Sneak Preview: OMB, Other Agencies Request Comments on Equity

(The following was excerpted from a recent Thompson Grants 360 article.) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking comments through July 6 from grant stakeholders addressing whether agency policies and actions, as well as federal financial assistance programs, equitability serve all eligible individuals and communities, specifically those that are currently or historically underserved.

OMB’s request for information (RFI), which stems from goals established under Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, is among several recently issued by federal agencies to evaluate opportunities to encourage equity. “Equity” is defined as the consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. “Underserved communities” are populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social and civic life.

The OMB RFI, which had already received 68 comments as of June 25, seeks discussion on available methods, approaches and tools that could assist in addressing equity in the federal government. By Aug. 8, federal agencies must submit to the White House an assessment of the state of equity for underserved communities and individuals, including barriers to these communities in participating in federal grant programs, and opportunities to address them. By Jan. 12, 2022, agencies must develop equity action plans outlining steps they will take to rectify identified gaps in equity.

Within the RFI, OMB seeks responses to specific questions for the financial assistance community, including:

• How might agencies identify opportunities to adjust current practices in grants and other financial assistance programs to expand access for underserved communities and to achieve equity-oriented results? What are some promising approaches to the award and administration of federal awards (including, for example, the integration of program planning and design) that should be considered?
• What are promising practices for equitable grantmaking and the administration of financial assistance programs that agencies should consider in their equity assessments?
• How might agencies engage in outreach and stakeholder engagement to identify opportunities to make federal grants and other financial assistance processes more accessible?
• What kinds of training and capacity building within agencies would support equitable grantmaking and financial assistance efforts?
• What kinds of benchmarks and assessment techniques would support equitable grantmaking and financial assistance efforts?
• What kinds of data should agencies collect and use to assess equity in their grantmaking and financial assistance practices?

(The full version of this story has now been made available to all for a limited time here.)

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