IMLS Guidance for Final Report Package

http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/rptInstructions_Final.pdf
Guidance for Preparing and Submitting Your Final Performance Report Package
The purpose of the final performance report is to provide a record of grant-funded project accomplishments. IMLS
uses these narratives to report to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget about the agency’s progress
on addressing its strategic goals, which focus on achieving positive public outcomes for communities and individuals;
supporting the unique role of museums and libraries in preserving and providing access to collections and content;
and promoting library, museum, and information service policies that ensure access to information for all Americans.
Preparing Your Final Report Package
Your final report package should consist of the following components. Be sure to include the IMLS award number at
the top of each page.
1. Cover Sheet signed by an official authorized to submit grant certifications on behalf of the reporting
institution. In most cases, this will be an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).
2. Narrative
The narrative should be 7-10 single-spaced pages long, use a 12-point font, and include the following:
• Project Title
• Description of Project Partners: List the names and describe the roles and contributions of any
project partners as identified in your project proposal.
• Overview: Provide a very brief (150 words or less) overview describing the need, problem, or
challenge addressed by your project, the audience served, your project design, your intended
results, and the extent to which you achieved your intended results. (Note: IMLS may use this
overview as a project abstract or summary for public information.)
• Changes: Provide a bulleted list of any changes in key personnel, budget allocation, scope, or
schedule and reference the request to and approval by IMLS.
• Activities Completed During the Project: List the high-level activities completed during the
project and compare them to the activities you set out to complete for the project. Whenever
possible, describe activities in both quantitative and qualitative terms. If you did not complete all the
activities, explain why.
• Project Results: Analyze your entire project. Compare the actual accomplishments of the project
with the intended results, outcomes, and impacts you identified in your proposal. Use quantitative
data as well as qualitative examples, highlights from your evaluation, and compelling anecdotes.
Identify and document significant project achievements and their value. Describe any significant
unanticipated costs or circumstances that created obstacles to project success, and summarize
lessons learned during the course of the project. For this report, outcomes are changes in
individuals’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, or other conditions related to the purpose of the
project. Impact is a large-scale and/or long-term result that affects one or more institutions,
communities, or fields. Provide images, screenshots, maps, floor plans, charts, tables, publications,
or datasets as appropriate to illustrate your project’s achievements during the reporting period.
• What’s next? Describe any plans to continue work in this area and/or to sustain the benefit of this
project beyond this grant’s end date.
3. Grant Products. Attach one copy of any product that resulted from grant-funded activities, including final
evaluation reports and instruments; research findings, publications, or manuscripts; curriculum guides,
workbooks, or other learning resources; and other deliverables. For web-based material, provide URLs and
sample screenshots. For products that are not complete at the time you submit your final performance
report, forward a copy to IMLS as soon as it is available.
Submitting Your Final Report Package
Depending on its overall file size, you may submit your report package in one of two ways:
1. If it is less than 20MB in size, you must send it electronically in PDF format to [email protected].
Be sure to include your award number in the subject line of your email.

2. If it is more than 20MB in size, you must send it in hard copy with the original signed Cover Sheet to:
Grants Administration
Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW / 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802
IMLS does not accept faxed reports.
Important: Please remember that as a grantee you are required to maintain report document(s) with original
signatures for three years, in case they are required to resolve a question. Refer to IMLS General Terms and
Conditions at http://www.imls.gov/recipients/administration.aspx for more information about reporting requirements.
For assistance or questions, contact your Program Officer.
Burden Estimate and Request for Public Comments: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to
average eight to thirteen hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comment regarding
this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Chief Information Officer, 1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20036-5802,
and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project 3137-0071, Washington, DC 20503.