a) In
areas of the State where the grantee's CSBG funding has been terminated in
accordance with Section
120.55,
the Department will initiate a process to select a successor agency in
accordance with Sections 673 and 676 of the Act (
42
USC 9902 and
9908 ). The
grantee selection process will be initiated in a timely manner (process to
select successor agency as defined in this Section shall not exceed 120 days)
so as not to cause undue program delays or interruptions.
1) The following are eligible for CSBG 90%
funding:
A) Any organization which was
officially recognized as a Community Action agency (CAA) under the provisions
of Section 210 of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as amended, unless such
organization lost its recognition as a result of failure to comply with the
Act.
B) Any organization officially
recognized as a CAA by the Governor, or his duly authorized representative,
under the provisions of this Part and in accordance with the Illinois Economic
Opportunity Act. Organizations eligible for State CAA recognition include:
i) Any non-profit private community
organization serving a jurisdiction of at least 100,000 population, designated
by the governments of the jurisdiction, determined to be capable of planning,
conducting and administering a community services program under criteria
described in Section
120.50
and having a Board which meets the provisions outlined in Section
120.70.
ii) Any city within the State with a
population in excess of 100,000 or a county or group of contiguous counties
with a minimum population base of 100,000. The governmental unit must be
capable of planning, conducting and administering a community services program
under criteria described in Section
120.50
and must have an Administering Board in accordance with Section 120.70. (The
100,000 population base referenced in subsections (a)(1)(B)(i) and (ii) is
waived for CAAs designated and recognized prior to this amendatory
rulemaking.)
2) Notification and Special Solicitation
A) The Department shall notify, in writing,
each contiguous existing CSBG eligible entity and others within reasonable
proximity (corporate headquarters of the eligible entity is within 50 miles of
the boundary of the area to be served), that the area is presently unserved by
the CSBG program, and the Department is seeking a successor agency. In its
notification, the Department shall advise the agency to request, if interested,
an application package in order to apply for CSBG service provision in the area
to be served. The agency shall have 10 days from date of notice to request the
application package. The requests shall be directed to the Manager of the
Division of Economic Opportunity.
B) The Department will allow the requesting
agency 45 days from the date of mailing the application package, to complete
the application and submit three copies to the Department. The Department will
adhere to this 45 day period, unless the agency which requested the application
package communicates to the Department its lack of interest in
applying.
C) The Department will
respond in writing indicating acceptance or rejection of any application from
an existing eligible entity within 10 days after receipt of the
application.
D) If the special
solicitation period for the existing eligible entities produces no interest or
no acceptable service delivery applications (applications did not meet the
criteria specified in Sections
120.50
and
120.60(a)(3)
), the Department will solicit applications from organizations within the
service delivery areas as specified in subsections (a)(1)(B)(i) and (ii) of
this Section.
3)
Application Contents
In addition to the requirements found in Section 120.50, the
application for CSBG service delivery shall include the following:
A) The applicant must demonstrate the support
of the public, private and client sectors of the population in the service
delivery area (e.g., results of public hearings, letters of support).
B) The applicant must obtain the formal
designation (documented resolution) or intent to designate from the principal
governing bodies in the service delivery area.
C) The application must include detailed
information on how the required community action agency board will be
constituted (see Section 120.70). (For existing eligible entities applying for
the new service delivery area, this information must specify how the
representatives of the new area will become a part of the of the applicant's
existing CSBG administering/governing board.)
D) The application must demonstrate how
service delivery will be made available to all geographic areas of the service
delivery area and how all elements of the area's eligible population will be
reached.
E) The applicant agency
must supply the following information that describes its base and purpose:
i) statement of the mission of the
agency;
ii) organizational chart of
the agency; and
iii) written
assurances that the applicant agency is a legally established entity with
authority to operate in the service area for which the application is being
submitted.
F) The
applicant agency must supply the following information that describes agency
experience:
i) a history;
ii) a description of past experience (if any)
in providing services to the proposed target group (i.e., impoverished
population); and
iii) a description
of services currently delivered by the agency that are related or complementary
to this program.
G) The
applicant agency must provide the following information regarding its Equal
Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policies:
i) written documentation which indicates
compliance with equal opportunity and affirmative action regulations
(Affirmative Action Plan, see Section
120.50(b)(2)
); and
ii) the applicant must
supply a written statement as to whether the applicant has been party to any
proceedings or litigation with regard to equal employment opportunity or
affirmative action investigations or complaints conducted by or filed with the
Illinois Department of Human Rights or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. If so, a description of the nature of the investigation or
complaint and the case resolution or anticipated date of resolution if such
case is pending.
4) Application Format
The format for the application will be in accordance with
Section 120.50. Forms will be provided by the Department and will be a part of
the application package provided to the applicant.
5) Evaluation of Applications
A) Applications must meet all the
requirements of Sections
120.50
and
120.60(a)(3)
to be placed in consideration for funding.
B) The decision process will include an
evaluation of the following agency attributes:
i) ability to conduct multiple programs, with
a variety of staff members and funding sources;
ii) have traditionally served impoverished
populations in their area (e.g., low-income minorities, youth, elderly,
etc.);
iii) have coordinated their
programs with other area antipoverty programs;
iv) have included the recipients of their
services in agency decision-making (see Section 120.70);
v) have the support of the local governments
of the counties that shall be evidenced through formal resolutions, letters of
endorsement;
vi) can demonstrate
that they have effectively provided those services to their clients that are
specified by the agency's mission (e.g., agency performance records);
vii) provide the highest ratio between the
amount of grant funds to be used for direct services and the amount to be used
for administrative expenses (i.e., project low administrative costs);
viii) propose multiple programs which
emphasize the priorities of the Department (see Section
120.110
);
ix) address specific local needs
(e.g., job creation, housing, education);
x) have well-defined outcome measures that
can be monitored and used to evaluate the success in promoting
self-sufficiency, family stability, and community revitalization;
xi) utilize CSBG funding to leverage other
funds and services that will benefit the poor in the community; and
xii) propose coordination and form
partnerships with other low-income residents of the communities, including
religious organizations.
C) Applications must address one or more of
the program priorities described in Section 120.110, with the highest priority
being placed on economic development programs which create jobs.
D) The Department will give special
consideration, in its selection, to agencies with prior experience in operating
similar or other Department funded programs and with documented records of
compliance with rules, regulations, and grant conditions relating to their
program operation.
E) The
Department will conduct and give special consideration to the results of a
public hearing in which competing agencies are provided the opportunity to
present their case for selection to the public in the area to be served by the
program.
F) The Department will
consult with and take into account the recommendations of the principal
governing bodies in the service delivery area.
G) The final decision will be based upon the
weight of the facts and recommendations found in subsections (a)(5)(A)-(F). The
most effective, efficient and well coordinated program delivery system
available will be selected.