recovery Transition Meeting, will answer questions in the Grants Portal based on the information from that meeting. The Program Delivery Manager will then send via Grants Portal the information to the Applicant to sign.
After reviewing the information, the Applicant selects the orange "Click to Sign" button at the bottom of the page to sign the Recovery Transition Meeting
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting (6 of 7)
After selecting the "Click to Sign" button, a pop-up window will appear. There is a series of fields that must be completed with the following information.
Type the Applicant's name
Select the desired font style for your signature
Enter the Grants Portal password
Select the green "Sign" button
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting (7 of 7)
Once the Applicant has signed the Recovery Transition Meeting, the pop-up box will close, and Grants Portal will return to the "Sign Recovery Transition Meeting" page.
Once ready, the Applicant can select the green "Submit" button in the top right corner of the screen
Signing the Recovery Transition Meeting: Video Example
Watch the video on signing the Recovery Transition Meeting.
Reports and Monitoring: Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard
The Dashboard in Grants Portal is easily customizable, so the Applicant and Recipient will be able to quickly locate and access different parts of the system. Tiles serve as shortcuts to data that the Applicant or Recipient wish to access quickly.
Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard: Creating Tiles (1 of 2)
Creating Tiles
The Applicant/Recipient logs into Grants Portal and navigates to "Applicant Event Profiles."
Select the "Filters" arrow to expand it and filter the items to create the tile
Select items to be filtered
Select the yellow star icon in the top right corner of the "Filters" arrow
Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard: Creating Tiles (2 of 2)
Selecting the yellow star icon will result in creating a tile on the Dashboard. When the Recipient/Applicant navigates back to the Dashboard the new tile will appear.
Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard: Creating Widgets (1 of 4)
Widgets are applications or components of an interface, that enable a user to perform a function or access a service.
Applicants and Recipients can locate and add widgets to their dashboard by navigating to the task pane on the left side of the dashboard.
Select "Intelligence"
Select "Widgets"
Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard: Creating Widgets (2 of 4)
On the "Widgets" page, the Recipient can view the complete list of widgets available.
Select the green "Add to Dashboard" button
Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard: Creating Widgets (3 of 4)
After selecting the green "Add to Dashboard" button, the "Select Widgets" pop-up window will appear.
Select the event from the drop-down list
Select the Widget size
Select the green "Add" button
Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard: Creating Widgets (4 of 4)
The Applicant or Recipient navigates back to the Dashboard in order to view and confirm the creation of the new widget.
Reports and Monitoring: Customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard: Video Example
Please watch the video on customizing the Grants Portal Dashboard with tiles and widgets
Exporting Information from Grants Portal
There is no printing capabilities in Grants Portal, however, it is possible to export information when there is an option to download certain components/documents.
Grants Portal Hotline
Technical assistance is available through the Support Helpline at 866-337-8448.
Lesson 6 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned about the use of the Emergency Management Mission Integrated Environment for reviews and obligation, the monitoring of reports in Grants Portal and customization of Dashboard items.
The next lesson includes a review of the course and the key points from each lesson.
Lesson 7 Overview and Objectives
This lesson will review the course objectives. Participants will take a Post-Course Assessment and complete the Course Evaluation Form.
At the end of this lesson, participants will be able to summarize the content of the course.
Course Objectives
In this course, the participant should now be able to:
Demonstrate the benefits of transparency by using Grants Portal
Explain how the Recipient and the Applicant can use Grants Portal to review and manage projects throughout their life cycle
Describe the user-friendly approach to navigating Grants Portal
Lesson 1 Objectives
Lesson 1 covered the administrative requirements, course goal and objectives, and provided an overview of the management and coordination capabilities of Grants Portal.
The participant should now be able to:
Identify administrative requirements of the course
State the goals and objectives of the course
Describe the Grants Portal capabilities and information needed across all four phases
Lesson 2 Objectives
Lesson 2 covered the capabilities of the Grants Portal and covered all the necessary information to establish and manage profile accounts, as well as information management in the Grants Portal including receiving notifications and uploading required documentation.
The participant should now be able to:
Describe various procedures for profile account initiation within Grants Portal
Review best practices for account management within Grants Portal
Lesson 3 Objectives
Lesson 3 covered Phase I: Operational Planning in the Public Assistance process including key steps such as submitting a Request for Public Assistance, and the information requirements to validate the request and initiate project formulation in the Grants Portal.
The participant should now be able to:
Explain how to use Grants Portal during Phase I of the Public Assistance process
Lesson 4 Objectives
Lesson 4 covered Phase II: Damage Intake and Eligibility Analysis of the Public Assistance process including capturing the Applicant's incident-related damage in Grants Portal.
The participant should now be able to:
Describe the key steps for capturing Applicant's incident-related damage in Grants Portal during Phase II of the Public Assistance process
Lesson 5 Objectives
Lesson 5 covered Phase III: Scoping and Costing of the Public Assistance process, including the development of the scope of work and cost estimates for Standard and Specialized work in the Grants Portal, as well as the use of Grants Portal to monitor the approval process for scope of work and cost estimates.
The participant should now be able to:
Describe the key steps for developing the scope of work and cost estimate in the Grants Portal
Lesson 6 Objectives
Lesson 6 covered Phase IV: Obligation of the Public Assistance process, including the use of the Grants Portal to monitor the approval process for scope of work and cost estimates.
The participant should now be able to:
Explain the reviews and obligation processes in Emergency Management Mission Integrated Environment
Define the reporting and monitoring process as it relates to Grants Portal
Course Summary
The course is complete.
This course presented how the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Recipients and Applicants will be able to use Grants Portal as it pertains to the Public Assistance Program.
