FEMA Course Overview, Course Goal, and Objectives
FEMA Course Overview, Course Goal, and Objectives
FEMA Course Overview, Course Goal, and Objectives
This course provides information that will enable Applicants to make appropriate decisions when developing the
scope of work and reviewing it.
Define scope of work and cost estimates for Public Assistance grants
Identify the necessary information for developing the scope of work and options for development
Identify necessary information for developing cost estimates
Explain the scope of work validation process and how an Applicant approves the scope of work and cost
estimate in Grants Portal
By the end of the course, State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Applicants and Recipients will be able to develop a
scope of work and accurate cost estimate.
For Emergency Work, the scope of work includes work required to address removal of debris and reduction of
immediate threats. For Permanent Work, the scope of work includes a description of how the Applicant plans to
repair, or has repaired, the damage(s), including repair dimensions and any proposed hazard mitigation
measures.
If the scope of work has a potential of impacting environmental or historic resources, FEMA Environmental and
Historic Preservation staff review the scope of work to determine if modifications would reduce potential
impacts. Some projects may require an engineering analysis to determine the method of repair. In these cases,
FEMA may provide funding for engineering and design services. Once the Applicant determines its preferred
method of repair, it submits a scope of work and cost estimate for FEMA's review.
FEMA and the Applicant must concur on the Damage Description and Dimensions
For work to be completed, the Applicant signs the Damage Description and Dimensions
The development of the scope of work must be based on the approved Damage Description and
Dimensions
The scope of work must define how the work will be completed
The cost estimate must be based on work in the scope of work
Lesson 1 Summary
In this lesson, the participant learned what is the scope of work and the requirements to begin it's development.
The next lesson reviews the options to develop the scope of work and what documentation is required in the
scope of work.
Identify the necessary information for developing the scope of work based on project needs
Identify options for development of the scope of work
Explain the scope of work validation process
The FEMA Program Delivery Manager discusses the scope of work with the Applicant and helps to define the
parameters of their project. The Applicant should consider the following when asked about their scope of work:
The intended methodology for repairing the facility (e.g., design standards, engineering consultants
assisting with the design, engineering or technical reports describing the damage or method of repair)
How the work will be performed (e.g., using in-house staff, equipment, and materials, or contracting the
work to an outside source)
Whether they want to restore the facility to pre-disaster condition
If not, then they may consider relocation, replacement, alternate or improved project potential
If so, they may consider codes and standards requiring upgrades
Whether the work includes special considerations (e.g., environmental and historic preservation, hazard
mitigation, insurance considerations)
Emergency Work
For Emergency Work, the Applicant needs to provide and retain the
following documentation for the purpose of developing and
validating the scope of work:
Site map
Description of emergency response activities
Debris management
Site map
Quantities of debris removed, reduced, disposed, and
recycled with a representative sampling of load tickets
to support quantities
Debris monitor reports
Pick-up locations
Address and/or latitude and longitude location of
temporary reduction sites and permanent disposal
sites, including recycling locations
Copies of permits for reduction and disposal sites
Lease agreement (if applicable)
For abandoned vehicles and vessels, documentation
supporting the Applicant followed applicable
ordinances or laws for private vehicle and vessel
removal
Permanent Work
The Applicant should acquire and retain the following documentation to develop and validate the scope of work
for Permanent Work:
Site map with the location of all proposed project components and the extent of ground disturbance
Drawings, sketches, and plans of proposed or completed work (e.g., as-built drawings or sketches)
Applicable design requirements
Applicable repair/reconstruction codes and standards
Documentation to support that the codes and standards have been formally adopted,
implemented, and uniformly applied
Documentation that provides mitigation activities the Applicant wishes to take to reduce or
eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards and their effects
Hydrologic and hydraulic studies that address potential upstream and downstream impacts (if available
and applicable)
Technical studies, reports, and assessments (if available and applicable)
Historic property designations or surveys, including archaeological surveys (if available and applicable)
Copies of permits and correspondence with regulatory agencies (if available and applicable)
Once the project reviews are complete and the Program Delivery Manager concurs with the project, they will
notify the Recipient Point of Contact.
Once the Recipient concurs on the project, the Program Delivery Manager approves the project and sends the
project to the Applicant for review and concurrence in Grants Portal. The Program Delivery Manager will
contact the Applicant to discuss the project.
Satisfying the Essential Elements of Information by uploading the requested documentation in Grants
Portal and notifying the Program Delivery Manager
Reviewing the project and providing their concurrence in Grants Portal
Being proactive in communicating any issues with their Program Delivery Manager
It is also important to remember that the scope of work for either Emergency Work or Permanent Work require
distinct information. There are a prescribed set of considerations the Applicant should keep in mind while
developing their scope of work depending on the project's Category of Work.
For Emergency Work, the scope of work includes work required to address immediate threats and to remove
debris.
For Permanent Work, the scope of work includes a description of how the Applicant plans to repair, or has
repaired, the damage, including repair dimensions and hazard mitigation plan description and dimensions.
Ensuring the correct documents (scope of work and cost estimate) are uploaded into FEMA Grants
Manager
Coordinating with Consolidated Resource Center personnel, sharing information and maintaining
situational awareness
Sending the Request for Information to the Applicant, if necessary
Reviewing the draft scope of work and cost estimate
Reviewing the project with the Applicant and discussing any edits
For additional information on the Request for Information, please refer to the courses: IS-1018
Determination Memorandums and Appeals and IS-1002 FEMA Grants Portal - Transparency at Every
Step
Once FEMA validates the scope of work, it moves through a special considerations program compliance review.
The Program Delivery Manager may ask for additional documents or submit a formal Request for Information
during this time as well.
The Applicant will then receive a notification when the scope of work is complete through Grants Portal via an
email notification. The Applicant will review and electronically sign the scope of work and cost estimate in
Grants Portal.
The following slide outlines the process for revising a project with a complete scope of work.
The Applicant must request the change in scope of work and receive approval prior to any work completed
towards the new scope of work.
If the Applicant begins work associated with a change before FEMA review and approval, it may jeopardize
FEMA funding and hinder their application for Public Assistance.
Lesson 2 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned about the information and requirements to develop the scope of work,
supporting documentation for disaster-related damage claims, and the options that an Applicant has for
developing their scope of work.
Documentation requirements differ based on whether the Applicant or FEMA develops the cost estimate. FEMA
typically manages the scoping and costing, but there are instances where the Applicant may prefer to conduct
the process themselves.
The Applicant's options for developing the cost estimate are as follows:
If the Applicant lacks the resources, it may request technical assistance from FEMA to develop the cost
estimates. FEMA may make use of commercial estimating software to develop the cost estimate, but
generally the Applicant will be required to provide documentation to support the process
The Applicant may develop the cost estimate themselves, as with the scope of work. An Applicant
contracting the development of the cost estimate would be included within this category
Once the Applicant makes their decision to have FEMA develop the cost estimate, the Program Delivery
Manager sends the Applicant's project electronically to the Consolidated Resource Center through FEMA
Grants Manager. There, the Costing Specialist reviews the Applicant documentation and develops a cost
estimate for the scope of work using either:
Historical documentation
Average costs in the area
Published unit costs from national cost estimating tools
In order for the Costing Specialist to make an accurate cost estimate, the Applicant must upload documentation
to Grants Portal that aligns with their project. Most, if not all, of the documentation should have fallen under
Essential Elements of Information.
This lesson further discusses documentation needed for a cost estimate later
Estimate was prepared by a licensed Professional Engineer or other estimating professional, such as a
licensed architect or certified professional cost estimator who certifies that the estimate was prepared in
accordance with industry standards
Estimate includes certification that the estimated cost directly corresponds to the repair of the agreed
upon damage
Estimate is based on unit costs for each component of the scope of work and not a lump sum amount
Estimate contains a level of detail sufficient for FEMA to validate that all components correspond with the
agreed-upon scope of work
Estimate is reasonable
Along with meeting the above criteria, the Applicant must also submit documentation that supports their cost
estimate. FEMA validates the Applicant-developed cost estimate with the provided documentation.
Name
Job title and function
Type of employee (e.g., full-time exempt, full-time non-
exempt, part-time, temporary, prisoner)
Days and hours worked
Pay rate and fringe benefit rate
Description of work performed with representative sample of
daily logs or activity reports, if available
Representative sample of timesheets
Fringe benefit calculations
Pay policy
Historical cost records (if such work was done in the past,
how much did it cost previously?)
Inventory records
Types of supplies and quantities used, with support
documentation such as daily logs
Purchased supplies
Receipts or invoices
Contracts
Procurement policy
Procurement and bid documents
For procurements more than the simplified acquisition
threshold, a cost/price analysis
Contracts, change orders, and invoices
Dates worked
For time and materials contracts, monitoring documentation
Written agreement
Services requested and received
Same information listed for labor, equipment, and supplies above
Invoices
Donated Resources:
Name
Days and hours worked
Location of work and work performed
Equipment
Supplies or materials
Quantity
Donor
Location(s) used
Cost Estimates:
Cost estimate for the agreed-upon statement of work developed with unit costs
Qualifications of the company or individual who prepared the cost estimate
The Applicant must keep all financial and program documentation for three years after the date of the
Recipient's final Financial Status Report (FEMA Form 112-0-1). Records are subject to audit by State auditors,
FEMA, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
Lesson 3 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned about the information required by FEMA to develop cost estimates.
The next lesson covers the review and approval of scope of work and cost estimates in Grants Portal.
Explain how an Applicant approves the scope of work and cost estimate in FEMA Grants Portal
In the program compliance evaluation, Quality Assurance Specialists, Insurance Specialists, Hazard Mitigation
Specialists, and Environmental and Historic Preservation Specialists review the entire project, including the
scope of work and cost estimate, for compliance.
Upon completion of the program compliance evaluations, review and obligation of the projects occurs. The
Program Delivery Manager receives the project, reviews it, and approves it. The Recipient then receives the
project and approves it.
Once the Recipient reviews and approves the project, the Applicant then begins the review process of their
project.
The Program Delivery Manager contacts the Applicant to discuss the completed and fully documented project
once they send the notification.
The following slides explain how to review and approve the scope of work and cost estimate in Grants Portal.
The Applicant should review the scope of work and cost estimate to:
Compare the FEMA-reviewed scope of work and cost estimate to their submitted versions
Use the Damage Description and Dimensions to make sure the information on all documents align
Re-examine supporting documentation used for the scope of work and cost estimate (e.g., fringe
benefits, timesheets, rental equipment agreements and receipts)
In the case that FEMA developed the scope of work and the cost estimate, the Applicant should review both to
ensure FEMA included all pertinent information.
The Applicant should review the scope of work and cost estimate to:
Compare the Damage Description and Dimensions with the scope of work to ensure all damage has
corresponding work
Confirm all work is appropriately designated (e.g., Improved Project, Alternate Project, Alternative
Procedures)
Examine all supporting documentation used for the scope of work and cost estimate (e.g., fringe
benefits, timesheets, rental equipment agreements and receipts)
Project name
Date the damage occurred
Applicant name
Category of Work
Project site(s)
References to location plans, Unites States National Grid, narratives, sketches, photographs, and other
supporting documentation
Work items, dimensions, and quantities match those provided in the Damage Description and Dimension
Description of the work necessary to remove and dispose of disaster-related debris, conduct emergency
response measures, or repair/replace the disaster-damaged facility to pre-disaster condition
Description of the work in quantifiable (length, width, height, depth, capacity) and descriptive (brick,
wood, asphalt) terms
Provision of all design assumptions, methods of repair, and calculations to support the work
Components to Review in the Scope of Work (2 of 2)
The Applicant should ensure the following details are correct in the scope of work and cost estimate:
Description of work that will restore a facility beyond its pre-disaster condition (relocation projects,
replacement projects, alternate projects, improved projects, hazard mitigation proposals, upgrades
required by codes and standards)
Documentation of ineligible work and associated costs
For Work Completed, supply costs based on actual rates, dates of work performed, who performed the
work (i.e., Force Account or contractor)
For Work to be Completed, provide source of estimated costs (e.g., RS Means, cost codes, proposal,
etc.)
Description for the basis of the cost estimate (how the work was or will be performed, methodology used
to develop the costs, reasonableness of costs, procurement method for work by contract)
Special Considerations
Identification of any known or potential special considerations issues identified during discussion
with the Program Delivery Manager or observation at the site
Explanation of response
Provision of all line items for all work items in the scope of work
Appropriate cost codes and unit price reference
Cost Estimating Format documentation, if used
Force Account labor
Documentation of the type of labor, (e.g., overtime, regular time, temporary hires, volunteer, prison labor,
etc.)
Description of pay policy
Contracted costs
Identification of contract type (e.g., lump sum, unit price, time and materials, cost plus percentage of
cost, master services agreement)
Procurement policy
Description of the bid process or sole source
Cost analysis
Lesson 4 Summary
In this lesson, participants learned about reviewing the scope of work and cost estimate and how to provide
final approval on both in Grants Portal.
At the end of this lesson, participants will be able to summarize the content of this course.
Course Objectives
In this course, participants learned how to:
Define scope of work and cost estimates for Public Assistance grants
Identify the necessary information for developing the scope of work and options for development
Identify necessary information for developing cost estimates
Explain the scope of work validation process and how an Applicant approves the scope of work and cost
estimate in Grants Portal
Lesson 1 Objectives
Lesson 1 introduced the scope of work development process; from drafting to final review and approval in
Grants Portal. The lesson explained that a scope of work must be based on an approved and signed Damage
Description and Dimensions in order for Public Assistance to be obligated.
Lesson 2 Objectives
Lesson 2 covered the key components of the Applicant-developed and FEMA-developed scope of work,
including required documentation.
Identify the necessary information for developing the scope of work based on project needs
Identify options for development of the scope of work
Explain the scope of work validation process
Lesson 3 Objectives
This lesson discusses cost estimates, including the requirements for using an Applicant's cost estimate and the
information necessary for FEMA to develop the cost estimate.
Lesson 4 Objectives
The key concepts of this lesson include the scope of work review and approval process after the Applicant has
submitted it to FEMA.
Explain how an Applicant approves the scope of work and cost estimate in Grants Portal
Course Summary
This course is complete.
The course provided participants with information that will enable Applicants to make appropriate decisions
when developing, reviewing, and approving their scope of work and cost estimates.