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FY 2023 PCA NCC Progress Report: Frequently Asked Questions

The fiscal year (FY) 2023 State and Regional Primary Care Association (PCA) Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) progress report instructions are available on the PCA TA webpage. 

Below are common questions and corresponding answers for the FY 2023 PCA NCC progress report (hereafter referred to as the progress report). New frequently asked questions (FAQs) will be added, as necessary.

Program Requirements

Must all PCA training and technical assistance (T/TA) activities be available at no cost to existing and potential health centers in the state/region?

PCAs must ensure access to T/TA services without regard to health center award/designation status, PCA membership status, or location within the state or region. The ability for a PCA to charge for T/TA varies:

  • PCAs cannot charge participants for T/TA supported solely with HRSA funds. 
  • PCAs may charge participants for T/TA supported with a mix of HRSA and non-HRSA funds to offset non-HRSA funded costs if the PCA can demonstrate that the charge is not a barrier to access. 

PCAs that refuse to work with an existing or potential health center may be deemed noncompliant with the terms and conditions associated with this award, and subject to penalties for noncompliance as outlined by 45 CFR 75.371.  

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Progress Report Development and Submission

Can I work on my FY 2023 Project Work Plan (PWP) before I complete my FY 2022 Progress Update?

The EHBs system will allow you to work on the FY 2023 PWP concurrently or before you complete the FY 2022 Progress Update. However, the FY 2023 PWP will not prepopulate correctly in the EHBs system if you do not save your completed FY 2022 Progress Update first. 

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

What time periods should I use to report progress in the progress report?
  • Project Narrative Update covers progress between January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022, and anticipated progress from January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023.
  • FY 2022 Progress Update covers the following time periods:
    • Numerical progress made towards objective targets: July 1, 2020 – December 31, 2022;
    • Narrative progress through December 31, 2022; and
    • Narrative anticipated progress on activities: January 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023.
  • FY 2023 PWP includes your plans for the FY 2023 budget period (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024).

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Are State/Regional Performance Profiles available?

You can access the state-level UDS data that was previously included in State Profiles on HRSA's website.

(Added: 12/11/2020)

How will I be notified if my progress report was successfully submitted in HRSA EHBs?

EHBs will generate a confirmation page immediately after the progress report has been submitted successfully. 

(Added: 12/11/2020)

What if I do not see a confirmation page after submitting my progress report?

If you do not see a confirmation page, the progress report may still be in your EHBs queue marked "in progress". If this occurs, review the progress report summary page to determine which sections of the progress report must be completed before you can submit it. You may also contact Health Center Program Support, using the BPHC Contact Form.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Should PCAs reference the work under ARP funding in the project narrative?

No, you do not need to reference ARP activities in your progress report.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Progress Update and Data Development

How do I calculate the Current Numerator and Denominator?

Current data is self-reported for all Objectives. Utilize data that are valid, reliable, and whenever possible, derived from current state or regional-level data sources. Appendix A: Goals and Objectives Development Guide explains how to calculate the Current Numerator and Current Denominator. In your FY 2020 PCA application, you may have used the Baseline Data Source field to define terms from Appendix A (e.g., strategic development, specific readiness scales, comprehensive work plans, social determinants of health). If this is the case, use the same definition when calculating your Current Numerator and Current Denominator. 

(Added: 1/27/2023)

What do I include in the Formal T/TA Session Current Numeric Progress field?

Provide the number of formal T/TA sessions from July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2022. T/TA is considered formal when it is scheduled, structured, and has specific objectives and outcomes. Do not count T/TA sessions that do not meet these criteria in your calculations.

(Added: 1/27/2023)

What do I include in the Participation Target Current Numeric Progress field?

Report the number of health center attendees that participated across all formal T/TA sessions from July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Count individuals who participated in more than one T/TA session for each session they attended (e.g., an individual that attended three formal T/TA sessions would count as three).

(Added: 1/27/2023)

What do I include in the Participant Satisfaction and Behavior Change Target Current Numeric Progress field?

Report Participant Satisfaction and Behavior Change Target Current Numeric Progress based on the average (mean) of all formal T/TA session participant surveys administered that assess T/TA activities conducted from July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Your surveys should use a five-point satisfaction rating scale, where a score of five represents the highest level of satisfaction or behavior change. Include two decimal points in your progress reporting. Do not include scores that used a different assessment methodology.

(Added: 1/27/2023)

What are some special considerations for Participant Satisfaction and Behavior Change Target Current Progress Narrative fields?

When completing the progress narratives for Participant Satisfaction and Participant Behavior Change, explain your survey methodology, including:

  • How your T/TA evaluation strategy supports gathering data to inform these targets.
  • How you maximized your response rate.
  • How you assured follow-up survey respondents represent the variety of health centers in your state or region.
  • The timing and frequency of your survey administration, based on the type of T/TA and magnitude of change measured.
  • The preferred T/TA delivery methods of the existing and potential health centers in the state or region and what has been possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Added: 1/27/2023)

What should I do if the Current Numerator and Denominator are significantly different than the Baseline Numerator and Denominator?

Explain the differences between the Current Numerator and Denominator and the Baseline Numerator and Denominator in the Objective Impact Progress Narrative field.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

How should I report progress I achieve January 1, 2023, through February 9, 2023?

Only consider progress achieved through December 31, 2022 when calculating your targets or discussing your target progress in the target progress narrative fields. You may list progress on specific activities that occurred January 1, 2023 through February 9, 2023 in the Anticipated Progress field of your FY 2022 Progress Update, noting what has been completed and the completion date.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

What does the Progress Toward Target Percentage field measure?

The Progress Toward Target Percentage field describes how close you are to achieving your Objective Target. It is automatically calculated using the following formula: (Current Percentage - Baseline Percentage) ÷ (Objective Target – Baseline Percentage) × 100.

For Objective A2 where only a number is reported, the following formula will be used: (Current Numerator-Baseline Numerator) ÷ (Objective Target – Baseline Number) x 100.

(Updated: 2/3/2021)

Why is my Progress Toward Target Percentage negative?

A negative Progress Toward Target Percentage indicates your current percentage is less than your baseline percentage.

(Updated: 2/3/2021)

Where do I enter activities conducted with my Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) supplemental funding?

Any activities supported by EHE funds must be recorded in Objective A1: Comprehensive Services and not under Goal F: Supplemental Funding.

(Updated: 2/3/2021)

What should I enter if I have not made progress on my Formal T/TA Session, Participation, Participant Satisfaction, and/or Participant Behavior Change Targets?

Enter 0 in the appropriate Target Current Numeric Progress field and explain why you have not made progress in the corresponding Progress Narrative Update field.

(Added: 2/3/2021)

For Objective A1, can I count T/TA session attendees from health centers that were not supplemental funding recipients in my Participation Target Current Numeric Progress? 

You may count all participants attending the T/TA session in the Participation Target Current Numeric Progress figure, regardless of their supplemental funding status.

(Updated: 2/3/2021)

For Goal E Objectives, what time period should I use to compare progress?

HRSA is tracking the percentage of health centers that improve their performance by the end of the period of performance (June 30, 2024). For this progress report, you can report on how many health centers had improved data by comparing their 2021 and 2018 UDS data. Explain which years you are comparing in the Objective Impact Progress Narrative field of your Progress Update.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Project Work Plan

What should we do if an Optional Objective our PCA selected is no longer a high priority?

While you cannot delete an Objective, you may pare back your work under the Optional Objective by adjusting or removing activities (you will still need a minimum of two). You should explain the priority shift in your Objective Impact Narrative.

(Added: 2/3/2021)

Are state PCAs that cover two or more states and Regional PCAs allowed to have state-specific activities?

PCA training and technical assistance (T/TA) must help health centers innovate and respond to changes in their state or regional health care environment. If you are serving multiple states, this may result in state-specific activities. In this case, you must dedicate at least one activity to each state for each required objective, though a single activity may cover multiple states. You may allocate remaining activities between individual states in the way that will best support health center achievement of the five goals described in the Purpose section of the FY 2020 PCA NOFO. Note that Regional PCAs must collaborate with state PCAs on all T/TA activities to ensure there is no duplication of effort.

Optional Objectives A4 and B2 allowed you to determine the baseline denominator, therefore it was allowable to focus on one state for these two optional objectives. If you chose to focus on just one state for either of these objectives, you must continue to do so in year 3.

(Updated: 12/22/2021)

Why is Objective F1: COVID-19 Supplemental Funding in my FY 2023 Project Work Plan (PWP) form uneditable in the Electronic Handbooks (EHBs)?

The supplemental funding for COVID-19 was one-time funding for FY 2020. Grantees should have exhausted this supplemental funding and are not expected to update or add activities in the FY 2023 budget period. Therefore, the fields for Objective F1 on the PWP form are prepopulated and not editable. 

If you have supplemental funding for COVID-19 that you wish to carry over, you must contact your Project Officer about initiating a prior approval request. 

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Budget

What is the difference between the SF-424A Budget Information form and the Budget Information: Budget Details form?

The previous NCC progress report instructions and supporting T/TA resources referred to the SF-424A Budget Information form as the “Budget Information: Budget Details form”.

(Added: 1/27/2023)

Do the HP-ET or the workforce supplement expenses need to be broken down into a separate column in the budget and budget narrative?

No, they do not need to be broken down in a separate column in the budget or the budget narrative.

(Added: 12/22/2021)

We have carried forward funding this year, how should we reflect that in the project narrative and the budget?

An approved prior approval request for carryover funds cannot be included in the project narrative and/or budget justification for the FY 2023 budget period. If you have further questions, you may also contact your Grants Management Specialist (GMS). 

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

How was the Recommended Federal Budget calculated?

The Recommended Federal Budget corresponds to the recommended future support figure provided in your most recent Notice of Award and includes both supplemental (i.e. HP-ET funding for all PCAs and EHE funding as applicable) and base funding.

(Added: 12/11/2020)

Attachments

How do I report progress on activities that were completed or deleted?

In the Project Narrative Update, you should include progress on activities that you completed or were approved and later removed from your PWP between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022. For activities that you continued to work on after June 30, 2022, actual progress should be reported in the Progress Update.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

What significant progress and challenges should I include in the Project Narrative Update versus the FY 2022 Progress Update?

While the FY 2022 Progress Update requires updates for each specific objective target and activity, the Project Narrative Update allows you to address cross-cutting progress and challenges (e.g., if you’re significantly ahead on all planned activities for all Goal A objectives, despite having significant participation challenges across all objectives). Your Project Narrative Update may also include information that does not fit within the character limits of the FY 2022 Progress Update.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

How does what I report in Attachment 2: Health Workforce Supplemental Progress differ from what I report for Objective F2: Health Workforce Supplemental Funding in the FY 2022 Progress Update?

Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) initiative has five metrics specific to required activities that you are required to report through Attachment 2: Health Workforce Supplemental Progress. The FY 2022 Progress Update is where you report progress on the activities and targets (e.g., Participant Satisfaction) included in Objective F2 of your FY 2023 Project Work Plan (PWP).

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Where do I access the Attachment 2: Health Workforce Supplemental Progress?

The Health Professions Education & Training (HP-ET) reporting instructions, including details on what metrics should be included, are in Appendix D of the FY 2023 PCA NCC Progress Report instructions. You may create your own Attachment 2 table that includes all of the required information as outlined in Appendix D. A Sample Health Workforce Supplemental Progress document is available on the PCA TA webpage. 

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Do I need to attach my Attachment 3: Staffing Plan if it hasn’t been updated?

No, if the staffing plan has not changed since you last submitted it, you do not need to submit the attachment.

(Updated: 1/27/2023)

Who is considered Key Personnel?

Key Personnel includes anyone you noted in your FY 2020 PCA application in Attachment 3: Staffing Plan and Attachment 6: Biographical Sketches of Key Personnel. Note any changes to these positions or the staff occupying these positions in Attachment 5: Job Descriptions for Key Personnel and/or Attachment 6: Biographical Sketches of Key Personnel of your progress report.

(Updated: 12/22/2021)

If there is a new state PCA CEO since the Regional Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed, does this mean the MOA should be re-submitted as Attachment 8: MOA for Regional PCAs Only?

If you are a regional PCA, you must re-submit a signed Regional Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) documenting support from the current state PCA CEOs in the selected region. If signatures from the leadership of all current state PCA CEOs cannot be obtained, regional PCAs must include documentation of efforts made to obtain the signatures along with an explanation for why they could not be obtained in the Collaboration section of the Project Narrative Update.

(Updated: 2/3/2021)

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