|
[Federal Register: August 5, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 150)]
[Notices]
[Page 50697-50710]
From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05au02-104]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy;
Disability Technical
Assistance for Providers (TAP) Cooperative
Agreement
AGENCY: Office of Disability Employment Policy, Labor
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for
Cooperative Agreement Applications (SGA 02-15).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or the Department),
Office
of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announces the
availability of
$600,000 to award one cooperative agreement. This
cooperative agreement
will provide funds for the implementation of a
national technical
assistance and training effort designed to
increase the capacity of
Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs) and
other community-based
service providers that currently operate
programs that result in
segregated work outcomes and non-work options
for people with
disabilities in the ``Special Minimum Wage'' program
established under
section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 214(c).
The desired outcome of this proposed
technical assistance and training
effort is to work with providers
using section 14(c) certificates to:
(1) evolve their programs to
provide integrated employment outcomes
(i.e., non section 14(c)
employment) in non-stereotypical jobs based on
customized employment
strategies and individual choice; and (2) to
increase wages of people
with disabilities who are currently working at
less than minimum wage
through the use of customized employment
strategies and individual
choice.
This cooperative agreement is for a one-year period and may
be
renewed for up to four additional years depending upon
project
performance and funding availability. All forms necessary to
prepare an
application are included in this solicitation package.
This cooperative agreement anticipates substantial involvement
between ODEP and the awardee during the performance of the project.
Involvement will include collaboration or participation by ODEP in
the
management of the project throughout the period of the award.
For
example, ODEP will be involved in decisions involving strategy,
hiring
of personnel, deployment of resources, release of public
information
materials, quality assurance, coordination of activities
with other
offices, and conducting research.
DATES: One
ink-signed original, complete application plus two (2)
copies of the
Technical Proposal and two copies of the Cost Proposal
shall be
submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement
Services
Center, Grant Officer, Reference SGA 02-15, Room N-5416, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, not later than 4:45
p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST), September 4, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be directed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Grant Officer,
Reference
Cooperative Agreement 02-15, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT: Application announcements or forms
will not be mailed. The
Federal Register may be obtained from your
nearest government office
or library. In addition, a copy of this
notice and the application
requirements may be downloaded from the
Office of Disability
Employment Policy's Web site at
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www2.dol.gov./odep.
Questions concerning this solicitation may be sent
to Cassandra
Willis, at (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free
number). Persons
who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the
Department via the
Federal Relay Service, (800) 877-8339.
Late Proposals: All applicants are
advised that U.S. mail delivery
in the Washington, DC area has been
erratic due to concerns involving
anthrax contamination. All
applicants must take this into consideration
when preparing to meet
the application deadline. It is recommended that
you confirm receipt
of your application by contacting Cassandra Willis,
U.S. Department
of Labor, Procurement Services Center, by telephone
(202) 693-4570
(this is not a toll-free number), prior to the closing
deadline.
Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the
Department
via the Federal Relay Service, (800) 877-8339.
Acceptable Methods of
Submission The grant application package must
be received at the
designated place by the date and time specified or
it will not be
considered. Any application received at the Office of
Procurement
Services Center after 4:45 p.m., EDST, September 4, 2002,
will not be
considered unless it is received before the award is made
and:
1.
It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the
fifth
calendar day before September 4, 2002; or
2. It was sent by U.S. Postal
Service Express Mail Next Day
Service-Post
[[Page
50698]]
Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of
mailing two
working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays,
prior to
September 4, 2002; and/or
3. It is determined by the
Government that the late receipt was due
solely to mishandling by the
Government after receipt at the U.S.
Department of Labor at the
address indicated.
The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of
mailing of a
late application sent by registered or certified mail is
the U.S.
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on
the original
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is
not legible,
an application received after the above closing time and
date shall be
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a
printed, stamped or
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter
machine impression)
that is readily identifiable without further
action as having been
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S.
Postal Service on the
date of mailing. Therefore, applicants should
request the postal clerk
place a legible hand cancellation
``bull's-eye'' postmark on both the
receipt and the envelope or
wrapper.
The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt
at
the U. S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the
Procurement
Services Center on the application wrapper or other
documentary
evidence or receipt maintained by that office.
Applications sent by other delivery services, such as Federal
Express, UPS, etc., will also be accepted; however the Department
does
not accept dates or date stamps on such packages as evidence of
timely
mailing. Thus, the applicant bears the responsibility of
timely
submission.
All applicants are advised that U.S. mail
delivery in the
Washington, DC area has been erratic due to concerns
involving anthrax
contamination. All applicants must take this into
consideration when
preparing to meet the application deadline.
Therefore, it is
recommended that you confirm receipt of your
application by contacting
Cassandra Willis, U.S. Department of Labor,
Procurement Services
Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a
toll-free number),
prior to the closing deadline. Persons who are
deaf or hard of hearing
may contact the Department via the Federal
Relay Service, (800) 877-
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Authority
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001, Pub. L.
106-554, 114 Stat.
2763; 29 U.S.C. 557b; DOL, HHS, Education and
Related Appropriations
Act, 2002, Pub. L. 107-116, 115 Stat.
2177.
II. Background
Too often, many people with
disabilities, including those in
sheltered workshops, day activity
center programs, many young people
transitioning from school, and
people covered by the U.S. Supreme
Court's Olmstead v. L.C decision,
527 U.S. 581 (1999), are tracked into
jobs that are customary and
stereotypical. These employment options
usually pay low wages, offer
no benefits, and do not provide any
opportunity for advancement.
Fortunately programs and providers of
employment services have
challenged these conventional employment
practices as too limiting
for persons with disabilities, and have
instead successfully
facilitated employment in a variety of new and
expanded jobs. These
opportunities include employment in industries
which offer increased
earnings, benefits, and career advancement
possibilities, such as
jobs in technology-related industries, and
professional,
administrative, and office support. Such employment also
includes
self-employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as
a host
of other individually designed, customized employment options.
People with
disabilities and high support needs have traditionally
been relegated
to placements characterized by non-work activities,
segregated
environments, and/or part-time jobs where they earn less
than minimum
wage. A large percent of this population receives no
employment
services; are in institutional settings; or, are on waiting
lists for
available community programs. A recent GAO Report, Special
Minimum
Wage Program (September 2001) documents that there are about
424,000
employees with disabilities who earn less than minimum wage
under
section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In
addition,
over half earn less than $2.50 per hour, and have been in the
same
segregated facility for over five years, and some for over 20
years.
For every one person with a disability working in integrated
settings
through supportive employment, 4.5 people remain in segregated
settings.
These circumstances continue to exist despite research
and
demonstration programs documenting that many members of this
population
can achieve customized, individually-determined,
integrated,
competitive jobs; can increase their earnings and develop
assets; and,
as a result, can more fully participate in community
life. Increasing
numbers of individuals once thought to be
``nonfeasible'' for
employment are demonstrating their competence and
capacity in non-
stereotypical jobs that pay minimum wage or more, include
benefits, and
provide for career growth.
Negative stereotyping,
unemployment, underemployment, and placement
in segregated work and
non-work settings are likely to continue for
people with disabilities
until there are systemic changes undertaken.
One such change is
increasing provider capacity to provide individually
determined,
customized employment in non-stereotypic jobs for persons
with
disabilities.
For purposes of this solicitation, customized employment
means
individualizing the employment relationship between employees
and
employers in ways that meet the needs of both. It is based on
an
individualized determination of the strengths, needs, and
interests of
the person with a disability, and is also designed to
meet the specific
needs of the employer. It may include employment
developed through job
carving, self-employment or entrepreneurial
initiatives, or other job
development or restructuring strategies
that result in job
responsibilities being customized and individually
negotiated to fit
the needs of individuals with a disability.
Customized employment
assumes the provision of reasonable
accommodations and supports
necessary for the individual to perform
the functions of a job that is
individually negotiated and
developed.
Fortunately, customized employment strategies (such as
supported
employment, supported entrepreneurship, job carving and
restructuring,
development of micro-boards and microenterprises, use
of personal
agents, and use of individual vouchers, training
accounts, and personal
budgets) are increasingly leading to
integrated community life and jobs
for people with high support
needs. However, there exists a critical
lack of professional
development efforts designed to increase service
providers' expertise
in utilizing such strategies to support people
with disabilities who
are seeking integrated, customized employment.
Challenges exist
related to: (1) Identifying strengths and needs of the
individuals
with disabilities; (2) providing individual negotiation
with
employers and job development personnel for identifying and
securing
desired employment; (3) understanding the range of customized
employment strategies that may be utilized in securing the individual
employment outcome; and (4) implementing organizational change
strategies
[[Page 50699]]
necessary to incorporate such
customized employment techniques into the
provider services.
Additional challenges relate to the need for
Community Rehabilitation
Programs and other community-based providers
that currently operate
programs under section 14(c) to be better
equipped to effectively
engage the employer/business community. In
addition, the high staff
turnover in direct service positions, which is
typical in many
community programs, further exacerbates the problem of
inadequate
staff capacity to effectively support people with
disabilities into
integrated customized employment. Finally, there is a
critical need
for providers participating in programs under section
14(c) to
identify ways to more broadly and creatively use existing
service and
funding systems. The current initiative is designed to
begin to
address these needs through a program of technical assistance
and
training aimed at promoting organizational change.
Various community-based
providers (e.g., Community Rehabilitation
Providers, school systems,
public vocational rehabilitation agencies,
substance abuse treatment
providers, etc.), who are utilizing FLSA
14(c) Special Minimum Wage
certificates can benefit from the technical
assistance and training
efforts to be provided by this cooperative
agreement and can develop
the necessary capacity to enable them to
further refine their program
so that customized employment outcomes
will become their
hallmark.
It is critical that community providers utilizing 14(c)
certificates are supported and encouraged to further utilize
customized
employment strategies. Critical to this is the
understanding that
customized employment begins with identifying the
strengths, interests
and desires of the individual with a
disability.
Providers utilizing section 14(c) certificates must also be
able to
better understand and respond to the needs of local
employers; create
ongoing partnerships with the business community;
and function more as
businesses. Other currently operating ODEP/DOL
grant efforts (e.g.,
Customized Employment Grants and The Technical
Assistance Consortia for
Adults and Youth with Disabilities) focus on
building capacity of One-
Stop Career Centers and other workforce
development system partners.
Still other federal, state, and local
funding efforts focus on training
exemplary providers to expand their
services in other localities. This
Technical Assistance for Providers
(TAP) Cooperative Agreement seeks to
integrate the aforementioned
grant initiatives in its technical
assistance and training
efforts.
Currently, little attention is being given at the federal level
to
initiatives that focus on providing training and technical
assistance
to providers of segregated services (e.g., sheltered
workshops and day
activity programs), and others participating in
Special Minimum Wage
programs under section 14(c) of the FLSA. If
people with disabilities
are to become employed in quality jobs,
these providers must be the
beneficiaries of targeted technical
assistance and training efforts
such as those proposed in this
solicitation.
This cooperative agreement would also be consistent with the
U.S.
Department of Labor's commitment under Executive Order
13217,
``Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with
Disabilities,'' as
stated in the November 8, 2001 Report to the
Secretary of the United
States Department of Health and Human
Services. In this Report, ODEP
indicated that it would collaborate
with the Employment Standards
Administration's Wage and Hour Division
to develop training and
technical assistance on increasing earnings
and customized employment
for individuals with disabilities earning
commensurate wages under
section 14(c) of the FLSA, and disseminate
this assistance to their
stakeholder networks.
III.
Purpose
The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to help
Community
Rehabilitation Service Providers (CRSPs) and other
disability community
service providers operating section 14(c)
programs to take a leadership
role in changing their program outcomes
from segregated and non-
employment services to program outcomes that lead
to customized,
competitive employment in non-stereotypical jobs for
people with
disabilities. This cooperative agreement is for the
purpose of
developing and providing training and technical assistance
designed to
enable community-based providers that are currently
participating in
section 14(c) of the FLSA (Special Minimum Wage
certificates) programs
to develop and/or increase their program's
provision of customized
integrated employment outcomes for people
with disabilities. Funds will
be used to develop the capacity of
community providers utilizing 14(c)
certificates to effectively
support the movement of people with
disabilities into integrated jobs
based upon customized employment
strategies. Particular emphasis is
to be placed on employment that pays
above minimum wage and provides
opportunities for career growth. It is
expected that the awardee will
take steps to establish a core of
trained and committed community
providers participating in section
14(c) programs who can then work
with other providers participating in
the section 14(c) program to
replicate and expand upon these concepts.
Further, the direct contact
with community providers will offer the
awardee insight and
information on related policy concerns that shall
be shared with
ODEP/DOL on an ongoing basis.
This cooperative agreement is intended to:
(1) Develop capacity for
provision of customized employment
strategies among providers who
utilize the FLSA 14(c) program; (2)
build effective relationships
between employers and these employment
service providers that result in
the development of non-stereotypical
employment opportunities,
providing increased earnings, benefits, and
career advancement
potential for people with disabilities; (3)
address the production,
operations, and technical assistance needs of
businesses to promote
their hiring of people with disabilities in
non-stereotypical jobs; (4)
promote positive organizational change,
as described in the
``Background'' section through professional and
organizational
development and other means of on-site assistance to
individual
providers; and (5) increase the number of section 14(c)
providers that
have the capacity to provide customized employment as
eligible training
providers with One-Stop Career Centers and other
workforce development
system partners. Efforts should be undertaken
to ensure that community
rehabilitation providers operating section
14(c) programs consider the
possibilities of developing jobs for
their customers in non-
stereotypical occupations which lead to increased
earnings, benefits,
and career advancement possibilities. To
accomplish these objectives, a
comprehensive and integrated array of
training and technical assistance
initiatives will be undertaken,
including utilization of experienced
trainers using demonstrated
effective training techniques and options,
access to individual
coaching, and other technical assistance for
providers operating
14(c) programs seeking to undertake organizational
change, and
development and dissemination of information relevant to
these
goals.
IV. Statement of Work
The applicant must provide the
following services and materials:
1. Develop and implement training at the
programmatic and systemic
levels
[[Page 50700]]
that promotes change from segregated work and non-work options for
people with disabilities to integrated customized employment based on
individual choice. The goal is to increase integrated, non-
stereotypical
employment, earnings, and opportunities for career
advancement
potential (as appropriate), based on the individual
strengths and
desires of the individual, as well as increased community
participation through employment for people with disabilities. This
requirement includes:
a. Documenting existing individual programmatic and
systemic
barriers to community-based employment for people with
disabilities in
the state;
b. Conducting needs assessment of
community rehabilitation
providers utilizing 14(c) certificates to
assist in determining the
array, type, and intensity of technical
assistance, training and
information to be provided;
c.
Developing training and technical assistance materials and
curriculum
for providers utilizing 14(c) certificates to facilitate
their
understanding and adoption of person-driven, customized
employment
strategies resulting in community-based, integrated
employment;
d. Utilizing the curriculum and materials developed to provide
training for community rehabilitation providers that utilize 14(c)
certificates to assist them in incorporating customized employment
strategies and integrated employment outcomes into their programs;
e.
Making all training/materials/curriculum available through
distance
learning options such as interactive websites and video
conferencing;
f. Documenting the use of customized employment strategies
by
participating providers following any training, and how the use of
such
strategies impacts on successful employment outcomes; and
g.
Documenting the increased participation of providers utilizing
customized employment strategies as eligible training providers under
the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (Public Law No. 105-220, 29 U.S.C.
2801 et seq.).
2. Provide ongoing coaching and technical assistance to
providers
utilizing 14(c) certificates and WIA partners through phone
and in-
person assistance, as well as through on-line resources such as
list-
servs or e-mail responses to inquiries, including:
a. Providing
personal technical assistance, training, and
information for
particular providers utilizing section 14(c)
certificates to assist
them in their organizational change to
integrated, customized
employment. Such technical assistance, training
and information shall
focus on integrating customized employment
practices into the
providers' services and result in increased choice,
self-determination, and increased earnings for individuals with
disabilities (including benefits and career advancement opportunities
as appropriate). Such strategies shall also result in increased
community participation for the people with disabilities involved;
b.
Developing linkages and collaborating with other national
federal
initiatives providing services and supports for people with
disabilities (including but not limited to systems change efforts
promoting permanent systems improvement and comprehensive
coordination;
health care; housing; transportation; education;
supported employment;
benefits planning and assistance; small
business development; and
technology related assistance) and other
national initiatives, as
appropriate. Coordinating with DOL's other
related initiatives (e.g.,
ETA's Work Incentive Grants) and ODEP's
other initiatives (e.g.,
WorkFORCE Coordinating and Action Grants,
Customized Employment
Grants.);
c. Developing and communicating
regularly with: (1) A network of
local providers which can be
utilized as a leadership network or
constituency support group for
this technical assistance and training
effort; and (2) national
experts in the area of customized employment
strategies;
d.
Developing ongoing communication and linkages with employers,
trade
associations, and professional and business service
organizations;
and
e. Assisting CRPs that provide customized employment services
in
becoming eligible training providers with One-Stop Career Centers
and
other workforce development system partners.
3. Acting as a
central locus of information and expertise on
customized,
community-based employment for people with disabilities by:
a. Providing
national linkages to information, experts and
activities including
exemplary and promising practices on how to
promote organizational
change (at the provider and system levels) that
increases
community-based, customized employment in non-stereotypical
jobs for
people with disabilities;
b. Providing information and conducting
initiatives to educate
employers and the general public about the
abilities of people with
disabilities to work in a wide variety of
occupations and contribute to
the workforce;
c. Providing
information to people with disabilities and their
families, and
others, as appropriate, about promising practices that
facilitate
increased employment and earnings for people with
disabilities;
d. Developing and disseminating materials to supplement existing
technical assistance and training materials. All materials must be
made
available through an accessible Internet Web site;
e.
Serving as a repository and dissemination center for information
and
materials developed by ODEP grantees, including promising
practices;
and
f. Providing coordination and information sharing among
multiple
DOL grantees and initiatives of other agencies related to
people with
disabilities (such as projects of the Rehabilitation
Services
Administration (RSA), Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP),
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance
Abuse
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers
for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Social Security
Administration
(SSA), Small Business Administration (SBA), National
Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR),
including coordinating
with other national initiatives).
4.
Conducting policy studies, conduct evaluation of project
activities,
and otherwise collect and analyze employment policy-related
information, as directed by the Office of Disability Employment
Policy
(ODEP), and otherwise support ODEP, as requested, in its
efforts to
increase integrated, customized employment, choice and
wages for
persons with disabilities, including the following:
a.
Researching, collecting and disseminating information from
states
about effective policies and practices that support community-
based
employment over segregated services;
b. Collaborating with other federal
technical assistance projects
that provide information and/or
technical assistance about increasing
employment and needed supports
for people with disabilities in
conducting policy studies, as
appropriate;
c. Collaborating with other research institutes, centers,
and
studies and evaluations that are supported by DOL and other
relevant
Federal agencies;
d. Conducting periodic studies and
analysis about employment
characteristics and conditions of people
with disabilities currently in
segregated
[[Page 50701]]
work and non-work settings such as day activity centers, job
club
programs, institutions, nursing homes and other
facility-based
settings, and collaborating with ODEP in developing a
range of
strategies to respond to identified needs;
e. Conducting
periodic studies and analysis of federal and state
policies which
impede community-based employment for people and
evaluate the
effectiveness of new policy initiatives, such as the
Ticket-to-Work,
and Olmstead and Customized Employment Grants which are
intended to
address these barriers;
f. Conducting ongoing evaluation of the project
using thorough and
appropriate measures to determine the performance
of the project to
obtain its goals, objectives, and deliverable;
and
g. Responding to requests for information, analysis and other
assistance from ODEP on national employment policy as it impacts
people
with disabilities and the workforce investment system.
V. Funding Availability
The initial period of performance will be
12 months from the date
of execution by the Government. Based on
availability of funds and
project performance, the Department may
elect to exercise the option to
extend this cooperative agreement for
up to four additional option
years for a total not to exceed 60
months. With the agreement of the
awardee, the Department also may
elect to change, modify and/or
supplement this cooperative agreement
during this period based on the
Department's needs.
VI.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants may include a public, private
non-profit, or
for-profit organization or consortium, including
community and faith-
based organizations with demonstrated appropriate
experience and
expertise. If the proposal includes multiple consortia
members, there
must be a prime or lead member who is the responsible
fiscal agent.
According to section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995, an
organization, as described in section 501(c)(4) of the
Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, that engages in lobbying activities
will not be eligible
for the receipt of federal funds constituting an
award, grant, or loan.
See 2 U.S.C. Sec. 1611; 26 U.S.C. Sec.
501(c)(4).
VII. Applications Contents
General
Requirements--Two copies and an original of the proposal
must be
submitted, one of which must contain an original signature.
Proposals
must be submitted by the applicant only. There are three
required
sections of the application. Requirements for each section are
provided in this application package.
Part I--Executive Summary
The Executive Summary must be no more than two single-spaced
pages
in length giving a clear summary of the project narrative.
Part II--Project Narrative--(Appendices: Letters of Commitment
and
Support, Resumes, etc.)
Applicants must include a
project narrative that addresses the
Statement of Work in Part IV of
this notice and the selection criteria
that are used by reviewers in
evaluating the application in Part IX.
You must limit the project narrative
to the equivalent of no more
than 70 pages using the following
standards. This page limit does not
apply to Part I, the Executive
Summary; Part III, the Project Financial
Plan (Budget); and, the
Appendices (the assurances and certifications,
resumes, a
bibliography or references, and the letters of support). A
page is
8.5'' x 11'' (on one side only) with one-inch margins (top,
bottom,
and sides). All text in the application narrative, including
titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations, and captions, as well as all
text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs must be double-spaced (no
more
than three lines per vertical inch); and, if using a proportional
computer font, use no smaller than a 12-point font, and an average
character density no greater than 18 characters per inch (if using a
non-proportional font or a typewriter, do not use more than 12
characters per inch.)
Part III--Project Financial Plan (Budget)
Applications must include a detailed financial plan that
identifies
by line item the budget plan designed to achieve the goals
of this
cooperative agreement. The Financial Plan must contain the
SF-424,
Application for Federal Assistance, (Appendix A) and a
Budget
Information Sheet SF-424A (Appendix B).
In addition, the
budget must include on a separate page a detailed
cost analysis of
each line item. Justification for administrative costs
must be
provided. Approval of a budget by DOL is not the same as the
approval
of actual costs. The individual signing the SF-424 on behalf
of the
applicant must represent and be able to legally bind the
responsible
financial and administrative entity for a cooperative
agreement
should that application result in an award. The applicant
must also
include the Assurances and Certifications Signature Page
(Appendix
C).
IX. Evaluation Criteria/Selection
A. Evaluation
Criteria
The application must include information of the type
described
below.
1. Significance of the Proposed Project (20
points)
In determining the significance of the proposed project,
the
Department considers the following factors:
a. The potential
contribution of the proposed project to increase
knowledge or
understanding of problems, issues, or effective strategies
for
providing integrated employment outcomes in non-stereotypical jobs,
based on customized employment strategies and individual choice for
people with disabilities;
b. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates
an understanding
of the issues facing community providers as outlined
in this SGA,
especially those utilizing section 14(c) Special Minimum
Wage
certificates;
c. The extent to which the proposed project is
likely to yield
findings that may be used by other appropriate
agencies and
organizations;
d. The likely utility of the products
(such as information,
materials, processes, or techniques) that will
result from the proposed
project, including the potential for the
products being used
effectively in a variety of other settings;
e. The extent to which the proposed project disseminates promising
practices in ways that will enable others to use the information or
strategies; and
f. The importance or magnitude of the results that are
likely to be
attained by the proposed project.
2. Quality of the
Project Design (20 points)
In evaluating the quality of the proposed
project design, the
Department considers the following factors:
a. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable;
b.
The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate
to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population
and other identified needs;
c. The extent to which the design of the
proposed project provides
an outline of training topics and content
to be delivered or utilized;
strategies for providing ongoing
coaching and technical assistance to
community providers; and other
strategies to achieve the goals of this
solicitation;
[[Page
50702]]
d. The extent to which the proposed project is designed to
build
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period
of this
cooperative agreement;
e. The extent to which the
proposed project will be coordinated
with similar or related efforts,
and with other appropriate community,
state, and Federal
resources;
f. The extent to which the applicant encourages involvement
of
people with disabilities, relevant experts, and organizations
in
project activities; and
g. The extent to which performance
feedback and continuous
improvement are integral to the design of the
proposed project.
3. Quality of Project Personnel (15 points)
The
Project Narrative must describe the proposed staffing of the
project
and must identify and summarize the qualifications of the
personnel
who will carry it out. In addition, the Department considers
the
qualifications, including relevant education, training, and
experience of key project personnel as well as the qualifications,
including relevant training and experience of project consultants or
subcontractors. Resumes must be included in the Appendices.
4. Adequacy of
the Budget (10 points)
In evaluating the adequacy of the budget for the
proposed project,
the Department considers the following factors:
a. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed
project and
b. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project.
The applicant may include letters of commitment from
proposed
partners in the Appendix.
5. Quality of the Management
Plan (20 points)
In evaluating the quality of the management plan for the
proposed
project, the Department considers the following factors:
a. The extent to which the management plan for project
implementation
achieves the objectives of the proposed project on time
and within
budget, including clearly defined staff responsibilities,
and time
allocated to project activities, time lines, milestones for
accomplishing project tasks and project deliverables;
b. The adequacy of
mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services from the
proposed project; and
c. The extent to which the time commitments of the
project director
and/or principal investigator and other key project
personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the
proposed
project.
6. Quality of the Project Evaluation (15
points)
In evaluating the quality of the project's evaluation design,
the
Department considers the following factors:
a. The extent to
which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and
appropriate to the goals, objectives, context, and
outcomes of the
proposed project;
b. The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide
for
examining the effectiveness of project implementation
strategies;
c. The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the
use of
objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended
outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and
qualitative
data;
d. The extent to which the evaluation will
provide information to
other programs about effective strategies
suitable for replication or
testing in other settings; and
e. The
extent to which the methods of evaluation measure in both
quantitative and qualitative terms, program results and satisfaction
of
people with disabilities.
B. Selection Criteria
Acceptance of a proposal and an award of federal funds to sponsor
any
program(s) is not a waiver of any cooperative agreement requirement
and/or procedures. Awardees must comply with all applicable Federal
statutes, regulations, administrative requirements and OMB Circulars.
For example, the OMB circulars require, and an entity's procurement
procedures must require, that all procurement transactions shall be
conducted, as practical, to provide open and free competition. If a
proposal identifies a specific entity to provide the services, the
award does not provide the justification or basis to sole-source the
procurement, i.e., to avoid competition.
A panel will objectively rate each
complete application against the
criteria described in this
solicitation. The panel recommendations to
the Grant Officer are
advisory in nature. The Grant Officer may elect
to award a
cooperative agreement either with or without discussion with
the
applicant. In situations where no discussion occurs, an award will
be
based on the signed SF-424 form (see Appendix A), which constitutes
a
binding offer. The Grant Officer may consider the panel's findings
and any information that is available and will make final award
decisions based on what is most advantageous to the government,
considering factors such as:
1. Findings of the technical evaluation panel;
and
2. The availability of funds.
X. Reporting
Awardees
will be required to submit periodic financial and
participation
reports under this program. Specifically the following
reports will
be required:
1. Quarterly progress reports, and upon completion of
the
cooperative agreement period a final report. The quarterly report
is
estimated to take ten hours, and the final report is estimated to
take
20 hours. The Department will work with the awardee to identify
the
requirements of the various reports, which will, among other
things,
include measures of ongoing analysis for continuous
improvement and
customer satisfaction.
2. Standard Form 269,
Financial Status Report Form, on a quarterly
basis;
3. Final
Project Report, including an assessment of project
performance and
outcomes achieved. This report will be submitted in
hard copy and on
electronic disk using a format and instructions which
will be
provided by the Department. A draft of the final report is due
to the
Department 30 days before the termination of the cooperative
agreement, and the final report is due 60 days after the termination
of
the cooperative agreement.
XI. Administration
Provisions
A. Administrative Standards and Provisions
The
monies awarded under this cooperative agreement shall be
subject to
the following:
29 CFR part 95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for
Grants and
Cooperative Agreements with Institutions of Higher
Education, etc.
29 CFR part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally
Funded
Grants, Contracts, and Agreements.
29 CFR part 97--Uniform
Administrative Requirement for Grants and
Cooperative Agreements to
State and Local Governments.
B. Allowable Cost
Determinations
of allowable costs shall be made in accordance with
the following
applicable Federal cost principles:
State and Local Government--OMB
Circular A-87
Nonprofit Organizations--OMB Circular A-122
[[Page
50703]]
Profit-making Commercial Firms--48 CFR part 31
Profit
will not be considered an allowable cost in any case.
C.
Non-Discrimination Assurances
As a condition of the award, the
applicant must certify that it
will comply fully with the
nondiscrimination and equal opportunity
provisions of the following
laws:
29 CFR part 31--Nondiscrimination in Federally-assisted programs
of
the Department of Labor, effectuation of title VI of the Civil
Rights
Act of 1964.
29 CFR part 32--Nondiscrimination on the
Basis of Disability in
Programs and Activities Receiving or
Benefiting from Federal
Assistance. (Implementing section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act, 29
U.S.C. 794)
29 CFR part
36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education
Programs or
Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance
(Implementing title
IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C.
1681 et. seq.)
The applicant must include assurances and certifications that it
will
comply with these laws in its grant application. The assurances
and
certifications are attached as Appendix C.
Signed at Washington, DC
this 30th day of July, 2002.
Lawrence J. Kuss,
Grant Officer.
Appendix A. Application for Federal Assistance, Form SF 424
Appendix B.
Budget Information Sheet, Form SF 424A
Appendix C. Assurances and
Certifications Signature Page 1
BILLING CODE 4510-CX-P
[[Page
50704]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN05AU02.004
[[Page
50705]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN05AU02.005
[[Page 50706]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN05AU02.006
[[Page 50707]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN05AU02.007
[[Page 50708]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED]
TN05AU02.008
[[Page 50709]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF
OMITTED] TN05AU02.009
[[Page 50710]]
[GRAPHIC]
[TIFF OMITTED] TN05AU02.010
[FR Doc. 02-19637 Filed 8-2-02; 8:45
am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CX-C |
