NGMA AGT 2023: A Year of Firsts

2023 was a year of growth and new beginnings for the National Grants Management Association (NGMA) Annual Grants Training (AGT), which took place April 10-13, 2023 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. The AGT, which had in recent years been held in Arlington, VA, moved to Washington, DC, and boasted a record number of attendees and vendors. Over 1,200 grants professionals attended sessions and flowed through the exhibit hall to visit 35 exhibit booths.

But First, Learning

Attendees chose from a variety of professional development sessions over the course of four days, earning continuing education credits and staying up to date on current events and trends in the grants world. The “OMB Update” session from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget always delivers important updates and this year was no exception. OMB discussed the increased emphasis on preventing and detecting fraud, especially around pandemic and infrastructure funding, and the forthcoming updates to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) which are expected to be released in December 2023. These updates, part of the OMB requirement to update the guidance every five years, will seek to streamline the guidance and provide additional clarity around requirements. Other sessions addressed key issues such as training, subrecipient management, complying with Buy America Build America, and indirect costs.

Management Concepts partnered with BDO USA to present “Conquering the Single Audit — Best Practices for Making Your Organization “Audit-Proof.” The session provided best practices and advice from federal compliance experts to help grantees prepare for the Single Audit and maximize their chances for a clean audit report. The presentation and discussion circled through comments by Sarah Hluchan, Grants Product Management Director for Management Concepts, Slaiman “Sly” Atayee, senior manager, federal compliance and investigations, and Joseph O’Meara, senior audit manager at BDO USA. At the conclusion of the session, the presenters answered audience questions.

Now, the Exhibit Hall

Hundreds of attendees visited the Management Concepts booth in the exhibit hall to pick up information on our many new and updated courses in Grants & Assistance. Our new courses being highlighted include Conducting Virtual Site Visits, Understanding Audits for Federal Personnel, and Federal Grants Update and Refresher 2023. Our knowledgeable staff explained the options for professional development training from Management Concepts, which spans federal, pass-through, and recipient organizations, with the opportunity to earn a certificate through our Grants Management Certificate Program™ (GMCP™).

With so many options for training, Management Concepts is always accepting applications for instructors and subject matter experts (SMEs). Download at-a-glance information for instructors and SMEs or visit our career page.

And Finally, The End

Thursday April 13 saw AGT 2023 come to a close, but it’s so long for now and not goodbye. With such momentum in the grants world, NGMA will be hard at work with webinars and learning opportunities, and so will Management Concepts. Visit our NGMA partner page to keep up to date with our activities serving the grants community, and view event photos from AGT our Facebook page.