National Technical Assistance and Research Center To Promote Leadership for Employment and Economic Independence for Adults With Disabilities; Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement, 39837-39848 [E7-14074]
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geophysical data and information
collected under a permit in the OCS.
Every bidder submitting a bid on a
block in Sale 204, or participating as a
joint bidder in such a bid, must submit
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preferred format, reimbursement for
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Dated: July 13, 2007.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Minerals Management
Service.
[FR Doc. E7–14114 Filed 7–19–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy
[SGA 07–05]
National Technical Assistance and
Research Center To Promote
Leadership for Employment and
Economic Independence for Adults
With Disabilities; Solicitation for
Cooperative Agreement
Announcement Type: New Notice of
Availability of Funds and Solicitation
for Grant Application (SGA) for
Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA
07–05.
Catalogue of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.720.
DATES: Applications must be received
by August 20, 2007.
Executive Summary: The U.S.
Department of Labor (‘‘DOL’’ or
‘‘Department’’), Office of Disability
Employment Policy (‘‘ODEP’’),
announces the availability of up to
$2.35 million to fund a cooperative
agreement to establish a National
Technical Assistance and Research
Center to Promote Leadership for
Increasing Employment and Economic
Independence for Adults with
Disabilities with a 24-month period of
performance. In addition, this initiative
may be funded for up to three (3)
additional option years depending on
performance, identified need, and the
availability of future funding.
This National Technical Assistance
and Research Center will focus on
building leadership capacity at the
Federal, State, and local levels to
increase employment and economic
self-sufficiency for adults with
disabilities. ODEP is also funding a
technical assistance and research center
focusing on youth with disabilities
through a separate competition.
Seventeen years after enactment of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
there is no barrier more challenging to
the realization of the American dream
for citizens with disabilities than
unemployment and its resulting
poverty, which precludes meaningful
community participation. Multiple
demonstrations have documented that
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people with barriers to employment
resulting from a disability can become
successfully employed with appropriate
supports and the customization of
employment responsibilities. With
Federal investment of millions of
dollars into such research and
demonstrations, valuable data and
successful practices have emerged. But
their findings are not widely
disseminated or utilized, and their
impact on policy and practice within
states is too often not evident.
In recognition of this fact, over the
last decade, the Federal Government has
taken proactive steps to increase
employment and otherwise resolve
barriers to employment for adults with
disabilities. Multiple Executive Orders
have been issued focusing on
employment and disability (such as
Executive Order 13078: Increasing
Employment of Adults With
Disabilities, 1998), and on increasing
the opportunity for individuals with
disabilities to become qualified Federal
employees (Executive Order 13163,
Increasing the Opportunity for
Individuals With Disabilities To Be
Employed in the Federal Government,
2000).
The Federal Government has also
required Federal agencies to establish
procedures providing reasonable
accommodation of work-related
disabilities (Executive Order 13164,
Requiring Federal Agencies To Establish
Procedures To Facilitate the Provision
of Reasonable Accommodation, 2000)
and to increase community-based
alternatives for individuals with
disabilities (Executive Order 13217,
Community-Based Alternatives for
Individuals With Disabilities, 2001).
These Executive Orders are in addition
to laws prohibiting discrimination in
employment under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title I of
the ADA. Further, the New Freedom
Initiative, established in 2001 by
President George W. Bush, brought
heightened focus to and action in
disability policy throughout the Federal
sector across numerous areas, including
employment.
Yet despite these multiple efforts,
employment outcomes for adults with
disabilities are still far below that of the
general adult population. The U.S.
Census Bureau’s American Community
Survey in 2005 estimated that among
the more than 21 million people with
disabilities aged 16–64, only 8.5
million, or 37.5 percent, were employed
(https://www.disabilitystatistics.org,
downloaded 5/15/07). Of the people
with disabilities employed aged 16–64,
49.9 percent of men with disabilities are
employed as opposed to 80.9 percent of
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working-age men without a disability.
For women of working age, 34.2 percent
of women with disabilities are
employed, compared with 68.3 percent
of women without disabilities. Not
surprisingly, the poverty rate among
people with disabilities from 16 to 64
years old was 24.6 percent, almost triple
the rate for those without disabilities
(9.3 percent).
Effectively addressing the complex
and significant barriers to employment
and economic self-sufficiency faced by
adults with disabilities requires the use
of multiple strategies and the active
involvement of many stakeholders,
including Federal, State and local
governments, non-governmental
organizations, financial institutions,
consumers, and employers. To address
this situation, ODEP is funding a
national technical assistance and
research center (the Center) to build
capacity within and across both generic
and disability-specific service-delivery
systems to provide transformational
leadership in service to adults with
disabilities, and thus increase their
employment and economic selfsufficiency.
The Center will conduct research,
develop and disseminate information,
and provide technical assistance and
training in five targeted goal areas
defined in this solicitation. These goal
areas have been identified through six
years of ODEP research as critical
leadership areas for improving systems
capacity to effectively serve adults with
disabilities and increase their
employment and economic selfsufficiency. These targeted goal areas
include the following:
1. Increasing partnership and
collaboration among and across generic
and disability-specific systems that
provide employment or employmentsupport services. This partnership and
collaboration should produce more
effective and efficient services through
leveraging resources and funding across
multiple systems.
2. Increasing use of self-direction in
service and integration of funding
among and across cross-generic and
disability-specific systems, including
the blending and braiding of resources
and funding across systems and
programs, and the use of self-directed
accounts providing choice and control
to the individual job seeker.
3. Increasing economic selfsufficiency through leveraging relevant
generic and disability-specific tax
incentives, financial education, social
security work incentives, benefits
planning, and other strategies for
enhancing profitable employment
resulting in the ability of people with
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disabilities to accrue assets and
resources through employment.
4. Increasing the use of universal
design as the framework for the
organization of employment policy and
the implementation of employment
services.
5. Increasing the use of customized
and other forms of flexible work options
for individuals with disabilities and
others with complex barriers to
employment.
In addition, the Center will provide
rapid response on request to ODEP in
areas related to employment and
disability, and otherwise support ODEP
as requested in its efforts to develop
policy recommendations for increasing
employment and economic selfsufficiency for adults with disabilities.
In meeting each goal area, applicants
must provide information on strategies
they will undertake for advancing
knowledge development and utilization,
including describing specific research
and technical assistance and training
activities. In addition, applicants must
describe how they will effectively
disseminate policy knowledge, research
findings, and successful practices
through and within various networks of
State and local systems’ personnel,
particularly leadership personnel, and
other relevant stakeholder communities
(including, but not limited to
consumers, employers, and providers of
employment and asset development
services). They should also describe
how they will encourage and monitor
the translation and utilization of such
knowledge, research, and successful
practices.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Description and Purpose
ODEP will award one cooperative
agreement to establish a national
technical assistance and research center
for increasing employment and
economic independence for adults with
disabilities. The overall purpose of this
effort is to build leadership and
partnership across workforce
development, economic development,
and relevant partner agencies and
systems, including generic and
disability-specific agencies and systems,
so that they work together strategically
and effectively to increase employment
outcomes and economic self-sufficiency
for adults with disabilities. The Center
will: Conduct research to identify,
validate, document, and otherwise
promote effective practices and policies
in targeted goal areas; develop and
disseminate information; provide
technical assistance; encourage
collaboration and partnership across
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State and local generic and disabilityspecific systems and programs, both
public and private; and work with
States and localities on multiple
strategies in targeted goal areas for
improving employment outcomes and
economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities. Activities of the Center
must be based on the assumptions that:
people with disabilities have the ability
to make and implement decisions (with
support as appropriate) about their own
work life, and that they have the ability
to mobilize and develop resources (with
support as necessary) to move from
poverty and dependency to
independence and productivity through
employment. They must also be based
on the assumption that there is a need
for multiple generic and disabilityspecific systems and services to
effectively partner across traditional
boundaries. In accomplishing these
goals, the Center will provide
transformational leadership for
translating innovation and emerging
successful solutions from isolated
demonstrations to systemic practices,
and will act as a voice for elevating the
discussion about employment and
disability nationally.
The Center’s research-related
activities will improve systems capacity
to provide leadership for increasing
employment and economic selfsufficiency at the State and local level
in targeted goal areas, and must include
the development of policy-related
recommendations for consideration
across agencies and systems. It must
include, but is not limited to, the
following activities:
• Implementing research,
demonstration activities, and otherwise
developing evidence (either through
qualitative and quantitative methods, as
appropriate) in targeted goal areas for
effective models and approaches to
increasing employment and economic
self-sufficiency for adults with
disabilities;
• Promoting and documenting the
impact of actions of key leadership
personnel at the State and local levels
across public and private systems and
agencies utilizing employment
approaches in targeted goal areas in
select states;
• Conducting an analysis of the
interaction between and among various
strategies and approaches in targeted
goal areas as they exist in public policy,
both nationally and in select states; and
• Developing evidence across public
and private systems and agencies of
effective leadership strategies in
targeted goal areas.
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The Center’s technical assistance and
dissemination activities must include,
but are not limited to, the following:
• Developing evidence-based
information and materials (including
multi-media materials, curricula, and
other relevant accessible products) in
targeted goal areas for use in increasing
leadership capacity for advancing
employment and economic selfsufficiency for adults with disabilities;
• Preparing and disseminating
appropriate reports and documents
related to targeted goal areas in
publications including, but not limited
to, peer-reviewed journals;
• Providing intensive technical
assistance, training, and information in
targeted goal areas to ODEP’s grantees
including documenting the impact of
such actions;
• Providing information to educate
relevant stakeholders, including State
and local policymakers, systems
personnel, key leadership personnel,
educators, and other relevant
individuals and groups about changes in
policy and practice needed in order to
increase employment and economic
self-sufficiency for adults with
disabilities, and the evidence
supporting action in targeted goal areas
under this solicitation;
• Providing technical assistance,
training, and information to increase
understanding and utilization by
relevant workforce systems and agencies
of strategies developed in targeted goal
areas;
• Serving as a repository and
dissemination center for materials and
effective practices developed by current
and former ODEP grantees; and
• Creating and maintaining a userfriendly Web site with relevant
information and documents in a form
that meets a government or industryrecognized standard for accessibility.
The Center’s collaboration and
partnership activities must include, but
are not limited to:
• Developing evidence on strategies
for, and results of, effective interagency
partnership and collaboration between
and among Federal, State, and local
systems and agencies, both generic and
disability-specific, that effectively
leverage and maximize available
resources in ways that provide choice,
control and self-direction to individual
job seekers; and
• Developing, maintaining, and
documenting relationships that result in
partnerships and collaborations to foster
employment and economic selfsufficiency for adults with disabilities.
Partners may include but are not limited
to the following entities:
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(1) State departments and agencies
across generic and disability-specific
systems such as departments of Labor,
Economic Development, Vocational
Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs, Mental
Health, Medicaid, Mental Retardation/
Developmental Disabilities, Education,
and Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF); and Governors’
Committees on Employment of People
with Disabilities and Developmental
Disability Councils;
(2) Local Work Investment Act (WIA)
service providers, employment service
providers, local One-Stop Career
Centers and the Veterans Employment
and Training Service; State and local
financial services entities; social
security benefits planning and
assistance programs; community and
faith-based organizations and disability
organizations; community colleges and
other training entities; and providers of
employment-related supports, including
public housing and transportation
authorities;
(3) Employers and their professional
networks;
(4) Federal agencies including the
Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, Commerce, Housing
and Urban Development, Treasury,
Transportation, Education, and
Veterans’ Affairs; the Small Business
Administration and Social Security
Administration; and other generic and
disability-specific agencies that work in
areas related to improving employment
and economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities and others with
complex barriers to employment; and
(5) ODEP-sponsored and other Federal
technical assistance projects that
provide information about, or work in
areas related to, employment (including
self employment), economic
development, and/or enhancing
employment profitability through use of
relevant tax incentives, financial
literacy, work incentives, benefits
assistance and related areas).
Additionally, the Center will work
with ODEP to implement on-site,
intensive, targeted technical assistance
and research in two pilot states or
economic development regions. The
pilot project will be competitively
selected by the third quarter of year 1
of Center activities. Staff and expert
consultant time and project resources
dedicated to provide technical
assistance, research, and training
support to the competitively selected
states or regions will be negotiated with
ODEP as part of the Cooperative
Agreement within thirty (30) days of the
date of the award in year 1. However,
it is expected that a minimum of
$600,000 is to be spent on the above
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39839
component of the work plan. Year 1
activities will include the development
of targeted technical assistance
materials, a work plan (to be approved
by ODEP) for this component of Center
activities, and design and
implementation of a competitive
selection process for the states or
economic development regions.
Intensive, on-site, targeted activities will
begin immediately with the
competitively selected states or regions
no later than the first quarter of year 2
of Center activities, and will focus on
implementation of goal areas defined in
this SGA throughout the states or
economic development regions.
Additional funding for this activity will
be dedicated to this component of
Center activities during years 3–5
pending ODEP’s exercise of the option
periods provided herein, and the
availability of funds and adequacy of
performance.
The remainder of the funding that is
provided is to be spent on carrying out
the general technical assistance,
research, and training functions in
targeted goal areas described previously.
2. Background
The Office of Disability Employment
Policy (ODEP) provides national
leadership by developing and
influencing disability-related
employment policy and practice. A fiveyear strategic plan guides ODEP in
achieving its mission by identifying
long-term strategic and outcome goals as
well as short-term intermediate and
performance goals. In addition to
measuring agency performance, as
required by the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA),
the strategic plan sets forth a road map
for prioritizing the formulation and
dissemination of innovative
employment policies and practices to
service-delivery systems and employers.
ODEP’s annual goal is to build
knowledge and advance disability
employment policy that affects and
promotes systems change. The agency’s
long- and short-term goals focus efforts
on initiatives that bring about this level
of change. In short, ODEP develops
policies and strategies that will:
• Enhance the capacity of servicedelivery systems to provide appropriate
and effective services and supports to
youth and adults with disabilities;
• Increase planning and coordination
within service-delivery systems to
develop and improve systems,
processes, and services;
• Improve individualization of
services to better assist youth and adults
with disabilities in seeking, obtaining,
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and retaining employment or selfemployment;
• Increase employer access to
supports and services to meet their
employment needs;
• Increase the quality of competencybased training for service-delivery
systems;
• Increase the adoption of universal
strategies for service provision; and
• Develop partnerships with and
among critical stakeholders to
effectively leverage available resources,
and facilitate implementation of
practices and policies that increase
employment and self-employment
opportunities as well as the recruitment,
retention, and promotion of adults with
disabilities.
Three measures inform ODEP of its
annual progress in meeting its three
goals under the Government
Performance and Results Act: (1) The
number of policy-related documents; (2)
the number of formal agreements; and
(3) the number of effective practices.
These performance results support
achievement of the following
intermediate outcome goals: accessible
employment resources; coordinated
programs, processes, and services; and
adoption of effective practices.
Achievement of these intermediate
outcome goals, in turn, supports
achievement of the long-term servicedelivery systems outcome goals, which
are marked by increases in these areas:
Capacity of service-delivery systems;
planning and coordination within
service-delivery systems; and employer
access to supports and services for
recruitment, retention, and promotion of
adults with disabilities.
On February 1, 2001, in announcing
the New Freedom Initiative (NFI),
President George W. Bush explicitly
recognized that in today’s global
economy, America must be able to draw
on the talents and creativity of all its
citizens, and that people with
disabilities represent valuable, largely
untapped human capital. The NFI
represents an important step towards
ensuring that all Americans have the
opportunity to learn and develop skills,
engage in productive work, choose
where to live, and participate in
community life.
The timeliness of the proposed effort
to provide and promote leadership for
employment and economic
independence for adults with
disabilities is reinforced by the
demographic workforce issues that led
to the New Freedom Initiative and the
continuing challenges faced by
workforce systems. Potential and
current workers with disabilities fall
within all of the following demographic
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groups: Returning veterans, mature
workers, baby boomers, Generations X
and Y, people with limited English
proficiency, the chronically homeless,
and migrants. In addition, the decline in
the number of workers due to the
potential retirement of millions of baby
boomers; the desires and needs of
millions of other baby boomers who
choose to stay in the workforce, but on
their own terms; the demands of
Generation X and Y workers who expect
companies to offer flexible work
options; the complex needs of veterans
with service-connected injuries; the
poverty levels, lack of education, and
skills’ competencies of many people
with limited English proficiency;
migrant workers lacking higher-level
skills, to name some of the key
demographic issues, compel companies
to retool their recruitment and retention
strategies, and demand workforce
systems to provide leadership to meet
these needs.
Related to these issues is the fact that
from 2001 through 2006 ODEP
implemented several research initiatives
to develop and document innovative
and universal approaches to improving
employment outcomes for adults with
disabilities. In these ODEP initiatives, a
total of 26 Customized Employment and
Workforce Action (Olmstead) grantees
were funded for periods of time ranging
from three to five years. Central to the
assumptions guiding the creation of
these grants was the recognition of the
importance of flexibility in the way
work is organized and performed, the
importance of partnership between and
among generic and disability-specific
systems, the use of mechanisms to
promote self-direction and economic
self-sufficiency, and the universality
and applicability of many of the
successful approaches being tested with
other populations of people with
barriers to employment.
Importantly, these projects were
charged with operating as part of the
workforce system and developing while
demonstrating not only that certain
system change is beneficial to outcomes
achieved—but that such changes impact
how services are organized and
provided in a way that is often universal
for other workforce customers. The lead
service system for the initiatives was the
One-Stop Career Centers operated under
the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
Overall, these projects were expected to:
increase the capacity of service-delivery
systems to effectively serve people with
disabilities and other ‘‘hard-to-serve’’
populations; increase planning and
coordination within and across servicedelivery systems within the state,
including generic as well as disability-
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specific systems; increase employment
outcomes through the use of customized
strategies for achieving employment;
and develop policy recommendations
with broad applicability based on the
demonstrated evidence gathered
through implementation of grant
activities. Additional information about
these grant initiatives can be found on
ODEP’s Web site: https://www.dol.gov/
odep/categories/workforce/.
Several key findings resulting from
these research initiatives include the
pivotal importance of the following in
promoting positive systems change that
results in increased employment and
economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities:
• Partnership and Collaboration:
Collaboration and partnership
development was the primary
innovation and the foundation of all
other systems change efforts across both
initiatives. Whether considering policy,
resource allocation, or service
integration, effective partnerships and
collaborative efforts were at the base of
every best practice. Collaborative efforts
hinged on attaining a shared
understanding between and among
systems, and the translation of the
partnership relationship into written,
measurable goals that positively affected
each system and its customers.
• Universal Design: The importance
of universal design and the use of
universal strategies in serving job
seekers with disabilities emerged as
pivotal for improving access to the
programs and services of the workforce
development system. Universal design
within the workforce development
system refers to the design of
environments, products, and
communication practices as well as the
delivery of programs, services, and
activities that meet the needs of all
customers of the system. ODEP’s
research documented that One-Stops are
incorporating elements of universal
design in the way they organize and
deliver their services, organize their
physical space, and develop the culture
of their environments. This universal
design incorporation includes
addressing disability within the broader
concept of diversity and viewing it as
one facet of a more sweeping mandate
to ensure access to workforce
development services for all customers.
• Leveraging Resources: Another
central finding of ODEP’s research was
that over time, collaboration with all
types of organizations and agencies
increased and resulted in opportunities
for leveraging expertise and resources.
No single partner or source of funds
could adequately respond to the
potential spectrum of needs of job
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seekers with complex barriers to
employment, including disability.
Leveraging resources was facilitated at
both the systems and individual level,
and the blending or braiding of funds
across systems became instrumental in
the ability of grantees to support a range
of job seekers, maximize their own
resources, and share the scope of what
it takes to effectively provide workforce
development services.
Additional findings identified the
importance of leveraging various
existing tax incentives, financial
education, work incentives, and other
strategies in order to maximize financial
advantage and otherwise enhance
profitable employment resulting from
work for people with disabilities. Such
individuals are no different than any
other citizen in their desire to work and
advance their economic status. Yet
many public policies create barriers to
work and economic self-sufficiency for
people with disabilities by limiting their
ability to accrue assets and maintain
critical disability benefits. Numerous
work incentives and other strategies
exist to assist with maximizing the
economic benefits of work for people
with disabilities, but these remain
underutilized. Developing models of
partnership among disability and
community-based organizations, OneStop Career Centers, and local tax and
financial institutions will ultimately
assist workers with disabilities access to
mainstream services, promote their selfdetermination and economic selfsufficiency, and otherwise enable their
employment to positively impact their
ability to fully participate in their
communities. As the workforce
development system continues to
increase participation of individuals
with disabilities in the labor force,
development of models utilizing
multiple tax incentives and other
strategies that enable people with
disabilities to maximize the financial
advantage of work are critical. This area
holds great promise for assisting people
to permanently move off welfare and
Social Security benefits, out of poverty,
and into the economic mainstream
through employment.
Finally, a critical finding across these
grant initiatives was the importance of
key leadership personnel for promoting
positive change at the State and local
level across both public and private
systems and programs. Understanding
and ‘‘buy-in’’ on the part of key leaders
was found to be essential to the success
of long-term, effective, systemic change
(Customized Employment: Employers
and Workers Creating a Competitive
Edge. Summary Report of Customized
Employment and Workforce Action
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Grants. Boston: Institute for Community
Inclusion/UCED. University of
Massachusetts at Boston, 2007 in press).
The impending changes in the
workforce make it imperative for our
nation to address the significant rate at
which adults with disabilities continue
to be out of the work force. Isolated
demonstrations of success must be
translated into broader replication and
adoption at the State and local level.
The mainstream infrastructure of our
states and communities, both generic
and disability-specific, must fashion
new ways of working in partnership.
The research and technical assistance
effort proposed herein will support this
effort by increasing leadership capacity
in five targeted goal areas identified in
this solicitation that have been validated
through prior research as pivotal in
creating positive change for people with
disabilities. In addition, this effort will
expand the knowledge-base of existing
effective practices for increasing
employment and economic selfsufficiency for adults with disabilities
by intensively targeting technical
assistance for implementation of
identified successful practices in a
number of states, and by providing
proactive support, training, and
dissemination of other relevant useful
information nationally.
The technical assistance to be
provided will build upon ODEP’s prior
research and technical assistance efforts
which focused on promoting increased
understanding that:
• Increasing employment and
economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities requires meaningful
partnerships across generic and
disability-specific systems in both the
public and private sector;
• The use of universal design as a
framework for organization and
implementation of services benefits, not
just people with disabilities, but other
job seekers with complex barriers to
employment;
• Leveraging resources across generic
and disability-specific systems can
enable the work force system to more
effectively respond to the varying needs
of job seekers with disabilities and
maximize their own systems resources;
• The use of customized employment
strategies and other forms of flexible
work options can result in integrated,
competitive employment for individuals
with disabilities and others with
complex barriers to employment; and
• Economic self-sufficiency for
workers with disabilities is created not
by the earning of wages alone, but by
leveraging existing tax incentives,
financial education, work incentives,
and other strategies including, but not
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limited to, tax incentives for individuals
and business, work incentives under
Social Security, and matched savings
accounts.
3. Definitions
Definitions for purposes of this
solicitation include:
• Universal Design: Universal Design
is defined as the design of
environments, products, and
communication practices, as well as the
delivery of programs, services, and
activities, to meet the needs of all
customers of the work force
development system.
• Customized Employment:
Customized employment is a process for
individualizing the employment
relationship between a job seeker and/
or employee and an employer in ways
that meet the needs of both, based on an
individualized negotiation (including
negotiation of the responsibilities and
requirements of the job) that addresses
the strengths, conditions, and interests
of the job seeker and/or employee, and
the identified business needs of the
employer. Use of customized
employment strategies results in a job in
a competitive, integrated setting that
pays minimum wage or above.
II. Award Information
Estimated Available Funds: The full
$2,350,000 for the initial 24-month
period of performance will be awarded
in 2007.
Period of Performance: 24 months
from date of award with up to three (3)
additional option years depending on
performance, identified need, and the
availability of future funding.
The U.S. Department of Labor (‘‘DOL’’
or ‘‘Department’’), Office of Disability
Employment Policy (‘‘ODEP’’),
announces the availability of up to
$2,350,000 to fund a national technical
assistance and research Cooperative
Agreement.
Note: Selection of an organization as a
Grantee does not constitute approval of the
grant application as submitted. Before the
actual grant is awarded, DOL may enter into
negotiations about such items as program
components, staffing (including key project
staff and consultants), funding levels, and
administrative systems in place to support
grant implementation. If the negotiations do
not result in a mutually acceptable
submission, the Grant Officer reserves the
right to terminate the negotiation and decline
to fund the application.
Because ODEP plans to make this
award in the form of a cooperative
agreement, DOL will have substantial
involvement in the administration of the
agreement. Such DOL involvement will
consist of:
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(1) Approval of any sub-contract
awarded by the Grantee after the grant
award;
(2) Participation in site visits to
project areas;
(3) Providing advice and consultation
to the Grantee on specific program
criteria;
(4) Providing the Grantee with
technical and programmatic support,
including training in DOL monitoring
and evaluation systems, and standard
procedures regarding DOL management
of cooperative agreements;
(5) Reviewing, at reasonable times, all
documents pertaining to the project,
including status and technical progress
reports, and financial reports. ODEP
will provide the format for the reports;
(6) Discussing administrative and
technical issues pertaining to the
project;
(7) Approving all key personnel
decisions, sub-contractors, and
consultants;
(8) Approving all fact sheets, training
materials, press releases, and publicityrelated materials regarding the project;
(9) Approving all content for online
resources developed through project
activities, including clearing concepts
for material production and final
document production; and
(10) Drafting terms of reference for,
and participating in project evaluations.
III. Eligibility Information
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1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are consortia
which may include a combination of
any two or more of the following:
Public/private non-profits or for-profit
organizations (including community
and faith-based organizations) and
universities and colleges all with
demonstrated appropriate experience in
providing technical assistance, and
conducting research and demonstrations
in targeted goal areas defined in this
solicitation for increasing employment
and economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities. The demonstrated
expertise required should include, but
not be limited to:
• The work force development
system, including both policy and
practice, related to individuals with
disabilities and others with complex
barriers to employment, and the use of
universal design features and strategies
throughout physical and programmatic
implementation of work force
development services;
• The integration/partnership of work
force development and other generic
and disability-specific systems
including leveraging and blending of
funds and resources across systems, and
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the use of self-directed accounts
providing choice and control to the
individual job-seeker;
• The use of customized employment
solutions for individuals with complex
barriers to employment and their
employers;
• The use of strategies for enhancing
profitable employment and financial
advantage for adults with disabilities,
including but not limited to, tax
incentives for individuals and business,
individual development accounts,
financial literacy training, and work
incentives and benefits assistance
available through Social Security; and
• Providing leadership development
at the State and local implementation
level, including building partnership
and collaboration across generic and
disability-specific systems and
programs.
There must be a prime or lead
member of the consortium who is
responsible for overall grant
management and serves as the fiscal
agent. All applications must clearly
identify the lead grant recipient and
fiscal agent, as well as all other
members of the consortium including
consultants applying for the grant. In
addition, the application must identify
the relationship between all of the
members of the consortium.
According to section 18 of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an
organization, as described in section
501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, that engages in lobbying
activities will not be eligible for the
receipt of Federal funds constituting an
award, grant, or loan. See 2 U.S.C. 1611;
26 U.S.C. 501(c) (4). Funding
restrictions apply. See Section IV (5).
2. Cost Sharing
Cost sharing, matching funds, and
cost participation are not required under
this SGA. However, leveraging of public
and private resources to foster inclusive
service-delivery and achieve project
sustainability is highly encouraged and
included under evaluation criteria. See
V (1) (b) (9).
financial assistance for inherently
religious activities.1
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Addresses To Request Application
Package
This SGA contains all the information
and forms needed to apply for this grant
funding. Application announcements or
forms will not be mailed. The Federal
Register may be obtained from your
nearest government office or library. In
addition, a copy of this notice and the
application requirements may be
downloaded from ODEP’s Web site at
https://www.dol.gov/odep and at https://
www.grants.gov. Applicants submitting
proposals online are requested to refrain
from mailing a hard copy application as
well. It is strongly recommended that
applicants using https://www.grants.gov
immediately initiate and complete the
‘‘Get Started’’ registration steps at
https://www.grants.gov/GetStarted.
These steps may take multiple days to
complete, and this should be factored
into plans for electronic submission in
order to avoid facing unexpected delays
that could result in the rejection of an
application. If submitting electronically
through https://www.grants.gov the
application must be saved as .doc, .pdf,
or .txt files. If additional copies of the
standard forms are needed, they can
also be downloaded from: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/
grants_forms.html.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
General Requirements: Applicants
must submit one (1) paper copy with an
original signature and two (2) additional
paper copies of the signed proposal. To
aid with the review of applications,
DOL also requires applicants to submit
an electronic copy of their proposal’s
Sections II (Executive Summary) and III
(Project Narrative) on disc or compact
disc (CD) using Microsoft Word. The
application (not to exceed 30 pages for
Section III), must be double-spaced with
standard one-inch margins (top, bottom,
and sides) on 81⁄2 × 11-inch paper, and
3. Other Eligibility Requirements
Legal rules pertaining to inherently
religious activities by organizations that
receive Federal Financial Assistance:
• Neutral, non-religious criteria that
neither favor nor disfavor religion will
be employed in the selection of grant
recipients and must be employed by
grantees or in the selection of subawardees.
• The government is generally
prohibited from providing direct
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1 In this context, the term direct financial
assistance means financial assistance that is
provided directly by a government entity or an
intermediate organization, as opposed to financial
assistance that an organization receives as the result
of the genuine and independent private choice of
a beneficiary. In other contexts, the term ‘‘direct’’
financial assistance may be used to refer to financial
assistance that an organization receives directly
from the Federal Government (also known as
‘‘discretionary’’ assistance), as opposed to
assistance that it receives from a State or local
government (also known as ‘‘indirect’’ or ‘‘block’’
grant assistance). The term ‘‘direct’’ has the former
meaning throughout this SGA.
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must be presented on single-sided and
numbered pages. A font size of at least
twelve (12) pitch is required throughout.
All text in the application narrative,
including titles, headings, footnotes,
quotations, and captions must be
double-spaced (no more than three lines
per vertical inch); and, if using a
proportional computer font, must be in
at least a 12-point font, and must have
an average character density no greater
than 18 characters per inch (if using a
non-proportional font or a typewriter,
must not be more than 12 characters per
inch). Applications that fail to meet
these requirements will be considered
non-responsive.
Cooperative Agreement Mandatory
Application Requirements
The three required sections of the
application are titled below and
described thereafter:
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Section I—Project Financial Plan (No page
limit).
Section II—Executive Summary—Project
Synopsis (Not to exceed two (2) pages).
Section III—Project Narrative (Not to exceed
30 pages).
The mandatory requirements for each
section are set forth below. Applications
that fail to meet the stated mandatory
requirements for each section will be
considered non-responsive.
Section I. Project Financial Plan
(Budget): The Project Financial Plan
will not count against the application
page limits. Section I of the application
must include the following:
(1) Completed ‘‘SF–424—Application
for Federal Assistance.’’
Please note that, beginning October 1,
2003, all applicants for Federal grant
and funding opportunities are required
to include a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS)
number with their application. See
OMB Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68
Fed. Reg. 38402 (June 27, 2003). The
DUNS number is a nine-digit
identification number that uniquely
identifies business entities. There is no
charge for obtaining a DUNS number
(although it may take 14–30 days). To
obtain a DUNS number, access the
following Web site: https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1–
866–705–5711. Requests for exemption
from the DUNS number requirement
must be made to the Office of
Management and Budget. The Dun and
Bradstreet Number of the applicant
should be entered in the
‘‘Organizational Unit’’ section of block 8
of the SF–424. (See Appendix A of this
SGA for required form.)
(2) The SF–424 must contain the
original signatures of the legal entity
applying for cooperative agreement
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funding and two additional copies of
the signed SF–424. The individual
signing the SF–424 on behalf of the
applicant must represent and be able to
legally bind the responsible financial
and administrative entity for a
cooperative agreement should that
application result in an award.
Applicants shall indicate on the SF–424
the organization’s Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) status (e.g. 501(c)(3)
organization), if applicable.
(3) Completed SF–424A—Budget
Information Form by line item for all
costs required to implement the project
design effectively. (See Appendix B of
this SGA for required forms.)
(4) DOL Budget Narrative and
Justification that provides sufficient
information and methodologies used to
support the reasonableness of the costs
included in the budget in relation to the
service strategy and planned outcomes,
including continuous improvement
activities.
The DOL Budget Narrative and
Justification must include a detailed
cost breakout of each line item on the
Budget Information Sheet. Please label
this page or pages the ‘‘Budget
Narrative’’ and ensure that costs
reported on the SF 424A correspond
accurately with the Budget Narrative;
the Budget Narrative must include, at a
minimum, Personnel Costs—Applicants
must provide a breakout of all personnel
cost b position, title, annual salary rates,
and percent of time of each position to
be devoted to the proposed project;
Fringe Benefits—Applicants must
provide an explanation and breakout of
fringe benefit rates and associated
charges that exceed 35% of salaries and
wages; Explanation of Costs and
Methodologies—Applicants must
provide an explanation of the purpose
and composition of, and methodology
used to derive the costs of each of the
following: Personnel costs, fringe
benefits, travel, equipment, supplies,
contracts, and any other costs. The
applicant must include costs of any
required travel described in this
Solicitation; describe all costs
associated with implementing the
project that are to be covered with
cooperative agreement funds. The
budget must support the travel and
associated costs of sending
representatives to both a post-award
conference and periodic meetings with
ODEP staff in Washington, D.C. (at least
once per quarter), at a time and place to
be determined. In addition to other
administrative requirements identified
in section VI(2) of this SGA, the
applicant must comply with the
‘‘Uniform Administrative Requirements
for Grants and Cooperative Agreements
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39843
to State and Local Governments’’ (also
known as OMB Circular A–102),
codified at 29 CFR part 97, or ‘‘Grants
and Agreements with Institutions of
Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other
Non-Profit Organizations’’ (also known
as the ‘‘Common Rule’’ or OMB Circular
A–110), codified at 2 CFR part 215 and
29 CFR part 95.
In addition, the budget submitted for
review by DOL must include, on a
separate page, a detailed cost analysis of
each line item. The costs listed in the
detailed cost analysis must comply with
the applicable OMB cost principles
circulars, as identified in 29 CFR 95.27
and 29 CFR 97.22(b). Justification for
administrative costs must be provided.
Approval of a budget by DOL is not the
same as the approval of actual costs.
The applicant must also include the
Assurances and Certifications Signature
Page (Appendix C) and the Survey on
Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants (Appendix D).
Section II. Executive Summary—
Project Synopsis: The Executive
Summary is limited to no more than two
single-spaced, single-sided pages on 81⁄2
× 11-inch paper with standard margins
throughout. The project synopsis must
identify the following:
(1) The lead entity;
(2) The list of consortium members
and consultants, as appropriate; and
(3) An overview of how the applicant
will carry out the technical assistance
and research activities described in
Section I of this solicitation.
Section III. Project Narrative: The
DOL Cooperative Agreement Project
Narrative is limited to no more than
thirty (30), 81⁄2 × 11″ pages, doublespaced with standard one-inch margins
(top, bottom, and sides), and must be
presented on single-sided, numbered
pages. This page limit does not apply to
Section I, the Project Financial Plan
(Budget), Section II, the Executive
Summary and the Appendices (the
assurances and certifications, resumes, a
bibliography or references, and the
documentation of commitment/formal
agreement/letters of support and other
materials relevant to the application). A
page is 81⁄2 × 11″ (on one side only) with
one-inch margins (top, bottom, and
sides). All text in the application
narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, and captions must
be double-spaced (no more than three
lines per vertical inch); and, if using a
proportional computer font, use no
smaller than a 12-point font, and an
average character density no greater
than 18 characters per inch (if using a
non-proportional font or a typewriter,
do not use more than 12 characters per
inch).
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Applications must include a Project
Narrative that addresses the work
proposed to be accomplished under the
Cooperative Agreement, and the
evaluation/selection criteria in Part V(1)
that will be used by reviewers in
evaluating the application.
The successful applicant will be a
Technical Assistance and Research
Consortium and will describe in their
Project Narrative their innovative and
comprehensive plan for accomplishing
the technical assistance and research
activities described in Part I(1)
Description and Purpose, and Part I(2)
Background.
The Project Narrative must:
(1) Identify members of the
consortium (including the lead entity,
other consortium members, and key
consultants) and provide documentation
(such as letters of intent and
memorandum of agreement which will
be included in an Appendix) of a formal
agreement of participation;
(2) Demonstrate each of the
consortium members’ and key
consultants’ relevant experience and
expertise;
(3) Identify how the applicant
proposes to disseminate research
findings and technical assistance
products; and
(4) Identify how the applicant
proposes to monitor the implementation
and/or adoption of technical assistance
and training and otherwise provide
evidence of project impact.
Each Project Narrative must include:
(1) A detailed 24-month management
plan for project goals, objectives, and
activities;
(2) A detailed 24-month timeline for
project activities, including producing
and submitting a final report;
(3) A detailed outline for an
evaluation of the project (see Section
V(1)(f) for more information);
(4) A description of procedures and
approaches that will be used to provide
ongoing communication, collaboration
with, and input from ODEP’s Project
Officer on all grant-related activities.
(5) A detailed description of how the
consortia will work with multiple
Federal, State and local public and
private entities to implement and
monitor implementation of policy
recommendations and strategies
identified in carrying out project
activities; and
(6) A detailed description of measures
that will be taken to ensure that
elements of the project’s technical
assistance will be sustained following
the completion of project activities.
The Project Narrative must describe
the proposed staffing for the project and
must identify and summarize the
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qualifications of the personnel who will
carry it out related to the objectives of
this solicitation. In addition, the
evaluation criteria listed in Section V
(1)(c) include consideration of the
qualifications, including relevant
education, training, and experience, of
key project personnel, as well as the
qualifications, including relevant
education, training and experience, of
project consultants or subcontractors.
Resumes must be included in the
appendices. Key personnel include any
individual (whether consortium
member or individual consultant or
contractor) playing a substantial role in
the project. Minimum qualifications
should be commensurate with the role
identified in the application. In
addition, the applicant must specify in
the application the percentages of time
to be dedicated by each key person on
the project.
For each staff person named in the
application, documentation of all
internal and external time commitments
shall be provided. In instances where a
staff person is committed on a Federally
supported project, the project name,
Federal office, program title, the project
Federal award number, and the amount
of committed time by each project year
shall be provided. This information
(e.g., Staff: Jane Doe; Project Name:
Succeeding in the General Curriculum;
Federal office: Office of Special
Education Programs; Program title:
Field-Initiated Research; Award
number: H324C980624; Time
commitments: Year 1–30%; Year 2–25%
and Year 3–40%) can be provided as an
appendix to the application.
In general, ODEP will not reduce time
commitments on currently funded
grants from the time proposed in the
original application. Therefore, ODEP
will not consider for funding any
application where key staff are bid
above a time commitment level that staff
have available to bid. Further, the time
commitments stated in newly submitted
applications will not be negotiated
down to permit the applicant to receive
a new grant award.
The Project Narrative should also
describe how the applicant plans to
comply with the employment
discrimination and equal employment
opportunity requirements of the various
laws listed in the assurances section.
3. Submission Dates, Times and
Addresses
Applications will be accepted
commencing July 20, 2007. The closing
date for receipt of applications by DOL
under this announcement is August 20,
2007.
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Applications, including those hand
delivered, must be received by 4:45 p.m.
(EST) on the closing date at the address
specified below. No exceptions to the
mailing and hand-delivery conditions
set forth in this notice will be granted.
Applications that do not meet the
conditions set forth in this notice will
be considered non-responsive.
Applications must be mailed or hand
delivered to: U.S. Department of Labor,
Procurement Services Center, Attention:
Cassandra Mitchell, Reference SGA 07–
05, Room S–4307, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.
Applications sent by e-mail or
telefascimile (FAX) will not be
accepted.
Hand-Delivered Proposals: Handdelivered applications will be
considered for funding, but must be
received by the above specified date and
time. Overnight or express delivery from
carriers other than the U.S. Postal
Service will be considered handdelivered applications. It is preferred
that applications be mailed at least five
(5) days prior to the closing date to
ensure timely receipt. Failure to adhere
to the above instructions will serve as a
basis for a determination of nonresponsiveness.
Applicants are advised that mail in
the Washington, DC area may be
delayed due to mail decontamination
procedures and may wish to take this
information into consideration when
preparing to meet the application
deadline.
Late Applications: Any application
received by the designated office after
the exact date and time specified will be
considered non-responsive, unless it is
received before awards are made and it:
(a) Is determined that its late receipt was
caused by DOL error after timely
delivery to the Department of Labor; (b)
was sent by U.S. Postal Service
registered or certified mail not later than
the fifth calendar day before the date
specified for receipt of applications
(e.g., an application submitted in
response to a solicitation requiring
receipt of applications by the 20th of the
month must have been postmarked by
the 15th of that month); or (c) was sent
by the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail
Next Day Service to addressee not later
than 5:00 p.m. at the place of mailing
two (2) working days prior to the date
specified for receipt of applications. The
term ‘‘working days’’ excludes
weekends and Federal holidays.
‘‘Postmarked’’ means a printed,
stamped, or otherwise placed
impression (exclusive of a postage meter
machine impression) that is readily
identifiable without further action as
having been supplied or affixed on the
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date of mailing by an employee of the
U.S. Postal Service.
Withdrawal of Applications: An
application that is timely submitted may
be withdrawn by written notice or
telegram (including mailgram) at any
time before an award is made.
Applications may be withdrawn in
person by the applicant or by an
authorized representative thereof, if the
representative’s identity is made known
and the representative signs a receipt for
the proposal.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
4. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not
subject to Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.’’
5. Funding Restrictions
(a) Funding Levels: The total funding
available for this solicitation is
$2,350,000. The Department of Labor
reserves the right to negotiate the
amounts to be awarded under this
competition. Please be advised that
requests exceeding the maximum stated
amount will be considered nonresponsive. Additionally, there will be
no reimbursement of pre-award costs.
(b) Period of Performance: The period
of performance will be for 24 months
from the date of the award unless
modified. It is expected that the
successful applicant will begin program
operations under this solicitation
immediately upon receiving the ‘‘Notice
of Award.’’
(c) Option Year Funding: Up to three
(3) additional option years may be
available depending on performance,
identified need, and the availability of
future funding.
(d) Indirect Charges: If indirect
charges are claimed in the proposed
budget, the recipient must provide on a
separate sheet, the following
information:
(1) Name and address of cognizant
Federal audit agency;
(2) Name, address and phone number
(including area code) of the Government
auditor;
(3) Documentation from the cognizant
agency indicating:
(a) Current indirect cost rate and the
base against which the rate should be
applied;
(b) Effective period (dates) for the rate;
and
(c) Date last rate was computed and
negotiated.
(4) If no government audit agency
computed and authorized the rate
claimed, a proposed rate with
justification may be submitted
providing a brief explanation of
computation, who computed the rate,
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39845
(a) Significance of the Proposed Project
(10 Points)
In determining the significance of the
proposed research, the Department will
consider the following factors:
1. The potential contribution of the
proposed project to increase knowledge
or understanding of problems, issues, or
effective strategies for promoting
leadership to increase employment and
economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities;
2. The likelihood that the proposed
project will result in systems change or
improvement across generic and
disability-specific systems;
3. The extent to which the proposed
project is likely to build capacity to
provide, improve, or expand services
that address the needs of the target
population as they relate to targeted goal
areas in this solicitation;
4. The likely utility of the products
(such as information, materials,
processes, or techniques) that will result
from the proposed project, including the
potential for their being used effectively
in a variety of other settings;
5. The importance or magnitude of the
results or outcomes likely to be attained
by the proposed project; and
6. The extent to which the proposed
project builds upon prior work done by
ODEP and its partners around
increasing employment for adults with
disabilities, including integration of
universal strategies, customized
employment, and related policies and
practices within and across generic and
disability-specific systems.
1. The extent to which the goals,
objectives, and outcomes to be achieved
by the proposed project are clearly
specified and measurable;
2. The extent to which the design of
the proposed project includes a
comprehensive review of the relevant
literature, a detailed plan for project
implementation, and the use of
appropriate methodological tools to
ensure successful achievement of
project objectives;
3. The extent to which the proposed
project will effectively contribute to
increased knowledge, understanding,
and utilization of strategies in targeted
goal areas by building upon current
research, and effective practices;
4. The extent to which the proposed
project will be coordinated with similar
or related Federal technical assistance
efforts, such as research, training, and
information efforts;
5. The extent to which the proposed
project encourages involvement of
relevant experts and organizations
including individuals with disabilities
and generic systems’ personnel;
6. The extent to which performance
feedback and continuous improvement
are integral to the design of the
proposed project;
7. The extent to which the services to
be provided by the proposed project are
appropriate to the needs of the intended
recipients or beneficiaries of those
services;
8. The adequacy of the documentation
submitted in support of the proposed
project to demonstrate the commitment
of each entity or individual included in
project implementation;
9. The extent to which the proposed
project leverages other public and
private resources to foster inclusive
service delivery and sustainability and
provides other concrete evidence of
sustainability, including appropriate
letters of support included in the
appendices; and
10. The extent to which the design of
the proposed project includes a
comprehensive strategy for providing
technical assistance and conducting
research to effectively integrate
universal design and services,
customized employment and flexible
work options, and use of tax incentives,
work incentives, and other strategies for
enhancing employment profitability
into the policy and practice of public
and private workforce systems (and
their public and private partners)
nationally.
(b) Project Design (25 Points)
In evaluating the quality of the
proposed project design, the Department
will consider the following factors:
(c) Organizational Capacity and Quality
of Key Personnel (25 points)
Applications will be evaluated based
on the extent to which the applicant
and the date of the computation.
Successful applicants will be required
to negotiate an acceptable and allowable
rate within 90 days of grant award with
the appropriate DOL Regional Office of
Cost Determination or with the
applicant’s cognizant agency for indirect
cost rates (See Office of Management
and Budget Web site at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/
attach.html). The recipient shall call the
Office of Cost Determination at 202–
693–4100 for the initial contact.
However, applications claiming an
indirect cost rate greater than 15% will
not be considered.
V. Application Review Information
1. Evaluation Criteria
A technical panel will review grant
applications against the criteria listed
below, on the basis of the maximum
points indicated.
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demonstrates organizational capacity
and quality of key personnel to
implement the proposed project,
including:
1. Demonstrated experience with
similar projects providing technical
assistance and conducting research
relating to targeted goal areas;
2. Qualifications and demonstrated
experience of the applicant’s key
personnel, subcontractors and
consultants particularly in targeted goal
areas; and
3. Appropriateness of the
organization’s structure to carry out the
project.
(d) Budget and Resource Capacity (10
Points)
In evaluating the capacity of the
applicant to carry out the proposed
project, ODEP will consider the
following factors:
1. The extent to which the budget is
adequate to support the proposed
project; and
2. The extent to which the anticipated
costs are reasonable in relation to the
objectives, design, and potential
significance of the proposed project.
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(e) Quality of the Management Plan (15
Points)
In evaluating the quality of the
management plan for the proposed
project, ODEP will consider the
following factors:
1. The extent to which the
management plan for project
implementation appears likely to
achieve the objectives of the proposed
project on time and within budget, and
includes clearly defined staff
responsibilities, time allocation to
project activities, time lines, milestones
for accomplishing project tasks, project
deliverables, and information on
adequacy of other resources necessary
for project implementation;
2. The extent to which the
management plan appears likely to
result in sustainable activities beyond
the period of direct Federal investment;
3. The adequacy of mechanisms for
ensuring high-quality products and
services relating to the scope of work for
the proposed project; and
4. The extent to which the time
commitments of the project director
and/or principal investigator and other
key project personnel and/or
subcontractors and consultants are
appropriate and adequate to meet the
objectives of the proposed project.
(f) Quality of the Project Evaluation (15
Points)
In evaluating the quality of the
project’s evaluation design, including
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the data to be generated through
implementation of project activities,
ODEP will consider the following
factors:
1. The extent to which the methods of
evaluation are thorough, feasible, and
appropriate to the goals, objectives,
context, and outcomes of the proposed
project;
2. The extent to which the design of
the evaluation includes the use of
objective performance measures and
methods that will systematically
document the project’s intended outputs
and outcomes and will produce
measurable quantitative and qualitative
data;
3. The extent to which the evaluation
will provide Federal, State and local
government entities with useful
information about transition and
systems change models suitable for
replication or testing in other settings;
and
4. The extent to which the methods of
evaluation provide measures that will
inform ODEP’s annual performance
goals and measures and ODEP’s longterm strategic goals.
2. Review and Selection Process
A technical review panel will
objectively rate each complete
application against the criteria
described in this SGA. The panel
recommendations to the Grant Officer,
including any point scores, are advisory
in nature. The Grant Officer may elect
to award grants either with or without
discussion with the applicant. In
situations where no discussion occurs,
an award will be based on the signed
SF–424 form (see Appendix A), which
constitutes a binding offer.
The Grant Officer may consider the
availability of funds and any
information that is available and will
make final award decisions based on
what is most advantageous to the
government, considering factors such as
the advisory recommendations from the
grant technical evaluation panel and the
geographic distribution of Federally
funded grants.
3. Anticipated Announcement and
Award Dates
Announcement of this award is
expected to occur within 30 days of
award. The Cooperative Agreement will
be awarded by no later than September
28, 2007.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
The Notice of Award signed by the
Grant Officer is the authorizing
document and will be provided through
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postal mail and/or by electronic means
to the authorized representative listed
on the SF–424 Grant Application.
Notice that an organization has been
selected as a grant recipient does not
constitute final approval of the grant
application as submitted. Before the
actual grant award, the Grant Officer
and/or the Grant Officer’s Technical
Representative may enter into
negotiations concerning such items as
program components, funding levels,
and administrative systems. If the
negotiations do not result in an
acceptable submittal, the Grant Officer
reserves the right to terminate the
negotiation and decline to fund the
proposal.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
All grantees, including faith-based
organizations, will be subject to
applicable Federal laws (including
provisions of appropriations law),
regulations, and the applicable Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
Circulars. The grant awarded under this
SGA will be subject to the following
administrative standards and provisions
and requirements applicable to
particular entities. The applicant must
include assurances and certifications
that it will comply with these laws in
its grant application. The assurances
and certifications are attached as
Appendix C.
a. Regulations
29 CFR Parts 31 and 32—
Nondiscrimination in Federally
Assisted Programs of the Department of
Labor (respectively, effectuation of Title
VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964, and on
the Basis of Handicap in Programs and
Activities Receiving or Benefiting from
Federal Financial Assistance).
29 CFR Part 35—Nondiscrimination
on the Basis of Age in Programs or
Activities receiving Federal Financial
Assistance from the Department of
Labor.
29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination
on the Basis of Sex in Education
Programs or Activities Receiving
Federal Financial Assistance.
29 CFR Part 37—Implementation of
the Nondiscrimination and Equal
Opportunity Provisions in the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
29 CFR Part 93—New Restrictions on
Lobbying.
29 CFR Part 95—Uniform
Administrative Requirements for Grants
and Agreements with Institutions of
Higher Education, Hospitals and Other
Non-Profit Organizations, and with
Commercial Organizations, Foreign
Governments, Organizations Under the
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Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments
and International Organizations.
29 CFR Part 96—Federal Standards
for Audit of Federally Funded Grants,
Contracts and Agreements.
29 CFR Part 97—Uniform
Administrative Regulations for Grants to
States, Local Governments or Tribes.
29 CFR Part 98—Federal Standards
for Government wide Debarment and
Suspension (Nonprocurement) and
Government wide Requirements for
Drug-Free Workplace (Grants).
29 CFR Part 99—Federal Standards
for Audits of States, Local Governments,
and Non-Profit Organizations.
29 CFR Part 2—General Participation
in Department of Labor Programs by
Faith-Based and Community
Organizations; Equal Treatment of All
Department of Labor Program
Participants and Beneficiaries.
Applicable cost principles under
OMB Circulars A–21, A–87, A–122, or
48 CFR part 31.
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b. Travel
Any travel undertaken in performance
of this cooperative agreement shall be
subject to and in strict accordance with
Federal travel regulations.
c. Acknowledgement of DOL Funding
Printed Materials: In all
circumstances, the following shall be
displayed on printed materials prepared
by the Grantee while in receipt of DOL/
ODEP grant funding: ‘‘Preparation of
this item was funded by the United
States Department of Labor through its
ODEP Grant No. [insert the appropriate
Grant number].’’
All printed materials must also
include the following notice: ‘‘This
document does not necessarily reflect
the views or policies of the U.S.
Department of Labor, nor does mention
of trade names, commercial products, or
organizations imply endorsement by the
U.S. Government.’’
Public reference to grant: When
issuing statements, press releases,
requests for proposals, bid solicitations,
and other documents describing projects
or programs funded in whole or in part
with Federal money, all grantees
receiving Federal funds must clearly
state:
• The percentage of the total costs of
the program or project, which will be
financed with Federal money;
• The dollar amount of Federal
financial assistance for the project or
program; and
• The percentage and dollar amount
of the total costs of the project or
program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources.
Use of DOL and ODEP Logo: In
consultation with DOL/ODEP, the
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Grantee must acknowledge DOL’s role
as described. The DOL and/or ODEP
logo may be applied to DOL-funded
material prepared for world-wide
distribution, including posters, videos,
pamphlets, research documents,
national survey results, impact
evaluations, best practice reports, and
other publications of global interest. The
Grantee must consult with ODEP on
whether the logo may be used on any
such items prior to final draft or final
preparation for distribution. In no event
shall the DOL and/or ODEP logo be
placed on any item until ODEP has
given the grantee written permission to
use the logo on the item.
All documents must include the
following notice: ‘‘This document does
not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the U.S. Department of
Labor, nor does mention of trade names,
commercial products, or organizations
imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government.’’
d. Intellectual Property
Please be advised that DOL/ODEP
will reserve a royalty-free, nonexclusive,
and irrevocable license to reproduce,
publish, distribute, publicly display and
perform, create derivative works from,
and to authorize others to use, for
Federal Government purposes:
(a) Any work developed under a
grant, subgrant, or contract under a
grant or subgrant; and
(b) Any rights to which a grantee,
subgrantee or a contractor purchases
ownership with grant support.
In addition, the Grantee will agree to
notify DOL/ODEP of any pre-existing
copyrighted materials it intends to
incorporate into materials developed
under the grant, and, prior to such
incorporation, the grantee will agree
that it will acquire, on behalf of DOL/
ODEP, any necessary licenses to allow
DOL/ODEP to exercise the rights
described in the paragraph above.
e. Approval of Key Personnel and
Subcontractors
The recipient shall notify the Grant
Officer (through the Grant Officer
Technical Representative) at least 14
calendar days in advance if any key
personnel are to be removed or diverted
from the cooperative agreement, shall
supply written justification as part of
this notice as to why these persons are
to be removed or diverted, shall provide
the names(s) of the proposed substitute
or replacement, and shall include
information on each new individual’s
qualifications such as education and
work experience.
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39847
f. Paperwork Reduction Act Information
OMB Information Collection No.
1205–0458, Expires September 30, 2009.
According to the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, no persons are required to
respond to a collection of information
unless such collection displays a valid
OMB control number. Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 20 hours per
response, including time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing date
sources, gathering and maintaining data
needed, and completing and reviewing
the collection of information. Send
comments regarding the burden
estimated or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to
the U.S. Department of Labor, to the
attention of Cassandra Mitchell, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S–
4307, Washington, DC 20210.
This information is being collected for
the purpose of awarding a grant. The
information collected through this
‘‘Solicitation for Grant Applications’’
will be used by the Department of Labor
to ensure that grants are awarded to the
applicant best suited to perform the
functions of the grant. Submission of
this information is required in order for
the applicant to be considered for award
of this grant. Unless otherwise
specifically noted in this
announcement, information submitted
in the respondent’s applicant is not
considered to be confidential.
VII. Reporting and Monitoring
ODEP is responsible for ensuring
effective implementation of this
Cooperative Agreement, in accordance
with the provisions of this
announcement and the terms of the
Cooperative Agreement award
document. Applicants should assume
that ODEP staff will conduct on-site
project reviews periodically. Reviews
will focus on timely project
implementation, performance in
meeting the Cooperative Agreement’s
objectives, tasks and responsibilities,
expenditures of Cooperative Agreement
funds on allowable activities, and
administration of project activities.
Projects may be subject to other
additional reviews, at the discretion of
ODEP.
The selected applicant must submit
on a quarterly basis, beginning ninety
(90) days from the award of the grant,
financial and activity reports under this
program as prescribed by OMB Circular
A–110, codified at 2 CFR part 215 and
29 CFR part 95. Specifically the
following reports will be required:
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1. Quarterly report: The quarterly
report is estimated to take five (5) hours
to complete. The form for the quarterly
report will be provided by ODEP. The
Department will work with the Grantee
to help refine the requirements of the
report, which, among other things, will
include measures of ongoing analysis
for continuous improvement. This
report will be filed using a system
specified by ODEP. The form will be
submitted within thirty (30) days of the
close of the quarter. The quarterly
progress report will include narrative
description and will provide:
a. In-depth information on
accomplishments, including project
success stories, upcoming activities and
promising approaches and processes;
b. Progress toward performance
outcomes, including updates on
products, activities and emerging
promising practices in areas targeted by
this Cooperative Agreement.
In addition, the selected applicant
must submit every 6 months an
Executive Summary report of project
activities and outcomes to date. The
report must detail the various aspects of
project activities and accomplishments
in a form and format provided by the
Department.
2. Standard Form 269, Financial
Status Report Form: This form is to be
completed and submitted on a quarterly
basis using the Department of Labor’s EGrants Reporting System unless ODEP
provides different instructions.
3. Final Project Report: The Final
Project Report is to include an
assessment of project performance and
outcomes achieved. It is estimated that
this report will take twenty (20) hours
to complete. This report will be
submitted in hard copy and on
electronic disk using a format and
following instructions, to be provided
by ODEP. A draft of the final report is
due to ODEP sixty (60) days before the
end of the period of performance of the
cooperative agreement. The final report
is due to ODEP and the DOL Grants
Office ten (10) days before the end of the
period of performance of the
Cooperative Agreement.
The Department will arrange for an
evaluation of the outcomes, impacts,
accomplishments, and benefits of each
funded project. The Grantee must agree
to cooperate with this evaluation and
must make available records on all parts
of project activity, including available
data on service-delivery models being
studied and provide access to
personnel, as specified by the
evaluator(s), under the direction of
ODEP. This evaluation is separate from
the ongoing evaluation for continuous
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improvement required of the grantee for
project implementation.
Technical assistance efforts will be
coordinated with other technical
assistance efforts implemented by
ODEP, including, if applicable, the
National Center on Workforce and
Disability for Adults (NCWD/A) and the
national Self-Employment Technical
Assistance, Resources, and Training
Center (START–UP USA). The grantee
must also agree to work with ODEP in
its various technical assistance efforts in
order to freely share with others what is
learned about building systems capacity
and leadership across generic and
disability-specific systems and linking
asset development and employment
activities. The Grantee must agree to
collaborate with other research
institutes, centers, studies, and
evaluations that are supported by the
DOL and other relevant Federal
agencies, as appropriate. Finally, the
Grantee must agree to actively utilize as
appropriate the programs sponsored by
the ODEP, including the Job
Accommodation Network (https://
www.jan.wvu.edu), and the Employer
Assistance and Recruiting Network
(https://www.earnworks.com).
The successful applicant will be
required to prepare a strategic plan for
achieving the goals of the Cooperative
Agreement for the initial 24-month
period of performance and submit it to
ODEP for approval within 45 days of
award for approval.
VIII. Agency Contacts
Any questions regarding this SGA
should be directed to Cassandra
Mitchell, e-mail address:
mitchell.cassandra@dol.gov, tel: 202–
693–4570 (note that this is NOT a tollfree number). To obtain further
information about the Office of
Disability Employment Policy of the
U.S. Department of Labor, visit the DOL
Web site of the Office of Disability
Employment Policy at https://
www.dol.gov/odep.
IX. Appendices
The appendices are as follows:
Appendix A. Application for Federal
Assistance, Form SF–424.
Appendix B. Budget Information
Sheet, Form SF–424A.
Appendix C. Assurances and
Certifications Signature Page.
(Appendices D and E are not
applicable).
Appendix F. Survey on Ensuring
Equal Opportunity for Applicants.
Detailed information and document
locations:
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• Appendix A. Application for
Federal Assistance, Form SF–424 (OMB
No. 4040–0004).
• Appendix B. Budget Information
Sheet, Form SF–424A (OMB No. 0348–
0044). Both forms SF–424 and 424A can
be obtained at the following Web
address: https://apply.grants.gov/agency/
FormLinks?family=7.
• Appendix F. Survey on Ensuring
Equal Opportunity for Applicants (OMB
No. 1890–0014).
• The Survey on Ensuring Equal
Opportunity for Applicants form can be
obtained at the following Web address:
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/
appforms/surveyeo.pdf. (If this link is
viewed in an electronic format and the
user receives a ‘‘page not found’’
message, it is recommended that the
user cut and paste the URL into his/her
browser window.)
Appendix C. Assurances and
Certifications Signature Page
Certifications and Assurances
Assurances and Certifications Signature Page
The Department of Labor will not award a
grant or agreement where the grantee/
recipient has failed to accept the assurances
and certifications contained in this section.
By signing and returning this signature page,
the grantee/recipient is providing the
certifications set forth below:
A. Certification Regarding Lobbying,
Debarment, Suspension, Other Responsibility
Matters—Primary Covered Transactions and
Certifications Regarding Drug-Free/TobaccoFree Workplace.
B. Certification of Release of Information.
C. Assurances—Non-Construction
Programs.
D. Applicant is not a 501(c)(4)
organization.
Applicant Name and Legal Address:
If there is any reason why one of the
assurances or certifications listed cannot be
signed, the applicant shall provide an
explanation. Applicant need only submit and
return this signature page with the grant
application. All other instruction shall be
kept on file by the applicant.
lllllllllllllllllllll
Signature of Authorized Certifying Official
lllllllllllllllllllll
Title
lllllllllllllllllllll
Applicant Organization
lllllllllllllllllllll
Date Submitted
Please Note: This signature page and any
pertinent attachments which may be required
by these assurances and certifications shall
be attached to the applicant’s cost proposal.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of
July, 2007.
Cassandra Mitchell,
Grant Officer.
[FR Doc. E7–14074 Filed 7–19–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FK–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 139 (Friday, July 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39837-39848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14074]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy
[SGA 07-05]
National Technical Assistance and Research Center To Promote
Leadership for Employment and Economic Independence for Adults With
Disabilities; Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement
Announcement Type: New Notice of Availability of Funds and
Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA) for Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA 07-05.
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.720.
DATES: Applications must be received by August 20, 2007.
Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or
``Department''), Office of Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP''),
announces the availability of up to $2.35 million to fund a cooperative
agreement to establish a National Technical Assistance and Research
Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic
Independence for Adults with Disabilities with a 24-month period of
performance. In addition, this initiative may be funded for up to three
(3) additional option years depending on performance, identified need,
and the availability of future funding.
This National Technical Assistance and Research Center will focus
on building leadership capacity at the Federal, State, and local levels
to increase employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with
disabilities. ODEP is also funding a technical assistance and research
center focusing on youth with disabilities through a separate
competition.
Seventeen years after enactment of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), there is no barrier more challenging to the realization of
the American dream for citizens with disabilities than unemployment and
its resulting poverty, which precludes meaningful community
participation. Multiple demonstrations have documented that people with
barriers to employment resulting from a disability can become
successfully employed with appropriate supports and the customization
of employment responsibilities. With Federal investment of millions of
dollars into such research and demonstrations, valuable data and
successful practices have emerged. But their findings are not widely
disseminated or utilized, and their impact on policy and practice
within states is too often not evident.
In recognition of this fact, over the last decade, the Federal
Government has taken proactive steps to increase employment and
otherwise resolve barriers to employment for adults with disabilities.
Multiple Executive Orders have been issued focusing on employment and
disability (such as Executive Order 13078: Increasing Employment of
Adults With Disabilities, 1998), and on increasing the opportunity for
individuals with disabilities to become qualified Federal employees
(Executive Order 13163, Increasing the Opportunity for Individuals With
Disabilities To Be Employed in the Federal Government, 2000).
The Federal Government has also required Federal agencies to
establish procedures providing reasonable accommodation of work-related
disabilities (Executive Order 13164, Requiring Federal Agencies To
Establish Procedures To Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable
Accommodation, 2000) and to increase community-based alternatives for
individuals with disabilities (Executive Order 13217, Community-Based
Alternatives for Individuals With Disabilities, 2001). These Executive
Orders are in addition to laws prohibiting discrimination in employment
under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title I of the
ADA. Further, the New Freedom Initiative, established in 2001 by
President George W. Bush, brought heightened focus to and action in
disability policy throughout the Federal sector across numerous areas,
including employment.
Yet despite these multiple efforts, employment outcomes for adults
with disabilities are still far below that of the general adult
population. The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey in 2005
estimated that among the more than 21 million people with disabilities
aged 16-64, only 8.5 million, or 37.5 percent, were employed (https://
www.disabilitystatistics.org, downloaded 5/15/07). Of the people with
disabilities employed aged 16-64, 49.9 percent of men with disabilities
are employed as opposed to 80.9 percent of
[[Page 39838]]
working-age men without a disability. For women of working age, 34.2
percent of women with disabilities are employed, compared with 68.3
percent of women without disabilities. Not surprisingly, the poverty
rate among people with disabilities from 16 to 64 years old was 24.6
percent, almost triple the rate for those without disabilities (9.3
percent).
Effectively addressing the complex and significant barriers to
employment and economic self-sufficiency faced by adults with
disabilities requires the use of multiple strategies and the active
involvement of many stakeholders, including Federal, State and local
governments, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions,
consumers, and employers. To address this situation, ODEP is funding a
national technical assistance and research center (the Center) to build
capacity within and across both generic and disability-specific
service-delivery systems to provide transformational leadership in
service to adults with disabilities, and thus increase their employment
and economic self-sufficiency.
The Center will conduct research, develop and disseminate
information, and provide technical assistance and training in five
targeted goal areas defined in this solicitation. These goal areas have
been identified through six years of ODEP research as critical
leadership areas for improving systems capacity to effectively serve
adults with disabilities and increase their employment and economic
self-sufficiency. These targeted goal areas include the following:
1. Increasing partnership and collaboration among and across
generic and disability-specific systems that provide employment or
employment-support services. This partnership and collaboration should
produce more effective and efficient services through leveraging
resources and funding across multiple systems.
2. Increasing use of self-direction in service and integration of
funding among and across cross-generic and disability-specific systems,
including the blending and braiding of resources and funding across
systems and programs, and the use of self-directed accounts providing
choice and control to the individual job seeker.
3. Increasing economic self-sufficiency through leveraging relevant
generic and disability-specific tax incentives, financial education,
social security work incentives, benefits planning, and other
strategies for enhancing profitable employment resulting in the ability
of people with disabilities to accrue assets and resources through
employment.
4. Increasing the use of universal design as the framework for the
organization of employment policy and the implementation of employment
services.
5. Increasing the use of customized and other forms of flexible
work options for individuals with disabilities and others with complex
barriers to employment.
In addition, the Center will provide rapid response on request to
ODEP in areas related to employment and disability, and otherwise
support ODEP as requested in its efforts to develop policy
recommendations for increasing employment and economic self-sufficiency
for adults with disabilities.
In meeting each goal area, applicants must provide information on
strategies they will undertake for advancing knowledge development and
utilization, including describing specific research and technical
assistance and training activities. In addition, applicants must
describe how they will effectively disseminate policy knowledge,
research findings, and successful practices through and within various
networks of State and local systems' personnel, particularly leadership
personnel, and other relevant stakeholder communities (including, but
not limited to consumers, employers, and providers of employment and
asset development services). They should also describe how they will
encourage and monitor the translation and utilization of such
knowledge, research, and successful practices.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Description and Purpose
ODEP will award one cooperative agreement to establish a national
technical assistance and research center for increasing employment and
economic independence for adults with disabilities. The overall purpose
of this effort is to build leadership and partnership across workforce
development, economic development, and relevant partner agencies and
systems, including generic and disability-specific agencies and
systems, so that they work together strategically and effectively to
increase employment outcomes and economic self-sufficiency for adults
with disabilities. The Center will: Conduct research to identify,
validate, document, and otherwise promote effective practices and
policies in targeted goal areas; develop and disseminate information;
provide technical assistance; encourage collaboration and partnership
across State and local generic and disability-specific systems and
programs, both public and private; and work with States and localities
on multiple strategies in targeted goal areas for improving employment
outcomes and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities.
Activities of the Center must be based on the assumptions that: people
with disabilities have the ability to make and implement decisions
(with support as appropriate) about their own work life, and that they
have the ability to mobilize and develop resources (with support as
necessary) to move from poverty and dependency to independence and
productivity through employment. They must also be based on the
assumption that there is a need for multiple generic and disability-
specific systems and services to effectively partner across traditional
boundaries. In accomplishing these goals, the Center will provide
transformational leadership for translating innovation and emerging
successful solutions from isolated demonstrations to systemic
practices, and will act as a voice for elevating the discussion about
employment and disability nationally.
The Center's research-related activities will improve systems
capacity to provide leadership for increasing employment and economic
self-sufficiency at the State and local level in targeted goal areas,
and must include the development of policy-related recommendations for
consideration across agencies and systems. It must include, but is not
limited to, the following activities:
Implementing research, demonstration activities, and
otherwise developing evidence (either through qualitative and
quantitative methods, as appropriate) in targeted goal areas for
effective models and approaches to increasing employment and economic
self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities;
Promoting and documenting the impact of actions of key
leadership personnel at the State and local levels across public and
private systems and agencies utilizing employment approaches in
targeted goal areas in select states;
Conducting an analysis of the interaction between and
among various strategies and approaches in targeted goal areas as they
exist in public policy, both nationally and in select states; and
Developing evidence across public and private systems and
agencies of effective leadership strategies in targeted goal areas.
[[Page 39839]]
The Center's technical assistance and dissemination activities must
include, but are not limited to, the following:
Developing evidence-based information and materials
(including multi-media materials, curricula, and other relevant
accessible products) in targeted goal areas for use in increasing
leadership capacity for advancing employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities;
Preparing and disseminating appropriate reports and
documents related to targeted goal areas in publications including, but
not limited to, peer-reviewed journals;
Providing intensive technical assistance, training, and
information in targeted goal areas to ODEP's grantees including
documenting the impact of such actions;
Providing information to educate relevant stakeholders,
including State and local policymakers, systems personnel, key
leadership personnel, educators, and other relevant individuals and
groups about changes in policy and practice needed in order to increase
employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities,
and the evidence supporting action in targeted goal areas under this
solicitation;
Providing technical assistance, training, and information
to increase understanding and utilization by relevant workforce systems
and agencies of strategies developed in targeted goal areas;
Serving as a repository and dissemination center for
materials and effective practices developed by current and former ODEP
grantees; and
Creating and maintaining a user-friendly Web site with
relevant information and documents in a form that meets a government or
industry-recognized standard for accessibility.
The Center's collaboration and partnership activities must include,
but are not limited to:
Developing evidence on strategies for, and results of,
effective interagency partnership and collaboration between and among
Federal, State, and local systems and agencies, both generic and
disability-specific, that effectively leverage and maximize available
resources in ways that provide choice, control and self-direction to
individual job seekers; and
Developing, maintaining, and documenting relationships
that result in partnerships and collaborations to foster employment and
economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities. Partners may
include but are not limited to the following entities:
(1) State departments and agencies across generic and disability-
specific systems such as departments of Labor, Economic Development,
Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs, Mental Health, Medicaid,
Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, Education, and Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and Governors' Committees on
Employment of People with Disabilities and Developmental Disability
Councils;
(2) Local Work Investment Act (WIA) service providers, employment
service providers, local One-Stop Career Centers and the Veterans
Employment and Training Service; State and local financial services
entities; social security benefits planning and assistance programs;
community and faith-based organizations and disability organizations;
community colleges and other training entities; and providers of
employment-related supports, including public housing and
transportation authorities;
(3) Employers and their professional networks;
(4) Federal agencies including the Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Treasury,
Transportation, Education, and Veterans' Affairs; the Small Business
Administration and Social Security Administration; and other generic
and disability-specific agencies that work in areas related to
improving employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with
disabilities and others with complex barriers to employment; and
(5) ODEP-sponsored and other Federal technical assistance projects
that provide information about, or work in areas related to, employment
(including self employment), economic development, and/or enhancing
employment profitability through use of relevant tax incentives,
financial literacy, work incentives, benefits assistance and related
areas).
Additionally, the Center will work with ODEP to implement on-site,
intensive, targeted technical assistance and research in two pilot
states or economic development regions. The pilot project will be
competitively selected by the third quarter of year 1 of Center
activities. Staff and expert consultant time and project resources
dedicated to provide technical assistance, research, and training
support to the competitively selected states or regions will be
negotiated with ODEP as part of the Cooperative Agreement within thirty
(30) days of the date of the award in year 1. However, it is expected
that a minimum of $600,000 is to be spent on the above component of the
work plan. Year 1 activities will include the development of targeted
technical assistance materials, a work plan (to be approved by ODEP)
for this component of Center activities, and design and implementation
of a competitive selection process for the states or economic
development regions. Intensive, on-site, targeted activities will begin
immediately with the competitively selected states or regions no later
than the first quarter of year 2 of Center activities, and will focus
on implementation of goal areas defined in this SGA throughout the
states or economic development regions. Additional funding for this
activity will be dedicated to this component of Center activities
during years 3-5 pending ODEP's exercise of the option periods provided
herein, and the availability of funds and adequacy of performance.
The remainder of the funding that is provided is to be spent on
carrying out the general technical assistance, research, and training
functions in targeted goal areas described previously.
2. Background
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides national
leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment
policy and practice. A five-year strategic plan guides ODEP in
achieving its mission by identifying long-term strategic and outcome
goals as well as short-term intermediate and performance goals. In
addition to measuring agency performance, as required by the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the strategic plan sets forth a
road map for prioritizing the formulation and dissemination of
innovative employment policies and practices to service-delivery
systems and employers.
ODEP's annual goal is to build knowledge and advance disability
employment policy that affects and promotes systems change. The
agency's long- and short-term goals focus efforts on initiatives that
bring about this level of change. In short, ODEP develops policies and
strategies that will:
Enhance the capacity of service-delivery systems to
provide appropriate and effective services and supports to youth and
adults with disabilities;
Increase planning and coordination within service-delivery
systems to develop and improve systems, processes, and services;
Improve individualization of services to better assist
youth and adults with disabilities in seeking, obtaining,
[[Page 39840]]
and retaining employment or self-employment;
Increase employer access to supports and services to meet
their employment needs;
Increase the quality of competency-based training for
service-delivery systems;
Increase the adoption of universal strategies for service
provision; and
Develop partnerships with and among critical stakeholders
to effectively leverage available resources, and facilitate
implementation of practices and policies that increase employment and
self-employment opportunities as well as the recruitment, retention,
and promotion of adults with disabilities.
Three measures inform ODEP of its annual progress in meeting its
three goals under the Government Performance and Results Act: (1) The
number of policy-related documents; (2) the number of formal
agreements; and (3) the number of effective practices. These
performance results support achievement of the following intermediate
outcome goals: accessible employment resources; coordinated programs,
processes, and services; and adoption of effective practices.
Achievement of these intermediate outcome goals, in turn, supports
achievement of the long-term service-delivery systems outcome goals,
which are marked by increases in these areas: Capacity of service-
delivery systems; planning and coordination within service-delivery
systems; and employer access to supports and services for recruitment,
retention, and promotion of adults with disabilities.
On February 1, 2001, in announcing the New Freedom Initiative
(NFI), President George W. Bush explicitly recognized that in today's
global economy, America must be able to draw on the talents and
creativity of all its citizens, and that people with disabilities
represent valuable, largely untapped human capital. The NFI represents
an important step towards ensuring that all Americans have the
opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work,
choose where to live, and participate in community life.
The timeliness of the proposed effort to provide and promote
leadership for employment and economic independence for adults with
disabilities is reinforced by the demographic workforce issues that led
to the New Freedom Initiative and the continuing challenges faced by
workforce systems. Potential and current workers with disabilities fall
within all of the following demographic groups: Returning veterans,
mature workers, baby boomers, Generations X and Y, people with limited
English proficiency, the chronically homeless, and migrants. In
addition, the decline in the number of workers due to the potential
retirement of millions of baby boomers; the desires and needs of
millions of other baby boomers who choose to stay in the workforce, but
on their own terms; the demands of Generation X and Y workers who
expect companies to offer flexible work options; the complex needs of
veterans with service-connected injuries; the poverty levels, lack of
education, and skills' competencies of many people with limited English
proficiency; migrant workers lacking higher-level skills, to name some
of the key demographic issues, compel companies to retool their
recruitment and retention strategies, and demand workforce systems to
provide leadership to meet these needs.
Related to these issues is the fact that from 2001 through 2006
ODEP implemented several research initiatives to develop and document
innovative and universal approaches to improving employment outcomes
for adults with disabilities. In these ODEP initiatives, a total of 26
Customized Employment and Workforce Action (Olmstead) grantees were
funded for periods of time ranging from three to five years. Central to
the assumptions guiding the creation of these grants was the
recognition of the importance of flexibility in the way work is
organized and performed, the importance of partnership between and
among generic and disability-specific systems, the use of mechanisms to
promote self-direction and economic self-sufficiency, and the
universality and applicability of many of the successful approaches
being tested with other populations of people with barriers to
employment.
Importantly, these projects were charged with operating as part of
the workforce system and developing while demonstrating not only that
certain system change is beneficial to outcomes achieved--but that such
changes impact how services are organized and provided in a way that is
often universal for other workforce customers. The lead service system
for the initiatives was the One-Stop Career Centers operated under the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Overall, these projects were expected
to: increase the capacity of service-delivery systems to effectively
serve people with disabilities and other ``hard-to-serve'' populations;
increase planning and coordination within and across service-delivery
systems within the state, including generic as well as disability-
specific systems; increase employment outcomes through the use of
customized strategies for achieving employment; and develop policy
recommendations with broad applicability based on the demonstrated
evidence gathered through implementation of grant activities.
Additional information about these grant initiatives can be found on
ODEP's Web site: https://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/workforce/.
Several key findings resulting from these research initiatives
include the pivotal importance of the following in promoting positive
systems change that results in increased employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities:
Partnership and Collaboration: Collaboration and
partnership development was the primary innovation and the foundation
of all other systems change efforts across both initiatives. Whether
considering policy, resource allocation, or service integration,
effective partnerships and collaborative efforts were at the base of
every best practice. Collaborative efforts hinged on attaining a shared
understanding between and among systems, and the translation of the
partnership relationship into written, measurable goals that positively
affected each system and its customers.
Universal Design: The importance of universal design and
the use of universal strategies in serving job seekers with
disabilities emerged as pivotal for improving access to the programs
and services of the workforce development system. Universal design
within the workforce development system refers to the design of
environments, products, and communication practices as well as the
delivery of programs, services, and activities that meet the needs of
all customers of the system. ODEP's research documented that One-Stops
are incorporating elements of universal design in the way they organize
and deliver their services, organize their physical space, and develop
the culture of their environments. This universal design incorporation
includes addressing disability within the broader concept of diversity
and viewing it as one facet of a more sweeping mandate to ensure access
to workforce development services for all customers.
Leveraging Resources: Another central finding of ODEP's
research was that over time, collaboration with all types of
organizations and agencies increased and resulted in opportunities for
leveraging expertise and resources. No single partner or source of
funds could adequately respond to the potential spectrum of needs of
job
[[Page 39841]]
seekers with complex barriers to employment, including disability.
Leveraging resources was facilitated at both the systems and individual
level, and the blending or braiding of funds across systems became
instrumental in the ability of grantees to support a range of job
seekers, maximize their own resources, and share the scope of what it
takes to effectively provide workforce development services.
Additional findings identified the importance of leveraging various
existing tax incentives, financial education, work incentives, and
other strategies in order to maximize financial advantage and otherwise
enhance profitable employment resulting from work for people with
disabilities. Such individuals are no different than any other citizen
in their desire to work and advance their economic status. Yet many
public policies create barriers to work and economic self-sufficiency
for people with disabilities by limiting their ability to accrue assets
and maintain critical disability benefits. Numerous work incentives and
other strategies exist to assist with maximizing the economic benefits
of work for people with disabilities, but these remain underutilized.
Developing models of partnership among disability and community-based
organizations, One-Stop Career Centers, and local tax and financial
institutions will ultimately assist workers with disabilities access to
mainstream services, promote their self-determination and economic
self-sufficiency, and otherwise enable their employment to positively
impact their ability to fully participate in their communities. As the
workforce development system continues to increase participation of
individuals with disabilities in the labor force, development of models
utilizing multiple tax incentives and other strategies that enable
people with disabilities to maximize the financial advantage of work
are critical. This area holds great promise for assisting people to
permanently move off welfare and Social Security benefits, out of
poverty, and into the economic mainstream through employment.
Finally, a critical finding across these grant initiatives was the
importance of key leadership personnel for promoting positive change at
the State and local level across both public and private systems and
programs. Understanding and ``buy-in'' on the part of key leaders was
found to be essential to the success of long-term, effective, systemic
change (Customized Employment: Employers and Workers Creating a
Competitive Edge. Summary Report of Customized Employment and Workforce
Action Grants. Boston: Institute for Community Inclusion/UCED.
University of Massachusetts at Boston, 2007 in press).
The impending changes in the workforce make it imperative for our
nation to address the significant rate at which adults with
disabilities continue to be out of the work force. Isolated
demonstrations of success must be translated into broader replication
and adoption at the State and local level. The mainstream
infrastructure of our states and communities, both generic and
disability-specific, must fashion new ways of working in partnership.
The research and technical assistance effort proposed herein will
support this effort by increasing leadership capacity in five targeted
goal areas identified in this solicitation that have been validated
through prior research as pivotal in creating positive change for
people with disabilities. In addition, this effort will expand the
knowledge-base of existing effective practices for increasing
employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities
by intensively targeting technical assistance for implementation of
identified successful practices in a number of states, and by providing
proactive support, training, and dissemination of other relevant useful
information nationally.
The technical assistance to be provided will build upon ODEP's
prior research and technical assistance efforts which focused on
promoting increased understanding that:
Increasing employment and economic self-sufficiency for
adults with disabilities requires meaningful partnerships across
generic and disability-specific systems in both the public and private
sector;
The use of universal design as a framework for
organization and implementation of services benefits, not just people
with disabilities, but other job seekers with complex barriers to
employment;
Leveraging resources across generic and disability-
specific systems can enable the work force system to more effectively
respond to the varying needs of job seekers with disabilities and
maximize their own systems resources;
The use of customized employment strategies and other
forms of flexible work options can result in integrated, competitive
employment for individuals with disabilities and others with complex
barriers to employment; and
Economic self-sufficiency for workers with disabilities is
created not by the earning of wages alone, but by leveraging existing
tax incentives, financial education, work incentives, and other
strategies including, but not limited to, tax incentives for
individuals and business, work incentives under Social Security, and
matched savings accounts.
3. Definitions
Definitions for purposes of this solicitation include:
Universal Design: Universal Design is defined as the
design of environments, products, and communication practices, as well
as the delivery of programs, services, and activities, to meet the
needs of all customers of the work force development system.
Customized Employment: Customized employment is a process
for individualizing the employment relationship between a job seeker
and/or employee and an employer in ways that meet the needs of both,
based on an individualized negotiation (including negotiation of the
responsibilities and requirements of the job) that addresses the
strengths, conditions, and interests of the job seeker and/or employee,
and the identified business needs of the employer. Use of customized
employment strategies results in a job in a competitive, integrated
setting that pays minimum wage or above.
II. Award Information
Estimated Available Funds: The full $2,350,000 for the initial 24-
month period of performance will be awarded in 2007.
Period of Performance: 24 months from date of award with up to
three (3) additional option years depending on performance, identified
need, and the availability of future funding.
The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or ``Department''), Office of
Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP''), announces the availability of
up to $2,350,000 to fund a national technical assistance and research
Cooperative Agreement.
Note: Selection of an organization as a Grantee does not
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before
the actual grant is awarded, DOL may enter into negotiations about
such items as program components, staffing (including key project
staff and consultants), funding levels, and administrative systems
in place to support grant implementation. If the negotiations do not
result in a mutually acceptable submission, the Grant Officer
reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund
the application.
Because ODEP plans to make this award in the form of a cooperative
agreement, DOL will have substantial involvement in the administration
of the agreement. Such DOL involvement will consist of:
[[Page 39842]]
(1) Approval of any sub-contract awarded by the Grantee after the
grant award;
(2) Participation in site visits to project areas;
(3) Providing advice and consultation to the Grantee on specific
program criteria;
(4) Providing the Grantee with technical and programmatic support,
including training in DOL monitoring and evaluation systems, and
standard procedures regarding DOL management of cooperative agreements;
(5) Reviewing, at reasonable times, all documents pertaining to the
project, including status and technical progress reports, and financial
reports. ODEP will provide the format for the reports;
(6) Discussing administrative and technical issues pertaining to
the project;
(7) Approving all key personnel decisions, sub-contractors, and
consultants;
(8) Approving all fact sheets, training materials, press releases,
and publicity-related materials regarding the project;
(9) Approving all content for online resources developed through
project activities, including clearing concepts for material production
and final document production; and
(10) Drafting terms of reference for, and participating in project
evaluations.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are consortia which may include a combination
of any two or more of the following: Public/private non-profits or for-
profit organizations (including community and faith-based
organizations) and universities and colleges all with demonstrated
appropriate experience in providing technical assistance, and
conducting research and demonstrations in targeted goal areas defined
in this solicitation for increasing employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities. The demonstrated expertise
required should include, but not be limited to:
The work force development system, including both policy
and practice, related to individuals with disabilities and others with
complex barriers to employment, and the use of universal design
features and strategies throughout physical and programmatic
implementation of work force development services;
The integration/partnership of work force development and
other generic and disability-specific systems including leveraging and
blending of funds and resources across systems, and the use of self-
directed accounts providing choice and control to the individual job-
seeker;
The use of customized employment solutions for individuals
with complex barriers to employment and their employers;
The use of strategies for enhancing profitable employment
and financial advantage for adults with disabilities, including but not
limited to, tax incentives for individuals and business, individual
development accounts, financial literacy training, and work incentives
and benefits assistance available through Social Security; and
Providing leadership development at the State and local
implementation level, including building partnership and collaboration
across generic and disability-specific systems and programs.
There must be a prime or lead member of the consortium who is
responsible for overall grant management and serves as the fiscal
agent. All applications must clearly identify the lead grant recipient
and fiscal agent, as well as all other members of the consortium
including consultants applying for the grant. In addition, the
application must identify the relationship between all of the members
of the consortium.
According to section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an
organization, as described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, that engages in lobbying activities will not be eligible
for the receipt of Federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.
See 2 U.S.C. 1611; 26 U.S.C. 501(c) (4). Funding restrictions apply.
See Section IV (5).
2. Cost Sharing
Cost sharing, matching funds, and cost participation are not
required under this SGA. However, leveraging of public and private
resources to foster inclusive service-delivery and achieve project
sustainability is highly encouraged and included under evaluation
criteria. See V (1) (b) (9).
3. Other Eligibility Requirements
Legal rules pertaining to inherently religious activities by
organizations that receive Federal Financial Assistance:
Neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor
disfavor religion will be employed in the selection of grant recipients
and must be employed by grantees or in the selection of sub-awardees.
The government is generally prohibited from providing
direct financial assistance for inherently religious activities.\1\
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\1\ In this context, the term direct financial assistance means
financial assistance that is provided directly by a government
entity or an intermediate organization, as opposed to financial
assistance that an organization receives as the result of the
genuine and independent private choice of a beneficiary. In other
contexts, the term ``direct'' financial assistance may be used to
refer to financial assistance that an organization receives directly
from the Federal Government (also known as ``discretionary''
assistance), as opposed to assistance that it receives from a State
or local government (also known as ``indirect'' or ``block'' grant
assistance). The term ``direct'' has the former meaning throughout
this SGA.
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IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Addresses To Request Application Package
This SGA contains all the information and forms needed to apply for
this grant funding. Application announcements or forms will not be
mailed. The Federal Register may be obtained from your nearest
government office or library. In addition, a copy of this notice and
the application requirements may be downloaded from ODEP's Web site at
https://www.dol.gov/odep and at https://www.grants.gov. Applicants
submitting proposals online are requested to refrain from mailing a
hard copy application as well. It is strongly recommended that
applicants using https://www.grants.gov immediately initiate and
complete the ``Get Started'' registration steps at https://
www.grants.gov/GetStarted. These steps may take multiple days to
complete, and this should be factored into plans for electronic
submission in order to avoid facing unexpected delays that could result
in the rejection of an application. If submitting electronically
through https://www.grants.gov the application must be saved as .doc,
.pdf, or .txt files. If additional copies of the standard forms are
needed, they can also be downloaded from: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/grants/grants_forms.html.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
General Requirements: Applicants must submit one (1) paper copy
with an original signature and two (2) additional paper copies of the
signed proposal. To aid with the review of applications, DOL also
requires applicants to submit an electronic copy of their proposal's
Sections II (Executive Summary) and III (Project Narrative) on disc or
compact disc (CD) using Microsoft Word. The application (not to exceed
30 pages for Section III), must be double-spaced with standard one-inch
margins (top, bottom, and sides) on 8\1/2\ x 11-inch paper, and
[[Page 39843]]
must be presented on single-sided and numbered pages. A font size of at
least twelve (12) pitch is required throughout. All text in the
application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes,
quotations, and captions must be double-spaced (no more than three
lines per vertical inch); and, if using a proportional computer font,
must be in at least a 12-point font, and must have an average character
density no greater than 18 characters per inch (if using a non-
proportional font or a typewriter, must not be more than 12 characters
per inch). Applications that fail to meet these requirements will be
considered non-responsive.
Cooperative Agreement Mandatory Application Requirements
The three required sections of the application are titled below and
described thereafter:
Section I--Project Financial Plan (No page limit).
Section II--Executive Summary--Project Synopsis (Not to exceed two
(2) pages).
Section III--Project Narrative (Not to exceed 30 pages).
The mandatory requirements for each section are set forth below.
Applications that fail to meet the stated mandatory requirements for
each section will be considered non-responsive.
Section I. Project Financial Plan (Budget): The Project Financial
Plan will not count against the application page limits. Section I of
the application must include the following:
(1) Completed ``SF-424--Application for Federal Assistance.''
Please note that, beginning October 1, 2003, all applicants for
Federal grant and funding opportunities are required to include a Dun
and Bradstreet (DUNS) number with their application. See OMB Notice of
Final Policy Issuance, 68 Fed. Reg. 38402 (June 27, 2003). The DUNS
number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies
business entities. There is no charge for obtaining a DUNS number
(although it may take 14-30 days). To obtain a DUNS number, access the
following Web site: https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Requests for exemption from the DUNS number requirement must be
made to the Office of Management and Budget. The Dun and Bradstreet
Number of the applicant should be entered in the ``Organizational
Unit'' section of block 8 of the SF-424. (See Appendix A of this SGA
for required form.)
(2) The SF-424 must contain the original signatures of the legal
entity applying for cooperative agreement funding and two additional
copies of the signed SF-424. The individual signing the SF-424 on
behalf of the applicant must represent and be able to legally bind the
responsible financial and administrative entity for a cooperative
agreement should that application result in an award. Applicants shall
indicate on the SF-424 the organization's Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) status (e.g. 501(c)(3) organization), if applicable.
(3) Completed SF-424A--Budget Information Form by line item for all
costs required to implement the project design effectively. (See
Appendix B of this SGA for required forms.)
(4) DOL Budget Narrative and Justification that provides sufficient
information and methodologies used to support the reasonableness of the
costs included in the budget in relation to the service strategy and
planned outcomes, including continuous improvement activities.
The DOL Budget Narrative and Justification must include a detailed
cost breakout of each line item on the Budget Information Sheet. Please
label this page or pages the ``Budget Narrative'' and ensure that costs
reported on the SF 424A correspond accurately with the Budget
Narrative; the Budget Narrative must include, at a minimum, Personnel
Costs--Applicants must provide a breakout of all personnel cost b
position, title, annual salary rates, and percent of time of each
position to be devoted to the proposed project; Fringe Benefits--
Applicants must provide an explanation and breakout of fringe benefit
rates and associated charges that exceed 35% of salaries and wages;
Explanation of Costs and Methodologies--Applicants must provide an
explanation of the purpose and composition of, and methodology used to
derive the costs of each of the following: Personnel costs, fringe
benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, and any other costs.
The applicant must include costs of any required travel described in
this Solicitation; describe all costs associated with implementing the
project that are to be covered with cooperative agreement funds. The
budget must support the travel and associated costs of sending
representatives to both a post-award conference and periodic meetings
with ODEP staff in Washington, D.C. (at least once per quarter), at a
time and place to be determined. In addition to other administrative
requirements identified in section VI(2) of this SGA, the applicant
must comply with the ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments'' (also known
as OMB Circular A-102), codified at 29 CFR part 97, or ``Grants and
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other
Non-Profit Organizations'' (also known as the ``Common Rule'' or OMB
Circular A-110), codified at 2 CFR part 215 and 29 CFR part 95.
In addition, the budget submitted for review by DOL must include,
on a separate page, a detailed cost analysis of each line item. The
costs listed in the detailed cost analysis must comply with the
applicable OMB cost principles circulars, as identified in 29 CFR 95.27
and 29 CFR 97.22(b). Justification for administrative costs must be
provided. Approval of a budget by DOL is not the same as the approval
of actual costs. The applicant must also include the Assurances and
Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C) and the Survey on Ensuring
Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Appendix D).
Section II. Executive Summary--Project Synopsis: The Executive
Summary is limited to no more than two single-spaced, single-sided
pages on 8\1/2\ x 11-inch paper with standard margins throughout. The
project synopsis must identify the following:
(1) The lead entity;
(2) The list of consortium members and consultants, as appropriate;
and
(3) An overview of how the applicant will carry out the technical
assistance and research activities described in Section I of this
solicitation.
Section III. Project Narrative: The DOL Cooperative Agreement
Project Narrative is limited to no more than thirty (30), 8\1/2\ x 11''
pages, double-spaced with standard one-inch margins (top, bottom, and
sides), and must be presented on single-sided, numbered pages. This
page limit does not apply to Section I, the Project Financial Plan
(Budget), Section II, the Executive Summary and the Appendices (the
assurances and certifications, resumes, a bibliography or references,
and the documentation of commitment/formal agreement/letters of support
and other materials relevant to the application). A page is 8\1/2\ x
11'' (on one side only) with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).
All text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, and captions must be double-spaced (no more than
three lines per vertical inch); and, if using a proportional computer
font, use no smaller than a 12-point font, and an average character
density no greater than 18 characters per inch (if using a non-
proportional font or a typewriter, do not use more than 12 characters
per inch).
[[Page 39844]]
Applications must include a Project Narrative that addresses the
work proposed to be accomplished under the Cooperative Agreement, and
the evaluation/selection criteria in Part V(1) that will be used by
reviewers in evaluating the application.
The successful applicant will be a Technical Assistance and
Research Consortium and will describe in their Project Narrative their
innovative and comprehensive plan for accomplishing the technical
assistance and research activities described in Part I(1) Description
and Purpose, and Part I(2) Background.
The Project Narrative must:
(1) Identify members of the consortium (including the lead entity,
other consortium members, and key consultants) and provide
documentation (such as letters of intent and memorandum of agreement
which will be included in an Appendix) of a formal agreement of
participation;
(2) Demonstrate each of the consortium members' and key
consultants' relevant experience and expertise;
(3) Identify how the applicant proposes to disseminate research
findings and technical assistance products; and
(4) Identify how the applicant proposes to monitor the
implementation and/or adoption of technical assistance and training and
otherwise provide evidence of project impact.
Each Project Narrative must include:
(1) A detailed 24-month management plan for project goals,
objectives, and activities;
(2) A detailed 24-month timeline for project activities, including
producing and submitting a final report;
(3) A detailed outline for an evaluation of the project (see
Section V(1)(f) for more information);
(4) A description of procedures and approaches that will be used to
provide ongoing communication, collaboration with, and input from
ODEP's Project Officer on all grant-related activities.
(5) A detailed description of how the consortia will work with
multiple Federal, State and local public and private entities to
implement and monitor implementation of policy recommendations and
strategies identified in carrying out project activities; and
(6) A detailed description of measures that will be taken to ensure
that elements of the project's technical assistance will be sustained
following the completion of project activities.
The Project Narrative must describe the proposed staffing for the
project and must identify and summarize the qualifications of the
personnel who will carry it out related to the objectives of this
solicitation. In addition, the evaluation criteria listed in Section V
(1)(c) include consideration of the qualifications, including relevant
education, training, and experience, of key project personnel, as well
as the qualifications, including relevant education, training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors. Resumes must be
included in the appendices. Key personnel include any individual
(whether consortium member or individual consultant or contractor)
playing a substantial role in the project. Minimum qualifications
should be commensurate with the role identified in the application. In
addition, the applicant must specify in the application the percentages
of time to be dedicated by each key person on the project.
For each staff person named in the application, documentation of
all internal and external time commitments shall be provided. In
instances where a staff person is committed on a Federally supported
project, the project name, Federal office, program title, the project
Federal award number, and the amount of committed time by each project
year shall be provided. This information (e.g., Staff: Jane Doe;
Project Name: Succeeding in the General Curriculum; Federal office:
Office of Special Education Programs; Program title: Field-Initiated
Research; Award number: H324C980624; Time commitments: Year 1-30%; Year
2-25% and Year 3-40%) can be provided as an appendix to the
application.
In general, ODEP will not reduce time commitments on currently
funded grants from the time proposed in the original application.
Therefore, ODEP will not consider for funding any application where key
staff are bid above a time commitment level that staff have available
to bid. Further, the time commitments stated in newly submitted
applications will not be negotiated down to permit the applicant to
receive a new grant award.
The Project Narrative should also describe how the applicant plans
to comply with the employment discrimination and equal employment
opportunity requirements of the various laws listed in the assurances
section.
3. Submission Dates, Times and Addresses
Applications will be accepted commencing July 20, 2007. The closing
date for receipt of applications by DOL under this announcement is
August 20, 2007.
Applications, including those hand delivered, must be received by
4:45 p.m. (EST) on the closing date at the address specified below. No
exceptions to the mailing and hand-delivery conditions set forth in
this notice will be granted. Applications that do not meet the
conditions set forth in this notice will be considered non-responsive.
Applications must be mailed or hand delivered to: U.S. Department
of Labor, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell,
Reference SGA 07-05, Room S-4307, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Applications sent by e-mail or telefascimile
(FAX) will not be accepted.
Hand-Delivered Proposals: Hand-delivered applications will be
considered for funding, but must be received by the above specified
date and time. Overnight or express delivery from carriers other than
the U.S. Postal Service will be considered hand-delivered applications.
It is preferred that applications be mailed at least five (5) days
prior to the closing date to ensure timely receipt. Failure to adhere
to the above instructions will serve as a basis for a determination of
non-responsiveness.
Applicants are advised that mail in the Washington, DC area may be
delayed due to mail decontamination procedures and may wish to take
this information into consideration when preparing to meet the
application deadline.
Late Applications: Any application received by the designated
office after the exact date and time specified will be considered non-
responsive, unless it is received before awards are made and it: (a) Is
determined that its late receipt was caused by DOL error after timely
delivery to the Department of Labor; (b) was sent by U.S. Postal
Service registered or certified mail not later than the fifth calendar
day before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an
application submitted in response to a solicitation requiring receipt
of applications by the 20th of the month must have been postmarked by
the 15th of that month); or (c) was sent by the U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail Next Day Service to addressee not later than 5:00 p.m. at
the place of mailing two (2) working days prior to the date specified
for receipt of applications. The term ``working days'' excludes
weekends and Federal holidays. ``Postmarked'' means a printed, stamped,
or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a postage meter machine
impression) that is readily identifiable without further action as
having been supplied or affixed on the
[[Page 39845]]
date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
Withdrawal of Applications: An application that is timely submitted
may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram (including mailgram) at
any time before an award is made. Applications may be withdrawn in
person by the applicant or by an authorized representative thereof, if
the representative's identity is made known and the representative
signs a receipt for the proposal.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
5. Funding Restrictions
(a) Funding Levels: The total funding available for this
solicitation is $2,350,000. The Department of Labor reserves the right
to negotiate the amounts to be awarded under this competition. Please
be advised that requests exceeding the maximum stated amount will be
considered non-responsive. Additionally, there will be no reimbursement
of pre-award costs.
(b) Period of Performance: The period of performance will be for 24
months from the date of the award unless modified. It is expected that
the successful applicant will begin program operations under this
solicitation immediately upon receiving the ``Notice of Award.''
(c) Option Year Funding: Up to three (3) additional option years
may be available depending on performance, identified need, and the
availability of future funding.
(d) Indirect Charges: If indirect charges are claimed in the
proposed budget, the recipient must provide on a separate sheet, the
following information:
(1) Name and address of cognizant Federal audit agency;
(2) Name, address and phone number (including area code) of the
Government auditor;
(3) Documentation from the cognizant agency indicating:
(a) Current indirect cost rate and the base against which the rate
should be applied;
(b) Effective period (dates) for the rate; and
(c) Date last rate was computed and negotiated.
(4) If no government audit agency computed and authorized the rate
claimed, a proposed rate with justification may be submitted providing
a brief explanation of computation, who computed the rate, and the date
of the computation. Successful applicants will be required to negotiate
an acceptable and allowable rate within 90 days of grant award with the
appropriate DOL Regional Office of Cost Determination or with the
applicant's cognizant agency for indirect cost rates (See Office of
Management and Budget Web site at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/
attach.html). The recipient shall call the Office of Cost Determination
at 202-693-4100 for the initial contact.
However, applications claiming an indirect cost rate greater than
15% will not be considered.
V. Application Review Information
1. Evaluation Criteria
A technical panel will review grant applications against the
criteria listed below, on the basis of the maximum points indicated.
(a) Significance of the Proposed Project (10 Points)
In determining the significance of the proposed research, the
Department will consider the following factors:
1. The potential contribution of the proposed project to increase
knowledge or understanding of problems, issues, or effective strategies
for promoting leadership to increase employment and economic self-
sufficiency for adults with disabilities;
2. The likelihood that the proposed project will result in systems
change or improvement across generic and disability-specific systems;
3. The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the needs
of the target population as they relate to targeted goal areas in this
solicitation;
4. The likely utility of the products (such as information,
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed
project, including the potential for their being used effectively in a
variety of other settings;
5. The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to
be attained by the proposed project; and
6. The extent to which the proposed project builds upon prior work
done by ODEP and its partners around increasing employment for adults
with disabilities, including integration of universal strategies,
customized employment, and related policies and practices within and
across generic and disability-specific systems.
(b) Project Design (25 Points)
In evaluating the quality of the proposed project design, the
Department will consider the following factors:
1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable;
2. The extent to which the design of the proposed project includes
a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, a detailed plan for
project implementation, and the use of appropriate methodological tools
to ensure successful achievement of project objectives;
3. The extent to which the proposed project will effectively
contribute to increased knowledge, understanding, and utilization of
strategies in targeted goal areas by building upon current research,
and effective practices;
4. The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated
with similar or related Federal technical assistance efforts, such as
research, training, and information efforts;
5. The extent to which the proposed project encourages involvement
of relevant experts and organizations including individuals with
disabilities and generic systems' personnel;
6. The extent to which performance feedback and continuous
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project;
7. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services;
8. The adequacy of the documentation submitted in support of the
proposed project to demonstrate the commitment of each entity or
individual included in project implementation;
9. The extent to which the proposed project leverages other public
and private resources to foster inclusive service delivery and
sustainability and provides other concrete evidence of sustainability,
including appropriate letters of support included in the appendices;
and
10. The extent to which the design of the proposed project includes
a comprehensive strategy for providing technical assistance and
conducting research to effectively integrate universal design and
services, customized employment and flexible work options, and use of
tax incentives, work incentives, and other strategies for enhancing
employment profitability into the policy and practice of public and
private workforce systems (and their public and private partners)
nationally.
(c) Organizational Capacity and Quality of Key Personnel (25 points)
Applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which the
applicant
[[Page 39846]]
demonstrates organizational capacity and quality of key personnel to
implement the proposed project, including:
1. Demonstrated experience with similar projects providing
technical assistance and conducting research relating to targeted goal
areas;
2. Qualifications and demonstrated experience of the applicant's
key personnel, subcontractors and consultants particularly in targeted
goal areas; and
3. Appropriateness of the organization's structure to carry out the
project.
(d) Budget and Resource Capacity (10 Points)
In evaluating the capacity of the applicant to carry out the
proposed project, ODEP will consider the following factors:
1. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project; and