Discretionary Grants Information System (DGIS)

We collect data to see how our programs are performing, what they are achieving, and what gaps remain. Discretionary awardees report performance information into our electronic data management system, DGIS, which resides in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHB).

What is a discretionary grant?

A grant is money, property, or direct help we award to a qualified non-federal entity (NFE). There are two types of grants:

• Mandatory – When the law requires the grant goes to a specific entity. Example: The Title V MCH Block Grant must go to state governments.
• Discretionary – When the grantor can decide which entities get the grant. We select the grantee based on their application.

Our discretionary grants address issues ranging from autism to emergency medical services for children to vision screenings. The State Title V MCH Block Grant is a mandatory grant for state governments.

What kind of information do awardees report?

They report a range of information from the goals of their program to the types of activities they conduct to how many people they reach.

The type of information we ask awardees to submit complements the information we gather about the State Title V MCH Program. That helps us measure the outcomes and impact between these two sets of programs.

All awardees report:

• financial data
• demographics
• grant impact
• quality improvement
• health equity

Depending on the type of program, awardees will report additional data. That information will be specific to other things we measure such as health insurance coverage, scientific publications, and depression screening, to name just a few.

How do we use the data in DGIS?

We analyze the data that awardees report to DGIS. This information helps us make improvements to our programs’ policies and practices. We can monitor grantee progress toward goals. We report on the performance of programs, separately, as well as in aggregate.

Where can I access DGIS forms?

Discretionary Grant Performance Measures (PDF - 2 MB)

To learn about the changes HRSA MCHB intends to make to DGIS forms, please visit the Federal Register to view the 30 Day Federal Register Notice for this data collection.