Notice of HUD's Policy on Quality Assurance Review (QAR) of Electronic Application Submission Difficulties, 49469-49472 [E8-19349]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 163 / Thursday, August 21, 2008 / Notices
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Natcher Building, Conference Rooms E1 &
E2, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD
20892.
Open: September 19, 2008, 8:45 a.m. to
adjournment.
Agenda: For the discussion of program
policies and issues, opening remarks, report
of the Director, NIGMS, and other business
of the Council.
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Natcher Building, Conference Rooms E1 &
E2, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD
20892.
Contact Person: Ann A. Hagan, PhD,
Associate Director for Extramural Activities,
NIGMS, NIH, DHHS, 45 Center Drive, Room
2AN24H, MSC6200, Bethesda, MD 20892–
6200, (301) 594–4499,
hagana@nigms.nih.gov.
Any interested person may file written
comments with the committee by forwarding
the statement to the Contact Person listed on
this notice. The statement should include the
name, address, telephone number and when
applicable, the business or professional
affiliation of the interested person.
In the interest of security, NIH has
instituted stringent procedures for entrance
onto the NIH campus. All visitor vehicles,
including taxicabs, hotel, and airport shuttles
will be inspected before being allowed on
campus. Visitors will be asked to show one
form of identification (for example, a
government-issued photo ID, driver’s license,
or passport) and to state the purpose of their
visit.
Information is also available on the
Institute’s/Center’s home page: https://
www.nigms.nih.gov/about/
advisory_council.html, where an agenda and
any additional information for the meeting
will be posted when available.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Nos. 93.375, Minority Biomedical
Research Support; 93.821, Cell Biology and
Biophysics Research; 93.859, Pharmacology,
Physiology, and Biological Chemistry
Research; 93.862, Genetics and
Developmental Biology Research; 93.88,
Minority Access to Research Careers; 93.96,
Special Minority Initiatives, National
Institutes of Health, HHS)
August 25, 2008 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
via teleconference.
The meeting will include the review,
discussion and evaluation of grant
applications. Therefore the meeting will
be closed to the public as determined by
the Administrator, SAMHSA, in
accordance with Title 5 U.S.C.
552b(c)(6) and 5 U.S.C. App. 2. § 10(d).
Substantive program information, a
summary of the meetings and a roster of
Council members may be obtained as
soon as possible after each meeting,
either by accessing the SAMHSA
Committee Web site at https://
www.nac.samhsa.gov, or by contacting
CMHS National Advisory Council’s
Designated Federal Official, Ms. Dianne
McSwain (see contact information
below).
Dated: August 12, 2008.
Jennifer Spaeth,
Director, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. E8–19224 Filed 8–20–08; 8:45 am]
[Docket No. FR–5237–N–01]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–M
AGENCY:
Committee Name: SAMHSA Center for
Mental Health Services National Advisory
Council.
Date/Time/Type: August 25, 2008, from 3
p.m. to 4 p.m.: Closed.
Place(s): SAMHSA Building, 1 Choke
Cherry Road, Conference Room 6–1060,
Rockville, Maryland 20857.
Contact: Dianne McSwain, M.S.W.,
Designated Federal Official, 1 Choke Cherry,
Rm. 6–1063, Rockville, Maryland 20857,
Telephone: (240) 276–1828, Fax: (240) 276–
1850, e-mail:
Dianne.McSwain@samhsa.hhs.gov.
This notice is being published less than 15
days prior to the meeting due to the timing
limitations imposed by the review and
funding cycle.
Toian Vaughn,
Committee Management Officer, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8–19360 Filed 8–20–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162–20–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Notice of HUD’s Policy on Quality
Assurance Review (QAR) of Electronic
Application Submission Difficulties
Office of the Secretary, HUD.
Notice for HUD’s procedure on
quality control review of electronic
application submission difficulties.
ACTION:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration
Center for Mental Health Services;
Notice of Meeting
Pursuant to Public Law 92–463,
notice is hereby given that the Center for
Mental Health Services (CMHS)
National Advisory Council will meet on
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SUMMARY: Since 2005, HUD has required
that applicants for HUD’s discretionary
funding submit their applications
electronically through Grants.gov,
unless the applicant previously received
a waiver of this requirement. Since July
2, 2008, however, applicants for HUD
assistance have indicated that they have
encountered technical difficulties in
their electronic application
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49469
submissions. Today’s notice announces
that HUD is taking action to respond to
these concerns and is conducting a
Quality Assurance Review (QAR) to
identify applicants that correctly
followed all electronic application
submission instructions, including
registration for electronic submission,
but were unable to submit an
application because of technical
problems related to the use of the Adobe
Acrobat forms and Grants.gov error
messages.
DATES: Applicants that had difficulties
submitting an electronic application for
assistance in response to a notice of
funding availability (NOFA), for which
the deadline date has passed, may
submit a request for QAR by September
5, 2008. Applicants having difficulties
submitting an electronic application for
assistance, in response to a NOFA for
which the deadline date has not passed,
may submit a request for QAR,
beginning at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on
the day following the deadline date, and
must do so by 12:01 a.m. 15 days later.
Requests for QAR must be submitted by
e-mail to the appropriate program
contact listed in the appendix to this
notice to facilitate timely receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information about each funded
program, or to submit your QAR appeal,
please contact the individual listed in
the appendix to this notice. Appeals
must be submitted by e-mail. When
submitting the appeal, please place in
the subject line the program name,
applicant name, and any Grants.gov
Call-Center ticket number(s).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since
2005, HUD has required that applicants
for HUD’s discretionary funding submit
their applications electronically through
Grants.gov, unless the applicant
previously received a waiver of the
requirement. Since January 2008, HUD
has published a number of documents
that provided instructions to meet the
requirement, including HUD’s Early
Registration Notice, published on March
10, 2008 (73 FR 12751); HUD’s Notice
of FY2008 Funding Availability, Policy
Requirements and General Section to
HUD’s FY2008 Notices of Funding
Availability (NOFAs) for HUD’s
Discretionary Programs (General
Section), published on March 19, 2008
(73 FR 14882); and the Introduction to
the SuperNOFA published on May 12,
2008 (73 FR 27032) (collectively
referred to as ‘‘electronic submission
instructions’’). Since July 2, 2008,
however, applicants for HUD assistance
have indicated that they have
encountered technical difficulties in
their electronic application
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49470
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 163 / Thursday, August 21, 2008 / Notices
submissions. Today’s notice announces
that HUD is taking action to respond to
these concerns and is conducting a QAR
to identify applicants that correctly
followed all of HUD’s electronic
submission instructions, including
registration for electronic submission,
but were unable to submit an
application because of technical
problems related to the use of the Adobe
Acrobat forms and Grants.gov error
messages. Today’s notice also provides
HUD’s QAR procedures, as well as
outlines the application submission
procedures an applicant must follow if
HUD determines that the applicant
complied with all electronic submission
instructions but was unable to submit
an application because of technical
difficulties. If HUD makes this
determination, the applicant will be
contacted by HUD and invited to
resubmit an application. Applicants
planning to apply for assistance for
which the deadline date remains open
are encouraged to apply early, when the
Grants.gov help desk is open, or when
HUD staff and program offices are
available to help overcome any
electronic submission issues.
Applicants are also reminded that
validation can take 24 to 48 hours to
complete and that time should be
allotted for that process to occur. In
addition, applicants using the facsimile
solution to submit portions of their
applications must use the form HUD–
96011, Transmittal Cover Sheet, on each
facsimile submitted. If a facsimile
transmission fails, each attempt to fax
the information must contain the HUD–
96011 cover sheet.
This QAR procedure is in effect for all
funding opportunities announced by
HUD, except for the Continuum of Care
program, for which the deadline date
was July 2, 2008, or later. Specifically,
this excludes from the QAR those
applicants submitting electronic
applications in response to HUD’s
HOPE VI Revitalization Program NOFA
published on March 26, 2008 (73 FR
16134) and HUD’s Rural Housing and
Economic Development NOFA
published on April 28, 2008 (73 FR
23051). HUD is making this procedure
available to applicants experiencing
difficulty submitting an application
electronically in response to NOFAs
that HUD will publish in the Federal
Register until the end of this fiscal year.
If HUD determines that an applicant met
HUD’s electronic submission
instructions, but was unable to submit
its application because of unanticipated
technical difficulties, HUD will contact
the applicant and invite the applicant to
resubmit the application. The following
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describes HUD’s procedures with
respect to 2008 applications covered by
this QAR.
Policy and Procedures on Quality
Assurance Review of Unsuccessful
Electronic Applications
HUD’s QAR will focus on those
electronic application submissions
where HUD’s records and those of
Grants.gov document that the applicant
followed all of the electronic
submission instructions published in
the Federal Register.
HUD’s records and those of
Grants.gov indicate that, of the group of
applicants that were unable to submit
an application electronically through
Grants.gov, some were unable to do so
because they failed to register for
electronic application submission or
failed to allow sufficient time to
complete the registration process. As
detailed in HUD’s Federal Register
publications, which provide
instructions for submitting an
application electronically, the
registration process required applicants
to obtain a Dun and Bradstreet
Universal Data (DUNS) number (the
DUNS number is a governmentwide and
regulatory requirement for all grant
applications), register with the Federal
Central Contractor Registration, obtain
and register credentials from a
credential provider for EAuthentication, and, then, have the
eBusiness Point of Contact grant
authority to submit on behalf of the
applicant organization. As HUD has
explained in its electronic submission
instructions, this registration process is
necessary to ensure that the
electronically submitted application is
that of the applicant, and that the
individual or organization that
submitted the application is authorized
to submit it on behalf of the applicant.1
HUD has also advised applicants to
allow at least 2 weeks to 4 weeks to
complete the registration process.
Applicants that failed to complete the
registration process will not be
considered for review.
Similarly, if HUD’s records and those
of Grants.gov reflect that applicants
were unable to submit an electronic
application because of the following
applicant errors, the applicant will not
be considered under the QAR:
• The applicant typed in a wrong
DUNS number;
• The applicant provided a password
and ID that were not associated to the
DUNS number used in the application;
1 In addition to the General Section to HUD’s
2008 NOFAs and Early Registration Notice, HUD’s
Internet Web broadcasts discussed the electronic
application submission procedures.
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• The applicant used a password and
ID that were not authorized for
submission by submitting entity’s
eBusiness Point of Contact.
These aforesaid applicant submission
problems will not be reviewed under
the QAR, because it is HUD’s position
that it is the applicant’s responsibility to
manage its passwords, IDs, and DUNS
numbers, and to ensure that the
authorization process is accurately
completed.
HUD’s quality assurance review for
application submission will focus on
circumstances where an applicant met
the electronic application instructions,
but was unable to submit an application
because of unanticipated technical
problems due to use of the Adobe
Acrobat forms package and/or error
messages emanating from the Grants.gov
system. In these cases, HUD will hold
the applicant harmless and permit the
applicant to resubmit the application.
Examples of unanticipated technical
difficulties that may have resulted in an
applicant’s failure to submit an
electronic application include:
• Grants.gov system records, Call
Center records, or e-mail records from
the applicant to Support@Grants.gov or
to HUD staff demonstrate that the
applicant attempted submission in
accordance with HUD instructions with
time allowed for the validation process
to occur prior to the deadline date, but
the applicant was unable to successfully
submit its application prior to the
deadline due to difficulties uploading
its application or due to error messages
by the Grants.gov system. HUD
acknowledges that numerous attempts
to overcome the ‘‘broken pipe’’ and
other error messages emanating from
Grants.gov can result in confusion on
the part of the applicant and while
initial attempts to submit allowed time
for validation to occur as documented
by calls or e-mails to the Grants.gov
help desk, the Grants.gov help desk did
not provide guidance to resolve the
applicant’s submission issues;
• The records demonstrate the
Grants.gov Call Center’s help desk
advised the applicant to leave the
application processing for a period of
time longer than 1 hour; or advised the
applicant that the Call Center
representative was submitting a research
ticket to get further assistance for the
applicant, even though the Call Center
could not provide a response to the
research ticket prior to the deadline
date. In such cases, where the applicant
fully followed the directions provided
in HUD’s instructions for registration
and submission, and due to processing
errors or lack of accurate or timely
assistance on the part of Grants.gov, the
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 163 / Thursday, August 21, 2008 / Notices
applicant was unable to have the
application successfully received and
validated by Grants.gov by the deadline
date and time; or
• Other unique situations brought to
HUD’s attention that may lead HUD to
conclude that an applicant’s failure to
submit was based on misleading
technical advice or other such
technology-related problems.
As noted in today’s Federal Register
notice, HUD will base its review on its
records; those of Grants.gov, including
records from the Grants.gov Call Center;
and records submitted by the applicant.
HUD’s review will be completed when
HUD believes that the information
provided it by the applicant and, as
appropriate Grants.gov, contains
sufficient information to determine
whether an applicant’s failure to submit
was because of problems with
technology or a failure on the part of the
applicant to follow HUD’s directions.
Applicants that believe they meet the
conditions described in this notice may
contact the individuals identified in the
appendix to request that HUD review its
application submission to determine
whether the applicant is eligible to
resubmit the application. Applicants
seeking to benefit from the QAR must
provide HUD with the:
1. Applicant’s DUNS number;
2. Authorized Organization
Representative’s (AOR) ID and
password;
3. Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) number and name of
the program for which the applicant is
seeking funding;
4. Grants.gov Help Desk Ticket
Number;
5. Statement of the problem including
dates and times, with whom the
applicant spoke, and advice provided, if
available;
6. Copies of any error messages
received from Grants.gov or responses
from the help desk received from the
customer service representative or by
e-mail;
7. Application submission tracking
number(s) received from Grants.gov, if
applicable, and date and approximate
times of transmission upload attempts;
and
8. Applicant contact information,
including office and cell phone as well
as e-mail information.
Applicants may submit this
information by e-mail message to the
appropriate program contact listed in
the appendix. In the ‘‘subject’’ line of
the e-mail message include the program
name, the applicant name, and any
Grants.gov ticket numbers.
Failure to provide the information
listed in items 1, 2, and 3 will result in
an applicant being ineligible for the
quality assurance review procedures
outlined in this notice. Applicants that
believe they meet the requirements
described in today’s notice should
provide this information to the
appropriate program office contact
listed in the appendix to today’s notice
by the deadlines established in the
Dates section of today’s notice.
Applicants that have already provided
this information to HUD do not need to
resubmit the information. HUD will not
review requests for QAR if it has already
conducted a review and determined that
the applicant did not follow HUD’s
electronic submission instructions.
Upon the conclusion of HUD’s
review, applicants will be notified of
HUD’s determination through means
that provide for confirmation that the
applicant has received notification. If
Dated: August 13, 2008.
Roy A. Bernardi,
Deputy Secretary.
Appendix
Program contact
Mark A. Horwath ..........
Mark.A.Horwath@hud.gov ........
Community Development Block
Grant for Indian Tribes and
Alaskan Native Villages.
Historically Black Colleges and
Universities.
Roberta Youmans ........
Roberta.L.Youmans@hud.gov ..
Susan Brunson .............
Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov ......
Hispanic Serving Institutions Assisting Communities.
Susan Brunson .............
Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov ......
Alaskan Native/Native Hawaiian
Institutions Assisting Communities.
Tribal Colleges and Universities
Susan Brunson .............
Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov ......
Susan Brunson .............
Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov ......
Fair Housing Initiatives Program
Denise L. Brooks ..........
Denise.L.Brooks@hud.gov ........
Quality Assurance Review Request
Contact List
e-Mail address
Community Development Technical Assistance.
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HUD determines that the applicant
correctly followed its electronic
application submission instructions and
advice from the Grants.gov help desk
but was unable to submit an application
because of technical problems, the
applicant will be contacted and
provided assistance in electronically
resubmitting its application. It is HUD’s
hope that with one-on-one assistance,
all applicants will be able to
successfully submit an electronic
application.
If electronic application submission
cannot be accomplished, applicants will
be requested to submit their
applications on a CD-ROM, with a hard
copy, via overnight delivery (United
States Postal Service, Federal Express,
or UPS) to the applicable addressee(s)
listed in the appendix to this notice.
HUD will provide e-mail notification to
the applicant confirming the need to
submit a CD-ROM and hard copy of the
application. Applications must be
received by HUD within 4 business days
after the date of HUD’s e-mail
notification. Should discrepancies be
found between the CD-ROM and the
hard copy, HUD will use the application
on the CD-ROM as the official
submission and incorporate it into
HUD’s official system of records.
Applicants may not submit applications
using overnight delivery, unless prior
approval has been received from HUD.
Hand deliveries will not be accepted.
Procedures for Submitting Applications
Program name
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Address
U.S. Department of Housing and
opment, Room 7218, 451 7th
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and
opment, Room 5156, 451 7th
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and
opment, Room 8106, 451 7th
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and
opment, Room 8106, 451 7th
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and
opment, Room 8106, 451 7th
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and
opment, Room 8106, 451 7th
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and
opment, Room 5222, 451 7th
Washington, DC 20410.
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Urban DevelStreet, SW.,
Urban DevelStreet, SW.,
Urban DevelStreet, SW.,
Urban DevelStreet, SW.,
Urban DevelStreet, SW.,
Urban DevelStreet, SW.,
Urban DevelStreet, SW.,
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 163 / Thursday, August 21, 2008 / Notices
Program name
Program contact
e-Mail address
Address
Housing Counseling Program ....
Brian N. Siebenlist ........
Brian.N.Siebenlist@hud.gov ......
Housing Counseling Training .....
Brian N. Siebenlist ........
Brian.N.Siebenlist@hud.gov ......
Healthy Homes Demonstration
Program.
Warren Friedman .........
Warren.Friedman@hud.gov ......
Lead Outreach Grant Program ..
Warren Friedman .........
Warren.Friedman@hud.gov ......
Lead Technical Studies ..............
Warren Friedman .........
Warren.Friedman@hud.gov ......
Healthy Homes Technical Studies.
Warren Friedman .........
Warren.Friedman@hud.gov ......
Lead Hazard Control Program ...
Warren Friedman .........
Warren.Friedman@hud.gov ......
Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration.
Warren Friedman .........
Warren.Friedman@hud.gov ......
Operation Lead Elimination Action Program (LEAP).
Warren Friedman .........
Warren.Friedman@hud.gov ......
Housing Choice Voucher Family
Self-Sufficiency.
James D. Reeves .........
James.D.Reeves@hud.gov .......
Resident Opportunities and SelfSufficiency (ROSS) Service
Coordinators.
James D. Reeves .........
James.D.Reeves@hud.gov .......
Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).
Benjamin L. Ayers ........
Benjamin.L.Ayers@hud.gov ......
Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency (PHFSS).
James D. Reeves .........
James.D.Reeves@hud.gov .......
Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP).
Louise Thompson .........
Louise.D.Thompson@hud.gov ..
Assisted Living Conversion Program.
Aretha Williams ............
Aretha.M.Williams@hud.gov .....
Section 202 Supportive Housing
for the Elderly.
Aretha Williams ............
Aretha.M.Williams@hud.gov .....
Section 811 Supportive Housing
for Persons with Disabilities.
Aretha Williams ............
Aretha.M.Williams@hud.gov .....
Demonstration Program for Elderly Housing for
Intergenerational Families.
Capacity Building Program .........
Aretha Williams ............
Aretha.M.Williams@hud.gov .....
Karen Daly ....................
Karen.E.Daly@hud.gov .............
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 9274, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 9274, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 8236, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 8236, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 8236, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 8236, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 8236, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 8236, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 8236, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Grants Management Center, 3rd
Floor, 550 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20024.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Grants Management Center, 3rd
Floor, 550 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20024.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 7212, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Grants Management Center, 3rd
Floor, 550 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20024.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 7162, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 6142, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 6142, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 6142, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 6142, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 7340, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
[FR Doc. E8–19349 Filed 8–20–08; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Geological Survey
Agency Information Collection:
Comment Request
United States Geological
Survey (USGS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of a new collection.
AGENCY:
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SUMMARY: To comply with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), we are notifying the public that
we will submit to OMB a new
information collection request (ICR) for
review and approval. This notice
provides the public an opportunity to
comment on the paperwork burden of
this collection.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 163 (Thursday, August 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49469-49472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19349]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5237-N-01]
Notice of HUD's Policy on Quality Assurance Review (QAR) of
Electronic Application Submission Difficulties
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.
ACTION: Notice for HUD's procedure on quality control review of
electronic application submission difficulties.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Since 2005, HUD has required that applicants for HUD's
discretionary funding submit their applications electronically through
Grants.gov, unless the applicant previously received a waiver of this
requirement. Since July 2, 2008, however, applicants for HUD assistance
have indicated that they have encountered technical difficulties in
their electronic application submissions. Today's notice announces that
HUD is taking action to respond to these concerns and is conducting a
Quality Assurance Review (QAR) to identify applicants that correctly
followed all electronic application submission instructions, including
registration for electronic submission, but were unable to submit an
application because of technical problems related to the use of the
Adobe Acrobat forms and Grants.gov error messages.
DATES: Applicants that had difficulties submitting an electronic
application for assistance in response to a notice of funding
availability (NOFA), for which the deadline date has passed, may submit
a request for QAR by September 5, 2008. Applicants having difficulties
submitting an electronic application for assistance, in response to a
NOFA for which the deadline date has not passed, may submit a request
for QAR, beginning at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on the day following the
deadline date, and must do so by 12:01 a.m. 15 days later. Requests for
QAR must be submitted by e-mail to the appropriate program contact
listed in the appendix to this notice to facilitate timely receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about each
funded program, or to submit your QAR appeal, please contact the
individual listed in the appendix to this notice. Appeals must be
submitted by e-mail. When submitting the appeal, please place in the
subject line the program name, applicant name, and any Grants.gov Call-
Center ticket number(s).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since 2005, HUD has required that applicants
for HUD's discretionary funding submit their applications
electronically through Grants.gov, unless the applicant previously
received a waiver of the requirement. Since January 2008, HUD has
published a number of documents that provided instructions to meet the
requirement, including HUD's Early Registration Notice, published on
March 10, 2008 (73 FR 12751); HUD's Notice of FY2008 Funding
Availability, Policy Requirements and General Section to HUD's FY2008
Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) for HUD's Discretionary
Programs (General Section), published on March 19, 2008 (73 FR 14882);
and the Introduction to the SuperNOFA published on May 12, 2008 (73 FR
27032) (collectively referred to as ``electronic submission
instructions''). Since July 2, 2008, however, applicants for HUD
assistance have indicated that they have encountered technical
difficulties in their electronic application
[[Page 49470]]
submissions. Today's notice announces that HUD is taking action to
respond to these concerns and is conducting a QAR to identify
applicants that correctly followed all of HUD's electronic submission
instructions, including registration for electronic submission, but
were unable to submit an application because of technical problems
related to the use of the Adobe Acrobat forms and Grants.gov error
messages. Today's notice also provides HUD's QAR procedures, as well as
outlines the application submission procedures an applicant must follow
if HUD determines that the applicant complied with all electronic
submission instructions but was unable to submit an application because
of technical difficulties. If HUD makes this determination, the
applicant will be contacted by HUD and invited to resubmit an
application. Applicants planning to apply for assistance for which the
deadline date remains open are encouraged to apply early, when the
Grants.gov help desk is open, or when HUD staff and program offices are
available to help overcome any electronic submission issues. Applicants
are also reminded that validation can take 24 to 48 hours to complete
and that time should be allotted for that process to occur. In
addition, applicants using the facsimile solution to submit portions of
their applications must use the form HUD-96011, Transmittal Cover
Sheet, on each facsimile submitted. If a facsimile transmission fails,
each attempt to fax the information must contain the HUD-96011 cover
sheet.
This QAR procedure is in effect for all funding opportunities
announced by HUD, except for the Continuum of Care program, for which
the deadline date was July 2, 2008, or later. Specifically, this
excludes from the QAR those applicants submitting electronic
applications in response to HUD's HOPE VI Revitalization Program NOFA
published on March 26, 2008 (73 FR 16134) and HUD's Rural Housing and
Economic Development NOFA published on April 28, 2008 (73 FR 23051).
HUD is making this procedure available to applicants experiencing
difficulty submitting an application electronically in response to
NOFAs that HUD will publish in the Federal Register until the end of
this fiscal year. If HUD determines that an applicant met HUD's
electronic submission instructions, but was unable to submit its
application because of unanticipated technical difficulties, HUD will
contact the applicant and invite the applicant to resubmit the
application. The following describes HUD's procedures with respect to
2008 applications covered by this QAR.
Policy and Procedures on Quality Assurance Review of Unsuccessful
Electronic Applications
HUD's QAR will focus on those electronic application submissions
where HUD's records and those of Grants.gov document that the applicant
followed all of the electronic submission instructions published in the
Federal Register.
HUD's records and those of Grants.gov indicate that, of the group
of applicants that were unable to submit an application electronically
through Grants.gov, some were unable to do so because they failed to
register for electronic application submission or failed to allow
sufficient time to complete the registration process. As detailed in
HUD's Federal Register publications, which provide instructions for
submitting an application electronically, the registration process
required applicants to obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Data
(DUNS) number (the DUNS number is a governmentwide and regulatory
requirement for all grant applications), register with the Federal
Central Contractor Registration, obtain and register credentials from a
credential provider for E-Authentication, and, then, have the eBusiness
Point of Contact grant authority to submit on behalf of the applicant
organization. As HUD has explained in its electronic submission
instructions, this registration process is necessary to ensure that the
electronically submitted application is that of the applicant, and that
the individual or organization that submitted the application is
authorized to submit it on behalf of the applicant.\1\ HUD has also
advised applicants to allow at least 2 weeks to 4 weeks to complete the
registration process. Applicants that failed to complete the
registration process will not be considered for review.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In addition to the General Section to HUD's 2008 NOFAs and
Early Registration Notice, HUD's Internet Web broadcasts discussed
the electronic application submission procedures.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Similarly, if HUD's records and those of Grants.gov reflect that
applicants were unable to submit an electronic application because of
the following applicant errors, the applicant will not be considered
under the QAR:
The applicant typed in a wrong DUNS number;
The applicant provided a password and ID that were not
associated to the DUNS number used in the application;
The applicant used a password and ID that were not
authorized for submission by submitting entity's eBusiness Point of
Contact.
These aforesaid applicant submission problems will not be reviewed
under the QAR, because it is HUD's position that it is the applicant's
responsibility to manage its passwords, IDs, and DUNS numbers, and to
ensure that the authorization process is accurately completed.
HUD's quality assurance review for application submission will
focus on circumstances where an applicant met the electronic
application instructions, but was unable to submit an application
because of unanticipated technical problems due to use of the Adobe
Acrobat forms package and/or error messages emanating from the
Grants.gov system. In these cases, HUD will hold the applicant harmless
and permit the applicant to resubmit the application.
Examples of unanticipated technical difficulties that may have
resulted in an applicant's failure to submit an electronic application
include:
Grants.gov system records, Call Center records, or e-mail
records from the applicant to Support@Grants.gov or to HUD staff
demonstrate that the applicant attempted submission in accordance with
HUD instructions with time allowed for the validation process to occur
prior to the deadline date, but the applicant was unable to
successfully submit its application prior to the deadline due to
difficulties uploading its application or due to error messages by the
Grants.gov system. HUD acknowledges that numerous attempts to overcome
the ``broken pipe'' and other error messages emanating from Grants.gov
can result in confusion on the part of the applicant and while initial
attempts to submit allowed time for validation to occur as documented
by calls or e-mails to the Grants.gov help desk, the Grants.gov help
desk did not provide guidance to resolve the applicant's submission
issues;
The records demonstrate the Grants.gov Call Center's help
desk advised the applicant to leave the application processing for a
period of time longer than 1 hour; or advised the applicant that the
Call Center representative was submitting a research ticket to get
further assistance for the applicant, even though the Call Center could
not provide a response to the research ticket prior to the deadline
date. In such cases, where the applicant fully followed the directions
provided in HUD's instructions for registration and submission, and due
to processing errors or lack of accurate or timely assistance on the
part of Grants.gov, the
[[Page 49471]]
applicant was unable to have the application successfully received and
validated by Grants.gov by the deadline date and time; or
Other unique situations brought to HUD's attention that
may lead HUD to conclude that an applicant's failure to submit was
based on misleading technical advice or other such technology-related
problems.
As noted in today's Federal Register notice, HUD will base its
review on its records; those of Grants.gov, including records from the
Grants.gov Call Center; and records submitted by the applicant. HUD's
review will be completed when HUD believes that the information
provided it by the applicant and, as appropriate Grants.gov, contains
sufficient information to determine whether an applicant's failure to
submit was because of problems with technology or a failure on the part
of the applicant to follow HUD's directions.
Applicants that believe they meet the conditions described in this
notice may contact the individuals identified in the appendix to
request that HUD review its application submission to determine whether
the applicant is eligible to resubmit the application. Applicants
seeking to benefit from the QAR must provide HUD with the:
1. Applicant's DUNS number;
2. Authorized Organization Representative's (AOR) ID and password;
3. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number and name of
the program for which the applicant is seeking funding;
4. Grants.gov Help Desk Ticket Number;
5. Statement of the problem including dates and times, with whom
the applicant spoke, and advice provided, if available;
6. Copies of any error messages received from Grants.gov or
responses from the help desk received from the customer service
representative or by e-mail;
7. Application submission tracking number(s) received from
Grants.gov, if applicable, and date and approximate times of
transmission upload attempts; and
8. Applicant contact information, including office and cell phone
as well as e-mail information.
Applicants may submit this information by e-mail message to the
appropriate program contact listed in the appendix. In the ``subject''
line of the e-mail message include the program name, the applicant
name, and any Grants.gov ticket numbers.
Failure to provide the information listed in items 1, 2, and 3 will
result in an applicant being ineligible for the quality assurance
review procedures outlined in this notice. Applicants that believe they
meet the requirements described in today's notice should provide this
information to the appropriate program office contact listed in the
appendix to today's notice by the deadlines established in the Dates
section of today's notice. Applicants that have already provided this
information to HUD do not need to resubmit the information. HUD will
not review requests for QAR if it has already conducted a review and
determined that the applicant did not follow HUD's electronic
submission instructions.
Procedures for Submitting Applications
Upon the conclusion of HUD's review, applicants will be notified of
HUD's determination through means that provide for confirmation that
the applicant has received notification. If HUD determines that the
applicant correctly followed its electronic application submission
instructions and advice from the Grants.gov help desk but was unable to
submit an application because of technical problems, the applicant will
be contacted and provided assistance in electronically resubmitting its
application. It is HUD's hope that with one-on-one assistance, all
applicants will be able to successfully submit an electronic
application.
If electronic application submission cannot be accomplished,
applicants will be requested to submit their applications on a CD-ROM,
with a hard copy, via overnight delivery (United States Postal Service,
Federal Express, or UPS) to the applicable addressee(s) listed in the
appendix to this notice. HUD will provide e-mail notification to the
applicant confirming the need to submit a CD-ROM and hard copy of the
application. Applications must be received by HUD within 4 business
days after the date of HUD's e-mail notification. Should discrepancies
be found between the CD-ROM and the hard copy, HUD will use the
application on the CD-ROM as the official submission and incorporate it
into HUD's official system of records. Applicants may not submit
applications using overnight delivery, unless prior approval has been
received from HUD. Hand deliveries will not be accepted.
Dated: August 13, 2008.
Roy A. Bernardi,
Deputy Secretary.
Appendix
Quality Assurance Review Request Contact List
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program name Program contact e-Mail address Address
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Development Technical Mark A. Horwath... Mark.A.Horwath@hud.gov. U.S. Department of Housing and
Assistance. Urban Development, Room 7218,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Community Development Block Roberta Youmans... Roberta.L.Youmans@hud.g U.S. Department of Housing and
Grant for Indian Tribes and ov. Urban Development, Room 5156,
Alaskan Native Villages. 451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Historically Black Colleges and Susan Brunson..... Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Universities. Urban Development, Room 8106,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Hispanic Serving Institutions Susan Brunson..... Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Assisting Communities. Urban Development, Room 8106,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Alaskan Native/Native Hawaiian Susan Brunson..... Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Institutions Assisting Urban Development, Room 8106,
Communities. 451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Tribal Colleges and Universities Susan Brunson..... Susan.S.Brunson@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Room 8106,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Fair Housing Initiatives Program Denise L. Brooks.. Denise.L.Brooks@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Room 5222,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
[[Page 49472]]
Housing Counseling Program...... Brian N. Brian.N.Siebenlist@hud. U.S. Department of Housing and
Siebenlist. gov. Urban Development, Room 9274,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Housing Counseling Training..... Brian N. Brian.N.Siebenlist@hud. U.S. Department of Housing and
Siebenlist. gov. Urban Development, Room 9274,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Healthy Homes Demonstration Warren Friedman... Warren.Friedman@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Program. Urban Development, Room 8236,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Lead Outreach Grant Program..... Warren Friedman... Warren.Friedman@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Room 8236,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Lead Technical Studies.......... Warren Friedman... Warren.Friedman@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Room 8236,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Healthy Homes Technical Studies. Warren Friedman... Warren.Friedman@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Room 8236,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Lead Hazard Control Program..... Warren Friedman... Warren.Friedman@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Room 8236,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Lead Hazard Reduction Warren Friedman... Warren.Friedman@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Demonstration. Urban Development, Room 8236,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Operation Lead Elimination Warren Friedman... Warren.Friedman@hud.gov U.S. Department of Housing and
Action Program (LEAP). Urban Development, Room 8236,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Housing Choice Voucher Family James D. Reeves... James.D.Reeves@hud.gov. U.S. Department of Housing and
Self-Sufficiency. Urban Development Grants
Management Center, 3rd Floor,
550 12th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20024.
Resident Opportunities and Self- James D. Reeves... James.D.Reeves@hud.gov. U.S. Department of Housing and
Sufficiency (ROSS) Service Urban Development Grants
Coordinators. Management Center, 3rd Floor,
550 12th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20024.
Housing Opportunities for Benjamin L. Ayers. Benjamin.L.Ayers@hud.go U.S. Department of Housing and
Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). v. Urban Development, Room 7212,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Public Housing Family Self- James D. Reeves... James.D.Reeves@hud.gov. U.S. Department of Housing and
Sufficiency (PHFSS). Urban Development Grants
Management Center, 3rd Floor,
550 12th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20024.
Self-Help Homeownership Louise Thompson... Louise.D.Thompson@hud.g U.S. Department of Housing and
Opportunity Program (SHOP). ov. Urban Development, Room 7162,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Assisted Living Conversion Aretha Williams... Aretha.M.Williams@hud.g U.S. Department of Housing and
Program. ov. Urban Development, Room 6142,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Section 202 Supportive Housing Aretha Williams... Aretha.M.Williams@hud.g U.S. Department of Housing and
for the Elderly. ov. Urban Development, Room 6142,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Section 811 Supportive Housing Aretha Williams... Aretha.M.Williams@hud.g U.S. Department of Housing and
for Persons with Disabilities. ov. Urban Development, Room 6142,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Demonstration Program for Aretha Williams... Aretha.M.Williams@hud.g U.S. Department of Housing and
Elderly Housing for ov. Urban Development, Room 6142,
Intergenerational Families. 451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
Capacity Building Program....... Karen Daly........ Karen.E.Daly@hud.gov... U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Room 7340,
451 7th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20410.
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[FR Doc. E8-19349 Filed 8-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
