[Federal Register: June 26, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 123)]
[Notices] [Page 43169-43182] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr26jn02-104]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Office of Disability Employment Policy
Innovative Demonstration Grants for Youth With Disabilities AGENCY:
Office of Disability Employment Policy, Labor. ACTION: Notice of
Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications of
Innovative Demonstration Grants for Youth with Disabilities (SGA
02-12).
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL" or "Department"), Office
of Disability Employment Policy ("ODEP") announces the availability
of $2.5 million to award competitive grants to fund model
demonstration programs designed to enhance the capacity of youth
programs working in coordination with the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA) (Pub. L. 105-220, 29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) to serve youth with
disabilities. Up to five competitive grants will be awarded in the
range of $350,000 to $500,000. These awards are for a two-year period
of performance. To be eligible, applicants must be local WIA grant
recipients, fiscal agents for such grant recipients, Local Workforce
Investment Boards (Local Boards), and/or competitively selected
eligible youth service providers with formal agreements with such
organizations. Each grant must involve members of two specific groups in
strategic planning and implementation activities: Youth with
disabilities (including those with hidden disabilities such as
psychiatric disabilities, substance addiction, mental retardation and
learning disabilities), relevant experts in the field of young people
with disabilities (such as disability organizations, researchers,
policy makers, employers, family members and/or family
organizations, independent living centers, or service providers).
Each grant must also include a management and evaluation component.
All forms necessary to prepare an application are included in this
Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA.) If another copy of a
Standard Form is needed, go online to
http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/grants/forms.html. DATES: One (1)
ink-signed original, complete grant application plus two (2) copies
of the Technical Proposal and two (2) copies of the Cost Proposal
must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement
Services Center, Attention Grant Officer, Reference SGA 02-12, Room N-
5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, not later
than 4:45 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST), August 12,
2002. Hand-delivered applications must be received by the
Procurement Services Center by that time. ADDRESSES:
Applications must be directed to the U.S. Department of Labor,
Procurement Services Center, Attention: Grant Officer, Reference SGA
02-12, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC
20210. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All applicants are advised
that U.S. mail delivery in the Washington, DC area has been erratic
due to concerns involving anthrax contamination. All applicants must
take this into consideration when preparing to meet the application
deadline. It is recommended that you confirm receipt of your
application by contacting Cassandra Willis, U.S. Department of Labor,
Procurement Services Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a
toll-free number), prior to the closing deadline. Acceptable
Methods of Submission: The 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 12, 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 12, 2002; or 2. It was sent by U.S. Postal
Service Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee, not
later than 5:00 p.m. at the place of mailing two (2) working days,
excluding weekends and Federal holidays, prior to August 12, 2002;
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 ``bulls-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 applicant bears the responsibility of timely
submission. All applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in
the Washington, DC area has been erratic due to concerns involving
anthrax contamination. All applicants must take this into
consideration when preparing to meet the application deadline.
Therefore, it is recommended that you confirm receipt of your
application by contacting Cassandra Willis, U.S. Department of Labor,
Procurement Services Center, telephone (202) 693-4570, (this is not a
toll-free number), prior to the closing deadline. Persons who are
deaf or hard of hearing may contact the Department via the Federal
Relay Service, (800) 877- 8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Authority Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001, Pub. L.
106-554, 114 Stat. 2763, A-10, 29 U.S.C. 557(b); DOL, HHS, Education
& Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002, Pub L. 107-116, 115
Stat. 2177. II. Background The President's ``New Freedom
Initiative'' is designed to increase the number of people with
disabilities who enter, re-enter, and remain in the workforce. This
initiative is dedicated to increasing investment in, and access to,
assistive technologies and expanding educational opportunities in
order to increase the ability of individuals with disabilities to
integrate into the workforce; and to promote increased access into
the community.\1\
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\1\ For more information about the New Freedom Initiative, go to
the White House web page at www.whitehouse.gov/news/ freedominitiative.
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A key to increasing the employment of people with disabilities
is to ensure that young people with disabilities are provided
resources and assistance to move from school to work, as opposed to
becoming dependent on welfare or other benefits programs. One way
of accomplishing this is to increase the [[Page 43170]]
participation of youth with disabilities in mainstream workforce
development activities under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(WIA). According to the U.S. Department of Education, the national
high school graduation rates (e.g. diplomas, GED, alternative
certificates) for students with disabilities are below that of youth
without disabilities. Nearly nine-tenths (88%) of students without
disabilities graduate, compared to only 62% of youth with
disabilities.\2\ Moreover, students with disabilities experience a
school drop out rate that is 3 times greater than that for youth
without disabilities--31% vs. 11%. Youth with emotional disabilities
experience an even higher drop out rate of 54%. It is estimated that
only one-third of young people with disabilities who need job
training receive it. Young people with disabilities also have
significantly lower rates of participation in post-secondary
education. Finally, the Social Security Administration has found that
many young people with disabilities who enter the Supplementary
Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
rolls are likely to remain on the program rolls for their entire
lives.
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\2\ U.S. Department of Education, National Center on Education
Statistics, The Condition of Education 2000 in Brief, Jeanne H.
Nathanson NCES 2001-045, Washington, DC; U.S. Government Printing
Office, 2001 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitation Services, Twenty-second Annual Report to
Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities
Act, Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000.
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The federal/state vocational rehabilitation system is neither
large enough to serve, nor solely responsible for serving, all youth
with disabilities that depart the school system. According to the
U.S. Department of Education, each year approximately 500,000 young
people with disabilities leave our nation's schools. Vocational
rehabilitation programs are able to serve less than 40,000 of these
young people with disabilities. Many of the remaining 460,000 youth
with disabilities are potentially eligible for youth programs
supported under WIA. One of the most significant reforms under WIA
section 129(c) [29 U.S.C. 2854(c)], is the consolidation of the
year-round youth program and the summer youth program into a single
formula-based funding stream. Under WIA, each local workforce
investment area must have a year-round youth services strategy that
incorporates summer youth employment opportunities as one of ten
required program elements (WIA section 129(c)(2), 20 CFR 644.410).
The ten program elements reflect successful youth development
approaches and focus on the following four key themes: 1.
Improving educational achievement (including such elements as
tutoring, study skills training, and instruction leading to secondary
school completion, drop-out prevention strategies, and alternative
secondary school offerings); 2. Preparing for and succeeding in employment
(including summer employment opportunities, paid and unpaid work
experience, and occupational skills training); 3. Supporting
youth (including supportive services needs, providing adult
mentoring, follow-up services, and comprehensive guidance and
counseling); and 4. Offering services intended to develop the potential of
young people as citizens and leaders (including leadership
development opportunities.) WIA provides a variety of work
preparation programs that can assist youth with disabilities in
achieving their career ambitions. The potential is great for these
programs to prepare eligible youth participants with disabilities for
employment. These services need to be made available to young people
with disabilities. Traditionally, however, they are not recruited to
participate in these programs. WIA youth service providers may not be
aware of the need to serve youth with disabilities in their
communities and may lack the resources to develop strong partnerships
and an equitable referral/assessment system. Moreover, vocational
rehabilitation agencies, special education agencies, and other
agencies serving youth with disabilities may not be aware of the
potential for coordinating resources with WIA-based programs. They
may also be unaware of opportunities for creating mechanisms for such
programs to cooperate and support young people with disabilities.
Currently, WIA-assisted youth programs report that difficulties in
identifying the number of youth with non-visible disabilities who
already participate in WIA-assisted youth programs hinders the long- term
success of these young people. Because the disabilities of many youth
go unidentified in WIA-assisted youth programs, the rate of their
failure may be higher than for those whose disabilities are evident. The
U.S. Department of Labor has determined that youth programs must be
strengthened to better serve young people with disabilities. ODEP's
vision incorporates providing technical assistance and support
designed to assist WIA-assisted youth programs to increase the
capacity of those programs to serve people with disabilities. In
order to accomplish this goal, a two-pronged approach will be used.
This approach includes: 1. Awarding grants designed to demonstrate and
further develop the capacity of WIA-assisted youth programs to serve
youth with disabilities; and, 2. Maintaining a technical
assistance program to support capacity building for various youth
programs. In combination, these activities contribute to achieving the
goals of the President's ``New Freedom Initiative''. This SGA is
designed to further the first of these activities. The supporting
national technical assistance program (the WIA Disability Technical
Assistance Consortia for Adults and Youth) was established in October
2001 to help with the implementation of these demonstration
grants. III. Purpose This SGA supports model demonstration
projects that develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate new or
improved approaches that generate knowledge, and promote best
practices to WIA-assisted youth programs. Its purpose is to increase
participation and improve results in those programs for young people
with disabilities including those with hidden disabilities such as
psychiatric disabilities, substance addiction, mental retardation,
and learning disabilities. For the purposes of this SGA, a youth with a
disability is defined as a youth aged 14 to 21 years old who (1) has
a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more
of his or her major life activities or; (2) has a record of such an
impairment; or; (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. The
purpose of these demonstration projects is to help WIA-assisted youth
programs develop their capacity to serve youth with disabilities.
This capacity building will allow these programs to develop and
further demonstrate strategies and techniques to increase the
participation of youth with disabilities. These strategies and
techniques can, in turn, serve as models for similar WIA-assisted
youth programs. These projects will target youth both in- and
out-of-school. As a result of these demonstrations, and associated
technical assistance efforts, ODEP anticipates that all WIA-assisted
youth programs will learn from and follow these examples. This should
result in a system-wide increase in the successful participation of
youth with disabilities in all WIA- assisted youth programs.
[[Page 43171]] Included in the objectives of these model demonstration
projects is a goal of building upon and enhancing the integrated
youth development approach envisioned under WIA, by incorporating
knowledge of best practices developed through 15 years of research
from the fields of rehabilitation, special education, maternal and
child health, school- to-work, and youth development as discussed in
Section IV of this SGA. Projects are required to collaborate with the WIA
Disability Technical Assistance Consortia for Adults and Youth
(described above in the Background Section) designed to provide
assistance to other WIA- assisted youth programs, in order to catalyze the
systems changes outlined in the SGA. IV. Statement of
Work This SGA seeks proposals from organizations that will
implement demonstration projects designed to develop their
WIA-assisted youth program's capacity to increase its services to
youth with disabilities including those with non-visible disabilities
such as psychiatric disabilities, substance addiction, mental
retardation, and learning disabilities. The ultimate goal is to allow
these programs to become leaders in developing and further
demonstrating strategies and techniques to increase both the
participation of and results for youth with disabilities. These
grants are designed to enable WIA-assisted youth programs to support
those needed efforts to achieve improved service to youth with
disabilities in their existing programs. Grant funds may not be used
to provide direct service payments for youth with disabilities;
existing funding is to be used for this purpose. Rather, these funds
are intended to be used in ways which create system change or
overall program improvements to enable youth programs to more
successfully serve youth with disabilities. Under this grant,
grantees must serve at least 40 youth with disabilities each year or,
if the program has fewer than 200 participants, at least 20% of them
must be participants with disabilities. Proposals must
demonstrate how the grantee would develop, implement, evaluate, and
disseminate new or improved approaches to the youth programs that
generate knowledge and promote best practices, to increase
participation, and improve results in those programs for young people
with disabilities. In addition, grantees must participate in
technical assistance efforts designed to disseminate to other
programs their successful strategies and techniques for serving
greater numbers of youth with disabilities including those with
non-visible disabilities. All grantees must operate demonstration
projects that integrate the four key themes and ten program elements
of WIA-assisted youth programs, listed at WIA section 129(c)(2) (20
CFR 644.410) discussed above with one or more of the following best
practice features: 1. Demonstrations focused on promoting effective
structures, policies, and practices to improve results for youth with
disabilities in WIA-assisted programs, including those with
non-visible disabilities, in areas such as admission, enrollment,
assessment, staff development, interagency coordination, etc.; 2.
Demonstrations of effective service interventions and approaches that
help young people with disabilities to overcome barriers to positive
education and employment outcomes including such things as illicit
drug use; 3. Demonstrations that focus on the link between academic
and occupational skill standards; and on the integration of academic
and applied learning in real work settings; 4. Demonstrations
that focus on supporting and accommodating young people with
disabilities in integrated, inclusive work, and work- preparation
environments at all times, especially if their educational program
has been delivered even partially in a segregated setting; 5.
Demonstrations that focus on youth-centered planning and development
(e.g., assessment, choice, rights and responsibilities, life skills,
drop out prevention strategies, paid and unpaid work experiences,
leadership development, adult mentoring); 6. Demonstrations that focus on
promoting physical and mental health, substance abuse prevention, and
the link between health and positive educational and employment
outcomes; 7. Demonstrations that focus on increasing the type of
involvement by business, family, and community, that create effective
connections to intermediaries with strong links to the job market and
to local and regional employers; 8. Demonstrations which develop
and leverage linkages with other state and local initiatives that
provide services and supports for young people with significant
disabilities. Such initiatives may include, but are not limited to,
systems change efforts promoting enduring systems improvement and
comprehensive coordination; health care; substance abuse prevention;
housing; transportation; education; supported employment; small
business development; technology related assistance; private
foundations; faith-based initiatives; and 9. Demonstrations that research
alternative methods of measuring WIA performance outcomes that
consider the various characteristics of people with disabilities,
including those with non-visible disabilities. Some examples of
resources for information about WIA-assisted youth program components
and these best practice features can be located on the following Web
sites: 1. Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Office of
Youth Services Web site: www.doleta.gov/youth--services. 2.
National Transition Alliance for Youth with Disabilities:
www.dssc.org/.
3. The Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal
and Child Health, ``Healthy and Ready to Work'' Web site:
www.mchbhrtw.org. 4. National Youth Employment Coalition, Program and
Effective Practices Network (PEPNET) Web site: www.nyec.org. 5.
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Web site:
www.ici.edu. 6. The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability Web
site: www.ncwd-youth.info/ig.html. In addition, a model
demonstration project must: 1. Provide a detailed management plan for
project goals, objectives, and activities; 2. Describe how they
plan to comply with the employment nondiscrimination and equal
opportunity requirements of the various laws listed in the assurances
section, and how they plan to meet the needs of individuals with
disabilities from diverse cultures and/or racial and ethnic
groups; 3. Use rigorous quantitative or qualitative evaluation methods
and data; 4. Evaluate the model by using multiple measures of
results to determine the effectiveness of the model and its
components or strategies for continuous program improvements; 5.
Produce detailed procedures and materials that would enable others to
replicate the model; 6. Communicate with appropriate audiences through
means such as technical assistance providers and disseminators,
publications, conference presentations, and/or a web site. (If the
project maintains a web site, it must include relevant information
and documents in an accessible form); and 7. Collaborate with
appropriate Federal and state agencies and [[Page 43172]]
programs, such as the Department of Health and Human Services
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Children with Special Health Care
Needs Program, Health Care Financing Administration, Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration, Administration on
Developmental Disabilities, Social Security Administration, and the
Department of Education Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitation Services. Grantees must support the travel cost associated
with sending at least one representative to the annual ODEP Grantees'
training conference, to be held in Washington, DC. The Department
will arrange for an independent evaluation of outcomes, impacts, and
benefits of the demonstration projects. Grantees must make records
available to evaluation personnel, as specified by the evaluator(s)
under the direction of the Department. V. Funding Availability
The period of performance will be 24 months from the date of
execution by the Government. Up to five (5) competitive grants will
be awarded in the range of $350,000 to $500,000. It is expected that
the funds used for this SGA will support the costs associated with
the development, implementation, and evaluation of a model
demonstration project for a youth program to significantly increase
the numbers of young people with disabilities participating and
benefiting from program activities. Projects can use the available
funds to conduct a variety of activities to support these models,
such as outreach, recruitment, staff training, strategic planning,
assessment, curriculum/materials development, career development,
student-focused planning, program alignment, partnership building,
reasonable accommodations, etc. Youth programs are required to use
existing funding to provide direct services to young people with
disabilities. VI. Eligible Applicants To be eligible,
applicants must be WIA grant recipients for a local area, fiscal
agents for such grant recipients, Local Boards, and/or competitively
selected eligible youth service providers. Each grantee must involve
members of two specific groups in strategic planning and
implementation activities: youth with disabilities, and relevant
experts in the field of young people with disabilities (such as
disability organizations, researchers, policy makers, employers,
family members and/or family organizations, independent living
centers, or service providers.) According to section 18 of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization, as described in
section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, that engages
in lobbying activities will not be eligible for the receipt of
federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan. See 2 U.S.C.
1611; 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4). VII. Application Contents General
Requirements--Two copies and an original of the proposal must be
submitted, one of which must contain an original signature. Proposals
must be submitted by the applicant only. There are three required
sections of the application. Requirements for each section are
provided in this application package. Part I--Executive Summary
The Executive Summary must be no more than 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 IV of
this notice and the selection criteria that are used by reviewers in
evaluating the application. You must limit the project narrative to the
equivalent of no more than fifty (50) pages using the following
standard. This page limit does not apply to Part I, the Executive
Summary; Part III, the Project Financial Plan (Budget); and, the
Appendices (the assurances and certifications, resumes, a
bibliography or references, and the letters of support). A page is
8.5" x 11" (on one side only) with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and
sides). All text in the application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs must be double-spaced (no more
than three lines per vertical inch); and, if using a proportional
computer font, use no smaller than a 12- point font, and an average
character density no greater than 18 characters per inch (if using a
non-proportional font or a typewriter, do not use more than 12
characters per inch.) Applicants must also include in Part II of the
proposal a narrative that addresses all of the Evaluation Criteria
(section VIII below) that will be used by reviewers in evaluating
individual proposals. Applicants shall collaborate with other research
institutes, centers, and studies and evaluations that are supported
by DOL and other relevant Federal agencies. 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). VIII. Evaluation
Criteria/Selection A. Evaluation Criteria The application
must include appropriate 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 youth programs in serving young people with
disabilities; b. The extent to which the proposed project is likely to
yield findings that may be used by other appropriate agencies
and organizations; c. 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; d.
The likely utility of the products (such as information, materials,
processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed project,
including the potential for the products' being used effectively in a
variety of other settings; e. The extent to which the promising practices
of the proposed project are to be disseminated in ways that will
enable others to use the information or strategies; f. The
potential replicability (national significance) of the proposed
project or [[Page 43173]] strategies, including, as
appropriate, the potential for implementation in a variety of
settings; and, g. The importance or magnitude of the results which are
likely to be attained by the proposed project. 2. Quality of the
Project Design (20 Points) In evaluating the quality of the proposed
project design, the Department considers the following factors:
a. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable; b.
The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate
to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population
and other identified needs; c. The extent to which the design of the
proposed project can measure methods for recruiting and serving youth
with disabilities each year; d. The extent to which the proposal
demonstration incorporates the four key themes identified in Part IV,
Statement of Work; e. The extent to which the proposed project is designed
to build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the
period of this grant; f. The extent to which the design of the
proposed project reflects a review of disability related literature,
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice of
youth-centered planning and youth development principles and
approaches, and the use of appropriate methodological tools to ensure
successful achievement of project objectives; g. The extent to
which the proposed project will be coordinated with similar or
related efforts, and with other appropriate community, state, and
Federal resources; h. The extent to which the applicant encourages
involvement of young people with disabilities, relevant experts, and
organizations in project activities; and, i. 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. The projects funded under this
notice must make positive efforts to employ and advance in
employment qualified individuals with disabilities in project
activities. In addition, the Department considers the qualifications,
including relevant education, training and experience of key project
personnel as well as the qualifications, including relevant training
and experience of project consultants or subcontractors. Resumes must
be included in the Appendices. 4. Adequacy of Resources (10
Points) In evaluating the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Department considers the following factors: a. The
adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and
other resources, from the applicant organization or the lead
applicant organization; b. The relevance and demonstrated commitment of
each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and
success of the project; c. The extent to which the budget is adequate to
support the proposed project; d. The extent to which the costs
are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential
significance of the proposed project; and e. The extent to which
the applicant proposes to leverage other resources and funds, or to
use these funds to leverage other funds. The applicant may include letters
of commitment from proposed partners in the Appendix. 5. Quality
of the Management Plan (20 points) In evaluating the quality of the
management plan for the proposed project, the Department considers
the following factors: a. The extent to which the management plan for
project implementation achieves the objectives of the proposed
project on time and within budget, including clearly defined staff
responsibilities, and time allocated to project activities, time
lines, milestones for accomplishing project tasks and project
deliverables; b. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality
products and services from the proposed project; and, c. The
extent to which the time commitments of the project director and/or
principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project. 6. Quality of the Project Evaluation (15 points) In evaluating
the quality of the project's evaluation design, the Department
considers the following factors: a. The extent to which the methods of
evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals,
objectives, context, and outcomes of the proposed project; b. The
extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for examining the
effectiveness of project implementation strategies; c. The extent to which
the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance
measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the
project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data; d.
The extent to which the evaluation will provide information to other
youth 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 youth 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.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel using the criteria described
in this SGA. Applications will be ranked based on the score assigned
by the panel after careful evaluation by each panel member. The
ranking will be the primary basis to identify applicants as potential
grantees. Although the Government reserves the right to award on the
basis of the initial proposal submissions, the Government may
establish a competitive range, based upon the proposal evaluation,
for the purpose of selecting qualified applicants. The panel's
conclusions are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant
Officer. The Government reserves the right to ask for clarification
or hold discussions, but is not obligated to do so. The Government
further reserves the right to select applicants out of rank order if
such a selection would, in its opinion, result in the most effective
and appropriate combination considering factors such as:
[[Page 43174]] 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. IX.
Reporting Grantees must submit financial and participation reports
under this program as prescribed by OMB Circulars A-102 and A-110 as
applicable. See also 29 CFR parts 95 & 97. It is estimated that
the quarterly program report will take five (5) hours to complete.
These include: 1. Financial Reports; 2. Quarterly and Final Program
Results and Reports on the Satisfaction of Youth with
Disabilities; 3. Other Reporting (to Technical Assistance Service
Providers, etc.), as prescribed by DOL. X. Administrative
Provisions A. Administrative Standards and Provisions Grants
awarded under this SGA are subject to the following: 29 CFR Part
95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education. 29 CFR Part
96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded Grants,
Contracts, and Agreements 29 CFR Part 97--Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local
Governments The grant awarded under this SGA shall be subject to the
following: B. Allowable Costs Determinations of allowable
costs are 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. C. Grant Non-Discrimination Assurances Each
applicant must include an assurance that, as a condition of the
award, the applicant 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. (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. (Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act) 29 CFR part 36--Nondiscrimination on the
Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal
Financial Assistance. (Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972) 29 CFR part 37 Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and
Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(WIA) The applicant must include the attached assurances and
certifications. D. Limitation on Administrative and Indirect Costs
1. Direct Costs for administration, plus any indirect charges
claimed. 2. Indirect costs claimed by the applicant must be based on
a federally approved rate. A copy of the negotiated, approved, and
signed indirect cost negotiation agreement must be submitted with
the application. 3. If the applicant does not presently have an
approved indirect cost rate, a proposed rate with justification may
be submitted. Successful applicants will be required to negotiate an
acceptable and allowable rate with the appropriate DOL Regional
Office of Cost Determination within 90 days of grant award. 4.
Rates traceable and trackable through the State Workforce Agency's
Cost Accounting System represent an acceptable means of allocating
costs to DOL and, therefore, can be approved for use in grants to
State Workforce Agencies. Signed at Washington, DC, this 18th day of
June, 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
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6-25-02; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-CX-C |