Email message, March 30, 2020
Governor Laura Kelly signed the Statewide Stay at Home Executive Order 20-16, in the ongoing effort to combat COVID-19. The KGGP continues to take steps to provide services with limited disruption. Staff are currently working remotely and we are able to respond to your questions, process reports, and issue payments. The directors of the federal grant programs have assured us payment procedures should not be disrupted. If for any reason there would be a delay, we will notify you as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding and continuing the important work each of you do every day; your communities know they can count on your program’s services when needed. Be safe and stay healthy, we are all working through this pandemic together.
Juliene Maska
KGGP Administrator
Email message, March 20, 2020
Dear Subgrantee:
The KGGP is providing this update to all subgrantees as a notification regarding the status of this office and other relevant information. Per Governor Kelly’s directive, the KGGP will be implementing a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) effective Monday, March 23rd. During this time, essential services will be provided to include processing subgrantee Financial Status Reports and issuing reimbursement payments. Essential KGGP staff will be available by both email and phone. While we do not anticipate any disruption in KGGP services to you, we do ask that you understand there may be a short delay in responses, due to the limited staff and remote access.
Telework and Administrative Leave
To follow up on the March 17th email (included below), subgrantee organizations must follow their own personnel and paid leave policies and apply the policy consistently for all staff, regardless of funding source(s). If your organization does not have an existing policy that addresses unexpected or extraordinary circumstances, it is strongly encouraged that one be developed and implemented as quickly as possible. Federal guidance states that you may consider making the policy effective on the date these circumstances began, if permissible under your laws, rules, and policies. Where possible, staff should continue to perform allowable duties while teleworking.
Reporting Requirements
In regard to grant requirement due dates, the KGGP is not issuing any specific extensions at this time. We know that having an adequate cash flow is important to the ongoing financial health of your organizations and we do not want to hinder that process. Issuing reimbursement payments per subgrantee Financial Status Reports for incurred expenditures is the KGGP’s priority. At the same time, we are aware that many of your organizations are implementing stay-at- or work-from-home procedures that may hinder your ability to submit timely reports. Please know that the KGGP staff understands these unprecedented circumstances are impacting all of us in ways we could not have imagined and we will do our part to accommodate any extensions you need. However, they will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. If at some point the KGGP makes any changes to this strategy, we will notify all the subgrantees and post it on the KGGP website, www.grants.ks.gov.
Budget Revisions
The KGGP staff understands that organizations will be looking at new and creative ways to continue services without face-to-face contact. Please submit proposed revisions through the Grant Portal to adjust budgets to allow for expenses relating to these services. For those subgrant projects not managed on the Grant Portal, please submit proposed changes by email to kggp@ks.gov. The KGGP staff will consider both new and increased line items to the extent that we can, while staying within the parameters of the applicable federal guidelines. We will expedite these requests as quickly as possible, however you may call if you are needing an immediate decision due to extraordinary circumstances. For grants ending June 30th, the KGGP will consider budget revisions through May 31st rather than the deadline stated in the Reporting Requirements.
Match Requirements
For those subgrant projects that have a required match component, if the subgrantee experiences any concerns in meeting the budgeted match due to COVID-19 related circumstances, e.g. revenue losses as a result of cancelled events or decrease of contributed volunteer hours, please contact the KGGP by email at kggp@ks.gov. The KGGP will work with the subgrantee to address the match concerns and, in some cases, discuss the consideration of a match waiver and the process for obtaining one on a case-by-case basis.
Stay safe and well. Thank you for your patience during this time. We will all navigate through this together.
Jill Stewart
KGGP Financial Officer
Email message, March 17, 2020
Dear Subgrantee:
I want to take this opportunity to provide you with information as it relates to COVID-19 and the efforts being made by the Kansas Governor’s Grants Program (KGGP) to ensure continuity of services. Please know that the health and safety of all individuals is our primary concern. We are making every effort to ensure subgrantees do not experience any significant disruptions in KGGP response, assistance, and the flow of grant funds. If at some point the Governor directs State of Kansas employees to work remotely, the KGGP has put procedures in place to conduct grant-critical functions and ensure staff access to email, phone, and the Grant Portal. At this time, the KGGP does not anticipate any disruption to the current grant project reimbursement process.
In regard to grant-funded activities and staffing within your own organizations, we understand that it may become necessary to reduce services during this period to ensure the health of staff and clients. It is strongly encouraged that programs follow existing agency leave policies to address employee absences. If the organization elects to implement specialized procedures (such as working remotely or providing paid administrative leave) specifically due to the coronavirus pandemic, please develop a written policy, state within the policy that it is in place specific to COVID-19, and ensure that all staff (regardless of salary/wage funding source) are treated equally. Please refer to Part 200 Uniform Guidance, 2 C.F.R. Part 200.430 and 200.431.
For those subgrantees that may have an approved conferences line item, if the organization has expenses incurred from a postponed or canceled event, please contact the KGGP Analyst for guidance. For any purchased airline tickets, the subgrantee should first attempt to obtain a cash reimbursement from the airline. However, if the airline will only provide a credit, the subgrantee shall then attempt to apply the credit to a grant-allowable and KGGP-approved future trip or reallocate the cost of the purchase to another funding source. If none of these options are possible, please contact the KGGP Analyst for guidance.
This is all of the guidance that we have at this time. We will provide further communication as additional direction is received. To see Kansas Department of Health and Environment COVID-19 updates, please visit http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
Jill Stewart
KGGP Financial Officer
The Annual Crime Victims' Rights Conference (CVRC) and the pre-conference Institutes scheduled for
March 31 and April 1 - 2, 2020 in Wichita, KS, have been CANCELLED.
COVID-19 information can be found at the following sources:
KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
You may also call the KDHE phone bank at 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF) Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. For more information about COVID-19, visit KDHE’s website and Frequently Asked Questions at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/ and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.