FY 2010 Funding Opportunity Announcement for proposals for the Overseas Processing Entity (OPE) in Vienna, Austria
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Funding Announcement
March 20, 2009
Announcement issuance date: Thursday, March 19, 2009
Proposal submission deadline: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT).
Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
The organization selected to operate the OPE is expected to:
a) Provide refugee processing services for all U.S. Refugee Admissions Program applicants in Vienna, Austria, beginning on October 1, 2009; and,
b) Relate equitably to all domestic resettlement agencies. This will include sharing relevant biographic and other background information with domestic resettlement agencies working in the Reception and Placement program (to facilitate their provision of required sponsorship assurances).
II. Program Objectives
The Bureau has established the following objectives for the organization serving as OPE in Vienna:
1. To provide refugee processing services for Iranian religious minorities in support of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program using the Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS) and in accordance with procedures established by the Bureau, as needs arise.
2. To ensure that each potential refugee applicant is screened to determine if he/she is eligible for interview under the processing priorities established for his/her nationality.
3. To conduct pre-screening interviews and casework in Austria so as to capture all relevant information pertaining to the case, e.g. cross-referencing information, special medical needs, information about victims of torture, etc. To ensure that all necessary security name-checks are completed. To prepare the case file, including completion of all forms necessary for presentation of the case to USCIS for adjudication.
4. To enter all required information into WRAPS on a timely basis and to remain in close contact with the Refugee Processing Center (RPC), cooperating fully and at all times to ensure that the WRAPS system and related equipment remains functional and up to date.
5. For applicants approved by USCIS, to assist the refugees in completing all post-adjudication steps required for admission to the United States. This includes: coordinating with the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) to obtain sponsorship assurances from Reception and Placement agencies working under cooperative agreements with the Bureau; preparing travel packets; coordinating medical screening and travel arrangements, and cultural orientation.
III. Refugee Processing Caseload
While it is impossible to predict what the precise number of refugee applicants processed by OPE Vienna will be as the FY 2010 refugee admissions ceilings have not yet been established, proposals and budgets should be prepared based on a projection of 5,000 departures from Austria during the year.
If during the agreement period the number of cases processed either dramatically falls short of or exceeds the level anticipated in this announcement and the approved proposal, the Bureau will negotiate an amended budget with the OPE.
The following information regarding the caseload may be helpful in formulating an organization’s proposal and budget for OPE Vienna for FY 2010: (Note that OPE Vienna conducts processing in Austria only, and does not conduct circuit rides.)
OPE Vienna’s caseload consists exclusively of Iranian nationals who are members of certain religious minorities (Christians, Baha’is, Jews, Zoroastrians, Mandaeans) who are of special humanitarian concern to the U.S.
Applicants apply to the program in Vienna through an individual in the U.S. who submits a refugee information form through a U.S.-based voluntary organization. OPE Vienna screens all applications for eligibility into the program. Eligible applicants are scheduled for an appointment for a “D” (transit) Visa from the Government of Austria at its Embassy in Tehran. Once issued a transit visa, applicants are scheduled for an appointment at OPE in Vienna. After arrival in Vienna, applicant cases are prepared and presented to USCIS officers for adjudication.
IV. Funding and Funding Procedures
V. Eligibility
Organizations eligible to submit proposals include entities that have demonstrated satisfactory performance working as a State Department-funded organization with the United States Refugee Admissions Program, domestically or overseas, within the last five years.
Organizations must also meet the following requirements in order to be considered as candidates to operate the OPE:
a. Be authorized by the Government of Austria to conduct activities relating to the welfare, protection, or maintenance of refugees in Austria: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must have recognized status as a legal representative office (OR ‘representation office’) of a foreign organization, or registered or incorporated under Austrian law by May 20, 2009. International organizations (IOs) must be accredited as an office of an IO by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the basis of a seat (or headquarters) agreement with the Republic of Austria, with such office being permitted under the laws of Austria to engage in activities related to the welfare, protection, or maintenance of refugees, asylum seekers or migrants by May 20, 2009.
b. Have evidence of effective coordination with U.S. Government agencies, other NGOs and/or IOs involved with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
c. Possess management capacity at the agency’s headquarters sufficient to oversee the operation of the OPE.
Failure to satisfy the above requirements will preclude any further consideration of a proposal.
VI. WRAPS Requirements
The Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS) is deployed in all refugee processing sites. The use of WRAPS is mandatory, and the OPE must therefore establish itself as WRAPS-ready. Equipment that will be procured by the OPE and related costs must be included in the proposal. (See Attachment C for the required qualifications for the OPE’s information technology personnel required to maintain WRAPS including the qualifications for the OPE Network Administrator as well as a list of hardware and software items that are currently needed to operate WRAPS, including the equipment to operate the Circuit Ride functionality.)
VII. Application Procedures
Each organization requesting consideration for entering into a Cooperative Agreement with the Bureau must submit all information as requested in Attachment I. All pages including appendices should be numbered in a single, consecutive numbering system.
Proposals that are incomplete and/or fail to respond to all required elements of this program announcement may not be found competitive. If the Bureau requests clarifications regarding information included in the proposal, failure to provide this information by the date specified may also preclude further consideration of the proposal.
Proposals must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by 12:00 p.m. (EDT), Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should sign up well in advance of the May 20, 2009 deadline as it can take up to two weeks for a registration to be finalized (and sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers).
Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Applicants who have done so in the past and experienced technical difficulties were not able to meet the deadline. Please note: Grants.gov is expected to experience high than normal volume of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to avoid submission delays. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in your application not being considered.
If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem(s) to the Grants.gov help desk and received a case number and had a service request opened to research the problem(s), should contact PRM Program Officer Nancy Long at (202) 663-1469 or LongNE@state.gov immediately to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
The Bureau will fax each agency a letter confirming receipt of the documents. An agency not receiving this acknowledgement within five days after submitting its request should immediately notify Ms. Delicia Spruell at 202-663-1006.
IX. Proposal Evaluation Process
The Bureau will conduct formal competitive reviews of the submitted proposals which meet the aforementioned and which are submitted by eligible organizations. Review panels will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced evaluation criteria, the overall refugee processing experience proposed by the organization and the proposal’s cost effectiveness in providing comprehensive service provision to applicants of all ethnic groups.
In order to provide timely feedback, the Bureau will inform applicants of the panel’s decision to recommend or not recommend funding respective proposal submissions, and may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will follow up with formal notifications to applicants of final decisions taken by Bureau management.
X. PRM Points of Contact:
Should organizations have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. (Note: Informal feedback from PRM does not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.):
PRM/Admissions Program Officer Nancy E. Long (Longne@state.gov); 202-663-1469, Washington, D.C.
PRM/Admissions Program Officer Lisa L. Meyers (MeyersLL@state.gov); 202-663-3936, Washington, D.C.
Required Proposal Information
Each agency interested in applying to operate the Vienna OPE from October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010, must submit the information specified below. Responses should be presented in the same order as the requirements listed below, with each section numbered to reflect the corresponding section under Required Information. If any individual requirement is not applicable, that should be specifically stated and explained in the proposal.
I. Organizational Structure/Management and Oversight
The Agency should provide a narrative describing:
· Its organizational structure, including the number of headquarters staff (to be described in terms of “Full Time Equivalent” positions) that will be assigned to oversee the OPE in Vienna; the number of local and international staff to be assigned to the OPE; staffing patterns; training protocols for all staff;
· How it proposes monitoring its processing activities under the Cooperative Agreement with the Bureau will be monitored; and,
· How it will establish an operation to handle the processing of the refugee caseload.
The Agency should identify the Bureau’s point of contact at the headquarters office and at the OPE.
II. Proposed Budget
Following the guidance outlined in Attachment II, the Agency should identify all costs within the specified budget categories it wishes the Bureau to consider funding for OPE activities.
III. Certifications
Attachment B
The following instructions explain the costs the Bureau wants organizations to include in each budget category when preparing a proposal for overseas processing activities. For policy guidance concerning U.S. Government regulations or admissible expenditure limits, etc., please refer to OMB circulars A-122 and A-110. A sample budget format is provided as attachment D.
PERSONNEL
This category should include annual salaries, wages, stipends, consultant fees, allowances, bonuses or extra months salary, and any anticipated termination or severance pay for all personnel (regular or contractual) to be charged to the proposed agreement. Caseworker staff must be proficient in using WRAPS, e-mail, PC’s and Windows applications. Note that the plan for staffing must include information technology staff qualified to maintain WRAPS. The network administrator should be competent in Windows 2003, Windows XP, IIS, SQL Server 2005, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Office, router configuration and management. Include a staff roster with the above information, indicating existing and proposed positions, an organizational chart, and show total FTE (full-time equivalency) for each type of position in the designated column and actual number of employees occupying each position in the comments column. Information on COLA and proposed salary increase or adjustment should be noted in the narrative accompanying the budget worksheet. For consultants, show the proposed daily rate and indicate the number of days of consultant service anticipated in the comments column.
Attach a copy of your organization's established salary schedule showing different pay levels and step increases on which the budget is based.
ALLOWANCES
The comments column of the budget worksheet should specify the number of employees being given each service; i.e., housing for 3 employees; education allowance for 2 children of 2 employees, etc.
Explain anticipated termination or severance expenses in the Narrative Section.
FRINGE BENEFITS
Show total cost of fringe benefits provided to International Hire and Local Hire employees. It is not necessary to identify individual benefits provided. Where applicable, the percentage of salaries used to calculate benefits should be shown. The benefits must be consistent with the organization's established personnel policies and practices for all of its employees.
TRAVEL
List local program travel in this category (headquarters staff travel should be included in the Headquarters Expenses category below.) Provide one total for in-country project travel and one total for furlough/home leave travel. All anticipated international trips must be listed individually. Show only the total cost of each trip. Do not itemize by category; rather, list general categories included in the trip total (airfare, per diem, etc.) in the comments column.
EQUIPMENT
This category should include both expendable and non-expendable equipment the organization expects to purchase for program activities. Non-expendable equipment is defined as tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. List items with a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $1,000 - $5,000 per unit separately as expendable equipment. Consolidate like items of lesser value by type of equipment (i.e., telephones, office furniture) with quantities or types to be purchased noted in the comments column. See Attachment III for WRAPS requirements.
If your organization has established levels for equipment at a lesser amount than $5,000, items may be shown according to organization policy, as long as the policy is explained in the Narrative Section. The organization must apply its definition consistently in all U.S. government funded arrangements.
Also include equipment to be leased, including vehicles, as well as anticipated maintenance and repair costs for equipment (including contracts.)
SUPPLIES
In this category include such items as office and automotive supplies and computer software.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES
Include here any anticipated sub-contracts, such as security guards, payroll services, etc. Do not include contracts for regular personnel, maintenance and repair of non-expendable equipment, or audits, which are listed elsewhere.
OTHER DIRECT EXPENSES
Please follow the attached format for inclusion of other direct costs of the program, indicating separately anticipated costs for utilities, space rental, communications, insurance, printing/duplicating, and audit, as well as other costs not included elsewhere in the budget.
HEADQUARTERS EXPENSES
This category should include any anticipated U.S. domestic or international travel of headquarters staff in support of this program as well as any personnel costs or other expenses to be directly charged by the organization to the program (for personnel, include percentage of time dedicated to this program.)
CULTURAL ORIENTATION
The organization operating the OPE will provide cultural orientation to approved refugees aged 15 and above in accordance with guidelines developed in conjunction with the Bureau by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) and described in the publication “Welcome to the United States--A Guidebook for Refugees” (CAL, 2004) and other CAL materials (see www.culturalorientation.net ). The cultural orientation training will be for a period of three days and at a minimum address the following subjects:
· Role of the Resettlement Agency
· Rights and Responsibilities of Refugees
· Transit
· Early Employment Priority
· Work plus English Study
· Public Assistance Benefits
· Cultural Adjustment
· Education
· Health Care
· Housing
INDIRECT COST RATE
Please note your organization's percentage rate and attach a copy of the most recent negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with the cognizant U.S. government agency. Also note base of application in the comments column.
COMMENTS
Comments are not required for every budget line item. This column provides space for further identification, as needed, of items included in the budget categories. For example, under travel, each individual trip should be identified and total cost for each trip provided under the “Proposed Budget” column, with items included in the costs, e.g., airfare, per diem, taxis, etc., specified under “Comments”. The Comments column is not intended to replace the Narrative section.
BUDGET SUMMARY PAGE
Include budget category totals on the summary page.
BUDGET NARRATIVE
The Narrative section describes the proposed program and how refugee processing functions will be performed. It also explains the budget request. The Narrative should specifically identify any cost of living (COLA) request and provide a dollar amount for the total cost of the COLA (broken down by international-hire and local-hire, as appropriate).
ATTACHMENT C
Servers:
WRAPS requires four servers: one Domain Controller, one Domain Controller/Exchange, one Application server, and one Database server.
Server configuration availability changes as the manufacturer upgrades equipment. If the listed versions are not available, the current comparable versions should be substituted.
Following are the minimum configurations for each server:
· Server hardware
Domain Controller (2 required for the OPE)
HP Proliant DL320
Intel Processors D Dual Core
2 GB RAM
2 – 80 GB SATA Disk Drives
CD-RW/DVD-ROM
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
Application Server / Exchange
HP Proliant DL370
2 Intel Xeon Processors
4 GB RAM
6 – 146.8 GB 10K RPM Disk Drives
CD-RW/DVD-ROM
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
HP Smart Array 6404/256 Controller (RAID)
HP Ultrium 448 Tape Drive
Redundant Power Supply
Redundant Fan Kit
Database Server
HP Proliant DL570
4 Intel Xeon Processors
4 GB RAM
10 – 146.8 GB 10K RPM Disk Drives
CD-RW/DVD-ROM
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
HP Smart Array 6404/256 Controller (RAID)
HP Ultrium 448 Tape Drive
Redundant Power Supply
Redundant Fan Kit
· Server Software
o Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition - 4 copies (1 for each server)
o MS Office 2003 SP3 - 3 copies (App, DB and Exchange servers)
o Crystal Reports 9 Advanced SP4 - 1 copy (App server)
o Symantec Anti-Virus Corp Edition 10.1 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o Arcana Scheduler - 1 copy (App server)
o .Net 3.5 SP1
o PKZip Command Line - 1 copy (App server)
o MSXML 6.0 - 2 copies (App and DB server)
o Remotely Anywhere - 4 copies (1 each server)
o Adobe Acrobat 6 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o WinRAR - 4 copies (1 each server)
o WinZip 9 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o UltraBac 7 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o Microsoft Exchange 2003 SP2 – 1 copy (Exchange Server)
· Server Rack
o HP Rack 10622 22U
o R5500 UPS
o 1X4 Rack mount KVM Switch
o TFT5600 Rack mount Keyboard Monitor
Network Components:
WRAPS connectivity requires the following network components:
· Router - Cisco 1841
o A router fully compliant with IPSec Protocol
o WAN Interface Cards for the local connections
· Firewall
o Sonicwall NSA 2400 (Sonicwall 2040 is still supported but no longer sold by the vendor)
· Switch
o Cisco Catalyst 3560 10/100/1000 Ethernet Switch
Note: Number of switches and density of ports are determined by local requirements
· UPS capable of supporting the network components selected.
Required Peripherals (to operate WRAPS software):
The following peripherals will be needed to operate the WRAPS software.
· Printer
o HP LaserJet 4250 with networking capability
(Note: Quantity determined by local requirements)
· Label Printer
o Zebra LP2844 with networking capability
· Digital Camera
· Scanner
o Double Sided Image Scanner (Sized to accommodate the projected scanning workload.)
o Adobe Acrobat Software
Workstation Desktops:
Each caseworker and each supervisor at the OPE must have a Pentium class desktop computer with following minimum requirements:
· Workstations (Minimum Requirements)
o Intel or AMD Athleon Processor
o 2 GB RAM
o 80 GB Hard Drive
o Fast Ethernet Network Interface Card
o 17“ Monitor
o DVD/CD-ROM drive
o 4 USB ports
· Workstation Software
o Windows XP Professional SP2
o Microsoft Office 2003 SP3
o Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0
o Adobe Reader (current version)
o Anti-Virus Software
Structured Cabling:
· Category 5/6 UTP (plenum or low smoke)
· Cable run from wall jacks to patch panel in wiring closet
· RJ 45 patch cables to connect PC to wall jacks
· RJ 45 patch cords to connect patch panel to LAN switches
Security:
· Servers should be installed into a secure area to prevent unauthorized access to the server consoles.
· Router and firewall should be kept in a secure cabinet.
Power:
· Two 15 Amp circuits 220-240V 50Mhz.
Telecommunications:
The OPE shall have an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a minimum of:
· 256 Kbps dedicated line.
· IP Subnet with at least 14 host addresses
Personnel:
OPE must supply personnel with the following minimum qualifications:
· Network administrator:
o Windows Server 2003 R2
o Windows XP Professional SP2
o IIS 6.0
o SQL Server SQL 2005 SP2
o Microsoft Exchange 2005
o Cisco Router configuration and management
o Microsoft Office
· Caseworkers:
o Must be proficient in using e-mail, PCs, and Windows applications.
Circuit Rides:
The following equipment is needed to support the Circuit Ride functionality of WRAPS. One set of equipment is needed to support a single circuit ride. The capability for additional simultaneous circuit rides will be available by October 1, 2008.
· Hardware for Circuit Ride – (Minimum of 2 laptops per Circuit Ride)
o HP Compaq 6730b - Intel Pentium Core 2 Processor
o 2 GB RAM (minimum) 4 GB recommended
o 250 GB Hard Drive (minimum)
o 4 USB ports
o Workstations and switches for circuit ride processing are determined by local circuit ride requirements.
§ Wi-Fi is an acceptable networking solution for circuit rides, provided that a minimum of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security is enabled.
· Software for Circuit Ride – one copy for each laptop
o Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition
o MS Office 2003 SP3
o SQL Server 2005 SP2
o Crystal Reports 9 Advanced SP4
o Symantec Anti-Virus Corp Edition 10.1
o PKZip Command Line
o .Net 3.5 SP1
o MSXML 6.0
o Remotely Anywhere
o Adobe Acrobat
o WinRAR
o WinZip
o UltraBac
· Not required, but recommended, for system backups:
Maxtor One Touch 250 GB USB External Disk Drive - Part Number A01A250 - only 1 needed
Proposal submission deadline: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT).
Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
ADVISORY: Grants.gov is expected to experience higher than normal volume of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to avoid submission delays.
Proposed Program Start Date: October 1, 2009.
Attachments:
A. Required Information
B. Budget Preparation Guide
C. WRAPS Requirements
D. Sample Budget Format
Duration of Activity: An initial period beginning October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010, subject to the availability of funds. This agreement may be renewable for up to two additional fiscal years based upon budget submissions on an annual basis, as long as there remains a need for the OPE and the organization operating the OPE provides satisfactory service, and subject to the availability of funds.
I. Purpose of the Overseas Processing Entity
The admissions process for refugee applicants seeking resettlement in the United States is overseen by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the Department of State (the Bureau).
The purpose of the Overseas Processing Entity (OPE) is to assist the Bureau in preparing the necessary casework for persons eligible for interview by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and, for those approved, to provide assistance in completing the additional requirements for refugee admission under Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In addition, the OPE forwards the necessary data on all DHS-approved cases to the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) for distribution to Reception and Placement agencies according to procedures established by the Bureau.
International organizations (IOs) that apply for funding opportunities on Grants.gov are subject to PRM administrative authorities and procedures for voluntary contributions to IOs.
The organization selected to operate the OPE is expected to:
a) Provide refugee processing services for all U.S. Refugee Admissions Program applicants in Vienna, Austria, beginning on October 1, 2009; and,
b) Relate equitably to all domestic resettlement agencies. This will include sharing relevant biographic and other background information with domestic resettlement agencies working in the Reception and Placement program (to facilitate their provision of required sponsorship assurances).
II. Program Objectives
The Bureau has established the following objectives for the organization serving as OPE in Vienna:
1. To provide refugee processing services for Iranian religious minorities in support of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program using the Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS) and in accordance with procedures established by the Bureau, as needs arise.
2. To ensure that each potential refugee applicant is screened to determine if he/she is eligible for interview under the processing priorities established for his/her nationality.
3. To conduct pre-screening interviews and casework in Austria so as to capture all relevant information pertaining to the case, e.g. cross-referencing information, special medical needs, information about victims of torture, etc. To ensure that all necessary security name-checks are completed. To prepare the case file, including completion of all forms necessary for presentation of the case to USCIS for adjudication.
4. To enter all required information into WRAPS on a timely basis and to remain in close contact with the Refugee Processing Center (RPC), cooperating fully and at all times to ensure that the WRAPS system and related equipment remains functional and up to date.
5. For applicants approved by USCIS, to assist the refugees in completing all post-adjudication steps required for admission to the United States. This includes: coordinating with the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) to obtain sponsorship assurances from Reception and Placement agencies working under cooperative agreements with the Bureau; preparing travel packets; coordinating medical screening and travel arrangements, and cultural orientation.
III. Refugee Processing Caseload
While it is impossible to predict what the precise number of refugee applicants processed by OPE Vienna will be as the FY 2010 refugee admissions ceilings have not yet been established, proposals and budgets should be prepared based on a projection of 5,000 departures from Austria during the year.
If during the agreement period the number of cases processed either dramatically falls short of or exceeds the level anticipated in this announcement and the approved proposal, the Bureau will negotiate an amended budget with the OPE.
The following information regarding the caseload may be helpful in formulating an organization’s proposal and budget for OPE Vienna for FY 2010: (Note that OPE Vienna conducts processing in Austria only, and does not conduct circuit rides.)
OPE Vienna’s caseload consists exclusively of Iranian nationals who are members of certain religious minorities (Christians, Baha’is, Jews, Zoroastrians, Mandaeans) who are of special humanitarian concern to the U.S.
Applicants apply to the program in Vienna through an individual in the U.S. who submits a refugee information form through a U.S.-based voluntary organization. OPE Vienna screens all applications for eligibility into the program. Eligible applicants are scheduled for an appointment for a “D” (transit) Visa from the Government of Austria at its Embassy in Tehran. Once issued a transit visa, applicants are scheduled for an appointment at OPE in Vienna. After arrival in Vienna, applicant cases are prepared and presented to USCIS officers for adjudication.
IV. Funding and Funding Procedures
The Bureau intends to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with a qualified organization to operate the OPE in Vienna, Austria, for an initial period beginning October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010, subject to the availability of funds. Through the Cooperative Agreement, the Bureau will provide full financial support, for all approved costs associated with providing the required processing services according to a budget submitted as part of this proposal. (See Attachment II for budget preparation instructions.) This financial support may be renewable for up to two additional fiscal years based upon budget submissions on an annual basis, as long as there remains a need for the OPE and the organization operating the OPE provides satisfactory service, and subject to the availability of funds. At the end of three years, if the need to operate the OPE continues, the Bureau will re-compete the project, and the recipient of this award may participate in that process.
V. Eligibility
Organizations eligible to submit proposals include entities that have demonstrated satisfactory performance working as a State Department-funded organization with the United States Refugee Admissions Program, domestically or overseas, within the last five years.
Organizations must also meet the following requirements in order to be considered as candidates to operate the OPE:
a. Be authorized by the Government of Austria to conduct activities relating to the welfare, protection, or maintenance of refugees in Austria: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must have recognized status as a legal representative office (OR ‘representation office’) of a foreign organization, or registered or incorporated under Austrian law by May 20, 2009. International organizations (IOs) must be accredited as an office of an IO by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the basis of a seat (or headquarters) agreement with the Republic of Austria, with such office being permitted under the laws of Austria to engage in activities related to the welfare, protection, or maintenance of refugees, asylum seekers or migrants by May 20, 2009.
b. Have evidence of effective coordination with U.S. Government agencies, other NGOs and/or IOs involved with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
c. Possess management capacity at the agency’s headquarters sufficient to oversee the operation of the OPE.
Failure to satisfy the above requirements will preclude any further consideration of a proposal.
VI. WRAPS Requirements
The Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS) is deployed in all refugee processing sites. The use of WRAPS is mandatory, and the OPE must therefore establish itself as WRAPS-ready. Equipment that will be procured by the OPE and related costs must be included in the proposal. (See Attachment C for the required qualifications for the OPE’s information technology personnel required to maintain WRAPS including the qualifications for the OPE Network Administrator as well as a list of hardware and software items that are currently needed to operate WRAPS, including the equipment to operate the Circuit Ride functionality.)
VII. Application Procedures
Each organization requesting consideration for entering into a Cooperative Agreement with the Bureau must submit all information as requested in Attachment I. All pages including appendices should be numbered in a single, consecutive numbering system.
Proposals that are incomplete and/or fail to respond to all required elements of this program announcement may not be found competitive. If the Bureau requests clarifications regarding information included in the proposal, failure to provide this information by the date specified may also preclude further consideration of the proposal.
If your application consists of multiple files you should pay careful attention to Grants.gov's guidance for file naming conventions: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/submit_application_faqs.jsp#6
A few tips:
- Limit file attachment name. File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems to Grants.gov processing the application package.
- Use numbers to indicate correct sequence. ( example, 1_proposal.doc; 2_budgetnarrative.doc)
- Do not use any special characters (example: %, /, #) or spacing in the file name or for word separation. The exception is an underscore which Grants.gov says can be used in naming attachments. (example: my Attached_File.pdf)
If these guidelines are not followed, Grants.gov may reject your proposal.
VIII. Submission Procedures:Proposals must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by 12:00 p.m. (EDT), Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should sign up well in advance of the May 20, 2009 deadline as it can take up to two weeks for a registration to be finalized (and sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers).
Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Applicants who have done so in the past and experienced technical difficulties were not able to meet the deadline. Please note: Grants.gov is expected to experience high than normal volume of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to avoid submission delays. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in your application not being considered.
If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem(s) to the Grants.gov help desk and received a case number and had a service request opened to research the problem(s), should contact PRM Program Officer Nancy Long at (202) 663-1469 or LongNE@state.gov immediately to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
The Bureau will fax each agency a letter confirming receipt of the documents. An agency not receiving this acknowledgement within five days after submitting its request should immediately notify Ms. Delicia Spruell at 202-663-1006.
IX. Proposal Evaluation Process
The Bureau will conduct formal competitive reviews of the submitted proposals which meet the aforementioned and which are submitted by eligible organizations. Review panels will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced evaluation criteria, the overall refugee processing experience proposed by the organization and the proposal’s cost effectiveness in providing comprehensive service provision to applicants of all ethnic groups.
In order to provide timely feedback, the Bureau will inform applicants of the panel’s decision to recommend or not recommend funding respective proposal submissions, and may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will follow up with formal notifications to applicants of final decisions taken by Bureau management.
X. PRM Points of Contact:
Should organizations have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. (Note: Informal feedback from PRM does not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.):
PRM/Admissions Program Officer Nancy E. Long (Longne@state.gov); 202-663-1469, Washington, D.C.
PRM/Admissions Program Officer Lisa L. Meyers (MeyersLL@state.gov); 202-663-3936, Washington, D.C.
Attachment A
Required Proposal Information
Each agency interested in applying to operate the Vienna OPE from October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010, must submit the information specified below. Responses should be presented in the same order as the requirements listed below, with each section numbered to reflect the corresponding section under Required Information. If any individual requirement is not applicable, that should be specifically stated and explained in the proposal.
I. Organizational Structure/Management and Oversight
The Agency should provide a narrative describing:
· Its organizational structure, including the number of headquarters staff (to be described in terms of “Full Time Equivalent” positions) that will be assigned to oversee the OPE in Vienna; the number of local and international staff to be assigned to the OPE; staffing patterns; training protocols for all staff;
· How it proposes monitoring its processing activities under the Cooperative Agreement with the Bureau will be monitored; and,
· How it will establish an operation to handle the processing of the refugee caseload.
The Agency should identify the Bureau’s point of contact at the headquarters office and at the OPE.
II. Proposed Budget
Following the guidance outlined in Attachment II, the Agency should identify all costs within the specified budget categories it wishes the Bureau to consider funding for OPE activities.
III. Certifications
Each agency is required to complete the revised SF 424 (Version 02) as part of the Grants.gov application process. PRM also requires that Box 21 of the SF 424 Version 02 be checked. Completion of the electronic signature and date on the SF-424 (Version 02) form signifies compliance with all assurances and certifications as requested in block 21 of the form.
The SF 424 Version 02 can be found at http://www.grants.gov using the following steps:
- from the Grants.gov main screen use menu to the left;
- click on “For Agencies”;
- click on “Forms Repository”;
- click on “Active forms”;
- click on “SF 424 Family”; and
- select the form named “Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424).
The SF 424 Version 02 can also be accessed directly at: http://www.grants.gov/techlib/424_20090131.doc .
Attachment B
BUDGET PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
The following instructions explain the costs the Bureau wants organizations to include in each budget category when preparing a proposal for overseas processing activities. For policy guidance concerning U.S. Government regulations or admissible expenditure limits, etc., please refer to OMB circulars A-122 and A-110. A sample budget format is provided as attachment D.
PERSONNEL
This category should include annual salaries, wages, stipends, consultant fees, allowances, bonuses or extra months salary, and any anticipated termination or severance pay for all personnel (regular or contractual) to be charged to the proposed agreement. Caseworker staff must be proficient in using WRAPS, e-mail, PC’s and Windows applications. Note that the plan for staffing must include information technology staff qualified to maintain WRAPS. The network administrator should be competent in Windows 2003, Windows XP, IIS, SQL Server 2005, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Office, router configuration and management. Include a staff roster with the above information, indicating existing and proposed positions, an organizational chart, and show total FTE (full-time equivalency) for each type of position in the designated column and actual number of employees occupying each position in the comments column. Information on COLA and proposed salary increase or adjustment should be noted in the narrative accompanying the budget worksheet. For consultants, show the proposed daily rate and indicate the number of days of consultant service anticipated in the comments column.
Attach a copy of your organization's established salary schedule showing different pay levels and step increases on which the budget is based.
ALLOWANCES
The comments column of the budget worksheet should specify the number of employees being given each service; i.e., housing for 3 employees; education allowance for 2 children of 2 employees, etc.
Explain anticipated termination or severance expenses in the Narrative Section.
FRINGE BENEFITS
Show total cost of fringe benefits provided to International Hire and Local Hire employees. It is not necessary to identify individual benefits provided. Where applicable, the percentage of salaries used to calculate benefits should be shown. The benefits must be consistent with the organization's established personnel policies and practices for all of its employees.
TRAVEL
List local program travel in this category (headquarters staff travel should be included in the Headquarters Expenses category below.) Provide one total for in-country project travel and one total for furlough/home leave travel. All anticipated international trips must be listed individually. Show only the total cost of each trip. Do not itemize by category; rather, list general categories included in the trip total (airfare, per diem, etc.) in the comments column.
EQUIPMENT
This category should include both expendable and non-expendable equipment the organization expects to purchase for program activities. Non-expendable equipment is defined as tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. List items with a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $1,000 - $5,000 per unit separately as expendable equipment. Consolidate like items of lesser value by type of equipment (i.e., telephones, office furniture) with quantities or types to be purchased noted in the comments column. See Attachment III for WRAPS requirements.
If your organization has established levels for equipment at a lesser amount than $5,000, items may be shown according to organization policy, as long as the policy is explained in the Narrative Section. The organization must apply its definition consistently in all U.S. government funded arrangements.
Also include equipment to be leased, including vehicles, as well as anticipated maintenance and repair costs for equipment (including contracts.)
SUPPLIES
In this category include such items as office and automotive supplies and computer software.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES
Include here any anticipated sub-contracts, such as security guards, payroll services, etc. Do not include contracts for regular personnel, maintenance and repair of non-expendable equipment, or audits, which are listed elsewhere.
OTHER DIRECT EXPENSES
Please follow the attached format for inclusion of other direct costs of the program, indicating separately anticipated costs for utilities, space rental, communications, insurance, printing/duplicating, and audit, as well as other costs not included elsewhere in the budget.
HEADQUARTERS EXPENSES
This category should include any anticipated U.S. domestic or international travel of headquarters staff in support of this program as well as any personnel costs or other expenses to be directly charged by the organization to the program (for personnel, include percentage of time dedicated to this program.)
CULTURAL ORIENTATION
The organization operating the OPE will provide cultural orientation to approved refugees aged 15 and above in accordance with guidelines developed in conjunction with the Bureau by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) and described in the publication “Welcome to the United States--A Guidebook for Refugees” (CAL, 2004) and other CAL materials (see www.culturalorientation.net ). The cultural orientation training will be for a period of three days and at a minimum address the following subjects:
· Role of the Resettlement Agency
· Rights and Responsibilities of Refugees
· Transit
· Early Employment Priority
· Work plus English Study
· Public Assistance Benefits
· Cultural Adjustment
· Education
· Health Care
· Housing
INDIRECT COST RATE
Please note your organization's percentage rate and attach a copy of the most recent negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with the cognizant U.S. government agency. Also note base of application in the comments column.
COMMENTS
Comments are not required for every budget line item. This column provides space for further identification, as needed, of items included in the budget categories. For example, under travel, each individual trip should be identified and total cost for each trip provided under the “Proposed Budget” column, with items included in the costs, e.g., airfare, per diem, taxis, etc., specified under “Comments”. The Comments column is not intended to replace the Narrative section.
BUDGET SUMMARY PAGE
Include budget category totals on the summary page.
BUDGET NARRATIVE
The Narrative section describes the proposed program and how refugee processing functions will be performed. It also explains the budget request. The Narrative should specifically identify any cost of living (COLA) request and provide a dollar amount for the total cost of the COLA (broken down by international-hire and local-hire, as appropriate).
ATTACHMENT C
BASIC WRAPS EQUIPMENT/SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE
Servers:
WRAPS requires four servers: one Domain Controller, one Domain Controller/Exchange, one Application server, and one Database server.
Server configuration availability changes as the manufacturer upgrades equipment. If the listed versions are not available, the current comparable versions should be substituted.
Following are the minimum configurations for each server:
· Server hardware
Domain Controller (2 required for the OPE)
HP Proliant DL320
Intel Processors D Dual Core
2 GB RAM
2 – 80 GB SATA Disk Drives
CD-RW/DVD-ROM
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
Application Server / Exchange
HP Proliant DL370
2 Intel Xeon Processors
4 GB RAM
6 – 146.8 GB 10K RPM Disk Drives
CD-RW/DVD-ROM
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
HP Smart Array 6404/256 Controller (RAID)
HP Ultrium 448 Tape Drive
Redundant Power Supply
Redundant Fan Kit
Database Server
HP Proliant DL570
4 Intel Xeon Processors
4 GB RAM
10 – 146.8 GB 10K RPM Disk Drives
CD-RW/DVD-ROM
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
HP Smart Array 6404/256 Controller (RAID)
HP Ultrium 448 Tape Drive
Redundant Power Supply
Redundant Fan Kit
· Server Software
o Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition - 4 copies (1 for each server)
o MS Office 2003 SP3 - 3 copies (App, DB and Exchange servers)
o Crystal Reports 9 Advanced SP4 - 1 copy (App server)
o Symantec Anti-Virus Corp Edition 10.1 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o Arcana Scheduler - 1 copy (App server)
o .Net 3.5 SP1
o PKZip Command Line - 1 copy (App server)
o MSXML 6.0 - 2 copies (App and DB server)
o Remotely Anywhere - 4 copies (1 each server)
o Adobe Acrobat 6 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o WinRAR - 4 copies (1 each server)
o WinZip 9 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o UltraBac 7 - 4 copies (1 each server)
o Microsoft Exchange 2003 SP2 – 1 copy (Exchange Server)
· Server Rack
o HP Rack 10622 22U
o R5500 UPS
o 1X4 Rack mount KVM Switch
o TFT5600 Rack mount Keyboard Monitor
Network Components:
WRAPS connectivity requires the following network components:
· Router - Cisco 1841
o A router fully compliant with IPSec Protocol
o WAN Interface Cards for the local connections
· Firewall
o Sonicwall NSA 2400 (Sonicwall 2040 is still supported but no longer sold by the vendor)
· Switch
o Cisco Catalyst 3560 10/100/1000 Ethernet Switch
Note: Number of switches and density of ports are determined by local requirements
· UPS capable of supporting the network components selected.
Required Peripherals (to operate WRAPS software):
The following peripherals will be needed to operate the WRAPS software.
· Printer
o HP LaserJet 4250 with networking capability
(Note: Quantity determined by local requirements)
· Label Printer
o Zebra LP2844 with networking capability
· Digital Camera
· Scanner
o Double Sided Image Scanner (Sized to accommodate the projected scanning workload.)
o Adobe Acrobat Software
Workstation Desktops:
Each caseworker and each supervisor at the OPE must have a Pentium class desktop computer with following minimum requirements:
· Workstations (Minimum Requirements)
o Intel or AMD Athleon Processor
o 2 GB RAM
o 80 GB Hard Drive
o Fast Ethernet Network Interface Card
o 17“ Monitor
o DVD/CD-ROM drive
o 4 USB ports
· Workstation Software
o Windows XP Professional SP2
o Microsoft Office 2003 SP3
o Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0
o Adobe Reader (current version)
o Anti-Virus Software
Structured Cabling:
· Category 5/6 UTP (plenum or low smoke)
· Cable run from wall jacks to patch panel in wiring closet
· RJ 45 patch cables to connect PC to wall jacks
· RJ 45 patch cords to connect patch panel to LAN switches
Security:
· Servers should be installed into a secure area to prevent unauthorized access to the server consoles.
· Router and firewall should be kept in a secure cabinet.
Power:
· Two 15 Amp circuits 220-240V 50Mhz.
Telecommunications:
The OPE shall have an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a minimum of:
· 256 Kbps dedicated line.
· IP Subnet with at least 14 host addresses
Personnel:
OPE must supply personnel with the following minimum qualifications:
· Network administrator:
o Windows Server 2003 R2
o Windows XP Professional SP2
o IIS 6.0
o SQL Server SQL 2005 SP2
o Microsoft Exchange 2005
o Cisco Router configuration and management
o Microsoft Office
· Caseworkers:
o Must be proficient in using e-mail, PCs, and Windows applications.
Circuit Rides:
The following equipment is needed to support the Circuit Ride functionality of WRAPS. One set of equipment is needed to support a single circuit ride. The capability for additional simultaneous circuit rides will be available by October 1, 2008.
· Hardware for Circuit Ride – (Minimum of 2 laptops per Circuit Ride)
o HP Compaq 6730b - Intel Pentium Core 2 Processor
o 2 GB RAM (minimum) 4 GB recommended
o 250 GB Hard Drive (minimum)
o 4 USB ports
o Workstations and switches for circuit ride processing are determined by local circuit ride requirements.
§ Wi-Fi is an acceptable networking solution for circuit rides, provided that a minimum of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security is enabled.
· Software for Circuit Ride – one copy for each laptop
o Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition
o MS Office 2003 SP3
o SQL Server 2005 SP2
o Crystal Reports 9 Advanced SP4
o Symantec Anti-Virus Corp Edition 10.1
o PKZip Command Line
o .Net 3.5 SP1
o MSXML 6.0
o Remotely Anywhere
o Adobe Acrobat
o WinRAR
o WinZip
o UltraBac
· Not required, but recommended, for system backups:
Maxtor One Touch 250 GB USB External Disk Drive - Part Number A01A250 - only 1 needed
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