I. Background

Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2008-01 (issued on November 14) described how the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is streamlining and simplifying grantee reporting processes through the use of enhancements to current systems for electronic reporting and filing of grants information. These enhancements will better support health centers in managing their Health Center Program grants through improved processes for applying for grants; easier submissions for requesting changes in scope of project; and more efficient performance reporting.

For HRSA, the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) is about to embark on a critically important activity that will substantially improve its ability to oversee and provide support/assistance to Health Center Program grantees. During the period January – March 2008, BPHC and all health center grantees, will be asked to verify every grantee’s grant-funded scope of project. This activity will be known as “Baseline Scope Verification” (BSV).

BSV is an essential step for each Health Center Program grantee to establish an accurate and complete scope of project for sites, services, and other activities under the section 330 grant. Accurate, reliable and timely information on grantee scope will help HRSA staff provide better customer service to grantees, assure grantees that accurate information about their grants is on file, and help assure that the best possible information is available for programs that use scope of project data (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid, 340b drug pricing, Federal Torts Claims Act). In addition, grantees will benefit from the pre-population of scope of project data into future grant applications and related electronic submissions, thereby reducing work duplication.

This one-time BSV activity is the opportunity for Health Center Program grantees to transfer information recorded in past paper applications and other processes, into an electronic format. The BSV process will be managed through HRSA’s Electronic Handbook (EHB).

Once in an electronic format, the data will be stored in a “Scope Repository” so that it will available for use in future grant applications and change in scope requests. The BSV process is not an opportunity for Health Center Program grantees to add/delete services or sites from their approved scope of project. The BSV process is simply a verification of each Health Center Program grantee’s current approved scope of project.

Implementation of Baseline Scope Verification

A. DATES
All Health Center Program grantees will be required to verify and document the services and sites in their federally approved scope during the one-time BSV. Grantees will be required to enter data for this process into the electronic system between January 1, 2008 and no later than February 29, 2008. Note the following timeline requirements:

• It is strongly recommended that applicants submitting Service Area Competition (SAC) grant applications for fiscal year (FY) 2009 with project period start dates of November 1, 2008 and December 1, 2008 complete entry of their scope verification data by January 31, 2008.
• All other current Health Center Program grantees must complete entry of their scope verification data no later than February 29, 2008. (This includes SAC grant applicants with project period start dates in 2009 of January 1, February 1, March 1, April 1, May 1, and June 1.)
• As the data entered into the scope repository, once verified by BPHC, will serve as a baseline/reference for each grantee’s future electronic grant and change in scope requests, each grantee must complete the scope verification process by February 29, 2008, or it will not be able to submit electronically any future grant applications for new or continued FY 2009 funding (SAC, Budget Period Renewal (BPR), New Access Point (NAP), etc.).

B. BASELINE SCOPE VERIFICATION PROCESS
Each Health Center Program grantee will be required to log into the HRSA EHB system and verify/provide information as necessary on their current approved scope of project (services, sites and other activities). In doing so, please note the following:

• Each grantee’s current approved scope of project, not any planned or proposed scope of project changes, will be verified. HRSA will pre-populate data on current sites from existing HRSA databases which will be available for grantee review on January 1, 2008. Only those sites in the HRSA database as of December 15, 2007 will be pre-populated on Form 5-Part B for verification.
  • If an electronic change in scope request to add/delete/relocate a site is approved after December 15, 2007 and a Notice of Grant Award confirming approval is received before February 29, 2008, the grantee will be asked to add/delete this site during the BSV process, unless the grantee has already submitted its final data in the system. (If this is the case, no further action by the grantee is required.)
  • The BSV process is not an opportunity for a grantee to submit a new change in scope request or make any changes to its current approved scope of project.
• Grantees must enter information on services provided (Form 5-Part A) into the BSV electronic system. The system will require each grantee to enter data on services provided in two sections, required services and optional services.
• Grantees must also enter information on other activities/locations (Form 5-Part C).
• Grantees will be provided the option to include supporting documentation for data supplied on Forms 5-Part A, 5-Part B, and 5-Part C as a part of their BSV submission.
• Grantees will receive an email notifying them that their baseline scope data submission is complete. These data will be verified for grantees by their respective BPHC Project Officers who may contact grantees for clarification on questions related to their BSV submissions. Once a grantee’s BSV data are verified, the baseline project scope will be confirmed by an official HRSA e-mail communication.

C. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR BASELINE SCOPE VERIFICATION
In order to assure the success of the BSV process, HRSA is committed to providing the following technical assistance (TA) and training to support grantees:

• Post information regarding BSV and TA materials on the HRSA system help Web page. TA resource links on the Web site will also include the HRSA Call Center Help Desk (877-464-4772) and responses to frequently asked questions.
• Provide a detailed, user friendly instruction guide on the BSV process on the web site.
• Provide BSV system demonstrations at various national and state conferences.
• Conduct grantee TA calls to describe BSV and provide a general orientation to the BSV process (December 13 and 14, 2:00-3:30 PM EST).
  December 13: Call in numbers 1-630-395-0408 or 877-918-6725 (toll free)
  Pass code# 5465477
  December 14: Call in numbers 1-630-395-0412 or 800-369-1847 (toll free)
  Pass code # 8550781

Next Steps for Grantees to Prepare for Baseline Scope Verification

To facilitate this verification process, HRSA encourages grantees to take the following steps:

1. Assure that all grants.gov and EHB registrations and officials identified to act on behalf of the grantee are up to date.
2. Locate Forms 5-Part A, 5-Part B, and 5-Part C from the most recently approved competing, non-competing or supplemental application (SAC, BPR, NAP, EMC) or change in scope request. Collect all related supporting documentation.
3. Look for emails from HRSA that contain important information about BSV.
4. Visit the HRSA system help website (http://bphc.hrsa.gov/systemhelp/) often to access information about upcoming TA conference calls, as well as training materials for BSV.
5. Participate in the TA conference calls scheduled for December 13 or 14 from 2:00 to 3:30 PM EST.
6. Contact the HRSA Call Center or your project officer with any questions or problems.
7. Go to the EHB portal after January 1, 2008 to begin entering data for project scope verification.
8. Participate in the follow up TA conference call scheduled for January 17, 2008 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM EST.
   Call in numbers 1-517-308-9359 or 800-369-1834 (toll free)
   Pass code # 8107759

HRSA is committed to working with all health centers to develop a 21st century information system that supports the Health Center Program. We look forward to working with you on this transition. If you have any questions, please contact the BPHC's Change in Scope and BSV Help Line at 301-443-7356.

Issued December 6, 2007