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The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding has instituted a Transparency Initiative (TI) to make information on federal funds available in a clear and understandable way to the general public. The first phase focuses on recovery schools in New Orleans so parents, teachers and local leaders will know the status of individual schools in their community.
One avenue of federal aid money from the federal government to stricken areas is through FEMA's Public Assistance (PA) Program. These grants assist state and local governments as well as eligible private nonprofit entities with the response to and recovery from disasters. Specifically, the program provides assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of infrastructure.
The PA program is based on a partnership of FEMA, State and local officials:
What is the Transparency Initiative?
The new Transparency Initiative is a web-based mapping tool that provides the public with accurate, up-to-date information on the status of all public assistance funding that goes toward the rebuilding effort in the Gulf Coast.
Where did this idea of a web-based tool originate?
The Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, Donald Powell, has been a champion in pushing for greater transparency throughout all elements of the long-term rebuilding process. One of the most important elements needed to drive rebuilding is confidence – and Coordinator Powell believes that transparency in funding and decision-making plays a critical role in generating that confidence – on behalf of both residents and the investment community.
When did Federal Coordinator Powell first discuss this tool?
In Spring 2007, Coordinator Powell realized that it was necessary to create an easy-to-use and publicly accessible tool for the general public to identify the status and whereabouts of infrastructure projects at the neighborhood level. He believes such a tool is necessary to bring greater clarity to where and how billions in federal investment are making their way down to the ground. In late August 2007, FEMA was able to map and summarize the geographic location of all PA grants for permanent infrastructure throughout the entire Gulf Coast. By early December 2007, the operational and financial status of individual facilities could be identified for all public schools in New Orleans.
How else has transparency been valuable to Gulf Coast Recovery efforts?
Coordinator Powell continues to stress the importance of being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. He believes transparency across government is critical to demystifying how billions in federal aid are being spent and how this impacts each Gulf Coast resident in a meaningful way. In addition to education, Powell has stressed the need for and championed efforts to make publicly accessible, web-based tools available in the area of flood protection. This has been done through the sharing of local flood maps to equip residents with critical safety information to inform their rebuilding decisions. He continues to push forward with other government agencies to develop similar tools in other recovery sectors such as criminal justice, public safety and health care.
Who has been working on this effort?
This effort has been a partnership at the local, state and federal level. The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding has served to help facilitate and develop this partnership. FEMA has been a primary partner, both in the Gulf Coast region and at headquarters. In addition, the State has also been a major contributor through the Louisiana Department of Educations and the Recovery School District.
The Office of the Federal Coordinator sought feedback and assistance from a number of Federal agencies in the development of the site including the Government Accountability Office (GAO), The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as education establishments such as The Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and local stakeholders including The Cowan Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University and New Schools for New Orleans. Information and features on the site will be updated to reflect feedback from interested parties as the site develops further.
Who is this designed for?
This tool has been designed for the general public – which includes residents, neighborhood leaders, local officials, state and federal officials, and those in the investment community. It is intended to be user-friendly and make information available in a clear and understandable way.
What barriers were overcome to make this tool a reality?
As one would imagine, there are many, many moving parts involved in the public administration of billions of dollars. One of the major barriers that had to be overcome was the need to standardize and coordinate how local, state and federal government agencies manage, store and share information. In creating something new that serves all levels of government as well as the general public, the major stakeholders in this initiative have demonstrated a strong and ongoing commitment to the principles of transparency and accountability.
How often will new financial information be posted?
The mapping of FEMA PA grants by school site has been the result of physically sharing data files between the local, state and federal level. An ultimate goal of the transparency website is to link directly into the real-time database management systems at the federal and state level to provide continuous updates as to the location and financial status of individual infrastructure projects. In the interim, both FEMA and the State of Louisiana will provide updated data on a monthly basis.
There are two mapping tools identifying the location of FEMA PA Grants on the FEMA Gulf Coast Recovery Office’s website – how are they different?
FEMA has developed two basic mapping tools for identifying PA grants:
The Gulf Coast PA Grants Locator identifies the physical location of thousands individual grants for permanent infrastructure projects throughout the four-state gulf region. This mapping tool identifies infrastructure grants by major recovery sector and provides summary information at the jurisdictional level. The PA grants locator maps the location of PA grants at the smallest level, which is called a "project worksheet" or "PW." Often times, multiple project worksheets may be written for a single facility or site according to specific types or phases of work.
PA Grants for Public Schools in New Orleans identifies project information at the site-based or facility level. It consolidates information for PWs tied to individual schools and presents this for each school site. For any particular school site, the following information can be identified:
How do I know what the future status of a school will be?
The contact for the local applicant (owner/manager) of each school is provided along with the detailed grant information. For schools indicated as closed, the local applicant must be contacted regarding future plans for the site.
A master planning process is currently underway to develop a master plan for all public schools in New Orleans. The plan is scheduled to be completed in May 2008. The State Superintendent for Education began the master plan process by announcing five schools that will be renovated or rebuilt in time for the Fall 2009 school season. Any other new construction identified under the master plan will not be completed until 2010.
The master plan will lay out options for the locations and uses of buildings based upon the amount of money available, community input, projected demographics of neighborhoods and school children, locations of Office of Recovery Management investment zones, flood elevations and other factors. The master plan also will lay out how many school buildings will be needed for the short-term, medium-term and long-term based on building conditions, renovation costs and other factors. More information on the School Facilities Master Plan process can be found at www.sfmpop.org or by calling 877-343-4773.
What does “Amount Obligated to the State by FEMA” mean?
The FEMA Public Assistance Program works on a cost reimbursement basis. Once eligible costs for a project are determined, FEMA “obligates” those funds to a federal account in the name of the State. The State is then able to pull down and transfer those funds as local applicants request them.
What does “Amount Drawn Down by Local Applicant” mean?
Under the cost reimbursement framework, local applicants (a city, a school district, etc.) are able to request or “draw down” obligated funds as costs are incurred. However, in Louisiana, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has instituted an “advance policy” enabling local applicants to request a cash advance of their obligated project amounts – 10% for architecture and engineering work and up to 75% for construction. This policy enables applicants with to receive up to 85% of project costs in advance. As applicant requests for funds are approved transferred by the State, they are considered as “drawn down.”
What plans are there for doing this with other sectors and in other jurisdictions outside of the City of New Orleans?
Based on the data sharing framework established for public schools in New Orleans, FEMA plans on replicating this site-based identification of PA grant funding in other sectors and jurisdictions. Another critical sector with a high volume of rebuilding activity in New Orleans is Criminal Justice. As the data-sharing/mapping framework becomes more standardized and automated, plans are to incorporate PA grants for other highly impacted jurisdictions along the Gulf Coast.
Why does it take so long for a map to load on the map-tool that locates PA grants gulfwide?
For viewing “project worksheet” locations in the PA Grants Locator, it is necessary to pull up an extraordinary amount of information in some of the heaviest impacted areas. When viewing highly impacted jurisdictions (such as Orleans Parish), it may take a while for the hundreds or thousands of data points to be loaded onto the map. The FEMA webteam is currently working on technical solutions to address this problem.
What if I don’t have access to a computer?
If you do not have access to a computer, you may call the Louisiana Department of Education at 225-342-3830. You may also visit one of the 10 open public library sites in the City of New Orleans. Call the New Orleans Public Library at 504-529-READ (7323) to find the location nearest you.
This page was last reviewed/modified on October 21, 2008.
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