Sustaining Programs: Lessons Learned from Former Federal Grantees

Abstract Introduction A common concern of federal funders and grant recipients is how to sustain program activities once their federal funding period ends. Federal funding can be intended to develop or seed a program but not necessarily to continue its activities indefinitely. Understanding the importance of programmatic sustainability, the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) conducted research in 2015 on the elements that contribute to sustainability. As part of the Sustainability Study, OPA collected information from former Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) program grantees. Methods Grantees that were awarded cohort 1 PAF program funding (2010–2014) but not awarded cohort 2 funding (2014–2017) were eligible for study inclusion because their OPA funding ended more than 1 year prior to the Sustainability Study, allowing for an assessment of sustainability after federal funding. Seven former PAF grantees were identified as eligible. Interviews were conducted with six of these grantees; grant applications and interim final reports from all seven were reviewed. Results Five lessons emerged from interviews and review of grant documentation. Programs successfully continuing beyond the federal grant period tended to (1) diversify funding sources, (2) communicate regularly with key stakeholders, (3) form partnerships with like-minded programs, (4) consider implementing evidence-based interventions, and (5) begin planning for sustainability early. Discussion By considering these lessons learned from the research, grantees can be well positioned to continue beyond a federal grant period. The lessons garnered from the Sustainability Study have informed, expanded, and affirmed OPA’s sustainability toolkit, sustainability framework, and technical assistance.

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State Urban and Community Forestry Program Funding, Technical Assistance, and Financial Assistance within the 50 United States

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry ◽

10.48044/jauf.2008.038 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 34 (5) ◽

pp. 280-289

Author(s):

Richard Hauer ◽

Gary Johnson

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Community Forestry ◽

Federal Funding ◽

The State ◽

State Funding ◽

Financial Assistance ◽

State Program ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Program Funding

This article describes the enabling legislation for technical and financial assistance, types and frequency of technical and financial assistance, and funding of urban & community forestry (U&CF) programs to the 50 United States. In 2002, $30.7 million in federal and state money financed the 50 state U&CF programs. Federal funding accounted for 60% ($18.5 million) and state funding was 33% ($10.2 million) of the total. Half of the $36 million federal government U&CF allocation in 2002 went directly to state U&CF programs. State U&CF programs distributed 38.3% of program monies (from all funding sources) to local programs through grants. Remaining program monies were used to support state U&CF programs through providing technical assistance, council administration, volunteer partnerships, and program administration. Nearly 60% of the state U&CF coordinators suggested funding of their state U&CF was inadequate to meet current needs and indicated a 60.9% mean increase in program funding was needed. All state coordinators believed their state U&CF program would decline if federal funding was eliminated. Nearly one-third believed their state program would end and nearly half believed a severe reduction in the state program would occur if federal funding was eliminated. Only 42% of state U&CF programs had enabling legislation that authorized financial and/or technical assistance. Other entities that provide U&CF assistance were identified with the Cooperative Extension Service most frequently cited.

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Fundraising and grant writing as a special financial mechanism of scientific projects international support

University Economic Bulletin ◽

10.31470/2306-546x-2019-43-12-20 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 12-20

Author(s):

Inna Demuz

Keyword(s):

Technical Assistance ◽

Research Work ◽

Grant Writing ◽

Writing Technologies ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Grant Applications ◽

Analysis And Synthesis ◽

The Status ◽

Scientific Results ◽

Rational Organization

The subject of the study is fundraising and grant writing technologies. The purpose of the study is to characterize the status of international grant financing of science in Ukraine in the context of fundraising and grant writing technologies. Methods of the study: generalization, analysis and synthesis, descriptive, statistical. Results and conclusions of work. The article analyzes the distribution of total expenditures for scientific and research work conducting by Ukrainian researchers based on funding sources. At the same time, a tendency was observed regarding the growth of the amount of financing the scientific and research works at the expense of foreign sources, i.e. grants. The emphasis was placed on the active participation of scientists in the implementation of various international project proposals in the context of significant underfinancing of domestic science. The following technologies and mechanisms for drawing up grant applications, search of international donors, qualitative accompaniment of scientific projects such as project management, fundraising, grant writing, crowdfunding are described. It has been established that grant funding can also be provided within the framework of international technical assistance. It is proved that Ukraine's attraction to the global «grant space» through special financial mechanisms of fundraising and grant writing will contribute to the increase of extrabudgetary revenues to finance research and improvement of material and technical support of certain institutions and organizations, as well as to develop scientific potential, more rational organization of scientific and research achievements, developed system of commercialization of scientific results. In particular, the focus is on the principles of fundraising and grant writing, requirements for professional fundraisers (fundraising managers), grant writers, their qualifications and personalities. We offer peculiarities of training specialists in fundraising and granting through the system of special courses, trainings, seminars, educational institutions, methodologies and educational literature. It is found out that such measures do not guarantee the comprehensiveness and resolution of issues related to high-quality specialists training, as technologies permitted in Ukraine nowadays not in full measure provide an effective public assistance tool due to lack of researches and developments in this area. One of the prospects for fundraising and grant writing development in Ukraine is the need to organize the education of relevant specialists at the university level.

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A National Evaluation of State and Territory Roles in Hazard Mitigation: Building Local Capacity to Implement FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su122310013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (23) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Gavin Smith ◽

Olivia Vila

Keyword(s):

Emergency Management ◽

National Survey ◽

Local Governments ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Hazard Mitigation ◽

Grant Applications ◽

Research Questions ◽

Low Levels ◽

Resilient Infrastructure ◽

Survey Responses

This article describes the findings of a national survey of State Hazard Mitigation Officers (SHMOs) in U.S. states and territories in order to gain a greater understanding of the roles that they play in assisting local governments to build the capacity required to successfully develop and implement Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-funded Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants, an important but understudied aspect of hazard mitigation governance. The research questions focus on: (1) How states and territories enable local governments to develop and implement HMA grants and (2) SHMOs’ opinions regarding their perceived capacity and effectiveness in assisting local governments to develop and implement HMA grants. Results show that while states and territories are relatively well-equipped to perform general administrative duties required by FEMA, SHMOs expressed wide variation in their capacity to assist local governments to develop and implement HMA grants. This was particularly evident with regard to the delivery of specific technical assistance measures required to develop HMA grants. Survey responses also highlight modest levels of participation in FEMA-designed efforts to delegate responsibility to states and territories and low levels of participation in programs that offer pre-application funding to local governments to help them develop HMA grant applications. These findings should concern FEMA as the agency embarks on the implementation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, an ambitious pre-disaster hazard mitigation grant initiative.

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Bridging Science and Practice-Importance of Stakeholders in the Development of Decision Support: Lessons Learned

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13105744 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 5744

Author(s):

Innocent K. Tumwebaze ◽

Joan B. Rose ◽

Nynke Hofstra ◽

Matthew E. Verbyla ◽

Daniel A. Okaali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Stakeholder Participation ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Future Research ◽

Decision Support Tools ◽

Local Data ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Sanitation And Hygiene ◽

Support Tools

User-friendly, evidence-based scientific tools to support sanitation decisions are still limited in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. This commentary provides lessons learned from the development of two sanitation decision support tools developed in collaboration with stakeholders in Uganda. We engaged with stakeholders in a variety of ways to effectively obtain their input in the development of the decision support tools. Key lessons learned included: tailoring tools to stakeholder decision-making needs; simplifying the tools as much as possible for ease of application and use; creating an enabling environment that allows active stakeholder participation; having a dedicated and responsive team to plan and execute stakeholder engagement activities; involving stakeholders early in the process; having funding sources that are flexible and long-term; and including resources for the acquisition of local data. This reflection provides benchmarks for future research and the development of tools that utilize scientific data and emphasizes the importance of engaging with stakeholders in the development process.

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Midventricular takotsubo syndrome: different dyskinesia location leading to a different electrocardiogram?

European Heart Journal Acute Cardiovascular Care ◽

10.1093/ehjacc/zuab020.123 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

M Padilla Lopez ◽

A Duran Cambra ◽

M Vidal Burdeus ◽

L Rodriguez Sotelo ◽

J Sanchez Vega ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Phase ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Takotsubo Syndrome ◽

St Segment Elevation ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Wave Inversion ◽

St Segment ◽

Electrocardiogram Ecg ◽

Study Inclusion

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Takotsubo syndrome (TKS) is characterized by the appearance of apical reversible dyskinesia in its typical form. Electrocardiogram (ECG) in the acute phase (<12 from symptom onset) generally shows anterior ST segment elevation. Nonetheless, other atypical forms of TKS have been described depending on the location of the dyskinetic segments, such as, mid-ventricular, basal and focal forms. Considering the different segments involved in these atypical forms, it seems reasonable to consider that ST changes in acute phase ECG could be different. Purpose To compare ECG in the acute phase of typical TKS versus mid-ventricular TKS, as it was the more frequent form of atypical TKS in our registry. Methods Patients included in the prospective TKS registry of our center according to the Mayo Clinic diagnostic criteria, with the first ECG performed less than 12 hours from the symptoms onset were reviewed. All cardiac left ventriculographies were reviewed to ensure a correct classification of the different types of TKS. Results A total of 297 patients were included in our local registry. 80 patients met our study inclusion criteria. 56 ECGs of typical apical TKS were compared to 24 ECGs of atypical midventricular TKS. There were no differences between the baseline characteristics in both groups, except for mid-ventricular TKS, that was more frequently triggered by physical stressor. Regarding the ECG analysis, the main difference found in our serie was related to ST-segment deviation (Table 1). While ST-segment elevation was more common in typical TKS than in atypical TKS (73% vs 50%), ST-segment depression (generally in inferior leads) was observed in 54% of patients with atypical TKS and in no patient with typical TKS (figure 1). Conclusion The different location of dyskinesia between typical TKS and mid-ventricular TKS is associated to significant differences in the ECG obtained in the first hours after the onset of the clinical symptoms. The presence of ST-segment depression is highly suggestive of mid-ventricular TKS. ECG characteristicsTypical (n = 56)Midventricular (n = 24)pSTe > 1mm, no (%)41 (73)12 (50)0,044STd >0,5 mm, no (%)013 (54)< 0,001T wave inversion, no (%)12 (21)4 (17)0,626Q wave, no (%)22 ( 39)12 (50)0,374cQT, mean (SD)445 (54)438 (37)0,578QRS low voltages*, n (%)9 ( 16)1 (4)0,328STe ST-segment elevation, STd: ST-segment depression, cQT: corrected QT interval *Voltages <5mm in all limb leads or <10mm in all precordial leads Abstract Figure. 12-lead ECG and left ventriculography

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Toward the Development of a Unified Process and Methodology Guide for Environmental Justice Analysis in Planning and Programming

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.1177/03611981211028868 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 036119812110288

Author(s):

Eliot Benman ◽

David Aimen

Keyword(s):

Environmental Justice ◽

Low Income ◽

Transportation Planning ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Planning Process ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Metropolitan Planning Organizations ◽

South Central ◽

Planning Organizations ◽

Analytical Approaches

Federal Environmental Justice directives require transportation agencies responsible for planning and programming federal funds, including state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental impacts on minority and low-income populations. Despite issuance of federal and state guidance and training programs, many MPOs nationwide continue to seek clarity on effective environmental justice (EJ) approaches and procedural considerations. The South Central Pennsylvania Unified EJ Process and Methodology study was a year-long effort undertaken by a consortium of MPOs in Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 8 to identify a unified and replicable approach to implementing EJ in transportation planning. PennDOT, Federal Highway Administration PA Division, and Federal Transit Administration Region III provided technical assistance and support to the effort. The consortium engaged a technical assistance consultant to facilitate a collaborative process to identify a process framework, a set of analytical methodologies, and effective strategies for advancing EJ in the regional transportation planning process. The study demonstrated a model for convening regional, state, and federal partners to reach consensus around an effective EJ process and methodology. This paper provides an overview of the study process, findings related to the concerns of the participating MPOs, and a brief description of the recommended analytical approaches. The paper discusses lessons learned during the course of the study and considers additional work required to further enhance the EJ process.

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Nutritional Iron Deficiency and Malaria: Impact of a Public-Private Partnership

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa053_042 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 837-837

Author(s):

Patricia Haggerty ◽

Daniel Raiten

Keyword(s):

Iron Deficiency ◽

Public Private Partnership ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

The Novel ◽

Private Partnership ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Research Track ◽

Gates Foundation ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objectives Background: In 2007 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) collaborated to address concerns about the safety and efficacy of interventions to prevent and treat nutritional iron deficiency (NID) particularly in the context of malaria. The “Iron and Malaria Project” (IMP) addressed how iron might not be safe, iron assessment, and the value of interventions to address NID. This presentation will: Describe the novel approach used to achieve the IMP goals, describe the IMP accomplishments and impacts, and summarize lessons learned. Methods The IMP had: 1) Research Track: NICHD initiated 2 funding opportunity announcements resulting in 10 funded projects; 2) Translation Track: a) consultations with global stakeholders; b) risk: benefit analyses on the use of interventions to prevent and treat NID; c) a collaboration with the CDC to develop standards for a sTfR assay; d) the BOND project to harmonize the process for discovery, development and deployment of nutrient biomarkers; e) the INSPIRE project, a review of extant evidence on reciprocal relationships between nutrition and inflammation; and f) the BRINDA project, a collaboration with the CDC, GAIN, and WHO to study the impact of inflammation on interpretation of biomarkers of iron and other determinants of anemia and develop approaches to account for this interaction. Results Funded grants included 4 basic science projects exploring mechanisms to explain iron and malaria interactions and 6 clinical studies addressing various aspects of the iron malaria relationship. To date, 72 journal publications have resulted. Using the NIH Relative Citation Ratio metric, 2/3 have scientific influence scores ≥the 50th percentile of all NIH-funded research publications and 15 have scores ≥ the 90th percentile. Conclusions The IMP leveraged the attributes of this public-private partnership between BMGF and NICHD/NIH to accomplish its goals. The partnership's complementarity and synergy resulted in broad traction and collaboration with a global community invested in solving the challenges of iron and malaria. Funding Sources BMGF $9.3 million, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements $1.3 million.

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Lessons Learned

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190463311.003.0012 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Paula Allen-Meares ◽

Leslie Hollingsworth ◽

Patricia L. Miller

Keyword(s):

Technical Assistance ◽

Rank Order ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Children And Youth ◽

University Of Michigan ◽

Urban Context ◽

Economic Changes ◽

Outcomes For Children ◽

School Of Social Work ◽

The University

Abstract: Chapter 12 is organized very differently from earlier chapters in this volume. It contains a list of lessons learned from those associated with the University of Michigan School of Social Work/Technical Assistance Center (UMSSW/TAC) and includes observations from those deeply involved in the Good Neighborhoods project. These observations and insights are divided into topical areas, but the list does not reflect a rank order of lessons learned or priorities. They are instead reflections on a multiyear initiative to create better outcomes for children and youth living in an urban context undergoing vast social and economic changes and challenges, some of which were adverse (see Chapter 2).

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The political use of victimhood: Spanish collective memory of ETA through the war on terror paradigm

Review of International Studies ◽

10.1017/s0260210520000182 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Charlotte Heath-Kelly ◽

Laura Fernández de Mosteyrín

Keyword(s):

Collective Memory ◽

Political Violence ◽

War On Terror ◽

Local Politics ◽

Moral Authority ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Counter Terrorism ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

International War ◽

The Impact

AbstractVictims have become a topic of scholarly debate in conflict studies, especially regarding the impact of their activism on the evolution and termination of violence. Victims of terrorism are now enlisted within counter-terrorism, given their moral authority as spokespeople for counter-narratives and de-escalation. Our research explores how Spanish terrorism victims’ associations have evolved across eras of political violence and how they mediate the translation of international War on Terror discourses into Spanish counter-terrorism. We offer a topography of how the War on Terror has opened a ‘social front’ in Spanish counter-terrorism, with Spanish political elites prominently employing the victims’ associations to this end. Contemporary terrorism discourses are read back onto the memory of ETA, with victims’ associations assisting the equation of ETA with al-Qaeda and ISIS. Collective memory of the defeat of ETA has also contributed the veneer of ‘lessons learned’ to contemporary counter-terrorism measures. Our research explores the fluidity of terrorism-memory and the importation of global terrorism discourses into Spanish politics, relying upon interviews with key stakeholders in victims’ associations, local politics, and the research director of the new Victims of Terrorism Memorial Centre in Vitoria.

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Teen Pregnancy Prevention Evaluation Technical Assistance: A Case Study

Evaluation Review ◽

10.1177/0193841x20975279 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0193841X2097527

Author(s):

Jean Knab ◽

Russell Cole

Keyword(s):

Sexual Behavior ◽

Teen Pregnancy ◽

Large Scale ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Pregnancy Prevention ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Teen Pregnancy Prevention ◽

Important Lesson ◽

Behavior Outcomes

Purpose: This case study discusses Mathematica’s experience providing large-scale evaluation technical assistance (ETA) to 65 grantees across two cohorts of Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program grants. The grantees were required to conduct rigorous evaluations with specific evaluation benchmarks. This case study provides an overview of the TPP grant program, the evaluation requirements, the ETA provider, and other key stakeholders and the ETA provided to the grantees. Finally, it discusses the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the effort. Conclusion: One important lesson learned is that there are two related evaluation features, strong counterfactuals and insufficient target sample sizes, that funders should attend to prior to selecting awardees because they are not easy to change through ETA. In addition, if focused on particular outcomes (for TPP, the goal was to improve sexual behavior outcomes), the funder should prioritize studies with an opportunity to observe differences in these outcomes across conditions; several TPP grantees served young populations, and sexual behavior outcomes were not observed or were rare, limiting the opportunity to observe impacts. Unless funders are attentive to weaning out evaluations with critical limitations during the funding process, requiring grantees to conduct impact evaluations supported by ETA might unintentionally foster internally valid, yet underpowered studies that show nonsignificant program impacts. The TPP funder was able to overcome some of the limitations of the grantee evaluations by funding additional evidence-building activities, including federally led evaluations and a large meta-analysis of the effort, as part of a broader learning agenda.

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