Dealing with Grant Improprieties

Discussion Board 3

Liberty University

HLTH 553-B02

Dealing with Grant Improprieties

Grant management entails precise accounting and job oversight along with other fundamental necessities that require a large amount of attention and accuracy (Duffy, 2010). There are many opportunities for errors within grant management as they are responsible for the planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the grant project. According to Hales & Pronovost (2006), human error is inevitable especially when placed under stressful conditions. When some people make mistakes they tend to overreact to their error and may be tempted to hide their mistakes. This could lead to a continuation of bad behaviors that have been proven to be unproductive. It would be smarter for a grant manager to accept the mistake that they made, learn from it, and move on.

It is critical that a grant manager is transparent with their actions and that they own up to the error that they made. In any type of management position, excuses should not be made for what happened. A manager can give an explanation as to why they did what they did, possibly shedding light as to why the wrong decision was made; but at no point should excuses be made or blame be placed on anyone else. By being open and honest about the situation it might assist others to understanding why it occurred and how it can be prevented in the future. In Gallo’s (2010) interview of Schoemaker, she reiterated that the best kind of mistake is where the costs are low but the learning is high.

Grant managers should never be aggressive when it comes to cleaning up an embarrassing error. It would only possibly hinder growth and potentially cause a snowball effect of negative behaviors that might hinder the outcomes of the project. Grant managers should remain open and honest with their funders. Covering up errors could lead to judgement errors, decreased levels of compliance with funder’s requests, and decreased proficiency for the project.

James 3:8 offers a strong biblical worldview in the aspect of lying. The bibles states “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” As Christians, we should not fill our lives with deceit. Christians should always strive to live honest and open lives that are full of trust and love. At times, it may be hard to avoid lying since we are all human. Yet, it is our responsibility as Christians to learn from our errors and continue to move forward in a positive direction.

References

Duffy, B. (2010). Grant management skills are critical for young scientists. Journal of Nature

Biotechnology, 28(11).

Gallo, A. (2010). You’ve Made a Mistake. Now What? Retrieved on October 8, 2015 from

https://hbr.org/2010/04/youve-made-a-mistake-now-what/

Hales, B. M. & Pronovost, P. J. (2010). The checklist—a tool for error management and

performance improvement. Journal of Critical Care, 21(3), 231-235.