OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center; Notice of Competition and Request for Applications, 20388-20394 [2017-08686]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 82 (Monday, May 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20388-20394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08686]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration


OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center; Notice of 
Competition and Request for Applications

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of competition and request for applications for the OSHA 
Training Institute Education Centers Program.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the opportunity for interested non-
profit organizations, including qualifying educational institutions, 
trade associations, labor unions, and community-based and faith-based 
organizations that are not an agency of a state or local government to 
submit applications to become an OSHA Training Institute Education 
Center and deliver standard classroom instruction on a regional basis. 
State or local government-supported institutions of higher education 
are eligible to apply. Eligible organizations can apply independently 
or in partnership with other eligible organizations, but in such a 
case, a lead organization must be identified along with a list of any 
consortium partners. Current OSHA-authorized OSHA Training Institute 
Education Centers required to renew their status must submit a new 
application in order to maintain their OSHA Training Institute 
Education Center status. If the corporate identity of an applicant, or 
its membership have changed, the new entity must submit an application. 
Applications will only be accepted during the solicitation period and 
will be rated on a competitive basis. Complete application instructions 
are contained in this notice.
    This notice also contains information on a proposal conference 
designed to provide potential applicants with information about the 
OSHA Training Institute Education Centers Program. The conference will 
clarify OSHA expectations for OSHA Training Institute Education 
Centers, courses and methods of instruction, as well as administrative 
and program requirements for OSHA Training Institute Education Centers 
and the OSHA Outreach Training Program. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to attend the proposal conference.
    OSHA will enter into five-year, non-financial cooperative 
agreements with successful applicants. These authorization agreements 
are intended solely to facilitate the ongoing monitoring and evaluation 
of safety training provided by authorized OSHA Training Institute 
Education Centers. These cooperative agreements will not constitute a 
grant or financial assistance instrument, and OSHA will provide no 
compensation to authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Centers. 
Such non-financial cooperative agreements are renewable, at the 
Government's sole option, for one five-year period, if the organization 
has performed satisfactorily during the initial term.

DATES: Applications (three copies) must be received no later than 4:30 
p.m. Central Time on June 30, 2017. Requests for extension of this 
application deadline will not be granted.
    A proposal conference will be held on May 17, 2017, at the OSHA 
Directorate of Training and Education, 2020 South Arlington Heights 
Rd., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102. Attendees are required to 
pre-register for this conference. Specific details are discussed in the 
Proposal Conference section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Submit applications (three copies) to the OSHA Directorate 
of Training and Education, Office of Training Programs and 
Administration, Attn: James Brock, 2020 South Arlington Heights Rd., 
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102.
    Applicants selected to be OSHA Training Institute Education Centers 
must attend a mandatory orientation meeting to be held at the OSHA 
Directorate of Training and Education, 2020 South Arlington Heights 
Rd., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102 at a time and date to be 
determined.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any questions regarding this 
opportunity should be directed to: James Brock, OSHA Training Institute 
Education Centers Program Manager, email address brock.james.e@dol.gov, 
or Annette Braam, Assistant Director, Training Programs, OSHA 
Directorate of Training and Education, email address 
braam.annette@dol.gov. Both can be reached at: (847) 759-7700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The supplementary information contains 
details concerning the following:

 Background Information
    Overview of the OSHA Directorate of Training and Education (DTE)
    Overview of the OSHA Training Institute (OTI)
    Overview of the OTI Education Centers Program
    Overview of the OSHA Outreach Training Program
 Organizational Responsibilities
    OTI Education Centers Responsibilities
    OSHA DTE Responsibilities
 OSHA Jurisdiction
 Geographic Distribution
 Application Submission Requirements
 Selection Guidelines
 Selection Criteria
 Consortia and Partnerships
 Funding Provisions
 Cooperative Agreement Duration
 Proposal Conference
 Application Submission
 Application Deadline
 Application Evaluation and Selection Process
 Notification of Selection
 Freedom of Information Act
 Paperwork Reduction Act
 Transparency
 Notification of Non-Selection
 Non-Selection Appeal
 Appendix A--Current List of Required, Elective, and Short 
Courses

Background Information

Overview of the OSHA Directorate of Training and Education (DTE)

    DTE, located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, supports the Agency's 
mission and performance goals of securing safe and healthy workplaces 
and increasing workers' voice in the workplace through the development 
and delivery of training courses and educational programs. The 
Directorate has three distinct functional areas: the OSHA Training 
Institute (OTI), the Office of Training Programs and Administration, 
and the Office of Training Educational Development. The Directorate 
provides training for federal and state compliance officers and state 
consultants. The Directorate administers three distinct external 
training programs including the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education 
Centers Program, the Outreach Training Program, and the Susan Harwood 
Training Grants Program. The Directorate also develops training and 
educational materials that support OTI courses and the Agency's 
compliance assistance initiatives.

Overview of the OSHA Training Institute (OTI)

    OTI, located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, is OSHA's primary 
training provider. OTI conducts over 50 unique course offerings on an 
annual basis. Training includes job hazard recognition as well as OSHA 
standards, policies, and procedures for persons responsible for 
enforcing or directly

[[Page 20389]]

supporting the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The OTI's 
primary responsibility is to federal and state compliance officers and 
state consultation program staff. The OTI Education Centers are the 
primary training providers for private and public sector personnel, and 
federal personnel from agencies other than OSHA.

Overview of OTI Education Centers Program

    The OTI Education Centers are a national network of non-profit 
organizations authorized by OSHA to deliver occupational safety and 
health training to private and public sector workers, supervisors, and 
employers on behalf of OSHA. The OTI Education Centers Program was 
initiated in 1992 when OSHA began partnering with other training and 
educational institutions to conduct OSHA courses. The OTI Education 
Centers Program supports OSHA's training and education mission through 
a variety of safety and health programs.
    OTI Education Center courses include OSHA standards and Outreach 
Training Program trainer and update courses. The OTI Education Centers 
offer more than 50 courses on various safety and health topics 
including recordkeeping, machine guarding, confined space, electrical 
standards, ergonomics, safety and health management, and fall 
protection. Information regarding the OTI Education Centers Program 
background, including a complete list of current organizations, OSHA 
numbered course offerings, and descriptions can be found on the OSHA 
Web site at: https://www.osha.gov/otiec.
    OTI Education Centers are selected through a national competitive 
process and receive no funding from OSHA; they support their OSHA 
training through their normal tuition and fee structures. OTI Education 
Centers are located in all OSHA Regions and work closely with OSHA 
Regional and Area offices to meet the needs of the regional 
constituency. OTI Education Centers are encouraged to conduct courses 
at host site organizations in addition to their own facilities and are 
required to conduct courses in all states and U.S. territories within 
their Region. Host site organizations must be non-profit organizations. 
OTI Education Centers are responsible for authorizing Outreach 
trainers, processing Outreach trainer card requests, and conducting 
Outreach trainer monitoring activity for the OSHA Outreach Training 
Program.

Overview of the OSHA Outreach Training Program

    The OSHA Outreach Training Program was established during the early 
years of the Agency to provide an overview of OSHA and to disseminate 
basic occupational safety and health workplace hazard information to 
workers using independent authorized trainers. Courses are intended to 
provide information on worker rights and employer responsibilities, and 
focus on work-related hazards. Outreach Training Program courses do not 
focus on or teach OSHA standards. Workers who complete the construction 
industry, general industry, maritime industry, or disaster site worker 
Outreach courses receive OSHA student course completion cards from the 
authorized trainer who conducted the training. OSHA Outreach Trainers 
are authorized exclusively through the OTI Education Centers. OTI 
Education Centers are responsible for administering the Outreach 
Training Program, including issuing course completion cards to 
authorized Outreach trainers and conducting monitoring activity such as 
record audits and training observations.
    The Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program. OSHA 
recommends Outreach Training Program courses as an introduction to 
occupational safety and health hazard recognition for workers. Although 
a voluntary program, some cities and states have enacted laws mandating 
the training. In addition, some employers, unions, organizations, or 
other jurisdictions may also require this training. Please note that 
Outreach Training Program courses do not meet specific training 
requirements contained in OSHA standards. The OSHA Outreach Training 
Program requirements and procedures contain instructions and 
information for Outreach Trainers. Among the items addressed in the 
requirements and procedures are course topic requirements, minimum 
lengths for course topics, advertising restrictions, records retention, 
and reporting requirements. OSHA Outreach Training Program requirements 
and procedures are located at: https://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/.

Organizational Responsibilities

OTI Education Centers Responsibilities

    OTI Education Centers are responsible for the following:
    (1) Adhere to all OSHA/DTE program requirements, policies, and 
procedures.
    (2) Develop and update course curriculum to support learning 
objectives determined by OSHA/DTE.
    (3) Ensure instructors are qualified in the courses/subjects they 
will be teaching in accordance with OSHA instructor qualification 
policies.
    (4) Meet annual program goals that include the following:
    (a) Conduct a minimum number of courses per month and achieve 
annual student training goals and objectives as established by OSHA/
DTE. Program goals are evaluated and revised on an annual basis. For 
the federal fiscal year 2017, each OTI Education Center is expected to 
train 1,700 students annually.
    (b) Provide standard classroom instruction training throughout 
their Region and target underserved areas identified by OSHA/DTE.
    (c) Conduct courses on a year-round basis with each required, 
elective, and short course being offered in accordance with annual 
program goals. Required, elective, and short courses are subject to 
change.
    (5) Publicize and promote the availability of courses to ensure 
attendance and the delivery of the scheduled courses.
    (6) Register students, provide course materials, and issue course 
completion certificates to students. This includes:
    (a) Ensuring students have met all prerequisites prior to 
registration.
    (b) Collecting and retaining student registration and attendance 
records in accordance with OSHA/DTE guidelines.
    (7) Comply with reporting requirements as identified by OSHA/DTE. 
This includes:
    (a) Providing OSHA/DTE with monthly training summary reports.
    (b) Providing OSHA/DTE with training and instructor records for 
quarterly audits, semi-annual, and annual performance reporting.
    (c) Collecting student surveys from students in accordance with 
OSHA procedures and providing that data to OSHA as requested.
    (8) Administer Outreach Training Program activities. This includes:
    (a) Distributing student cards to authorized Outreach Training 
Program trainers.
    (b) Monitoring OSHA Outreach trainers including conducting record 
audits and training observations.
    (c) Responding and processing exception requests in accordance with 
Outreach Training Program requirements.
    (9) Attend the semiannual OSHA Training Institute Education Centers 
Directors' Meetings.
    (10) Collaborate with other OTI Education Centers including 
mandatory participation on project teams and providing financial and 
personnel

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support for OTI Education Center marketing initiatives.
    (11) Provide dedicated staff for the program management and 
administration.

OSHA DTE Responsibilities

    DTE is responsible for the following:
    (1) Develop program policies, procedures, and requirements.
    (2) Provide answers and technical assistance on questions regarding 
OSHA policy and program requirements.
    (3) Provide OTI Education Centers with learning objectives for 
courses to be presented.
    (4) For select courses, provide curriculum and test questions.
    (5) Coordinate the development of new OTI Education Center courses.
    (6) Monitor the performance of the OTI Education Centers through 
on-site program visits, conference calls, training observations, and 
examination of course reports and attendance records.
    (7) Coordinate the efforts of the OTI Education Center Program 
Executive Committee.
    (8) Evaluate the effectiveness of the OTI Education Centers and 
provide each organization with an annual performance appraisal.
    (9) Conduct investigations of alleged OTI Education Center non-
compliance with the Non-Financial Cooperative Agreement and OSHA 
policies and procedures.

OSHA Jurisdiction

    OSHA is a federal agency within the United States. The Agency 
covers workers and employers in the 50 United States and certain 
territories and jurisdictions under federal authority. Those 
jurisdictions include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Wake Island, Johnston Island, and the Outer Continental Shelf 
Lands as defined in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

Geographic Distribution

    There is currently at least one OTI Education Center in each OSHA 
Region. However, OSHA may elect to select more than one OTI Education 
Center in some or all OSHA Regions. The OSHA Regions contain the 
following states and U.S. territories.
    Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 
Island, and Vermont.
    Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands.
    Region III: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 
Virginia, and West Virginia.
    Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
    Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and 
Wisconsin.
    Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
    Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
    Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, 
and Wyoming.
    Region IX: American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, 
Nevada, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
    Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
    For this notice of competition, special consideration may be given 
to applicant organizations with physical locations in the following 
major metropolitan areas that may be underserved by existing OTI 
Education Centers (the list is in alpha order, not order of 
preference):
1. Austin-Round Rock, TX
2. Boston-Cambridge-Newton-Quincy, MA-NH
3. Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC
4. Cleveland-Elyria, OH
5. Columbus, OH
6. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
7. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland, TX
8. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
9. Jacksonville, FL
10. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
11. Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN
12. Memphis, TN-MS-AR
13. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
14. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
15. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
16. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
17. Oklahoma City, OK
18. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
19. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
20. Pittsburgh, PA
21. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
22. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
23. Richmond, VA
24. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden Arcade, CA
25. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

Application Submission Requirements

    Submissions that are not in accordance with the application 
submission requirements listed below will not be considered. The 
application must include the following:
    (1) Program Summary: The program summary is a one-to-two page 
double-spaced abstract that succinctly summarizes the applicant 
organization and any consortium partners' background, experience, and 
qualifications in occupational safety and health and training. The 
program summary must also provide:
    (a) Contact information including the following:
     The name, address, and phone number of the lead 
organization and all consortium partners. A post office box will not be 
accepted.
     The name, title, address, telephone number, and email 
address of the program director who can answer questions regarding the 
application.
    (b) Information on which OTI Education Center courses may be 
offered and any relevant language or target audience information.
    (2) Program Narrative: The program narrative must be numbered and 
not exceed 30 double-spaced pages. Attachments will not be included in 
the page count.
    (3) Applicant Eligibility: In order to be eligible, each 
organization must document the following. Organizations that do not 
address the following will not be given further consideration.
    (a) Non-Profit Status: Include evidence of non-profit status of the 
lead organization and each member organization if applying as a 
consortium. A letter from the Internal Revenue Service, State, or a 
statement included in a recent audit report is preferred. In the 
absence of these, a copy of the articles of incorporation showing the 
non-profit status will be accepted.
    (b) Authority to Apply: Provide a copy of the resolution by company 
president, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, Board of 
Regents, or other governing body of the organization approving the 
submittal of an application to OSHA to become an OTI Education Center.
    (c) Occupational Safety and Health Training Experience: Demonstrate 
previous experience delivering occupational safety and health training 
to adults.
    (d) Status as a Training Organization: (This applies only to 
applicants that are not colleges or universities.) Document that 
training or education is a principal activity of the organization. 
Through audit reports, annual reports, or other documentation, the 
applicant must clearly demonstrate that for the last two calendar years 
more than 50 percent of the organization's funds have been used for 
training and education activities and more than 50 percent of staff 
resources have also been used for this purpose.
    (e) Curriculum Development: Explain the organization's process for

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developing and updating occupational safety and health curriculum to 
meet learning objectives provided by OSHA.
    (f) Training Facilities: Provide detail regarding classrooms, 
laboratories, and testing facilities available. The organization must 
have training facilities that are under their purview.
    (g) Training Throughout the OSHA Region: Provide details regarding 
the organization's ability to provide standard in-person classroom 
training across the OSHA Region in which the organization is physically 
located. Training conducted through video-conferencing and webinars are 
not accepted as in-person classroom training.
    (h) Nondiscrimination: Provide copies of the organization's 
nondiscrimination policies covering staff and students. In the absence 
of a written policy, explain how the organization will ensure that 
staff and students are selected without regard to race, color, 
religion, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

Selection Guidelines

    OSHA does not have a predetermined number of organizations to be 
selected to act as authorized OTI Education Centers. The number of 
organizations selected will be determined on a competitive basis using 
the selection criteria contained in this announcement.

Selection Criteria

    Applications that meet the factors listed in the ``Applicant 
Eligibility'' section above will be reviewed by a technical panel based 
on the criteria listed below.
(1) Organizational Commitment (10 Points)
    (a) Explicit commitment of company president, Chief Executive 
Officer, Board of Directors, Board of Regents, or other governing body 
of the organization to fully utilize all available organizational 
resources necessary to support a large-scale occupational safety and 
health training program.
    (b) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
    (i) Include a signed Letter of Commitment from company president, 
Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, Board of Regents, or other 
governing body of the organization detailing how they will support the 
initial startup, the short-term viability and the long-term growth of 
an OTI Education Center.
    (ii) Clearly state the metrics and outcomes your organization will 
use to formally evaluate and assess the success of an OTI Education 
Center program.
(2) Organizational Experience and Qualifications (20 Points)
    (a) Experience delivering occupational safety and health training 
in the construction, general, and maritime industries.
    (b) Experience training adults.
    (c) Ability to deliver required, elective, and short OTI Education 
Center courses; (See Appendix A for a current list of required, 
elective and short OTI Education Center courses).
    (d) Provision for a systematic process for developing and updating 
occupational safety and health curriculum to support learning 
objectives provided by OSHA.
    (e) Resources for supporting a large-scale occupational safety and 
health training program, such as appropriate management, instructional 
staff, and administrative staff to fulfill all program requirements 
including marketing, registration, student training materials, 
instruction, reporting, and Outreach card administration.
    (f) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
    (i) Describe experience delivering occupational safety and health 
training including the number of classes offered, number of students 
taught in each class, and number of student contact hours for each 
course during the last three calendar years.
    (ii) Include copies of catalogs and other marketing materials that 
provide descriptive material about occupational safety and health 
training courses.
    (iii) Describe ability to deliver OTI Education Center courses 
including required, elective, and short courses. Please note the 
required, elective and short course offerings are subject to change. A 
current list of required, elective and short courses may be found at 
Appendix A. The complete list of courses and descriptions is available 
online at https://www.osha.gov/dte/edcenters/course_description.html.
    (iv) Indicate the number of occupational safety and health courses 
for which your organization has developed curriculum, including the 
title and student contact hours for each course, within the last three 
calendar years.
    (v) Indicate the number of instructor-led in-person classroom 
training occupational safety and health courses your organization has 
conducted, including title, student contact hours, and number of 
trainees within the last three calendar years.
    (vi) Describe organization's process for evaluating course content 
as it relates to student learning outcomes and process for reviewing 
and updating curriculum and course materials.
    (vii) Demonstrate that your organization is capable of providing 
in-person classroom training throughout the OSHA Region in which the 
lead organization and consortium partner(s) are physically located.
(3) Staff Experience and Qualifications (15 Points)
    (a) Staff experience in delivering training courses to adults in 
occupational safety and health in construction, general industry, and 
maritime.
    (b) Staff experience in occupational safety and health subjects 
including the application of OSHA standards to the recognition, 
avoidance, abatement, and prevention of workplace hazards.
    (c) Professional certifications related to occupational safety and 
health held by staff such as such as Certified Safety Professional, 
Professional Engineer, or Certified Industrial Hygienist.
    (d) Staff experience in managing and administering a training 
program including student registration and enrollment, student 
communications, course preparation, records maintenance, and marketing.
    (e) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
    (i) Include an organizational chart of the department responsible 
for training. Indicate number and titles of staff positions that will 
be dedicated to the OTI Education Center Program along with the 
expected annual number of man-hours that will be allocated to the 
Program.
    (ii) Describe staff knowledge of and experience with OSHA standards 
and their application to hazard recognition and hazard abatement.
    (iii) Describe organization's process for evaluating instructors' 
effectiveness in the classroom. Provide copies of evaluation measures, 
checklists, and forms used to evaluate instructors.
    (iv) Include resumes for instructors responsible for conducting 
OSHA courses and current staff. Provide position descriptions for 
positions to be filled.
(4) Location and Training Facilities (10 Points)
    (a) Ability to conduct standard classroom instruction training in 
multiple locations within the OSHA Region.
    (b) Classroom facilities available for presentation of the courses, 
including room capacity, availability of audiovisual equipment, and 
appropriate laboratories and other facilities available for hands-on 
exercises.

[[Page 20392]]

    (c) Availability of testing center, evaluation center, or 
comparable facility.
    (d) Provisions for accessibility for persons with disabilities.
    (e) Accessibility of the training facility to population centers, 
including such factors as distance from a major airport, transportation 
from the airport to hotels, and distance from the interstate system.
    (f) Availability and affordability of lodging and accommodations, 
food service, and restaurants available both in the area in which the 
classes will be held and in the area where the hotels are located. 
Lodging rates are based on GSA per diem rates located at https://www.gsa.gov/perdiem.
    (g) Availability of local transportation, including how students 
will be transported between the hotels and classes using hotel 
shuttles, public transportation, or other means.
    (h) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
    (i) Describe the accessibility of the training facility for 
students within local commuting area.
    (ii) Clearly identify that your organization has classrooms, 
laboratories, and testing facilities available. Training facilities 
must be under the direct control of the applicant. Floor plans are 
encouraged and may be included as an attachment.
    (iii) Include such items as distance from a major airport, number 
of airlines serving the airport, transportation from the airport to 
hotels, and distance from the interstate system.
    (iv) Provide a representative listing of hotels available for 
student accommodation and give sample room rates. Explain how students 
will be transported between the hotels and classes. Describe the food 
service and restaurants available both in the area in which the classes 
will be held and in the area where the hotels are located.
    (v) Describe the organization's ability and plan to provide off-
site host-site training within their respective Region including 
procedures to assure that classroom facilities and accommodations are 
adequate. Off-site training includes the ability to conduct courses at 
sites other than your own facility and in other states and U.S. 
territories within your OSHA region. Host-site training organizations 
must be non-profit organizations and proof of non-profit status is 
required.
(5) Marketing (15 Points)
    (a) Experience in marketing training to adults.
    (b) Ability to effectively market occupational safety and health 
training programs.
    (c) Utilization of various media to support marketing efforts.
    (d) Ability to solicit and deliver training on a contract basis.
    (e) Resources sufficient to support participation in national 
industry conferences in order to market training programs.
    (f) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
    (i) Explain the procedures for marketing your organization's 
training courses and recruiting adult learners.
    (ii) Include examples of current course marketing materials such as 
catalogs, flyers, brochures, emails, Web site urls and screen shots, 
postcards, use of social media, and any other associated relevant 
materials.
    (iii) Explain how your organization will promote its status as an 
OTI Education Center.
    (iv) Describe your organization's experience in exhibiting at 
conferences and trade shows.
(6) Administrative Capabilities (20 Points)
    (a) Ability to administer a large-scale occupational safety and 
health training program, including clerical and support staff, and 
customer service capabilities, to fulfill all program requirements and 
meet customer needs.
    (b) Ability to administer the Outreach Training Program, including 
processing card requests for Outreach trainers and conducting Outreach 
monitoring activities such as record audits and training observations.
    (c) Ability to compile and submit reports and other training data.
    (d) Applicants must be capable of providing mandatory reports 
consistent with current OSHA requirements, including the capability to 
submit reports in Excel format on a template provided by OSHA/DTE. 
Please note, OSHA periodically revises reporting requirements.
    (e) Ability to respond to inquiries from OSHA and the public.
    (f) Ability to manage student records.
    (g) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
    (i) Describe registration procedures including provisions for 
course cancellation, furnishing students with course materials, 
verifying course prerequisites are met in advance of registration, and 
tuition or fee collection processes.
    (ii) Describe capabilities to process and issue course completion 
documents to students and collect related fees.
    (iii) Describe personnel and resources available to conduct 
Outreach monitoring activities, including record audits and training 
observations.
    (iv) Include information about organization's record retention 
policy, ability to issue replacement course completion documents, and 
collect related fees. Please note OSHA requires records to be 
maintained for a minimum of five years. OTI Education Centers may 
establish a longer retention policy.
    (v) Explain what procedures will be implemented for reporting to 
OSHA/DTE.
    (vi) Provide specific details regarding the organization's full-
time customer service staff, capabilities, and/or planned approach for 
responding to questions from students; handling questions and concerns 
related to occupational safety and health; resolving problems 
associated with a course, whether received via student satisfaction 
surveys or direct communication from a student; and issuing replacement 
course completion certificates in a timely manner, including 
verification of student identity and training completion.
    (vii) Provide a copy of the organization's tuition and fee 
schedule; explain how tuition or fees will be computed for each OTI 
Education Center numbered course, referencing the organization's 
tuition and fee schedule; and describe tuition and fee procedures 
including provisions for the collection of tuition, cancellation fees, 
and issuing refunds.
(7) Evaluation (10 Points)
    OSHA utilizes Kirkpatrick's Levels of Evaluation as described 
below. Each OTI Education Center is responsible for collecting and 
submitting student surveys.
    Satisfaction Survey (Level I Evaluation) to Measure Reaction: Each 
student must receive a satisfaction survey to assess the students' 
reactions and perceptions of the quality of the training.
    Testing (Level II Evaluation) to Measure Learning: Learning 
assessments measure the skills and knowledge that the trainee retains 
as a result of the training. Testing is mandatory at the end of many 
courses.
    Follow-up Impact Survey (Level III Evaluation) to Measure Results: 
Each applicant must have the capability of issuing a follow-up impact 
survey to assess the effectiveness of the training after an elapsed 
time period (e.g., 6-months) using survey questions provided by OSHA.
    (a) Ability to administer student surveys in a classroom setting.
    (b) Ability to administer exams and ensure test integrity.

[[Page 20393]]

    (c) Ability to assess the effectiveness of the training after an 
elapsed time period using a follow-up impact survey.
    (d) Ability to summarize and report evaluation results.
    (e) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
    (i) Describe the organization's experience in conducting evaluation 
of training programs.
    (ii) Describe organization's experience in administering student 
surveys. Provide examples of student surveys presently in use.
    (iii) Describe organization's experience in administering classroom 
exams and the process for ensuring test integrity.
    (iv) Describe organization's experience conducting follow-up 
evaluations that measure behavior and/or results.

Consortia and Partnerships

    Applicants may join with one or more other non-profit organizations 
in their Region to apply as a consortium. A training or education 
institution may elect to apply for this program in partnership with a 
safety and health organization that is not primarily a training 
organization. For example, a university could enter into an agreement 
with a labor union that provides for the use of university classrooms 
and faculty supplemented by union safety and health professionals. All 
consortium partners must be physically located in the same OSHA region. 
Partners must designate a lead organization that will be responsible 
for program reporting and Outreach Training Program administration 
including Outreach card distribution.

Funding Provisions

    OSHA provides no funding to OTI Education Centers. OTI Education 
Centers Program participants are expected to support their training 
through their normal tuition and fee structures.

Cooperative Agreement Duration

    Selected applicants will sign five-year non-financial cooperative 
agreements with OSHA. Such an agreement may be renewed without 
additional competition for just one additional five-year period, 
provided that: (1) OSHA found the OTI Education Center's performance 
during the cooperative agreement to be satisfactory; and (2) the OTI 
Education Center has not altered its existing membership of constituent 
organizations (i.e., the member organizations that comprise its 
consortium).
    The agency reserves the right to revoke the authorization of an OTI 
Education Center. Either party may terminate the cooperative agreement 
with advance written notice, provided both parties continue to meet all 
obligations of the agreement for the duration of the advance notice 
period.

Proposal Conference

    A proposal conference will be held to provide potential applicants 
with information about the OTI Education Centers Program. The 
conference will also clarify OSHA expectations for OTI Education 
Centers, courses and methods of instruction, as well as administrative 
and program requirements for OTI Education Centers and the OSHA 
Outreach Training Program. Attendance at the proposal conference is not 
mandatory, but applicants are strongly encouraged to attend.
    The proposal conference is scheduled for May 17, 2017, at the OSHA 
Directorate of Training and Education, 2020 S. Arlington Heights Rd., 
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102.
    It is required for all attendees to register for this proposal 
conference. Applicants interested in attending this conference must 
register through the following link: https://reg.abcsignup.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0019-0016-075F22DDCF7C46E18441F0ACF45847A0. Required 
registration information includes:
    (1) Name and street address of the organization;
    (2) Name, title, telephone number, and email address of the 
attendees
    Registration information must be submitted no later than June 30, 
2017.

Application Submission

    Applications must be submitted to the attention of James Brock, 
Program Manager, Office of Training Programs and Administration, OSHA 
Directorate of Training and Education, 2020 S. Arlington Heights Rd., 
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102.
    The submission is to consist of three copies of the application. 
Applications may be bound. The program narrative must not exceed 30 
double-spaced pages. Attachments will not be included in the page 
count. Applications must be double-spaced, in 12-point font, with all 
pages numbered, including attachments. Attachments must only include 
essential documents that are relevant to this program.

Application Deadline

    Applications must be received by the OSHA Directorate of Training 
and Education no later than 4:30 p.m., Central Time, on June 30, 2017. 
Requests for extension to this application deadline will not be 
granted.

Application Evaluation and Selection Process

    Applications will be reviewed by technical panels comprised of OSHA 
staff. The technical panels will review applications based on criteria 
listed in this notice to determine which applicants best meet the 
stated requirements. As part of the evaluation and selection process, 
OSHA may request additional information from applicants. This may 
include written requests for clarification, phone or in-person 
interviews, access to existing programs, and on-site visits of 
applicant facilities. OSHA will attempt to select qualified applicants 
who have the ability to provide training throughout their region based 
on program needs. The panels' recommendations to the Assistant 
Secretary are advisory in nature. The final decision will be made by 
the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

Notification of Selection

    Applicants will be notified by a representative of the Assistant 
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health if their 
organization is selected as an OSHA Training Institute Education 
Center. Applicants selected to be OSHA Training Institute Education 
Centers must attend a mandatory orientation meeting at the Directorate 
of Training and Education in Arlington Heights, Illinois at a time and 
date to be provided after selection.
    An organization may not deliver OSHA Training Institute Education 
Center courses until the program has been authorized, the organization 
has signed a non-financial cooperative agreement with OSHA, and the 
organization has participated in the orientation meeting.

Freedom of Information Act

    Information submitted in the respondent's application is not 
considered confidential. Organization's application data may be 
releasable under the Freedom of Information Act.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Interested parties must submit an application as discussed under 
section ``Application Submission Requirements.'' According to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, an Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and no 
persons are required to respond to, a collection of information unless 
such collection displays a valid OMB control

[[Page 20394]]

number. The application provides to OSHA basic information about the 
applicant organization and application. Information will be used to 
evaluate the qualifications of the applicants, and their ability to 
serve the regional population and to determine ability to conduct OSHA 
courses for private sector personnel and federal personnel from 
agencies other than OSHA; and, to evaluate the applicant organization's 
competence to provide the proposed training (including the 
qualifications of the personnel to manage and implement the training). 
OSHA estimates employer burden for the completion of this application 
is sixty hours per application. These estimates include the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and, completing and reviewing the 
collection of information.
    The application was previously reviewed and approved for use by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13). The assigned OMB 
control number is 1218-0262.

Transparency

    The Department of Labor is committed to conducting a transparent 
selection process and publicizing information about program outcomes. 
Applications or abstracts may be posted on public Web sites as a means 
of promoting and sharing innovative ideas.

Notification of Non-Selection

    Applicants will be notified in writing if their organization is not 
selected to be an OSHA Training Institute Education Center.

Non-Selection Appeal

    All decisions by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational 
Safety and Health are final. The Department of Labor does not provide 
an appeal procedure for applicants that are not selected.

Authority and Signature

    Section 21 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 
U.S.C. 670)

    Signed at Washington, DC, on April 24, 2017.
Dorothy Dougherty,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

Appendix A--Current List of Required, Elective and Short Courses \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Subject to change based on Agency initiatives, yearly annual 
performance criteria and national emphasis programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Present OTI Courses:
    (a) FY 2017 rating criterion is 95 courses conducted annually 
with a minimum of four in-person courses per month.
    (b) Present all OTI Courses as follows:
    (i) OTI Education Centers are required to present the following 
ten courses annually:
    (1) #500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health 
Standards for the Construction Industry
    (2) #501 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health 
Standards for General Industry
    (3) #502 Update for Construction Industry Outreach Trainers
    (4) #503 Update for General Industry Outreach Trainers
    (5) #510 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the 
Construction Industry
    (6) #511 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General 
Industry
    (7) #3095 Electrical Standards
    (8) #3115 Fall Protection
    (9) #7500 Introduction to Safety and Health Management
    (10) #7845 Recordkeeping Rule Seminar
    (ii) OTI Education Centers are required to present at least five 
of the following elective courses annually:
    (1) #521 OSHA Guide to Industrial Hygiene
    (2) #2015 Hazardous Materials
    (3) #2045 Machinery and Machine Guarding Standards
    (4) #2055 Cranes in Construction
    (5) #2225 Respiratory Protection
    (6) #2255 Principles of Ergonomics
    (7) #2264 Permit-Required Confined Space Entry
    (8) #3015 Excavation, Trenching, and Soil Mechanics
    (9) #3085 Principles of Scaffolding
    (10) #5029 Cal/OSHA Update for Construction Industry Outreach 
Trainers
    (11) #5039 Cal/OSHA Update for General Industry Outreach 
Trainers
    (12) #5109 Cal/OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry
    (13) #5119 Cal/OSHA Standards for General Industry
    (14) #5400 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health for 
the Maritime Industry
    (15) #5402 Update for Maritime Industry Outreach Trainers
    (16) #5410 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the 
Maritime Industry
    (17) #5600 Disaster Site Worker Trainer Course
    (18) #5602 Update for Disaster Site Worker Trainers
    (19) #5810 Hazard Recognition and Standards for On Shore Oil and 
Gas Exploration and Production
    (20) #6000 Collateral Duty Course for Other Federal Agencies
    (21) #6010 Occupational Safety and Health Course for Other 
Federal Agencies
    (iii) OTI Education Centers are required to present at least 
three of the following short courses annually:
    (1) #7000 OSHA Training Guidelines for Safe Patient Handling
    (2) #7005 Public Warehousing and Storage
    (3) #7100 Introduction to Machinery and Machine Safeguarding
    (4) #7105 Introduction to Evacuation and Emergency Planning
    (5) #7110 Introduction to Safe Bolting: Principles and Practices
    (6) #7115 Lockout/Tagout
    (7) #7120 Introduction to Combustible Dust Hazards
    (8) #7125 Seminar on Combustible Dust Hazards
    (9) #7200 Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control for Healthcare 
Facilities
    (10) #7205 Health Hazard Awareness
    (11) #7210 Pandemic Influenza Workplace Preparedness
    (12) #7225 Transitioning to Safer Chemicals
    (13) #7300 Understanding OSHA's Permit-Required Confined Space 
Standard
    (14) #7400 Noise in the Construction Industry
    (15) #7405 Fall Hazard Awareness for the Construction Industry
    (16) #7410 Managing Excavation Hazards
    (17) #7415 OSHA Construction Industry Requirements (Major 
Hazards and Prevention Strategies)
    (18) #7505 Introduction to Incident (Accident) Investigation
    (19) #7510 Introduction to OSHA for Small Business

[FR Doc. 2017-08686 Filed 4-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-26-P