Title: FY 2003 Continuation of Victim Assistance in Indian Country Discretionary Grant Program--Third Year Series: Application Author: Office for Victims of Crime Published: March 2003 Subject: funding resources, Native Americans, victim rights and services 10 pages 20,480 bytes -------------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office for Victims of Crime Office for Victims of Crime Application John W. Gillis, Director OVC FY 2003 Continuation of Victim Assistance in Indian Country Discretionary Grant Program--Third Year Notice: The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) requires you to submit your application for funding through OJP's Grants Management System (GMS). Access through the Internet to this online application system will expedite and streamline the receipt, review, and processing of your request for funding. Final applications will be accepted only through our online applications system. To learn how to begin your online application process, please see Section XII, How to Apply, of this application kit. Call toll-free to receive technical assistance about the online process, 1-888- 549-9901. APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 9, 2003 -------------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh Street, NW. Washington, DC 20531 John Ashcroft Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels Assistant Attorney General John W. Gillis Director Office for Victims of Crime For grant and funding information, contact: Department of Justice Response Center 1-800-421-6770 Office of Justice Programs World Wide Web Home Page http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov Office for Victims of Crime World Wide Web Home Page http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc -------------------------------- Table of Contents How To Apply Quick Start Guide to Using OJP's Online Grants Management System Application Review Checklist Application Information o Eligibility Requirements o Selection Criteria o Application Requirements --Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1) --Program Narrative (Attachment #2) --Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3) o Due Date o Contact Information -------------------------------- Application FY 2003 Continuation of Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) Discretionary Grant Program--Third Year How To Apply The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) now requires that funding applications be submitted through OJP's online Grants Management System (GMS). Access through the Internet to this online system will expedite and streamline the receipt, review, and processing of funding requests. Applications will only be accepted through GMS. To learn how to begin the online application process, please see the Quick Start Guide to Using OJP's Online Grants Management System on page 2. A toll-free telephone number (1-888-549-9901) has been established to provide applicants with technical assistance as they work through the online application process. Quick Start Guide to Using OJP's Online Grants Management System Step 1. Using an established Internet account, go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps. htm. An online Applicant Procedures handbook is available on this page and applicants may link directly to OJP's Grants Management System (GMS), which will provide online help screens. Note: Applicants without an Internet account should call the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901 for assistance. Step 2. Click on "Logon to the Grants Management System (GMS)." Step 3. Follow the onscreen instructions. First-time GMS users should click on "New User? Register Here." Applicants who already have a GMS password should click on "GMS Sign-In." Proceed to the "FY 2003 Continuation of Victim Assistance in Indian Country Discretionary Grant Program--Third Year" solicitation and begin working on it. Applicants will receive e-mail confirmation from OVC that they are eligible to submit an application within 7 days. Plan ahead. Applicants can register at any time and are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Applicants must create a separate GMS account for each application submitted. Please note: Applicants must ensure that the information for the authorizing official and alternate contact is entered correctly. The authorizing official is the individual authorized to accept grant funds in your organization. If the individual applying online is not the signing authority, that individual must list the authorizing official's name and contact information where appropriate. Questions or problems: Applicants who have questions should refer to the online handbook or access applicable help screens. If the questions cannot be addressed by accessing the online GMS reference tools, call the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901. Previous users should contact the GMS Hotline if they are having difficulty with their user ID and password. Step 4. Complete the online Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) by providing the required information in the Overview, Applicant Information, and Project Information screens. Step 5. Complete the application by electronically "accepting" the Assurances and Certifications and submitting the three required file attachments: Budget Detail Worksheet, Program Narrative, and Other Program Attachments. (See the Application Checklist and the Solicitation for detailed instructions about the information to include in each attachment). Please note that applicants must upload one file per attachment; only the most current file uploaded to the appropriate attachment will be saved as part of the application. All sections of each attachment must be completed for your application to be considered for funding. Submit your completed application online. GMS will notify the applicant that the application has been received and sent to OVC and will provide an application identification number for future reference. Applicants who have any questions about GMS or need technical assistance with applying online should contact the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901. -------------------------------- Application Review Checklist All applications must be submitted electronically through the Office of Justice Programs' Grants Management System (GMS), which can be accessed at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm. Please use this checklist to make sure your application is complete. Your GMS application must include: Online Forms ___Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424). This form is generated by completing the onscreen Overview, Applicant Information, and Project Information screens in GMS. ___Assurances and Certifications. The assurances and certifications must be reviewed and accepted electronically by the authorizing official or the designated authorizing official. Attachments (3) ___Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1). The Budget Detail Worksheet must present a detailed budget that itemizes all proposed costs and must include a budget narrative that provides justification for all proposed costs. ___Program Narrative (Attachment #2). The Program Narrative must include the following sections: o ___Problem Statement o ___Program Strategy o ___Goals and Objectives ___Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3). The Other Program Attachments must include the following elements. Note: All of the materials below must be attached in one (1) file. o ___12-month project time line o ___Resumes of key personnel/position descriptions o ___Letters of support/commitment or memorandums of understanding (where appropriate) Please refer to corresponding sections in this announcement to determine the specific contents of each attachment. Application Information Eligibility Requirements Eligible applicants are the following tribes, which have previously received 2 years of VAIC funding and are applying for the third year: Crow Tribe of Indians, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and Muscogee Creek Nation. Number and Amount of Awards: Three; $40,000 Award Period: 12 months Goal: To improve the quality of direct services for victims of crime in Indian Country. Purpose: The purpose of this grant program is to provide the third year of funding to VAIC programs aiming to expand and improve direct service victim assistance programs in Indian Country. Background/Problem Statement: The high rate of crime in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and villages, reflected in numerous recent studies, demonstrates the need for victim assistance programs in Indian Country to help victims cope with and heal from crime. Many rural AI/AN communities are impoverished, isolated, and lack any victim assistance services. VAIC programs frequently have been the only source of victim services on remote, rural reservations. OVC initiated the VAIC Discretionary Grant Program in 1988 to establish "on-reservation" victim assistance programs to provide direct services to crime victims in Indian Country. Beginning in FY 1997, victim assistance services were funded directly by OVC rather than through the states. In 1999, funding allocated for the VAIC programs was $1.3 million with 30 VAIC grants awarded to programs located on reservations with federal criminal jurisdiction. Current funding supports the third year of the 3-year grant cycle for VAIC grants. The applicant must demonstrate the continued need for victim services in their community. Program Strategy: Continuation VAIC programs are expected to demonstrate progress made toward meeting goals and objectives since the project was initially funded. Key successes and challenges faced by the project should be described. Continuation VAIC programs will conform with the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program guidelines and VAIC program requirements set forth in this solicitation. Services that may be provided under the VAIC program include, but are not limited to: o Services that immediately respond to the emotional and physical needs (excluding medical care) of crime victims such as intervention; accompaniment to hospitals for medical examinations; hotline counseling; emergency food, clothing, transportation, and shelter; emergency legal assistance; and other emergency services that are intended to restore the victim's sense of dignity and self-esteem. o Mental health assistance such as counseling, group treatment, support groups, and therapy. o Advocacy on behalf of crime victims including accompaniment to criminal justice offices and court, transportation to court, child care to enable a victim to attend court, restitution advocacy, and assistance with victim impact statements. o Services that offer an immediate measure of safety to crime victims such as boarding up broken windows and replacing or repairing locks. o Forensic medical examinations for sexual assault victims, to the extent that other funding sources are not available. o Costs that are necessary and essential to providing direct services such as pro-rated costs for rent, telephone service, transportation costs for victims, and local travel expenses for direct service providers. o Costs related to the provision of direct services through staff, including salaries and fringe benefits. o Training for law enforcement personnel in the delivery of services to victims of federal crime. o Promoting coordinated efforts within the community to aid crime victims. o Assistance to victims seeking crime victim compensation benefits. o Preparation, publication, and distribution of informational material which explains services offered to victims of crime. The following services, activities, and costs are not generally considered direct crime victim services, but are often a necessary and essential activity to ensure that quality direct services are provided. These costs may be considered for coverage under the program, provided that direct services to crime victims cannot be offered without support for these expenses, that the grantee has no other source of support for them, and that only limited amounts of program funds will be used for these purposes: o Skills training for staff. o Equipment and furniture. o Contracts for professional services. o Operating costs such as supplies, printing, postage, brochures that describe available services, books, and other victim-related materials. o Supervision of direct service providers such as volunteer coordinators. o Repair and/or replacement of essential items. o Presentations made in schools, community centers, or other public forums designed to identify crime victims and provide or refer them to needed services. o Leasing vehicles. The VAIC Program Director is expected to submit all Categorical Assistance Progress Reports and Financial Status Reports in a timely manner. A copy of the Categorical Assistance Progress Report must be sent to the OVC Program Specialist and the VAIC Training and Technical Assistance provider; two copies must be sent to OJP's Office of the Comptroller. Performance Measurement: To ensure compliance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), Public Law 103-62, this solicitation notifies applicants that they are required to collect and report data which measure the results of the programs implemented with this grant. To ensure accountability of this data, for which OJP is responsible, the following performance measures are provided and should be reported in semi-annual Categorical Assistance Progress Reports: o Number of victims served by type of victimization. o Number of staff supported by VAIC funds. o Number of volunteer hours. o Number of publications produced. o Number of training workshops presented to law enforcement. o Type of services provided. o Progress on goals and objectives identified by the program. Evaluation: The VAIC program is required to assess its ability to meet 12- month goals and objectives identified in the application. Selection Criteria Applications will be rated by a review panel on the extent to which they meet the following criteria: o Budget Detail Worksheet (20 points). o Project Narrative, including Problem Statement, Program Strategy, and Goals and Objectives (60 points). o Other Program Attachments, including project time line, resumes, and letters of support (20 points). Application Requirements Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1) o A sample Budget Detail Worksheet can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/forms.htm. You must enter the budgeted items and their costs. A Budget Narrative is required. Applicants must justify the cost of individual items such as personnel, travel, etc., and show how they were computed. o Applications containing contracts must include detailed budgets for each organization's expenses. Funds cannot be used for construction costs. o Applicants must include the following in the budget: --1. A 2-day Post-Award conference coordinated by the VAIC Training and Technical Assistance provider. Budget up to $2,000 for travel for the VAIC Program Director and Financial Administrator to attend. --2. The Indian Nations Conference. Budget up to $2,000 for the VAIC Program Director and a tribal law enforcement officer to attend. --3. Monthly fees for an Internet service provider for access to OVC's Web page and the Training and Technical Assistance Web page, and to have e- mail capability to communicate with OVC staff and other grantees. Budget an appropriate amount. --4. Matching (In-Kind) Funds; cash is not required: An In-Kind Match of 10 percent is required. No indirect costs are allowed in the VAIC program budget. Program Narrative (Attachment #2) Each applicant must submit a Program Narrative of not more than three (3) single-spaced pages that addresses the following: Problem Statement. Describe the need for victim services that exist in your community and how you intend to address this need in the grant's third year. o What types of victims do you presently serve and/or what are the types of victims do you plan to serve? What statistics can you cite to demonstrate that there is an unmet need for victim services? Program Strategy. o How will the VAIC program address victim services in its third year? What efforts to sustain the program will be made? o How will the program demonstrate specific efforts to provide community outreach and establish strong working relationships with Tribal and non-Tribal agencies? o Identify the staff member who will be responsible for responding to the Training and Technical Assistance provider and contacting the OVC Program Specialist, on at least a monthly basis, to provide an update on program activities. o What system will be established to record statistical information about victims and victim services that OVC needs for its Report to Congress? Goals and Objectives. Be specific about your goals and objectives for the third award year of your program. There should be a logical progression from the goals identified in your first two years. o Has your program met the objectives and goals set in your original application? If so, what has been accomplished to date? If not, how will goals and objectives be adjusted and met during the third year? Be specific. o Address any problems or delays experienced in meeting your goals and objectives and how this will be addressed in the third funding year. Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3) o 12-month project time line of key activities, training, and product development. o Resumes of key personnel/position descriptions. o Letters of support/commitment. o Memorandums of understanding (if applicable). Application: All applications must be submitted electronically through the Office of Justice Programs' Grants Management System (GMS), which can be accessed at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm. Applicants without an Internet account should call the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901 for assistance. Due Date Application Due Date: May 9, 2003 Contact Information Laurel Shuster, Ph.D. (telephone 202-616-9559 or e-mail shusterl@ojp.usdoj.gov).