Local and state applicants often assume FEMA will 'drive' the Public Assistance (PA) process, only to face delayed obligations, reduced funding, or costly deobligations years later. This session reframes PA as an applicant-owned program and provides practical strategies for leading FEMA projects from damage identification through closeout. Drawing on experience from inside FEMA and national disaster recovery advisory work, presenters will discuss best practices for grant administration, common eligibility and documentation pitfalls, and proven approaches for working effectively with FEMA amid staffing, policy, and organizational uncertainty.
