LSTA Grant WorkshopJennifer Peacock, Administrative Services Bureau DirectorDavid Collins, Grant Programs DirectorMississippi Library CommissionSeptember 24, 2015

Redesign of Reporting

Old Reporting: New Reporting: Open-ended narrative

fields. Inadequate comparability

across project fields. One-way reporting

process centered around compliance.

Structured, survey-like closed-ended fields.

Comparability across projects for assessing performance.

Two-way reporting process centered around access to project information.

2

New Reporting: Reasons and Benefits

Reasons New federal guidelines Better data drives better stories Data transparency

Benefits Bi-directional data now possible Evidence-based data and stories Facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing,

foster/support communities of practice3

Goals

Build more dynamic/easy-to-use tool to capture better Grants to States data

Standardize reporting process to increase comparability of project reports

Highlight (and learn from) projects assessed Share information to facilitate state library agency peer

learning; build a catalogue of library program information; improve data for policy analysis and in-depth

evaluation work

Competitive Applications

Services/Resources and Libraries as Community AnchorsPublic Librarian Scholarship Program

Non-Competitive Applications

Consulting AssistanceFocused Development Focused TechnologyProfessional Development

Previous MLC Grant Categories:

Competitive Application process opens

January 2, 2016 Application process

closes April 15, 2016

Non-Competitive Application process opens

May 2, 2016 Application process

closes March 31, 2017 or when the money runs out

Now, there are only two categories:

Overview of the LSTA Grant Process

7

Project Intent Activity

•Mode•Format•Quantity•Partner•Beneficiaries•Locale

Projects

What is a project?

Set of specific, interdependent activities carried out to achieve an intended outcome

Contains allocable resources (e.g., dollars spent, people responsible for accomplishing tasks, venue or service location(s), time spent)

9

IntentsEach Project is assigned one intent.

An intent is an objective or expected result in a project.

Intents are mapped to the six focal areas.

For example:

10

Focal Area Intent(s)Institutional Capacity

• Improve the library workforce• Improve the library’s physical and technological

infrastructure• Improve library operations

Information Access • Improve users’ ability to discover information• Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use

information resources

Intents Continued

Each Project is assigned one Intent

11

Focal Area Intent(s)Lifelong Learning • Improve users’ formal education

• Improve users’ general knowledge and skills

Human Services • Improve users’ ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family, or household finances

• Improve users’ ability to apply information that furthers their personal or family health & wellness

• Improve users’ ability to apply information that furthers their parenting and family skills

Intents Continued

12

Focal Area Intent(s)

Employment & Economic Development

• Improve users’ ability to use resources and apply information for employment support

• Improve users’ ability to use and apply business resources

Civic engagement • Improve users’ ability to participate in their community

• Improve users’ ability to participate in community conversations around topics of concern

Activities Activities are actions through which the intent of a project is accomplished.

Activity Types:

13

Instruction Involves an interaction for knowledge or skill transfer.

Content Involves the acquisition, development, or transfer of information.

Planning/Evaluation

Involves design, development, or assessment of operations, services, or resources.

Procurement Involves purchasing facilities, equipment/supplies,hardware/software, or other materials (not content) that support general library infrastructure.

Modes by Activity Type

Format

Digital Physical Combined physical and digital

Quantity

Your quantity options vary based on the mode and/or format.

Examples: Total number of items circulated Total number of ILL transactions Number of items digitized Number of evaluations and/or

plans funded

Partner Types

You may or may not have one Options

Federal Government State Government Local Government (excluding school districts) School District Non-Profit Private Sector Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization

Beneficiaries

Who directly benefited from the project Were you targeting a specific group or population?

Economic status Ethnic Demographics Families Intergenerational groups Immigrants/refugees Those with limited literacy or informational skills People with disabilities

Locale

Was it statewide? If no, can you identify the specific institution?

If you can identify where, provide information about specific institutions

If no, provide institution types

Miscellaneous Information

Provide any additional materials from a website (Enter URL) PowerPoints Webpage Documentation

Comments from last year’s reviewers:

These comments will help guide you through the grant-writing process.

Lack of evidence of local need.

Learners’ needs not clear.

Statistics provided were not relevant to your project.

Too expensive for identifiable need.

Measures of evaluation do not relate to the change you wanted to create.

Must have a defined baseline for measuring. (Know where you’re starting from so that you can track the increase or change.)

No surveys to support your project’s intent. (Patron satisfaction survey, etc.)

Questions?

Contact:

David Collins, Grant Programs Director dcollins@mlc.lib.ms.us

Jennifer Peacock, Administrative Services Bureau Director

jpeacock@mlc.lib.ms.us