Office Directory

Accountability

Strategic Planning and Resource Management

Grants Development & Management

Managing Partner Requests

To leverage existing resources, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) offices and schools continue to partner with community organizations and universities to deliver much-needed services that align with PGCPS’ strategic imperatives while supporting the school district’s mission of providing a transformative experience characterized by excellence in equity—enabling each student’s unique talents and brilliance to flourish in order to build empowered communities and more inclusive and just world.

Organizations requesting Letters of Support/Commitment are typically engaged in preparing a competitive proposal, which includes a project design that engages PGCPS as a recipient to benefit from project-related services identified in the proposal. Should the proposal receive a grant award, PGCPS and the partner organization will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding.

The processes and procedures for partnership support via the use of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Letter of Support (LoS), or Letter of Commitment (LoC) are designed to ensure that PGCPS has a system in place to review and make final decisions on engaging in partnership with external organizations.

Letters of Commitment (LoC)

Written often used to establish formal legal agreements after the grant funding has been awarded.

Letters of Support (LoS)

Positive written testimonials from other organizations and used by an organization seeking funds and used to establish informal sponsorship. These letters help to demonstrate the organization’s impact in its community.

Letter of Support Request Form

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

A memorandum of understanding is a formal agreement, not necessarily a legally binding document, between two or more parties. The parties identified clearly outline respective roles and responsibilities. The MOU depends on the signatories' intent and the language in the agreement but signals the willingness of the parties to move forward with a contract.

Often new grant applications, Letters of Support, Letters of Commitment/Collaboration (LoS/C) and/or MOUs, require the internal executive approval and, where needed, the Superintendent and CFO signatures. Therefore, Executive Sponsors and Program Managers must follow the steps for processing partner requests for LoS, LoC and MOU.

Steps for Processing Partner Request for LoS/C

Letter of Support (LoS)/Letter of Commitment (LoC) and MOU Process Flow Chart

Step 1	Program Managers will receive communication from a partner organization requesting their support in providing either a letter of support/commitment and direct requesting organizations to visit SPRM Grant website to access and complete the Letter of Support Request Form.
Step 2	Partner Organizations will complete the Letter of Support Request Form. The Partner Organization will provide all necessary information via the Partner Request Form.
Step 3	SPRM will review and forward the completed form along with all required documents submitted to the appropriate program manager within a central office/department for their review and approval.
Step 4	Program Managers are advised to connect with their supervisor and division Chief to share information on the partner organization’s request and obtain approval via the Approval Transmittal Form to move forward with preparing a LoS/C. If the partner organization’s proposed program involves staff training, stipends for staff, and/or scholarships, then the program manager must engage PGCPS’ Human Resources Offices and obtain preliminary approval from the HR Director and Chief of HR Once all PGCPS staff involved agree to move forward via a completed Approval Transmittal Form, then the Program Manager will engage in steps 5-6.
Step 5	Program Managers will submit to SPRM a signed Approval Transmittal Form to confirm approval.
Step 6	SPRM will edit and finalize the template LoS/C and return the final letter to the program manager to place on the Director’s/Chief’s letterhead and obtain an executive signature. The LoS can only be signed at the Manager/Director level and above. Letters of Commitment can only be signed by the Superintendent as it commits PGCPS to providing resources (in-kind or financial). SPRM will ensure the finalization of the LoC by saving it on the Superintendent’s letterhead and placing it in the signature process for the Superintendent’s signature.
Step 7	SPRM will email the final signed LoS/C to the requesting organization and provide a copy of the document(s) to the program managers and appropriate executive sponsors.

Steps for Processing Partner Request for MOU

Step 1	Program Managers will work with their partner organizations to finalize the MOU and receive approval from the executive sponsor via the Approval Transmittal Form.
Step 2	SPRM will submit the MOU and a completed transmittal form to the Administrative Staff in the Budget and Management Services Office to track all MOUs, and they will forward the MOU to the Office of Government Relations, Compliance and Procedures (OGRAC) for legal review. The Budget Office will include a transmittal form signed by the Chief or Director.
Step 3	Office of Government Relations, Compliance and Procedures (OGRAC) will review the MOU for legal sufficiency. The review for legal sufficiency requires 10 business days to complete. Once approved for legal sufficiency, SPRM will secure the signature of the Superintendent.
Step 4	SPRM will email the signed MOU to the external partner for full ratification of the MOU document. Once MOU is ratified and returned to SPRM, SPRM will provide a copy of the ratified MOU to the CFO, the program manager, the program manager’s executive leadership and maintain a copy in the grant file.