[Federal Register: July 20, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 139)]
[Notices]
[Page 39837-39848]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jy07-84]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy
[SGA 07-05]
National Technical Assistance and Research Center To Promote
Leadership for Employment and Economic Independence for Adults With
Disabilities; Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement
Announcement Type: New Notice of Availability of Funds and
Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA) for Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA 07-05.
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.720.
DATES: Applications must be received by August 20, 2007.
Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or
``Department''), Office of Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP''),
announces the availability of up to $2.35 million to fund a cooperative
agreement to establish a National Technical Assistance and Research
Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic
Independence for Adults with Disabilities with a 24-month period of
performance. In addition, this initiative may be funded for up to three
(3) additional option years depending on performance, identified need,
and the availability of future funding.
This National Technical Assistance and Research Center will focus
on building leadership capacity at the Federal, State, and local levels
to increase employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with
disabilities. ODEP is also funding a technical assistance and research
center focusing on youth with disabilities through a separate
competition.
Seventeen years after enactment of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), there is no barrier more challenging to the realization of
the American dream for citizens with disabilities than unemployment and
its resulting poverty, which precludes meaningful community
participation. Multiple demonstrations have documented that people with
barriers to employment resulting from a disability can become
successfully employed with appropriate supports and the customization
of employment responsibilities. With Federal investment of millions of
dollars into such research and demonstrations, valuable data and
successful practices have emerged. But their findings are not widely
disseminated or utilized, and their impact on policy and practice
within states is too often not evident.
In recognition of this fact, over the last decade, the Federal
Government has taken proactive steps to increase employment and
otherwise resolve barriers to employment for adults with disabilities.
Multiple Executive Orders have been issued focusing on employment and
disability (such as Executive Order 13078: Increasing Employment of
Adults With Disabilities, 1998), and on increasing the opportunity for
individuals with disabilities to become qualified Federal employees
(Executive Order 13163, Increasing the Opportunity for Individuals With
Disabilities To Be Employed in the Federal Government, 2000).
The Federal Government has also required Federal agencies to
establish procedures providing reasonable accommodation of work-related
disabilities (Executive Order 13164, Requiring Federal Agencies To
Establish Procedures To Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable
Accommodation, 2000) and to increase community-based alternatives for
individuals with disabilities (Executive Order 13217, Community-Based
Alternatives for Individuals With Disabilities, 2001). These Executive
Orders are in addition to laws prohibiting discrimination in employment
under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title I of the
ADA. Further, the New Freedom Initiative, established in 2001 by
President George W. Bush, brought heightened focus to and action in
disability policy throughout the Federal sector across numerous areas,
including employment.
Yet despite these multiple efforts, employment outcomes for adults
with disabilities are still far below that of the general adult
population. The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey in 2005
estimated that among the more than 21 million people with disabilities
aged 16-64, only 8.5 million, or 37.5 percent, were employed (http://www.disabilitystatistics.org
, downloaded 5/15/07). Of the people with
disabilities employed aged 16-64, 49.9 percent of men with disabilities
are employed as opposed to 80.9 percent of
[[Page 39838]]
working-age men without a disability. For women of working age, 34.2
percent of women with disabilities are employed, compared with 68.3
percent of women without disabilities. Not surprisingly, the poverty
rate among people with disabilities from 16 to 64 years old was 24.6
percent, almost triple the rate for those without disabilities (9.3
percent).
Effectively addressing the complex and significant barriers to
employment and economic self-sufficiency faced by adults with
disabilities requires the use of multiple strategies and the active
involvement of many stakeholders, including Federal, State and local
governments, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions,
consumers, and employers. To address this situation, ODEP is funding a
national technical assistance and research center (the Center) to build
capacity within and across both generic and disability-specific
service-delivery systems to provide transformational leadership in
service to adults with disabilities, and thus increase their employment
and economic self-sufficiency.
The Center will conduct research, develop and disseminate
information, and provide technical assistance and training in five
targeted goal areas defined in this solicitation. These goal areas have
been identified through six years of ODEP research as critical
leadership areas for improving systems capacity to effectively serve
adults with disabilities and increase their employment and economic
self-sufficiency. These targeted goal areas include the following:
1. Increasing partnership and collaboration among and across
generic and disability-specific systems that provide employment or
employment-support services. This partnership and collaboration should
produce more effective and efficient services through leveraging
resources and funding across multiple systems.
2. Increasing use of self-direction in service and integration of
funding among and across cross-generic and disability-specific systems,
including the blending and braiding of resources and funding across
systems and programs, and the use of self-directed accounts providing
choice and control to the individual job seeker.
3. Increasing economic self-sufficiency through leveraging relevant
generic and disability-specific tax incentives, financial education,
social security work incentives, benefits planning, and other
strategies for enhancing profitable employment resulting in the ability
of people with disabilities to accrue assets and resources through
employment.
4. Increasing the use of universal design as the framework for the
organization of employment policy and the implementation of employment
services.
5. Increasing the use of customized and other forms of flexible
work options for individuals with disabilities and others with complex
barriers to employment.
In addition, the Center will provide rapid response on request to
ODEP in areas related to employment and disability, and otherwise
support ODEP as requested in its efforts to develop policy
recommendations for increasing employment and economic self-sufficiency
for adults with disabilities.
In meeting each goal area, applicants must provide information on
strategies they will undertake for advancing knowledge development and
utilization, including describing specific research and technical
assistance and training activities. In addition, applicants must
describe how they will effectively disseminate policy knowledge,
research findings, and successful practices through and within various
networks of State and local systems' personnel, particularly leadership
personnel, and other relevant stakeholder communities (including, but
not limited to consumers, employers, and providers of employment and
asset development services). They should also describe how they will
encourage and monitor the translation and utilization of such
knowledge, research, and successful practices.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Description and Purpose
ODEP will award one cooperative agreement to establish a national
technical assistance and research center for increasing employment and
economic independence for adults with disabilities. The overall purpose
of this effort is to build leadership and partnership across workforce
development, economic development, and relevant partner agencies and
systems, including generic and disability-specific agencies and
systems, so that they work together strategically and effectively to
increase employment outcomes and economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities. The Center will: Conduct research to identify,
validate, document, and otherwise promote effective practices and
policies in targeted goal areas; develop and disseminate information;
provide technical assistance; encourage collaboration and partnership
across State and local generic and disability-specific systems and
programs, both public and private; and work with States and localities
on multiple strategies in targeted goal areas for improving employment
outcomes and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities.
Activities of the Center must be based on the assumptions that: people
with disabilities have the ability to make and implement decisions
(with support as appropriate) about their own work life, and that they
have the ability to mobilize and develop resources (with support as
necessary) to move from poverty and dependency to independence and
productivity through employment. They must also be based on the
assumption that there is a need for multiple generic and disability-
specific systems and services to effectively partner across traditional
boundaries. In accomplishing these goals, the Center will provide
transformational leadership for translating innovation and emerging
successful solutions from isolated demonstrations to systemic
practices, and will act as a voice for elevating the discussion about
employment and disability nationally.
The Center's research-related activities will improve systems
capacity to provide leadership for increasing employment and economic
self-sufficiency at the State and local level in targeted goal areas,
and must include the development of policy-related recommendations for
consideration across agencies and systems. It must include, but is not
limited to, the following activities:
Implementing research, demonstration activities, and
otherwise developing evidence (either through qualitative and
quantitative methods, as appropriate) in targeted goal areas for
effective models and approaches to increasing employment and economic
self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities;
Promoting and documenting the impact of actions of key
leadership personnel at the State and local levels across public and
private systems and agencies utilizing employment approaches in
targeted goal areas in select states;
Conducting an analysis of the interaction between and
among various strategies and approaches in targeted goal areas as they
exist in public policy, both nationally and in select states; and
Developing evidence across public and private systems and
agencies of effective leadership strategies in targeted goal areas.
[[Page 39839]]
The Center's technical assistance and dissemination activities must
include, but are not limited to, the following:
Developing evidence-based information and materials
(including multi-media materials, curricula, and other relevant
accessible products) in targeted goal areas for use in increasing
leadership capacity for advancing employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities;
Preparing and disseminating appropriate reports and
documents related to targeted goal areas in publications including, but
not limited to, peer-reviewed journals;
Providing intensive technical assistance, training, and
information in targeted goal areas to ODEP's grantees including
documenting the impact of such actions;
Providing information to educate relevant stakeholders,
including State and local policymakers, systems personnel, key
leadership personnel, educators, and other relevant individuals and
groups about changes in policy and practice needed in order to increase
employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities,
and the evidence supporting action in targeted goal areas under this
solicitation;
Providing technical assistance, training, and information
to increase understanding and utilization by relevant workforce systems
and agencies of strategies developed in targeted goal areas;
Serving as a repository and dissemination center for
materials and effective practices developed by current and former ODEP
grantees; and
Creating and maintaining a user-friendly Web site with
relevant information and documents in a form that meets a government or
industry-recognized standard for accessibility.
The Center's collaboration and partnership activities must include,
but are not limited to:
Developing evidence on strategies for, and results of,
effective interagency partnership and collaboration between and among
Federal, State, and local systems and agencies, both generic and
disability-specific, that effectively leverage and maximize available
resources in ways that provide choice, control and self-direction to
individual job seekers; and
Developing, maintaining, and documenting relationships
that result in partnerships and collaborations to foster employment and
economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities. Partners may
include but are not limited to the following entities:
(1) State departments and agencies across generic and disability-
specific systems such as departments of Labor, Economic Development,
Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs, Mental Health, Medicaid,
Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, Education, and Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and Governors' Committees on
Employment of People with Disabilities and Developmental Disability
Councils;
(2) Local Work Investment Act (WIA) service providers, employment
service providers, local One-Stop Career Centers and the Veterans
Employment and Training Service; State and local financial services
entities; social security benefits planning and assistance programs;
community and faith-based organizations and disability organizations;
community colleges and other training entities; and providers of
employment-related supports, including public housing and
transportation authorities;
(3) Employers and their professional networks;
(4) Federal agencies including the Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Treasury,
Transportation, Education, and Veterans' Affairs; the Small Business
Administration and Social Security Administration; and other generic
and disability-specific agencies that work in areas related to
improving employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with
disabilities and others with complex barriers to employment; and
(5) ODEP-sponsored and other Federal technical assistance projects
that provide information about, or work in areas related to, employment
(including self employment), economic development, and/or enhancing
employment profitability through use of relevant tax incentives,
financial literacy, work incentives, benefits assistance and related
areas).
Additionally, the Center will work with ODEP to implement on-site,
intensive, targeted technical assistance and research in two pilot
states or economic development regions. The pilot project will be
competitively selected by the third quarter of year 1 of Center
activities. Staff and expert consultant time and project resources
dedicated to provide technical assistance, research, and training
support to the competitively selected states or regions will be
negotiated with ODEP as part of the Cooperative Agreement within thirty
(30) days of the date of the award in year 1. However, it is expected
that a minimum of $600,000 is to be spent on the above component of the
work plan. Year 1 activities will include the development of targeted
technical assistance materials, a work plan (to be approved by ODEP)
for this component of Center activities, and design and implementation
of a competitive selection process for the states or economic
development regions. Intensive, on-site, targeted activities will begin
immediately with the competitively selected states or regions no later
than the first quarter of year 2 of Center activities, and will focus
on implementation of goal areas defined in this SGA throughout the
states or economic development regions. Additional funding for this
activity will be dedicated to this component of Center activities
during years 3-5 pending ODEP's exercise of the option periods provided
herein, and the availability of funds and adequacy of performance.
The remainder of the funding that is provided is to be spent on
carrying out the general technical assistance, research, and training
functions in targeted goal areas described previously.
2. Background
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides national
leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment
policy and practice. A five-year strategic plan guides ODEP in
achieving its mission by identifying long-term strategic and outcome
goals as well as short-term intermediate and performance goals. In
addition to measuring agency performance, as required by the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the strategic plan sets forth a
road map for prioritizing the formulation and dissemination of
innovative employment policies and practices to service-delivery
systems and employers.
ODEP's annual goal is to build knowledge and advance disability
employment policy that affects and promotes systems change. The
agency's long- and short-term goals focus efforts on initiatives that
bring about this level of change. In short, ODEP develops policies and
strategies that will:
Enhance the capacity of service-delivery systems to
provide appropriate and effective services and supports to youth and
adults with disabilities;
Increase planning and coordination within service-delivery
systems to develop and improve systems, processes, and services;
Improve individualization of services to better assist
youth and adults with disabilities in seeking, obtaining,
[[Page 39840]]
and retaining employment or self-employment;
Increase employer access to supports and services to meet
their employment needs;
Increase the quality of competency-based training for
service-delivery systems;
Increase the adoption of universal strategies for service
provision; and
Develop partnerships with and among critical stakeholders
to effectively leverage available resources, and facilitate
implementation of practices and policies that increase employment and
self-employment opportunities as well as the recruitment, retention,
and promotion of adults with disabilities.
Three measures inform ODEP of its annual progress in meeting its
three goals under the Government Performance and Results Act: (1) The
number of policy-related documents; (2) the number of formal
agreements; and (3) the number of effective practices. These
performance results support achievement of the following intermediate
outcome goals: accessible employment resources; coordinated programs,
processes, and services; and adoption of effective practices.
Achievement of these intermediate outcome goals, in turn, supports
achievement of the long-term service-delivery systems outcome goals,
which are marked by increases in these areas: Capacity of service-
delivery systems; planning and coordination within service-delivery
systems; and employer access to supports and services for recruitment,
retention, and promotion of adults with disabilities.
On February 1, 2001, in announcing the New Freedom Initiative
(NFI), President George W. Bush explicitly recognized that in today's
global economy, America must be able to draw on the talents and
creativity of all its citizens, and that people with disabilities
represent valuable, largely untapped human capital. The NFI represents
an important step towards ensuring that all Americans have the
opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work,
choose where to live, and participate in community life.
The timeliness of the proposed effort to provide and promote
leadership for employment and economic independence for adults with
disabilities is reinforced by the demographic workforce issues that led
to the New Freedom Initiative and the continuing challenges faced by
workforce systems. Potential and current workers with disabilities fall
within all of the following demographic groups: Returning veterans,
mature workers, baby boomers, Generations X and Y, people with limited
English proficiency, the chronically homeless, and migrants. In
addition, the decline in the number of workers due to the potential
retirement of millions of baby boomers; the desires and needs of
millions of other baby boomers who choose to stay in the workforce, but
on their own terms; the demands of Generation X and Y workers who
expect companies to offer flexible work options; the complex needs of
veterans with service-connected injuries; the poverty levels, lack of
education, and skills' competencies of many people with limited English
proficiency; migrant workers lacking higher-level skills, to name some
of the key demographic issues, compel companies to retool their
recruitment and retention strategies, and demand workforce systems to
provide leadership to meet these needs.
Related to these issues is the fact that from 2001 through 2006
ODEP implemented several research initiatives to develop and document
innovative and universal approaches to improving employment outcomes
for adults with disabilities. In these ODEP initiatives, a total of 26
Customized Employment and Workforce Action (Olmstead) grantees were
funded for periods of time ranging from three to five years. Central to
the assumptions guiding the creation of these grants was the
recognition of the importance of flexibility in the way work is
organized and performed, the importance of partnership between and
among generic and disability-specific systems, the use of mechanisms to
promote self-direction and economic self-sufficiency, and the
universality and applicability of many of the successful approaches
being tested with other populations of people with barriers to
employment.
Importantly, these projects were charged with operating as part of
the workforce system and developing while demonstrating not only that
certain system change is beneficial to outcomes achieved--but that such
changes impact how services are organized and provided in a way that is
often universal for other workforce customers. The lead service system
for the initiatives was the One-Stop Career Centers operated under the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Overall, these projects were expected
to: increase the capacity of service-delivery systems to effectively
serve people with disabilities and other ``hard-to-serve'' populations;
increase planning and coordination within and across service-delivery
systems within the state, including generic as well as disability-
specific systems; increase employment outcomes through the use of
customized strategies for achieving employment; and develop policy
recommendations with broad applicability based on the demonstrated
evidence gathered through implementation of grant activities.
Additional information about these grant initiatives can be found on
ODEP's Web site: http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/workforce/.
Several key findings resulting from these research initiatives
include the pivotal importance of the following in promoting positive
systems change that results in increased employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities:
Partnership and Collaboration: Collaboration and
partnership development was the primary innovation and the foundation
of all other systems change efforts across both initiatives. Whether
considering policy, resource allocation, or service integration,
effective partnerships and collaborative efforts were at the base of
every best practice. Collaborative efforts hinged on attaining a shared
understanding between and among systems, and the translation of the
partnership relationship into written, measurable goals that positively
affected each system and its customers.
Universal Design: The importance of universal design and
the use of universal strategies in serving job seekers with
disabilities emerged as pivotal for improving access to the programs
and services of the workforce development system. Universal design
within the workforce development system refers to the design of
environments, products, and communication practices as well as the
delivery of programs, services, and activities that meet the needs of
all customers of the system. ODEP's research documented that One-Stops
are incorporating elements of universal design in the way they organize
and deliver their services, organize their physical space, and develop
the culture of their environments. This universal design incorporation
includes addressing disability within the broader concept of diversity
and viewing it as one facet of a more sweeping mandate to ensure access
to workforce development services for all customers.
Leveraging Resources: Another central finding of ODEP's
research was that over time, collaboration with all types of
organizations and agencies increased and resulted in opportunities for
leveraging expertise and resources. No single partner or source of
funds could adequately respond to the potential spectrum of needs of
job
[[Page 39841]]
seekers with complex barriers to employment, including disability.
Leveraging resources was facilitated at both the systems and individual
level, and the blending or braiding of funds across systems became
instrumental in the ability of grantees to support a range of job
seekers, maximize their own resources, and share the scope of what it
takes to effectively provide workforce development services.
Additional findings identified the importance of leveraging various
existing tax incentives, financial education, work incentives, and
other strategies in order to maximize financial advantage and otherwise
enhance profitable employment resulting from work for people with
disabilities. Such individuals are no different than any other citizen
in their desire to work and advance their economic status. Yet many
public policies create barriers to work and economic self-sufficiency
for people with disabilities by limiting their ability to accrue assets
and maintain critical disability benefits. Numerous work incentives and
other strategies exist to assist with maximizing the economic benefits
of work for people with disabilities, but these remain underutilized.
Developing models of partnership among disability and community-based
organizations, One-Stop Career Centers, and local tax and financial
institutions will ultimately assist workers with disabilities access to
mainstream services, promote their self-determination and economic
self-sufficiency, and otherwise enable their employment to positively
impact their ability to fully participate in their communities. As the
workforce development system continues to increase participation of
individuals with disabilities in the labor force, development of models
utilizing multiple tax incentives and other strategies that enable
people with disabilities to maximize the financial advantage of work
are critical. This area holds great promise for assisting people to
permanently move off welfare and Social Security benefits, out of
poverty, and into the economic mainstream through employment.
Finally, a critical finding across these grant initiatives was the
importance of key leadership personnel for promoting positive change at
the State and local level across both public and private systems and
programs. Understanding and ``buy-in'' on the part of key leaders was
found to be essential to the success of long-term, effective, systemic
change (Customized Employment: Employers and Workers Creating a
Competitive Edge. Summary Report of Customized Employment and Workforce
Action Grants. Boston: Institute for Community Inclusion/UCED.
University of Massachusetts at Boston, 2007 in press).
The impending changes in the workforce make it imperative for our
nation to address the significant rate at which adults with
disabilities continue to be out of the work force. Isolated
demonstrations of success must be translated into broader replication
and adoption at the State and local level. The mainstream
infrastructure of our states and communities, both generic and
disability-specific, must fashion new ways of working in partnership.
The research and technical assistance effort proposed herein will
support this effort by increasing leadership capacity in five targeted
goal areas identified in this solicitation that have been validated
through prior research as pivotal in creating positive change for
people with disabilities. In addition, this effort will expand the
knowledge-base of existing effective practices for increasing
employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities
by intensively targeting technical assistance for implementation of
identified successful practices in a number of states, and by providing
proactive support, training, and dissemination of other relevant useful
information nationally.
The technical assistance to be provided will build upon ODEP's
prior research and technical assistance efforts which focused on
promoting increased understanding that:
Increasing employment and economic self-sufficiency for
adults with disabilities requires meaningful partnerships across
generic and disability-specific systems in both the public and private
sector;
The use of universal design as a framework for
organization and implementation of services benefits, not just people
with disabilities, but other job seekers with complex barriers to
employment;
Leveraging resources across generic and disability-
specific systems can enable the work force system to more effectively
respond to the varying needs of job seekers with disabilities and
maximize their own systems resources;
The use of customized employment strategies and other
forms of flexible work options can result in integrated, competitive
employment for individuals with disabilities and others with complex
barriers to employment; and
Economic self-sufficiency for workers with disabilities is
created not by the earning of wages alone, but by leveraging existing
tax incentives, financial education, work incentives, and other
strategies including, but not limited to, tax incentives for
individuals and business, work incentives under Social Security, and
matched savings accounts.
3. Definitions
Definitions for purposes of this solicitation include:
Universal Design: Universal Design is defined as the
design of environments, products, and communication practices, as well
as the delivery of programs, services, and activities, to meet the
needs of all customers of the work force development system.
Customized Employment: Customized employment is a process
for individualizing the employment relationship between a job seeker
and/or employee and an employer in ways that meet the needs of both,
based on an individualized negotiation (including negotiation of the
responsibilities and requirements of the job) that addresses the
strengths, conditions, and interests of the job seeker and/or employee,
and the identified business needs of the employer. Use of customized
employment strategies results in a job in a competitive, integrated
setting that pays minimum wage or above.
II. Award Information
Estimated Available Funds: The full $2,350,000 for the initial 24-
month period of performance will be awarded in 2007.
Period of Performance: 24 months from date of award with up to
three (3) additional option years depending on performance, identified
need, and the availability of future funding.
The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or ``Department''), Office of
Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP''), announces the availability of
up to $2,350,000 to fund a national technical assistance and research
Cooperative Agreement.
Note: Selection of an organization as a Grantee does not
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before
the actual grant is awarded, DOL may enter into negotiations about
such items as program components, staffing (including key project
staff and consultants), funding levels, and administrative systems
in place to support grant implementation. If the negotiations do not
result in a mutually acceptable submission, the Grant Officer
reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund
the application.
Because ODEP plans to make this award in the form of a cooperative
agreement, DOL will have substantial involvement in the administration
of the agreement. Such DOL involvement will consist of:
[[Page 39842]]
(1) Approval of any sub-contract awarded by the Grantee after the
grant award;
(2) Participation in site visits to project areas;
(3) Providing advice and consultation to the Grantee on specific
program criteria;
(4) Providing the Grantee with technical and programmatic support,
including training in DOL monitoring and evaluation systems, and
standard procedures regarding DOL management of cooperative agreements;
(5) Reviewing, at reasonable times, all documents pertaining to the
project, including status and technical progress reports, and financial
reports. ODEP will provide the format for the reports;
(6) Discussing administrative and technical issues pertaining to
the project;
(7) Approving all key personnel decisions, sub-contractors, and
consultants;
(8) Approving all fact sheets, training materials, press releases,
and publicity-related materials regarding the project;
(9) Approving all content for online resources developed through
project activities, including clearing concepts for material production
and final document production; and
(10) Drafting terms of reference for, and participating in project
evaluations.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are consortia which may include a combination
of any two or more of the following: Public/private non-profits or for-
profit organizations (including community and faith-based
organizations) and universities and colleges all with demonstrated
appropriate experience in providing technical assistance, and
conducting research and demonstrations in targeted goal areas defined
in this solicitation for increasing employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities. The demonstrated expertise
required should include, but not be limited to:
The work force development system, including both policy
and practice, related to individuals with disabilities and others with
complex barriers to employment, and the use of universal design
features and strategies throughout physical and programmatic
implementation of work force development services;
The integration/partnership of work force development and
other generic and disability-specific systems including leveraging and
blending of funds and resources across systems, and the use of self-
directed accounts providing choice and control to the individual job-
seeker;
The use of customized employment solutions for individuals
with complex barriers to employment and their employers;
The use of strategies for enhancing profitable employment
and financial advantage for adults with disabilities, including but not
limited to, tax incentives for individuals and business, individual
development accounts, financial literacy training, and work incentives
and benefits assistance available through Social Security; and
Providing leadership development at the State and local
implementation level, including building partnership and collaboration
across generic and disability-specific systems and programs.
There must be a prime or lead member of the consortium who is
responsible for overall grant management and serves as the fiscal
agent. All applications must clearly identify the lead grant recipient
and fiscal agent, as well as all other members of the consortium
including consultants applying for the grant. In addition, the
application must identify the relationship between all of the members
of the consortium.
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). Funding restrictions apply.
See Section IV (5).
2. Cost Sharing
Cost sharing, matching funds, and cost participation are not
required under this SGA. However, leveraging of public and private
resources to foster inclusive service-delivery and achieve project
sustainability is highly encouraged and included under evaluation
criteria. See V (1) (b) (9).
3. Other Eligibility Requirements
Legal rules pertaining to inherently religious activities by
organizations that receive Federal Financial Assistance:
Neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor
disfavor religion will be employed in the selection of grant recipients
and must be employed by grantees or in the selection of sub-awardees.
The government is generally prohibited from providing
direct financial assistance for inherently religious activities.\1\
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\1\ In this context, the term direct financial assistance means
financial assistance that is provided directly by a government
entity or an intermediate organization, as opposed to financial
assistance that an organization receives as the result of the
genuine and independent private choice of a beneficiary. In other
contexts, the term ``direct'' financial assistance may be used to
refer to financial assistance that an organization receives directly
from the Federal Government (also known as ``discretionary''
assistance), as opposed to assistance that it receives from a State
or local government (also known as ``indirect'' or ``block'' grant
assistance). The term ``direct'' has the former meaning throughout
this SGA.
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IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Addresses To Request Application Package
This SGA contains all the information and forms needed to apply for
this grant funding. Application 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 ODEP's Web site at
http://www.dol.gov/odep and at http://www.grants.gov. Applicants
submitting proposals online are requested to refrain from mailing a
hard copy application as well. It is strongly recommended that
applicants using http://www.grants.gov immediately initiate and complete the ``Get Started'' registration steps at http://
http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted. These steps may take multiple days to
complete, and this should be factored into plans for electronic
submission in order to avoid facing unexpected delays that could result
in the rejection of an application. If submitting electronically
through http://www.grants.gov the application must be saved as .doc,
.pdf, or .txt files. If additional copies of the standard forms are
needed, they can also be downloaded from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html
.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
General Requirements: 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 disc or
compact disc (CD) using Microsoft Word. The application (not to exceed
30 pages for Section III), must be double-spaced with standard one-inch
margins (top, bottom, and sides) on 8\1/2\ x 11-inch paper, and
[[Page 39843]]
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 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.
Cooperative Agreement Mandatory Application Requirements
The three required sections of the application are titled below and
described thereafter:
Section I--Project Financial Plan (No page limit).
Section II--Executive Summary--Project Synopsis (Not to exceed two
(2) pages).
Section III--Project Narrative (Not to exceed 30 pages).
The mandatory requirements for each section are set forth below.
Applications that fail to meet the stated mandatory requirements for
each section 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:
(1) Completed ``SF-424--Application for Federal Assistance.''
Please note that, beginning October 1, 2003, all applicants for
Federal grant and funding opportunities are required to include a Dun
and Bradstreet (DUNS) number with their application. See OMB Notice of
Final Policy Issuance, 68 Fed. Reg. 38402 (June 27, 2003). 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 the Office of Management and Budget. The Dun and Bradstreet
Number of the applicant should be entered in the ``Organizational
Unit'' section of block 8 of the SF-424. (See Appendix A of this SGA
for required form.)
(2) The SF-424 must contain the original signatures of the legal
entity applying for cooperative agreement funding and two additional
copies of the signed SF-424. 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 Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) status (e.g. 501(c)(3) organization), if applicable.
(3) Completed SF-424A--Budget Information Form by line item for all
costs required to implement the project design effectively. (See
Appendix B of this SGA for required forms.)
(4) DOL Budget Narrative and Justification that provides sufficient
information and methodologies used 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 include a detailed
cost breakout of each line item on the Budget Information Sheet. Please
label this page or pages the ``Budget Narrative'' and ensure that costs
reported on the SF 424A correspond accurately with the Budget
Narrative; the Budget Narrative must include, at a minimum, Personnel
Costs--Applicants must provide a breakout of all personnel cost b
position, title, annual salary rates, and percent of time of each
position to be devoted to the proposed project; Fringe Benefits--
Applicants must provide an explanation and breakout of fringe benefit
rates and associated charges that exceed 35% of salaries and wages;
Explanation of Costs and Methodologies--Applicants must provide an
explanation of the purpose and composition of, and methodology used to
derive the costs of each of the following: Personnel costs, fringe
benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, and any other costs.
The applicant must include costs of any required travel described in
this Solicitation; describe all costs associated with implementing the
project that are to be covered with cooperative agreement funds. The
budget must support the travel and associated costs of sending
representatives to both a post-award conference and periodic meetings
with ODEP staff in Washington, D.C. (at least once per quarter), at a
time and place to be determined. In addition to other administrative
requirements identified in section VI(2) of this SGA, 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 2 CFR part 215 and 29 CFR part 95.
In addition, the budget submitted for review by DOL must include,
on a separate page, a detailed cost analysis of each line item. The
costs listed in the detailed cost analysis must comply with the
applicable OMB cost principles circulars, as identified in 29 CFR 95.27
and 29 CFR 97.22(b). 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-inch paper with standard margins throughout. The
project synopsis must identify the following:
(1) The lead entity;
(2) The list of consortium members and consultants, as appropriate;
and
(3) An overview of how the applicant will carry out the technical
assistance and research activities described in Section I of this
solicitation.
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. This
page limit does not apply to Section I, the Project Financial Plan
(Budget), Section II, the Executive Summary and the Appendices (the
assurances and certifications, resumes, a bibliography or references,
and the documentation of commitment/formal agreement/letters of support
and other materials relevant to the application). A page is 8\1/2\ 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 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).
[[Page 39844]]
Applications must include a Project Narrative that addresses the
work proposed to be accomplished under the Cooperative Agreement, and
the evaluation/selection criteria in Part V(1) that will be used by
reviewers in evaluating the application.
The successful applicant will be a Technical Assistance and
Research Consortium and will describe in their Project Narrative their
innovative and comprehensive plan for accomplishing the technical
assistance and research activities described in Part I(1) Description
and Purpose, and Part I(2) Background.
The Project Narrative must:
(1) Identify members of the consortium (including the lead entity,
other consortium members, and key consultants) and provide
documentation (such as letters of intent and memorandum of agreement
which will be included in an Appendix) of a formal agreement of
participation;
(2) Demonstrate each of the consortium members' and key
consultants' relevant experience and expertise;
(3) Identify how the applicant proposes to disseminate research
findings and technical assistance products; and
(4) Identify how the applicant proposes to monitor the
implementation and/or adoption of technical assistance and training and
otherwise provide evidence of project impact.
Each Project Narrative must include:
(1) A detailed 24-month management plan for project goals,
objectives, and activities;
(2) A detailed 24-month timeline for project activities, including
producing and submitting a final report;
(3) A detailed outline for an evaluation of the project (see
Section V(1)(f) for more information);
(4) A description of procedures and approaches that will be used to
provide ongoing communication, collaboration with, and input from
ODEP's Project Officer on all grant-related activities.
(5) A detailed description of how the consortia will work with
multiple Federal, State and local public and private entities to
implement and monitor implementation of policy recommendations and
strategies identified in carrying out project activities; and
(6) A detailed description of measures that will be taken to ensure
that elements of the project's technical assistance will be sustained
following the completion of project activities.
The Project Narrative must describe the proposed staffing for the
project and must identify and summarize the qualifications of the
personnel who will carry it out related to the objectives of this
solicitation. In addition, the evaluation criteria listed in Section V
(1)(c) include consideration of the qualifications, including relevant
education, training, and experience, of key project personnel, as well
as the qualifications, including relevant education, training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors. Resumes must be
included in the appendices. Key personnel include any individual
(whether consortium member or individual consultant or contractor)
playing a substantial role in the project. Minimum qualifications
should be commensurate with the role identified in the application. In
addition, the applicant must specify in the application the percentages
of time to be dedicated by each key person on the project.
For each staff person named in the application, documentation of
all internal and external time commitments shall be provided. In
instances where a staff person is committed on a Federally supported
project, the project name, Federal office, program title, the project
Federal award number, and the amount of committed time by each project
year shall be provided. This information (e.g., Staff: Jane Doe;
Project Name: Succeeding in the General Curriculum; Federal office:
Office of Special Education Programs; Program title: Field-Initiated
Research; Award number: H324C980624; Time commitments: Year 1-30%; Year
2-25% and Year 3-40%) can be provided as an appendix to the
application.
In general, ODEP will not reduce time commitments on currently
funded grants from the time proposed in the original application.
Therefore, ODEP will not consider for funding any application where key
staff are bid above a time commitment level that staff have available
to bid. Further, the time commitments stated in newly submitted
applications will not be negotiated down to permit the applicant to
receive a new grant award.
The Project Narrative should also describe how the applicant plans
to comply with the employment discrimination and equal employment
opportunity requirements of the various laws listed in the assurances
section.
3. Submission Dates, Times and Addresses
Applications will be accepted commencing July 20, 2007. The closing
date for receipt of applications by DOL under this announcement is
August 20, 2007.
Applications, including those hand delivered, must be received by
4:45 p.m. (EST) on the closing date 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 07-05, Room S-4307, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Applications sent by e-mail or telefascimile
(FAX) will not be accepted.
Hand-Delivered Proposals: Hand-delivered applications will be
considered for funding, but must be received by the above specified
date and time. Overnight or express delivery from carriers other than
the U.S. Postal Service will be considered hand-delivered applications.
It is preferred that applications be mailed at least five (5) days
prior to the closing date to ensure timely receipt. Failure to adhere
to the above instructions will serve as a basis for a determination of
non-responsiveness.
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 by the designated
office after the exact date and time specified 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 postmarked 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 5:00 p.m. at
the place of mailing two (2) working days prior to the date specified
for receipt of applications. The term ``working days'' excludes
weekends and Federal holidays. ``Postmarked'' 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
[[Page 39845]]
date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
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 for the proposal.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
5. Funding Restrictions
(a) Funding Levels: The total funding available for this
solicitation is $2,350,000. The Department of Labor reserves the right
to negotiate the amounts to be awarded under this competition. Please
be advised that requests exceeding the maximum stated amount will be
considered non-responsive. Additionally, there will be no reimbursement
of pre-award costs.
(b) Period of Performance: The period of performance will be for 24
months from the 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.''
(c) Option Year Funding: Up to three (3) additional option years
may be available depending on performance, identified need, and the
availability of future funding.
(d) Indirect Charges: If indirect charges are claimed in the
proposed budget, the recipient must provide on a separate sheet, the
following information:
(1) Name and address of cognizant Federal audit agency;
(2) Name, address and phone number (including area code) of the
Government auditor;
(3) Documentation from the cognizant agency indicating:
(a) Current indirect cost rate and the base against which the rate
should be applied;
(b) Effective period (dates) for the rate; and
(c) Date last rate was computed and negotiated.
(4) If no government audit agency computed and authorized the rate
claimed, a proposed rate with justification may be submitted providing
a brief explanation of computation, who computed the rate, and the date
of the computation. Successful applicants will be required to negotiate
an acceptable and allowable rate within 90 days of grant award with the
appropriate DOL Regional Office of Cost Determination or with the
applicant's cognizant agency for indirect cost rates (See Office of
Management and Budget Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/attach.html
). The recipient shall call the Office of Cost Determination
at 202-693-4100 for the initial contact.
However, applications claiming an indirect cost rate greater than
15% will not be considered.
V. Application Review Information
1. Evaluation Criteria
A technical panel will review grant applications against the
criteria listed below, on the basis of the maximum points indicated.
(a) Significance of the Proposed Project (10 Points)
In determining the significance of the proposed research, the
Department will consider the following factors:
1. The potential contribution of the proposed project to increase
knowledge or understanding of problems, issues, or effective strategies
for promoting leadership to increase employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities;
2. The likelihood that the proposed project will result in systems
change or improvement across generic and disability-specific systems;
3. The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the needs
of the target population as they relate to targeted goal areas in this
solicitation;
4. The likely utility of the products (such as information,
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed
project, including the potential for their being used effectively in a
variety of other settings;
5. The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to
be attained by the proposed project; and
6. The extent to which the proposed project builds upon prior work
done by ODEP and its partners around increasing employment for adults
with disabilities, including integration of universal strategies,
customized employment, and related policies and practices within and
across generic and disability-specific systems.
(b) Project Design (25 Points)
In evaluating the quality of the proposed project design, the
Department will consider the following factors:
1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable;
2. The extent to which the design of the proposed project includes
a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, a detailed plan for
project implementation, and the use of appropriate methodological tools
to ensure successful achievement of project objectives;
3. The extent to which the proposed project will effectively
contribute to increased knowledge, understanding, and utilization of
strategies in targeted goal areas by building upon current research,
and effective practices;
4. The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated
with similar or related Federal technical assistance efforts, such as
research, training, and information efforts;
5. The extent to which the proposed project encourages involvement
of relevant experts and organizations including individuals with
disabilities and generic systems' personnel;
6. The extent to which performance feedback and continuous
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project;
7. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services;
8. The adequacy of the documentation submitted in support of the
proposed project to demonstrate the commitment of each entity or
individual included in project implementation;
9. The extent to which the proposed project leverages other public
and private resources to foster inclusive service delivery and
sustainability and provides other concrete evidence of sustainability,
including appropriate letters of support included in the appendices;
and
10. The extent to which the design of the proposed project includes
a comprehensive strategy for providing technical assistance and
conducting research to effectively integrate universal design and
services, customized employment and flexible work options, and use of
tax incentives, work incentives, and other strategies for enhancing
employment profitability into the policy and practice of public and
private workforce systems (and their public and private partners)
nationally.
(c) Organizational Capacity and Quality of Key Personnel (25 points)
Applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which the
applicant
[[Page 39846]]
demonstrates organizational capacity and quality of key personnel to
implement the proposed project, including:
1. Demonstrated experience with similar projects providing
technical assistance and conducting research relating to targeted goal
areas;
2. Qualifications and demonstrated experience of the applicant's
key personnel, subcontractors and consultants particularly in targeted
goal areas; and
3. Appropriateness of the organization's structure to carry out the
project.
(d) Budget and Resource Capacity (10 Points)
In evaluating the capacity of the applicant to carry out the
proposed project, ODEP will consider the following factors:
1. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project; and
2. The extent to which the anticipated costs are reasonable in
relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the
proposed project.
(e) Quality of the Management Plan (15 Points)
In evaluating the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, ODEP will consider the following factors:
1. The extent to which the management plan for project
implementation appears likely to achieve the objectives of the proposed
project on time and within budget, and includes clearly defined staff
responsibilities, time allocation to project activities, time lines,
milestones for accomplishing project tasks, project deliverables, and
information on adequacy of other resources necessary for project
implementation;
2. The extent to which the management plan appears likely to result
in sustainable activities beyond the period of direct Federal
investment;
3. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services relating to the scope of work for the proposed project;
and
4. The extent to which the time commitments of the project director
and/or principal investigator and other key project personnel and/or
subcontractors and consultants are appropriate and adequate to meet the
objectives of the proposed project.
(f) Quality of the Project Evaluation (15 Points)
In evaluating the quality of the project's evaluation design,
including the data to be generated through implementation of project
activities, ODEP will consider the following factors:
1. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, context, and
outcomes of the proposed project;
2. The extent to which the design of the evaluation includes the
use of objective performance measures and methods that will
systematically document the project's intended outputs and outcomes and
will produce measurable quantitative and qualitative data;
3. The extent to which the evaluation will provide Federal, State
and local government entities with useful information about transition
and systems change models suitable for replication or testing in other
settings; and
4. The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide measures
that will inform ODEP's annual performance goals and measures and
ODEP's long-term strategic goals.
2. Review and Selection Process
A technical review panel will objectively rate each complete
application against the criteria described in this SGA. The panel
recommendations to the Grant Officer, including any point scores, are
advisory in nature. The Grant Officer may elect to award grants either
with or without discussion with the applicant. In situations where no
discussion occurs, an award will be based on the signed SF-424 form
(see Appendix A), which constitutes a binding offer.
The Grant Officer may consider the availability of funds and any
information that is available and will make final award decisions based
on what is most advantageous to the government, considering factors
such as the advisory recommendations from the grant technical
evaluation panel and the geographic distribution of Federally funded
grants.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Announcement of this award is expected to occur within 30 days of
award. The Cooperative Agreement will be awarded by no later than
September 28, 2007.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
The Notice of Award signed by the Grant Officer is the authorizing
document and will be provided through postal mail and/or by electronic
means to the authorized representative listed on the SF-424 Grant
Application. Notice that an organization has been selected as a grant
recipient does not constitute final approval of the grant application
as submitted. Before the actual grant award, the Grant Officer and/or
the Grant Officer's Technical Representative 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.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
All grantees, including faith-based organizations, will be subject
to applicable Federal laws (including provisions of appropriations
law), regulations, and the applicable Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Circulars. The grant awarded under this SGA will be subject to
the following administrative standards and provisions and requirements
applicable to particular entities. The applicant must include
assurances and certifications that it will comply with these laws in
its grant application. The assurances and certifications are attached
as Appendix C.
a. Regulations
29 CFR Parts 31 and 32--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted
Programs of the Department of Labor (respectively, effectuation of
Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964, and on the Basis of Handicap in
Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial
Assistance).
29 CFR Part 35--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs
or Activities receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the
Department of Labor.
29 CFR Part 36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
29 CFR Part 37--Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and Equal
Opportunity Provisions in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
29 CFR Part 93--New Restrictions on 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
[[Page 39847]]
Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments and International Organizations.
29 CFR Part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded
Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
29 CFR Part 97--Uniform Administrative Regulations for Grants to
States, Local Governments or Tribes.
29 CFR Part 98--Federal Standards for Government wide Debarment and
Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government wide Requirements for Drug-
Free Workplace (Grants).
29 CFR Part 99--Federal Standards for Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.
29 CFR Part 2--General Participation in Department of Labor
Programs by Faith-Based and Community Organizations; Equal Treatment of
All Department of Labor Program Participants and Beneficiaries.
Applicable cost principles under OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-122,
or 48 CFR part 31.
b. Travel
Any travel undertaken in performance of this cooperative agreement
shall be subject to and in strict accordance with Federal travel
regulations.
c. Acknowledgement of DOL Funding
Printed Materials: In all circumstances, the following shall be
displayed on printed materials prepared by the Grantee while in receipt
of DOL/ODEP grant funding: ``Preparation of this item was funded by the
United States Department of Labor through its ODEP Grant No. [insert
the appropriate Grant number].''
All printed materials must also include the following notice:
``This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of
the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names,
commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government.''
Public reference to grant: When issuing statements, press releases,
requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other documents
describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal
money, all grantees receiving Federal funds must clearly state:
The percentage of the total costs of the program or
project, which will be financed with Federal money;
The dollar amount of Federal financial assistance for the
project or program; and
The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the
project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
Use of DOL and ODEP Logo: In consultation with DOL/ODEP, the
Grantee must acknowledge DOL's role as described. The DOL and/or ODEP
logo may be applied to DOL-funded material prepared for world-wide
distribution, including posters, videos, pamphlets, research documents,
national survey results, impact evaluations, best practice reports, and
other publications of global interest. The Grantee must consult with
ODEP on whether the logo may be used on any such items prior to final
draft or final preparation for distribution. In no event shall the DOL
and/or ODEP logo be placed on any item until ODEP has given the grantee
written permission to use the logo on the item.
All documents must include the following notice: ``This document
does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S.
Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial
products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.''
d. Intellectual Property
Please be advised that DOL/ODEP will reserve a royalty-free,
nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish,
distribute, publicly display and perform, create derivative works from,
and to authorize others to use, for Federal Government purposes:
(a) Any work developed under a grant, subgrant, or contract under a
grant or subgrant; and
(b) Any rights to which a grantee, subgrantee or a contractor
purchases ownership with grant support.
In addition, the Grantee will agree to notify DOL/ODEP of any pre-
existing copyrighted materials it intends to incorporate into materials
developed under the grant, and, prior to such incorporation, the
grantee will agree that it will acquire, on behalf of DOL/ODEP, any
necessary licenses to allow DOL/ODEP to exercise the rights described
in the paragraph above.
e. Approval of Key Personnel and Subcontractors
The recipient shall notify the Grant Officer (through the Grant
Officer Technical Representative) at least 14 calendar days in advance
if any key personnel are to be removed or diverted from the cooperative
agreement, shall supply written justification as part of this notice as
to why these persons are to be removed or diverted, shall provide the
names(s) of the proposed substitute or replacement, and shall include
information on each new individual's qualifications such as education
and work experience.
f. Paperwork Reduction Act Information
OMB Information Collection No. 1205-0458, Expires September 30,
2009. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless such
collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden
for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
date sources, gathering and maintaining data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the
burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department
of Labor, to the attention of Cassandra Mitchell, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Room S-4307, Washington, DC 20210.
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a
grant. The information collected through this ``Solicitation for Grant
Applications'' will be used by the Department of Labor to ensure that
grants are awarded to the applicant best suited to perform the
functions of the grant. Submission of this information is required in
order for the applicant to be considered for award of this grant.
Unless otherwise specifically noted in this announcement, information
submitted in the respondent's applicant is not considered to be
confidential.
VII. Reporting and Monitoring
ODEP is responsible for ensuring 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 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. Projects may be subject to other additional reviews, at the
discretion of ODEP.
The selected applicant must submit on a quarterly basis, beginning
ninety (90) days from the award of the grant, financial and activity
reports under this program as prescribed by OMB Circular A-110,
codified at 2 CFR part 215 and 29 CFR part 95. Specifically the
following reports will be required:
[[Page 39848]]
1. Quarterly report: The quarterly report is estimated to take five
(5) hours to complete. The form for the quarterly report will be
provided by ODEP. The Department will work with the Grantee to help
refine the requirements of the report, which, among other things, will
include measures of ongoing analysis for continuous improvement. This
report will be filed using a system specified by ODEP. The form will be
submitted within thirty (30) days of the close of the quarter. The
quarterly progress report will include narrative description and will
provide:
a. In-depth information on accomplishments, including project
success stories, upcoming activities and promising approaches and
processes;
b. Progress toward performance outcomes, including updates on
products, activities and emerging promising practices in areas targeted
by this Cooperative Agreement.
In addition, the selected applicant must submit every 6 months an
Executive Summary report of project activities and outcomes to date.
The report must detail the various aspects of project activities and
accomplishments in a form and format provided by the Department.
2. Standard Form 269, Financial Status Report Form: This form is to
be completed and submitted on a quarterly basis using the Department of
Labor's E-Grants Reporting System unless ODEP provides different
instructions.
3. Final Project Report: The Final Project Report is to include an
assessment of project performance and outcomes achieved. It is
estimated that this report will take twenty (20) hours to complete.
This report will be submitted in hard copy and on electronic disk using
a format and following instructions, to be provided by ODEP. A draft of
the final report is due to ODEP sixty (60) days before the end of the
period of performance of the cooperative agreement. The final report is
due to ODEP and the DOL Grants Office ten (10) days before the end of
the period of performance of the Cooperative Agreement.
The Department will arrange for an evaluation of the outcomes,
impacts, accomplishments, and benefits of each funded project. The
Grantee must agree to cooperate with this evaluation and must make
available records on all parts of project activity, including available
data on service-delivery models being studied and provide access to
personnel, as specified by the evaluator(s), under the direction of
ODEP. This evaluation is separate from the ongoing evaluation for
continuous improvement required of the grantee for project
implementation.
Technical assistance efforts will be coordinated with other
technical assistance efforts implemented by ODEP, including, if
applicable, the National Center on Workforce and Disability for Adults
(NCWD/A) and the national Self-Employment Technical Assistance,
Resources, and Training Center (START-UP USA). The grantee must also
agree to work with ODEP in its various technical assistance efforts in
order to freely share with others what is learned about building
systems capacity and leadership across generic and disability-specific
systems and linking asset development and employment activities. The
Grantee must agree to collaborate with other research institutes,
centers, studies, and evaluations that are supported by the DOL and
other relevant Federal agencies, as appropriate. Finally, the Grantee
must agree to actively utilize as appropriate the programs sponsored by
the ODEP, including the Job Accommodation Network (http://www.jan.wvu.edu
), and the Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network
(http://www.earnworks.com).
The successful applicant will be required to prepare a strategic
plan for achieving the goals of the Cooperative Agreement for the
initial 24-month period of performance and submit it to ODEP for
approval within 45 days of award for approval.
VIII. Agency Contacts
Any questions regarding this SGA should be directed to Cassandra
Mitchell, e-mail address: mitchell.cassandra@dol.gov, tel: 202-693-4570
(note that this is NOT a toll-free number). To obtain further
information about the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the
U.S. Department of Labor, visit the DOL Web site of the Office of
Disability Employment Policy at http://www.dol.gov/odep.
IX. Appendices
The appendices are as follows:
Appendix A. Application for Federal Assistance, Form SF-424.
Appendix B. Budget Information Sheet, Form SF-424A.
Appendix C. Assurances and Certifications Signature Page.
(Appendices D and E are not applicable).
Appendix F. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants.
Detailed information and document locations:
Appendix A. Application for Federal Assistance, Form SF-
424 (OMB No. 4040-0004).
Appendix B. Budget Information Sheet, Form SF-424A (OMB
No. 0348-0044). Both forms SF-424 and 424A can be obtained at the
following Web address: http://apply.grants.gov/agency/FormLinks?family=7
.
Appendix F. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants (OMB No. 1890-0014).
The Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants
form can be obtained at the following Web address: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/surveyeo.pdf.
(If this link is viewed in an
electronic format and the user receives a ``page not found'' message,
it is recommended that the user cut and paste the URL into his/her
browser window.)
Appendix C. Assurances and Certifications Signature Page
Certifications and Assurances
Assurances and Certifications Signature Page
The Department of Labor will not award a grant or agreement
where the grantee/recipient has failed to accept the assurances and
certifications contained in this section. By signing and returning
this signature page, the grantee/recipient is providing the
certifications set forth below:
A. Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension,
Other Responsibility Matters--Primary Covered Transactions and
Certifications Regarding Drug-Free/Tobacco-Free Workplace.
B. Certification of Release of Information.
C. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.
D. Applicant is not a 501(c)(4) organization.
Applicant Name and Legal Address:
If there is any reason why one of the assurances or
certifications listed cannot be signed, the applicant shall provide
an explanation. Applicant need only submit and return this signature
page with the grant application. All other instruction shall be kept
on file by the applicant.
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Signature of Authorized Certifying Official
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Title
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Applicant Organization
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Date Submitted
Please Note: This signature page and any pertinent attachments
which may be required by these assurances and certifications shall
be attached to the applicant's cost proposal.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of July, 2007.
Cassandra Mitchell,
Grant Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-14074 Filed 7-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FK-P