Grant programs: An overview of the legal and policy framework

Who should attend

This course has been designed for Commonwealth employees responsible for planning, implementing and managing grant programs.

Course outline and objectives

In this half-day course we will discuss:

• the legal framework for grant programs
• the key principles of the Commonwealth Grants Rules Guidelines (CGRGs)
• thinking about and managing risks
• common legal issues in managing a grant agreement.

Grants, like any other spending proposals, are subject to the financial management and accountability framework of the Commonwealth. This course will outline the key obligations arising under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the Rule, as well as a discussion of some of the principles covered in the Resource Management Guides and other policies. We will provide an overview of the CGRGs and work through how they apply to different types of grant programs. As the management of risk is a critical issue for any grant program, we will assist participants to identify possible risks and outline options for managing those risks. We will also look at ways of achieving effective management of grants – which should ultimately mean a grant program's policy objectives are achieved. There will also be a discussion of the some of the templates that are available and how they approach some common legal issues.

Participants will gain a better understanding of the application of the CGRGs, of the key considerations for effective grant programs and how to identify and manage risks.

Presenters

Our presenters are AGS lawyers who have a great depth of knowledge of the government environment, and who practise extensively in this area of law. They illuminate important principles with real-world examples, encourage active discussion of the issues and lead participants through practical problem-solving exercises.