Office of Financial Services, Division of Financial Integrity, 21221-21229 [05-8218]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
• Administration for Children and Families
• Children and Families Administration

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 78 (Monday, April 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21221-21229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8218]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Office of Financial Services, Division of Financial Integrity

    Funding Opportunity Title: Public Assistance Reporting Information 
System (PARIS) State Partnership Grants.
    Announcement Type: Initial.
    Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2005-ACF-OA-TA-0017.
    CFDA Number: 93.647.
    Due Date for Applications: Application is due June 24, 2005.
    Executive Summary: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (House 
of Representatives H.R. 4818--November 19, 2004) as a part of the 
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005, pursuant to Public Law 
108-447 has appropriated funds to support a wide range of activities 
intended to encourage additional states to join the PARIS Project and 
to evaluate its effectiveness. Activities funded under this 
appropriation will be carried out under Section 1110 of the Social 
Security Act.
    To implement the program and to expand the number of participating 
jurisdictions, the Administration for Children and Families is issuing 
this grant announcement. Its purpose is to increase states' 
participation in the PARIS Project through Partnerships between Member 
states and Partner states (See Section III.1. Additional Information on 
Eligibility) resulting in increased matches and a reduction in improper 
payments.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    PARIS is a voluntary project for those states willing to share 
public assistance data among a like-minded group of states that wish to 
maintain program integrity and detect and deter improper payments. The 
PARIS Project has been operational and matches have been performed 
every quarter since August 1999. Using the Social Security Number as 
the key, the match process compares payouts made by states under 
various benefit programs (for example, Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families (TANF), Medicaid and Food Stamps) against various data bases. 
There are three parts of the PARIS match process: (1) The Veterans 
Administration (VA) database match which determines if a client is 
collecting VA benefits; (2) the Interstate match where participating 
states during a particular quarter match against each other (which 
determines if a client is collecting benefits in more than one state) 
and (3) the Federal match, which determines whether anyone receiving 
public assistance benefits is also collecting a payment as a U.S. 
Federal or military employee in the form of a retirement pension or as 
a current member of the military or civilian workforce. The PARIS 
computer facility performs the PARIS match and provides any hits to the 
appropriate state, where state staff can verify the data and follow 
pertinent procedures for notice and opportunity to contest. No 
permanent database is created for PARIS and all electronic data 
submissions from all sources are destroyed after each quarterly match 
run. Participating states are not charged for any costs associated with 
the matching process. The number of states with signed PARIS agreements 
is twenty-six (26).
    The purpose of this grant announcement is (1) to encourage new 
states to join PARIS (e.g., sign a PARIS agreement and participate in 
the PARIS matches) and (2) to provide financial assistance to support a 
partnership between a Member state currently participating in PARIS and 
a Partner state, a state currently not participating in the PARIS 
Project. Either a Member state or a Partner state may initiate the 
development of an application. By expanding the population of the 
current PARIS base, more matches may result in greater dollar savings 
for participant states. This partnership between the two states shall 
facilitate the establishment of Information Technology (IT) policies 
and procedures for PARIS implementation in the Partner state. Further, 
it is intended to enhance the Partner state's capacity to participate 
in the PARIS Project on a regular basis after the Grant is completed 
(at least once a year, but preferably more). During the course of the 
grant period, the Member and Partner states must participate in the 
PARIS Project at least during the quarterly match in November 2005 and 
February 2006 in order to allow enough time for the states to follow-up 
on the match data identifying

[[Page 21222]]

potential improper payments and allow an evaluation contractor adequate 
time to assess the effectiveness of PARIS.
    After evaluation of all grant applications, and if chosen for an 
award, the Member state will be awarded a grant under which it will act 
as a fiduciary agent to the Partner state. The Member state will be 
responsible for all funding that is provided to its Partner state and 
will reimburse funding provided hereunder, as costs are incurred, for 
specific items delineated in its approved grant application budget and 
in accordance with HHS fiscal and grants management requirements.
    The financial assistance will be available to aid Partner states in 
defraying costs of establishing a new IT capacity to produce PARIS 
input data in accordance with prescribed parameters, hiring additional 
staff with PARIS-related duties, cooperating with the evaluation 
contractor who will be evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the PARIS 
Project, and working in a professional manner with its Member state and 
the other selected awardees.
    A number of parameters must be considered by the applicants to 
participate in the competition and to be considered for an award:
    (1) The Partnership agreement must be signed by both states. 
Generally, this is accomplished by an authorized state official 
(Secretary of Department, Director of Fraud Office, etc., depending 
where the PARIS Project will be based in the state).
    (2) The two states must agree to provide PARIS match results and 
data on resulting benefits, savings and/or cost effectiveness to the 
Federal PARIS Project Manager as well as to a separate ACF contractor 
who will be evaluating PARIS. The states must take care not to release 
any information considered non-releasable under any relevant Federal 
statutes such as the Privacy Act or terms and conditions of the PARIS 
agreement, or in violation of any state laws within the applicable 
jurisdictions.
    (3) The Member state must provide a proposed budget that includes 
the resources and associated costs it believes are necessary to have 
its Partner state participate in the match process. This proposed 
budget will be evaluated for adequacy, reasonableness and to ensure 
that implementation of the partnership will be both operationally 
effective and successful. ACF anticipates that the Partner state will 
have a greater need for financial assistance than the Member state. 
Examples of the type of activities Partner and Member states may 
consider under these grants include: Development of data with respect 
to cost efficiency in cooperation with the evaluation contractor; 
Partner state coding issues; Staff time and consultations between 
Member states and Partner states; Travel to support grant activities; 
Follow-up on ``red flags'' identified through the Match Process; and 
Partner state systems development analysis and IT-related changes to 
accommodate the PARIS Project. This list should not be considered 
limiting or all-inclusive but merely illustrative. Proposed budgets 
should include the cost of any travel-related expenses between the 
Member and Partner states. A two-day PARIS conference followed by a 
one-day workshop is planned. The purpose of the workshop is to assemble 
all the selected grant award applicants in one venue to share 
expectations, address any issues/questions about the process and ensure 
that expected results are attained. This meeting will focus on 
orientation to the PARIS Project and related challenges, similarities 
and differences of states selected under this grant announcement. 
Funding for this conference and workshop shall be provided separately 
under an ACF logistics contract. However, applicants selected for award 
under this announcement should plan on attending both the conference 
and workshop.
    (4) The location of the Partner state selected by the Member state 
will be examined to determine the appropriateness of the selection. It 
is recommended that Member states look to their borders (contiguous 
states) for those states that are NOT members of the PARIS community.
    (5) For Member states to be eligible for this funding opportunity 
they must have participated in at least two of the last six PARIS 
matches (from November 2003 through February 2005).
    (6) Applicants are cautioned that the ceiling for each grant award 
is $150,000. Applications exceeding the $150,000 threshold will be 
considered non-responsive and will not be eligible for funding under 
this announcement.
    (7) One application must be submitted for each partnership grant. 
Member states may submit up to two applications under this grant 
announcement.
    (8) The Partner state must enroll in the PARIS Project and provide 
a copy of the PARIS agreement with the grant application to document 
Partner state consent by the closing date of the grants announcement. 
See the following link for a copy of the PARIS agreement: https://
www.acf.hhs.gov/nhsitrc/Aurl.jsp?pageID=sampleparismoa.
    (9) When participating in the matches, the Partner state must 
submit its data electronically through Connect-Direct to the Defense 
Manpower Data Center in Monterey, California, the official PARIS 
computer facility.
    (10) At a minimum, an award recipient, the Member and Partner 
states must participate in the Veterans and Interstate Match. States 
are encouraged to participate in any additional matches available. The 
Member and Partner states must submit Medicaid data (at a minimum) when 
submitting their quarterly match input. States are encouraged to submit 
Food Stamp and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) data also.
    (11) If one is scheduled, representatives from both Member and 
Partner states must participate in a Public Forum and present results 
obtained.
    Member states should have a thorough knowledge of the PARIS 
Project, its procedures and intricacies of both submitting data and 
analyzing the resulting output. Expected outcomes from the partnership 
must include:
    (1) Facilitating the development, support and maintenance of the 
PARIS Project in the Partner state to ensure that a process is firmly 
established to strengthen and support the viability of the matching 
process and the potential to save funding;
    (2) Conducting a needs assessment of required services, and if 
necessary, recommending alternatives for how they might be achieved;
    (3) Developing internal operating controls and procedures related 
to the PARIS program in the Partner state;
    (4) Facilitating networks, IT hardware, software and available 
resources employing best practices needed to implement PARIS in the 
Partner state;
    (5) Coordinating the analysis of matching data to ensure that the 
cost benefits of the investment will be attained;
    (6) Promoting the meaningful participation of the Partner state in 
providing the necessary input to ensure that the appropriate data has 
been gathered to match in accordance with the PARIS website's specific 
directives;
    (7) Enhancing the capacity of the Partner state to become an active 
participant in the PARIS Project not only for the quarterly matches 
during the course of the grant's project period but thereafter;
    (8) The Member state is expected to train, assist and monitor the 
Partner state's input into the quarterly matches.
    This list is meant to be illustrative, not exhaustive of the type 
of issues the Member state should address when preparing the 
application.

[[Page 21223]]

    Additional information concerning the PARIS Project and its 
operation is available from the website (www.acf.hhs.gov/paris) or by 
calling the Federal contacts listed in this grants announcement.

Background Information

    The Office of Financial Services (OFS), Office of Administration, 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is responsible for the 
operational aspects of the PARIS Project, a national program. OFS has 
ultimate responsibility for developing, interpreting and disseminating 
ACF's grant management policies. OFS fulfills this mission by providing 
financial management leadership and conducting activities to ensure the 
most effective use of ACF funding. OFS intends to closely monitor the 
progress of all grant activities.
    PARIS assists states in formulating methodologies for identifying 
and decreasing improper payments. PARIS helps states validate that the 
individuals/families receiving benefits under the public assistance 
programs administered by ACF, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services and the Food and Nutrition Service are eligible and provides 
data that assists in case determinations. Approved applicants must be 
willing to work closely with Federal and contractor staff to 
coordinate, assist or evaluate the activities of this venture in 
providing technical assistance.

II. Award Information

    Funding Instrument Type: Grant.
    Anticipated Total Priority Area Funding per Project Period: 
$1,200,000.
    Anticipated Number of Awards: 1 to 8.
    Ceiling on Amount of Individual Awards per Project Period: 
$150,000.
    Floor on Amount of Individual Awards per Project Period: None.
    Average Projected Award Amount per Project Period: $150,000.
    Length of Project Periods: 12-month project and budget period.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    State governments.
Additional Information on Eligibility:
    In the context of this grant announcement, a member state of PARIS 
must have participated in at least two of the last six quarterly 
matches from November 2003 through February 2005. The following States 
meet this eligibility factor: CT, DC, DE, FL, IL, KS, KY, MA, MD, MO, 
MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, PA, PR, RI, TN, UT, VA and WA., and only these 
Member states may submit applications under this grant announcement. 
Any state not defined as a Member state may be considered a Partner 
state. The application must include the Partnership agreement as well 
as the appropriate signed PARIS agreement for the Partner state. A 
state is defined as any state within the United States of America, its 
territories and the District of Columbia. Eligible applicable agencies 
are encouraged to apply. (Please reference Section III.3 Other).

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

    None.

3. Other

    Any Member state may submit no more than two Partnership grant 
applications. All applications will be reviewed to ensure that 
accessible transportation exists between the capitols of the Member 
state and the proposed Partner state and to the amount of funding 
requested for the Member state versus the Partner state.
    All applicants must have a Dun & Bradstreet number. On June 27, 
2003, the Office of Management and Budget published in the Federal 
Register a new Federal policy applicable to all Federal grant 
applicants. The policy requires Federal grant applicants to provide a 
Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when 
applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements on or after 
October 1, 2003. The DUNS number will be required whether an applicant 
is submitting a paper application or using the governmentwide 
electronic portal (www.Grants.gov). A DUNS number will be required for 
every application for a new award or renewal/continuation of an award, 
including applications or plans under formula, entitlement and block 
grant programs, submitted on or after October 1, 2003.
    Please ensure that your organization has a DUNS number. You may 
acquire a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free 
DUNS number request line on 1-866-705-5711 or you may request a number 
on-line at https://www.dnb.com.
Disqualification Factors
    Applications that exceed the ceiling amount will be considered non-
responsive and not be considered for funding under this announcement.
    Applications that fail to satisfy the deadline requirements 
referenced in Section IV.3 will be considered non-responsive and not be 
considered for funding under this announcement.
    The following additional factors will cause an application to be 
considered non-responsive and not be considered for funding under this 
announcement:
    Applications that are not submitted by a Member state.
    Applications that fail to include a written Partnership agreement 
between the Member state and Partner state.
    Applications that fail to provide a signed PARIS agreement by the 
Partner state.
    Applications that fail to specify at least two of the last six 
quarterly PARIS matches from November 2003 through February 2005 in 
which the Member state has participated.
    Applications received by any applicant exceeding the two 
application limit per applicant.
    Please reference Section III.1 Additional Information on 
Eligibility.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    Administration for Children and Families, Office of Financial 
Services/Division of Financial Integrity, Mark Graboyes, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW., 6th Floor East, Washington, DC 20047. Phone: 202-401-
7237. Email: mgraboyes@acf.hhs.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Applications must contain a partnership agreement from the Partner 
state indicating its agreement to team with the Member state for 
purposes of this grant.
    You may submit your application to ACF in either electronic or 
paper format.
    To submit an application electronically, please use the https://
www.Grants.gov/Apply site. If you use Grants.gov, you will be able to 
download a copy of the application package, complete it off-line, and 
then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site. ACF 
will not accept grant applications via email or facsimile transmission.
    Please note the following if you plan to submit your application 
electronically via Grants.gov:
     Electronic submission is voluntary, but strongly 
encouraged.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation. We strongly recommend that you 
do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the 
application process through Grants.gov.
     We recommend you visit Grants.gov at least 30 days prior 
to filing your

[[Page 21224]]

application to fully understand the process and requirements. We 
encourage applicants who submit electronically to submit well before 
the closing date and time so that if difficulties are encountered an 
applicant can still send in a hard copy overnight. If you encounter 
difficulties, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 1-800-518-4276 
to report the problem and obtain assistance with the system.
     To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a DUNS 
number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You 
should allow a minimum of five days to complete the CCR registration.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize 
you if you submit an application in paper format.
     You may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the SF 424 and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     Your application must comply with any page limitation 
requirements described in this program announcement.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Children and 
Families will retrieve your application from Grants.gov.
     We may request that you provide original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
     You may access the electronic application for this program 
on www.Grants.gov.
     You must search for the downloadable application package 
by the CFDA number.
    Note that this application requires proof of an agreement between 
the PARIS Member state and its Partner state as well as a signed PARIS 
agreement (available on the PARIS website). If submitting 
electronically, these agreements should be scanned and attached as an 
``Other'' document in Grants.gov.
    Applicants that are submitting their application in paper format 
should submit an original and two copies of the complete application. 
The original and each of the two copies must include all required 
forms, certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by an 
authorized representative, have original signatures and be submitted 
unbound.
Standard Forms and Certifications
    The project description should include all the information 
requirements described in the specific evaluation criteria outlined in 
the program announcement under Section V Application Review 
Information. In addition to the project description, the applicant 
needs to complete all the standard forms required for making 
applications for awards under this announcement.
    Applicants seeking financial assistance under this announcement 
must file the Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal 
Assistance; SF-424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs; SF-
424B, Assurances--Non-Construction Programs. The forms may be 
reproduced for use in submitting applications. Applicants must sign and 
return the standard forms with their application.
    Applicants must furnish prior to award an executed copy of the 
Standard Form LLL, Certification Regarding Lobbying, when applying for 
an award in excess of $100,000. Applicants who have used non-Federal 
funds for lobbying activities in connection with receiving assistance 
under this announcement shall complete a disclosure form, if 
applicable, with their applications (approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget under control number 0348-0046). Applicants must 
sign and return the certification with their application.
    Applicants must also understand they will be held accountable for 
the smoking prohibition included within Public Law 103-227, Title XII 
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (also known as the PRO-KIDS Act of 1994). A 
copy of the Federal Register notice which implements the smoking 
prohibition is included with forms. By signing and submitting the 
application, applicants are providing the certification and need not 
mail back the certification with the application.
    Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their 
compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. By 
signing and submitting the applications, applicants are providing the 
certification and need not mail back the certification form. Complete 
the standard forms and the associated certifications and assurances 
based on the instructions on the forms. The forms and certifications 
may be found at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm.
    Please see Section V.1, for instructions on preparing the full 
project description.

3. Submission Dates and Times

    Due Date for Applications: June 24, 2005.
Explanation of Due Dates
    The closing time and date for receipt of applications is referenced 
above. Applications received after 4:30 p.m. eastern time on the 
closing date will be classified as late.
    Deadline: Applications shall be considered as meeting an announced 
deadline if they are received on or before the deadline time and date 
referenced in Section IV.6. Applicants are responsible for ensuring 
applications are mailed or submitted electronically well in advance of 
the application due date.
    Applications hand carried by applicants, applicant couriers, other 
representatives of the applicant, or by overnight/express mail couriers 
shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are 
received on or before the deadline date, between the hours of 8 a.m. 
and 4:30 p.m., eastern time, at the address referenced in Section 
IV.6., between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays).
    ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by facsimile. 
Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF by fax will not be accepted 
regardless of date or time of submission and time of receipt.
    Receipt acknowledgement for application packages will not be 
provided to applicants who submit their package via mail, courier 
services, or by hand delivery. However, applicants will receive an 
electronic acknowledgement for applications that are submitted via 
https://www.Grants.gov.
    Late Applications: Applications that do not meet the criteria above 
are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant 
that its application will not be considered in the current competition.
    Any application received after 4:30 p.m. eastern time on the 
deadline date will not be considered for competition.
    Applicants using express/overnight mail services should allow two 
working days prior to the deadline date for receipt of applications. 
Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not 
always deliver as agreed.
    Extension of deadlines: ACF may extend application deadlines when 
circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or 
when there are widespread disruptions of mail service, or in other rare 
cases. A determination to extend or waive deadline requirements rests 
with the Chief Grants Management Officer.
Checklist
    You may use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your 
application package.

[[Page 21225]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Required form or
        What to submit             Required content             format                   When to submit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Abstract..............  See Sections IV.2 and   Found in Sections IV.2  By application due date.
                                 V.                      and V.
Project Description...........  See Sections IV.2 and   Found in Sections IV.2  By application due date.
                                 V.                      and V.
Budget Narrative/Justification  See Sections IV.2 and   Found in Sections IV.2  By application due date.
                                 V.                      and V.
SF424.........................  See Section IV.2......  See https:// By application due date.
                                                         www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/
forms.htm.
SF-LLL Certification Regarding  See Section IV.2......  See https:// By date of award.
 Lobbying.                                               www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/
forms.htm.
Certification Regarding         See Section IV.2......  See https:// By date of award.
 Environmental Tobacco Smoke.                            www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/
forms.htm.
Assurances....................  See Section IV.2......  See https://www.acf/hhs/ By date of award.
                                                         gov/programs/ofs/
                                                         forms.htm.
Table of Contents.............  See Section IV.2......  Found in Section IV.2.  By application due date.
SF424A........................  See Section IV.2......  See https:// By application due date.
                                                         www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/
forms.htm.
PARIS Agreement...............  See Sections I and      Agreement between       By application due date.
                                 III.3.                  state and PARIS
                                                         Project.
Partnership Agreement.........  See Sections I and      Agreement between       By application due date.
                                 III.3.                  Member and Partner
                                                         states.
SF424B........................  See Section IV.2......  See https:// By application due date.
                                                         www.acf.hhs.gov/
programs/ofs/
forms.htm.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Intergovernmental Review

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
    This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR Part 100, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services 
Programs and Activities.'' Under the Order, states may design their own 
processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance 
under covered programs.
    As of October 1, 2004, the following jurisdictions have elected to 
participate in the Executive Order process: Arkansas, California, 
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, 
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New 
Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South 
Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, American Samoa, Guam, 
North Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. As these 
jurisdictions have elected to participate in the Executive Order 
process, they have established SPOCs. Applicants from participating 
jurisdictions should contact their SPOC, as soon as possible, to alert 
them of prospective applications and receive instructions. Applicants 
must submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate 
the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is 
required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2).
    A SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on 
proposed new or competing continuation awards. SPOCs are encouraged to 
eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official 
recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are requested to clearly 
differentiate between mere advisory comments and those official state 
process recommendations which may trigger the ``accommodate or 
explain'' rule.
    When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be 
addressed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, 
Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 4th 
floor, Washington, DC 20447.
    Although the remaining jurisdictions have chosen not to participate 
in the process, entities that meet the eligibility requirements of the 
program are still eligible to apply for a grant even if a state, 
Territory, Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC. Therefore, 
applicants from these jurisdictions, or for projects administered by 
Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, need take no action in regard to 
E.O. 12372.
    The official list, including addresses, of the jurisdictions that 
have elected to participate in E.O. 12372 can be found on the following 
URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

5. Funding Restrictions

    Grant awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.
    There is no construction allowed on this project. Foreign travel is 
prohibited. Equipment purchases are not allowed, although software, if 
necessary to support PARIS data development and analysis, may be 
acquired by the Partner state.

6. Other Submission Requirements

    Submission by Mail: An applicant must provide an original 
application with all attachments, signed by an authorized 
representative and two copies. Please see Section IV.3 for an 
explanation of due dates. Applications should be mailed to: 
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, 
Attn: Daphne Weeden, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., 4th Floor East, 
Aerospace Center, Washington, DC 20447.
    Hand Delivery: An applicant must provide an original application 
with all attachments signed by an authorized representative and two 
copies. The application must be received at the address below by 4:30 
p.m. eastern time on or before the closing date. Applications that are 
hand delivered will be accepted between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday. Applications should be 
delivered to: Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Grants Management, Attn: Daphne Weeden, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., 
4th Floor East, Aerospace Center, Washington, DC 20447.
    Electronic Submission: https://www.Grants.gov. Please see Section 
IV.2 for guidelines and requirements when submitting applications 
electronically.

V. Application Review Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13)

    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average 15 hours per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and 
reviewing the collection information.

[[Page 21226]]

    The project description is approved under OMB control number 0970-
0139 which expires 4/30/2007.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.
1. Criteria
    The following are instructions and guidelines on how to prepare the 
``project summary/abstract'' and ``full project description'' sections 
of the application. Under the evaluation criteria section, note that 
each criterion is preceded by the generic evaluation requirement under 
the ACF Uniform Project Description (UPD).

Part I--The Project Description Overview

Purpose

    The project description provides a major means by which an 
application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications 
for available assistance. The project description should be concise and 
complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are 
being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can 
present information clearly and succinctly. In preparing your project 
description, information responsive to each of the requested evaluation 
criteria must be provided. Awarding offices use this and other 
information in making their funding recommendations. It is important, 
therefore, that this information be included in the application in a 
manner that is clear and complete.

General Instructions

    ACF is particularly interested in specific project descriptions 
that focus on outcomes and convey strategies for achieving intended 
performance. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of 
substance and measurable outcomes, not length. Extensive exhibits are 
not required. Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. 
Supporting information concerning activities that will not be directly 
funded by the grant or information that does not directly pertain to an 
integral part of the grant funded activity should be placed in an 
appendix. Pages should be numbered and a table of contents should be 
included for easy reference.

Introduction

    Applicants are required to submit a full project description shall 
prepare the project description statement in accordance with the 
following instructions while being aware of the specified evaluation 
criteria. The text options give a broad overview of what your project 
description should include while the evaluation criteria identifies the 
measures that will be used to evaluate applications.

Project Summary/Abstract

    Provide a summary of the project description (a page or less) with 
reference to the funding request.

Objectives and Need for Assistance

    Clearly identify the physical, economic, social, financial, 
institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a solution. The need 
for assistance must be demonstrated and the principal and subordinate 
objectives of the project must be clearly stated; supporting 
documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials from 
concerned interests other than the applicant, may be included. Any 
relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referred 
to in the endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate demographic data and 
participant/beneficiary information, as needed. In developing the 
project description, the applicant may volunteer or be requested to 
provide information on the total range of projects currently being 
conducted and supported (or to be initiated), some of which may be 
outside the scope of the program announcement.

Results or Benefits Expected

    Identify the results and benefits to be derived.

Approach

    Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how 
the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or 
activities identified in the application. Cite factors that might 
accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the 
proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of 
the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in 
cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.
    Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the 
accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such 
terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities 
accomplished.

Evaluation

    Provide a narrative addressing how the conduct of the project and 
the results of the project will be evaluated. In addressing the 
evaluation of results, state how you will determine the extent to which 
the project has achieved its stated objectives and the extent to which 
the accomplishment of objectives can be attributed to the project. 
Discuss the criteria to be used to evaluate results, and explain the 
methodology that will be used to determine if the needs identified and 
discussed are being met and if the project results and benefits are 
being achieved. With respect to the conduct of the project, define the 
procedures to be employed to determine whether the project is being 
conducted in a manner consistent with the work plan presented and 
discuss the impact of the project's various activities on the project's 
effectiveness.

Geographic Location

    Describe the precise location of the project and boundaries of the 
area to be served by the proposed project. Maps or other graphic aids 
may be attached.

Additional Information

    Following are requests for additional information that need to be 
included in the application:

Staff and Position Data

    Provide a biographical sketch and job description for each key 
person appointed. Job descriptions for each vacant key position should 
be included as well. As new key staff is appointed, biographical 
sketches will also be required.

Plan for Project Continuance Beyond Grant Support

    Provide a plan for securing resources and continuing project 
activities after Federal assistance has ended.

Business Plan

    When Federal grant funds will be used to make an equity investment, 
provide a business plan. The business plan shall include:

Organizational Profiles

    Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and 
cooperating partners, such as organizational charts, financial 
statements, audit reports or statements from CPAs/Licensed Public 
Accountants, Employer Identification Numbers, names of bond carriers, 
contact persons and telephone numbers, child care licenses and other 
documentation of professional accreditation, information on compliance 
with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation of 
experience in the program area, and other pertinent information. If the 
applicant is a non-profit organization,

[[Page 21227]]

submit proof of non-profit status in its application.
    The non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing: (a) A 
reference to the applicant organization's listing in the Internal 
Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations 
described in the IRS Code; (b) a copy of a currently valid IRS tax 
exemption certificate, (c) a statement from a state taxing body, state 
attorney general, or other appropriate state official certifying that 
the applicant organization has a non-profit status and that none of the 
net earnings accrue to any private shareholders or individuals; (d) a 
certified copy of the organization's certificate of incorporation or 
similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status, (e) any of 
the items immediately above for a state or national parent organization 
and a statement signed by the parent organization that the applicant 
organization is a local non-profit affiliate.

Dissemination Plan

    Provide a plan for distributing reports and other project outputs 
to colleagues and the public. Applicants must provide a description of 
the kind, volume and timing of distribution.

Third-Party Agreements

    Provide written and signed agreements between grantees and 
subgrantees or subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These 
agreements must detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules, 
remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define 
the relationship.

Letters of Support

    Provide statements from community, public and commercial leaders 
that support the project proposed for funding. All submissions should 
be included in the application or by application deadline.

Budget and Budget Justification

    Provide a budget with line item detail and detailed calculations 
for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information form. 
Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit 
costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the 
calculation to be duplicated. Also include a breakout by the funding 
sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
    Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the 
categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, 
and allocability of the proposed costs.

General

    Use the following guidelines for preparing the budget and budget 
justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed 
and justified in the budget and narrative justification. ``Federal 
resources'' refers only to the ACF grant for which you are applying. 
``Non-Federal resources'' are all other Federal and non-Federal 
resources. It is suggested that budget amounts and computations be 
presented in a columnar format: First column, object class categories; 
second column, Federal budget; next column(s), non-Federal budget(s), 
and last column, total budget. The budget justification should be a 
narrative.

Personnel

    Description: Costs of employee salaries and wages.
    Justification: Identify the project director or principal 
investigator, if known. For each staff person, provide the title, time 
commitment to the project (in months), time commitment to the project 
(as a percentage or full-time equivalent), annual salary, grant salary, 
wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants or personnel 
costs of delegate agencies or of specific project(s) or businesses to 
be financed by the applicant.

Fringe Benefits

    Description: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as 
part of an approved indirect cost rate.
    Justification: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages 
that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, 
retirement insurance, taxes, etc.

Travel

    Description: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the 
applicant organization (does not include costs of consultant travel).
    Justification: For each trip, show the total number of traveler(s), 
travel destination, duration of trip, per diem, mileage allowances, if 
privately owned vehicles will be used, and other transportation costs 
and subsistence allowances. Travel costs for key staff to attend ACF-
sponsored workshops should be detailed in the budget.

Supplies

    Description: Costs of all tangible personal property other than 
that included under the Equipment category.
    Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and their 
costs. Show computations and provide other information which supports 
the amount requested.

Contractual

    Description: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except 
for those that belong under other categories such as equipment, 
supplies, construction, etc. Include third party evaluation contracts 
(if applicable) and contracts with secondary recipient organizations, 
including delegate agencies and specific project(s) or businesses to be 
financed by the applicant.
    Justification: Demonstrate that all procurement transactions will 
be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, 
open and free competition. Recipients and subrecipients, other than 
states that are required to use Part 92 procedures, must justify any 
anticipated procurement action that is expected to be awarded without 
competition and exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 
U.S.C. 403(11) (currently set at $100,000).
    Recipients might be required to make available to ACF pre-award 
review and procurement documents, such as request for proposals or 
invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc.

    Note: Whenever the applicant intends to delegate part of the 
project to another agency, the applicant must provide a detailed 
budget and budget narrative for each delegate agency, by agency 
title, along with the required supporting information referred to in 
these instructions.

Other

    Enter the total of all other costs. Such costs, where applicable 
and appropriate, may include but are not limited to insurance, food, 
medical and dental costs (noncontractual), professional services costs, 
space and equipment rentals, printing and publication, computer use, 
training costs, such as tuition and stipends, staff development costs, 
and administrative costs.
    Justification: Provide computations, a narrative description and a 
justification for each cost under this category.

Indirect Charges

    Description: Total amount of indirect costs. This category should 
be used only when the applicant currently has an indirect cost rate 
approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or 
another cognizant Federal agency.
    Justification: An applicant that will charge indirect costs to the 
grant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If the 
applicant organization is in the process of initially developing

[[Page 21228]]

or renegotiating a rate, upon notification that an award will be made, 
it should immediately develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal 
based on its most recently completed fiscal year, in accordance with 
the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates, 
and submit it to the cognizant agency. Applicants awaiting approval of 
their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. When an 
indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect 
cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the grant. 
Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is 
allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the 
applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the 
applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

Total Direct Charges, Total Indirect Charges, Total Project Costs

Evaluation Criteria:
    The following evaluation criteria appear in weighted descending 
order. The corresponding score values indicate the relative importance 
that ACF places on each evaluation criterion; however, applicants need 
not develop their applications precisely according to the order 
presented. Application components may be organized such that a reviewer 
will be able to follow a seamless and logical flow of information 
(i.e., from a broad overview of the project to more detailed 
information about how it will be conducted).
    In considering how applicants will carry out the responsibilities 
addressed under this announcement, competing applications for financial 
assistance will be reviewed and evaluated against the following 
criteria:

Results or Benefits Expected 25 Points

    The application will be evaluated in terms of the extent to which 
it identifies results and benefits to be derived and the anticipated 
contributions to the advancement of the PARIS Project. The application 
will be evaluated on the extent to which it clearly describes project 
benefits and results as they relate to the objectives of the project 
and provide a basis as to what extent the project will build on current 
practice and best practices to contribute to the continuing success of 
the PARIS Project.

Objectives and Need for Assistance 25 Points

    The application will be evaluated in terms of the extent to which 
it describes the context of the proposed demonstration project, 
including the environment and magnitude of the Member-Partner state 
relationship and what will be resolved and the needs to be addressed. 
Applications requesting funds should include a summary/abstract of the 
project goals and projected accomplishments during the grant's period 
of performance.

Approach 25 Points

    Applications will be evaluated in terms of the extent to which they 
include a plan that (1) reflects an understanding of the 
characteristics, needs and services that are available from the PARIS 
Project and the potential for helping its Partner state achieve 
provision of services that directly address the fulfillment of the 
PARIS Project; (2) is appropriate and feasible; (3) can be reliably 
evaluated; (4) if successfully implemented, can be sustained after 
Federal funding has ceased.

Budget and Budget Justification 10 Points

    Adequacy and reasonableness of proposed budget for accomplishing 
all program objectives.

Geographic Location 10 Points

    Proximity of PARIS Member state and its Partner state. Member 
states are encouraged to look to their contiguous states (which might 
reduce travel and per-diem expenses depending on the location of their 
state capitols) or other states where accessible transportation exists 
to help ensure that the majority of grant funds are utilized for costs 
other than travel.

Third-Party Agreements 5 Points

    Application includes signed written agreement between PARIS Member 
state and its Partner state that fully describes roles and 
responsibilities of each and evidences their agreement to support the 
PARIS Evaluation contractor during the project period.
2. Review and Selection Process
    No grant award will be made under this announcement on the basis of 
an incomplete application.
    If an insufficient number of acceptable applications, as determined 
by ACF, are received under this program announcement ACF has the option 
of negotiating and awarding grant amounts higher than the $150,000 
award ceiling set forth in this announcement among those applicants who 
have submitted acceptable applications.
    Initial Screening: Each application submitted will be screened to 
determine whether it was received by the closing date and time.
    Applications received by the closing date and time will be reviewed 
for completeness and conformity with the requirements listed in this 
announcement. Late applications or those exceeding the funding limit 
will be returned to the applicants with a notation that they were 
unacceptable and will not be reviewed.
    Evaluation of Applications: Applications that pass the initial 
screening will be reviewed and rated by a panel based on the program 
elements and review criteria presented in relevant sections of this 
program announcement.
    The review criteria are designed to enable the review panel to 
assess the quality of a proposed project and determine the likelihood 
of its success. The criteria are closely related to each other and are 
considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. 
The review panel awards points only to applications that are responsive 
to the program elements and relevant review criteria within the context 
of this program announcement.
    ACF will use the reviewer scores when considering competing 
applications. Reviewer scores will weigh heavily in funding decisions, 
but will not be the only factors considered. Applications generally 
will be considered in order of the average scores assigned by the 
review panel. Because other important factors are taken into 
consideration, highly ranked applications are not guaranteed funding. 
These other considerations include, for example: Comments of reviewers 
and government officials; staff evaluation and input; amount and 
duration of the grant requested and the proposed project's consistency 
and harmony with the goals of the PARIS Project; geographic 
distribution of applications; previous program performance of 
applicants; compliance with grant terms under previous HHS grants; 
previous audit findings; and applicant's progress in resolving any 
final audit disallowance on previous ACF or other Federal agency 
grants.
    Applications that are approved but unfunded may be held over for 
funding in the next funding cycle, pending the availability of funds, 
for a period not to exceed one year.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
    It is anticipated that the grant awards will be awarded in the 
fourth quarter of FY2005.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    The successful applicants will be notified through the issuance of 
a

[[Page 21229]]

Financial Assistance Award document which sets forth the amount of 
funds granted, the terms and conditions of the grant, the effective 
date of the grant, the budget period for which initial support will be 
given, the non-Federal share to be provided, and the total project 
period for which support is contemplated. The Financial Assistance 
Award will be signed by the Grants Officer and transmitted via postal 
mail.
    Organizations whose applications will not be funded will be 
notified in writing.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Grantees are subject to the requirements in 45 CFR Part 92 
(governmental).
    Direct Federal grants, subaward funds, or contracts under this 
Program shall not be used to support inherently religious activities 
such as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization. Therefore, 
organizations must take steps to separate, in time or location, their 
inherently religious activities from the services funded under this 
Program. Regulations pertaining to the prohibition of Federal funds for 
inherently religious activities can be found on the HHS web site at: 
https://www.os.dhhs.gov/fbci/waisgate21.pdf

3. Reporting Requirements

    Program Progress Reports: Quarterly
    Financial Reports: Quarterly
    Grantees will be required to submit program progress and financial 
reports (SF 269) throughout the project period. Program progress and 
financial reports are due 30 days after the reporting period. In 
addition, final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days 
after the close of the project period.

VII. Agency Contacts

    Program Office Contact: Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Financial Services/Division of Financial Integrity, Attn: 
Mark Graboyes, 370 L' Enfant Promenade, SW., 6th Floor East, Aerospace 
Center, Washington, DC 20447. Phone: 202-401-7237. Email: 
mgraboyes@acf.hhs.gov.
    Grants Management Office Contact: Administration for Children and 
Families, Office of Grants Management, Attn: Daphne Weeden, 370 L' 
Enfant Promenade, SW., 4th Floor East, Aerospace Center, Washington, DC 
20447. Phone: 202-401-4575. Email: dweeden@acf.hhs.gov.

VIII. Other Information

    Notice: Beginning with FY2006, ACF will no longer publish grant 
announcements in the Federal Register. Beginning October 1, 2005, 
applicants will be able to find a synopsis of all ACF grant 
opportunities and apply electronically for opportunities via: 
www.Grants.gov. Applicants will also be able to find the complete text 
of all ACF grant announcements on the ACF web site located at: https://
www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/.
    Please reference Section IV.3 for details about acknowledgement of 
received applications.

    Dated: April 19, 2005.
Curtis L. Coy,
Director, Office of Administration, Administration for Children and 
Families.
[FR Doc. 05-8218 Filed 4-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P