EPA Publication Number 202K09001
                           EPA Contract Number EP-W-08-042
              Learner Manual
          Introduction: Learner Tips
TRIBAL, U.S. TERRITORIES AND
INSULAR AREAS ADMINISTRATIVE
AND FINANCIAL GUIDANCE
MANUAL FOR ASSISTANCE
AGREEMENTS
"A Nation is a stable, historically developed community of people
who share territory, economic life, distinctive culture, and language.
Office of Environmental Justice, US. EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Updated August 2013

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                        Introduction: Learner Tips
     This manual  was originally developed  by  the U.S.
     Environmental Protection Agency for Tribal Nations,
     but content also pertains to U.S.  Territories and Insular
     Areas. Exception: U.S. Territories and Insular Areas are
     treated as states under Part 31 (and also under Part 35,
     Subpart A for PPGs, unlike Tribes  that  are  covered
     under Subpart B).
                               Contents
INTRODUCTION: LEARNER TIPS	3
  TRAINING	
  MATERIALS	
   Activities Booklet	
   Qwizdom Actionpoint.
   Introductions	
.3
.3
.5
.5
.7

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                                   Introduction: Learner Tips
                                   Introduction:  Learner Tips
   Tribal,  U.S. Territories and
   Insular Areas Administrative and
   Financial  Guidance for
   Assistance Aqreements
   [.earner Tips:
   Introduction to Learning Materials
   mdiQuizdomAetionpaint
   Interactive System
                  Training
How will training help?
EPA training can help grant recipients manage
assistance agreement awards. Learn about grant
requirements and EPA expectations. Learn how to
manage an entire program, manage a specific piece
of the project, or refresh understanding of specific
tasks.

Grants management can be complicated. Get
training; it makes your job easier.
   Training

    Learn to:

     ° Manage EPA assistance agreement awards

      ('(>m ply \vilh federal regulalii HIS

     - Locate essential information
Where can people get training?
Training sessions are offered in traditional face-to-
face workshops and conference settings. Training
is also offered online as individual web-based
training modules. Ask a Grants Specialist (GS) or
Project Officer (PO) for the program and location
that is right for you.
Contact your:
    •   EPA Regional Grants Administrative
        Office
    •   EPA Regional Disadvantage Business
        Enterprise (DBE) Coordinator
    •   EPA Regional Grants Specialist (GS)
    •   EPA Project Officer (PO)

When should people take the training?
Take the training before applying for an assistance
agreement award. If you already have an award,
sign up for training now. Regulations change; stay
informed.

Who should attend training?
ALL Tribal Nation or Consortia personnel
involved in EPA assistance agreement award
management should attend training, including but
not limited to:
    •   The authorized certifying officials (i.e.,
        those responsible for signing the
        documents)
    •   Department heads
    •   Human resource managers
    •   Local grant mangers
    •   Managers of award proj ects
    •   Finance and accounting staff
    •   Office and bookkeeping staff

Office and bookkeeping staff should attend the
training if at all possible. Low cost and free sources
of training are available. Contact your EPA
regional office for training options.
                                                        Materials
                                                         Manual
                         Appendix
                                                                       Materials
                                                      What is included in the training?
                                                      Training includes a Manual with ten instruction
                                                      modules taught by  Grants Management Specialists.

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                                   Introduction: Learner Tips
Trainees receive an Appendix with examples of
forms and tools for managing an assistance
agreement award according to EPA regulations and
requirements.

Why is a training manual necessary?
The purpose of the training Manual is to help
Tribal Nations and EPA work together. The
manual explains what an assistance agreement
award is and how to manage one.

After completing the training learners should more
fully understand:
    •   The assistance agreement award
    •   Which regulations apply to an assistance
        agreement award
    •   How to administer an assistance
        agreement award
    •   How to financially manage an assistance
        agreement award
    •   The roles and responsibilities of both EPA
        and the Tribal Nation
    •   How to comply with:
    •   Financial, accounting, and administrative
        requirements
    •   Cost principles
    •   Regulations
    •   "Terms and conditions"
The training Manual is designed to assist Tribal
Nations in the administrative and financial areas
when applying for assistance agreements, as well
as for tracking and reporting on the financial status
of work performed under those agreements. The
Manual is an excellent desk reference when
questions come up and you need answers fast. It
contains forms, sample narratives, instructions, and
answers to frequently asked questions.

What is in the Tribal Administrative and Financial
Guidance Manual for Assistance Agreements?
The Manual provides a set of standard operating
policies and procedures to guide administrative and
programmatic staff, Tribal Leaders and oversight
committees through the decision making process.
These guidelines are NOT intended to replace or
restrict the sovereignty of Tribal Nation.

Grants management training helps Tribal
administrators work effectively with EPA.
Assistance agreement award projects are easier to
manage when everyone understands the process.
This manual describes how the assistance
agreement award process works.

The Tribal Administrative and Financial Guidance
Manual for Assistance Agreements and training
program consists often (10) modules explaining:
    1.  The grant application process
    2.  Assistance agreements
    3.  Federal Funding Accountability and
        Transparency Act
    4.  Grants management systems
    5.  Administrative system components
    6.  Financial system requirements
    7.  Accounting policies and procedures
    8.  Source documentation for procurement
        and purchasing
    9.  Disadvantaged business enterprises
        (DBEs)
    10.  Assistance agreement monitoring and
        closeout
                                                            Learner Notes
                                                            Review the Manual Contents, so you
                                                            know how to find the information you
                                                            need when you need it.
What is in the Appendix?
The Appendix contains official EPA documents
and best practice examples. Most of what a Tribal
Nation might need to manage an assistance
agreement award is provided in either the Manual
or the Appendix.

See the manual's Appendix for:
    •   Official forms
    •   Applicable regulations
    •   Glossary of terms
    •   List of common acronyms
    •   List of useful websites
    •   Sample policies and procedures
    •   Federal rules and regulations
    •   And much more...

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                                   Introduction: Learner Tips
      Learner Notes
      Examine your copy of the Appendix, so
      you know where to find documents
      when they are explained.
              Activities Booklet
What is the Activities Booklet?
Activities to help you better understand the
information learned in each Module can be found
online at www.petetribal.org in the Activities
Booklet. These Activities are designed to help you
apply the concepts you have learned throughout
this manual to your own organization.
   Quizdom Actionpoint
     MENU -On'Off
          SEND
                                 Clear
                                 Answer Buttons
            Qwizdom Actionpoint
How does Qwizdom work?
Face-to-face training sessions use an interactive
system for answering questions. All answers are
anonymous. There are no names associated with
any of the answers. No one will know how you
answered a question except you.
The instructor and data collection system group
answers together. This lets the instructor know how
well the information is being understood. Please
answer honestly.

Each trainee should receive a handheld Remote.
Use this Remote to answer questions during the
training. The instructor will prompt you when it is
time to answer a question.

How does the Remote work?
Wait until the instructor tells you to turn on the
Remote. Each presentation requires a short
initiation period to prepare the system for data
collection.

Turn the Remote on by pressing the MENU button.
      •   The MENU button is just under the
          screen on the left.
      •   You may need to hold it down for
          several seconds.
      •   When you  see the word QWIZDOM
          appear on the Remote's screen, the
          system is ready to use.

When it is time to answer a question, a list of
options will appear on the Remote's screen.

There is a two-step process for answering a
question:
      •   First, press the button that corresponds
          to your answer.
      •   Yes and  True answers use the button
          marked with YES and T.
      •   No and False answers use the button
          marked with NO and F.
      •   Answer A by pressing button number 1.
      •   Answer B by pressing button number 2.
      •   Answer C by pressing button number 3.
      •   Answer D by pressing button number 4.
      •   Answer E by pressing button number 5.
      •   Second, press the SEND button.
      •   The SEND button looks like two arrows
          facing in different directions and is
          located just below the MENU button.

Once your answer is selected and sent to the
system, you will see either a checkmark (V) or an
* on the Remote's screen.
      •   The S means your answer is correct.
      •   The * means your answer is incorrect.
      S  and * means the answer was received.

If the instructor has  enabled this functionality, you
may choose to change your answer, if you wish.

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                                Introduction: Learner Tips
      •   You can only change an answer if the
         instructor has not yet moved ahead in
         the presentation to the answer slide.
      •   To change an answer:
      •   Press the CLEAR (C) button located
         just under the screen on the right.
      •   The answer options should again appear
         on the Remote's screen.
      •   Press the button with your new choice
         and then the SEND button.
      •   Again a ^or * will appear on the
         Remote's screen.
      •   Only your last answer will be recorded
         by the system.

You should not need to use the forward or
backward arrow buttons.

To reset the Remote:
      •   Press the MENU button until the screen
         goes dark.
      •   Press the MENU button again until you
         see the word QWIZDOM.
   Where in the Manual is the
   Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
   (DBE) program covered in detail?
   A. Module 7
   B. Modules
   C, Module 9
   D. Module 4
   E. All of the above
   Where in the Manual is the
   Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
   (DBE) program covered in detail?
   A. Module 7
   B. Modules
   C. Module 9
   D. Module 4
   E. All of the above
                                                   Explanation

                                                    Module 9: Though the DBE program is referenced
                                                    in several modules, it is covered in detail in
                                                    Module 9.
Let's test the Qwizdom process.
Use your Remote to answer the following
questions.
That's fine. Let's try another question just to be
sure we've got it figured out.

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                              Introduction: Learner Tips
Does the Appendix contain everything
a grantee needs to know?
A. Yes
B. No
   Introductions

   • Name
   • Position

   • Role on your grants managementteam
Does the Appendix contain everything
a grantee needs to know?
A. Yes
B. No
Explanation

 The Appendix provides documents and examples
 for assistance award management It cannot
 possibly hold everything a grantee may need to
 know. Regional EPA office personnel can answer
 questions about specific awards and individual
 circumstances.
               Introductions
Please introduce yourself to the other learners. Tell
them your name, position, and role on your grants
management team.

For example:
      •   Jane Juniper
      •   Office Manager for the Wide River
         Indian Community
      •   Financial Officer for the Water
         Reclamation and Irrigation Project

  Great, everyone is ready to begin the training.
    Working with EPA isn't something Tribal Nations do for the government;
                    it is something they do for themselves.

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