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2002 WL 1591619 (F.R.)
NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy;
Working for Freedom, Opportunity and
Real Choice Through Community
Employment (WorkFORCE) Grant Initiative:
Supporting the Coordination
and Delivery of Competitive Employment
Opportunities That Facilitate
People With Disabilities Living and Working in
Their
Communities
Monday, July 22, 2002
*47844
AGENCY: Office of Disability Employment Policy, Labor.
ACTION: Notice
of availability of funds and solicitation for grant applications for WorkFORCE
coordinating and action grants) (SGA 02-20 and SGA 02-21).
SUMMARY: This
notice announces the availability of $6.0 million in grant
funding
through the Department of Labor's Working for Freedom, Opportunity and Real
Choice through Community Employment (WorkFORCE) Grant Initiative. This new
initiative represents the Department of Labor's continued support for
increasing and improving employment opportunities that allow individuals with
disabilities to: (1) Move from nursing homes or other institutions and
residential facilities into the community; (2) continue living in the
community; (3) achieve economic self-sufficiency; and (4) attain full access
to, and participation in, their communities.
This WorkFORCE Grant
Initiative includes two distinct competitive Solicitations for Grant
Applications (SGAs), the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants SGA and the WorkFORCE
Action Grants SGA:
. WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants (SGA 02-20): These
grants, ranging from $100,000 to $150,000, are to assist in coordinating,
strategizing and developing competitive, customized community employment
opportunities for individuals with disabilities so that they may live, work,
and fully participate in their communities.
. WorkFORCE Action Grants (SGA
02-21): These grants are demonstration grants, ranging from $400,000 to
$750,000, to begin or expand the delivery and
implementation of
competitive, customized community employment opportunities for individuals with
disabilities so that they may live, work, and fully participate in their
communities.
The application and evaluation/selection criteria for both
SGAs are included in this Notice of Funding Availability. State agencies,
nonprofit organizations, a consortium of public and private entities, and
Indian and Native American Tribal entities, or consortia of Tribes, with the
written approval of their tribal council are eligible applicants for the
WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants. Nonprofit organizations, either individually or
as part of a consortium, are eligible applicants for the WorkFORCE Action
Grants.
Deadline for Submission of Grant Applications: To be considered
under the Fiscal Year 2002 funding cycle, grant applications must be submitted
by the deadlines listed below:
WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants, August 21,
2002
WorkFORCE Action Grants, August 21, 2002
Submission of
Applications: Applicants are required to submit one ink-signed
original and two copies of the complete application for each grant for which
they are applying to the U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center,
Attention Grant Officer, Reference SGA 02-20 or SGA 02-21, Room N-5416, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210 by no later than 4:45 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST) on August 21, 2002. Both the WorkFORCE
Coordinating Grants and the WorkFORCE Action Grants have the same closing date,
August 21, 2002. Applications for either grant received after these closing
dates will not be considered.
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. Therefore, it is
recommended that you confirm receipt of your application(s) by contacting
Cassandra Willis, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, at
(202) 693-4570, 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, August 21, 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 August 21, 2002; or
2. It was sent by U.S. Postal
Service Express Mail Next Day Service--Post Office to Addressee, not later than
5 p.m. at the place of mailing two working days, excluding weekends and Federal
holidays, prior to August 21, 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.*47845
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Questions concerning
this solicitation
may be directed to Cassandra Willis, at (202)
693-4570. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the Department
via the Federal Relay Service, (800) 877-8339. Application announcements or
forms will not be mailed. They are published in the Federal Register which may
be obtained from your nearest U.S. Government office or public library. In
addition, you can obtain up-to- date general information about the WorkFORCE
Grants, as well as the complete grant solicitations for both the WorkFORCE
Coordinating Grants and the WorkFORCE Action Grants, please check our web site
at: http:// www2.dol.gov/odep/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I.
Authority
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001, Public Law 106-554,
114 Stat. 2763; 29 U.S.C. 557b; DOL, HHS, Education and Related Appropriations
Act, 2002, Public Law 107-116, 115 Stat. 2177.
II. Background
In
Olmstead v. L.C., 119 S.Ct. 2176 (1999) (the "Olmstead decision"),
the
Supreme Court construed Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) to require states to place qualified individuals with
mental disabilities in community settings, rather than in institutions,
whenever treatment professionals determine that such placement is appropriate,
the affected persons do not oppose such placement, and the state can reasonably
accommodate the placement, taking into account the resources available to the
state and the needs of others with disabilities. The Department of Justice
regulations implementing Title II of the ADA require public entities to
administer their services, programs, and activities in the most integrated
setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities, 28
CFR 35.130(d).
The Supreme Court stated that institutional placements of
people with disabilities who can live in, and benefit from, community settings
perpetuates the unwarranted assumptions that persons so isolated are incapable
or unworthy of participating in community life and that "...confinement in an
institution severely diminishes everyday life activities of individuals,
including family relations, social contacts, work options, economic
independence, educational advancement, and cultural enrichment." Olmstead, 119
S.Ct. 2176, 21789, 2187 [emphasis added]. This decision affects not only all
persons in institutions and segregated settings, but also people with
disabilities who are at-risk of institutionalization, including people with
disabilities on waiting lists to receive community based services and
supports.
The Court indicated that one way states can show they are
meeting their obligations under the ADA and the Olmstead decision is to develop
a "comprehensive, effectively working plan for placing qualified people with
mental disabilities in less restrictive settings." Olmstead at 2179. Based on
this, almost all the states are in the process of developing, or have already
developed such plans.
In support of these state efforts, on June 18, 2001,
President Bush issued Executive Order 13217-Community-Based Alternatives for
Individuals with Disabilities (the Olmstead Executive Order), which extended
application of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision to all Americans with
disabilities, and called upon selected federal agencies, including the U.S.
Department of Labor, to help support governors in their implementation of the
Olmstead decision. In support of these state efforts and in response to the
direction set forth in Executive Order 13217, the U.S. Department of Labor is
issuing this SGA for the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants and WorkFORCE Action
Grants.
In March 2002, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Tommy G. Thompson, submitted a report to President Bush, titled Delivering on
the Promise, on behalf of the Departments of Labor (DOL), Justice (DOJ),
Education (ED), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Transportation (DOT),
Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Office
of Personnel Management (OPM). This report detailed actions being planned by
the
aforementioned agencies to eliminate barriers and promote
community integration. See http://www.hhs.gov/newfreedom/final. In this report,
DOL and other Federal agencies noted that successful Olmstead planning and
implementation efforts must include competitive employment and employment-
related supports. Delivering on the Promise identifies several key concerns
related to employment that must be addressed, including:
. Fragmentation of
existing employment services;
. Isolation and segregation of people
with disabilities from "mainstream" or generic employment programs and
services;
. Lack of access to health insurance;
. The
complexity of existing work incentives that are supposed to encourage and/or
support work efforts;
. Lack of control and choice in selecting
employment training and service providers;
. Inadequate work
opportunities resulting from attitudinal barriers based on historical and
erroneous stereotypes; and
. Lack of accurate data on employment of
people with disabilities needed to measure progress in eliminating barriers to
their employment.
These WorkFORCE grants are meant to offer opportunities
that respond to these issues.
Additionally, these grants support the
President's New Freedom Initiative.
The New Freedom Initiative is
designed to increase the number of people with disabilities who enter,
re-enter, and remain in the workforce. By emphasizing the need to increase the
capacity of Federally-supported employment and training programs to serve
people with significant disabilities, including those covered by the Olmstead
decision and Executive Order, the current SGA will further the New Freedom
Initiative's goals of increased integration of Americans with disabilities into
the workforce.
These grants will also support other Federal and state
initiatives already underway to make working and living in the community a
reality for more people with disabilities, including the state planning and
implementation efforts under the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision; the
Olmstead Executive Order; the Department of Health and Human Services Systems
Change Grants; the DOL Work Incentive Grants and Customized Employment Grants;
and other related grant opportunities and efforts by DOL, the Department of
Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration under the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
Improvement Act (TWWIIA).
Many strategies exist for creating and expanding
competitive employment opportunities in the community, especially for people
with significant disabilities who were for many years considered unemployable,
including individuals who have been segregated in institutions, sheltered
workshops, nursing homes, and day activity programs. Many related practices and
promising
strategies have emerged through decades of research and
demonstration projects, and through other public and private activities
promoting increased choice and self-*47846
determination for people with
disabilities. These include multiple "customized" employment approaches such as
supported employment and supported entrepreneurship; individualized job
development; job carving and restructuring; use of personal agents (including
individuals with disabilities and family members); development of micro-boards,
micro-enterprises, cooperatives and small businesses; and the use of personal
budgets and other forms of individualized funding that provide choice and
control to the person and promote self-determination.
WIA established
comprehensive reform of existing Federal job training programs with and
impacted service delivery under the Wagner-Peyser Act, Adult Education and
Literacy Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. A number of other Federal programs
are also identified as required partners in the One-Stop delivery system in
order to provide comprehensive services for all Americans to access the
information and resources available to assist them in the development and
implementation of their career goals. The purpose of the One-Stop system is to
establish programs and providers in co-located and integrated settings that are
accessible for individuals and businesses alike in approximately 600 workforce
investment areas established throughout the nation.
The One-Stop Centers,
which comprise the heart of this system, are in a
position to expand
employment opportunities for people with disabilities by helping to ensure that
the workforce system is accessible both physically and programmatically. To
accomplish this expansion, however, additional state and local organizations
must be involved. Partners necessary to the success of this endeavor include,
but are not limited to, the following: state programs for individuals with
cognitive and developmental disabilities; Medicaid; mental health and substance
abuse agencies and organizations; transportation and assistive technology
providers; Small Business Development Centers; secondary education programs;
community colleges; University Centers for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities; foundations; and community-based and faith-based
organizations.
Innovative partnerships hold the promise of dramatically
increasing both employment and wages for people with disabilities, in part by
increasing their choices for integrated, competitive employment, business
ownership, entrepreneurship, and other customized employment options.
In
response to these considerations and in view of the potential resources
described above, ODEP will pursue a two-pronged approach in its new Working for
Freedom, Opportunity and Real Choice through Community Employment (WorkFORCE)
Grant Initiative:
. Awarding WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants to provide an
opportunity to expand state coordination, planning and development efforts
related to Olmstead plans.
. Awarding WorkFORCE Action Grants to
demonstration projects that develop and/or expand the capacity of communities
to support the employment-related needs of individuals with disabilities.
The combination of these efforts will substantially contribute to the
President's New Freedom Initiative and will further the objectives of the
President's Executive Order 13217.
III. Workforce Coordinating Grants (SGA
02-20)
A. Overview
ODEP will award up to $4.0 million in
grant funding for WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants to fund up to twenty-seven
grants, with the average grant size ranging between $100,000--$150,000 for one
year. These grants are part of the Department of Labor's continued efforts to
increase the employment rate of people with disabilities. The purpose of the
WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants is to support the development and coordination of
competitive, customized employment strategies and opportunities for people with
disabilities who want to: (1) Move from nursing homes or other institutions or
residential facilities into the community; (2) continue living in the
community; (3) achieve economic self-sufficiency; and (4) attain full access
to, and participation in, their
communities.
Eligible
applicants for the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants are state agencies; nonprofit,
faith-based, and community organizations; a consortium of public and private
entities; and Indian and Native American Tribal entities, or consortia of
Tribes.
In this SGA, ODEP is also announcing the availability of up to $2.0
million in WorkFORCE Action Grants to fund two to four community employment
demonstration projects ranging from $400,000-$750,000 per year for up to five
years. Applicants for both of these grants must document through a letter
signed by their state's governor or functionally equivalent entity, or his/her
designee for Olmstead implementation, that the proposed grant activities will
be regarded as one of their state's official demonstration program(s) for
overall Olmstead implementation. If a particular state is supporting
applications for both a WorkFORCE Coordinating and WorkFORCE Action grant, the
letter signed by the sanctioning entity must additionally reflect that the
state will work with the applicants to ensure that the activities of the two
grants are coordinated. In addition, applicants must provide a detailed
explanation of the specific procedures and approaches that will be put in place
to ensure coordination of grants.
B. Purpose of Coordinating
Grants
The WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants are designed to provide
states with an opportunity to expand and better coordinate their statewide
overall Olmstead planning and implementation efforts, with an emphasis on
coordinating the delivery of employment-related services and supports to people
with disabilities, including those provided through the workforce development
system and its One-Stop Career Center system. The Coordinating Grants are
intended to enhance the ability of states, disability organizations, and other
relevant entities to engage in strategic statewide coordination, planning and
development leading to improved and/or increased opportunities for customized,
competitive community employment for people with disabilities.
These
coordination efforts must include the involvement of many key partners,
especially those associated with the workforce development system, including
the One-Stop Centers; those involved in developing and implementing Medicaid
buy-ins and other work incentives related to Social Security disability
benefits and programs; and those partners involved in HHS Systems Change, Real
Choice, and Nursing Home Transition grants, which also target individuals with
disabilities who are covered by the Olmstead decision and Executive Order. In
addition, coordination must include entities that currently receive relevant
DOL grants, including the Work Incentive Grants (WIGs) and the Customized
Employment grants, and other appropriate DOL
initiatives. See
www2.dol.gov/odep/.
The target groups to be served are people with
disabilities who are either unemployed or under-employed and:*47847
.
In non-work, segregated work or transitioning to work settings; or
.
Anticipated to be or are determined to be covered under the Olmstead decision
and/or Executive Order and therefore part of the state's Olmstead planning
process; or,
. Awaiting employment services and supports following a move
from a residential facility, or as part of a plan to move into a community
under the Olmstead decision and/or Executive Order.
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 individually customized and 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.
C.
Statement of Work for Coordinating Grants
All applicants shall
describe their proposal for coordinating and developing community employment
opportunities, including how they will work to ensure that their state's
overall Olmstead implementation plan fully addresses providing competitive,
customized employment options for people with disabilities who are
transitioning to, or living in, the community. Grant applications must include
proposed methods for coordinating efforts with a wide variety of state agencies
or entities. Some of the agencies and entities that should be included are: (1)
State and local Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers; (2)
Vocational Rehabilitation; (3) Medicaid, Developmental Disabilities; (4) Mental
Health; (5) Substance Abuse; (6) Public Health; (7) Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF); (8) Governors' Developmental Disability Councils,
Governors' Committees on Employment of People with Disabilities; (9) University
Centers for Excellence in Disabilities; (10) individuals with disabilities;
(11) centers for independent living; (12) advocacy and consumer groups; (13)
employers; (14) community- and faith-based organizations, family members, and
other appropriate organizations and stakeholders.
WorkFORCE coordination
activities must include development and implementation of cross-agency
strategies that will link employment supports
and services into the
current overall Olmstead planning process. The activities should be designed to
help support the movement of people with significant disabilities from
segregated settings to integrated settings, particularly customized,
competitive employment opportunities in the community.
The grant will
result in the development of coordinated, strategic plans and actions that
offer leadership and detail as to how various delivery systems and related
agencies and organizations are working, and can work, to better meet the
community employment needs of people with significant disabilities. These
activities must include strategies to provide training and staff development to
increase organizational capacity to serve the target population with needed
customized employment services. Coordination with the state's other Olmstead
activities and planning efforts is mandatory, as is the institution of
objectives measures of evaluation to document project success.
Grantees for
the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants must engage in collaborative activities
across relevant stakeholder groups, including both required and non- required
WIA partners, persons with disabilities, their parents and other family
members, advocates, employers, community rehabilitation agencies, and others,
as appropriate. The commitment of key personnel to this effort will be very
important to the success of the grant.
Appropriate actions and activities
which may be undertaken under the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants include the
following:
1. Identification of the major barriers to integrated and
competitive community employment that affect people with significant
disabilities who are transitioning into, or already living in, the
community;
2. Research to establish or foster the development or expansion
of promising practices (including customized employment strategies such as
supported employment; supported entrepreneurship; individualized job placement;
job carving and restructuring; use of personal agents; development of
micro-boards, micro-enterprises, cooperative, and small businesses; use of
personal budgets and other forms of individualized funding that provide choice
and control and promote self-determination) that have demonstrated increased
employment outcomes for people with significant disabilities;
3.
Involvement of agencies, organizations, employers, and individuals currently
active in the overall Olmstead planning process and those who need to become
involved;
4. Development of plans for implementing cross-agency strategies
that will assure that employment in integrated, competitive work settings is
part of the overall Olmstead plan and is available as an option for the
targeted population;
5. Development of strategies for capacity building and
linking of relevant resources to the overall workforce development activities
in the state;
1. Identification of specific roles and responsibilities that
the
agencies, both public and private, should fulfill in order to
provide increased and improved competitive, customized employment opportunities
in the community;
7. Identification of the necessary resources, financial
and non-financial, to continue to implement these actions and provide increased
and improved competitive customized employment opportunities in the community,
in ways that provide increased control and choice for individuals with
disabilities;
8. Development of strategies for how existing state
Olmstead-related activities will be coordinated and involved in employment
programs for the target population;
9. Identification of specific ways
people with disabilities and, when appropriate, their family members will be
involved in the development and growth of competitive, customized community
employment options in non- stereotypical jobs;
10. Identification of
specific ways employers and businesses will be involved in developing and
supporting increased and improved competitive, customized community employment
options;
11. Identification of long-term strategies to pursue for needed
systemic changes;
12. Development of Memoranda of Understanding,
letters of support, etc., to carry out the coordination activities, including
commitments, resources, time lines, outcomes (e.g., how many people will be
served);
13. Development of a data collection system designed to
document community employment results for *47848
people with
disabilities who are transitioning from institutions to the community and/or
currently living in the community;
Grantees must account for the travel
costs associated with sending at least one representative for two days to a
mandatory annual ODEP Grantees' training conference, to be held in Washington,
DC in their grant budget.
Grantees must also agree to work with ODEP and
its various technical assistance efforts in order to share with others what is
learned about delivering competitive, customized community employment services
to individuals with disabilities.
D. Funding Availability for Coordinating
Grants
The Department of Labor anticipates awarding at least 30
grants, with a range of $100,000 to $150,000 each. These awards will be for a
one-year period of performance.
E. Eligible Applicants for Coordinating
Grants
Eligible applicants for the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants are
state agencies,
nonprofit organizations, or a consortium of public
and private entities, which have been designated, authorized, and/or approved
by the governor of the state, the governmental body's functionally equivalent
entity, or the governor or equivalent entity's designee for Olmstead
implementation to:
. Lead the state's overall Olmstead implementation
effort or
. Develop and/or lead the specific component of the state's
overall Olmstead implementation effort that relates to employment.
"State"
in this context includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. Indian and Native American
Tribal entities, or consortia of Tribes, with the written approval of their
tribal council, are also eligible applicants to receive these grants. Grants
awarded to tribal entities are to be used in coordinating, strategizing, and
developing competitive, customized community employment opportunities for
individuals with disabilities in a specific Indian community or covering
multiple Tribal entities so that they may live, work and fully participate in
their communities. Grants to Indian and Native American tribal grantees must
recognize principles of sovereignty and self-governance established under the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, allowing for the
government-to-government relationship between the Federal and Tribal
Governments.
F. Application Contents for Coordinating Grants
General Requirements--Two copies and one ink-signed original of the proposal
must be submitted. 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 2 single-spaced pages in length
giving a clear summary of the project narrative.
Part II--Project
Narrative--(Appendices: Letters of Commitment/Support, Resumes, etc.)
Applicants must include a project narrative that addresses the Statement of
Work in Part III, Section C of this notice and the evaluation criteria that are
used by reviewers in evaluating the application in Part III, Section G.
Applicants that are consortium of public and private entities must include a
copy of their consortium's partnership agreement in the Appendices.
You
must limit the project narrative to the equivalent of no more than
thirty
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, consortium
partnership agreement (where applicable), resumes, 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 grant. 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 grant should that
application result in an award. The applicant must also include the Assurances
and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C).
G. Evaluation and Selection
Criteria for Coordinating Grants
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 coordinating state-wide Olmstead planning and implementation
efforts, with an emphasis on coordinating the delivery of employment-related
services and supports;
b. The extent to which the applicant
demonstrates an understanding of the issues the state is currently facing in
their overall Olmstead implementation efforts;
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 extent to which the proposed
project involves the development or demonstration of promising new strategies
that build on, or are alternatives to, existing strategies;
e. The
potential replicability (national significance) of the proposed project or
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation in a
variety of settings; and,
f. The importance or magnitude of the results
that is likely to be attained by the proposed project
2. Quality of
the Project Design (30 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;
*47849
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 procedures and approaches for
coordination with key agencies and organizations, identification of critical
roles, and a plan for implementation of competitive, customized community
employment strategies;
d. The extent to which the proposed project is
designed to build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period
of this grant;
e. The extent to which the proposed project will be
coordinated, including demonstrated support from the state governor or
designated Olmstead agency and commitment from key organizations and
agencies;
f. The extent to which the applicant encourages involvement of
people with disabilities and their families, experts and organizations, and
other relevant stakeholders 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 Project Narrative must
summarize 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 (15 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 (10 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 grant requirement and/or
procedures. Grantees 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 SGA. The panel recommendations to the Grant Officer are
advisory in nature. The Grant Officer may elect to award grants 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
availability of funds 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 grant technical evaluation
panel;
2. Geographic distribution of the competitive
applications;
3. Assuring a variety of program designs;
and,
4. The availability of funds.
H. Reporting for
Workforce Coordinating Grants
The Department of Labor is responsible
for ensuring the effective implementation of each competitive grant project in
accordance with the provisions of this announcement, the grant agreement and
other applicable administrative requirements.
Grantees will be required to
submit periodic financial and participation reports under the WorkFORCE
Coordinating Grant program. Specifically the
following reports will
be required:
1. Semi-Annual Reports; The Semi-Annual Report is
estimated to take ten hours to complete. The form for the Semi-Annual Report
will be provided by ODEP. It is designed to measure progress in reaching the
objectives of the Grant.
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. The final report is
estimated to take 20 hours. This report will be submitted in hard copy and on
electronic disk following the format and instructions provided by DOL/ODEP. A
draft of the final report is due to DOL 45 days before the termination of the
grant. The final report is due to DOL 60 days following the termination of the
grant.
Applicants for the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grant Program should
proceed to Section I, Administration Provisions.*47850
IV.
Workforce Action Grants (SGA 02-21)
A. Overview
The U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
announces the availability of up to $2.0 million to award between two to four
grants, ranging from $400,000 to $750,000 each, to develop
demonstration
programs to support the development and coordination of
competitive, customized employment opportunities in non-stereotypical jobs for
people with disabilities who want to (1) move from nursing homes, residential
facilities, or other institutions into the community, (2) continue living in
the community, (3) achieve economic self-sufficiency, and (4) attain full
access to, and participation in, their communities.
These demonstration
grants are for a one-year implementation period with four optional additional
years, depending upon project performance and funding availability at varying
funding levels. These grants are designed to provide competitive, customized,
community employment services that lead to non- stereotypical jobs for people
with significant disabilities.
In this SGA, ODEP is also announcing the
availability of up to $4.0 million in WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants. Applicants
for both of these grants must document through a letter signed by their state's
governor or functionally equivalent entity, or his/her designee for Olmstead
implementation, that the proposed grant activities will be regarded as one of
their state's official demonstration program(s) for overall Olmstead
implementation. If a particular state is supporting applications for both a
WorkFORCE Coordinating and WorkFORCE Action grant, the letter signed by the
state's sanctioning entity must additionally reflect that the state will work
with the applicants to ensure that the activities of the two grants are
coordinated. In addition,
applicants must provide a detailed
explanation of the specific procedures and approaches that will be put in place
to ensure coordination of grants in their Project Narrative.
These grants
are part of the Department of Labor's continued efforts to increase the
employment rate of people with disabilities. Eligible applicants for the
WorkFORCE Action Grants are nonprofit organizations, either individually or as
part of a consortium. Organizations applying to be demonstration sites must
have approval and support from the governor, or his/her designee, as one of the
state's official Olmstead employment demonstration grant programs.
B.
Purpose of Workforce Action Grants
The purpose of the WorkFORCE
Action Grants is to demonstrate the employment potential of people with
disabilities through techniques for accomplishing competitive employment in
non-stereotypical integrated settings, utilizing customized employment
strategies. These efforts must include the involvement of many key partners,
especially those associated with their area's One-Stop Career Centers.
The
target groups to be served are people with disabilities who are either
unemployed or under-employed and who are:
. In non-work,
segregated work, or transitioning to work settings;
. Expected to be
or are determined to be covered under the Olmstead decision and/or Executive
Order and therefore part of the state overall Olmstead planning process;
or,
. Awaiting employment services and supports following a move from a
residential facility, or as part of a plan to move into a community under the
Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead and/or Olmstead Executive Order.
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 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 the supports necessary for the individual to perform the
functions of a job that is individually negotiated and developed.
If
proposals are submitted for both grants from a particular state, the activities
of the WorkFORCE Coordinating Grant and the WorkFORCE Action Grant must be
coordinated as discussed previously. Coordination and demonstration
efforts can be reinforcing activities.
C. Statement of Work for
Action Grants
Each applicant for these grants shall describe its plan
for expanding capacity for, and provision of, customized employment
opportunities to the target groups. Applicants must document through a letter
signed by their state's governor, or his/her designee for Olmstead
implementation, that the proposed activities will be regarded as one of their
state's official demonstration program(s) for overall Olmstead implementation.
This letter should also indicate how the lessons learned in the implementation
of the WorkFORCE Action Grant demonstration project would be utilized in other
communities throughout the state. Grant applications must include proposed
methods for coordinating efforts with a wide variety of state agencies or
entities. Some of the agencies that should be included are: employment and
training agencies; state and local Workforce Investment Boards and their
One-Stop Career Centers; Substance Abuse; Vocational Rehabilitation; state
Education Agencies; Medicaid; Mental Retardation; Mental Health; Public Health;
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Developmental Disability
Councils; Independent Living programs; community rehabilitation providers;
University Centers for Excellence in Disabilities; family members; consumers;
employers; and any other key
agencies or constituencies needed to
offer a comprehensive service delivery model.
The demonstration grant
program being described must address the movement of individuals from
segregated settings to competitive, integrated, customized employment
opportunities in the community. Grantees must work in coordination with their
state's Olmstead lead agency on their state's overall Olmstead plan, and
describe how they will contribute to the development of their state's plan and
implementation strategy related to employment. Grantees must also integrate
their employment strategies with their state's employment programs and
services, including existing services available through the One- Stop Centers,
the state and local Workforce Investment Boards, and their partners. In
addition, they must coordinate their efforts with existing Olmstead activities
and programs including grant activities and initiatives funded by the Center
for Medicaid and State Operations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (e.g., Systems Change for Community Living Grants, State Medicaid
Buy-in programs, and Medicaid Infrastructure Grants), and grant activities
funded by the Center for Mental Health Services of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, (e.g., Community-Based Care *47851
Services for
People with Psychiatric Disabilities).
Grantees must develop
employment opportunities in a variety of occupations and industries based on
the strengths, needs, and desires of the individual with a
disability, including self-employment and entrepreneurship where appropriate.
Services and supports must be organized in ways that provide informed choice
and promote self-determination. In addition, grantees must establish employer
involvement; track and respond to customer service and satisfaction for both
persons with disabilities and employers; and provide services, including
follow-up services, to ensure job retention and career development.
Grantees should establish partnerships and linkages with other relevant state
entities and programs (such as Medicaid, mental health, substance abuse,
transportation, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities), as well as Small
Business Development Centers, community colleges, benefits counseling and
assistance programs, and lending and financial institutions, whose expertise,
services, and/or funds could contribute to employment services and supports
needed by the Olmstead population in order to secure competitive, customized
community employment outcomes.
Grantees must educate relevant stakeholders
and systems personnel about changes needed to increase integrated, customized
community employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
Grantees
must consider the usefulness of increasing the availability of personal agents
and job development personnel offering customized services through
customer-controlled approaches that result in customized employment. One
possible area of focus could include demonstrating the effectiveness
of
paying family members and/or other individuals with disabilities
to serve as personal agents when selected by the individual with a disability
to assist in negotiating and implementing employment plans and services.
Grantees must incorporate use of funds leveraged across several systems
available to people with disabilities through personal accounts or personal
budgets.
Grantees may use funds in a flexible manner, as determined
appropriate by input from stakeholders and identified needs, so long as
requirements for outcome and evaluation data and other requirements of Federal
statutes, regulations, administrative requirements, and OMB circulars and the
requirements delineated in this SGA are met.
All grantees must agree to
cooperate with an independent evaluation to be conducted by the DOL. DOL will
arrange for and conduct this independent evaluation of the outcomes, impacts,
and accomplishments of each funded grant. Grantees must agree to make available
records on all parts of grant activity, including participant employment and
wage data, and to provide access to personnel, as specified by the
evaluator(s), under the direction of the Department.
Grantees must also
agree to work with ODEP in its various technical assistance efforts in order to
freely share with others what is learned about delivering customized employment
services to the Olmstead population. Grantees also must agree to collaborate
with other research institutes, centers, studies, and
evaluations
that are supported by DOL and other relevant Federal agencies.
D.
Funding Availability for Action Grants
The Department of Labor
anticipates awarding two to four grants, with a range of $400,000 to $750,000
each. These awards will be for one-year period of performance and may be
renewed annually up to four additional years for a total of five years
depending upon the availability of funds and the efficacy of the grant
activities, established by independent reviews conducted by the Department of
Labor or its designee. Proposals must include budgetary information for a
five-year period. It is envisioned that if funding is continued for the full
five years, the funding for years four and five will be at successfully lower
rates, with funding during year four at 80 percent of the third year funds,
and, at 60 percent during year five. Grantees are expected to use this grant as
seed money to develop other public and private resources in order to ensure
sustainability of grant activities following completion of the funding period.
Funds may not be used for modifying buildings or equipment for physical or
communication accessibility, although the strategic planning should address how
resources will be leveraged for such purposes from other sources, as
appropriate.
E. Eligible Applicants for Action Grants
Eligible applicants for these demonstration grants are non-profit
organizations. Applicants must document, via a letter signed by their state's
governor, or his/her designee for overall Olmstead implementation, that the
proposed grant activities will be regarded as an official demonstration program
playing a vital role in their state's Olmstead employment implementation
effort(s). Moreover, this letter must describe how the lessons learned under
this grant will be utilized to benefit other communities throughout the state,
and thereby provide expanded competitive, customized employment options for
people who are covered under the Olmstead decision and Executive Order.
F.
Application Contents
General Requirements--Two copies and one
ink-signed original of the proposal must be submitted. 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/Support, Resumes, etc.)
Applicants must include a
project narrative that addresses the Statement of Work in Part IV, Section C of
this notice and the evaluation criteria that are used by reviewers in
evaluating the application in Part IV, Section G. Applicants that are
consortium entities must include a copy of the consortium's partnership
agreement in the Appendices.
You must limit the project narrative to the
equivalent of no more than 75 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, bibliography or references, the letters of support,
and consortium partnership agreement where applicable). 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.)*47852
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 grant. 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 grant
should that application result in an award. The applicant must also include the
Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C).
F. Evaluation
Criteria
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 addressing the
development and/or enhancing the capacity of the One-Stop Career Center system
or other potential partners to use customized employment strategies to increase
employment, choice and wages, and influence systems change;
b. The extent
to which the applicant demonstrates an understanding of the issues the state
and proposed geographic area are currently facing in their overall Olmstead
implementation efforts;
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 extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, or are
alternatives
to, existing strategies;
f. The extent to
which the promising practices of the proposed project are to be disseminated in
ways that will enable others to use the information or strategies;
g. The
potential replicability (national significance) of the proposed project or
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation in a
variety of settings; and,
h. The importance or magnitude of the results,
which are likely to be attained by the proposed project.
2. Quality
of the Project Design (30 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 and the quality of the applicant's plans
for recruiting and retaining the target population;
c. The extent to which
the design of the proposed project provides procedures
and approaches
for collaboration and coordination with key agencies and organizations,
identification of critical roles, and a plan for implementation of competitive,
customized community employment strategies;
d. The extent to which the
proposed project is designed to build capacity and yield results that will
extend beyond the period of this grant and the quality of the applicant's plans
for implementing the project's activities in years four and five when Federal
fending will be reduced;
e. The extent to which the proposed project will
be coordinated, including demonstrated support from the state governor or
designated Olmstead agency and commitment from key organizations, employers,
and agencies;
f. The extent to which the applicant encourages involvement
of people with disabilities and their families, experts and organizations, and
other relevant stakeholders 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 Project Narrative must summarize
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 and sustain the proposed
project activities over the projected five-year period; 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 (15 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 (10 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 *47853
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 grant requirement and/or
procedures. Grantees 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 SGA. The panel recommendations to the Grant Officer
are advisory
in nature. The Grant Officer may elect to award grants 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 availability of
funds 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 grant technical evaluation panel
2.
Geographic distribution of the competitive applications;
3. Assuring
a variety of program designs; and,
4. The availability of
funds.
H. Reporting for Workforce Action Grants
The
Department of Labor is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of
each competitive grant project in accordance with the provisions of this
announcement, the grant agreement, and other applicable administrative
requirements. Applicants should assume that DOL staff or their designees will
conduct at least one on-site project review. In addition, all grantees will be
expected to provide information on individuals with disabilities securing
employment through use of customized strategies
(including
information on types of jobs, wages, and benefits secured by specific
individuals with disabilities, and other areas addressed through the linkages
and networks facilitated by project activities).
Grantees will be required
to submit periodic financial and participation reports. Specifically the
following reports will be required:
1. Quarterly reports; The quarterly
report is estimated to take ten hours to complete. The form for the Quarterly
Report will be provided by ODEP. The Department will work with the grantee to
help refine the requirements of the report, 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. The final report is estimated to
take 20 hours. This report will be submitted in hard copy and on electronic
disk using a format and following instructions, which will be provided by the
Department. A draft of the final report is due to the Department 45 days before
the termination of the grant. The final report is due to the Department 60 days
following the termination of the grant
DOL will arrange for and conduct an
independent evaluation of the outcomes, impacts, and accomplishments of each
funded project. Grantees must agree to make available records on all parts of
project activity, including participant
employment and wage data, and
to provide access to personnel, as specified by the evaluator(s), under the
direction of the Department. This independent evaluation is separate from the
ongoing evaluation for continuous improvement required of the grantee for
project implementation.
I. Administration Provisions (Applicable to Both
SGAs)
A. Administrative Standards and Provisions
1. The
WorkFORCE Coordinating Grants awarded under this SGA are subject to the
following:
. 29 CFR Part 95--Grants and Agreements With Institutions
of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations, and With
Commercial Organizations, Foreign Governments, Organizations Under the
Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments, and International Organizations;
. 29
CFR Part 96--Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts and Other
Agreements;
. 29 CFR Part 97 " Uniform Administrative Requirement for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments
2. The
WorkFORCE Action Grants awarded under this SGA shall be subject to the
following:
. 29 CFR Part 95--Grants and Agreements With
Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit
Organizations, and With Commercial Organizations, Foreign Governments,
Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments, and International
Organizations;
. 29 CFR Part 96--Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts,
and Other Agreements.
B. Allowable Costs
Determinations of
allowable costs for both the WorkFORCE Coordinating and Action Grants shall be
made in accordance with the following applicable Federal cost principles:
.
Nonprofit Organizations--OMB Circular A-122
. State and Local
Government--OMB Circular A-87
Profit will not be considered an
allowable cost in any case.
C. Grant Non-Discrimination
Assurances
As a condition of the awards, applicants for both the
WorkFORCE Coordinating and Action Grants must certify that they 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.)
29 CFR Part 37--Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), (Implementing Section 188 of the
Workforce Investment Act, 29 U.S.C. 2938)
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.
*47854
Signed at Washington, DC this 16th 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
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67 FR 47844-01, 2002 WL 1591619 (F.R.)
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Case:
Excerpt from: 67 FR 47844 to 67 FR 47844,
*47854 |
