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Glossary of Terms

Terms

2 CFR 200 (New)

Is a set of regulations that prescribe instructions and other pre-award matters in the program planning, announcement, application, and award processes.

A-102

OMB Circular 102 is where most federal administrative requirements derive from.

A-110 (Old)

OMB Circular 110 is where federal requirements that need prior approval are listed.

A-133

OMB Circular 113 defines the single audit act and dollar amounts required.

Activities

The actions taken to meet your objectives or goals. Activities use inputs to get outputs.

Activities Approach Logic Model

Used in the implementation process and links activities together.

Allowable Costs

Project/program expenditures that are reasonable, allocable, and handled in a consistent manner according to the OMB circulars.

Amendment

Modification or change to a solicitation.

Consultants

Outside professional expert who is hired to provide advice to or assist the pproject/program.

Context Evaluation

Examines how the project functions within the community either economically, socially, or politically. It can also identify community strengths and weaknesses and examines impact.

Continuation Grant

Funding awarded to a grant recipient beyond the initial budget period of a multi-year discretionary grant or cooperative agreement.

Cooperative Agreements

Often used in large clinical trials that must follow government protocols. The fundee is usually managing the projects/program.

Cost Principles

Each organization has its own cost principles guidelines to follow. At a minimmum they must meet federal cost principles. cost guidelines can be more than the federal cost principle guidelines but never less.

Cost Sharing

Is that portion of the project/program that is not covered by the government and is required from the grant seeking institution.

Critical Path Method

Is a step by step process planning technique that defines critical from noncritical tasks.

Direct Costs

Are specific to the project/program such as personnel, supplies, etc.

Discretionary Funds

Are competitive grants that have a narrow focus and are often dollar amount limited.

Entitlement Funds

Government funding that goes to the states such as medicaid, tanf, or food stamps

Equipment

Is defined as tangible nonexpendable items with a shelf life of 2+yrs and at a cost of least $5,000.00 per unit.

Evaluation Plan

Defines what the project/program plans to measure, how it will measure, and when it will measure to ensure that the project works. It should never be greater than 10% of the total budget.

Experimental Design

Is the gold standard method used for medical a/o science and uses treatment and control groups.

Formative Evaluation

Examines the projects/programs process in order to make improvements.

Formula Grants

Are noncompetitive grants that are based on legislation and awarded to the states based on their population and poverty rates.

Fringe Benefits

Are part of personnell costs and represent various nonmwage compensations provided to personnel in addition to their normal salaries.

GAAP

Is a nationallyy recognized set of accounting principles.

Goal

An overarching ideal or broad project/program achievement that you want to make.

Implementation Evaluation

Focuses on what happened and why. It can idesntify success and barriers, and determine if goals met needs. It demonstrates effective- ness.

Implementation Plan/Schedule

Also known as a work plan that describes the order of tasks/activities needed to get done, who the responsible party/ies are, and when exactly it will get done within the project/program timeline.

Indirect Cost-Rate Agreement

Organizational indirect cost rate percentage negotiated with a cognizant government agency and used with other government agencies when applying for grants as per OMB Circular a-21.

Indirect Costs

Are project/program costs that are for facilities and administration (F&A) overhead.

Inkind Services

Are noncash contributions provided by the grantee or other entities that directly benift the specific project/program such as time, effort, property, good and services, etc.

Inputs

Are defined as resources that make the project/program work such as staff, funding, tools, books, etc.

Interrupted Time Series (ITS)

Uses the group to compare itself before and after said program.

Kellogg Logic Model

Is for planned formative work. It uses resources/inputs, activities, outout, and outcomes/impact. Results are summative.

Logic Model

Is a planning tool that provides structutre for your planning design. It is a visual representation of your program.

Matching Funds

Are cash that comes from the institutions general operating funds, or other sources. The match can vary from one funder to another.

Modified Total Direct Costs

Total direct costs that are modified due to exclusion of equipment, capital expenditures, patient care, tuition remission, rental costs, etc. in excess of $25,000 for the purpose of calculating indirect costs.

Objective

wWat is specifically going to be achieved in your project/program. Is usually presented in number a/o percents. They should be SMART.

Office Of Management Andn Budget (OMB)

The OMB creates government wide policies to manage grants properly and know that federal dollares are spent correctly. Their website provides links to presidential actions, executive orders, memorandums, and proculmations.

Outcome Evaluation

Accesses the short and long term project results/impact.

Outcomes

Are the results of your activities and must match your objectives and goals. They can be short or long term. They can also be individual/client focused, family or community focused, or program or system focused.

Outcomes Approach Logic Model

Used during the early aspects of program planning and emphasizes the rationale between activities and outcomes.

Outputs

Are defined as the services provided by the project/program. They are often direct services and measureable.

Participatory Evaluation

Actively engages all stakeholders in the evaluation to be useful and empowering.

PERT

Program evaluation review techniques that shows interrelationships among events using simple timelines, organization charts, and logic models. It often estimates completion times.

Proceess Evaluation

Examines the conduct of the program. It is similar to a formulative evaluation.

Procurementt Contracts

Are used to purchase goods and services. Pricing is often fixed and on a cost reimbursement schedule.

Product Evaluation

Evaluates the results of a program similar to a summative evaluation.

Project Level Evaluation

Is a consistent, ongoing, collection and analysis of information for decision making purposes.

Qualitive Data

Is usually referredto as soft data because it is subjective and involves observation. It will provide context.

Quantitative Data

Is usually refferred to as hard data that is objective and measureable. It often asks what, how much, or how frequent?

Quantitative Methods Design

Can either be experimental, quasi- experimental, or interuppted time series. See individual definitions.

Quasi-Experimental Design

Is used for social service evaluations and involves comparisons and non equivalent control groups and pre and post testing.

Subcontractor

Outside organization or personnelthat agree to work with the applicant to complete part of the project/program if the grant is awarded.

Subrecipient

Is a non federal agency that receives a subaward from a pass thru agency to carry out part of an awrded project/program.

Summative Evaluation

Examines whether the project/program accomplished what it set out to do and looks at quantitative data.

Supplanting Funds

Are costs that are reduced by the state because federal funds are going to become available. Supplanting is unallowable.

Supplemental Funds

Are costs that are in addition to already listed expenses and are for additional work/services.

Theory Approach Logic Model

Looks at the big picture and used to link theoretical ideas with underlying program assumptions during program planning and design.

Theory Based Evaluation

Evaluators and staff use existing theory to see how the program/project affects outcomes.

Unallowable Costs

Costs determined to be unallowable in accordance with the cost principles or other conditions identified in the grant award.

Work Plan

is often called an implementation schedule also. It describes the order of tasks/activities needed to get done, who the responsible party/ies are, and when exactly it will get done within the project/program timeline. It is often organized by goals or major components/milestones.