Agencies
Services
Grant Accountability and Transparency (GATA)
Visit the State's Grant Accountability and Transparency Act website: grants.illinois.gov.
Vision
Lead the nation in an effort to optimize public resources and improve performance outcomes by applying efficient and effective processes throughout the entire grant life life cycle.
Purpose and Goals
The purpose of GATA is to provide for the development of a coordinated, non-redundant process for the provision of effective and efficient oversight of the selection and monitoring of grant recipients, ensuring quality programs, limiting fraud, waste and abuse, and defining the purpose, scope, applicability and responsibilities in the life cycle of a grant.
It also serves to build capacity of the grantee community by mandating grant-related training, and providing guidance and support to correct occurrences of noncompliance with fiscal, administrative and programmatic requirements, establish uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for state and federal pass-through awards to non-federal entities.
Once fully implemented, uniformity in grant processes across State agencies will result in decreased administrative burden for both grant making-agencies and the provider community. Once implemented, Illinois will have:
- A uniform notice of funding opportunity
- A uniform prequalification process
- A uniform grant application
- Uniform programmatic and financial risk assessments;
- A uniform guideline for merit based reviews
- A uniform grant agreement
- A uniform budget reporting template;
- A centralized Catalog of State Financial Assistance opportunities (CSFA)
- A centralized debarred and suspended list
- State-wide performance metrics and standards; and
- A centralized electronic document repository
Benefits
GATA will:
- Encourage a team effort through State agency and Grants input for rulemaking recommendations
- Assist State agencies and grantees in implementing the new Federal guidance at 2 CFR part 200 (Uniform Requirements)
- Leverage the Federal model for State grants
- Increase accountability and transparency while reducing redundant burdens
- Provide a uniform process throughout the entire grant life cycle
- Optimize resources through the coordination of grant-monitoring activities to promote efficient use od scare resources
- Provide training and technical assistance for State agency staff and grantees
- Eliminate the duplication of effort for suit report reviews, indirect cost rate negotiation, on-site reviews and training through GATA standardization