County Disaster Recovery and Grants Management
March 29, 2022
FEMA Public Assistance Technical Assistance Contract
March 30, 2020The COVID-19 pandemic ensnared the world in March 2020. The City of Lowell, MA, declared along with the rest of the Country, recognized that they needed assistance to ensure effective response and recovery efforts.
SITUATION
iParametrics was retained by the City’s Office of Emergency Management to support overall response and recovery services for COVID-19, including applying for and managing funding from a variety of federal funding sources.
TASK
iParametrics was tasked with providing strategic advice to the City to maximize their ability to recover costs under various federal programs, including the FEMA Public Assistance Program, the Coronavirus Relief Fund, and HHS/CDC grants. Later, the City was awarded American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and has successfully looked for and applied for additional grants. As additional needs were identified, the iParametrics team was also asked to support numerous response efforts.
ACTION
iParametrics is providing the City with comprehensive grant management and cost recovery services, including strategic planning, FEMA PA cost recovery, program implementation support, and technical assistance. We have positioned the City to maximize their cost recovery efforts by leveraging each federal funding stream to pay for unique items that are needed, including addressing the needs of the underserved populations in the City and those with English not as their first language.
RESULT
The City of Lowell is better equipped to meet the needs of their residents through improved processes and staff augmentation. The City is one of the top communities in the state of Massachusetts for receiving money. Cost recovery efforts are underway, with millions of dollars targeted for reimbursement.
“Our work with iParametrics began with strategic advice on how to maximize our recovery funding through FEMA Public Assistance and the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund. Their assistance allowed us to effectively leverage both funding opportunities to maximize reimbursement for eligible services and also invest in City processes and systems including technology infrastructure that enhanced City operations. Further, they were able to use grants for administrative costs to help pay for themselves in accordance with federal guidelines.”Shad Ahmed, Former Assistant Emergency Management Director, City of Lowell