Application Review

Review Criteria

Partnership Agreements/State Arts Agencies

The following criteria are considered during the review of applications:

• Quality of the planning process.
• Quality of the plan including mission, goals, objectives, outcomes, and evaluation.
• Quality of implementation including accomplishments in relation to the plan.

Panelists will consider the criteria above in making their recommendations for each component of the State Partnership Agreement grant. An agency's vision, leadership, inclusion of appropriate constituencies, and ability to adapt to changing circumstances will be examined in connection with each of these criteria.

When applying these criteria for the Arts Education component, panelists will also consider:

• The role of arts education as a clearly articulated priority in the state arts plan.
• Evidence of leadership and effective strategies to achieve the arts education goals.
• The involvement of a variety of education-related constituencies (e.g., students, teachers, teaching artists, parents, school and administrative boards, departments of education, and State Alliances for Arts Education) in the planning process.
• The extent to which planning for and implementation of arts education activities reach broadly throughout the state, especially to underserved communities.

When applying these criteria for optional Folk & Traditional Arts Partnership support for professional folk arts positions, panelists will also consider the likelihood that the position can be supported independently of the NEA within three years.

Multi-Year Review

The Arts Endowment uses staggered, multi-year review for State Partnership Agreements. While each SAA is required to submit an application annually, those organizations that are determined to have addressed satisfactorily the requirements and review criteria receive three-year approval of their proposals. They are not required to submit another full-scale application, including all material necessary for panel review, for another three years. In the other years ("off years"), the application requirements are simplified greatly. Multi-year approval is subject to an agency’s continuing ability to carry out its approved plan. At the discretion of the Arts Endowment Chairman, multi-year approval may be revoked if state support is substantially reduced or if other circumstances threaten an agency’s ability to carry out its approved plan. Requests for optional Folk & Traditional Arts Partnership support are reviewed annually.

NOTE: In recommending action on State Partnership Agreement proposals, the advisory panel, the National Council on the Arts, and the Chairman of the Arts Endowment have a variety of options. These include but are not limited to:

• Approval.
• Approval with requirement of an update after one year in an area of concern.
• Approval for a period of one year only.
• Approval contingent on a satisfactory response to a concern.
• Deferral with a request for a new application or additional information to be reviewed at a later date.
• Determination not to provide a State Partnership Agreement.

Review Criteria

Partnership Agreements/Regional Arts Organizations

The following criteria are considered in the review of applications. Panelists will apply these criteria not only to the Regional Arts Plan, but also to the Regional Touring and optional Folk & Traditional Arts Partnership components, as relevant.

A. Quality of the planning process

1. Quality of the partnerships with member state arts agencies and responsiveness to priorities that they identify.

2. The identification of needs and opportunities through inclusive planning that involves member agencies, touring artists, presenters, and other artists, supporters, and constituents, including those in underserved communities.

B. Quality of the plan

C. Quality of implementation and accomplishments in relation to the plan

1. Impact of accomplishments on the organization, partners, and constituents as well as on the implementation of the regional plan.

   In addition for Regional Touring, proposed strategies for:

• Ensuring that an appropriate proportion of activity takes place in underserved communities.

• Increasing access through educational activities and community partnerships.

2. Evaluation of accomplishments in relation to clearly defined objectives.

3. Cost effectiveness of the operation.

4. Evidence of success and the potential for success in developing an appropriate non-federal revenue base and in extending resources and effectiveness through partnerships and other means.

When applying the criteria above for optional Folk & Traditional Arts Partnership support for professional folk arts positions, panelists will also consider the likelihood that the position can be supported independently of the NEA within three years.

Multi-Year Review

The Arts Endowment uses staggered, multi-year review for Regional Partnership awards. While each RAO is required to submit an application annually, those organizations that are determined to have addressed satisfactorily the requirements and review criteria receive three-year approval of their proposals. They are not required to submit another full-scale application, including all material necessary for panel review, for another three years. In the other years ("off years"), the application requirements are simplified greatly. Requests for optional Folk & Traditional Arts Partnership support are reviewed annually.

NOTE: In recommending action on Regional Partnership Agreement proposals, the advisory panel, the National Council on the Arts, and the Chairman of the Arts Endowment have a variety of options. These include but are not limited to:

• Approval.
• Approval with the requirement of an update after one year in an area of concern.
• Approval for a period of one year only.
• Approval contingent on a satisfactory response to a concern.
• Deferral with a request for a new application or additional information to be reviewed at a later date.
• Determination not to provide a Regional Partnership Agreement.

What Happens to Your Partnership Agreement Application

Applications are evaluated according to the "Review Criteria" for their category.
After processing by Arts Endowment staff, applications are reviewed, in open session, by advisory panelists. The State Partnership Agreements Panel reviews the SAA applications. It is comprised of present and former state arts agency leaders and other experienced civic and governmental leaders including at least one knowledgeable layperson. This panel's deliberations are supplemented by recommendations from specialists in arts education and in the folk & traditional arts who separately review applications that include a request under the Arts Education and/or Folk & Traditional Arts Partnership components.

The Regional Partnership Agreements Panel (separate from that reviewing SAA applications) reviews the RAO applications. It is comprised of regional arts organization leaders and other experienced civic and governmental leaders including at least one knowledgeable layperson. This panel's deliberations are supplemented by recommendations from specialists in the folk & traditional arts who separately review applications that include a request for Folk & Traditional Arts Partnership support.

Panel membership changes regularly. The panel arrives at recommendations, scores to be used in apportioning funds, and comments that go back to applicants. Recommendations are forwarded to the National Council on the Arts, where they are reviewed in open session. The Council makes recommendations to the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Chairman reviews the Council’s recommendations and makes the final decision on all grant awards. Applicants are then notified of funding decisions.

Applicants are welcome to attend advisory panel meetings and meetings of the National Council on the Arts.

Contact the State & Regional staff at masthisa@arts.gov or 202/682-5430 if you have questions about the review process.

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506