Monthly Webinar | How Can We Develop Grants Management Capabilities to Sustainably Deliver Long-Term Impact?-Video Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The National Grants Management Association (NGMA) webinar, moderated by Robert Williams of Crow LLP, focused on developing grants management capabilities to achieve sustainable, long-term impact. Presenters Greg Kowalski, Ranjana Ramchandran, and special guest Shamaya Kearney, Chief Recovery Officer for Baltimore City, shared insights and leading practices to address common challenges in grants management, including limited resources, outcome horizons mismatched with program durations, and siloed governance.<br /><br />A key discussion centered on shifting from a "run the program" mindset to a "transform the program" approach that prioritizes long-term outcomes over mere compliance and fund disbursement. Governance structures that include a dedicated grants management transformation office can support this by promoting integration, standardization, and performance measurement beyond routine administration.<br /><br />Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, established to manage $641 million from ARPA funds, exemplifies this transformation by coordinating across agencies, leveraging university partnerships for evaluation, and implementing tools like a custom performance portal and public-facing dashboards. Emphasis was placed on capacity building among funded entities through technical assistance to improve compliance and outcomes measurement.<br /><br />The presenters highlighted the importance of balancing near-term performance indicators with long-term impact metrics using leading and lagging indicators, aligned with stakeholders’ business questions. A portfolio management framework helps reassess and reallocate resources effectively based on ongoing performance data.<br /><br />Challenges discussed included navigating political complexities, managing funding sunset effects on programs, and maintaining transparency and accountability. The Baltimore experience underscores the value of data-informed decision-making and collaboration in maximizing the impact of significant federal funding.<br /><br />Attendees were encouraged to engage in NGMA’s upcoming webinars and resources to further develop their grants management skills.

Keywords

grants management

sustainable impact

program transformation

governance structures

performance measurement

ARPA funds

Baltimore recovery programs

capacity building

portfolio management

data-informed decision-making