American Recovery and Reinvestment Coordinating Council Report 

OSF Budget Analysts are reviewing, researching and verifying all information being disseminated under each program area in the Recovery package. All submissions and links will be verified for relevance and accuracy before allowing information to be released on the Oklahoma Recovery Web site. Agencies may continue to submit information to the OSF Director’s office, to Brandy Manek, Budget Division Director, to Treasurer Scott Meacham, Secretary Susan Savage, or to General Counsel Lisa Davis for review and inclusion.

In addition, a calendar application will soon be finalized to help ensure that all deadlines for applications or reporting are met.

The National Association of State Chief and Information Officers informs that detailed reporting information will be released on March 31, 2009. NIC, the parent company to OK.gov, is the Web portal to 20 states and is working with Recovery.org on a comprehensive reporting application that all 20 of the states may use to allow uniform reporting and transparency for ARRA expenditures and projects. The new application could be finalized soon after OMB releases new guidelines.

Given the numerous opportunities for grants in the Recovery Act, some states are creating specialized grant offices to assist agencies who do not have sufficient resources or expertise in securing federal grant money. Much of the ARRA fund disbursement is designed for fast distribution to the states which may preclude setting up a separate grant agency. OSF suggests a survey of grant application resources be conducted quickly across all cabinet areas and to explore engaging in expedited inter-agency contracts to allow all possible recipients of grant money to be able to meet deadlines. OSF could commence this project, or assist another agency in doing so, if the ARRA Coordinating Council sees a need for this kind of shared grant resources program.