Federal Grants Managers: The Professionals Who Remain in Limbo

1
Federal Grants Managers The Professionals Who
Remain in Limbo

• Presentation to the National Grants Management
  Association
• April 29, 2003
• Ellen Angus
• Logistics Management Institute

2
Background

• Opinions only those of the speaker
• Based on Federal service (in two different
  departments with differing classification
  approaches
• Manager of 1102s and 1101s (predominant HHS job
  series for Grants Management Specialists)
• Work with multiple Federal agencies over last 7
  years
• Management reviews
• Customer/employee surveys

3
Examining the Premise

• What do we mean by professional?
• What is the impact of not having a professional
  series? (real or perceived)
• What are the benefits of having a professional
  series? (real or perceived)
• What issues will a professional series not
  address?
• What are the possible negative effects?

4
What do we mean by professional?

• Dictionary definition
• Classification definition
• Positive education requirement
• Study in a prescribed curriculum as the only way
  to prepare for the work
• Demonstration of a particular body of knowledge
• Certification or other credential programs

5
What do we mean by professional?

• Eye of the beholder
• We view ourselves as professionals with our
  individual constructs
• Others may not because they define professional
  in other terms
• Approach to the job
• Responsiveness and proactivity
• Willingness and ability to solve problems
• Other attributes (e.g., ability to communicate,
  dedication)

6
What is the impact of not having a professional
series?

• Lack of visibility in recruiting efforts
• No defined career path
• Grade levels perceived to be below those of
  acquisition counterparts
• Grade levels below those of technical
  counterparts
• Promotion on varying bases
• Differing position expectations
• Viewed as clerical or support function that
  can be contracted out

7
What is the impact of not having a professional
series?

• But we have
• a professional organization that brings together
  people with similar responsibilities across
  sectors
• individuals that consider themselves grants
  professionals and have made significant
  contributions to advance grants management
• organizations that recognize grants management as
  a specialty separate from other functions

8
What are the benefits of having a professional
series?

• Obverse of not having one
• Ability to recruit into a defined profession
• Career ladders
• Greater consistency in classification
• Common core to definition of grants manager
• Positive education requirement in certain
  disciplines (business, financial) would enhance
  ability to evaluate and monitor business aspects
  of grants
• More effective stewardship

9
What issues will a professional series not
address?

• A starting point, not a panacea
• Acquisition professionals face many of the same
  issues even with a single, defined series
• Personal
• Understanding and approach
• Range of skills and abilities beyond those
  affected by classification
• Interpersonal
• Interactions with program/technical staff
• Communication and acceptance of function/message

10
What issues will a professional series not
address?

• Organizational
• Classification
• Flexibility in use
• Authorities
• Program authorizations flow differently than
  authority to acquire goods and services
• Organizational models, roles, and
  responsibilities
• Separation/independence of functions
• Resource availability
• Culture
• Advocacy

11
What are the possible negative effects?

• Isolation from other functions
• Need more of a business management (vice grants
  management) approach
• Need to emphasize program knowledge
• Reliance on status to justify positions taken
• More visible target for consolidation/centralizati
  on and/or contracting (OMB Circular A-76)

12
What are the possible negative effects?

• Emphasis on certain skills/abilities only
• Make grants management more of a focused
  profession-generally business/financial
• Make it difficult individuals with a variety of
  educational and experience backgrounds to enter
  the profession
• A changing environment may require different
  education, experience, skills

13
Conclusion

• This generation of grants managers needs to lay
  groundwork for next
• A professional series would be only one part of
  that foundation and may not be possible without
  some greater definition of the field

14
Conclusion

• Also need
• A basic construct of knowledge, abilities,
  personal attributes
• Clear statement of objectives of grant process
  and role of grants management professionals
• Clarity in roles and responsibilities
• Ability to integrate grants management construct
  with a variety of organizational models