USAID Rules and Regulations: Grants and Cooperative Agreements

Whether you are new to USAID funding requirements or have years of program experience, at the end of this highly participatory training you’ll know how to navigate USAID rules and regulations to benefit your work. Our experienced facilitators take you step-by-step through the structure of USAID’s rules and regulations and introduce you to the USAID Award cycle. You will return to your project able to easily find answers to questions about your award – from ‘are laptops allowable?’ to ‘does my international trip need prior approval?’ to ‘how do I dispose of a vehicle?’. In addition to maintaining donor compliance, you’ll also learn how to build strong working relationships with USAID and develop policies for the successful management of your grant or cooperative agreement.

• Understand different types of assistance awards under USAID
• Be familiar with the rules and regulations applicable for USAID assistance awards
• Navigate through the rules and regulations
• Understand the role and responsibility as a recipient of USAID funding
• Feel more confident to manage their award

• Anyone managing or bidding on a USAID grant or cooperative agreement from finance, compliance, program, administrative, or new business development teams.
• Independent auditors or CPAs who perform compliance or financial audits within the development sector.
• USAID staff, especially Agreement Officers and Agreement Officer’s Representatives.

This training can help you with regulations that apply across US Government funding agencies. However, if you have a USAID contract, you should attend our USAID Contract Management training instead.

Humentum’s practical training puts the learner first. Our expert facilitators draw on their own sector and subject-specific knowledge for a worthwhile and enjoyable learner experience. They will share relevant tools, techniques and insights that are immediately transferrable to your own work. You are also actively encouraged to engage in collaborative learning through discussions and hands-on group work.

This training runs over five days and you are required to log in at set times each day to attend live webinars, each lasting approximately 120 minutes. You will also access videos and join discussions. You can find out more about our training platform by watching this video.

We estimate this training requires 5 hours per day, depending on your pace of learning, and previous experience.

Please note that the start date of the course allows you time to log in and access pre-course materials. This may include videos to watch, documents to read, or links to platforms that are used as part of the training. Calendar invitations for the webinars are sent as part of the joining instructions.

Schedule

Monday
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Tuesday
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Wednesday
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Thursday
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Friday

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Webinar 1: Introduction to USAID

• Welcome and icebreaker
• Introduction to USAID
• USAID implementing mechanisms
• Types of awards
• USAID rules and regulations
• USAID rules and regulations map

Webinar 2: USAID Rules & Regs; Pre-Award Considerations

• Recap of Webinar 1
• Rules and Regulations
• First phase of the Award cycle; 2 CFR 200, Subpart C
• Navigating the rules exercise
• Organizational preparation for USAID funding
• Second phase of the award cycle

Self-Led Learning I: Introduction to USAID Ethical Standards

• Why are ethics needed?
• Pre-award certifications and assurances
• Policies needed

Webinar 3: Ethics, USAID Authorization and Award Structure

• Recap of certifications and ethics
• How to ensure compliance to the ethical standards within the organization? Exercise
• Continuation award cycle: implementation
• Authorization structure in USAID (AO/AOR); substantial involvement in the award AOR designation letter
• Authority AO vs AOR exercise
• Unauthorized commitments
• Award layout
• Award budget

Webinar 4: USAID Financial Management

• Financial management
• Standards for financial management systems
• Internal controls, payments, banking and interest
• Financial management discussion
• Cost sharing (difference with cost allocation)
• Program income
• Revision of budget and program plans
• Budget revisions and prior approvals exercise

Self-Led Learning II: Cost Principles

• 2 CFR 200 Subpart E

Webinar 5: Cost Principles and Indirect Costs

• Recap on cost principles
• Timekeeping and time allocation
• Cost principles exercise
• Indirect costs (all methods)

Webinar 6: Procurement and Property Standards

• Procurement regulations mapped out
• Procurement policies & eligibility rules: 22 CFR 228; MSP 5&6
• Telecommunications and surveillance
• Procurement exercise including restricted and ineligible items, vetting process, prior approvals
• Foreign government-controlled organizations; Nationality of employees and consultants
• Restricted items; Long-term leases; Waivers

Self-Led Learning III: Audits

• Different types of audits
• Audit thresholds
• How to prepare for a smooth audit process
• Common audit findings

Webinar 7: Subaward Management

• Difference between procurement of goods, services, and subawards
• Contractual relationship: USAID, Prime, Sub
• Different kinds of subs
• Responsibility of prime
• Registration for federal award systems (UEI, SAM)
• FFATA Reporting
• Subagreement, amendments, and flow-down provisions
• Sub-recipient monitoring: Reporting/visits

Webinar 8: Audit and Content Soup

• Recap on audit
• Branding and marking
• International travel
• Fly America Act
• Reporting requirements

Webinar 9: Award Exercise, Close-out and Disposition

• Recap on content soup
• Award review exercise
• Award cycle continued
• Record retention
• Develop a close-out timeline exercise
• Final plenary session and wrap-up

Upon completion, Humentum provides a certificate of attendance for this course.

Humentum encourages teams to attend this course together.

We offer a 15% discount for groups of 5 or more to attend this course.

Learn about our Organizational Training Package for members – an offer that allows even more flexibility and cost savings for your organization – starting at groups of 15 or more.

Humentum members receive a 10% discount off this course. When registering, ensure you use your organizational email address. Your member discount will then be automatically applied at checkout. Having trouble? Contact us at workshops@humentum.org.