Form 1 Admin PDAT Disability Application

2009 Admin/PDAT/Disability Application Instructions

2009 ADMIN/PDAT/DISABILITY

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

HOW to apply for

State Administrative Funds

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FUNDS

DISABILITY PLACEMENT FUNDS

OMB Approval Number 3045-0099

Expiration Date 5/31/2010       

IMPORTANT NOTICE

These application instructions conform to the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (hereinafter the Corporation) online grant application system, eGrants. The eGrants system is designed to serve the Corporation’s applicants and grantees. All Corporation funding announcements are posted on our web site www.cns.gov and at www.grants.gov.

Public Burden Statement: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 requires the Corporation to inform all potential persons who are to respond to this collection of information that such persons are not required to respond unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. (See 5 CFR 1320.5(b)(2)(i)).

Time Burden: The time required to complete this collection of information is estimated to average 30 hours per applicant, including the time to review instructions; search existing data resources; gather the data needed; and complete and review the information collection.

Use of Information: The information collected constitutes an application to the Corporation for grant funding. The Corporation evaluates the application and makes funding decisions through the Corporation’s grant review and selection process.

Effects of Non-Disclosure: Providing this information is voluntary; however, failure to provide the information would not allow the Corporation to assess the applicant’s request for funding. Therefore it would not be possible to consider granting funds to the applicant.

Privacy Act: Information provided for this collection may be shared

with federal, state, and local agencies for law enforcement purposes.

Expiration Date 4/30/2008

STATE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS (ADMIN), PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING (PDAT), AND DISABILITY PLACEMENT (DISABILITY)

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

I. Deadline 4

II. Using Egrants 4

III. Additional Information 4

A. State Commission and National Program Collaboration 4

B. Provisions for Admin, PDAT, and Disability Awards 5

IV. Purpose of Admin Funds 5

A. Available Resources 5

B. Match Requirements 6

C. Allowable Uses of Admin Funds` 6

V. Purpose of PDAT Funds 6

A. Available Resources 6

B. Match Requirements 6

C. Allowable Use of PDAT Funds 6

VI. Purpose of Disability Funds 6

A. Available Resources 6

B. Match Requirements 6

C. Allowable Use of Disability Funds 7

VII. Application Instructions 7

A. Application & Applicant Info 7

B. Narratives 7

1. Admin Narratives 7

2. PDAT Narratives 8

3. Disability Narratives 8

C. Documents: List of Commissioners (Admin Only) 9

D. Authorize and Submit 9

VIII. Budget Instructions 9

APPENDIX I: Corporation Review of Applications 11

APPENDIX II: Characteristics of Successful Commission Training and Technical Assistance Programs 11

ADMIN/PDAT/DISABILITY APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

I. Deadline

The deadline for State Administrative (Admin), Program Development and Training (PDAT), and Disability Placement (Disability) grants is November 4, 2008. We will consider an extension of deadline only for extenuating circumstances clearly beyond your control. Submit your request for an extension stating the rationale to your program officer via email or letter submitted via courier service.

II. Using eGrants

To submit your application, access eGrants (www.americorps.gov/egrants), the Corporation’s integrated, secure, web-based system for applications. The AmeriCorps Admin, PDAT and Disability applications each are accessed through a separate NOFA, by year, in eGrants. Be sure to select the correct NOFA when prompted:

• Commission Administrative Funds for the Current Year

• PDAT for the Current Year

• Commission Disability Funds for the Current Year

If you are submitting for a second or third year of a three-year grant, select the “Continuation” option when setting up your application. The current application will be a copy of the previous year’s application and budget, which you can edit. In addition:

• We suggest you first prepare and save your application as a word processing document, then copy and paste the document into eGrants.

• We strongly encourage you to create or update your eGrants account and begin your application at least three weeks prior to the final submission deadline and begin pasting your application into eGrants no later than ten days before the deadline. This will allow you time to address technical issues prior to the deadline. Technical issues are more likely to be considered as a factor in allowing a late submission if you begin entering your application within this time frame.

• Use only UPPERCASE letters for all section headings and other information you would like to highlight in your narrative. Bold face, bullets, underlines, or other types of formatting, charts, diagrams, and tables will not copy into eGrants.

• Adhere to all the character limits indicated in the application instructions. Characters include all the letters, punctuation, and spaces in your document. Your word processing software can provide a character count.

III. Additional Information

A. State Commission and National Program Collaboration

The Corporation expects all national service programs to collaborate at the local level.  You are expected to communicate and coordinate with AmeriCorps National parent organization and their sites in your state, as described below. These include recipients of National Direct, National EAP, Professional Corps, and Indian Tribes grants.

 

Likewise, AmeriCorps National program parent organizations are expected to communicate and coordinate with commissions in the states where they operate, and to share resources as appropriate.

 

As a state commission, you are expected to:

• Consider the schedules and needs of AmeriCorps National programs when planning annual events and technical assistance activities. 

• Include National programs in your annual needs assessment and training plan development activities, and in the development of your state service plan.

• Add AmeriCorps National personnel in your state to your mailing list and invite them to appropriate training and other events.

 

National programs in your state are expected to communicate regularly with you, and to keep you informed of their progress.  Specifically, they will:

• Provide you with a list including contact information for the programs in your state, and update this list on an annual basis.

• Participate in your annual needs assessment and training plan development activities, and in the development of your state service plan, as well as appropriate training and other events.

• Include your state commission on their mailing list and invite you to appropriate training and other events.

B. Provisions for Admin, PDAT, and Disability Awards

By accepting funds under any of these three grants, you agree to comply with the AmeriCorps Provisions that apply to these funds and all applicable federal statutes, regulations, and guidelines. You agree to administer the grant in accordance with your approved grant application and budget, supporting documents, and other representations made in support of the approved grant application.

All applicable Provisions of the grant including regulations and OMB circulars that are incorporated by reference shall apply to any grantee, sub-grantee, or other organization carrying out activities under this award. The relevant OMB circulars and regulations are online here:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_07/2cfrv1_07.html#215 and here: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?sid=1289932cf6539210eb14f3d8d3052a8b&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfrv1_02.tpl#200

The Provisions for Admin/PDAT/Disability funds can be found here: https://egrants.cns.gov/provisions/2006_AdminPDATDisability_Provisions.pdf.

IV. Purpose of Admin Funds

State Administrative grant funds support the operation of state commissions and alternative administrative entities in implementing their duties as required by the National and Community Service Act of 1990.

A. Available Resources

We continue to allot administrative funds on a population-based formula. You will receive an allocation chart each fiscal year, after the Corporation’s appropriation is enacted. If you do not receive this chart before the application is due, please use the prior fiscal year figures to complete your budget.

B. Match Requirements

As provided in the National and Community Service Act of 1990, (45 USC § 12576), costs you incur in the context of your Admin grant during and after the 5^th year of operation require a 50 percent match. A new commission must match at 15%. The match is expected to increase incrementally during years two through four.

C. Allowable Uses of Admin Funds

The activities you propose must be consistent with these instructions, the Admin/PDAT/Disability Provisions, and with your commission’s overall plan. 

V. Purpose of PDAT Funds

States and U.S. Territories receive Program Development Assistance and Training (PDAT) funds for building capacity and infrastructure consistent with Administrative Standard Seven, Implementing Training and Technical Assistance, and the Characteristics of a Successful Training and Technical Assistance Program, (see attached.) PDAT funds are the principal resource available to commissions for enhancing and sustaining high quality AmeriCorps State and National Programs. We expect commissions to maximize these funds by using them as much as possible to strengthen multiple, rather than individual AmeriCorps programs, program staff and members.

A. Available Resources

Each state commission is eligible for an annual allocation of Program Development Assistance and Training funding. You will receive an allocation chart each fiscal year, after the Corporation’s appropriation is enacted. If you do not receive this chart before the application is due, please use the prior fiscal year figures to complete your budget.

 

B. Match Requirements

There is no match required for PDAT funds.

C. Allowable Uses of PDAT Funds

The activities you propose must be consistent with these instructions, the Admin/PDAT/Disability Provisions, and with your commission’s overall plan. 

Corporation programs are expected to use a statewide, collaborative approach to training. To the extent allowed by funding provisions and to the extent available, you may use PDAT funds to strengthen infrastructure that supports collaboration and that uses statewide events as one of the primary vehicles for training across national service programs (Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America).

VI. Purpose of Disability Funds

The Disability Placement Funds are for the placement, reasonable accommodation, and auxiliary services for members and potential members with disabilities, serving in AmeriCorps State and AmeriCorps National programs.

State commissions can provide disability funds to any AmeriCorps State or National program funded under subtitle C of Title I of the National and Community Service Act. This includes AmeriCorps State Competitive, State Formula, and National Direct, as well as Education Award Programs, Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories.

A. Available Resources

Each state commission is eligible for an annual allocation of Disability Placement funding. You will receive an allocation chart each fiscal year, after the Corporation’s appropriation is enacted. If you do not receive this chart before the application is due, please use the prior fiscal year figures to complete your budget.

If you do not submit a disability placement plan, the funds allocated to your state will be added to a supplemental pool. The allocation is sufficient for some states but may not be for others. If the allocation is not sufficient, you may submit a supplemental request. Please do not request any more funds than you need in your state to carry out your disability placement plan within the 12 month period.

Requests for supplemental disability funds (with separate justification and a separate budget) should be inserted in the “Program Narrative” or “Program Narrative Continued” section of eGrants, and will be reviewed only after the initial awards of the state allocation amount are made. Supplemental awards for activities consistent with the allowable uses of disability funds are subject to the availability of funds.

B. Match Requirements

There is no match required for Disability funds

C. Allowable Uses of Disability Funds

Commissions may use placement funds to provide reasonable accommodations for AmeriCorps State and National members, and for outreach and support activities that increase the number of people with disabilities engaged in service as allowed by these guidelines and the Admin/PDAT/Disability Provisions.

VII. Application Instructions

A. Application Info & Applicant Info

This section contains contact information for the commission that eGrants will use to complete the SF424 face sheet for you.

• For “Project Director” please enter your Executive Director.

• Leave the box for “Program Initiative” blank.

• The “Estimated Funds Requested” box will be populated automatically after you complete the budget.

B. Narratives

Executive Summary: An Executive Summary is not required for Admin, PDAT, or Disability. Type “N/A” in the text box.

1. Admin Program Narrative: Your program narrative consists of your response to the following, which includes your State Service and Sustainability Plans as required by statute and regulation. You are required to submit new plans every three years starting in 2006, and update the plans in the other years.

• Describe your strategies or approaches for outreach to community and faith-based organizations and intermediaries that may be interested in operating an AmeriCorps program.

• What program focus areas are you working on with your partners and collaborators?

• Please describe ongoing efforts or special initiatives that involve convening of and/or collaborating with the State Offices; AmeriCorps National programs; and other Corporation grantees and stakeholders including AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC, Learn and Serve, and Senior Corps; State Education Agencies; state networks of volunteer centers; Campus Compacts; and/or other volunteer service organizations within the state.

• What non-monetary support can the Corporation (headquarters and/or your State Office) provide to ensure the success of your state service plan?

Your narrative is not limited to responses to the four points listed above, and may also include other elements that you and your service partners find useful.

Also include a section that addresses the sustainability of your national service efforts. How are your efforts supported by:

• Your state, through financial, in-kind, and bi-partisan political support, including the supportive legislation; and

• Other support, including financial, in-kind, and other support of the private sector, foundations, and other entities and individuals.

If your narrative exceeds 32,000 characters, enter the remaining information in the “Program Narrative Continued” text box.

2. PDAT Program Narrative: In the “Program Narrative” text box, describe your Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Plan. Please include the specific activities, outputs, and outcomes that will indicate progress toward your TTA goals. At a minimum, your Plan should include answers to the following questions:

• What do you expect your programs and members will know or be able to do differently as a result of the T/TA received under this plan?

• What specific training or technical assistance activities or strategies have you planned? Include activity descriptions, approximate dates, target audience, planned number of people served, and proposed deliverer (e.g. local provider, national T/TA provider, peer, etc.).

• How will you evaluate your training or technical assistance?

Your Training and Technical Assistance Plan is not limited to responses to the three points listed above, and may also include other elements that you and your service partners find useful. If your narrative exceeds 32,000 characters, enter the remaining information in the “Program Narrative Continued” text box.

3. Disability Program Narrative: In the “Program Narrative” text box, describe your Disability Inclusion Plan. Please include the specific activities, outputs and outcomes that will ensure progress toward your disability inclusion goals. Please include information on the following areas:

• Outreach, recruitment, and placement activities.

• Partnerships with disability organizations to recruit, place, and support people with disabilities in AmeriCorps State and National programs.

• Your process for securing or providing reasonable accommodations and for assessing effectiveness.

• Training and technical assistance activities planned to address needs and gaps in program capacity related to disability inclusion.

• Accessible materials you plan to develop or make available, including those for recruitment and outreach.

• Program monitoring to ensure appropriate levels of outreach and recruitment, program accessibility, and responsiveness to requests for reasonable accommodation.

Your Disability Inclusion Plan is not limited to the six points listed above, and may also include other goals that you and your service partners find useful. If your narrative exceeds 32,000 characters, enter the remaining information in the “Program Narrative Continued” text box.

C. Documents

There are no required documents that need to be entered in this Section of eGrants. However, as part of your Admin application, you are required to create a separate word processing or spreadsheet document which includes information about each commissioner, based on the example below. Send this file to your Program Officer via e-mail. The Corporation will use this information to determine state commission compliance with the state commission composition regulation.

Information	Example
Prefix, First, Middle, Last, Suffix	Ms. Jane Commissioner
Title (Commissioner, or Chair)	Commissioner
Daytime #	777-122-1234
Fax #	777-122-1234
Email	[email protected]
Term Expiration Date and Voting Status (Voting, Non-Voting, Ex-Officio)	12/31/07 (Voting)
Organizational Affiliation (See examples below.) Community-based Agency, State Education Agency, Local Government, Local Labor Organization, Business, Youth, National Service Program, Education/Training, Older Adults in Service, Higher Education, Local Education Agency, Human Services Expert, Education Expert Environmental Expert, Public Safety Expert, Indian Tribes, Out of School Program, DVSA Program, State Agency	Community-based Agency
Street Address, City, State, ZIP	Community Foundation 12 My Street Name My Town, My State 12345

D. Authorize and Submit

eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting. Read the Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications carefully. The self-certification is a requirement

for all state commissions. By clicking the “I Agree” box for the certifications you assume responsibility for meeting the rules and requirements articulated in Corporation legislation, regulations, and provisions with respect to these grants. The person who authorizes the application must be the applicant’s authorized representative. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for the official representative to sign must be on file.

VIII. Budget Instructions

Use these instructions to enter your budget information into eGrants for all three applications. The system will use this information to generate a budget narrative and a summary budget. We encourage you to prepare the budget for each grant from your consolidated overall commission budget to ensure that staff time is allocated appropriately.

Complete the budget for funds you are requesting from the Corporation and any Grantee Share required. For each line item provide a clearly stated explanation that shows how you calculated the cost, in an equation format where appropriate. For example, you should break down staff travel into distinct components and prepare equations showing the number of anticipated trips, the number of travelers, and estimated costs. Budget categories are:

• Project Personnel Expenses: Show each staff position, annual salary and the percentage of time spend on the grant.

• Personnel Fringe Benefits: Benefits for positions included in the Personnel line item can be shown as a percentage or separately as a cost for each category of benefit.

• Travel: Describe the purpose for which program operating staff will travel. Provide a calculation to include costs for airfare, transportation, lodging, per diem, and other travel related expenses multiplied by the number of trips/staff. Where applicable, identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage, daily per diem, and similar supporting information. Only domestic travel is allowable; other travel is allowable only if specifically identified and approved as a condition of a grant award.

• Equipment: Equipment is defined as anything that costs $5,000 or more per unit. If you plan to charge the cost for equipment to more than one of the Corporation grants to the commission, show the proportion of the cost that you attribute to each grant in that grant budget. Approval for equipment purchases is not automatic and the Corporation may request additional justification for the expense.

• Supplies: Supplies include any equipment that costs less than $5,000 per unit. You must include any individual supply cost of more than $1,000 in a separate line item.

• Contractual and Consultant Services: Include individual consultants and contracts in separate line items. Note: The Corporation maximum allowable daily rate for consultants is $540.

• Other Support Costs: Include costs that may not fit into the other categories, such as newsletters. You must fully explain any costs in this category.

• Indirect Costs: You may use your negotiated indirect cost rate for your admin budget, if you have one. In general, indirect costs cannot be charged to the PDAT and Disability grants. The Commission Administrative grant is intended to cover those costs. If you have specific circumstances that may allow for an exception, discuss with your grants officer before including in your budget.

A. ADDITIONAL BUDGET GUIDANCE: ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS

Enter match source information by clicking the section heading name (Section I: Support Expenses.) Indicate whether your state commission share is cash or in-kind and the sources that provide the match. Please note that a commissioner’s time cannot be counted as match for the grant, unless the commissioner is donating professional and technical services outside his or her role as a commissioner. Examples of professional and technical services include accounting, consulting, training, and legal services.

B. ADDITIONAL BUDGET GUIDANCE: PDAT and DISABILITY

You may request no more than 1.0 FTE in your PDAT budget and 1.0 FTE in your Disability budget. Please remember, however, that staff time allocated to your PDAT and disability initiative should be in proportion to the number of AmeriCorps State and AmeriCorps National operating sites you have in your state.

APPENDIX i: Corporation Review of Applications

Program, grant and training staff will review completed applications to determine technical assistance needs for state commissions. We will also review your budgets to ensure compliance with grant provisions and applicable federal laws and regulations.

APPENDIX II: CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL COMMISSION

TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The following characteristics describe the elements of a successful training and technical assistance program and should be the design criteria for commission PDAT plans.

  

Adequately Resourced

    Has dedicated staff, contractor, or consultant time equal to .25 to 1.0 FTE depending on size of the portfolio of programs you are supporting  

• Personnel has appropriate background in adult education and training methodologies

    Offers opportunities for professional development for dedicated training and technical assistance (T/TA) staff

    Provides office space, equipment, and access to technology

    Utilizes in-kind contributions/partnerships for materials, facilities, trainers etc.

    Accesses national CNCS T/TA resources

    Develops and uses appropriate training materials and methodologies

Systematic Needs Assessment Process

   Uses appropriate and various methodologies of assessing needs: formal and scheduled such as written survey, interview, focus groups, evaluations, process reports, and site visits; as well as informal and unscheduled, such as documented anecdotal information and on-going informal observation 

    Considers required competencies and characteristics of successful programs and identifies performance gaps

    Includes a process for collecting and documenting the methodology and storing the data collection for reporting purposes

 Develop Training and Technical Assistance Plan

   Content of specific activities is based on an analysis of needs of programs and their staff

    Involves pertinent parties i.e. state service partners, program/project, and site staff

    Describes specific activities with planned follow-up

    Identifies resources to implement the plan i.e. money, facilities, and trainers

    Identifies potential dates and coordinates those dates around other activities

    Develops on annual basis and builds one year to another

 

Implement Training and Technical Assistance Plan

   T/TA activities include measurable learning objectives that address specific individual and program needs, including a series of activities if necessary

   Utilizes appropriate methodologies, curriculum, and materials that adhere to adult education principles

    Secures participation of those in greatest need of specific content areas

    Identifies qualified facilitators for each content area

    Ensures ADA compliance (e.g. physical access and reasonable accommodation)

    Utilizes local, state and national resources as appropriate

    Makes and documents appropriate adaptations to the plan in response to changed circumstances

 

Evaluation of Training and Technical Assistance Plan

• Establishes and follows a process to collect, analyze, and share feedback from participants, stakeholders, and partners

• Considers evaluations in the development of subsequent training plans

• Determines and analyzes any difference between planned and completed activities

• Reviews the planned budget against actual expenditures

• Identifies ways to measure effectiveness of training, linking program improvements to staff and/or member participation in specific training programs

DRAFT-2/2/2021-13