Agricultural Career and Employment Grants Program or “ACE”, 65158-65162 [2011-27078]
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65158
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 76, No. 203
Thursday, October 20, 2011
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contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Career and Employment
Grants Program or ‘‘ACE’’
Departmental Management,
Office of Advocacy and Outreach,
Agriculture.
ACTION: Funding opportunity
announcement.
AGENCY:
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FOA No.: USDA2011ACE01.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.465.
DATES: Proposals must be received by
https://www.Grants.gov by 5 p.m. EST on
Tuesday, November 14, 2011. Proposals
received after this deadline will not be
considered for funding.
SUMMARY: To improve the supply of
skilled agricultural workers and bring
greater stability to the workforce in this
sector through provision of services
specifically designed to assist
farmworkers in securing, retaining,
upgrading or returning from an
agricultural job. The intended outcomes
are that, as a result of the services to be
provided, farmers will have access to a
more skilled pool of workers and
farmworkers who will have an
enhanced skill set, making on-the-farm
employment opportunities more
plentiful.
The total funding for this competitive
opportunity is $4,000,000. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA),
Office of Advocacy and Outreach
(OAO), anticipates awarding a total of
approximately no less than 8 grants
from this announcement, subject to
availability of funds and the quality of
applications received. A maximum
award will be limited to $500,000.
Contents of This Announcement
Administrative Procedure Act Statement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Application and Submission Information
V. Application Review Information
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VI. Award Administration Information
VII. Agency Contact
VIII. Other Information
Administrative Procedure Act
Statement
This Notice of Funds Availability
(NOFA) is being issued without advance
rulemaking or public comment. The
Administrative Procedure Act (‘‘APA’’,
5 U.S.C. 553), has several exemptions to
rulemaking requirements. Among them
is an exemption for matters relating to
federal benefits, but under the
provisions of the ‘‘Statement of Policy of
the Secretary of Agriculture effective
July 24, 1971,’’ issued by Secretary
Hardin in 1971 (36 FR 13804 (the
‘‘Hardin Memorandum’’), the
Department will normally engage in
rulemaking related to federal benefits
despite that exemption. However, the
Hardin Memorandum does not waive
certain other APA-contained
exemptions, in particular the ‘‘good
cause’’ exemption found at 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(3)(B), which allows effective
government action without rulemaking
procedures where withholding the
action would be ‘‘impracticable,
unnecessary, or contrary to the public
interest.’’ The Hardin memorandum
specifically provides for the use of the
‘‘good cause’’ exemption, albeit
sparingly, when a substantial basis for
so doing exists, and where, as will be
described more fully below, that
substantial basis is explained.
USDA has determined, consistent
with the APA and the Hardin
Memorandum, that making these funds
available under this Notice to support
farmworker training activities is in the
public interest. Withholding this NOFA
to provide for public notice and
comment would unduly delay the
provision of benefits associated with
this program and be contrary to the
public interest. Should the actual
practice of the program produce reasons
for program modifications, those
modifications can be brought to the
attention of the Department and changes
made in the future rulemaking process.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Background
Section 14204, of the Food
Conservation and Energy Act of 2008,
Public Law 110–246 (June 18th, 2008)
2008 Farm Bill, 7 U.S.C. 2008q–1
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture
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to make grants to assist agricultural
employers and farmworkers by
improving the supply, stability, safety,
and training of the agricultural labor
force. Such grants may be made to
eligible entities for use in providing
services to assist farmworkers who are
citizens or otherwise legally present in
the United States in securing, retaining,
upgrading, or returning from
agricultural jobs. The 2010
Appropriations Act included an
appropriation of $4 million to the
USDA’s Rural Housing Service (RHS)
for this program, and the delegation of
authority and funding for the program
has since been transferred to OAO,
within Departmental Management of
USDA. OAO has designated the program
the Agricultural Career and
Employment (ACE) Grants Program and
it will be referred to as such hereafter.
Purpose of the ‘‘ACE’’ Grants Program
As the title of Section 14204 of the
2008 Farm Bill suggests—‘‘Grants to
Improve the Supply, Stability, Safety,
and Training of Agricultural Labor
Force’’—the ACE grants program is
designed to address the needs of both
agricultural employers and farmworkers
with respect to the supply of skilled
labor in American agriculture and the
stability of employment in that sector.
About 800,000 hired farmworkers are
employed in U.S. agriculture, with hired
workers making up an estimated onethird of the total agricultural labor force.
Particularly critical for labor-intensive
sectors of agriculture, such as fruits and
vegetables, the hired agricultural labor
force in the United States is
characterized by considerable
instability. Among the hired workforce
are large numbers of migrant and
seasonal farmworkers, many of whom
travel long distances to obtain
employment, and often move from crop
to crop as conditions warrant. See
Profile of Hired Farmworkers, A 2008
Update, by William Kandel, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Economic
Research Service. This study can be
found at https://www.ers.usda.gov/
Publications/ERR60/.
Despite this regular flow of workers,
regional differences in crops, variations
in harvest times, and unpredictable
weather conditions mean that many
farm owners complain of chronic labor
shortages, while farmworkers frequently
report it is difficult to locate
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employment or obtain sufficient hours
of work to earn a living. Unemployment
rates among farmworkers generally are
double those of other wage and salaried
workers and those working in field
crops have twice the unemployment
rate of livestock workers. Historically,
the uncertainty farmworkers have faced
as to the availability or duration of
work, along with the low wages
generally earned by hired farm laborers,
have led to many employed in the
agricultural labor sector to leave
agriculture for employment in other
industries. Because of high turnover
rates in agricultural employment, it is
estimated that 2.0 to 2.5 individual
farmworkers fill each job slot in the
course of a year. This phenomenon has
lead to chronic instability in the labor
market and a shortage of skilled and
experienced workers.
B. Scope of Work
The ACE grants program is intended
to improve the supply of skilled
agricultural workers and bring greater
stability to the workforce in this sector.
This stability will be realized through
services specifically designed to assist
farmworkers in securing, retaining,
upgrading or returning from agricultural
jobs. Such services include the
following:
• Agricultural labor skills
development;
• The provision of agricultural labor
market information;
• Transportation;
• Short-term housing while in transit
to an agricultural worksite;
• Workplace literacy and assistance
with English as a second language;
• Health and safety instruction,
including ways of safeguarding the food
supply of the United States; and
• Other such services the Secretary
deems appropriate.
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C. Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes
1. Outputs. The term ‘‘output’’ means
the creation or provision of services to
assist farmworkers in securing,
retaining, upgrading or returning from
agricultural jobs. Outputs may be
quantitative or qualitative but must be
measurable during an assistance
agreement funding period.
Examples of outputs from the projects
to be funded under this announcement
may include, but are not limited to, the
following: Number of farmworkers
served; number of farmworkers who
attended conferences or trainings;
number of conferences or training
sessions held; or number of farmworkers
completing labor skills programs or
health and safety training programs.
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2. Outcomes. The term ‘‘outcome’’
means the result, effect, or consequence
that will occur from carrying out an
outreach or assistance program or
activity that is related to a programmatic
goal or objective. Outcomes may be
agricultural, behavioral, social,
economic, or programmatic in nature.
They may not necessarily be achievable
within an assistance agreement funding
period. Projects to be funded under this
announcement are required to
document anticipated outcomes,
including but not limited to:
Improvements in the supply, stability,
safety and/or training of the agricultural
labor force in a given geographic area or
a given sector of the agricultural
industry; an increase in the numbers of
farmworkers in a given geographic area
or agricultural sector who obtain skillbased certifications, licenses, or
demonstrated competencies qualifying
them for enhanced employment
opportunities; the number of
farmworkers in a given area who, as a
result of program activities, advance to
a position in agricultural employment
which offers more hours of work and/
or better terms and conditions of
employment and/or an increase in
wages; the number of farmworkers for
whom English is not their first language
who achieve, as a result of program
activities, demonstrable improvements
in workplace literacy in English; the
establishment of new programs of health
and safety instruction for farmworkers
which, among other things, address
ways of safeguarding the U.S. food
supply; the establishment of new
partnerships, networks or community
support for services designed to assist
farmworkers in securing, retaining,
upgrading or returning from agricultural
jobs, with the ultimate goal of
improving the supply, stability, safety
and training of the agricultural labor
force.
3. Performance Measures. To be
eligible for consideration for funding the
applicant must develop performance
measures they expect to achieve through
the proposed activities. These
performance measures will help gather
insights and will be the mechanism to
track progress concerning success
process and outcome strategies and will
provide the basis for developing lessons
to inform future awardees. It is expected
that the description of performance
measures will include an estimate of the
number of farmworkers served by the
activities of the project including the
assumptions used to make those
estimates.
The following are questions to
consider when developing output and
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outcome measures of quantitative and
qualitative results:
• What are the measurable short term
and longer term results the project will
achieve?
• How does the plan measure
progress in achieving the expected
results (including outputs and
outcomes) and how will the approach
use resources effectively and efficiently?
• How will the results be achieved in
the proposed timeline?
II. Award Information
A. Expected Amount of Funding
The total funding available for awards
under this competitive opportunity is
approximately $4,000,000.
B. Expected Number of Awards
OAO anticipates awarding no less
than 8 grants from this announcement,
subject to availability of funds and the
quality of applications received. A
maximum award will be limited to
$500,000. OAO reserves the right to
make additional awards under this
announcement, consistent with Agency
policy, if additional funding becomes
available. Any additional selections for
awards will be made no later than six
months from the date of the original
selection date.
C. Project Period
The estimated project period for
awards resulting from this solicitation
will begin April 2, 2012. Proposed
project periods may be up to three years.
D. Award Type
The funding for selected projects will
be in the form of a grant. Although OAO
will negotiate precise terms and
conditions relating to the degree of
involvement under the grant agreement
as part of the award process, the
anticipated Federal involvement for
these projects will be limited to the
following activities:
• Approval of awardees’ final budget
and statement of work accompanying
the grant agreement
• Monitoring of awardees’
performance through quarterly and final
progress reports
• Evaluating awardees’ use of federal
funds through quarterly and final
financial reports
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Entities
Entities eligible for awards are nonprofit organizations or a consortium of
entities comprised of a non-profit
organization and one or more of the
following: Agribusinesses, State and
local governments, agricultural labor
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organizations, farmer or rancher
cooperatives, and community-based
organizations with the capacity to train
farmworkers. The criteria by which an
entity’s capacity to train farmworkers
will be evaluated, at a minimum, by the
following items: (1) An understanding
of the issues facing hired farmworkers
and conditions under which they work;
(2) familiarity with the agricultural
industry in the geographic area to be
served, including agricultural labor
needs and existing services for
farmworkers; and (3) the capacity to
effectively administer a program of
services and benefits authorized by the
grants program.
B. Beneficiary Eligibility
Farmworkers who are citizens of the
United States or are otherwise legally
present in the United States and who
meet the definition of ‘‘United States
workers’’ established by the U.S.
Department of Labor in its regulations at
20 CFR 655.4.
C. Credentials/Documentation
Grantees must have the financial,
legal, administrative and operational
capacity to carry out the objectives of
the program. Grantees shall be
responsible for verifying the
employment of farmworkers who are
actively employed and are seeking to
participate in program services or
benefits. Unemployed farmworkers
seeking to participate shall be required
to certify to grantees that they are
eligible for program services and
benefits.
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D. Cost-Sharing or Matching
OAO does not require matching
support for this program. Matching
resources will not be factored into the
review process as part of the evaluation
criteria.
E. Threshold Eligibility Criteria
These are requirements that if not met
by the time of proposal submission will
result in the elimination of the proposal
from consideration for funding. Only
applications from eligible entities (see
above) that meet all of these criteria will
be evaluated in the proposal review
process in Section V of this
announcement. Applicants deemed
ineligible for funding consideration as a
result of the threshold eligibility review
will be notified within 15 calendar days
of the ineligibility determination.
i. Proposals must substantially
comply with the proposal submission
instructions and requirements set forth
in Section IV of this announcement.
Where a page limit is expressed in
Section IV with respect to the narrative
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proposal, pages in excess of the page
limitation will not be reviewed.
ii. Proposals must be received by
OAO as specified in Section IV of this
announcement on or before the proposal
submission deadline published in
Section IV of this announcement.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring
that their application reaches the
designated person/office specified in
Section IV of this announcement by the
submission deadline.
iii. Proposals received after the
submission deadline will be considered
late and returned to the sender without
further consideration unless the
applicant can clearly demonstrate that it
was late due to www.Grants.gov or
USDA mishandling. Applicants may
confirm receipt of their proposal with
OAO after the submission deadline to
ensure proposal review.
iv. Proposals will only be accepted via
www.Grants.gov, except in extenuating
circumstances such as trouble
submitting electronically to that site or
as determined by OAO.
v. Proposals must address one or more
of the program areas that would provide
farmworkers assistance in securing,
retaining, upgrading or returning from
an agricultural job.
vi. Proposals requesting federal
funding exceeding $500,000 will be
deemed ineligible and will not be
considered for award.
C. Content of Proposal Package
Submission
All proposal submissions must
contain completed and signed original
application forms, as well as the Project
Narrative and other required
attachments, as described below.
1. Forms. The forms listed below can
be found in the proposal package on
www.Grants.gov.
• Standard Form 424, Application for
Federal Assistance
• Standard Form 424A, Budget
Information—Non-Construction
Programs
• Standard Form 424B, NonConstruction Programs
2. Attachments. The elements listed
below are included in the proposal
package on www.Grants.gov as fillable
PDF templates. Applicants must
download and complete these
attachments and save the completed
PDF files to the application submission
portal on www.Grants.gov. Note: Please
number each page of each attachment
and indicate the total number of pages
per attachment (i.e., 1 of 10, 2 of 10, etc).
• Attachment 1: Project Summary. In
500 words or less, indicate the
organizations or entities that will
conduct the project, their eligibility, the
geographical area served by the project,
and the priority areas that will be
addressed by the project. Please be
concise.
• Attachment 2: Project Narrative. In
10 double-spaced pages or less (oneinch margins, 12-point font), discuss the
IV. Application and Submission
merits of your proposed project.
Information
Specifically, it is critical that the
A. Proposal and Submission
proposal: (1) Explain how the project
Information
will assist employers and farmworkers
Applicants may download individual by improving the supply, stability,
safety and training of the agricultural
grant proposal forms from
labor force; (2) describe the way in
www.Grants.gov. For assistance with
which the services to be provided will
www.Grants.gov, please consult the
Applicant User Guide (https://grants.gov/ assist farmworkers in securing,
retaining, upgrading, or returning from
assets/ApplicantUserGuide.pdf).
an agricultural job); (3) identify the
B. Form of Proposal Submission
experience of the organization(s) taking
part in the project; and (4) identify
Applicants are required to submit
project performance measures,
proposals through www.Grants.gov.
including an estimated number of
Applicants will be required to register
farmworkers served, as described in
through www.Grants.gov in order to
Section I.C.;
begin the proposal submission process.
• Attachment 3: Personnel. In 2
Any applicant who experiences
double-spaced pages or less per
significant technical difficulty with
individual (one-inch margins, 12-point
www.Grants.gov should contact OAO as font), identify the qualifications,
soon as possible to obtain an alternate
relevant experience, and knowledge of
method of electronic submission
each Project Director or collaborator.
(i.e., e-mail).
Also, specifically discuss the roles and
Proposals must be submitted via
responsibilities of each person within
https://www.Grants.gov by 5 p.m. EST on the scope of work to be completed by
November 14, 2011. Proposals received
the proposed project.
• Attachment 4: Budget Narrative. In
after this deadline will not be
an organized format identify and
considered for funding.
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describe the costs associated with the
proposed project, including subawards
or contracts and indirect costs. Each
cost indicated must be fully allowable
under the Federal Cost Principles in
order to be funded by the award.
• Attachment 5: Program of Work. In
an organized format, map out the
timeline for each task to be
accomplished during the proposed
project period. Identify the relationship
of each task to a priority area. Examples
of priority areas are listed under Section
I.B.
D. Subawards and Partnerships
OAO awards funds to one eligible
applicant as the awardee even if other
eligible applicants are named as
partners or co-applicants or members of
a coalition or consortium. The awardee
is accountable to OAO for the proper
expenditure of funds, consistent with
the OAO approved proposal.
E. Submission Dates and Times
The closing date and time for receipt
of proposal submissions via
www.Grants.gov is by 5 p.m., EST on
Tuesday, November 15, 2011. Proposals
received after the closing date and time
will not be considered for funding.
V. Application Review Information
F. Confidential Information
Only eligible entities whose proposals
meet the threshold criteria in Section III
of this announcement will be reviewed
according to the evaluation criterion set
forth below. Applicants should
explicitly and fully address these
criteria as part of their proposal package
submittal.
OAO will use a points system to rate
each proposal, with a total of 100 points
possible. Each proposal will be given a
numerical score and will be rankordered according to that score.
Preliminary funding recommendations
will be provided to the designated
approving official based on this ranking.
Final funding decisions will be made by
the designated approving official based
on the rankings and preliminary
recommendation of OAO review panel
evaluations. In making final funding
decisions, the designated approving
official may also consider programmatic
priorities and geographic diversity of
applicants. Once final decisions have
been made, a funding recommendation
will be developed and forwarded to the
Program Leader.
The names of entities submitting
proposals, as well as proposal contents
and evaluations, except to those
involved in the review process, will be
kept confidential to the extent
permissible by law. If an applicant
chooses to include confidential or
proprietary information in the proposal,
it will be treated in confidence to the
extent permitted by law, provided that
the information is clearly marked by the
applicant with the term ‘‘confidential
and proprietary information.’’
G. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance
OAO may not assist individual
applicants by reviewing draft proposals
or providing advice on how to respond
to evaluation criteria. However, OAO
will respond to questions from
individual applicants regarding
eligibility criteria, administrative issues
related to the submission of the
proposal, and requests for clarification
about the announcement. Any questions
should be submitted to christine.chavez
@osec.usda.gov.
A. Evaluation Criteria
Criteria
Points
1. Project Narrative: Under this criterion, OAO will evaluate the extent and quality to which the narrative includes a well-conceived
strategy for addressing the requirements and objectives stated Section I, Part B (Scope of Work) related to (i) (15 points) estimated number of farmworkers assisted in securing, training, retaining, upgrading and returning from an agricultural job Section
I.B.; (ii) (15 points) the extent to which the proposal would bring together services for farmworkers and/or help build networks or
partnerships to leverage resources to further program goals (iii) (10 points) estimate the number of farmworkers who will demonstrate improvements in workplace literacy in English (iv) (10 points) extent to which the applicant clearly demonstrates how
they will ensure timely and successful completion of the project and whether the proposal sets forth a reasonable time schedule
for execution of the tasks associated with the projects .......................................................................................................................
2. Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs: Under this criterion, OAO will evaluate: (i) (15 points) the effectiveness of the applicant’s
plan for tracking and measuring its progress toward achieving the expected project outputs and outcomes related to assisting
farmworkers in securing, training, retaining, upgrading or returning from an agricultural job, such as those identified in Section
I.C of this announcement .....................................................................................................................................................................
3. Capability of Applicant: Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to successfully complete and
manage the proposed project taking into account the applicant’s: (i) (5 points) past performance in successfully completing and
managing prior funding agreements identified in Attachment 1 of the proposal as described in Section IV.C of the announcement; (ii) (10 points) organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed
project; and (iii) (5 points) staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project ...................................................................................................................................
4. Budget: Under this criterion, OAO will evaluate the proposed project budget to determine whether, (i) (10 points) costs are reasonable to accomplish the proposed goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes; and (ii) (5 points) the proposed budget provides a detailed breakdown of the approximate funding used for each major activity, including associated administrative expenses incurred by implementing the ACE grants ..............................................................................................................................
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B. Selection of Reviewers
VI. Award Administration Information
Reviewers will be selected from
within USDA based upon training and
experience in relevant fields including,
knowledge, experience and expertise in
serving the needs of the farmworker
community.
A. Award Notices
Following evaluation of proposals, all
applicants will be notified regarding
their status.
B. Proposal Notifications and Feedback
1. OAO anticipates notification of the
successful applicant will be made using
one of the following methods via
telephone, e-mail, or postal mail by
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50
15
20
15
October 30, 2011. The notification will
advise the applicant that its proposed
project has been successfully evaluated
and recommended for award. The
notification will be sent to the original
signer of the SF–424, Application for
Federal Assistance. This notification,
which advises that the applicant’s
proposed project has been
recommended for award, is not an
authorization to begin work. The award
notice signed by USDA grants officer is
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the authorizing document and will be
provided through postal mail. At a
minimum, this process can take up to 90
days from the date of recommendation.
2. OAO anticipates notification to
unsuccessful applicants will be made
via e-mail or postal mail by February 6,
2012. The notification will be sent to the
original signer of the SF–424,
Application for Federal Assistance.
3. Non-selected notification letters
will contain information on how to
obtain feedback. At OAO’s discretion
feedback will be either written or
through oral debriefings. See Section VII
for Agency Contact information.
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C. DUNS Number and CCR Registration
In accordance with the Federal
Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act (FFATA) and the
USDA implementation, all applicants
must obtain and provide an identifying
number from Dun and Bradstreet’s Data
Universal Numbering System (DUNS).
Applicants can receive a DUNS number,
at no cost, by calling the toll-free DUNS
Number request line at 1–866–705–
5711, or visiting the D&B Web site at
https://www.dnb.com.
In addition, FFATA requires
applicants to register with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR). This
registration must be maintained and
updated annually. Applicants can
register or update their profile, at no
cost, by visiting the CCR Web site at
https://www.ccr.gov.
D. Reporting Requirement
The following reporting requirements
will apply to awards provided under
this FOA. OAO reserves the right to
revise the schedule and format of
reporting requirements as necessary in
the award agreement.
1. Quarterly progress reports and
financial reports will be required.
• Quarterly Progress Reports. The
awardee must submit the OMBapproved Performance Progress Report
form (SF–PPR, Approval Number: 0970–
0334). For each report, the awardee
must complete fields 1 through 12 of the
SF–PPR. To complete field 10, the
awardee should provide a brief narrative
of project performance and activities, as
described in the award agreement and
in sample documents provided by OAO.
Quarterly progress reports must be
submitted to the designated OAO
official within 30 days after the end of
each calendar quarter.
• Quarterly Financial Reports. The
awardee must submit the Standard
Form 425, Federal Financial Report. For
each report, the awardee must complete
both the Federal Cash Transaction
Report and the Financial Status Report
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sections of the SF–425. Quarterly
financial reports must be submitted to
the designated OAO official within 30
days after the end of each calendar
quarter.
2. Final progress and financial reports
will be required. The final progress
report should include a summary of the
project or activity, achievements of the
project or activity, and a discussion of
problems experienced in conducting the
project or activity. The final financial
report should consist of a complete SF–
425 indicating the total costs of the
project. Final progress and financial
reports must be submitted to the
designated OAO official within 90 days
after the completion of the award
period.
VII. Agency Contact
Attn: Christine Chavez, Program
Leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Office of Advocacy and Outreach, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Whitten
Building Room 533–A, Washington, DC
20250, Phone: (202) 205–4215, Fax:
(202) 720–7136, Email:
christine.chavez@osec.usda.gov.
VIII. Other Information
None.
Signed in Washington, DC, on October 14,
2011.
Pearlie S. Reed,
Assistant Secretary for Administration for the
Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–27078 Filed 10–19–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3412–89–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0098]
Notice of Request for Extension of
Approval of an Information Collection;
Importation of Peppers From the
Republic of Korea
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Extension of approval of an
information collection; comment
request.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service’s intention to
request an extension of approval of an
information collection associated with
regulations for the importation of
peppers from the Republic of Korea.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before December
19, 2011.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/#
!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-00980001.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2011–0098, Regulatory Analysis
and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
Supporting documents and any
comments we receive on this docket
may be viewed at https://www.
regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0098 or
in our reading room, which is located in
room 1141 of the USDA South Building,
14th Street and Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading
room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except
holidays. To be sure someone is there to
help you, please call (202) 690–2817
before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on regulations for the
importation of peppers from the
Republic of Korea, contact Mr. Alex
Belano, Senior Import Specialist,
Regulations, Permits, and Manuals,
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 156,
Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–5333.
For copies of more detailed information
on the information collection, contact
Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS’
Information Collection Coordinator, at
(301) 851–2908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Importation of Peppers From the
Republic of Korea.
OMB Number: 0579–0282.
Type of Request: Extension of
approval of an information collection.
Abstract: The Plant Protection Act
(PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) authorizes
the Secretary of Agriculture to restrict
the importation, entry, or interstate
movement of plants, plant products, and
other articles to prevent the
introduction of plant pests into the
United States or their dissemination
within the United States. Regulations
authorized by the PPA concerning the
importation of fruits and vegetables into
the United States from certain parts of
the world are contained in ‘‘Subpart—
Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56–
1 through 319.56–51).
Under these regulations, peppers from
the Republic of Korea are subject to
certain conditions before entering the
United States to prevent the
introduction of plant pests into the
United States. The regulations include
requirements for greenhouse inspections
by South Korean national plant
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\20OCN1.SGM
20OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 203 (Thursday, October 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65158-65162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27078]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 203 / Thursday, October 20, 2011 /
Notices
[[Page 65158]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Career and Employment Grants Program or ``ACE''
AGENCY: Departmental Management, Office of Advocacy and Outreach,
Agriculture.
ACTION: Funding opportunity announcement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOA No.: USDA2011ACE01.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.465.
DATES: Proposals must be received by https://www.Grants.gov by 5 p.m.
EST on Tuesday, November 14, 2011. Proposals received after this
deadline will not be considered for funding.
SUMMARY: To improve the supply of skilled agricultural workers and
bring greater stability to the workforce in this sector through
provision of services specifically designed to assist farmworkers in
securing, retaining, upgrading or returning from an agricultural job.
The intended outcomes are that, as a result of the services to be
provided, farmers will have access to a more skilled pool of workers
and farmworkers who will have an enhanced skill set, making on-the-farm
employment opportunities more plentiful.
The total funding for this competitive opportunity is $4,000,000.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA), Office of Advocacy and
Outreach (OAO), anticipates awarding a total of approximately no less
than 8 grants from this announcement, subject to availability of funds
and the quality of applications received. A maximum award will be
limited to $500,000.
Contents of This Announcement
Administrative Procedure Act Statement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Application and Submission Information
V. Application Review Information
VI. Award Administration Information
VII. Agency Contact
VIII. Other Information
Administrative Procedure Act Statement
This Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) is being issued without
advance rulemaking or public comment. The Administrative Procedure Act
(``APA'', 5 U.S.C. 553), has several exemptions to rulemaking
requirements. Among them is an exemption for matters relating to
federal benefits, but under the provisions of the ``Statement of Policy
of the Secretary of Agriculture effective July 24, 1971,'' issued by
Secretary Hardin in 1971 (36 FR 13804 (the ``Hardin Memorandum''), the
Department will normally engage in rulemaking related to federal
benefits despite that exemption. However, the Hardin Memorandum does
not waive certain other APA-contained exemptions, in particular the
``good cause'' exemption found at 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), which allows
effective government action without rulemaking procedures where
withholding the action would be ``impracticable, unnecessary, or
contrary to the public interest.'' The Hardin memorandum specifically
provides for the use of the ``good cause'' exemption, albeit sparingly,
when a substantial basis for so doing exists, and where, as will be
described more fully below, that substantial basis is explained.
USDA has determined, consistent with the APA and the Hardin
Memorandum, that making these funds available under this Notice to
support farmworker training activities is in the public interest.
Withholding this NOFA to provide for public notice and comment would
unduly delay the provision of benefits associated with this program and
be contrary to the public interest. Should the actual practice of the
program produce reasons for program modifications, those modifications
can be brought to the attention of the Department and changes made in
the future rulemaking process.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Background
Section 14204, of the Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008,
Public Law 110-246 (June 18th, 2008) 2008 Farm Bill, 7 U.S.C. 2008q-1
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to assist
agricultural employers and farmworkers by improving the supply,
stability, safety, and training of the agricultural labor force. Such
grants may be made to eligible entities for use in providing services
to assist farmworkers who are citizens or otherwise legally present in
the United States in securing, retaining, upgrading, or returning from
agricultural jobs. The 2010 Appropriations Act included an
appropriation of $4 million to the USDA's Rural Housing Service (RHS)
for this program, and the delegation of authority and funding for the
program has since been transferred to OAO, within Departmental
Management of USDA. OAO has designated the program the Agricultural
Career and Employment (ACE) Grants Program and it will be referred to
as such hereafter.
Purpose of the ``ACE'' Grants Program
As the title of Section 14204 of the 2008 Farm Bill suggests--
``Grants to Improve the Supply, Stability, Safety, and Training of
Agricultural Labor Force''--the ACE grants program is designed to
address the needs of both agricultural employers and farmworkers with
respect to the supply of skilled labor in American agriculture and the
stability of employment in that sector. About 800,000 hired farmworkers
are employed in U.S. agriculture, with hired workers making up an
estimated one-third of the total agricultural labor force. Particularly
critical for labor-intensive sectors of agriculture, such as fruits and
vegetables, the hired agricultural labor force in the United States is
characterized by considerable instability. Among the hired workforce
are large numbers of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, many of whom
travel long distances to obtain employment, and often move from crop to
crop as conditions warrant. See Profile of Hired Farmworkers, A 2008
Update, by William Kandel, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic
Research Service. This study can be found at https://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR60/.
Despite this regular flow of workers, regional differences in
crops, variations in harvest times, and unpredictable weather
conditions mean that many farm owners complain of chronic labor
shortages, while farmworkers frequently report it is difficult to
locate
[[Page 65159]]
employment or obtain sufficient hours of work to earn a living.
Unemployment rates among farmworkers generally are double those of
other wage and salaried workers and those working in field crops have
twice the unemployment rate of livestock workers. Historically, the
uncertainty farmworkers have faced as to the availability or duration
of work, along with the low wages generally earned by hired farm
laborers, have led to many employed in the agricultural labor sector to
leave agriculture for employment in other industries. Because of high
turnover rates in agricultural employment, it is estimated that 2.0 to
2.5 individual farmworkers fill each job slot in the course of a year.
This phenomenon has lead to chronic instability in the labor market and
a shortage of skilled and experienced workers.
B. Scope of Work
The ACE grants program is intended to improve the supply of skilled
agricultural workers and bring greater stability to the workforce in
this sector. This stability will be realized through services
specifically designed to assist farmworkers in securing, retaining,
upgrading or returning from agricultural jobs. Such services include
the following:
Agricultural labor skills development;
The provision of agricultural labor market information;
Transportation;
Short-term housing while in transit to an agricultural
worksite;
Workplace literacy and assistance with English as a second
language;
Health and safety instruction, including ways of
safeguarding the food supply of the United States; and
Other such services the Secretary deems appropriate.
C. Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes
1. Outputs. The term ``output'' means the creation or provision of
services to assist farmworkers in securing, retaining, upgrading or
returning from agricultural jobs. Outputs may be quantitative or
qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement
funding period.
Examples of outputs from the projects to be funded under this
announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following: Number
of farmworkers served; number of farmworkers who attended conferences
or trainings; number of conferences or training sessions held; or
number of farmworkers completing labor skills programs or health and
safety training programs.
2. Outcomes. The term ``outcome'' means the result, effect, or
consequence that will occur from carrying out an outreach or assistance
program or activity that is related to a programmatic goal or
objective. Outcomes may be agricultural, behavioral, social, economic,
or programmatic in nature. They may not necessarily be achievable
within an assistance agreement funding period. Projects to be funded
under this announcement are required to document anticipated outcomes,
including but not limited to: Improvements in the supply, stability,
safety and/or training of the agricultural labor force in a given
geographic area or a given sector of the agricultural industry; an
increase in the numbers of farmworkers in a given geographic area or
agricultural sector who obtain skill-based certifications, licenses, or
demonstrated competencies qualifying them for enhanced employment
opportunities; the number of farmworkers in a given area who, as a
result of program activities, advance to a position in agricultural
employment which offers more hours of work and/or better terms and
conditions of employment and/or an increase in wages; the number of
farmworkers for whom English is not their first language who achieve,
as a result of program activities, demonstrable improvements in
workplace literacy in English; the establishment of new programs of
health and safety instruction for farmworkers which, among other
things, address ways of safeguarding the U.S. food supply; the
establishment of new partnerships, networks or community support for
services designed to assist farmworkers in securing, retaining,
upgrading or returning from agricultural jobs, with the ultimate goal
of improving the supply, stability, safety and training of the
agricultural labor force.
3. Performance Measures. To be eligible for consideration for
funding the applicant must develop performance measures they expect to
achieve through the proposed activities. These performance measures
will help gather insights and will be the mechanism to track progress
concerning success process and outcome strategies and will provide the
basis for developing lessons to inform future awardees. It is expected
that the description of performance measures will include an estimate
of the number of farmworkers served by the activities of the project
including the assumptions used to make those estimates.
The following are questions to consider when developing output and
outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:
What are the measurable short term and longer term results
the project will achieve?
How does the plan measure progress in achieving the
expected results (including outputs and outcomes) and how will the
approach use resources effectively and efficiently?
How will the results be achieved in the proposed timeline?
II. Award Information
A. Expected Amount of Funding
The total funding available for awards under this competitive
opportunity is approximately $4,000,000.
B. Expected Number of Awards
OAO anticipates awarding no less than 8 grants from this
announcement, subject to availability of funds and the quality of
applications received. A maximum award will be limited to $500,000. OAO
reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement,
consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available.
Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six
months from the date of the original selection date.
C. Project Period
The estimated project period for awards resulting from this
solicitation will begin April 2, 2012. Proposed project periods may be
up to three years.
D. Award Type
The funding for selected projects will be in the form of a grant.
Although OAO will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to
the degree of involvement under the grant agreement as part of the
award process, the anticipated Federal involvement for these projects
will be limited to the following activities:
Approval of awardees' final budget and statement of work
accompanying the grant agreement
Monitoring of awardees' performance through quarterly and
final progress reports
Evaluating awardees' use of federal funds through
quarterly and final financial reports
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Entities
Entities eligible for awards are non-profit organizations or a
consortium of entities comprised of a non-profit organization and one
or more of the following: Agribusinesses, State and local governments,
agricultural labor
[[Page 65160]]
organizations, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and community-based
organizations with the capacity to train farmworkers. The criteria by
which an entity's capacity to train farmworkers will be evaluated, at a
minimum, by the following items: (1) An understanding of the issues
facing hired farmworkers and conditions under which they work; (2)
familiarity with the agricultural industry in the geographic area to be
served, including agricultural labor needs and existing services for
farmworkers; and (3) the capacity to effectively administer a program
of services and benefits authorized by the grants program.
B. Beneficiary Eligibility
Farmworkers who are citizens of the United States or are otherwise
legally present in the United States and who meet the definition of
``United States workers'' established by the U.S. Department of Labor
in its regulations at 20 CFR 655.4.
C. Credentials/Documentation
Grantees must have the financial, legal, administrative and
operational capacity to carry out the objectives of the program.
Grantees shall be responsible for verifying the employment of
farmworkers who are actively employed and are seeking to participate in
program services or benefits. Unemployed farmworkers seeking to
participate shall be required to certify to grantees that they are
eligible for program services and benefits.
D. Cost-Sharing or Matching
OAO does not require matching support for this program. Matching
resources will not be factored into the review process as part of the
evaluation criteria.
E. Threshold Eligibility Criteria
These are requirements that if not met by the time of proposal
submission will result in the elimination of the proposal from
consideration for funding. Only applications from eligible entities
(see above) that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated in the
proposal review process in Section V of this announcement. Applicants
deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the
threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days
of the ineligibility determination.
i. Proposals must substantially comply with the proposal submission
instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this
announcement. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with
respect to the narrative proposal, pages in excess of the page
limitation will not be reviewed.
ii. Proposals must be received by OAO as specified in Section IV of
this announcement on or before the proposal submission deadline
published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are
responsible for ensuring that their application reaches the designated
person/office specified in Section IV of this announcement by the
submission deadline.
iii. Proposals received after the submission deadline will be
considered late and returned to the sender without further
consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was
late due to www.Grants.gov or USDA mishandling. Applicants may confirm
receipt of their proposal with OAO after the submission deadline to
ensure proposal review.
iv. Proposals will only be accepted via www.Grants.gov, except in
extenuating circumstances such as trouble submitting electronically to
that site or as determined by OAO.
v. Proposals must address one or more of the program areas that
would provide farmworkers assistance in securing, retaining, upgrading
or returning from an agricultural job.
vi. Proposals requesting federal funding exceeding $500,000 will be
deemed ineligible and will not be considered for award.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Proposal and Submission Information
Applicants may download individual grant proposal forms from
www.Grants.gov. For assistance with www.Grants.gov, please consult the
Applicant User Guide (https://grants.gov/assets/ApplicantUserGuide.pdf).
B. Form of Proposal Submission
Applicants are required to submit proposals through www.Grants.gov.
Applicants will be required to register through www.Grants.gov in order
to begin the proposal submission process. Any applicant who experiences
significant technical difficulty with www.Grants.gov should contact OAO
as soon as possible to obtain an alternate method of electronic
submission (i.e., e-mail).
Proposals must be submitted via https://www.Grants.gov by 5 p.m. EST
on November 14, 2011. Proposals received after this deadline will not
be considered for funding.
C. Content of Proposal Package Submission
All proposal submissions must contain completed and signed original
application forms, as well as the Project Narrative and other required
attachments, as described below.
1. Forms. The forms listed below can be found in the proposal
package on www.Grants.gov.
Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance
Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction
Programs
Standard Form 424B, Non-Construction Programs
2. Attachments. The elements listed below are included in the
proposal package on www.Grants.gov as fillable PDF templates.
Applicants must download and complete these attachments and save the
completed PDF files to the application submission portal on
www.Grants.gov. Note: Please number each page of each attachment and
indicate the total number of pages per attachment (i.e., 1 of 10, 2 of
10, etc).
Attachment 1: Project Summary. In 500 words or less,
indicate the organizations or entities that will conduct the project,
their eligibility, the geographical area served by the project, and the
priority areas that will be addressed by the project. Please be
concise.
Attachment 2: Project Narrative. In 10 double-spaced pages
or less (one-inch margins, 12-point font), discuss the merits of your
proposed project. Specifically, it is critical that the proposal: (1)
Explain how the project will assist employers and farmworkers by
improving the supply, stability, safety and training of the
agricultural labor force; (2) describe the way in which the services to
be provided will assist farmworkers in securing, retaining, upgrading,
or returning from an agricultural job); (3) identify the experience of
the organization(s) taking part in the project; and (4) identify
project performance measures, including an estimated number of
farmworkers served, as described in Section I.C.;
Attachment 3: Personnel. In 2 double-spaced pages or less
per individual (one-inch margins, 12-point font), identify the
qualifications, relevant experience, and knowledge of each Project
Director or collaborator. Also, specifically discuss the roles and
responsibilities of each person within the scope of work to be
completed by the proposed project.
Attachment 4: Budget Narrative. In an organized format
identify and
[[Page 65161]]
describe the costs associated with the proposed project, including
subawards or contracts and indirect costs. Each cost indicated must be
fully allowable under the Federal Cost Principles in order to be funded
by the award.
Attachment 5: Program of Work. In an organized format, map
out the timeline for each task to be accomplished during the proposed
project period. Identify the relationship of each task to a priority
area. Examples of priority areas are listed under Section I.B.
D. Subawards and Partnerships
OAO awards funds to one eligible applicant as the awardee even if
other eligible applicants are named as partners or co-applicants or
members of a coalition or consortium. The awardee is accountable to OAO
for the proper expenditure of funds, consistent with the OAO approved
proposal.
E. Submission Dates and Times
The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions via
www.Grants.gov is by 5 p.m., EST on Tuesday, November 15, 2011.
Proposals received after the closing date and time will not be
considered for funding.
F. Confidential Information
The names of entities submitting proposals, as well as proposal
contents and evaluations, except to those involved in the review
process, will be kept confidential to the extent permissible by law. If
an applicant chooses to include confidential or proprietary information
in the proposal, it will be treated in confidence to the extent
permitted by law, provided that the information is clearly marked by
the applicant with the term ``confidential and proprietary
information.''
G. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance
OAO may not assist individual applicants by reviewing draft
proposals or providing advice on how to respond to evaluation criteria.
However, OAO will respond to questions from individual applicants
regarding eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the
submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification about the
announcement. Any questions should be submitted to
christine.chavez@osec.usda.gov.
V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
Only eligible entities whose proposals meet the threshold criteria
in Section III of this announcement will be reviewed according to the
evaluation criterion set forth below. Applicants should explicitly and
fully address these criteria as part of their proposal package
submittal.
OAO will use a points system to rate each proposal, with a total of
100 points possible. Each proposal will be given a numerical score and
will be rank-ordered according to that score. Preliminary funding
recommendations will be provided to the designated approving official
based on this ranking. Final funding decisions will be made by the
designated approving official based on the rankings and preliminary
recommendation of OAO review panel evaluations. In making final funding
decisions, the designated approving official may also consider
programmatic priorities and geographic diversity of applicants. Once
final decisions have been made, a funding recommendation will be
developed and forwarded to the Program Leader.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criteria Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Project Narrative: Under this criterion, OAO will 50
evaluate the extent and quality to which the narrative
includes a well-conceived strategy for addressing the
requirements and objectives stated Section I, Part B
(Scope of Work) related to (i) (15 points) estimated
number of farmworkers assisted in securing, training,
retaining, upgrading and returning from an agricultural
job Section I.B.; (ii) (15 points) the extent to which the
proposal would bring together services for farmworkers and/
or help build networks or partnerships to leverage
resources to further program goals (iii) (10 points)
estimate the number of farmworkers who will demonstrate
improvements in workplace literacy in English (iv) (10
points) extent to which the applicant clearly demonstrates
how they will ensure timely and successful completion of
the project and whether the proposal sets forth a
reasonable time schedule for execution of the tasks
associated with the projects..............................
2. Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs: Under this criterion, 15
OAO will evaluate: (i) (15 points) the effectiveness of
the applicant's plan for tracking and measuring its
progress toward achieving the expected project outputs and
outcomes related to assisting farmworkers in securing,
training, retaining, upgrading or returning from an
agricultural job, such as those identified in Section I.C
of this announcement......................................
3. Capability of Applicant: Under this criterion, 20
applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to
successfully complete and manage the proposed project
taking into account the applicant's: (i) (5 points) past
performance in successfully completing and managing prior
funding agreements identified in Attachment 1 of the
proposal as described in Section IV.C of the announcement;
(ii) (10 points) organizational experience and plan for
timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the
proposed project; and (iii) (5 points) staff expertise/
qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the
ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals
of the proposed project...................................
4. Budget: Under this criterion, OAO will evaluate the 15
proposed project budget to determine whether, (i) (10
points) costs are reasonable to accomplish the proposed
goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes; and (ii) (5
points) the proposed budget provides a detailed breakdown
of the approximate funding used for each major activity,
including associated administrative expenses incurred by
implementing the ACE grants...............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Selection of Reviewers
Reviewers will be selected from within USDA based upon training and
experience in relevant fields including, knowledge, experience and
expertise in serving the needs of the farmworker community.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Following evaluation of proposals, all applicants will be notified
regarding their status.
B. Proposal Notifications and Feedback
1. OAO anticipates notification of the successful applicant will be
made using one of the following methods via telephone, e-mail, or
postal mail by October 30, 2011. The notification will advise the
applicant that its proposed project has been successfully evaluated and
recommended for award. The notification will be sent to the original
signer of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. This
notification, which advises that the applicant's proposed project has
been recommended for award, is not an authorization to begin work. The
award notice signed by USDA grants officer is
[[Page 65162]]
the authorizing document and will be provided through postal mail. At a
minimum, this process can take up to 90 days from the date of
recommendation.
2. OAO anticipates notification to unsuccessful applicants will be
made via e-mail or postal mail by February 6, 2012. The notification
will be sent to the original signer of the SF-424, Application for
Federal Assistance.
3. Non-selected notification letters will contain information on
how to obtain feedback. At OAO's discretion feedback will be either
written or through oral debriefings. See Section VII for Agency Contact
information.
C. DUNS Number and CCR Registration
In accordance with the Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act (FFATA) and the USDA implementation, all applicants
must obtain and provide an identifying number from Dun and Bradstreet's
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS). Applicants can receive a DUNS
number, at no cost, by calling the toll-free DUNS Number request line
at 1-866-705-5711, or visiting the D&B Web site at https://www.dnb.com.
In addition, FFATA requires applicants to register with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR). This registration must be maintained and
updated annually. Applicants can register or update their profile, at
no cost, by visiting the CCR Web site at https://www.ccr.gov.
D. Reporting Requirement
The following reporting requirements will apply to awards provided
under this FOA. OAO reserves the right to revise the schedule and
format of reporting requirements as necessary in the award agreement.
1. Quarterly progress reports and financial reports will be
required.
Quarterly Progress Reports. The awardee must submit the
OMB-approved Performance Progress Report form (SF-PPR, Approval Number:
0970-0334). For each report, the awardee must complete fields 1 through
12 of the SF-PPR. To complete field 10, the awardee should provide a
brief narrative of project performance and activities, as described in
the award agreement and in sample documents provided by OAO. Quarterly
progress reports must be submitted to the designated OAO official
within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter.
Quarterly Financial Reports. The awardee must submit the
Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report. For each report, the
awardee must complete both the Federal Cash Transaction Report and the
Financial Status Report sections of the SF-425. Quarterly financial
reports must be submitted to the designated OAO official within 30 days
after the end of each calendar quarter.
2. Final progress and financial reports will be required. The final
progress report should include a summary of the project or activity,
achievements of the project or activity, and a discussion of problems
experienced in conducting the project or activity. The final financial
report should consist of a complete SF-425 indicating the total costs
of the project. Final progress and financial reports must be submitted
to the designated OAO official within 90 days after the completion of
the award period.
VII. Agency Contact
Attn: Christine Chavez, Program Leader, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Office of Advocacy and Outreach, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., Whitten Building Room 533-A, Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202)
205-4215, Fax: (202) 720-7136, Email: christine.chavez@osec.usda.gov.
VIII. Other Information
None.
Signed in Washington, DC, on October 14, 2011.
Pearlie S. Reed,
Assistant Secretary for Administration for the Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-27078 Filed 10-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3412-89-P