Overview

This two-day, practice-focused course examines the unique oversight, collaboration, and accountability challenges associated with cooperative agreements. Unlike traditional grants, cooperative agreements involve substantial federal involvement, requiring ongoing coordination between awarding agencies and recipients throughout the life of the award.

This course explores how cooperative agreements function in practice, how roles and responsibilities differ from grants, and how monitoring must be structured to support collaboration without blurring accountability. Participants learn how to manage shared decision-making, document federal involvement, monitor performance and compliance, and respond to issues in a way that protects federal interests while enabling program success. Through realistic scenarios and applied exercises, participants strengthen their ability to manage cooperative agreements defensibly under audit, Inspector General, and congressional review.

Syllabus

Module 1: Purpose and Role of Cooperative Agreements

Explain when and why cooperative agreements are used instead of grants.
Identify statutory and regulatory authority governing cooperative agreements.
Describe substantial federal involvement in practical terms.

Module 2: Regulatory Framework and Oversight Expectations

Identify 2 CFR 200 provisions applicable to cooperative agreements.
Understand agency-specific policies governing federal involvement.
Recognize oversight expectations from OMB, IGs, and Congress.

Module 3: Roles, Responsibilities, and Boundaries

Distinguish federal versus recipient responsibilities.
Identify risks associated with role confusion and informal direction.
Establish clear boundaries to preserve accountability.

Module 4: Monitoring Cooperative Agreements

Design monitoring approaches that reflect substantial federal involvement.
Integrate technical engagement with compliance monitoring.
Avoid over-monitoring and inappropriate direction.

Module 5: Performance Management in Cooperative Agreements

Assess performance within collaborative program structures.
Interpret milestones, deliverables, and shared outcomes.
Identify early warning signs of performance failure.

Module 6: Financial Oversight and Cost Management

Monitor costs and drawdowns in cooperative agreements.
Identify financial risks unique to shared federal involvement.
Distinguish technical guidance from financial control.

Module 7: Managing Change and Federal Direction

Navigate scope changes, approvals, and amendments.
Document federal input without directing recipient operations.
Manage evolving program needs defensibly.

Module 8: Addressing Noncompliance and Performance Issues

Identify compliance and performance issues through monitoring.
Determine appropriate responses consistent with cooperative agreement authority.
Coordinate corrective actions and technical assistance.