Grant Administration & Compliance (Public Sector) Test

Skill description

Ability to research funding sources and evaluate eligibility, fit, constraints, timelines, match requirements, and competitiveness to recommend which opportunities the organization should pursue.

Coverage

• Funding sources: federal/state/local programs, foundations, corporate giving
• Eligibility criteria: applicant type, geography, program purpose, beneficiaries
• Opportunity scanning methods and tracking (pipelines)
• Go/no-go decision factors: capacity, match, compliance burden, timelines
• Interpreting NOFO/RFA language and requirements

Beginner

• Interpret basic eligibility criteria from an opportunity description
• Identify red flags: ineligible applicant, wrong geography, missing prerequisites

Intermediate

• Compare multiple opportunities and choose best fit
• Extract key requirements into a summary (deadline, match, attachments, reporting)

Advanced

• Build a go/no-go recommendation with rationale and risk analysis
• Identify hidden constraints (indirect cost limits, procurement rules, deliverable burdens)

Question types

• Reading comprehension (mini-NOFO excerpt)
• Multi-select (eligibility satisfied/not)
• Scenario-based recommendation questions

Ability to write and assemble clear, compliant grant applications including narrative, goals/objectives, methodology, timelines, evaluation plan, sustainability, and required attachments aligned to funder instructions.

Coverage

• LOI vs full proposal differences
• Writing elements: need statement, goals, SMART objectives, activities, outputs/outcomes
• Evaluation plan and performance measures
• Sustainability/continuation planning
• Common attachments: letters of support, org capacity, resumes, policies, certifications
• Instruction compliance: formatting, page limits, mandatory sections, submission rules

Beginner

• Identify strong vs weak objectives
• Recognize common proposal components
• Basics of LOI structure and tone

Intermediate

• Rewrite objectives to be SMART and measurable
• Align activities → outputs → outcomes → metrics
• Detect instruction non-compliance (page limit, missing sections)

Advanced

• Improve a narrative for logic, persuasion, compliance, and evaluation rigor
• Create a cohesive proposal outline from a program brief
• Resolve contradictions between narrative and budget

Question types

• Editing/rewrite tasks (short passage improvement)
• Scenario MCQ (best objective / best approach)
• Fill-in: matching section → purpose
• Rubric-based evaluation (“which draft scores higher and why?”)

Ability to prepare, review, and monitor grant budgets, including allowable vs unallowable costs, match requirements, budget narratives, and reimbursement calculations aligned with funder rules and governmental budgeting practices.

Coverage

• Budget categories: personnel, fringe, travel, supplies, contractual, equipment, indirect
• Match types: cash vs in-kind; documentation standards
• Allowable cost reasoning and common restrictions
• Budget justification/narrative writing
• Reimbursement concepts and tracking planned vs actual spend
• Basic governmental budgeting and accounting concepts (funds, line items, controls)

Beginner

• Interpret a simple budget and identify categories
• Calculate basic totals and simple match percentages
• Identify obvious unallowable costs from rules

Intermediate

• Build a budget + justification from a program scenario
• Validate budget math and consistency with narrative
• Determine match strategy and documentation needs

Advanced

• Diagnose budget compliance risks and propose corrections
• Handle budget revisions (rebudgeting thresholds, prior approvals)
• Analyze spending patterns and forecast under/over-spend risk

Question types

• Numeric word problems (budget totals, match %)
• Spreadsheet-style reasoning (tables)
• Multi-select allowability
• Scenario-based budget corrections

Ability to ensure grants are administered in compliance with applicable rules, maintain required documentation, and prepare for monitoring, audits, and closeouts by implementing controls and recordkeeping.

Coverage

• Compliance mindset: follow funder terms, local policies, and documentation rules
• Documentation: proof of costs, procurement records, approvals, timesheets, deliverables
• Audit readiness: traceability, version control, retention schedules
• Deadlines and submission compliance (reports, reimbursement, amendments)
• Risk controls: segregation of duties, approvals, checklists

Beginner

• Identify common required documentation types
• Recognize compliance vs non-compliance examples

Intermediate

• Choose correct documentation for specific transactions
• Spot gaps in a mock grant file (missing proof, missing approvals)

Advanced

• Design a compliance checklist / internal controls plan
• Respond to monitoring findings and develop corrective actions

Question types

• Scenario MCQ
• Document/record selection
• “What would you do next?” responses
• Policy interpretation questions

Ability to collect, analyze, and report program performance data and financial progress, producing reimbursement and progress reports that align with funder requirements, metrics, and timelines.

Coverage

• Outputs vs outcomes; indicators and targets
• Data quality: completeness, accuracy, timeliness, definitions
• Progress reports: narrative + metrics + milestones
• Reimbursement reports: linking costs to categories and documentation
• Basic analysis: trends, variance, exceptions
• Communicating performance to stakeholders

Beginner

• Distinguish outputs vs outcomes
• Identify appropriate metrics for a program goal

Intermediate

• Interpret a small dataset and produce insights for a report
• Identify inconsistencies between narrative and metrics

Advanced

• Create a measurement plan (logic model-lite) with indicators and data sources
• Diagnose data integrity issues and propose fixes
• Create variance explanations and corrective action narratives

Question types

• Data interpretation questions (tables/charts)
• Scenario-based reporting accuracy checks
• Short-answer metric design

Ability to communicate grant needs, requirements, progress, and risks to internal teams and leadership; prepare and deliver clear presentations (e.g., council meetings) and coordinate across departments professionally.

Coverage

• Translating grant requirements into clear actions for teams
• Professional email writing and status updates
• Presentations: purpose, structure, key messages, risk/issues
• Handling questions and clarifying requirements
• Relationship management with agencies and partners

Beginner

• Identify effective communication practices and tone
• Choose best email response for a scenario

Intermediate

• Draft a status update with actions, owners, deadlines
• Prepare a simple presentation outline

Advanced

• Handle conflict/constraints: “we can’t meet requirement” negotiation approach
• Executive-ready messaging: concise, risk-aware, action-oriented

Question types

• Situational judgment tests (SJT)
• Email/presentation outline tasks
• Role-play style scenario questions

Ability to use office tools to manage grant documentation, tracking, budgets, reporting, and communication efficiently and accurately.

Coverage

• Excel: sorting/filtering, basic formulas, SUMIF/COUNTIF, lookups (optional), tables, simple charts
• Word: formatting, templates, track changes, pagination, headings
• Outlook: scheduling, organization, follow-ups
• Document management: file naming, version control, shared folders

Beginner

• Basic Excel formulas and formatting
• Word formatting and document structure basics

Intermediate

• Build trackers (milestones, reporting calendar, budget vs actual)
• Use conditional formatting, data validation, pivots (optional)

Advanced

• Design a grant tracker system for multiple grants
• Troubleshoot spreadsheet errors and ensure audit-friendly traceability

Question types

• Applied tool knowledge MCQ (what feature to use)
• Table-based problem solving
• Practical scenarios (“how would you track X?”)