More guidance on use of ARRA funds released
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released its second installment of guidelines for the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The latest installment, released April 3, amends and clarifies the initial guidance released on Feb. 18.
The updates are based on input from the public, Congress, state and local government officials, grant and contract recipients, and federal employees, according to a memorandum from OMB Director Peter Orszag announcing the guidance. The guidance highlights three main methods for fulfilling President Barack Obama’s orders that the ARRA money be spent responsibly and in a transparent manner: using merit-based criteria for obligating the funds; ensuring that projects that receive ARRA funds provide long-term benefits; and, primarily for federal agencies, directing all ARRA assistance in a manner consistent with other federal policy goals.
The new guidance and other ARRA information is available at www.recovery.gov.
