Title: FY 2003 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Indian Country Continuation Application Kit Series: Application Kit Author: Office for Victims of Crime Published: June 2003 Subject: victim services, funding, Indian country, Native Americans, CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocate program 8 pages 16,384 bytes ---------------------------- Graphics are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site. ---------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office for Victims of Crime Office for Victims of Crime FY 2003 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Indian Country Continuation Application Kit ---------------------------- Contents How To Apply Quick Start Guide to Using OJP's Online Grants Management System Application Review Checklist Application Information o Eligibility Requirements o Selection Criteria o Application Requirements --Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1) --Program Narrative (Attachment #2) ----Problem Statement ----Program Strategy ----Goals and Objectives o Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3) o Due Date o Contact Information ---------------------------- FY 2003 OVC Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Indian Country Continuation How To Apply OJP now requires that funding applications be submitted through the OJP Grants Management System (GMS). Access through the Internet to this online application system will expedite and streamline the receipt, review, and processing of requests for funding. Applications will only be accepted through the GMS online application system. To learn how to begin the online application process, please see the Quick Start Guide to Using OJP's Online GMS on page 3. A toll-free telephone number (1-888-549-9901) has been established to provide applicants with technical assistance as they work through the online application process. ---------------------------- Quick Start Guide to Using OJP's Online Grants Management System Step 1. Using an established Internet account, go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm. An online Applicant Procedures handbook is available on this page and applicants may link directly to OJP's Grants Management System (GMS), which provides online help screens. Note: Applicants without an Internet account should call the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901 for assistance. Step 2. Click on "Logon to the Grants Management System (GMS)." Step 3. Follow the onscreen instructions. First-time GMS users should click on "New User? Register Here." Applicants who already have a GMS password should click on "GMS Sign-In." Proceed to the FY 2003 Competitive Discretionary Grant Program Solicitations and Application Guidelines and begin working on it. Applicants will receive e-mail confirmation from OVC that they are eligible to submit an application within 7 days. Plan ahead. Applicants can register at any time and are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Applicants must create a separate GMS account for each application to be submitted. Please note: Applicants must ensure that the information for the authorizing official and alternate contact is entered correctly. The authorizing official is the individual authorized to accept grant funds in your organization. If the individual applying online is not the signing authority, that individual must list the authorizing official's name and contact information where appropriate. Questions or problems: Applicants who have questions should refer to the online handbook or access applicable help screens. If the questions cannot be addressed by accessing the online GMS reference tools, call the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901. Previous users should contact the GMS Hotline if they are having difficulty with their user ID and password. Step 4. Complete the online Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) by providing the required information in the Overview, Applicant Information, and Project Information screens. Step 5. Complete the application by electronically "accepting" the Assurances and Certifications and submitting the three required file attachments: Budget Detail Worksheet, Program Narrative, and Other Program Attachments. (See the Application Review Checklist on page 4 and the Application Requirements on page 8 for detailed instructions about the information to include in each attachment). Please note that applicants must upload one file per attachment; only the most current file uploaded to the appropriate attachment will be saved as part of the application. All sections of each attachment must be completed for your application to be considered for funding. Submit your completed application online. The GMS system will notify the applicant that the application has been received and sent to OVC and provide an application identification number for future reference. Applicants who have questions about GMS or need technical assistance with applying online should contact the GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (except federal holidays). ---------------------------- Application Review Checklist All applications must be submitted electronically through OJP's GMS, which can be accessed at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm. Please use this checklist to make sure your application is complete. Your GMS application must include: Online Forms ___Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424). This form is generated by completing the Overview, Applicant Information, and Project Information screens in GMS. ___Assurances and Certifications. The Assurances and Certifications must be reviewed and accepted electronically by the authorizing official or the designated authorizing official. Attachments (3) ___Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1). The Budget Detail Worksheet must present a detailed budget that itemizes all proposed costs and must include a budget narrative that provides justification for all proposed costs. ___Program Narrative (Attachment #2). The Program Narrative must include: o___Project Abstract o___Problem Statement o___Project Goals and Objectives o___Project Design/Implementation Plan o___Organizational Capability and Project Management o___Plans for Measuring Progress and Outcomes ___Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3). The Other Program Attachments must include the following elements. Note: All of the below materials must be attached in one (1) file. o___Resumes of key personnel/position descriptions (required) o___Letters of support (where appropriate) o___Memoranda of understanding (where appropriate) o___Names and affiliations of the author(s) of the application proposal should be clearly identified (required) Please refer to corresponding sections in this announcement to determine the specific contents of each of these attachments. ---------------------------- Application Information FY2003 Continuation of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Indian Country Eligibility Requirements: Application for this solicitation is limited to the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. Selection Criteria. Applications will be rated by a review panel on the extent to which they meet the following criteria: 1. Budget Detail Worksheet (20 points). 2. Project Narrative, including Problem Statement, Program Strategy, and Goals and Objectives (60 points). 3. Other Program Attachments, including Project timeline (20 points). Award Amount: The award amount is $205,000. OVC anticipates awarding continuation funding, contingent on the grantee's performance, the success of the project, and the availability of federal funds. Award Period: 12 months. Goal: The goal is to support the establishment of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities by adapting the evidence-based, culturally sensitive CASA training curriculum and providing ongoing training and technical assistance. Purpose: The purpose is to provide child abuse victims in Indian Country with the support of CASA volunteers who have the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to advocate for these victims involved in the criminal justice process. OVC will provide funding to sustain existing programs and establish five new tribal CASA programs. Background: Child abuse victims in Indian Country are sometimes involved with several different court systems to resolve criminal and civil issues related to the child and his or her caretaker. Systems can include the federal, state, and tribal criminal justice systems, and the tribal abuse and neglect system. As a result, children need an advocate who will look out for their interests. The National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program is a successful organization that trains volunteers to act as advocates in court for child abuse victims. Of the 900 CASA programs that exist nationally, only 22 are in Indian Country. This project will support the existing tribal programs through training and technical assistance and program implementation efforts, and will provide five tribes with seed money to begin developing tribal CASA programs. Program Strategy: The grantee, along with CASA's Tribal Court Advisory Committee, will develop a strategic plan to enhance training and technical assistance and program implementation efforts of existing CASA programs in Indian Country. The strategic plan will include a timeline and goals to provide a structure for developing a needs assessment. Further, the project will begin development of a culturally sensitive tribal CASA volunteer training curriculum that incorporates accepted principles of adult learning and curriculum design and incorporates a plan to develop an instructor manual and a participant manual. The new curriculum will be pilot-tested at four tribal sites across Indian Country and revised based on the results of pilot tests. The curriculum will also include a short-term evaluation of the impact of the training on tribal CASA volunteers. The project strategy must clearly demonstrate the involvement of subject matter experts. The project must retain the services of an expert in curriculum analysis, design, development, and evaluation at the beginning of the project to assist in the evaluation and needs assessment. Project tasks, at a minimum, should include the following: o Compile and review existing training for volunteers who provide child abuse victims with criminal justice advocacy services and the CASA curriculum that has been adapted for use in Indian Country. o Conduct a comprehensive training needs analysis to develop training objectives and content, ensure the quality and evidence-based foundation of the curriculum, determine the most appropriate methods of training delivery, ensure the learning is transferred to the work setting, and identify evaluation criteria. o Develop, with the assistance of the Tribal Court Advisory Committee, a detailed time-task line with steps for completing the evaluation and developing the curriculum, as well as the identification of staff responsible for task implementation. o Draft an outline of the curriculum with both a participant's and an instructor's manual that incorporates accepted adult learning principles and meets generally accepted standards of curriculum design. o Develop strategies to overcome barriers (e.g., develop a recruitment and retention strategy that addresses unique factors affecting tribal CASA programs, develop a strategy to streamline and expedite background checks for volunteers and board members). o Deliver training and technical assistance to tribal grantees that enhances their capacity to provide quality CASA services to child abuse victims in Indian Country, sustain their programs, and effectively report their progress and financial status. Evaluation: The applicant must include a plan to perform a basic evaluation of the project, incorporating the performance measures identified below and other appropriate performance indicators, such as the impact of training and technical assistance efforts on CASA volunteer effectiveness and tribal CASA program sustainability. The applicant should follow the guidelines provided in the Plans for Measuring Progress and Outcomes section of the Program Narrative. Performance Measures: To ensure compliance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), Public Law 103-62, this solicitation notifies applicants that they are required to collect and report data that measures the results of the programs implemented with this grant. To ensure accountability of this data, for which OJP is responsible, the following performance measures are provided: o Number of victims of child abuse in Indian Country assisted by CASA volunteers. o Progress reports identifying steps taken to address specific goals and objectives identified by the program. o Training and technical assistance outline of tribal CASA volunteer training curriculum adapted for use in Indian Country. o Number of new tribal CASA programs established. The grantee must document the accomplishment of these measures in the semiannual progress reports submitted by OVC. The progress reports must include information on all of the above performance measures. Outcome/Deliverable(s): Training and technical assistance, CASA Instructor's Guide, Participant Guide, and five new tribal CASA programs. ---------------------------- Application Requirements Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1). o See the Budget Detail Worksheet available on the online GMS system. You must enter the budgeted items and their costs on this form. A Budget Narrative is required. Applicants must justify the cost of individual items such as personnel, travel, etc. and show how they were computed. Program Narrative (Attachment #2): The applicant must submit a Program Narrative of not more than three (3), single-spaced pages that addresses the following: o Problem Statement. The grantee should identify specific challenges faced in providing children in Indian Country with Court Appointed Special Advocates. In addition, the grantee should evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing and new tribal programs and identify the T&TA needs of the volunteers. The applicant should discuss the difficulties associated with program implementation by identifying barriers to accessible services. o Program Strategy. The program strategy should include sufficient detail to describe what will be accomplished, how it will be accomplished, and who will accomplish it. Projected activities should be realistic and reflect the project's allocated time, staff, and funding. Suggested activities and involvement in the Tribal Court Advisory Committee should be included. Clearly define how the program will address the deliverables required. o Goals and Objectives. Be specific about your goals and objectives. There should be a logical progression from the goals of the first year to the goals of the second year. Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3). o 12-month project timeline of key activities, training, product development. o Resumes of key personnel and position descriptions (if any additions to 1st year application). Application Due Date: Applications under this solicitation must be submitted to GMS by 8 p.m. EST on July 9, 2003. The GMS registration deadline for this solicitation is 8 p.m. EST on June 25, 2003. Contact Person: Charlotte Clarke, 202-514-2545 or e-mail Clarkec@ojp.usdoj.gov.