Recovery.gov - Track the Money

Hiring of sworn law enforcement officers.

Grant monitoring and evaluation is a critical aspect of the COPS Office CHRP program. Through the annual OMB Circular A-123 assessment, management evaluates and tests key internal controls related to grants processing. Grants processing includes the procedures the COPS Office uses to evaluate applications and award grants, the ongoing oversight and reporting by grantees, and the close out of individual grants. The COPS Office is dedicated to improving business processes through ongoing documentation and business process enhancement efforts.

The COPS Office manages performance risk in multiple ways. Various types of risk assessments are performed on the overall program and individual grantees. A CHRP Coordination workgroup, which is comprised of senior-level employees, has also been established. This group discusses and makes recommendations to the COPS Executive Management Team on project performance. The COPS Office has a progress reporting system that will be used to document grantees’ use of funds. The COPS Office is currently updating its grant monitoring strategy for CHRP, and is also working with the Office of Justice Program's Office of Assessment, Audit, and Management to ensure a consistent grants monitoring approach across the Department.

COPS Office management is dedicated to both transparency and accountability. In order to facilitate transparency, the COPS Office has established a new Fund Code, Account Classes, and Program Types in the Department’s Financial Management Information System 2 (FMIS2) so that Recovery Act obligations can be distinguished from those funded by other appropriations. In addition, the COPS Office will assign grant numbers for Recovery Act awards that have unique identifying information to indicate Recovery Act funding. The Department’s Justice Management Division (JMD) Finance staff is coordinating all program cost information reporting to the public. Performance data on grantee performance will be compiled by the COPS Office and routed through JMD for posting on Recovery.gov. Data aggregated through program outcome measurements will also be reported in the COPS Office's Congressional budget submissions.

Accountability for ARRA funds is also a critical aspect of COPS program management. The COPS Office intends to include a measure, commensurate with a particular staff member’s tasks and responsibilities, in the performance plans for all COPS staff with regard to achieving results specific to ARRA program goals. The performance of COPS managers will be measured based upon their creation of taxpayer value, accountability for achievement of ARRA and programmatic objectives, and organizational results.

Since grants issued by the COPS program are used for salaries, management does not anticipate that any ARRA funding distributed through CHRP will be affected by these requirements. COPS management will work with Department offices (JMD Facilities) to ensure that if any concerns related to these requirements arise, grant agreements will be modified appropriately.