Key Insights Contracts and Grants Workforce Response to the COVID19 Pandemic

Summary

Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, a Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) report dated September 28, 2023. Ten Offices of Inspectors General surveyed 29 federal agencies on whether their contracts and grants workforces had adequate staffing, training, information technology and oversight resources to handle COVID-19 funding; the report notes that in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 Congress passed six laws appropriating more than $5 trillion. Responses show staffing, IT and training resources caused the greatest challenges, and the contracts workforce reported less difficulty than the grants workforce. Respondents also said their workforces adapted, for example by overseeing awards remotely and adding staff when needed.

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Key Insights: Contracts
and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19
Pandemic
September 28, 2023
PANDEMIC RESPONSE
ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
1

Key Insights: Contracts and Grants
Workforce Response to the COVID-19
Pandemic
29 Federal Agencies Assess the Adequacy of their Staffing,
Training, Information Technology, and Other Resources
The federal government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with a series of unprecedented actions to
protect public health and the country’s economy. In fiscal years (FYs) 2020 and 2021, Congress passed
six laws that appropriated more than $5 trillion for pandemic relief programs across dozens of federal
agencies. The influx of federal COVID-19 funds in response to the extraordinary public health crisis created
unique challenges across the federal government. Among these challenges, contracts and grants officials
had to distribute funds swiftly to meet immediate needs, while also being aware of new and changing
program requirements, creating new or repurposing existing programs, purchasing goods and services, and
adapting oversight and monitoring strategies to a largely remote work environment given the health-related
consequences of the pandemic.
As part of its oversight responsibilities, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief,
and Economic Security (CARES) Act directed the Pandemic Response
Accountability Committee (PRAC) to review:
1. Whether there are sufficient, qualified acquisition, grant, and other applicable personnel
overseeing covered funds and the Coronavirus response; and
2. Whether personnel whose duties involve the Coronavirus response or acquisitions or grants
made with covered funds or are otherwise related to the Coronavirus response receive
adequate training, technology support, and other resources.
How We Conducted Our Review
Ten Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) formed a working group in early 2021 under the PRAC’s
Subcommittee on Audit, Inspections, and Evaluations to develop qualitative and quantitative measures to
assist the PRAC in assessing the questions identified in the CARES Act.1 PRAC staff finalized the questions
and identified the 29 federal agencies that should receive the survey questions based on an examination of
1
In 2010, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board conducted a similar survey and issued a report that examined the impact on the
acquisitions and grants workforce as result of increased funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. We applied lessons
learned, findings, and recommendations from that survey, where practical, to inform the approach and methodology for this survey and report.

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Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Ten OIGs joined to form a working group under the PRAC’s
subcommittee on Audit, Inspections, and Evaluations
USAspending.gov data for agencies that had awarded pandemic-related contracts and grants between
March 27, 2020, and September 30, 2021. To disseminate the questions, we developed two web-based
surveys— one for employees overseeing acquisitions and one for employees overseeing grants.2 In the end,
we sent the contract and grant surveys to 29 federal agencies/departments that awarded contracts and
grants using COVID-19 funds.3
We requested the Chief Acquisition Officer, the Senior Procurement Executive, or the Chief Financial Officer
of each agency provide a consolidated response from their agency for the contracts survey.4 Similarly, for
the grants survey we requested that the Chief Financial Officer (or the senior agency official responsible
for grants activity) provide a consolidated response from their agency. Questions for both surveys focused
on whether agencies had sufficient staffing, training, information technology (IT), and oversight and
management resources to award, manage, and oversee COVID-19 response funding. While we strived to
obtain a single, consolidated response from each agency for both surveys, we allowed responses at the
subagency level on an exception basis where reasonable and practical.
For the contracts survey, 28 federal civilian agencies and 16 Department of Defense (DoD) subagencies (29
agencies in total) responded for a total of 44 survey responses.5 Due to the size of the DoD, we reported on
the DoD results separate from civilian agencies to ensure the overall results were not skewed and to better
understand the similarities and differences between these two workforces. For the grants survey, 20 federal
civilian agencies responded (the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) submitted nine responses and the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) submitted two responses at the subagency level).6
2
For the purposes of this report, acquisition refers to contracts workforce or contracting officials whose duties, and responsibilities, include
awarding, administering, or managing contracts or procurements either full-time or part-time, including those personnel involved in any aspect of
the contract life cycle. This includes personnel whose involvement in contracting or procurement work/activities is consistent and not conducted
on an ad-hoc basis. See Appendix C for a full explanation of how we defined the contracts workforce for this survey.
3
Throughout the report, we refer to “agency” as both agencies and departments. Also, this review focused on those agencies that disbursed funds
via “Grants,” “Contracts,” and “Contract IDVs” object classes, and does not include agencies that solely disbursed funds via “Loans,” “Direct
Payments,” or “Other Financial Assistance.”
4
We also provided the respective agency OIGs with the names of the respondents who completed the surveys to assist us in verifying whether they
were cognizant officials.
5
The PRAC surveyed a total of 29 unique agencies—28 federal civilian agencies and DoD subagencies, which we collectively counted as one
agency. Sixteen DoD subagencies that awarded contracts with COVID-19 funds responded to the survey; 10 others did not respond. DoD
subagencies include defense agencies, commands, and field activities.
6
Senior agency officials for both the USDA and the VA provided responses at the subagency level due to the nature of how these agencies award
and manage their grant programs (e.g., distribute grant funding at the subagency level).

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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We analyzed the survey responses and shared the results with the respective OIGs for their awareness and
to inform potential future oversight work. We conducted our work in accordance with the Council of the
Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Quality Standards for Federal Offices of Inspectors General.7
Survey Results in Brief
Our analysis of survey responses provides key insights into the challenges that 29 federal agencies’
contracts and grants workforces experienced during the pandemic. Overall, survey responses show that
staffing, IT, and training resources (including both resources to develop training and staff to conduct the
training) were areas that caused the greatest challenges for grants and contracts workforces (see Figures 1,
2, and 3). Significantly, the contracts workforce did not report the same degree of challenges in these areas
as the grants workforce.
Figure 1: Summary Survey Responses for Civilian Agencies - Contracts
Figure 2: Summary Survey Responses for DoD Subagencies - Contracts
7
See Appendix A and B for the full list of agencies that responded to the surveys, Appendix C for the contracts survey questions and key
definitions, and Appendix D for the grant survey questions and key definitions.

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Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Figure 3: Summary Survey Responses for Civilian Agencies – Grants
Contracts and grants respondents also identified challenges related to keeping pace with non-pandemic
related work, attributing this to the volume of pandemic funding and urgency to award related contracts and
grants. However, both the contracts and grants respondents reported that their workforces were successful
in addressing the impacts of the pandemic on their operations. For example, these workforces:
• Instituted new ways to oversee and monitor awards remotely.
• Provided guidance and training within their agency and to grant and contract recipients.
• Increased staffing capabilities when needed.
• Several respondents said they leveraged existing programs within their offices to award COVID-19
grants, as opposed to creating new pandemic-related programs, in order to expedite the award
process.
Background
In our Top Challenges Report, OIGs shared concerns about the large volume of grants awarded during the
pandemic and the difficulties in ensuring that grantees used funds for their authorized purposes.8 To put the
scope of pandemic grant funding in perspective, for the federal agencies surveyed, obligations for federal
grants increased by more than 76 percent from FY 2019 to FY 2021, from $3.6 trillion to $6.3 trillion.
Comparatively, obligations for contractual services and supplies rose 24 percent from FY 2019 to FY 2021,
from $902 billion to $1.1 trillion (see Figure 4).9
8
Top Challenges Facing Federal Agencies- COVID-19 Emergency Relief and Response Efforts accessed May 18, 2023.

9
The dollar values for grants and contracts include pandemic and non-pandemic funding.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Figure 4: Contract and Grant Obligations for Federal Agencies Surveyed by Fiscal Year
Source: Contractual Services and Supplies and Grant and Fixed Charge Obligations from FY2018 – FY2021 for the 29
federal agencies included in the surveys. Data pulled from USAspending.gov as of August 2022.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued guidance in 2020 to help the federal contracts and
grants workforce manage the increase in funding and to combat the significant disruptions, both to the
workforces’ health and economic well-being caused by COVID-19. For example, OMB issued guidance on
managing federal contract performance and on preserving the resilience of the federal contracting base
during the pandemic, including the flexibilities provided in Section 3610 of the CARES Act. Section 3610
provides agencies discretionary authority to reimburse costs of paid leave to certain federal contractors
and subcontractors due to pandemic-related disruptions. In addition, OMB also issued guidance regarding
tracking COVID-19 related contracts.10
Specific to the grants workforce, OMB issued guidance to provide short-term, flexible administrative,
financial, and audit requirements under 2 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 200, Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, without compromising federal
financial assistance accountability requirements.11 The guidance also provided grants workforce information
on the use of expanded flexibilities, supplemental COVID-19 funding, and emphasized priorities that
agencies should consider in their implementation, including the following:
• Ensuring that qualified, skilled, and appropriately trained personnel are overseeing awards made
under the relief legislation.
• Streamlining regulations and internal processes, including issuing waivers and delegating
decision-making where appropriate to empower managed risk-taking and innovative thinking.
• Balancing the need for competition with timely execution of funding.
• Balancing the need for expediency with steps to mitigate the risk of fraud, waste, abuse, and
improper payments.

10 See OMB Memos M-20-18, M-20-22, and M-20-27 accessed May 18, 2023.
11 See Implementation Guidance for Supplemental Funding Provided in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and
M-20-26 accessed May 18, 2023.

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Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Key Insights: 29 Federal Agencies’
Assessment of the Adequacy of Contracts
and Grants Staffing, Training, Information
Technology, and Other Resources
Contracts Survey Responses
The PRAC received responses from 29 agencies—28 federal civilian agencies and DoD. DoD distributed the
survey to their subagencies (e.g., defense agencies, commands, and field activities) to complete, and 16
responded for a total of 44 survey submissions. Respondents provided feedback on the following five critical
areas of pandemic-related contract functions and processes:
1. Contract Obligations
2. Staffing Resources
3. Training Activities and Resources
4. IT Solutions and Resources
5. Resources for Effective Contract Oversight and Management
Overall, most respondents reported that the pandemic did not have a significant negative impact on their
contracting offices or their ability to perform contracting functions. For example, respondents noted that
contract staffing levels managing the increased workload during the pandemic were generally adequate.
Between March 27, 2020, and September 30, 2021, the 44 survey respondents had awarded 34,472
pandemic-related contract actions totaling more than $40 billion. The Department of Health and Human
Services, DoD, and USDA accounted for 85 percent of the total COVID-19 contract obligations during this period.
Contract Obligations
Ninety-five percent of the contracts workforce applied the required National Interest Action (NIA) code to
track pandemic contract costs.  In March of 2020, OMB issued guidance requiring the use of the NIA code
to track pandemic-related acquisitions.12 Approximately 95 percent of respondents reported they provided
their workforce with OMB and/or other guidance on how to determine if the NIA code applied to contracts
within the agency.
12 Implementation Guidance for Supplemental Funding Provided in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) accessed May 18, 2023.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Top 5 Agencies, by COVID-19 Contract
Dollar Value
1. Department of Health and Human Services
$19 billion
2. Department of Defense
$12.6 billion
3.
4.
5.
Department of Agriculture
$2.8 billion
Department of Homeland Security
$2.3 billion
Small Business Administration
$1.9 billion
Top 5 Agencies, by Number of COVID-19
Contracts
1. Department of Defense
20,907 contract actions
2. Department of Health and Human Services
5,076 contract actions
3. Department of Homeland Security
2,155 contract actions
4. Department of Agriculture
1,710 contract actions
5. General Services Administration
1,153 contract actions
Source: USAspending.gov contract obligations between
March 27, 2020 and September 30, 2021.
Note: For DoD, this only represents the DoD subagencies
that received COVID-19 funding
Even with the guidance, five civilian
agencies and three DoD subagencies
responded that there still was confusion
as to when the NIA code should apply.
For example, one respondent said there
was “confusion early in the process
whether the COVID-19 NIA code should
be used only if CARES Act funds were
being used, or if it should be used for
actions taken in response to COVID-19
as well as actions taken as a result of
the impacts of COVID-19.”
To help support use of the NIA code,
many respondents reported that their
agencies/subagencies developed
their own guidance and supporting
documentation and distributed it
internally to the contracts workforce.
Civilian agencies and DoD subagencies
employed different techniques to support
the uniform implementation, including
conducting training for the contracts
workforce and/or providing
memorandums, alerts, briefings, job
aids, and other reference materials.
Staffing Resources
Contracts workforce staffing levels
were generally adequate to manage
the workload during the pandemic.  Of
the 28 civilian agency respondents, 75
percent indicated they had sufficiently
qualified staff to process contracts during the pandemic. For the DoD subagencies, 94 percent responded
that they had sufficiently qualified contracting officials. However, the respondents that indicated they did not
have sufficient qualified staff (18 percent of total respondents) noted challenges such as workforce burnout
and attrition, an inability to conduct proper oversight, and the need to divert resources to prioritize pandemic
response contracts over non-pandemic contracts.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Figure 5: As of September 30, 2021, did your agency have a sufficient number of qualified (e.g., certified)
contracting officials available to plan for, award, and administer COVID-19 pandemic response contracts?
Source: PRAC analysis of survey responses.
To ensure adequate staffing, the agencies that reported not having enough qualified staff reported they
increased recruitment efforts, implemented liberal telework and flexible schedules, or offered overtime
and/or other pay benefits. While adequate staffing was largely not a challenge for DoD subagencies, one
respondent stated that their subagency transferred experienced staff to support critical COVID-related
requirements, while staff leveraged existing contract vehicles to reduce the number of new procurements
needed to meet emerging requirements.
Most respondents’ contracts workforces did not increase during the pandemic, and about 60 percent
of agencies/subagencies did not use supplemental staffing resources to assist.  Of the 28 civilian
respondents, 68 percent reported that their contracts workforce either did not change or decreased during
the pandemic. Respondents from the 16 DoD subagencies answered similarly, with 69 percent reporting
either no change or a decrease in the size of their workforce.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Figure 6: How does the size your agency’s acquisition workforce compare to the size of the workforce prior to
and after the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., before March 27, 2020 and as of September 30, 2021)?
Source: PRAC analysis of survey responses.
About 60 percent of all respondents did not use any supplemental staffing resources to assist in pandemic
response contract planning and awarding, and performance management oversight activities. Agencies
that needed additional staffing commonly reported using support services contractors and third-party
contractors.
Training Resources
More than half of respondents offered training to the contracts workforce.  Of the civilian respondents,
57 percent reported that their agencies offered training on contract management and performance oversight
to their contracts workforce. Approximately 69 percent of DoD subagencies reported they provided training
to their contracting officials. Several civilian respondents reported that their agencies used training offered
through the Federal Acquisition Institute—a federally run institute that facilitates and promotes career
development and strategic human capital management for the contracts workforce. The Federal Acquisition
Institute facilitated a COVID-19 Acquisition Policy training course on understanding the flexibilities, guidance,
and tools available to respond to the pandemic.
More than 70 percent of all respondents stated they did not require any additional training resources.
However, a smaller group responded they needed additional training, with the most common resources
needed being additional personnel and funding to help process the increased contract workload while
concurrently conducting training and updating existing training materials based on emerging policy changes.
One DoD survey respondent said they needed additional training or information related on Section 3610
of the CARES Act, which permits federal agencies to reimburse contractors who provide paid leave to
their employees and subcontractors who were unable to access work sites due to facility closures and
other restrictions and who could not telework during the pandemic. The contracts workforce approves

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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reimbursement requests for paid leave costs. However, Section 3610 did not appropriate any additional
funding to agencies to cover these expenses.13 The same respondent also stated training or information on
the use of the Defense Priorities and Allocation System, in accordance with an emergency declaration Under
Title I of the Defense Production Act of 1950, would have been beneficial.14
IT Support Resources
A large majority of DoD and civilian respondents reported they had the IT resources and infrastructure to
successfully operate in the remote environment during the pandemic.  However, others needed additional
resources. Of the civilian and DoD subagency respondents, 75 percent and 81 percent, respectively,
responded that they did not require additional IT resources to administer and manage pandemic-related
contracts, including contractor oversight activities.
Twenty-five percent of civilian agencies indicated a need for additional IT resources, such as additional
laptops, cellphones, and IT personnel to support remote work. Other responses included needing software
licenses to help transition to digitized forms and templates to streamline document approval procedures,
and upgrades to newer contract management software solutions that provide full lifecycle management of
the acquisition process. Nineteen percent of DoD subagencies indicated a need for additional IT resources,
including Virtual Private Network (VPN) improvements for remote connectivity and improved camera-enabled
government laptops and cell phones.
All 28 civilian agencies and 15 of the 16 DoD subagencies responded that at the time of survey completion
they were not in the process of obtaining additional IT solutions to assist with remote monitoring and
oversight of pandemic response contracts. One DoD subagency reported they were obtaining contract
management software and collaboration solutions to assist with remote monitoring and oversight of
pandemic response contracts.
Oversight and Management Resources
Many agencies reported that the pandemic did not have a major negative impact on the contracts
workforce’s ability to administer and manage contracts. Of the civilian and DoD subagency respondents,
71 percent and 75 percent, respectively, responded that the pandemic had minimal impact on their
agencies’ abilities to perform contract administration and management functions. Five civilian agency
respondents and four DoD subagency respondents reported negative impacts in this area caused by the
pandemic.
13 COVID-19 Contracting: Contractor Paid Leave Reimbursements Could Provide Lessons Learned for Future Emergency Responses, Government
Accountability Office, GAO-21-475 accessed May 18, 2023.
14 See here for more information on the Defense Priorities Allocations System Program (DPAS) accessed May 18, 2023.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Figure 7: Did the COVID-19 pandemic impact your agency’s ability to perform contract administration and
management functions?
Source: PRAC analysis of survey responses.
The following examples provide more details about the negative impacts raised by the survey respondents:
“Pandemic response requirements took precedence over the day-to-day mission
 operations contract requirements. This resulted in significant delays in much needed
 contract administration and management functions.”
“The pandemic further strained the already stretched thin contracts workforce as new
 requirements and tasks came with the pandemic. This led to burnout within the workforce but
 despite the foregoing, there was minimal impact.”
“COVID-19 pandemic created challenges in adjusting to remote monitoring and management of
 contracts in a telework environment.”
Supply chain constraints caused by the pandemic pitted agencies against each other in a
battle for the same limited resources, and the lack of a nationwide acquisition planning strategy
resulted in multiple contracting offices targeting the same items from the same vendors.
Respondents reported using different procurement flexibilities in response to the pandemic.  The
pandemic enabled several procurement flexibilities for COVID-19 related contracts. More than half of
the civilian respondents and half of DoD subagency respondents reported using the Special Emergency
Procurement Authorities flexibilities (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 18.202) provided as part of the
response to COVID-19, which allowed for increasing the micro-purchase threshold, simplified acquisition
threshold, and simplified procedures in conducting acquisitions.15
15 To learn more about these and other acquisition flexibilities, see FAR Subpart 18.2 – Emergency Acquisition Flexibilities, specifically section
18.202 – Defense or recovery from certain events, Part-18#FAR_18_202, accessed May 26, 2023.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Only 36 percent of civilian agency respondents and 25 percent of DoD subagency respondents reported
using flexibilities provided by Section 3610 of the CARES Act. These flexibilities permitted additional
discretionary authority to modify the terms of existing contracts or other agreements and to reimburse costs
of paid leave to contractors to keep their employees or subcontractors in a ready state.
Figure 8: Did your agency use any of the following contracting or procurement flexibilities provided by the
CARES Act?
Source: PRAC analysis of survey responses.
Note: Some agencies might have selected more than one answer while others selected none. The totals in the chart
above depict how many respondents reported using each type of contracting flexibility with respondents selecting all
that apply to them.
Respondents reported that contracting officials were to use sound judgment, weighing the best interests
of the government, in making decisions regarding the approval of Section 3610 reimbursement requests.
For example, one respondent noted they confirmed that their vendor did not receive any other CARES Act
assistance for work associated with the specific contract that would be in noncompliance with receiving
benefits under another program, such as the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
To help contracting officials assess contractor requests for Section 3610 reimbursements, civilian
respondents reported that they used checklists, held virtual training sessions, issued “Policy Flashes” to
provide guidance, and developed and shared answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Several DoD
subagency respondents also reported providing virtual training and policy alerts.
Across all civilian and DoD respondents, 25 percent reported that they used the waiver of acquisition
requirements in the Defense Production Act (DPA). The DPA is the primary source of presidential authorities
to expedite and expand the supply of materials and services from the U.S. industrial base needed to
promote the national defense.16 Provisions in the DPA that agencies have leveraged during the pandemic
include placing priority ratings on certain contracts to promote national defense, providing incentives
16 National Strategy for the COVID 19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness accessed May 18, 2023.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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or investments to private industry to expand domestic production and reduce foreign dependence, and
entering into public-private agreements with industry to coordinate emergency responses.
The contracts workforce used several techniques and platforms to oversee and monitor pandemic-
related contracts.  Of the civilian agency respondents, 82 percent reported that they used remote
monitoring platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx), telephone calls (79 percent), and reporting
portals or tools (64 percent) to oversee and monitor contracts. DoD subagency responses were similar, with
81 percent using reporting portals or tools, and 75 percent using telephone calls and/or remote monitoring
platforms. All but six agencies (across the 44 civilian agencies and DoD subagencies) used one or more
remote monitoring platforms.
Agency guidance or bulletins and trainings were among the techniques that most civilian agency
respondents reported offering their contracts workforce to assist with assessing risk. The guidance/bulletins
and trainings focused on topics such as market research and conducting responsibility determinations. A
majority of DoD subagency respondents also reported using agency guidance or bulletins and trainings. Both
civilian agencies and DoD subagencies reported their workforces did not commonly use risk and control
frameworks—with just 10 civilian agency respondents and five DoD respondents stating they leveraged
these techniques.
Grants Survey Responses
We distributed the grants survey to the same 29 federal agencies that received the contracts survey and
received 29 total responses from 20 distinct agencies (USDA submitted nine responses and VA submitted
two responses at the subagency level). See Appendix B for a complete list of the grant survey respondents.
Between March 27, 2020, and September 30, 2021, these 20 agencies had awarded more than 65,000
pandemic-related grants totaling more than $229 billion. Notably, the Department of Education, Department
of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, and
Department of Housing and Urban Development accounted for 96 percent of the total COVID-19 grant
award funding.
We asked the 29 survey respondents to provide feedback on several critical areas of federal grant functions
and processes related to:
1. Grant Funding
2. Staffing Resources
3. Training Activities and Resources
4. IT Solutions and Resources
5. Resources for Effective Grant Oversight and Management
A lack of sufficient staffing, IT, and training resources created challenges across agencies and required the

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Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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grants workforce to use a variety of
strategies to conduct their work. For
example, several agencies brought on
rehired annuitants. Respondents also
reported using video conferencing and
virtual collaboration platforms to perform
remote monitoring.
Most respondents stated that their
agencies or subagencies provided
sufficient training to manage and
administer their grants awards, however,
almost half of respondents reported
that they still needed additional training
resources.
Grant Funding
Slightly more than half of the
respondents reported that three or
more components (e.g., bureaus,
divisions, offices) within their
agencies manage and administer
pandemic response grants. Different
agencies had different structures for
how grant management occurs across
their agencies. More than half of all
respondents reported that their agencies
used both agency-wide policy guidance
and requirements along with individual
component-level policy guidance and
requirements. A few respondents relied
solely on each individual component to
develop their own policy guidance and
requirements.
Top 5 Agencies, by COVID-19 Grant Dollar Value
1. Department of Education
$273.6 billion
2. Department of Health and Human Services
$89.4 billion
3. Department of Transportation
$58 billion
4. Department of Homeland Security
$29.7 billion
5. Department of Housing and Urban
Development
$15.5 billion
Top 5 Agencies, by Number of COVID-19 Grants
1. Department of Health and Human Services
18,209 grants
2. Department of Education
14,024 grants
3. Department of Housing and Urban
Development
11,116 grants
4. Department of Transportation
10,531 grants
5. Department of Homeland Security
2,092 grants
Source: USAspending.gov grant obligations between
March 27, 2020, and September 30, 2021. See
Appendix B for a complete list of agencies that responded
to the grants survey.
Staffing Resources
Half of the agencies surveyed said they had adequate grants workforce staffing levels to manage the
workload during the pandemic. Additionally, 59 percent of respondents reported that the number of grant
officials at their agencies increased during the pandemic, 31 percent reported no change, and 10 percent of
respondents reported a decrease.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Respondents reported that insufficient grants workforce personnel introduced risk to their agencies. Some
of the risks included a proportional imbalance of the number of personnel to the amount of workload, use
of the same grant personnel for both pandemic and non-pandemic grants, reduced time to work on grant
administrative and monitoring activities, fatigue and burnout, and retention of experienced skilled grant
personnel. These challenges occurred at various employee levels (i.e., managers, supervisors, and staff).
The oversight community has also raised similar concerns about the increased risk associated with a
constrained grants workforce.17
About 76 percent of the grants survey respondents reported they used supplemental staffing resources.
Grants obligations increased significantly during the pandemic as compared to pre-pandemic. To manage
this increase, agencies used supplemental staffing to help award and administer COVID-19 related
grants. The most common types of supplemental staffing resources included term employees, third-party
contractors, and support services contractors. Respondents also listed using direct hiring authorities
and detailing existing employees. However, despite the use of supplemental staffing, 59 percent of the
respondents that used supplemental staffing resources reported that they did not have sufficient personnel
to award and administer grant activities.
Agencies took a variety of actions to mitigate the impacts of not having sufficient grant personnel. The
survey respondents who responded that they did not have enough qualified personnel (48 percent) to award
and administer pandemic-related grants:

•
Developed onboarding tools, increased internal staff trainings/meetings, created quarterly
team building events, expanded online training for grantees, and deepened cross-collaboration
with partners.
•
Used non-competitive grants, which required less
staff in the award process, allowing time for
prospective grantees to build competitive grant
applications.
•
Supplemented existing awards instead of creating
new awards for COVID-19 relief funds related to
certain grant activities.
Of the total 29 respondents, more than half reported
additional staffing challenges caused by the pandemic.
These included resolving security clearances for
contractors and new employees, finding sufficiently
qualified candidates with federal grants management
experience, and hiring specialized staff, such as financial
analysts and grants specialists to monitor grants.
Figure 9: As of September 30, 2021, did your
agency have a sufficient number of qualified
personnel to award and administer COVID-19
pandemic response related grants?
Source: PRAC analysis of survey responses
17 TMPC Report accessed May 18, 2023. CIGIE, Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing Multiple Federal Agencies:
February 2, 2021.

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Significant staff turnover and new staff with
limited experience overseeing grants at the
federal level also created challenges. Additional
challenges related to staffing that extended
beyond issues with staff recruitment included
the need for grants staff to work significant
overtime to meet aggressive timelines for
developing Notices of Funding Opportunity
(NOFO), processing grant awards, and diverting
law enforcement and compliance activities to
address core mission requirements. Furthermore,
respondents reported having to pull permanent
staff from their regular work assignments
(i.e., grant monitoring, audit resolution, data
management) to assist with processing COVID-19
grants.18
Risks Caused by Inadequate Staffing
Resources for the Grants Workforce
● The influx of pandemic funds took time
away from non-pandemic grant award and
monitoring and oversight activities, and
created staff fatigue, as the same staff
worked on both pandemic and non-pandemic
grants.
● Retention was a concern as there was
uncertainty associated with temporary
versus permanent appointments. Some
staff left to accept permanent positions
at other agencies and agencies with more
manageable workloads.
● Agencies deferred or delayed other mission-
critical tasks and program oversight activities
to complete pandemic response activities,
including developmental training of staff and
investigations of administrative complaints.
Training Resources
Nearly 80 percent of respondents said their
agencies had provided training to grant-making
employees.  Many agencies reported providing
training that was related specifically to COVID-19
rules and flexibilities provided under emergency
and/or exigent circumstances. The frequency of the training varied across agencies, with some agencies
offering one-time training and others offering ongoing training. For example, one respondent indicated
their agency delivered 48 live trainings between March 27, 2020 and September 30, 2021, to over 12,000
participants across the U.S. and its territories.
Despite the training provided, many respondents reported they needed additional grants management
training resources. Only 45 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the measures their agencies
took to train grants officials while the remainder were neutral. For example, respondents reported needing
specific training materials to help newer staff understand COVID-19 related flexibilities and needing
designated staff or contractor support to create and facilitate grants management training sessions.
Respondents reported that these types of training activities relied on existing overburdened grants
management officials and further slowed processing times. This may have contributed to respondents noting
staff fatigue and attrition among the workforce.
18 A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is a formal announcement of the availability of Federal funding through a financial assistance program
from a federal awarding agency. See 2 CFR § 200.204 Notices of funding opportunities, Section 200.204 accessed May 25, 2023.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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IT Support Resources
Approximately 55 percent of the respondents reported needing additional IT resources.  Of note, five
respondents reported their agencies needed a grants management system or enhancements made to
an existing system to manage grant reporting and payment processing, and/or needed customization to
adapt to unique program requirements. OIGs have previously reported that their respective agencies rely
on outdated IT systems to perform key functions and responsibilities, such as grants administration and
management.
Another respondent reported that “Grants.gov representatives could not confirm if screen reader technology
was compatible for applicants with disabilities…so [the agency] made accommodations to receive data
outside of this system for [affected] applicants”. This same respondent reported that the agency “lacked a
secure, electronic solution to receive sensitive [bank information]” so “contractors collected the information
by telephone, [which caused] a significant delay in the payment process.”
Despite these additional IT resource needs cited by respondents, most respondents indicated that their
agency provided video conferencing and virtual collaboration platforms (e.g., Teams, Skype, Zoom, WebEx,)
to perform remote monitoring of pandemic response grants. Around 40 percent of respondents also reported
using grant systems for the registration, application, and reporting processes connected to federal awards,
such as SAM.gov or Grant Solutions.
Oversight and Management Resources
Approximately 60 percent of the respondents reported
the pandemic had negative or other significant impacts
on their agencies’ abilities to administer and manage
grants.  Many respondents reported challenges and
impacts associated with suspending or minimizing travel,
shifting to or increasing remote work, or relying purely on
virtual tools to conduct oversight activities. Others noted
that engaging with customers exclusively through virtual
channels (i.e., remote monitoring, webinars, and training
sessions) prevented personal connections, limiting staffs’
abilities to identify the most urgent needs or challenges
recipients were facing and how best to support them.
A few respondents reported that remote monitoring did
not provide the same level of insight as being onsite and
conducting in-person reviews, which created oversight
concerns.
Respondents also highlighted that the increased workload
due to pandemic-related grants stretched their workforce
thin which impacted their ability to manage and oversee
Figure 10: Respondents reported whether
the pandemic had a negative or other
significant impact on their agencies’ abilities
to administer and manage grants.
Source: PRAC analysis of survey responses.

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COVID-19 or previous grant actions. This also
created burnout across the workforce. Relatedly,
one respondent also noted that successful
oversight of grants was already a long-standing
challenge, which the significant increase in
pandemic-related awards further exacerbated.
Of those that reported a minimal impact, several
respondents noted that administration and
management functions were already “telework
ready,” so moving them to a remote and/or
virtual environment resulted in no impact to
productivity.
Challenges in Grant Administration
and Management

● Challenges with integrating new staff into
the office, collaborating, and identifying
efficiencies within operations.
● Complications with administrative and
management work due to additional funding
and program waivers.
● Difficulty providing necessary training and
technical assistance with no on-site visits to
grantee offices.
● Decreases in the scope of grant monitoring,
levels of insight, and timelines with remote
monitoring.
● Negative impacts to applicants in areas with
limited/no broadband access after moving to
all-electronic grant application process.
Survey responses noted that agency guidance
bulletins, training, and risk and control
frameworks helped to assess grant and
recipient risk. Several respondents also noted
that their agencies enhanced or modified
their databases or developed dashboards to
better track, award, and/or report on COVID-19
grants. For example, one respondent described
developing an online interactive COVID-19 “Cash
Drawdown Tracker” that displayed information
by component, pandemic legislation, Assistance
Listing, and/or recipient. Other grant oversight techniques included deploying a COVID-19 task force, using
decision matrices during program implementation, and leveraging different contracting vehicles to assist
with oversight.
The grants workforce used different techniques to oversee and monitor assistance awards funded with
pandemic response funds. The techniques included regular internal meetings, engagement with external
stakeholders,and portals, dashboards, and tools to track spending and activities. For example, almost all
respondents stated that they used remote platforms, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and telephone
calls to oversee and monitor grant awards. Additionally, more than 45 percent of respondents used desktop
validation/reviews.19 Other oversight activities reported by respondents included independent monitoring by
third-party contractors, review of photographs or videos, and increased recipient reporting.
Respondents also used a variety of tools and resources that their agencies either developed or acquired
to assist with oversight. For example, several agencies reported they held internal meetings and check-ins,
and/or provided office hours to make sure grants offices were up to date with duties and expectations.
Respondents also provided similar support to external stakeholders through conference calls, trainings,
FAQs, and guidance documents to educate recipients on federal grantees’ reporting requirements (i.e.,
19 Desktop validation entails performing compliance monitoring and oversight procedures remotely from the auditor’s/inspector’s desk.

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Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
19

Figure 11: Respondents reported whether
they incorporated 2 CFR 200.202 planning
and design into their programs.
Source: PRAC analysis of survey responses.
guidance for pass-through entities and federal
requirements for managing and reporting subaward data
in grant programs).
Agencies used a variety of tactics to quickly disburse
pandemic response funds, but most relied on internal
guidance to clarify grant flexibilities and other
program requirements.  Agencies responded that they
used internal resources to help grant officials or external
resources to aid grant applicants in applying and
receiving grant funds. Respondents listed resources and
actions, such as:
• Processing modifications that led to expedited
review times.
• Providing templates to assist grant officials setting
up new programs or to assist applicants in providing
the proper documentation.
• Developing internal intranets that contained
program-specific resources or external portals that contained policies, tutorials, or other resources
to aid applicants.
• Developing both internal- and external-facing guidance to clarify program flexibilities.
• Implementing new administrative actions to manage the large influx of awards, such as offering
grant officials credit hours or compensatory time or allowing the use of electronic signatures to
expedite document approval processes for recipients.
One respondent indicated that they were able to expedite pandemic funding by leveraging existing grant
programs, adding that standing up new programs took additional time to consult with other participating
federal entities and external stakeholders on program design. Additionally, one respondent indicated that
they implemented a two-tier review structure that employed a scoring rubric based on established criteria to
prioritize and expedite application reviews. After a panel reviewed and scored each application, the agency
flagged applications for further review based on the standard deviation of the rubric scores assigned by
evaluators, with priority given to applications with conflicting evaluator scores. This process ensured that
staff brought forward applications requiring further review and discussion.
Approximately 60 percent of the respondents reported their agencies incorporated program planning and
design principles and practices from federal regulations to develop and oversee COVID-19 programs. In
November 2020, the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR 200 subpart 200.202) introduced planning and
design requirements to federal awarding agencies. As part of these requirements, agencies must create
an Assistance Listing before announcing the NOFO.20 Requirements include designing programs with clear
20 For more information on program planning and design, see § 200.202 Program planning and design, here: Section 200.202, accessed May
18, 2023.

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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goals and objectives that facilitate the delivery of meaningful results consistent with the legislative intent of
the program.
About 60 percent of the respondents reported that they incorporated 2 CFR 200.202 planning and design
into their programs. Additionally, several of these respondents noted that 2 CFR 200.202 was the foundation
upon which their NOFO’s were built.
Approximately 80 percent of the respondents said they used performance management practices in their
programs; however, not all of these respondents cited 2 CFR 200 specifically. For example, one respondent
reported that some pandemic-related grant programs were exempt from 2 CFR 200.202 planning and
design requirements but focused on the administration of grant outcomes as part of their due diligence.
Respondents reported using the Performance Management Playbook practices and OMB guidance
in the development and oversight of pandemic programs. Approximately 34 percent of respondents
incorporated The Performance Management Playbook for Federal Awarding Agencies (Playbook) practices
into their policies, guidance, program goals and more. The Playbook provides federal awarding agencies with
promising practices for analyzing program and project results and individual award recipient performance,
while maintaining and minimizing compliance efforts.
Additionally, approximately 45 percent of respondents also stated that they either provided OMB guidance
to their workforces or worked directly with OMB to provide guidance when standing up new programs,
when applicable.
21 Managing for Results: Performance Management Playbook for Federal Awarding Agencies accessed May 18, 2023.
21

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Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Appendix A – Contracts Workforce Survey
Respondents22
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense
○ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
○ Defense Commissary Agency
○ Defense Finance and Accounting Service
○ Defense Human Resources Activity
○ Defense Information Systems Agency
○ Defense Logistics Agency
○ Defense Media Activity
○ Defense Microelectronics Activity
○ Defense Threat Reduction Agency
○ Department of the Air Force
○ Department of the Army
○ Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Procurement
○ Missile Defense Agency
○ U.S. Transportation Command
○ Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences
○ Washington Headquarters Services,
Acquisition Directorate
• Department of Education
• Department of Energy
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Homeland Security, Office
• Department of Housing and
Urban Development
• Department of Justice
• Department of Labor
• Department of State
• Department of the Interior
• Department of the Treasury
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of
Acquisition, Logistics & Construction
• Election Assistance Commission
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Federal Communications Commission
• General Services Administration
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Science Foundation
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the Chief
Procurement Officer
• Office of Personnel Management
• Peace Corps
• Railroad Retirement Board
• Small Business Administration, Acquisitions
Division, Office of the Chief Financial Officer
• Social Security Administration
• U.S. Agency for International Development
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
22 The PRAC received a total of 48 responses to the contract’s workforce survey, but after reviewing the responses and/or confirming with agency
leadership, we determined that four responses were submitted erroneously by staff at subagencies not at the level intended to respond.

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
22

Appendix B – Grant Workforce Survey
Respondents23
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Education
• Department of Health and Human Services ,
Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources,
Office of Grants
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Housing and Urban
Development
• Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs
• Department of Labor
• Department of State
• Department of the Interior, Office of Grants
Management
• Department of the Treasury, Office of Recovery
Programs
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Veterans Affairs
○Veterans Health Administration, Grant and
Per Diem Program
○Veterans Health Administration, Supportive
Services for Veteran Families Program
• Election Assistance Commission
• Environmental Protection Agency
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Science Foundation
• Small Business Administration, Office of Grants
Management
• U.S. Agency for International Development
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
○Agricultural Marketing Service
○Agricultural Research Service
○Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service
○Farm Production and Conservation
Business Center
○Food Safety and Inspection Service
○National Institute of Food and Agriculture
○Office of the Secretary, Marketing and
Regulatory Programs
○Rural Development
○U.S. Forest Service
23 The PRAC received a total of 35 responses to the survey, but after reviewing the responses and/or confirming with agency leadership, we
determined that six responses were submitted erroneously by staff or submitted by agencies that indicated in their responses that they did not
receive any pandemic related funding for grants. These responses were not included in the analyses for this report.

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Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Appendix C – Acquisitions Workforce
Survey
Section 15010 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act directs the Pandemic
Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to review whether there are sufficient, qualified acquisition
personnel overseeing covered funds and the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) response as well as
whether those personnel received adequate training, technology support, and other resources to perform
their duties. The following questions and data requests seek to obtain information about individuals in the
acquisition workforce who oversee, administer, and/or monitor covered funds and the COVID-19 response.
The Chief Acquisition Officer (CAO), the Senior Procurement Executive (SPE), or the Chief Financial Officer
(CFO) should please provide a unified response from your Department or agency, coordinating internally as
necessary.
Key Definitions to Consider When Completing the Survey:
All covered funds—referred to as COVID-19 pandemic response funds—include those funds appropriated
under the CARES Act; Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act; Families First
Coronavirus Response Act; Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act;
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021; and American Rescue Plan of
2021.
The acquisition workforce—referred to as contracting officials—includes, for the purposes of this work, any
agency personnel whose official job responsibilities include awarding, administering, or managing contracts
or procurements either full-time or part-time, including those personnel involved in any aspect of the
contract life cycle. This can include planning, awarding, managing, and reviewing performance of contracts
or contracting processes. This should include personnel whose involvement in contracting or procurement
work/activities is consistent and not conducted on an ad-hoc basis. Examples include, but are not limited
to, program managers, requiring officials, contracting officers, contract specialists, contracting officer’s
representatives, and task monitors (and if applicable, any non-full time equivalents personnel serving in
those roles, such as a third-party contractor or a retired annuitant).
Data Call Questions
1. Full Name:
2. Email:
3. Agency:
Contract Obligations
4. Did your agency use the National Interest Action (NIA) Code for COVID-19 contract reporting?
a. Yes
b. No

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If No, go to question 8. If Yes:
5. Did your agency provide its workforce with OMB and/or other guidance on how to determine if the NIA
applied?
a. Yes
b. No
6. Was there any confusion as to when the code should apply?
a. Yes
b. No
7.
What steps were taken to support uniform implementation of use of the code across the agency?
a. Text Response
8. How many components (e.g., bureaus, divisions, offices, etc.) within your Federal agency manage and
administer COVID-19 pandemic response contracts?
a. Numerical Response
Staffing Resources
9. As of September 30, 2021, please indicate the number of staff (include full-time and part-time)
working as Contracting Officers
a. Numerical Response
10. As of September 30, 2021, please indicate the number of staff (include full-time and part-time)
working as Contract Specialists
a. Numerical Response
11.  As of September 30, 2021, please indicate the number of staff (include full-time and part-time)
working as Contracting Officer Representatives (COR) (including alternate CORs or assistant CORs)
a. Numerical Response
12.  As of September 30, 2021, please indicate the number of staff (include full-time and part-time)
working as Task Monitors (if applicable)
a. Numerical Response
13. How does the size your agency’s acquisition workforce compare to the size of the workforce prior to
and after the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., before March 27, 2020 and as of September 30, 2021)?
Note: This should be general characterization of the change in size.
a. Our agency’s acquisition workforce increased during the pandemic
b. Our agency’s acquisition workforce decreased during the pandemic
c. Our agency’s acquisition workforce did not change during the pandemic
d. Other. (Please provide any additional information, if necessary.)
14. Select which of the following supplemental staffing resources were used by your agency to assist in
COVID-19 pandemic response day-to-day contract planning, awarding, and performance management
related contract oversight. (Select all that apply.)
a. Third Party Contractors

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b. Personal Services Contractors
c. Support Services Contractors
d. Reemployed Annuitants
e. Term employees
f. Assisted acquisition staff
g. AbilityOne
h. None
i. Other (explain)
15. As of September 30, 2021, did your agency have a sufficient number of qualified (e.g., certified)
contracting officials available to plan for, award, and administer COVID-19 pandemic response
contracts?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes, go to question 19. If No:
16. How many additional contracting officials (full-time, part-time, support) does your agency need to work
on COVID-19 pandemic response contracts?
a. Numerical Response
17. What is the impact of not having sufficient contracting officials to award and manage COVID-19
pandemic response contracts?
a. Text Response
18. What has your agency done to mitigate the impacts described above? Provide a brief description.
a. Text Response
Training Resources
19. Between March 27, 2020, and September 30, 2021, did your agency provide training on contract
management and performance oversight to contracting officials involved in COVID-19 pandemic
response contracts?
a. Yes
b. No
If No, go to question 21. If Yes:
20. Please provide a list of all training activities and a brief summary/purpose of the training activity.
a. Text Response
21. What additional resources, if any, are needed to provide training or maintain certification for
contracting officials overseeing COVID-19 pandemic response contracts?
a. Text Response

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22. Overall, how satisfied are you with the measures that your agency has taken to train contracting
officials working on pandemic response contracts? (Select a response below.)
a. Dissatisfied
b. Neutral
c. Satisfied
If Neutral, go to question 24. If Satisfied/Dissatisfied:
23. Please elaborate as to why you are Satisfied/Dissatisfied with the measures your agency has taken to
train acquisitions officials working on pandemic response contracts.
a. Text Response
IT Support Resources
24. What technology solutions has your agency provided to contracting officials to appropriately manage
contracts and contractor performance remotely? (Select all that apply.)
a. Video Conferencing or virtual collaboration platforms (i.e., Microsoft Teams, Skype, WebEx,
Zoom, etc.)
b. Reporting capabilities or tools
c. Other
d. None
If none:
25. If none, is your agency in the process of obtaining/procuring additional IT solutions to assist with
remote monitoring and oversight of COVID-19 pandemic response contracts?
a. Yes
b. No
c. N/A
If No or N/A, go to question 27. If Yes:
26. Please elaborate as to which additional IT solutions your agency is in the process of obtaining/
procuring to assist with remote monitoring and oversight of COVID-19 pandemic response contracts?
a. Text Response
27. What additional IT resources, if any, would have assisted your agency in the administration and
management (including contractor oversight activities) of COVID-19 pandemic response contracts?
Please describe.
a. Text Response
Contract Oversight and Management Resources
28. Please describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your agency’s ability to perform contract
administration and management functions, if at all.
a. Text Response

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29. Which of the following techniques did your agency use to provide oversight and monitoring of
contracts funded with COVID-19 pandemic response funds? (Select all that apply.)
a. Telephone calls
b. Remote monitoring platforms (ex. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, etc.)
c. Reporting portals or tools
d. More frequent recipient reporting
e. Photographs or video
f. Independent monitoring from third parties
g. Desktop validation
h. None
i. Other (Please explain)
30. Did your agency use any of the following contracting or procurement flexibilities provided by the CARES
Act? (Select all that apply)
a. Undefinitized Contract Actions (UCA)
b. Other Transaction Authority (OTA)
c. Special Emergency Procurement Authorities (e.g., increased micro-purchase threshold, increased
Simplified Acquisition Threshold, etc.)
d. Reimbursement of contractors (Section 3610)
e. Defense Production Act, Waiver of Acquisition Requirements (e.g., revised notification
requirements, use of electronic signature and notification, waived internal review/approval
process, broad authority for urgent and compelling, etc.)
f. None
g. Other (Please describe)
31. Based on the selections in the previous question, please describe how your agency used those
contracting flexibilities to assist contracting officials in performing duties as well as any guidance
or resources provided to your agency’s contracting officials to better understand or utilize those
flexibilities.
a. Text Response
32. Which of the following resources did your agency provide to contracting officials to assess risk
(such as market research and responsibility determinations and program risk) related to COVID-19
pandemic response contracts? (Select all that apply.)
Note: These resources could include fraud detection resources used for non-COVID-19 pandemic
response contracts, and not necessarily new resources developed specifically for COVID-19 pandemic
response contracts.
a. Agency guidance or bulletins
b. Training
c. Risk and control framework
d. None
e. Other (Please specify and describe.)

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Overall View of Resources for Contracting Officials
33. Overall, please respond to the statements below regarding your agency’s response to providing
oversight of COVID-19 pandemic response contracts and contract supported activities. Please
respond with a unified response considering your agency’s full acquisition workforce:
My agency:
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
Agree
Has sufficient resources, overall.
Has sufficient staffing resources.
Has sufficient training resources.
Has sufficient IT resources.
Provided sufficient guidance to
contracting officials.
Received sufficient guidance from the
Office of Management and Budget.
34. Please provide any additional information, that has not already been discussed, regarding resources
available to your agency in managing COVID-19 pandemic response contracts.
a. Text Response

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Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
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Appendix D – Grants Workforce Survey
Section 15010 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act directs the Pandemic
Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to review whether there are sufficient, qualified grant personnel
overseeing covered funds and the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) response as well as whether those
personnel received adequate training, technology support, and other resources to perform their duties.
The following questions and data requests seek to obtain information about the grant workforce and those
individuals overseeing, administering, or managing covered funds and the COVID-19 response. The CFO (or
the senior agency official responsible for grants activity) should please provide a unified response from your
Department or agency, coordinating internally as necessary.”)
Key Definitions to Consider When Completing the Survey:
All covered funds—referred to as COVID-19 pandemic response funds—include those funds appropriated
under the CARES Act; Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act; Families First
Coronavirus Response Act; Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act;
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021; and American Rescue Plan of
2021.
The grants workforce—referred to as grants officials—includes any personnel (i.e., direct hire, staff employed
through other hiring mechanisms, or contractor support) whose official job responsibilities include
overseeing, administering, or managing grants, as well as developing, monitoring, and evaluating programs
(i.e., federal financial assistance awards, grants, and cooperative agreements) either full-time or part-
time, including those personnel involved in any aspect of the grant life cycle. This should include program
management and oversight, grants execution and implementation, and administrative support and fiscal
functions, as well as program aspects of the grant. This should include personnel whose involvement in
grant work is consistent and not conducted on an ad-hoc basis. Examples of positions identified as grants
officials may include, but is not limited to, grants manager, program manager, grants officers, grants officer
representatives, financial officers, and grants specialists (and, if applicable, any non-full-time equivalent
personnel serving in those roles). Where applicable, please reference the CFO Council Financial Assistance
Management Career Roadmap (AM Career Roadmap Report) in your agency’s assessment of staffing and
training resources.
Data Call Questions
1. Full Name:
2. Email:
3. Agency:

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Funding
For questions below, please include all funds provided by your agency through grants officials, including
competitive grants, formula grants, or other means such as cooperative agreements.
4. How many components (e.g., bureaus, divisions, offices, etc.) within your Federal agency manage and
administer COVID-19 pandemic response grants?
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3+
If 0, go to question 6. If answer greater than 1:
5. If multiple components manage and administer COVID-19 pandemic response grants within your
Federal agency, do they use agency-wide policy guidance/requirements or does each individual
component develop its own policy guidance/requirements?
a. Agency-wide policy guidance/requirements
b. Component policy guidance/requirements
c. Both
d. None
Staffing Resources
6. Regarding personnel working on COVID-19 pandemic response grants, as of September 30, 2021,
how many agency staff performed duties as grants officials, as described above, more than on an ad-
hoc basis (i.e., people who generally spend more than 25% of their time on grants work)?
a. Numerical Response
7.
How does the number of grants officials at your agency compare to the number of grants officials prior
to the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., before March 27, 2020 and as of September 30, 2021)?
Note: This should be general characterization of the change in size.
a. The number of grant officials at our agency increased during the pandemic
b. The number of grant officials at our agency decreased during the pandemic
c. The number of grant officials at our agency did not change during the pandemic
d. Other. (Please provide any additional information, if necessary.)
8. Select which of the following supplemental staffing resources were used by your agency to assist in
COVID-19 pandemic response related grants oversight. (Select all that apply.)
a. Third Party Contractors
b. Personal Services Contractors
c. Support Services Contractors
d. Reemployed Annuitants
e. Term Employees
f. None
g. Other (explain)

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9. As of September 30, 2021, did your agency have a sufficient number of qualified personnel to award
and administer COVID-19 pandemic response related grants?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes, go to question 13. If No:
10. If no, how many additional personnel (full-time, part-time, support staff) does your agency need
to work on COVID-19 pandemic response related grants? (Note: This can include direct hires and
contractor support staff.)
a. Numerical Response
11. What is the impact of not having sufficient personnel to work on the financial assistance award
process for COVID-19 pandemic response related grants? Provide a brief description.
a. Text Response
12. What has your agency done to mitigate the impacts described above? Provide a brief description.
a. Text Response
13. Please provide any additional information on challenges you encountered related to your agency’s
staffing of grants officials due to the COVID-19 pandemic response funding.
a. Text Response
Training Resources
14. Did your agency provide training(s) between March 27, 2020 and September 30, 2021 to grants
officials working on COVID-19 pandemic response grants that would assist them in performing grants
management and oversite activities?
a. Yes
b. No
If No, go to question 16. If Yes:
15. If yes, please provide the list of training(s) with a brief summary of the purpose of the training
activities.
a. Text Response
16. What additional resources, if any, are needed to provide grants management training for grants
officials overseeing COVID-19 pandemic response funds?
a. Text Response
17. Overall, how satisfied are you with the measures that your agency has taken to train grants officials
working on pandemic response grants? (Select a response below.)
a. Dissatisfied
b. Neutral
c. Satisfied

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
32

If Neutral, go to question 19. If Satisfied/Dissatisfied:
18. Please elaborate as to why you are Satisfied/Dissatisfied with the measures your agency has taken to
train grants officials working on pandemic response grants.
a. Text Response
IT Support Resources
19.  What IT solutions has your agency provided to grants officials to perform remote monitoring for
COVID-19 pandemic response grants? (Select all that apply.)
a. Video conference or virtual collaboration platforms (i.e., Teams, Skype, Zoom, WebEx, etc.)
b. Grants system (i.e., system for reporting progress)
c. None
d. Other. (Please describe.)
If A, B, or D, go to question 22. If None:
20. If none, is your agency in the process of obtaining/procuring additional IT solutions to assist with
remote monitoring and oversight of COVID-19 pandemic response grants?
a. Yes
b. No
If No, go to question 22. If Yes:
21. Please elaborate as to which additional IT solutions your agency is in the process of obtaining/
procuring to assist with remote monitoring and oversight of COVID-19 pandemic response grants?
a. Text Response
22. What additional IT resources, if any, would have assisted your agency in the administration and
monitoring of COVID-19 pandemic response grants? Please describe.
a. Text Response
Grants Oversight and Management Resources
23. Please describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your agency’s ability to perform grants
administration and management functions, if at all. (If no impact, please note that no impact occurred
in your response.)
a. Text Response
24. The next two questions relate to efforts your agency has taken to increase focus on effective program
management, including the establishment of clear goals and objectives and measuring progress
against them.
Please indicate the extent to which your agency has incorporated 2 CFR 200.202, Program planning
and design, and the principles and practices of the Performance Management Playbook, in your
agency’s development and oversight of COVID-19 programs.
a. Text Response

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
33

25. What resources did your agency, or OMB, provide to help your grants officials to stand up new
programs (i.e., Playbook, OMB M-20-21, internally developed guidance, etc.).
a. Text Response
26. What resources (guidance, policies, directions, etc.), if any, did your agency provide to grants officials
to allow for or assist in awarding or disbursing COVID-19 pandemic response funds more quickly? (If
none provided, please indicate that none were provided in your response.)
a. Text Response
27. What monitoring activities did your agency’s grants officials use to effectively oversee or monitor
performance of COVID-19 pandemic response related grants? (Select all that apply.)
a. Telephone calls
b. Remote monitoring platforms (ex. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, etc.)
c. Reporting portals or tools
d. More frequent recipient reporting
e. Photographs or video
f. Independent monitoring from third parties
g. Desktop validation/reviews
h. None.
i. Other. (Please explain.)
28. Which of the following resources did your agency provide to grants officials to assess risk (such as
program and recipient risk) related to COVID-19 pandemic response grants and recipients? (Select all
that apply.)
Note: These resources could include fraud detection resources used for non-COVID-19 pandemic
response grants, and not necessarily new resources developed specifically for COVID-19 pandemic
response grants.
a. Agency guidance or bulletins
b. Training
c. Risk and control framework
d. None
e. Other (Please specify and describe.)
29. What additional tools or resources, if any, did your agency develop or acquire to assist with oversight
of COVID-19 pandemic response grants?
a. Text Response

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
34

Overall View of Resources for Grants Officials
30. Overall, please respond to the statements below regarding your agency’s response to providing
oversight of the COVID-19 pandemic response grants:
My agency:
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
Agree
Has sufficient resources, overall.
Has sufficient staffing resources.
Has sufficient training resources.
Has sufficient IT resources.
Provided sufficient guidance
to grant officials.
Received sufficient guidance from the
Office of Management and Budget.
31. Please provide any additional information, that has not already been provided, regarding resources
available to your agency in managing COVID-19 pandemic response grants.
a. Text Response

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
Key Insights: Contracts and Grants Workforce
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic–September 2023
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
35
35

Appendix E – Acronyms
CARES Act
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
CFR
Code of Federal Regulations
DPA
Defense Production Act
DoD
Department of Defense
FAR
Federal Acquisition Regulation
FAQ
Frequently Asked Question
FY
Fiscal Year
GAO
Government Accountability Office
IT
Information Technology
NIA
National Interest Action
NOFO
Notice of Funding Opportunities
OIG
Office of Inspector General
OMB
Office of Management and Budget
PRAC
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
VA
Department of Veterans Affairs

For more information:
Lisa Reijula
Associate Director of Outreach and Engagement, PRAC
Lisa.Reijula@cigie.gov
Visit us at:
PandemicOversight.gov
Follow us at:
Report Fraud, Waste, Abuse, or Misconduct:
To report allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or
misconduct regarding pandemic relief funds or programs
please go to the PRAC website at
PandemicOversight.gov.
A Committee of the
Council of the Inspectors General
on Integrity and Efficiency

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