 State Letter #99-12
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Agency, Action, and Summary |
| • | Part I. Background - Legislative Authority, Funding Availability, Project and Budget Periods, CFDA Number 93.576 |
| • | Part II. Applicant Eligibility - Eligible Applicants, Purpose and Objectives |
| • | Part III. The Review Process - Intergovernmental Review, Initial ACF Screening, Competitive Review, Review Criteria |
| • | Part IV. The Application - Application Development, Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description, Application Submission, Paperwork Reduction, Regulations, and Reporting |
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AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, DHHS
ACTION: Notice of Availability of FY 1999 discretionary funds to States for services to older refugees.
SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) invites State offices responsible for refugee programs to submit applications requesting funds to insure the provision of social and supportive services to older refugees. ORR expects to award approximately $5 million to States for this purpose. The applicant should:
- Document the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate services for older refugees that are not currently being provided in the community or services that could be expanded to accommodate increased numbers of older refugees.
- Establish and/or expand a working relationship with the State Agency on Aging and the local community Area Agency on Aging to insure older refugees will be linked to mainstream aging services in the community.
- Specify the purposes for which the funding would be used, and
- Show that the proposed purposes are related to linking older refugees with culturally and linguistically appropriate services in the community to help increase independent living.
Applications will be screened and evaluated as indicated in this program announcement. Awards will be contingent on the outcome of the competition and the availability of funds.
CLOSING DATE: for submission of applications is July 6, 1999. See Part IV of this announcement for more information on submitting applications.
ANNOUNCEMENT AVAILABILITY: This announcement is published on the ORR website at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/orr/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bill McPherrin
ACF/ORR Division of Community Resettlement
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., 6th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20447
Telephone (202) 401-9324;
E-mail: bimcpherrin@acf.dhhs.gov
FAX: (202) 401-5772.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This announcement consists of four parts:
Part I. Background - Legislative Authority, Funding Availability, Project and Budget Periods, CFDA Number 93.576.
Part II. Applicant Eligibility - Eligible Applicants, Purpose and Objectives.
Part III. The Review Process - Intergovernmental Review, Initial ACF Screening, Competitive Review, Review Criteria.
Part IV. The Application - Application Development, Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description, Application Submission, Paperwork Reduction, Regulations, and Reporting.
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LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY: This program is authorized by Section 412(c)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1522(c)(1)), as amended.
AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: ORR expects to award approximately $5 million to state offices responsible for refugee programs to serve populations of refugees aged 60 and over. ORR expects to award approximately 30 grants in the range of amounts from $100,000 to $500,000. Using data available on refugee arrivals since 1983, ORR developed a table which reflects populations of refugees aged 60 and over, by state, for the period FY 1983-l997.
No state is guaranteed an award.
No state is guaranteed that the amount of an award made to it will be in the same amount as its request.
No state will be awarded an amount greater than its request.
The Director reserves the right to award more or less funds to any individual applicant or in total for all applicants based on the quality of the applications and the best interest of the Government. In cases where ORR proposes to award an amount less than a state’s application request, the state will be required to submit a revised budget and budget narrative showing how the state proposes to spend the amount ORR is proposing to award to the state. If a state fails to submit a commensurate revised budget within the time requested, the state will forfeit the award.
PROJECT PERIOD: Awards will be for one-year budget periods, although project periods may be for two years. Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the one-year budget period may be entertained on a non-competitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, and a determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the government.
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Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: State offices responsible for refugee programs.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: This program announcement governs the availability of and award procedures for grants to states to insure the provision of social and supportive services to older refugees. ORR intends to award approximately $5 million to state offices that are responsible for refugee programs. These funds will be used: (a) to establish and/or expand a working relationship with the State Agency on Aging and the local community Area Agency on Aging to insure all older refugees in the community will be linked to mainstream aging services in their community; (b) to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to all older refugees that are not currently being provided in the community or to provide services that could be expanded to accommodate increased numbers of older refugees; (c) to create opportunities to enable older refugees to live independently as long as possible.
A major objective is to serve all older refugee populations in the communities in which they live.
The objective of the activities proposed should be to help all older refugees gain access to programs and services in the community which meet their needs. Many older people in the United States are at risk, including the frail elderly, those living alone without a caregiver; members of minority groups; low-income older persons, and those who are abused, neglected or exploited. There are a number of issues which make older refugees particularly vulnerable: chronic health and emotional problems stemming from the conditions of refugee flight; family loss and separation; an inability to advocate for themselves because of cultural, language, or educational barriers; limited access to appropriate health and social service agencies; limited incomes due to work histories; and barriers to meeting the requirements for naturalization.
The following are examples of allowable activities all of which, or some combination of these which, the applicant may propose:
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Joint aging/refugee programs – assistance to all older refugees for the purpose of accessing available aging services, such as senior community centers, supportive and nutrition services (both congregate and home-delivered), information and referral, outreach, escort, transportation, case management, home care, adult day care, elder abuse prevention, legal services, nursing home ombudsman services, respite care, and chore services.
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Employment services – preferably undertaken in conjunction with other Federal, State or local senior employment programs, such as the Older American’s Act Title V, Senior Employment.
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Other services such as interpretation and translation, crisis intervention, assistance with housing needs, home repair, telephone assurance, personal care and health promotion.
Services provided with these discretionary funds should supplement and not supplant existing services.
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INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW: This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," and 45 CFR Part 100, "Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Programs and Activities." Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs. NOTE: STATE/TERRITORY PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS DOES NOT SIGNIFY APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER A PROGRAM. A POTENTIAL APPLICANT MUST MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM FOR WHICH IT IS APPLYING PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO ITS SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPOC), IF APPLICABLE, OR TO ACF.
As of November 20, 1998, the following jurisdictions have elected not to participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from these jurisdictions or for projects administered by federally-recognized Indian Tribes need take no action in regard to E.O. 12372:
Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Although the jurisdictions listed above no longer participate in the process, entities which have met the eligibility criteria of the program may still apply for a grant even if a State, Territory, Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC. All remaining jurisdictions participate in the Executive Order process and have established SPOCs. Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and receive instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The applicant must submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application dline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.
SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official recommendations. Further, SPOCs are requested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and those official State process recommendations, which may trigger the "accommodate or explain" rule.
When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Sixth Floor East, Washington, D.C. 20447.
A list of the Single Points of Contact for each State and Territory is included with this program announcement.
INITIAL ACF SCREENING: Each application submitted under this program announcement will undergo a pre-review to determine that (1) the application was received by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the instructions in this announcement and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding.
COMPETITIVE REVIEW AND REVIEW CRITERIA: Applications which pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated and rated by an independent review panel.
The review criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Points are awarded only to applications which are responsive to the criteria within the context of this program announcement. Applicants are encouraged to organize their narrative accordingly. Proposed projects will be reviewed based on the following criteria.
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Objectives and Need for Assistance – Does the applicant’s detailed description of existing services to older people in the community demonstrate how those services will be improved upon, changed, modified, or expanded to be culturally and linguistically appropriate to all older refugees? (25 points).
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Purpose. Are the proposed activities/purposes reasonable? Do the activities relate to linking older refugees to mainstream services provided by the local Area Agency on Aging to enable older refugees to live independently as long as possible? Is there written documentation between refugee providers and the Area Agency on Aging that details the linkage? (25 points).
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Results/Benefits Expected – Are the proposed objectives specific, measurable, realistic, time-phased, and related to the requirements of this program announcement as identified in the Purpose and Objectives section of this announcement ((a) through (c))? (25 points).
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Budget and Budget Justification – Does the budget narrative provide justification in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated outcomes? Is the amount requested commensurate with the goals/objectives of the program? (25 points).
The review criteria are the basis on which the state’s application will be ranked for funding. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to develop their application content to reflect the review criteria categories.
The total narrative and budget material in response to the four-review criteria should not exceed 10 pages, single-spaced, single-sided, 12-point font size. The review panel will not consider submitted material which exceeds the page limit.
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APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT: In order to be considered for a grant under this program announcement, an application must be submitted on the Standard Form 424 and in the manner prescribed by ACF. Application materials including forms and instructions are available from the contact named under the "FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT" section in the preamble of this announcement.
PURPOSE
The project description provides a major means by which an application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications for available assistance. The project description should be concise and complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can present information clearly and succinctly. Applicants are encouraged to provide information on their organizational structure, staff, related experience, and other information considered to be relevant. Awarding offices use this and other information to determine whether the applicant has the capability and resources necessary to carry out the proposed project. It is important, therefore, that this information be included in the application. However, in the narrative the applicant must distinguish between resources directly related to the proposed project from those that will not be used in support of the specific project for which funds are requested.
General Instructions: Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. ACF is particularly interested in specific factual information and statements of measurable goals in quantitative terms. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance, not length. Extensive exhibits are not required. (Supporting information concerning activities that will not be directly funded by the grant or information that does not directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity should be placed in an appendix.) Pages should be numbered and a table of contents should be included for easy reference.
Budget and Budget Justification: Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of the proposed costs.
Additional Information: Following is a description of additional information that should be placed in the appendix to the application.
Organization Profiles – Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and cooperating partners such as organizational charts, financial statements, audit reports or statements from CPAs/Licensed Public Accountants, Employer Identification Numbers, names of bond carriers, contact persons and telephone numbers, child care licenses, and other documentation of professional accreditation, information on compliance with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation of experience in the program area, and other pertinent information. Any non-profit organization submitting an application must submit proof of its non-profit status in its application at the time of submission. The non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing a copy of the applicants listing in the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in Section 501 c (3) of the IRS code, or by providing a copy of the currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate, or by providing a copy of the articles of incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation or association is domiciled.
Staff and Position Data – Provide a biographical sketch for each key person appointed and a job description for each vacant key position. A biographical sketch will also be required for new key staff as appointed.
Third-Party Agreements – Include written agreements between grantees and sub-grantees or subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These agreements must detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules, remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define the relationship.
Letters of Support – Provide statements from community, public and commercial lers that support the project proposed for funding.
Non-competing Continuations: See "Project Period" section above.l.
Supplemental Applications: For a supplemental assistance request, grantees may explain the reason for the request and justify the need for additional funding. Such requests should include a budget and budget justification only for those costs for which additional funds are requested.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION:
1. Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced dline if they are either received on or before the dline date or sent on or before the dline date and received by ACF in time for the independent review to: DHHS, ACF, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C. 20447.
Applicants must ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or a legibly dated, machine-produced postmark of a commercial mail service is affixed to the envelope/package containing the application(s). To be acceptable as proof of timely mailing, a postmark from a commercial mail service must include the logo/emblem of the commercial mail service company and must reflect the date the package was received by the commercial mail service company from the applicant. Private metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always reflect the date of mailing on the package or deliver as agreed.)
Applications hand-carried by applicants, couriers, or by other representatives of the applicant shall be considered as meeting an announced dline if they are received on or before the dline date, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST, at the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement, ACF Mailroom, 2nd Floor (near loading dock), Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024, between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The address must appear on the envelope/package containing the application with the note "Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer."
ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of submission and time of receipt.
2. Late applications. Applications which do not meet the criteria above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered in the current competition.
3. Extension of dlines. ACF may extend an application dline when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or when there is widespr disruption of the mail service, or in other rare cases. Determinations to extend or waive dline requirements rest with ACF's Chief Grants Management Officer.
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13)
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 32 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and reviewing the collection information.
The project description is approved under OMB control number 0970-0139 which expires l0/31/2000.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Grantees under this program announcement will be required to provide semi-annual program performance reports and financial reports (SF-269). A Final Financial and Program Report shall be due 90 days after the end of the Grant Project Period (i.e. only after the final budget period).
Dated:
Lavinia Limon, Director
Office of Refugee Resettlement
| State |
Population |
|---|---|
California |
44,234 |
New York |
43,588 |
Florida |
8,909 |
Illinois |
8,357 |
Massachusetts |
6,689 |
Pennsylvania |
6,148 |
Texas |
5,669 |
Washington |
5,440 |
New Jersey |
4,043 |
Maryland |
3,651 |
Ohio |
3,534 |
Minnesota |
3,189 |
Georgia |
2,702 |
Michigan |
2,645 |
Virginia |
2,215 |
Oregon |
2,099 |
Connecticut |
1,828 |
Wisconsin |
1,769 |
Colorado |
1,760 |
Missouri |
1,710 |
Arizona |
1,315 |
Tennessee |
1,012 |
Utah |
924 |
North Carolina |
888 |
Iowa |
828 |
Kansas |
751 |
Kentucky |
692 |
Louisiana |
644 |
Rhode Island |
612 |
Indiana |
587 |
District of Columbia |
534 |
Nevada |
524 |
Nebraska |
500 |
Oklahoma |
500 |
New Mexico |
489 |
Hawaii |
336 |
Alabama |
298 |
Idaho |
284 |
Maine |
247 |
New Hampshire |
237 |
North Dakota |
229 |
Vermont |
180 |
South Carolina |
175 |
South Dakota |
141 |
Arkansas |
106 |
Delaware |
83 |
Mississippi |
67 |
Montana |
58 |
Alaska |
46 |
Puerto Rico |
37 |
West Virginia |
33 |
Unkown |
15 |
Wyoming |
10 |
Total |
173,561 |
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