Tuesday, April 22, 2014

DHS FEMA Grant Program. All bark and no bite.

   Does DHS and FEMA Office of Inspector General report on your jurisdiction?
   Are 80 %  of grant funds allocated to local jurisdictions?

   So a state is in violation, what are the next steps for DHS or the local jurisdiction that still
   require funding for planning, preparedness, and mitigation?

   All bark and no bite.

      Black Emergency Managers Association  
   bEMA 

      Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.   Tom Peters
       …….The search is on.


http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2014/OIG_SLP_14-62_Apr14.pdf
Alaska's Management of Homeland
Security Grant Program Awards for
Fiscal Years 2010 Through 2012

What We Determined

Alaska developed written procedures for program administration. The State also ensured that
grant expenditures for equipment purchases, planning, training, exercises, and administrative
activities were allowable and complied with grant reporting requirements. It linked its
homeland security strategy goals and objectives to DHS mission areas in compliance with
applicable FEMA guidance. We identified the State’s subgrantee application and award
processes as best practices.

However, Alaska can improve its homeland security strategies by including target levels of
performance and the means to measure progress toward enhancing preparedness at both the
state and subgrantee level. The State needs to ensure that 80 percent of grant funds are
obligated to local jurisdictions, improve compliance with procurement procedures and
documentation requirements, strengthen its subgrantee monitoring by updating its policies
and processes, and ensure that updates to policies and manuals include a list of changes.
What We Recommend

We recommended that the FEMA Assistant Administrator, Grant Programs Directorate,
require the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to:

  • Assess the current processes and procedures for allocating funds to ensure at least 80 percent of Homeland Security Grant Program funds are allocated to subgrantees as required.
  • Develop comprehensive performance measurement systems for grant program goals and objectives that include target levels of performance and criteria against which to measure progress toward enhancing preparedness.
  • Ensure updates to Alaska’s Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment include details and descriptions of desired outcomes as required by FEMA guidance.
  • Evaluate and update monitoring and oversight policies to ensure policies and procedures align with Federal and state regulations as well as current practices.
  • Ensure enforcement of all Federal and state policies and regulations for oversight of Federal grants.
  • Ensure that any updated policies or guidance include a list of changes.

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