Overview

This two-day course provides a structured, practical framework for managing grant performance, outcomes, and results across the post-award lifecycle. Participants learn to move beyond activity tracking and compliance-based reporting to design, monitor, and document performance in ways that support decision-making, program improvement, and oversight defensibility.

The course emphasizes aligning objectives, performance measures, data collection, reporting, and oversight so results can be credibly demonstrated to leadership, funders, auditors, Inspectors General, OMB, and congressional stakeholders. Through realistic scenarios and performance data examples, participants practice distinguishing outputs from outcomes, identifying performance risk, responding to underperformance, and documenting results management decisions that withstand scrutiny.

Syllabus

Module 1: Purpose and Role of Grant Performance and Results Management

Explain the role of performance management in the grants lifecycle.
Distinguish performance accountability from compliance monitoring.
Describe how results management supports stewardship and public trust.

Module 2: From Program Goals to Measurable Outcomes

Translate statutory and program goals into measurable outcomes.
Identify misalignment between activities and intended results.
Recognize common outcome design failures.

Module 3: Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact

Differentiate outputs, outcomes, and long-term impact.
Identify when programs over-rely on activity metrics.
Assess which measures are material to program success.

Module 4: Designing Effective Performance Measures

Develop clear, specific, and measurable performance indicators.
Avoid vague or non-actionable measures.
Align measures with data availability and program capacity.

Module 5: Data Collection, Quality, and Limitations

Identify common data quality risks in grant programs.
Evaluate the reliability and usefulness of performance data.
Document assumptions and data limitations defensibly.

Module 6: Analyzing Performance and Identifying Material Risk

Assess performance trends and patterns.
Distinguish material underperformance from normal variation.
Identify when performance issues require intervention.

Module 7: Responding to Underperformance

Select appropriate responses to performance shortfalls.
Use technical assistance, corrective action, or escalation appropriately.
Avoid overreaction and inconsistent enforcement.

Module 8: Linking Performance to Oversight and Monitoring

Design monitoring approaches based on performance risk.
Adjust oversight intensity using performance data.
Prevent over-monitoring and under-monitoring.

Module 9: Performance Reporting and Oversight Expectations

Prepare performance reports that are decision-useful.
Anticipate oversight questions related to outcomes and results.
Avoid common reporting and documentation failures.

Module 10: Capstone – Defensible Performance and Results Management

Apply course concepts to a realistic performance scenario.
Diagnose performance design and implementation issues.
Develop and document a defensible results management approach.

Taught by

Seitu Stephens, J.D.

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