eCivis Implementation Information

The changes fall with the following sections/categories:

• Policy, Process, and Data Gathering
• Under Consideration Stage
• Application Preparation Stage
• Application Submitted Stage
• Grant Awarded/Implementation Stage
• Grantor, Subrecipients, and Subrecipient  Monitoring
• Closeout Stage

Quick Note: State Budget Agency Budget Analysts are now known as Fiscal Analysts. The name change is intended to reflect the incorporation of greater federal assistance/grants oversight into the Analysts’ role.

Major Moves

• SBA will start identifying new grants via a New Grant grant tag.  The goal is to easily identify new grants that might need more explanation to obtain SBA pursuance approval.
• SBA has issued a new Financial Management Circular regarding private grants and donations.  To support the FMC, SBA will: 1) add a Private Grant to the list of grant tag choices, and 2) create a private grants template form.
• Currently, user guides have their own list of definitions relevant to that user guide.  This makes the definition list cumbersome to update consistently.  SBA will consolidate all definitions into a single glossary.

Nitty Gritty

• Agencies will insert “n/a” for Internal Project Name and Internal Project ID.
• Agencies will use either FFY or SFY to indicate the relevant fiscal year.
• SBA will create a user guide appendix identifying the applicable federal fiscal year for a particular grant.
• SBA has adjusted task naming conventions to put the most relevant information in the visible field.
• SBA has adjusted some eCivis task descriptions to more clearly state the activity needed.

Major Moves

• When reviewing grants for pursuance approval, if SBA denies a grant, SBA will also select the “Will not apply” button in the eCivis project.  This will enable SBA to document the basis for the denial and provide information for decision-making in the event the agency considers the grant in the future.

Nitty Gritty

• SBA recommends that agencies use simple tasks to create an “Internal Deadline” for application due dates.
• SBA will update the Federal Assistance Request Form to include more information for Maintenance of Effort instructions.

Reminder

If a grant does not have a competitive application,  agencies will upload their State Plan to eCivis. The “application” could also be a cooperative agreement, or simply an email from a federal agency notifying a state agency of available funding.

Nitty Gritty

• SBA will eliminate the “Application Upload Confirmation” approval task.  Note:  agencies are still required to upload their official application.
• eCivis will require agencies to upload their application only at the Application Submitted stage.  All other documents will be added at specific tasks.

Major Moves

• While estimated funding sources are not a preferred way of managing federal assistance, they do help keep funding flowing while agencies are waiting for federal processes to play out.  SBA will prepare guidance for creating estimated funding sources.  FMC 4.1 requires a waiver to use estimated funding sources.

Quick Note: Training for the new Financial Management Circular 4.1 - Federal Assistance Management Requirements (effective July 1, 2024) will be available on SuccessFactors.

Nitty Gritty

• User guides will reflect that the State Match project is only for the cash match portion of the grant. Agencies should include any third-party match in the “cash” and/or “in-kind” match fields when setting up an eCivis project for a federal grant.
• Substate Transfer organizational funding should be designated as State-funded.  SBA will revise user guides to reflect this requirement.
• Agencies will leave the Internal Grant Name field blank. The agency will continue to put the grant's award number in the Grantor Contract Number field.
• Agencies will begin using only acronyms for the prime agency’s name in the substate transfer project name.
• Amendments will require an approval task for your agency’s Fiscal Analyst and SBA Finance.
• The amendment reminder task will no longer auto-generate.

Major Moves

• Some agencies issue subawards directly to subrecipients rather than through a competitive application process.  SBA will provide Direct Award guidance in the associated user guide and training materials.

Quick Note: Agencies need to remember to make their applicants aware of the Grant Funding Opportunities page and the Resources for Subrecipients on the SBA website.

Nitty Gritty

• SBA is revising the portal guidance for subrecipients, including portal login guidance.

Quick Note: Program questions should be directed to the agency issuing a solicitation. Questions about eCivis functionality are handled by State Budget Agency’s Grants Management Team.  eCivis Technical Support Team will address technical questions.

SBA is updating the closeout user guide for eCivis and the PeopleSoft bulletin.