Program Development and Training Officer: January 2023

Major projects completed -- 

  • Completed and submitted contracts for New Planning Grantees and began their training cycle with an introduction to Federal Financial Management.  Followed this with a training introducing them to the OnCorps Grants Management system
  • Planned and hosted a New Grantee Training for new staff members.
  • Planned instructed the semi-annual Site Supervisor Training for supervisors of grantee programs
  • Began AmeriCorps Member Conference planning meetings with selected member representatives from 10 programs and contracted with a planning support assistant to facilitate meetings and support member planners.
  • Provided individualized support for existing planning grantees and met directly with Maine Youth Alliance's new staff member and with new staff at UMCOA.
  • Used the office hour training time slot to provide a training for new and existing staff members on National Service Criminal History Checks and updated the NSCHC writeboard resource pages for programs with up-to-date links and information.

Issues to be aware of -- 

  • Formula RFA's is under development include Regular formula, Rural formula, and formula Planning grants for issue next month or early March with an April deadline. Outreach will include applicants who were not successful in past competitions as well as potential climate corps applicants
  • Staff is working with Service Year to expand its presence to include a page for Maine Service Fellow recruitment
  • Three VM staffers are participating in the development of a Introductory Volunteer Management micro credential following the receipt of a grant supporting the effort in collaboration with UM Cooperative Extension staff.  This work is ongoing and will be completed later in the spring.
  • A number of grantees have struggled to track the timing and amounts related to the Member living allowance policy.  A memo and follow up Q & A session was offered to program staff to help.

Major focus of effort in the new month --

  • Major planning for AmeriCorps Member Conference, scheduled for April 5th in Belfast; including weekly meetings, gathering and vetting session proposals, and establishing Keynote speaker invites.  Theme is "Maine Reasons to Serve".
  • Outreach and follow-up to potential planning grant applicants, including Coastal Climate Corps, CTE/MCC coalition and organizations from agencies serving BIPOC, immigrant, or other underrepresented populations.
  • Curricular design work for the Volunteer Management Micro-Credential course.
  • Continuing initial planning meetings with the new group of Planning Grantees while also moving MDOE planning grant staff into application mode, as they are planning to apply this spring.  Alpha Legal is looking at a fall 2023 application.

Other activity -- 

  • Worked to resolve a variety of funding and reimbursement challenges and to develop new protocols to avoid the same errors in the future.
  • Provided staff support to E & E Task Force
  • Ongoing AmeriCorps Technical Assistance to existing grantees via email, teleconference & face to face.
  • Supported Office Admin with procurement system management and initial entry of financial documents in state purchasing system, including purchase orders, bids, and contracts.
  • Supported Grants Officer with various items needing attention after her leave