Funding Opportunity: Chronic Homelessness Employment Technical
Assistance (CHETA) Initiative; Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement [06/10/2004]
Volume 69, Number 112, Page 32611-32630
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy
[SGA 04-07]
Funding Opportunity: Chronic Homelessness Employment Technical
Assistance (CHETA) Initiative; Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement
Announcement Type: Notice of availability of funds; solicitation
for Cooperative Agreement applications for Chronic Homelessness
Employment Technical Assistance Initiative.
Funding Opportunity Number: (SGA 04-07).
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.720.
Dates: Proposals are due July 26, 2004.
Application and Amendments: If copies of the standard forms are
needed, they can be downloaded from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grant_forms.html
.
To received amendments to this solicitation (please reference SGA
04-07) all applicants must register their name and address in writing
with the Grant Officer at the below listed address.
Cassandra Mitchell, Department of Labor: Procurement Services
Center, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC
20210; Telephone (202) 693-4570.
Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with the Employment
and Training Administration (ETA), announces the availability of $1.5
million to fund one (1) Cooperative Agreement award to operate the
Chronic Homelessness Employment Technical Assistance (CHETA)
Initiative. This $1.5 million award will be for a 36-month period of
performance. In addition, this initiative may be funded for up to two
(2) additional option years at approximately $500,000 per year,
depending on performance, identified need and the availability of
future funding.
I. Funding Opportunity Description and Authority
The overall purpose of CHETA is to create a technical assistance
capability designed to assist DOL's currently funded ``Ending Chronic
Homelessness through Employment and Housing'' awardees, an initiative
cooperatively sponsored by ODEP and the Veterans Employment and
Training Service (VETS), meet customized employment-related program
goals and to collect and disseminate information on how best to meet
the customized employment needs of persons who are chronically
homeless. (See the full definition for persons who are chronic homeless
and customized employment at the end of this section).
Authority: Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2004, Pub. L.
108-7, 117 Stat. 11 (2003).
The ODEP anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement for $1.5
million, for a 36-month period of performance. In addition this
initiative may be funded for up to two (2) additional option years at
approximately $500,000 per year, depending on performance, identified
need, and the availability of future funding. CHETA will primarily
support the delivery of intensive employment-related technical
assistance services to DOL's five (5) ``Ending Chronic Homelessness''
awardees identified in this solicitation, and, in turn share what is
learned through these grants with other interested entities, especially
the workforce development system. In addition, CHETA's technical
assistance efforts will help to inform policy efforts in this area of
concern.
This ODEP Cooperative Agreement anticipates substantial involvement
between ODEP and the awardee during the performance of this project.
Involvement will include collaboration or participation by ODEP in the
overall direction of the project throughout the period of the award.
The ODEP will provide expertise and guidance in decisions involving
strategic planning (including development of a proactive plan to
deliver technical assistance to the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness''
awardees), allocation of resources, key personnel decisions,
development of public information materials, and analysis and
implementation of evaluation findings.
Recently, the DOL (ODEP and VETS), in cooperation with the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), issued a
solicitation for cooperative agreement applications, ``Ending Chronic
Homelessness Through Employment and Housing.'' See 68 FR 42818 (July
18, 2003) or visit http://www2.dol.gov/odep/archives/archive.htm. On
September 30, 2003, five cooperative agreements were awarded under this
competition to the cities of Portland, OR; San Francisco,
[[Page 32612]]
CA: Los Angeles, CA; Boston, MA; and Indianapolis, IN, see http://www2.dol.gov/odep/media/press/recip.htm
, to deliver to persons with
disabilities who are chronically homeless customized employment
services and permanent housing services through the local One-Stop
Career Center System, in collaboration with each city's homeless
serving community.
For the last several years (Federal Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002),
ODEP has also funded two additional types of customized employment
demonstration grants (``Customized Employment'' and ``WorkFORCE
Action'') for persons with significant disabilities. These two grant-
funded priorities are unique in that they apply a philosophy of
``customizing employment'' services, with enhanced coordination of
these customized services with multiple partners, especially One-Stop
Career Centers. As a result of these additional customized employment
grants, improved employment outcomes for persons with disabilities are
being realized.
These promising results offer the potential of increased employment
outcomes for organizations serving the employment needs of persons who
are chronically homeless. In view of this potential, DOL's ``Ending
Chronic Homelessness'' awardees were funded to demonstrate the expanded
potential of ``customized employment'' strategies for people with
disabilities who are chronically homeless, in support of two important
goals: ending chronic homelessness over the next decade and integrating
persons with disabilities into the work force.
The ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' Initiative provides an
opportunity for DOL and HUD to combine their respective resources and
expertise in a joint approach to provide employment and housing
services to people with disabilities who are chronically homeless so
that they can live and work independently within their communities.
Further, these five projects are expected to increase the involvement
of the local workforce development system by fostering partnerships
with key disability and homeless serving organizations to meet the
employment needs of persons with disabilities who are chronically
homeless. This effort is therefore precedent setting, because it
partners together the housing and workforce development systems, to
serve the employment needs of people with disabilities who are
chronically homeless.
In order to support these five projects, as well as the systems
change that they represent, ODEP and its partners, ETA and VETS,
strongly recognize the need for targeted and comprehensive technical
assistance to provide direct and proactive support, training,
dissemination of information on promising practices, etc., to the
``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' projects. Therefore, this CHETA
initiative is being funded to provide technical assistance to bring
together the workforce development system with the homeless-serving
community to provide customized employment and permanent housing for
people with disabilities who are chronically homeless.
The CHETA Initiative will also help to 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/or
remain in the workforce. By emphasizing the need to increase the
capacity of federally-supported employment and training programs to
serve persons who are chronically homeless, this award will further the
New Freedom Initiative's goal of increased integration of Americans
with disabilities into the workforce.
Recently, the Federal Government through the Interagency Council on
Homelessness (http://www.ich.gov) has embarked on a collaborative
effort to end chronic homelessness in the next decade. This
solicitation supports that initiative by helping the ``Ending Chronic
Homelessness'' awardees and, in turn, the workforce development system,
establish and improve the partnerships between the workforce
development system and key disability and homeless serving
organizations and housing providers, so that the customized employment
needs of people with disabilities who are chronically homeless can be
met.
In addition, the CHETA Initiative will help support implementation
of the coordinated workforce development system envisioned under the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) (Public Law 105-220, 29 U.S.C.
2801 et seq.). The WIA established comprehensive reform of existing
federal job training programs, consolidating multiple programs into a
unified system and bringing multiple federal programs together as
required partners in the One-Stop delivery system. The One-Stop Career
Centers, which comprise the heart of this system, are well positioned
to expand employment opportunities for persons who are disabled and
chronically homeless, by helping to ensure that the workforce system is
accessible both physically and programmatically.
The ODEP and its partners, ETA and VETS, strongly recognize the
need for technical assistance to provide proactive support, training,
dissemination of information on effective practices, etc., to the
awardees under the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' Initiative. These
five awardees need proactive technical assistance and cross-connecting
expertise to bring together the workforce development system with the
homeless serving community to provide customized employment
opportunities and permanent housing for persons with disabilities who
are chronically homeless. Accordingly, the broad goals of this CHETA
Initiative will be to:
Provide the five DOL ``Ending Chronic Homelessness''
awardees with proactive and intensive, ongoing technical assistance
support;
Provide technical assistance on a limited basis to other
DOL and HUD grantees involved in related initiatives;
Inform ODEP about identified policy implications of
combining employment-related services with permanent housing services
for persons with disabilities who are chronically homeless; and,
Develop strong linkages between the five project
communities and collaborate with other national initiatives providing
services and support for persons with disabilities who are chronically
homeless.
The five DOL ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' awardees to be served
under this cooperative agreement are profiled as follows:
Portland, Oregon. Worksystems, Inc. will organize a
coalition of 17 local organizations, including faith based
organizations, from the housing, disability, employment, employer and
veteran communities, to coordinate permanent housing services with
customized employment services in an effort to end the cycle of chronic
homelessness for individuals within the Portland community. The key
operational component of this project will be the Community Services
Team (CST), which will use a strength-based assessment and treatment
plans and motivational interviewing to engage individuals in self-
determined service planning. The CST will deliver a full array of
services in a facilitative manner, eliminating bureaucratic obstacles.
Customized employment strategies such as job carving, micro-enterprise
development, individual development accounts (ITA's), and peer mentors
will be the hallmarks of this advanced effort.
Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Private Industry Council
will organize a coalition of local organizations from the housing,
disability, employment,
[[Page 32613]]
employer and veteran communities in a combined effort to coordinate
permanent housing services with customized employment services so as to
end the cycle of chronic homelessness for individuals within the Boston
community. Through an extensive collaboration, the project will create
a blend of housing and employment services that will be presented in a
seamless and coordinated fashion, providing ease of access to
consumers. The integration of housing and support services with
customized employment services will help program participants more
effectively to move towards self-sufficiency over time. The project
will build a continuum of employment services. This effort will
increase connections and capabilities of the One-Stop Career Centers
and of other service systems to serve persons with disabilities who are
chronically homeless, resulting in permanent systems change.
San Francisco, California. Under the leadership of the
Private Industry Council of San Francisco, Inc., this award will help
the community implement the concept of offering ``vocationalized''
housing to a representative number of targeted individuals, in order to
begin to create a culture of work with the hope of ending the cycle of
chronic homelessness for individuals within the San Francisco community
by offering new strategies for servicing this rapidly growing
population. This effort will seek to better combine and coordinate the
multiple services and agencies that deliver vocationalized housing in
an effort to improve both the involvement of the area's workforce
development system, including the area One-Stop Career Centers, and the
employment options for the chronically homeless.
Indianapolis, Indiana. Under this award, the Indianapolis
Private Industry Council, Inc. will create a new ``System of Care''
approach designed to combine and coordinate the various service
delivery partners, including in the employment and housing areas, in a
way which offers the consumer no wrong doors for entry into the system.
This approach will also organize a process that includes housing
developers and employers as direct participants with service providers,
consumers and community members to design, implement, manage and fund
individual plans of care that support sustainable living with full
participation in community life, including through employment. This
CHETA Initiative will capitalize on the capabilities and systems
changes already realized through two previous DOL employment grants.
Los Angeles, California. Under the leadership of the
Workforce Development Division of the Community Development Department,
City of Los Angeles, ten Los Angeles agencies representing the public
and private, community-based and faith-based sectors have joined
together to better integrate the permanent housing, mental health and
other workforce development programs serving persons with disabilities
who are both chronically homeless and mentally ill. All partners are
committed to improving and enhancing the coordination of activities
among agencies that operate emergency shelters, provide support
services to the homeless, offer mental health and substance abuse
treatment programs, provide permanent, supportive, affordable housing,
and develop employment opportunities. Customized employment services
will be provided and coordinated with housing and other needed services
in order to break the cycle of chronic homelessness.
For purposes of this solicitation, the terms applicable to this DOL
Cooperative Agreement are as follows:
Customized Employment: The term ``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 approaches such as supported
employment; 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
use of personal budgets and other forms of individualized funding that
provide choice and control to the person and promote self-
determination. These and other job development or restructuring
strategies result in job responsibilities that are customized and
individually negotiated to fit the needs of individuals with
disabilities. 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.
Persons who are Chronically Homeless: A person who is
``chronically homeless'' is an unaccompanied homeless individual with a
disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a
year or more, OR who has had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness
in the past three (3) years. In order to be considered chronically
homeless, a person must have been sleeping in a place not meant for
human habitation (e.g., living on the streets) and/or in an emergency
homeless shelter. A disabling condition is defined as a diagnosable
substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental
disability, or chronic physical illness or disability including the co-
occurrence of two or more of these conditions. A disabling condition
limits an individual's ability to work or perform one or more
activities of daily living.
II. Award Information
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Disability Employment
Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with the Employment and Training
Administration (ETA), announces the availability of $1.5 million to
fund one (1) Cooperative Agreement award to operate the Chronic
Homelessness Employment Technical Assistance (CHETA) Initiative,
designed to assist DOL's currently funded ``Ending Chronic Homelessness
through Employment and Housing'' awardees, an initiative cooperatively
sponsored by ODEP and the VETS. This $1.5 million award will be for a
36-month period of performance. In addition, this initiative may be
funded for up to two (2) option years at approximately $500,000 per
year, depending on performance, identified need, and the availability
of future funding. This cooperative agreement will include substantial
involvement between ODEP and the awardee during the period of
performance. ODEP will provide project oversight throughout the period
of the award. The ODEP will be involved in decisions involving
strategic planning (including the plan to deliver pro-active technical
assistance to the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' grantees), allocation
of resources, development of public information materials, and analysis
and implementation of evaluation findings.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for this DOL Cooperative Agreement are public/
private non-profit or for profit organizations or consortia, including
faith-based and community organizations, with appropriate capabilities,
experience, and expertise. If the proposal includes multiple
[[Page 32614]]
consortia members, there must be a prime or lead member who is the
responsible fiscal and programmatic agent. All applications must (1)
clearly identify the lead grant recipient and fiscal agent, as well as
all other members of the consortium applying for this cooperative
agreement award; (2) provide a clear description of each member's roles
and responsibilities; and (3) provide a detailed plan for how the award
money will be allocated among the consortium. As a Department of Labor-
funded initiative, it is expected that the lead grant recipient for any
such consortium shall have primary expertise in employment-related
areas.
2. Cost Sharing
Cost sharing and matching funds are not required under this SGA.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application
Applications, 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 Web site at http://www.dol.gov/odep and at http://www.fedgrants.gov.
If additional copies of the standard forms are
needed, they can also be downloaded from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grantforms.html
.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
General Requirements: To be considered responsive, all applications
must be submitted on time to DOL at the address listed above.
Applicants must submit one (1) paper copy with an original signature,
and two (2) additional paper copies of the signed proposal. To aid with
the review of applications, DOL also requires applicants to submit an
electronic copy of their proposal's Sections II (Executive Summary) and
III (Project Narrative) on compact disc (CD) or floppy disc using
Microsoft Word. The application must be double-spaced with standard
one-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides) on 8\1/2\ x 11 paper, and
must be presented on single-sided and numbered pages. A font size of at
least twelve (12) pitch is required throughout. 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, must be in
at least a 12-point font, and must have an average character density no
greater than 18 characters per inch (if using a non-proportional font
or a typewriter, must not be more than 12 characters per inch).
Applications that fail to meet these requirements will be considered
non-responsive.
DOL Cooperative Agreement Requirements: The three required sections
of the application are:
Section I--Project Financial Plan
Section II--Executive Summary--Project Synopsis
Section III--Project Narrative
Applications that fail to meet the mandatory requirements for each
section stated below will be considered non-responsive:
Section I. Project Financial Plan (Budget) (The Project
Financial Plan will not count against the application page limits.)
Section I of the application must include the following three required
parts:
(a) Completed ``SF-424--Application for Federal Assistance.''
The DOL Cooperative Agreement application must include one SF-424
with the original signatures of the legal entity applying for
Cooperative Agreement funding and two additional copies. 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. Applicants shall indicate on the SF-424 the organization's IRS
Status, if applicable. Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995,
Section 18 (29 U.S.C. 1611), an organization 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, cooperative agreement, or loan. See 2 U.S.C.
1611; 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4). For item 10 of the SF-424, the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for the program is 17.720.
(See Appendix A of this SGA for required form). The organization unit
section of Block 5 of the SF-424 must contain the Dun and Bradstreet
Number of the applicant. Please note that beginning October 1, 2003,
all applicants for federal grant opportunities are required to include
a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number with their application. See OMB
Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402 (June 27, 2003).
Applicants' DUNS numbers should be entered into Block 5 of SF-424. The
DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely
identifies business entities. There is no charge for obtaining a DUNS
number (although it may take 14-30 days). To obtain a DUNS number,
access the following Web site: http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/ or call
1-866-705-5711. Requests for exemption from the DUNS number requirement
must be made to OMB.
(b) Completed SF-424 A--``Budget Information Sheet'' (Appendix B)
must be included.
(c) DOL Budget Narrative and justification that provides sufficient
information to support the reasonableness of the costs included in the
budget in relation to the service strategy and planned outcomes,
including continuous improvement activities. The DOL Budget Narrative
and Justification must describe all costs associated with implementing
the project that are to be covered with Cooperative Agreement funds.
The applicant must support the travel and associated costs of sending
at least one representative to periodic meetings with DOL staff in
Washington, DC (at least once per quarter) and to the annual ODEP
Policy Conference for its grantees, to be held in Washington, DC at a
time and place to be determined. The applicant must comply with the
``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative
Agreements to State and Local Governments,'' (also known as OMB
Circular A-102''), codified at 29 CFR part 97, or ``Grants and
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other
Non-Profit Organizations'' (also known as the ``Common Rule'' or OMB
Circular A-110), codified at 29 CFR part 95 and must comply with the
applicable OMB cost principles circulars, as identified in 29 CFR 95.27
and 29 CFR 97.22(b).
In addition, the DOL 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 applicant must also
include the Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C)
and the Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Appendix
D).
Section II. Executive Summary--Project Synopsis: The
Executive Summary is limited to no more than two single-spaced, single-
sided pages on 8\1/2\ x 11 papers with standard margins throughout.
Each application shall include a project synopsis that identifies the
following:
(a) The applicant;
(c) The planned period of performance;
[[Page 32615]]
(d) The list of partners, as appropriate; and,
(e) An overview of how the applicant will provide the technical
assistance and manage the repository of knowledge developed.
Section III. Project Narrative. The DOL Cooperative
Agreement Project Narrative is limited to no more than thirty (30),
8\1/2\ x 11 pages, double-spaced with standard one-inch margins (top,
bottom, and sides), and must be presented on single-sided, numbered
pages. [Note: The Financial Plan, the Executive Summary, and the
Appendices, including letters of cooperation, resumes, etc., are not
included in this thirty-page limit]. It also requested that one (1)
Micro Soft Word copy on a Computer Disk of the Project Narrative
Section be submitted along with the three copies required. The
requirements for the project narrative are described below under Part
V--Application Review Information.
3. Submission Dates and Times (Acceptable Methods of Submission)
Applications will be accepted commencing June 10, 2004. The closing
date for receipt of applications by DOL under this announcement is July
26, 2004. Applications, including those hand-delivered, must be
received by 4:45 p.m. (e.t.) on July 26, 2004, at the address specified
below. No exceptions to the mailing and hand-delivery conditions set
forth in this notice will be granted. Applications that do not meet the
conditions set forth in this notice will be considered non-responsive.
Applications must be mailed or hand-delivered to: U.S. Department
of Labor, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell,
Reference SGA 04-07, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Telefascimile (FAX) applications will not be
accepted.
Withdrawal of Applications. An application that is timely submitted
may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram (including mailgram) at
any time before an award is made. Applications may be withdrawn in
person by the applicant or by an authorized representative thereof, if
the representative's identity is made known and the representative
signs a receipt of the proposal.
Hand-Delivered Proposals. It is preferred that applications be
mailed at least five days prior to the closing date. To be considered
for funding, hand-delivered applications must be received by 4:45 p.m.
(e.t.) on July 26, 2004, at the specified address. Failure to adhere to
the above instructions will serve as a basis for a determination of
non-responsiveness. Overnight express mail from carriers other than the
U.S. Postal Service will be considered hand-delivered applications and
must be received by the above specified date and time.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
5. Funding Restrictions
Funding Levels--The total funding available for this
solicitation is $1.5 million. Only one award will be made. The
Department of Labor reserves the right to negotiate the amount to be
awarded under this competition. Please be advised that requests
exceeding the $1.5 million will be considered non-responsive. Further
there will be no reimbursement of pre-award costs.
Period of Performance--The period of performance will be
for a 36-month period of performance from date of the award unless
modified. It is expected that the successful applicant will begin
program operations under this solicitation immediately upon receiving
the ``Notice of Award.''
Option Year Funding--In addition, this initiative may be
funded for up to two (2) additional option years at approximately
$500,000 per year, depending on performance, identified need and the
availability of future funding. Since federal funds for years four (4)
and five (5) will depend on Congressional funding for those fiscal
years, these option years will only be executed, assuming other
conditions are satisfactory to ODEP, one year at a time. Applications
under this SGA should include general proposals and budgets for these
two option years.
Limitation on Indirect Costs--Indirect costs claimed by
the applicant must be based on a federally approved rate. A copy of the
negotiated approved, and signed indirect cost negotiated agreement must
be submitted with the application. If the application does not
presently have an approved indirect cost rate, a proposed rate with
justification may be submitted. The successful applicant will be
required to negotiate an acceptable and allowable rate with the
appropriate DOL Regional Office of Cost Determination within 90 days of
the cooperative agreement award.
6. Other Submission Requirements
Applicants are advised that mail in the Washington, DC area may be
delayed due to mail decontamination procedures and may wish to take
this information into consideration when preparing to meet the
application deadline.
Late Applications. Any application received after the exact date
and time specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice
will be considered non-responsive, unless it is received before awards
are made and it: (a) Is determined that its late receipt was caused by
DOL error after timely delivery to the Department of Labor; (b) was
sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail not later than
the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of
applications (e.g., an application submitted in response to a
solicitation requiring receipt of applications by the 20th of the month
must have been post marked by the 15th of that month); or (c) was sent
by the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service to addressee
not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing two working days prior to
the date specified for receipt of applications. The term ``working
days'' excludes weekends and Federal holidays. ``Post marked'' means a
printed, stamped, or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a
postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable without
further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of
mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
V. Application Review Information
1. Program Criteria
The ``primary objectives'' of this technical assistance initiative
are to:
Provide comprehensive, pro-active technical assistance,
training and on-site support to the five awardees under the DOL (ODEP,
ETA, VETS) and HUD ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' Cooperative
Agreement awards described above, including assistance with:
(a) Strategic planning and implementation;
(b) Development of partnerships and linkages with other disability
and homeless serving organizations;
(c) Coordination and leveraging of multiple resources and funding
streams;
(d) Recruitment;
(e) Capacity-building, technical training and grant-specific
assistance on implementation of customized employment strategies within
a One-Stop Career Center;
(f) Assistance with sustainability and evaluation;
(g) Identification of state and local practice and policy issues;
and
(h) Sponsorship of periodic combined technical assistance meetings
for all five of the awardees.
[[Page 32616]]
These areas of technical assistance are designed to increase
customized employment opportunities for people who are chronically
homeless through One-Stop Career Centers. Technical assistance efforts
will be coordinated with and will complement those of ODEP's National
Center on Workforce and Disability for Adults (NCWD/A), as well as
ODEP's other technical assistance efforts, including: the National
Consortium on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Y), Training and
Technical Assistance for Providers (T-TAP), Job Accommodation Network
(JAN), and Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN). In addition,
the awardee must agree to actively utilize the programs sponsored by
the ODEP, including the Job Accommodation Network (http://www.jan.icdi.wvu.edu/links/
), and the Employer Assistance Referral
Network (http://www.earnworks.com).
Develop a repository of expert knowledge and materials on
promising practices and resources supporting the delivery of customized
employment services to persons with disabilities who are chronically
homeless through the workforce development systems, especially One-Stop
Career Centers; and to disseminate this information to other DOL and
HUD programs interested in similar initiatives through a Web-based
technical assistance initiative;
Collect and process employment policy-related information
for ongoing feedback to ODEP; and, otherwise support ODEP and as
requested in their efforts to advance policies which increase
employment, personal choice, and wages for people who are chronically
homeless;
Develop strong linkages and collaborate with other
national federal initiatives that provide services and supports for
people who are chronically homeless in order to better coordinate
efforts among the various initiatives.
In order to accomplish these ``primary objectives'', the CHETA
Initiative must pursue the following ``activities'':
Provide pro-active technical assistance, training,
information assistance and knowledge transfer to each of the grantees
under ODEP's ``Ending Chronic Homelessness through Employment and
Housing'' cooperative agreements, in order to increase the awardees'
capabilities and performance in securing customized employment for
people who are chronically homeless. The CHETA Initiative will:
(a) Conduct a needs assessment of the five (5) ``Ending Chronic
Homelessness'' awardees to determine the type and details of technical
assistance that is necessary for these cooperative agreements to meet
their goals and objectives;
(b) In cooperation with the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness''
awardees and with DOL's approval, prepare and implement a site-specific
strategic planning, technical assistance and training plan for each
awardee with projected timelines for delivering needed technical
assistance;
(c) Review project applications, quarterly reports, and other
documentation to identify potential areas of support;
(d) Identify, on an ongoing basis, materials and resources for use
by the awardees;
(e) Conduct a minimum of two (2) technical assistance site visits
per year per awardee; conduct a minimum of one (1) national or regional
training per year for all awardees;
(f) Conduct monthly teleconferences with the ``Ending Chronic
Homelessness'' awardees to facilitate knowledge transfer and networking
among the awardees;
(g) Respond to ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' awardees' requests
for expert assistance by sponsoring and arranging on-site, phone, e-
mail consultations, or other appropriate forms of knowledge-transfer.
These technical assistance efforts should be flexible so as to
allow for the use of any necessary outside consultants who possess
expertise beyond the capabilities of the CHETA staff.
Provide a repository of information, primarily via
electronic means (Web-based, e-mail messages, other distance learning
and knowledge transfer techniques), on relevant training and technical
assistance materials that are both collected and developed in order to
meet CHETA's first program objective. This repository of information is
to be shared with other interested organizations and agencies.
Collect employment policy-related information for ongoing
feedback to ODEP on policies and practices at the local, state and
national level that act both as barriers and facilitators to securing
customized employment for the targeted group. This information will be
analyzed by ODEP and shared with appropriate DOL agencies for their
consideration.
Support ODEP, as requested, in its efforts to increase
employment, personal choice, and wages for people who are chronically
homeless through the workforce development system, including by
responding to requests for information, analysis, and other assistance
from ODEP; by researching, collecting, and disseminating information
from states concerning effective and meaningful participation of people
who are chronically homeless in One-Stop Centers; and by evaluating
project goals, objectives, and activities to determine the
effectiveness of project strategies and the overall impact of technical
assistance, training, and information services.
Develop linkages and collaborate working relationships
with other associated federal technical assistance (T/A) initiatives,
such as ODEP's five national T/A efforts (National Center on Workforce
and Disability for Adults, National Collaborative for Workforce and
Disability for Youth, Training and Technical Assistance for Providers,
Job Accommodation Network, and the Employer Assistance Referral
Network), as well as with other related federally-funded T/A
initiatives, such as ETA's Technical Assistance and Evaluation Provider
for the Work Incentive Grants and Disability Program Navigator
Initiative projects (ETA's Division of Disability and Workforce
Programs); Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's
(SAMHSA's) T/A Center for PATH grants; and, VETS' National Veterans
Training Institute (NVTI) Center. In addition, coordinate training and
technical assistance efforts in ways that utilize or complement other
related grant programs, such as ODEP's Customized Employment Grant
program, ETA's Work Incentive Grant (WIG's) program, VETS Homeless
Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) grants, Centers for Medicaid and
Medicare Services Medicaid Infrastructure Grants, state level Medicaid
Buy-In programs, and other federal and state related disability
employment supports grant programs.
2. Panel Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed for compliance with the requirements
of this notice. A careful evaluation of applications will be made by a
technical review panel, which will evaluate the applications against
the rating criteria listed below. The panel results are advisory in
nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. DOL may elect to award
grants with or without discussion with the offeror. In situations
without discussions, an award will be based on the offeror's signature
on the SF-424, which constitutes a binding offer. The Grant Officer may
consider any information that is available and will make final award
decisions based on what is most advantageous to the Government,
considering such factors as panel findings and availability of funds.
In review of applications, proposals will be evaluated under the
following evaluation criteria.
[[Page 32617]]
A. Project Design and Project Management (50 Points)
Under this section, the applicant must describe the project design
and its management plan. The proposed project design must address how
the applicant intends to respond to ``primary objectives'' and
``activities'' listed above in this Section. Also, under this section,
the applicant must describe how the applicant will address the
following DOL priorities for fiscal year 2004:
(1) Increase the availability of skills training, employment
opportunities, and career advancement for persons with disabilities who
are chronically homeless; and
(2) Develop comprehensive One-Stop Career Centers, that are
welcoming and valued by customers who are chronically homeless seeking
workforce assistance through ensuring availability of staff trained on
homeless issues.
Applicants must also provide a detailed management plan that
identifies the critical activities, time frames, and responsibilities
for effectively implementing the project, including staff organization
and management and the evaluation process for assuring successful
implementation of Cooperative Agreement objectives. The management plan
will be evaluated to determine whether the applicant has developed an
adequate plan that to:
Effectively carry out the goals and objectives of the
proposed initiative, on time and within budget;
Describe the predicted outcomes resulting from activities
funded under the cooperative agreement; and
Identify methods for gaining and incorporating customer
and consumer feedback (both from the five chronically homelessness
grantee programs to be served by CHETA, as well as from the homeless
persons with disabilities they serve) that will be used by the
applicant to make program adjustments and to determine success.
B. Staff Capacity (30 Points)
The applicant must describe the proposed staffing of the DOL CHETA
Cooperative Agreement Initiative, including the key personnel and the
roles each will play, their time commitments and the responsibilities
each will assume. The applicant must also identify how it will ensure
that trained and experienced staff or consultants will be available
with the following expertise:
(1) Demonstrated knowledge of/experience with diverse customized
employment strategies, including individualized approaches to
identification of strengths, needs and interests of the individual;
customized employment planning; job development and negotiation; and
development/use of micro-enterprises, self-employment, cooperatives and
small businesses;
(2) Demonstrated knowledge of/experience with various forms of
self-directed accounts that provide personal control, choice and
assistance to the individual including but not limited to Individual
Training Accounts (ITA's), Individual Development Accounts (IDA's), and
individual budgets;
(3) Demonstrated knowledge of diverse disabilities, especially
persons with disabilities who are chronically homeless and mentally
ill, substance abusers, and those who have veteran status;
(4) Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with workforce
development systems, particularly One-Stop Career Centers and their
administrative structures;
(5) Demonstrated knowledge of /experience with community-based
strategic planning, methods for achieving sustainability of programs,
development of essential partnerships (including WIA required and non-
required partnerships) and systems change strategies, including
strategies necessary for innovative blending of resources to achieve
customized employment;
(6) Demonstrated knowledge of other employment-related support
services and programs especially Medicaid, transportation, SSI, and
SSDI; and
(7) Demonstrated knowledge of/experience in successful delivery of
technical assistance and knowledge transfer.
The staffing/consultant plan should:
(1) Summarize the qualifications, including relevant education,
training, and experience of both key project personnel and project
consultants or subcontractors. Attach copies of resumes in the
Appendices.
(2) Describe the experience in serving persons with disabilities
who are chronically homeless and in providing customized employment
services.
(3) Describe the proposed staff/consultant's experience in
providing employment-related technical assistance and knowledge
transfer to diverse audiences relevant to this solicitation.
(4) Describe the extent to which the time commitments of the
project director and other key project personnel are appropriate and
adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project; and how key
personnel and consultants will be managed.
(5) Describe plans for recruiting persons with disabilities for
employment, as well as in key consulting roles.
C. Evaluation and Continuous Improvement Strategies (10 Points)
The proposal must demonstrate how the goals, objectives, tasks and
outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified
and measurable; the extent to which performance feedback and continuous
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project; and 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 that lead to stronger
evaluation and continuous improvement strategies. The proposal will be
evaluated on:
(1) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the technical assistance
needs to be met and other identified needs;
(2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project provides
clear understanding of, and experience with, utilization of customized
employment strategies for increasing employment, choice, and earnings
of persons with disabilities, including those who are chronically
homeless;
(3) The extent to which the management plans for project
implementation is likely to achieve the objectives of the proposed
project on time and within budget; and
(4) The extent to which the proposed project design features
innovative strategies to deliver the required technical assistance
supports and achieve sustainable knowledge transfer across project
activities.
D. Documenting and Reporting (10 Points)
Applicants should outline their strategy for documenting and
reporting the activities undertaken during the life of the Cooperative
Agreement for ODEP's use. In evaluating this section, the following
factors must be addressed and ODEP considers them to be of particular
importance:
(1) The method by which the initiative will evaluate external
technical assistance information and materials to ensure a high
standard of quality about effective strategies suitable for replication
or testing in other settings;
(2) The extent to which the methods of documentation and reporting
include the objective use of performance measures that are clearly
related to the intended outcomes of the project and
[[Page 32618]]
will produce quantitative and qualitative data; and
(3) The adequacy of mechanisms for measuring the quality of
products and services developed by the proposed initiative.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
N/A.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
A. Notice that an organization has been selected as the cooperative
agreement recipient does not constitute approval of the cooperative
agreement application as submitted. Before the actual cooperative
agreement award, ODEP may enter into negotiations concerning such items
as program components, funding levels, and administrative systems. If
the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submittal, the Grant
Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to
fund the proposal.
B. A post-award conference will be held within the first month of
the award, for the cooperative agreement award winner, in Washington,
DC, with ODEP and other DOL representatives. The associated travel cost
for this two-day meeting should be included as a part of their budget
proposal. Both program and administrative matters will be reviewed. As
a continuation of the post-award process, after this first meeting with
DOL, CHETA will immediately organize and fund through its budget, a
meeting for teams from each of the five ``Chronic Homelessness''
cooperative agreement sites, as described in Section I and V, above.
This two-day post award meeting shall be held in Portland, OR (or one
of the other five sites), and shall involve 4 to 5 representatives from
each of the five cooperative agreement sites. In addition to supporting
the travel and participation costs (hotel lodging, meeting space, per
diem, travel costs) of these five teams, several key experts on
customized employment, chronic homelessness should be provided for in
the proposed budget. The purpose of this post award meeting is to both
involve the five cooperative agreement awardees in the formation of
CHETA's technical assistance plans and to provide the five sites with
an opportunity for sharing and additional technical assistance.
2. Administrative and National Policy
A. Limitations on Administrative and Indirect Costs
(1) Indirect costs claimed by the applicant must be based on a
federally approved rate. A copy of the negotiated approved, and signed
indirect cost negotiated agreement must be submitted with the
application.
(2) If the applicant does not presently have an approved indirect
cost rate, a proposed rate with justification may be submitted. The
successful applicant will be required to negotiate an acceptable and
allowable rate with the appropriate DOL Regional Office of Cost
Determination within 90 days of the cooperative agreement award.
B. Administrative Standards and Provisions
Unless specifically provided in the cooperative agreement, DOL's
acceptance of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any
program(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant/cooperative agreement
requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB circulars require
and an entity's procurement procedures must provide that all
procurement transactions will be conducted, as practical, to provide
open and free competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity
to provide the services, the DOL award does not provide the
justification or basis to sole-source the procurement, i.e. avoid
competition. This cooperative agreement will be subject to the
following administrative standards and provisions:
29 CFR part 93--Lobbying.
29 CFR part 95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for
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--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally
Funded Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements;
29 CFR part 97--Uniform Administrative Requirement for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments;
29 CFR part 98--Federal Standards for Government-wide
Debarment and Suspension (non-procurement) and Government-wide
Requirements for Drug Free Workplace (Grants/Cooperative Agreements);
29 CFR part 99--Audit of States, Local Governments and
Non-profit Organizations;
29 CFR parts 30, 31, 32, 33, and 36--Equal Employment
Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training, Nondiscrimination in
Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Labor, Effectuation of
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Nondiscrimination on the
Basis of Handicap in Programs and Activities, and Nondiscrimination on
the Basis of Sex in Education Programs Receiving or Benefiting from
Federal Financial Assistance.
C. Allowable Costs
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.
Profit-Making Commercial Firms--48 CFR Part 31.
Profit will not be considered an allowable cost in any case.
D. Cooperative Agreement 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.); and
The applicant must include assurances and certifications that it
will comply with these laws in its Cooperative Agreement application.
The assurances and certifications are attached as Appendices C, D.
3. Reporting and Monitoring
The ODEP is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation
of this Cooperative Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of
this announcement and the terms of the Cooperative Agreement award
document. Applicants should assume that ODEP staff will conduct on-site
project reviews periodically. Reviews
[[Page 32619]]
will focus on timely project implementation, performance in meeting the
Cooperative Agreement's objectives, tasks and responsibilities,
expenditures of Cooperative Agreement funds on allowable activities,
and administration of project activities. The CHETA Initiative may be
subject to other additional reviews, at the discretion of the ODEP, and
ODEP staff or their announced designees from ETA, VETS and/or HUD may
conduct these reviews
The DOL Cooperative Agreement awardee, under this competition, will
be required to submit to DOL quarterly financial and narrative program
progress reports for each quarter funded. The awardee will be required
to submit periodic financial and participation reports. Specifically,
the following reports will be required:
A. Quarterly reports: The quarterly report is estimated to take ten
hours to complete. The form for the Quarterly Report will be provided
by the ODEP. The ODEP will work with the awardee to help refine the
requirements of the report, which will, among other things, include
measures of ongoing analysis for continuous improvement and customer
satisfaction. Quarterly reports will be due 30 days after the close of
the quarters of each federal fiscal year. This report will be filed
using an on-line reporting system.
B. Standard Form 269: Financial Status Report Form (FSR) will be
completed on a quarterly basis, using the on-line electronic reporting
system.
C. Final Project Report: The final report will include an
assessment of project performance and outcomes achieved. The final
report is estimated to take 20 hours to complete. This report will be
submitted in hard copy and on electronic disk complying with format and
instructions provided by the ODEP. An outline of the final report is
due to ODEP forty-five (45) days before termination of the Cooperative
Agreement with a draft of the final report due to the ODEP thirty (30)
days before the termination of the Cooperative Agreement. The final
report is due to the DOL within 30 days following the termination of
the Cooperative Agreement. If the two option years are exercised, the
final report will be due upon their completion.
The awardee must agree to cooperate with independent evaluations to
be conducted by ODEP. ODEP or its designee will arrange for and conduct
this independent evaluation of the outcomes, impact, and
accomplishments of the project. The awardee 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
ODEP. This independent evaluation is separate from the any proposed
ongoing evaluation for continuous improvement commissioned by the
awardee. ODEP's evaluation of the CHETA award includes a process
evaluation regarding extensive information pertaining to achievements
under the Cooperative Agreement.
VII. Agency Contacts
For information on this DOL Cooperative Agreement and related items
contact Cassandra Mitchell, 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 Cassandra Mitchell, via the Federal Relay Service,
(800) 877-8339.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of June, 2004.
Johnny A. Arnold, II,
Acting Grant Officer.
BILLING CODE 4510-CX-P
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