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E-rate Audits... Are You Prepared? Presented by: Julie Tritt Schell Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator...
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Transcript of E-rate Audits... Are You Prepared? Presented by: Julie Tritt Schell Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator...
![Page 1: E-rate Audits... Are You Prepared? Presented by: Julie Tritt Schell Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator February 8, 2009.](https://reader038.fdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022103005/56649de85503460f94ae28f8/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
E-rate Audits... Are You Prepared?
Presented by:Julie Tritt Schell
Pennsylvania E-rate CoordinatorFebruary 8, 2009
![Page 2: E-rate Audits... Are You Prepared? Presented by: Julie Tritt Schell Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator February 8, 2009.](https://reader038.fdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022103005/56649de85503460f94ae28f8/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
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Handouts
Annual E-rate Document Checklist Attachment A: Due in 15 days Attachment B: Due upon auditor arrival Attachment C: Internal Controls
Questionnaire Attachment D: Assertions Letter Oddball Auditor Questions/Requests
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Who has been through an E-rate Audit?
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Why So Many Audits?
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Atlanta School District CEO of Multimedia Communications
Services Corporation ("MCSC") had been sentenced on December 22nd to five years in federal prison in connection with the payment of over $230,000 in bribes to the technology director of Atlanta Public Schools.
Atlanta Schools' technology director is currently serving a three year prison term and his wife, a consultant, is currently serving a two year term.
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Judy Green
Judy Green, a former education consultant from California, was sentenced on March 19, 2008 to serve 7 1/2 years in prison for bid rigging and defrauding the E-Rate program.
She was sentenced in the U.S. District Court after a jury found her guilty on 22 counts of fraud, bid rigging, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud at schools in seven states.
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Tucson Unified School District State investigators detailed "pervasive and
continuing problems" with the District's purchasing procedures, saying employees and vendors rigged bids and violated conflict-of-interest laws.
Investigators noted the District paid $40,000 for consultant services that yielded no results, spent nearly $350,000 on goods and services without competitive purchasing and allowed $150,000 worth of technology equipment intended for Tucson High Magnet School to sit in a warehouse for a year because it was never installed, even though a consultant was paid to do so.
"The district does not seem to recognize that accepting gifts and gratuities from vendors is improper," the report states.
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Why Conduct Audits? Ensure compliance with FCC Rules Recover funds for rule violations Prevent, detect and deter waste,
fraud, and abuse Ensure public confidence in the
efficiency of the federal universal service programs
Audits come in many shapes & sizes....
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Pre-Commitment Reviews
PIA reviews every line of every Form 471 application for E-rate compliance before funding is committed Eligible services, eligible entities, validated discount for
each building Some applicants receive ‘Selective Reviews’
which require: Competitive bidding/vendor selection documentation Proof of ability to pay non-discounted share Proof that applicant has hardware, software, professional
development, electrical capacity, and maintenance to make effective use of the requested discounts
Or ‘Cost Effectiveness Reviews’ which require: Applicants to prove that the service they selected is
the most cost effective solution for the population being served.
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Form 486 Audit: Technology Plan Compliance
Must provide SLD with: Technology plan Tech plan approval letter Date your tech plan was created (be sure
that date is before the date you submitted your 470 for that particular funding year)
If you can’t find tech plan or approval letter, contact me or Office of Ed Tech at PDE. If you’re unsure of what date to use for
your tech plan creation date, contact me.
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Post-Commitment Audits
After funding has been committed, four types of audits exist to
ensure E-rate rule compliance:
Invoice AuditsSite Visits
USAC IAD AuditsFCC OIG IPIA Audits
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Invoice Checks or Audits Established for ‘certain’ applicants before
BEARs or SPIs will be paid. For a SPI
USAC will require the vendor to produce a certification from the applicant that the invoiced services were delivered and installed, the check number and check date of the applicant’s payment for the non-discounted portion of the service, as well as a copy of the vendor’s invoice to the applicant.
For a BEAR USAC will require the applicant to produce a copy
of the vendor invoice, front and back of the check used to pay the invoice, and detailed spreadsheet justifying the BEAR.
If these documents are not produced, BEAR or SPI will not be paid and funding is essentially denied.
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Site Visits Random selection, but weighted more
heavily to larger $ applicants Typically last 3 hours
2 hours of interview / 1 hour of actual school building visit
Contacted 2-3 weeks before visit USAC selects 1 recently-paid invoice and 1
school contained on that FRN Contact Julie if selected USAC says it is not an audit, but it IS.
Anything you say can and will be used against you.
All about site visits:www.universalservice.org/sl/about/site-visits/
default.aspx
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USAC Internal Audit Division Audits Targeted based on
Specific request from USAC management or FCC
Media report or credible whistleblower complaint
IAD risk assessment
Assess compliance with FCC Rules
Conclusion is Compliant, Generally Compliant and Not Compliant
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But the audits you’ve heard so much about are....
FCC OIG Audits
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FCC Office of Inspector General IPIA Audits IPIA = Improper Payments Information Act Per Office of Management and Budget, an
erroneous or improper payment is: “any payment that should not have been made
or that was made in an incorrect amount under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements.”
Under IPIA standards, a program is at risk if the erroneous payment rate exceeds 2.5% or the amount of erroneous payment exceeds $10 million.
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FCC Office of Inspector General IPIA Audits Compliance attestation examinations Performed at the direction of and with
oversight from the FCC Office of Inspector General (OIG) Managed by USAC IAD
Auditees are randomly selected from statistically valid sample (weighted by funding disbursement)
Conducted by 12 external accounting firms Audits conducted annually between
November and July 31 Conducted in accordance with
Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS)
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FCC Office of Inspector General IPIA Audits We are in Round 3 of IPIA Audits Improper payments in Round 2
were $232.7 million or 13.8% That’s up from $210 million or 12.9%
in Round 1 8 PA applicants audited in Round
2 (2008) 6 being audited in Round 3 (2009)
More will be contacted soon (I estimate 4-5 more will be contacted in PA)
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This is not your typical business/finance audit...
it is a full E-rate compliance audit.
Applicants should care as much about whether they can pass an
audit as whether they receive their original funding commitment.
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OIG Audits: Notification Round 3 is auditing disbursements
made July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008 This does not mean these are FY 2007
FRNs If a vendor submitted a FY 2005 invoice in
June 2007 and funding was disbursed to them in July 2007, it will be included in this audit
It’s very likely that audits will span multiple funding years
In which case all documentation will be required for each funding year. For example...
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Example of audited FRNs Audited FRNs corresponds to when $
disbursed Round 3 = July 2007 – June 2008
FY 2005, $ disbursed to vendor July 2007 for equipment invoiced June 07
FY 2006, $ disbursed to applicant for all BEARs submitted in Sept 2007
FY 2007, $ disbursed to vendor for SPIs submitted April, May, June 2008
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OIG Audits: Notification
Notification of audit given to applicant via initial 23-28 page letter, e-mail and call
Certain documentation required to be submitted within 10 business days of notification letter Attachments A and C in handouts
Other documentation required to be available on the first day of the on-site audit – or before Attachment B in handouts
Documents required vary by auditing firm
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OIG Audits: Notification Typically the on-site audit will
commence 3-4 weeks after notification and last for 2-4 weeks Depends on size of FRNs being audited
and availability of documentation requested
Audit firm will confirm that those dates work for the key contacts at the District
Audit begins with entrance conference w/key individuals Superintendent, business manager,
technology director, and E-rate contact are encouraged to attend
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Advice.... The day you receive your audit letter,
schedule a meeting with key district officials: Business office Technology office Superintendent’s office
Decide who will coordinate audit documentation
Assign responsibility for each document requested and deadline for submission to person chosen to coordinate
DO NOT PROCRASTINATE
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Attachment A:
Initial Documents1. Technology plan and approval letter
related to the Funding Year(s) identified in the notification letter If not evident from the plan, also provide
a statement describing who was involved in its preparation.
2. Technology budgets for FY in audit3. Copies of audited financial
statements for FY in audit and copy of the most recent statements
4. A copy of each OMB Circular A-133 audit reports for FY in audit
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Attachment A:
Initial Documents5. Method used and documentation
supporting the discount calculation
Identify each entity included in your supporting documentation with the E-rate Entity Number, as is included in your Forms 471.
6. General description of the information technology environment and a high-level network diagram
Description should include how E-rate funding is being used in the IT environment
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Attachment A:
Initial Documents7. Internet Safety PolicyThe Internet safety policy must
address the following components: Access by minors to inappropriate matter on
the Internet and World Wide Web. The safety and security of minors when using
electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications.
Unauthorized access including "hacking" and other unlawful activities by minors online.
Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors.
Measures designed to restrict minors' access to materials harmful to minors.
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Attachment A:
Initial Documents8. Fixed asset or other records listing
reflecting E-rate equipment acquired which was reimbursed under the selected FRNs
Should send asset inventory even if just receiving P1 funding
9. List of all individuals or consulting firms that assisted in the preparation of E-rate documentation
Including phone numbers and business addresses
10.Record Retention Policy (i.e., that applies to and/or was followed for E-rate related documentation.)
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Attachment A:
Initial Documents11. Names, titles and mailing addresses
of Head of Beneficiary (Superintendent) and Board Members
12. Completed Internal Control Questionnaires (Attachment C)
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Attachment C:
Internal Control Questionnaires• Must answer Yes, No, or N/A and then provide a
description of the Control.• Copy in handouts. Attachment C
Property Management Questions related to physical assets in District How are they tracked? Can inventory be tracked back to invoice? Is equipment protected from theft? Do you include tracking ID numbers on equipment? Do you maintain any excess inventory of E-rate-
funded assets in a secure environment? (be careful!)
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Accounts Payable/Cash Disbursements
Do you maintain a file for each Form 472, which includes:
vendor invoice or a worksheet supporting the claim, proof of payment to the service provider, and correspondence with vendor regarding payments of the
related invoices?Do you have a process to identify and remove non E-rate eligible charges on invoices before submitting each FCC Form 472?When receiving discounted invoices, do you maintain:
vendor invoice or reconciliation worksheet supporting the undiscounted portion of the S&L Program expenditure,
proof of payment for the undiscounted portion, support that the discounted services billed were
received and were approved by the Funding Commitment Letter, and
if possible, copies of the invoice submitted by the service provider to the Schools and Libraries Division?
Attachment C:
Internal Control Questionnaires
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Attachment C:
Internal Control Questionnaires
E-rate Application and Contracting
Who is responsible for E-rate? Are the FCC Form 470 and FCC Form 471 reviewed and approved by an appropriate official?Do you maintain a file that contains all E-rate-related documentation, including, copies of all bids, bid evaluation, copies of all related contracts, copies of all service provider invoices?
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Attachment B:Documentation When Auditors Arrive
* Specific documentation for each audited FRNForm 470Form 471, Item 21 attachments, FCDLForm 486Form 472 and BEAR Notification Letter (if you paid your bills in full and then received reimbursement)Form 474 SPI (if you received discounted bills, vendors submit Form 474 to receive reimbursement. Form 500 (if you submitted one)Bid evaluations
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Attachment B:Documentation When Auditors Arrive
* Specific documentation for each audited Service Substitution Letters and approval letters, etc. (if applicable).Proof of deposit of BEAR reimbursement checks (deposit slip, bank statement)RFP (If one was developed and indicated on your Form 470)All bids received – winning and losingAll correspondence with potential service providers during competitive bidding process, service issues, etc.Contracts (if you indicated it was a contracted service on your 471)SPIN change letters/equipment transfer letters
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Attachment B:Documentation When Auditors Arrive
* Specific documentation for each audited FRN
Documentation verifying the date of receipt of equipment/servicesAll invoices and supporting documentation for the above FRNsCopies of cancelled checks (front and back) validating payment to the Service ProviderPolicies and meeting notices regarding the application and procurement processCopies of local and state procurement regulations as they relate to the contracting for the purchases of E-rate eligible services
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Attachment B:Documentation When Auditors Arrive
* Specific documentation for each audited FRN Copy of all Board minutes for relevant
funding year and 6 months prior (i.e., to identify discussions of E-rate-related activity). Copy of all Board resolutions for each awarded E-rate contract
Copy of relevant meeting minutes where the E-rate program was an agenda item
Copies of technology protection measure (internet filter) contracts and invoices for audited funding years
Attachment E (required from some auditors)
Spreadsheet for each company showing bill amounts, check numbers, check amounts, etc.
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During the Audit...
Ask the auditor if you don’t understand a question or documentation requested.
Be extremely courteous to the auditors.
If a question doesn’t sound right, contact Julie for clarification.
Understand that the auditors typically don’t understand E-rate or technology, and many believe that applicants have not complied with program rules and are trying to find what that noncompliance is.
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During the Audit... Auditors do not have to stick to the FRNs
being audited, or the funding years. If they find a suspected problem, they will follow the trail.
Auditors should be in touch with you during audit if they identify problems so there are no surprises at the end.
Understand that they need to be able to attest that you are doing everything 100% correct. So sometimes they ask for documents that you don’t have, but perhaps you have other documentation that will help them make their attestation.
Ask for questions to be submitted in writing.
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During the Audit...
ZIP IT (Don’t chat with the auditors) They take notes of all oral
conversations and those comments are included in their Management Reports
Auditors are not your friends
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OIG Audits: Exit Meeting At end of audit, there will be an exit meeting
where auditors will present their initial findings to the District. Report may cite potential $ risk
You will be asked to sign Assertions Letter (attachment D) Form letter asserting that you have
complied with all E-rate rules Some auditors want signed letter without
modification. Others will permit you to modify it (which I suggest)
If you are already aware that you have not complied with a certain rule, modify the letter to reflect that instead of asserting that you are 100% compliant
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OIG Audits: After They Leave The auditors will present their findings via a
Management Report a few weeks after the visit Other questions or requests for documentation
are typically requested after auditors leave District will then have 10 days to present
their formal Management Response Letter to challenge findings (if any). Defend vigorously against any audit findings Don’t just say that you will change your ways Hire an attorney if significant funding is at risk This is your only chance to defend yourself
before the audit is finalized
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OIG Audit Examination Outcomes Unqualified opinion - “clean”
Management assertions of compliance are fairly stated
Can have non-material non-compliance reflected in separate letter to company management
Qualified opinion - “except for” Adverse opinion - negative opinion Disclaimer - unable to express an
opinion Disclaimers driven by lack of supporting
documentation result in 100% of disbursements being considered improper
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OIG Audit Examination Outcomes Can be based on inadequate
documentation Per OMB, “when an agency’s
review is unable to discern whether a payment was proper as a result of insufficient or lack of documentation, this payment must also be considered an error.”
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Most Common Audit Findings
Copies of contracts could not be provided upon request.
Winning and losing bids could not be produced
Entities receiving services were not listed on the FCC Form 471
Customer bills did not support the requested reimbursement amount on the BEAR
Customer bills could not be provided upon request
Invoice items didn’t match Item 21 attachments
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Most Common Audit Findings
Service providers had not remitted BEAR payments to the applicant
The non-discount portion of the cost of services provided was not paid
The applicant paid its bill late Eligible equipment could not be identified
because fixed asset details were insufficient to identify specific equipment
The capability and cost of equipment was far in excess of what would be considered appropriate for the facility
Equipment was not installed
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Most Common Audit Findings
Tech plan approval letter could not be provided
Implementation of the technology plan was not being monitored
No budget could be provided to support the plan
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OIG Audit... Next steps The auditor’s Management Report
and District’s Management Response will then be presented to USAC staff They will determine if they agree with the
findings or if the auditors misinterpreted the rules or documentation.
A final report for each audit is presented to the USAC Board of Directors for their determination whether funding must be recaptured (and by which party – the vendor or the District.)
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Examples of rule violations that warrant recovery Violations of competitive bidding process
Insufficient documentation of the competitive bidding process
Service received not approved during PIA review (and that would not meet criteria established in the rules)
Failure to pay non-discounted share Discount calculation violation Services not provided for full funding year Failure to have an approved technology plan by July
1 Failure to have a technology plan written before
Form 470 is filed Tech plan doesn’t contain 5 elements
CIPA violations Equipment or service used for ineligible purpose
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It is important to know who violated the rule USAC seeks recovery from the party
or parties in the best position to prevent the rule violation
USAC must determine whether the applicant, service provider, or both are responsible for the rule violation
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How does USAC determine the responsible party? Service Provider recovery situations:
Failure to properly bill for supported services Failure to deliver services within the relevant funding
year Delivering services that were not approved on FCC
Form 471 School or Library recovery situations:
Violation of the competitive bidding requirements Insufficient resources to make use of the supported
services Incorrect calculation of the discount percentage Failure to pay the non-discount portion BEAR amount exceeds amount of invoices received
from service provider Either party:
Invoicing for services which were not or would not have been approved as service substitutions
Invoicing of duplicative services
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A RIDF (Recovery of Improperly Disbursed
Funds) is where USAC discovers that funds were disbursed in error, but the decision to commit the funds was correct. USAC will seek recovery, however, the commitment amount will not be adjusted.
A COMAD (Commitment Adjustment) is where USAC determines that funds were committed in violation of program rules When a COMAD is discovered, USAC must then
adjust those funding commitments If the amount of the revised commitment (original
commitment less COMAD amount), is less than the disbursed amount, then USAC will seek recovery of the difference
RIDFs and COMADs
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Recoveries and Appeals Auditees have 60 days from the date of the
COMAD or RIDF Letter to appeal decisions made or actions taken by USAC (47 C.F.R. §§ 54.719, 54.720)
Always appeal, first to USAC, then to FCC Most appeals are pending for years No repayment required during appeals If you don’t appeal and don’t repay, you are
put on Red Light Status The Red Light Rule requires the FCC to withhold
action on applications and other requests for funding when the entity seeking funding is delinquent in debts owed to the FCC
All pending applications are dismissed or denied if the delinquency is not resolved
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Oddball Questions/Requests Network Traffic Report Actual NSLP forms
returned by students E-rate-specific
Document Retention Policy
Proof that cell plans not over subscribed
Proof of public hearing for CIPA
Documentation showing who is authorized to sign E-rate forms
Deposit slips showing BEAR checks were deposited
Cell phone policy and whether it restricts personal usage
Internet filter logs showing it failed
Documentation that the public school is tax exempt
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Considerations for IUs Can only request discounts for staff providing services
for K-12 services Must cost-allocate if you have staff serving adult ed (GED
OK) List every building you provide service to if you’re
paying for the service to that building, even if the bill comes to the main IU office This may be dozens of buildings at each IU
Be sure your 471 type matches the services you’re requesting Are you acting as an admin building? Are you acting as a consortia leader? Are you acting as a school with students providing
instruction? If you’re a consortia leader, are your members:
Tech plan compliant? Do you have proof? CIPA compliant? Do you have proof? Have 479s been collected? Have LOAs been collected?
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What I see as most common problems... Applicants not receiving BEAR checks BEARs not calculated with actual bills
Applicants not removing ineligible charges
Applicants not keeping cancelled checks in central location
Invoices from vendors are inaccurate No document retention policy
Or not as strict as E-rate rules Or not being followed
Applicants forgetting to submit BEARs
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What I see as most common problems...
Applicants believing that the hard part is filling out the applications
and going through PIA review and after funding is committed,
they’re done.
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Questions?