DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications under the Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration (ETJD)
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY-10-11
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.261 and 17.270.
Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is [insert date 45 days after date of publication in Federal Register]. Applications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: Eric D. Luetkenhaus, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 10-11, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.
Summary: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $40 million in grant funds authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 20101 to support applicants in providing enhanced transitional jobs (ETJ) programs, as well as other activities and services, to increase the workforce participation of low-income, hard-to-employ populations, specifically non-custodial parents2, and/or ex-offenders (who may or may not be non-custodial parents) reentering their communities.
ETA’s Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration (ETJD) intends to fund grantees proposing to implement ETJ program models that go beyond transitional jobs (TJ) programs currently operating or tested previously. ETA seeks applications from either Local Workforce Investment Boards or non-profit community or faith-based organizations with 503(c)(3) IRS status that are experienced with providing TJ programs or that represent a partnership that includes an organization with experience providing TJ programs. Applicants must demonstrate that a relationship exists with the required partners or that such a relationship could be established quickly because of existing connections and agreements to work together. Applicants may also include other partners that can provide needed services for program participants and/or refer participants to the applicant as described in Section I.D. Program Design – Required Partners
Upon selection, all grantees will be required to participate in a random assignment evaluation of the ETJD in which they must recruit at least 1,000 participants over two years so that 50 percent of participants receive the ETJ services provided by the applicant or the applicant’s partnership under this grant and so that the remaining 50 percent do not receive ETJ or like services under this grant.
Selected applicants and/or their partnerships must provide services that primarily and ultimately result in employment-related outcomes including completion of the paid work experience through a TJ experience, entrance to unsubsidized employment in a high-demand occupation or industry, earning high wages, retention of employment, and career advancement. Addressing other non-employment outcomes that lead to long-term success in the workplace, such as reductions in recidivism and improvements in family (parent/child and co-parenting) relationships and engagements, will also be expected and tracked. These outcomes may include increases in occupational skills and the attainment of essential life skills such as the ability to resolve conflicts, manage anger and stress, and the ability to negotiate. Other anticipated goals relate more specifically to the target populations to be served and include having a child support order, keeping current with child support payments, reductions in child support arrears, among others.
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
A “transitional job” is generally defined as temporary, paid work experience intended to improve participants’ employability, earnings, and opportunities for advancement, and to promote self-sufficiency and long-term success in the unsubsidized labor market. ETA’s ETJD intends to fund grantees’ proposing to implement ETJ program models that provide an enhanced program component as described in Section 1.C. Program Design – Enhancements to Core Program Components and Section I.D. Program Design – Enhancements to Post-Program Services. ETA expects that the proposed program enhancement(s) will consist of enhancements to post-program services and either: 1) bringing to scale existing partial or temporary program component(s) that have potential, or 2) testing innovative untried strategies and/or program components for the selected targeted population(s).
Evaluations of TJ programs serving hard-to-employ individuals, including ex–offenders, have revealed mixed finding. These programs have shown some positive impacts on income during the supported work experience and, in some cases, on recidivism as well, but only limited or no detectable impacts on post-program employment or earnings.
In designing the ETJD, ETA considered past studies of TJ program models and consulted with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Justice (DOJ) and other stakeholders. The ETJD will focus on ETJ program models intentionally designed around the specific barriers to post-program employment of the target populations identified herein.
A. Program Design – Target Populations
While further information is available in Section III.C. – Eligible Participants, a definition of each target population for the purposes of the ETJD is:
Non-custodial Parents. Low-income3 non-custodial parents are divorced, separated, or never-married adult parents, ages 18 and over, who are not the primary physical custodian of their child(ren) and who either have a child support order in place or agree to start the process of establishing an order within 30 days after enrollment in the ETJ program.
Ex-Offenders. Ex-offenders are adult offenders, ages 18 and older who have been convicted as an adult under Federal or State law, and who have never been convicted of a sex-related offense, and who have been released from a Federal or State prison within the past 120 days.
It is important to note that the target populations are not mutually exclusive and applicants need to be prepared to serve both. In fact, there is often substantial overlap between the two populations. For example, involvement with the criminal justice system is high among low-income non-custodial parents. The majority of prisoners are parents (55 percent). Over one-half of parents in prison (40 percent of mothers and 58 percent of fathers) indicated that they were not living with any of their children prior to incarceration. Over one million non-custodial parents in the child support system are incarcerated and 75 percent of them have child support orders. Non-custodial parents may leave prison having accrued considerable child support debt that they are unlikely to be able to pay because, in many states, child support orders are not typically modified when a parent is imprisoned. This often becomes a barrier to maintaining stable employment, accessing resources, and providing for themselves and their children upon release.
While the populations overlap substantially, applicants will have to declare whether they want to apply as an ex-offender program (and thus enroll individuals that meet the ex-offender definition) or as a non-custodial parent program (and enroll individuals that meet the non-custodial parent definition). Given the overlap in the target populations, self-declared ex-offender programs would serve both ex-offenders who are non-custodial parents and those who are not; while the non-custodial parent programs would serve both non-custodial parents who are ex-offenders and those who are not.
B. Program Design – Core Program Components
Each applicant will be required to provide core components of a strong, basic TJ program, as well as specific enhancements that go beyond these core components and are tailored to address the unsubsidized employment barrier issues of the specified population. For the purposes of this demonstration, the core program components must include the following:
Case management, including the identification, assessment, and enrollment of individuals into the project and the development of a personalized service strategy that may include personal, educational (such as occupational or vocational skills training that leads to an industry-recognized credential), or employment-related supports (such as job search assistance and job placement assistance) and the identification of appropriate supportive services, as defined by Section 101(6) and 134(e)(2) and (3) of the Workforce Investment Act. Case managers should have a central role in ensuring that project participants receive all of the necessary and appropriate services to overcome any barriers to full project participation. Case management for the purpose of the solicitation includes: follow-up and retention services intended to sustain and advance the gains made in education and employment outcomes; individualized, consistent follow-up after training and during the retention period for at least one year; intensive follow-up and retention services such as home visits or employer visits over the same period; and reporting on participants’ attainment of individual employment plan goals and objectives using an agreed-upon communication structure with referring agency partners;
The administration of assessments, such as assessments of career interests, and aptitudes; job readiness or employability skills; academic or education skills; basic literacy and numeracy levels; and English language proficiency; as well as others as appropriate;
A temporary paid work experience for a minimum of four (4) months;
Partnerships with employers, One-Stop Career Centers and, depending on the target population served, criminal justice agencies and/or child support enforcement agencies;
Services that address specific barriers to employment for non-custodial parents, such as parenting skills training, child support orders disproportionate to income, child support arrears, wage garnishment, and relationship counseling;
Services that address the attributes of offenders that are directly linked to criminal behavior or recidivism such as behavioral/cognitive therapy and anger management counseling, for programs serving ex-offenders;
An identified menu of wrap-around support services tailored to the target population’s needs (discussed further in the next paragraph); and
Follow-up support services to assist participants with obtaining and holding unsubsidized jobs or employment retention (discussed further in the next paragraph).
The mix of wrap-around and follow-up services offered by the applicant and its partners may include, but are not limited to the following: assistance with high school or General Educational Development (GED) completion, attainment of literacy and numeracy skills, soft skills or job readiness or employability skills training, job development, mentoring, life skills training, fatherhood programs/curricula, financial literacy training, legal assistance, housing assistance, substance abuse, mental and/or physical health care, domestic violence prevention and treatment, child care, and transportation assistance.
C. Program Design – Enhancements to Core Program Components
Applicants must propose enhancements to one or more of these core components (or specific elements of a component or a subset of that component in the case of case management, wrap-around and follow-up services). Activities under this SGA are authorized under Section 171(b) of WIA, which allows for demonstration and pilot projects for the purpose of developing and implementing techniques and approaches, and demonstrating the effectiveness of specialized methods, in addressing employment and training needs. The applicant must justify why the particular enhancement(s) proposed are likely to yield stronger long-term employment and non-employment outcomes. For example, enhancements might include:
Provision of case management services for a longer duration. Applicants proposing this enhancement will need to consider the four-year period of performance of the grant so that the required one-year follow-up falls within the grant period;
Extension of the length of the paid work experience beyond the four months minimum requirement;
Provision of a staggered, step-down wage subsidy whereby the grantee covers 100 percent of the paid work experience for a period (e.g. three months) of employment and then reduces the amount to 75 percent for the following period and so on, as an incentive to employers to retain participants placed in the transitional job;
Provision of contextualized occupational skills training concurrent to the paid work experience;
Provision of financial and/or in-kind incentives (such as free public transit passes or other in-kind incentives) to participants during the program for meeting specific milestones tied to employment outcomes such as obtaining unsubsidized employment;
Placement of participants in paid work experience with private sector employers, with the grantee paying participant wages and providing additional wrap around support services;
Implementation of a staged model, where the participant begins with a paid work experience at the grantee’s enterprise4 and then moves to a private sector transitional job;
Implementation of an integrated model that delivers substance abuse or mental health interventions within the context of the transitional job;
Graduated stress approaches where participants are exposed to progressively more responsibility and higher expectations as they continue in their transitional jobs that may lead to higher wages;
Provision of legal assistance to navigate the courts in order to set proper child support orders – often times these orders do not get adjusted when a non-custodial parent loses a job or is incarcerated;
Provision of innovative loan products that help non-custodial parents bring their arrears down to a manageable level so they remove this barrier to work and wage garnishments which may include positive incentives if the non-custodial parent pays off a certain portion of the loan; and/or
Non-linear model where the participant progresses from paid work experience for several weeks or months to training, counseling or other non-work activities for several weeks or months and then back to paid work experience for several more weeks or months.
Applicants should, if possible, use research evidence to support the program design choices they make. If rigorous evidence does not exist or the applicant is proposing an innovative untried strategy, the proposal should make a strong case using related research, theories or a strong logic model that suggests the proposed model will produce better positive results than seen in unenhanced transitional jobs interventions.
Program Design – Enhancements to Post-Program Services
As mentioned above, the evidence on transitional jobs programs for hard-to-employ individuals, including ex–offenders, shows some positive impacts on income during the supported work experience but only limited or no detectable impacts on post-program employment or earnings. Therefore, the Department will pay special attention to the post-program services proposed by the applicant. Specifically, applicants are required to propose enhancements that will strengthen the transition from subsidized to unsubsidized employment and facilitate retention in unsubsidized employment. Examples of such enhancements include:
Individual follow-up with working participants to identify and address barriers to employment retention and/or discuss strategies to advance to a better paying job;
Follow-up with employers to identify workplace issues and procedures for addressing these issues with the participant;
Rapid re-employment services for people who lose jobs (potentially including temporary re-placement in a TJ);
Provision of financial incentives to participants post-program for meeting specific milestones tied to employment outcomes such as for retaining the unsubsidized employment for a specified period (e.g., six months);
Access to skills training while in unsubsidized employment to help workers qualify for better jobs;
Working with the employer and the employee to make sure that the client is able to stay at the subsidized employer and roll over onto the company payroll, where appropriate; and
Intensive job development and job search/job placement assistance to help the participant find a regular job. This should be more than just helping the client develop a resume and interviewing skills; it should include direct contact with employers to identify job openings, and some attempt to match participants with jobs that fit their skills and interests.
As with all design choices, applicants should, if possible, use research evidence to support their choice of post-program enhancements. If rigorous evidence does not exist or the applicant is proposing an innovative untried strategy, the proposal should make a strong case using related research, theories or a strong logic model that suggests the proposed model will produce better positive results than seen in unenhanced transitional jobs interventions.
E. Program Design – Required Partners
To ensure participants achieve successful employment outcomes, applicants must partner with child support enforcement agencies, criminal justice agencies, One-Stop Career Centers and employers. The relationship between formal employment and child support obligations can present unique challenges for TJ participation. Equally, navigating the parole and probation system can present another barrier for TJ participation. Applicants must show evidence of partnerships with child support enforcement agencies and criminal justice agencies (primarily parole and probation). Such partnerships must include mechanisms for referring participants, providing services, facilitating child support order modifications and arrears remedies, expediting case processing and negotiating court requirements that otherwise might preclude participation in the TJ program.
Applicants are also required to show evidence of partnerships with the local One-Stop Career Centers including mechanisms for referring participants, and providing access to employment, assessment, and other center resources such as job development services.
Applicants must also show evidence of partnerships with local or regional employers in high-growth or in-demand career fields. Such partnerships ensures the provision of training (as applicable) and employment opportunities, including the development of and placement of participants in paid work experience or unsubsidized jobs, or paid work experience that leads to unsubsidized jobs with the same employer. In addition, applicants must describe plans to use the Federal Bonding Program (as applicable), the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, and other methods to encourage employers to hire participants.
Other partners, that are beneficial for comprehensive service provision, but are not required include: education and training providers, such as community colleges, career technical programs, and adult education programs; health and human services agencies, including child welfare agencies, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families agencies, and substance abuse and mental health agencies; and other partners such as community and faith-based organizations that have experience providing supportive services such as fatherhood-focused services, peer mentoring, financial literacy training, housing assistance, transportation assistance, parenting skills training, childcare assistance, and assistance with obtaining food and clothing and operating programs for the two target populations..
F. Mandatory Participation in the Random Assignment Evaluation
Applicants selected to receive a grant award under the ETJD and their partner agencies if operating as a consortium must participate in a rigorous random assignment evaluation in which applicants to the program will be selected by lottery into a group that is enrolled in the ETJD or a group that is not enrolled into the program. (Other referrals could be given to the group that would not be enrolled). The evaluation will assess the effectiveness and impact of the applicant’s EJT program model on numerous outcomes, including participants’ post-program labor market outcomes, child support outcomes (as applicable to the applicant’s target population), criminal recidivism, public assistance receipt, community reintegration, and family engagement, by comparing outcomes of participants to the outcomes of randomly-assigned individuals who are eligible for but do not receive the ETJ services provided under the grant. The impacts after the participants have transitioned from a paid work experience employment to unsubsidized employment will be of primary concern for the evaluation.
In addition to the impact analysis, the evaluation will also include an implementation analysis and a cost-benefit analysis. The implementation analysis will provide:
Information to better understand the estimated impacts;
Information about variation in the service delivery and impacts between ex-offenders and non-custodial parents; and
Information about variation in impacts and service delivery between sites and any other sizeable subgroups served under the demonstration project.
The evaluation is intended to generate evidence-based knowledge and information for policymakers and decision-makers to determine whether carefully designed ETJ programs are effective, which program models or components of program models should be further pursued, and whether other policies and practices could be used to assist these specific hard-to-employ populations to achieve self-sufficiency. Given the importance of assessing the potential usefulness of ETJ programs, ETA’s priority in designing the evaluation will be to ensure that it yields rigorous evidence about well-defined, tightly-controlled ETJ program models for the target populations (low-income non-custodial parents and ex-offenders). Selected applicants’ responsibilities to support the evaluation include the following:
Adhering to the random assignment methodology and participating in all activities related to conducting random assignment within their respective site(s),
Recruiting over two years at least 1,000 qualified program applicants (approximately half of whom would receive services). To qualify as an eligible program applicant, a program applicant must be either a low-income, non-job-ready, non-custodial parent and/or ex-offender with barriers to employment, depending on the program type that is selected;
Conducting an assessment of job readiness or employability skills with each potential participant at intake or onset of program entry in order to determine if the individual is job ready.
Individuals who are job ready are not the candidates most able to benefit from TJ services. Therefore, individuals who are job ready will not be entered into the lottery, but may be referred by the applicant to alternative service providers operating in the local community.
Individuals who are not job ready will be entered into a lottery that will produce two groups: a treatment group, consisting of 500 non-custodial parents who will receive the ETJ services and a control group, also consisting of 500 non-custodial parents who will not receive ETJ services under this grant (or other services offered by the grantee); OR a treatment group consisting of 500 ex-offenders and a control group consisting of 500 ex-offenders. All control group members may be referred to other program providers in the community who offer other services.
Implementing the demonstration project while meeting the requirements of the evaluation by:
Having the operational and organizational capacity to recruit at least 1,000 non-custodial parents or 1,000 ex-offenders over a two-year period and assigning, by lottery, eligible low-income non-custodial parents or ex-offenders who can benefit from the ETJ program services to the treatment or control group. The treatment group members will have access to the funded program (the ETJD services) while the control group will not be served by the grantee but may be referred to other non-TJ-related services and supports available in the community.
Selected applicants will need to demonstrate sufficient capacity in their respective sites to meet the recruitment target and to provide the ETJ services at the required scale.
Working with the evaluation team to develop a process for study enrollment and random assignment that meets the needs of the evaluation and minimizes the disruption of program operations. (Applicants do not need to describe the process in their application. It will be jointly developed by site staff and members of the evaluation team). This process will include: explaining the study to potential participants, obtaining their written consent to participate in the study, collecting baseline demographic information and contact information, conducting random assignment using a simple Web-based application developed by the evaluation team, informing study participants of their lottery outcome, and ensuring that participants are treated in accordance with their assigned group. It will also include verifying that all applicants for program services during the grant period have not been previously assigned to the control group. Grantee staff will carry out the process, with training and support from the evaluation team.
Identifying an Evaluation Coordinator, who will serve as primary liaison to the evaluation team. This individual will coordinate site visits with the evaluation team and be responsible for overseeing the study enrollment and random assignment process.
Providing the evaluation team with individual-level quantitative and qualitative data on sample members’ participation in program activities. This may involve entering data into an ETA Management Information System (MIS) or extracting data from an MIS (and from payroll records). Typically, the data required for an evaluation are similar to the data required for strong program management.
Sharing Qualitative and Quantitative Data. This evaluation will be implemented at about the same time as an equally important evaluation being sponsored by HHS. HHS’ Administration for Children and Families has launched an evaluation of the Subsidized and Transitional Employment Demonstration (STED) which will test up to seven promising programs serving parents who are directly or indirectly connected to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Both this and the HHS evaluation will randomly assign program applicants to program services or to a control group and both evaluations will obtain data for study participants that are similar in nature. While HHS expects to evaluate a range of subsidized employment programs, with transitional jobs being only one possible approach, both DOL and HHS anticipate possible overlap in programs that are selected to participate in both evaluations. DOL and HHS recognize the value of collaborating on these evaluations to enhance the final analysis of what each study has learned about services to similar populations. Accordingly, all organizations who accept grant funds, and their partners (as appropriate), will be required, and must agree to, allow qualitative and quantitative data collected on their site operations and their program participants to be shared between DOL and HHS for purposes of these evaluations.
G. Participation in Implementation Phase.
Because grantees selected for this demonstration will need to add or expand program components in order to comply with the ETJ services required in this SGA, each grantee will be offered the opportunity to take up to three months to implement the program. Grantees under this SGA will be required to work with a technical assistance (TA) provider selected by ETA. The TA provider will work intensively with the grantees and partners during this initial implementation phase to assist with instituting the new components or strengthening organizational linkages. The evaluation team may also assist in this process.
H. Mandatory Data Collection and Performance Management.
All grantees will be required to collect program data necessary to analyze the required outcomes and performance activity of interest to ETA, its Federal partners, and the evaluation contractor. Grantees will be required to submit quarterly financial, performance, and narrative reports to ETA. The performance reports will be based on a common template that reports on enrollment, services received, placements, outcomes, and follow-up status, among others. ETA already has developed a Web-based MIS that captures a significant amount of participant-level demographic, service and outcome data. Grantees will be provided access to this MIS to capture similar information. As mentioned under Section I.E. – Mandatory Participation in the Random Assignment Evaluation, qualitative and quantitative data collected on the selected applicant and their partners’ site operations and program participants also will be shared between DOL and HHS for the purposes of the evaluation. Applicants will not be responsible for collecting data on the control group after they have gone through the lottery. Data collected during the application period, however, will be provided to the evaluator.
I. Mandatory Grantee Orientation and Training Conference.
Within 90 days after grant award, all grantees must participate in an intensive orientation and training conference organized by the TA contractor in consultation with ETA and the evaluation contractor. Grantees’ should include travel costs for this purpose on their Budget Information Forms (see Section IV.B. Part I – The Cost Proposal).
A. Award Amount
Under this SGA, ETA intends to award approximately $40 million in grant funds, of which $15 million is designated to fund projects for ex-offenders. ETA plans to fund approximately six to twelve grants and individual grant amounts will range between $3 million and $6 million. Any grant application that requests more than $6 million will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered. In the event additional funds become available, ETA reserves the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this solicitation.
B. Period of Performance
The period of performance will be for four (4) years from the date of execution of the grant documents. Grants awarded under this demonstration will have a four-year funding period that will allow for up to three months for the initial implementation, up to two years of “live” enrollment of at least 1,000 non-custodial parents or 1,000 ex-offenders, and 12-21 months of services for all program participants randomly assigned to receive the ETJ services. ETA may approve a request for a no-cost extension to grantees for an additional period of time based on grantees’ success with the goals of the demonstration and other relevant factors.
C. Transparency
The Department is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes. Applicants are advised their application and information related to its review and evaluation (whether or not the application is successful) may be made publicly available, either fully or partially. In addition, information about grant progress and results may also be made publicly available.
Section III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
In order to be eligible for consideration under this solicitation, an applicant must be a Local Workforce Investment Board or non-profit community or faith-based organization with 501(c)(3) IRS status. Applicants forming a consortium (or banding together to apply as a consortium) and National or regional organizations will also be considered, however the lead applicant submitting the application must be one of the eligible applicants listed above. The geographic area to be served by an individual project must be contiguous. Only one application will be funded for an applicant.
Applicants must have experience with providing or collaborating with TJ programs and other services to increase the skills levels and employability of the non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders that they intend to serve, or must represent partnerships with such experience. Applicants’ experience must be documented via Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) as described under Section V.A.4 – Strength of Partnership with the Required Partners. Applicants that have experience with providing TJ programs will also have experience in identifying participants’ multiple barriers to work and providing wrap-around and follow-up support services, directly and through required partners and other partners to ensure that participants obtain and stay in unsubsidized employment.
Exclusions: To eliminate perceived and/or actual conflict of interest between applicants and any of the entities and staff affiliated with the evaluation, program and technical assistance aspects of the ETJD, applicants for this SGA cannot employ any person directly or indirectly or consult with staff to work on the grant or prepare applications for the grant if the person is directly affiliated with any of the evaluation contractors: MDRC, Abt Associates, and MEF Associates. In addition, entities applying for the Technical Assistance contract [Insert RFP Number OR Weblink when available] (and the entity selected) are not permitted to apply for grant funds or be included in applicants’ grant submissions as consultants or partner under this SGA.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Under this solicitation, matching or leveraged resources is not required. The applicant may provide leveraged resources from key entities to strengthen the service program offered to project participants. For applicants who choose to leverage resources, please include the following information in the budget narrative: (1) The total amount leveraged from federal sources; (2) the total amount leveraged from non-federal sources; (3) the partners contributing the resources; and (4) the projected activities, broken out by the source of the leveraged resource (federal or non-federal), to be implemented utilizing these resources. Applicants should address leveraged resources (as applicable) in the budget narrative but should not reflect the leveraged resources on the SF-424A Budget Information Form.
C. Other Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must submit MOUs that show evidence of partnerships with the required partners as described in Section V.A.4. – Strength of Partnership with Required Partners.
Applicants must be willing to participate in the random assignment study described in Section I.E. – Mandatory Participation in the Random Assignment Evaluation.
Grantees selected under this SGA must comply with the guidance provided by ETA, the TA provider and the evaluation contractor.
C. Eligible Participants
1. Target Populations
The target populations for the ETJD are low-income, non-custodial parents and ex-offenders reentering their communities, who may or may not be non-custodial parents. Applicants must propose projects that primarily focus on one of the two target populations as defined below:
Non-custodial Parents. Low-income non-custodial parents are divorced, separated, or never-married adult parents, ages 18 and over, who are not the primary physical custodian of their child(ren) and who either have a child support order in place or agree to start the process of establishing an order within 30 days after enrollment in the ETJ program.
Ex-Offenders. Ex-offenders are adult offenders, ages 18 and older who have been convicted as an adult under Federal or State law, and who have never been convicted of a sex-related offense, and who have been released from a Federal or State prison within the past 120 days.. Those convicted of sexual crimes, either as the presenting offense or a previous offense, are not eligible to participate in the ETJ Demonstration.
As mentioned in Section I.A. – Program Design – Target Population, the target populations are not mutually exclusive. Given that there may be substantial overlap between the two, applicants need to be prepared to serve both.
2. Veterans Priority for Participants
The Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288) requires grantees to provide priority of service for veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations implementing this priority of service can be found at 20 CFR Part 1010. In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible spouse, the veterans’ priority of service provisions require that the grant recipient give the veteran or eligible spouse priority of service by first providing him or her that service. To obtain priority of service, a veteran or spouse must meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on veteran’s priority. ETA’s Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in all qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL. TEGL No. 10-09 is available at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816. 2816.
This SGA contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
Proposals submitted in response to this SGA must consist of three separate and distinct parts: (I) a cost proposal; (II) a technical proposal; and (III) attachments to the technical proposal. Applications that do not contain all of the three parts or that fail to adhere to the instructions in this section will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.
Part I. The Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal must include the following items:
SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp). The SF-424 must clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an award, the individual signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant shall be considered the authorized representative of the applicant. All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S®) number, and must supply their D-U-N-S® Number on the SF-424. The D-U-N-S® Number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. If you do not have a D-U-N-S® Number, you can get one for free through the D&B website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do.
The SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp). In preparing the Budget Information Form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.
Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It should also include a description of leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities.
Note that the entire Federal grant amount requested (not just one year) must be included on the SF-424 and SF-424A and budget narrative. No leveraged resources should be shown on the SF-424 and SF-424A. The amount listed on the SF-424, SF-424A and budget narrative must be the same. Please note, the funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered the official funding amount requested if any inconsistencies are found. Applications that fail to provide an SF-424 including D-U-N-S® Number, SF-424A, and a budget narrative will be considered non-responsive and not reviewed.
Regardless of the method of application submission, all applicants must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry (CCR) before submitting an application. Step-by-step instructions for registering with CCR can be found at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp. Once awarded funding, a grantee must maintain an active CCR registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the CCR database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update on an annual basis from the date of initial registration or subsequent updates its information in the CCR database to ensure it is current, accurate and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award. Failure to register with the CCR before application submission will result in your application being found non-responsive and not being reviewed.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. Attachments to the technical proposal do not count against the limit of 25 pages for the Technical Proposal, but may not exceed 20 pages in total. In addition to the Technical Proposal, the applicant must submit the following attachments:
MOUs, not to exceed 18 pages total, from all required partners (employers, One-Stop Career Centers, the child support enforcement system and/or the criminal justice agencies) or one MOU that is co-signed by all partners describing the respective roles and responsibilities of each partner.
The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is [insert date 45 days after date of publication in Federal Register]. Applications may be submitted electronically on http://www.grants.gov or in hard copy by mail or hand delivery (including overnight delivery). Hard copy applications must be received at the address below no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted.
Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy must submit an original signed application (including the SF-424) and one (1) ‘‘copy-ready’’ version free of bindings, staples or protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the proposal by DOL. Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy are also required to provide an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc (CD). If discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy are identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official applicant submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical applications in hard copy and CD format may have an impact on the overall evaluation.
If an application is physically submitted by both hard copy and through http://www.grants.gov, a letter must accompany the hard copy application stating which application to review. If no letter accompanies the hard copy, we will review the copy submitted through http://www.grants.gov. Applications that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will be considered non-responsive. No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. Further, documents submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, will not be accepted as part of the application.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: Eric D. Luetkenhaus, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 10-11, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered proposals will be received at the above address. All overnight mail will be considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the specified closing date and time.
Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be successfully submitted at http://www.grants.gov no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then subsequently validated by Grants.gov. The submission and validation process is described in more detail below. The process can be complicated and time-consuming. Applicants are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as possible and to plan for time to resolve technical problems if necessary.
The Department strongly recommends that before the applicant begins to write the proposal, applicants should immediately initiate and complete the “Get Registered” registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. Applicants should read through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may take as much as four weeks to complete, and this time should be factored into plans for electronic submission in order to avoid unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application. The site also contains registration checklists to help you walk through the process. The Department strongly recommends that applicants download the “Organization Registration Checklist” at http://www.grants.gov/assets/Organization_Steps_Complete_Registration.pdf and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last minute searches for required information and save time.
As described above, applicants must have a D–U–N–S® Number and must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry (CCR).
The next step in the registration process is creating a username and password with Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). AORs will need to know the D-U-N-S® Number of the organization for which they will be submitting applications to complete this process. To read more detailed instructions for creating a profile on Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step3.jsp.
After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz point of Contact (E-Biz POC) - a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for CCR – will receive an email to grant the AOR permission to submit applications on behalf of their organization. The E-Biz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and approve an applicant as the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. To learn more about AOR Authorization visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step5.jsp, or to track AOR status visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp.
An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, establishes an AOR. When you submit the application through Grants.gov, the name of your AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application. Applicants must register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions.
When a registered applicant submits an application with Grants.gov, an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. Within two business days of application submission, Grants.gov will send the applicant two email messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system. The first email, sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov. The second email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors. Only applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and subsequently successfully validated will be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure a timely submission. While it is not required that an application be successfully validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has not been successfully validated. Therefore, sufficient time should be allotted for submission (two business days) and, if applicable, additional time to address errors and receive validation upon resubmission (an additional two business days for each ensuing submission). It is important to note that if sufficient time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and time, the application will not be considered.
To ensure consideration, the components of the application must be saved as .doc, .xls, .rtf, or .pdf files. If submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent us from considering the application. ETA will attempt to open the document but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening. In such cases, the non-conforming application will not be considered for funding.
We strongly advise applicants to use the various tools and documents, including FAQs, which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp.
ETA encourages new prospective applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit .
To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for users and other time sensitive updates as information is available, applicants may subscribe to “Grants.gov Updates” at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscription_signup.jsp.
If applicants encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an answer in any of the other resources, call 1-800-518-4726 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or email “[email protected]”. The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is closed on federal holidays.
Late Applications: For applications submitted on Grants.gov, only applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated will be considered. Applicants take a significant risk by waiting to the last day to submit by Grants.gov.
Any hard copy application received after the exact date and time specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be considered, unless it is received before awards are made, it was properly addressed, and it was: (a) sent by U.S. Postal Service mail, postmarked not later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) sent by professional overnight delivery service to the addressee not later than one working day before the date specified for receipt of applications. ‘‘Postmarked’’ means a printed, stamped or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable, without further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ‘‘bull’s eye’’ postmark on both the receipt and the package. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be a basis for a determination that the application was not filed timely and will not be considered. Evidence of timely submission by a professional overnight delivery service must be demonstrated by equally reliable evidence created by the delivery service provider indicating the time and place of receipt.
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”
All proposal costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles or other conditions contained in the grant.
Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.
4. Intellectual Property Rights: The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for Federal purposes: i) the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a sub-grant or contract under the grant or sub-grant; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the grantee, sub-grantee or a contractor purchases ownership under an award (including but not limited to curricula, training models, technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute such products worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise. Federal funds may not be used to pay any royalty or licensing fee associated with such copyrighted material, although they may be used to pay costs for obtaining a copy which is limited to the developer/seller costs of copying and shipping. If revenues are generated through selling products developed with grant funds, including intellectual property, these revenues are program income. Program income is added to the grant and must be expended for allowable grant activities.
If applicable, the following needs to be on all products developed in whole or in part with grant funds:
“This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes are permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.”
Organizations that receive grants through this SGA may use grant funds to pay wages to participants in a paid work experience. Under the WIA regulations, work experience is defined as a planned, structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace for a limited period of time. Work experience may be paid or unpaid, as appropriate. Additional information on work experience, both paid and unpaid, is available under the WIA regulations under the Intensive Services section at 20 CFR 663.200(a) and (b). Additionally, grantees must meet the requirements regarding wage and labor standards in the WIA regulations Section 667.272. This includes being in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), administered by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.
Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by written notice to the Grant Officer at any time before an award is made.
This section identifies and describes the selection criteria that will be used to evaluate each applicant’s technical proposal. The evaluation criteria are described below:
CRITERIA |
POINTS |
1. Statement of Need and Identification of Target Population(s) |
15 |
2. Experience with the Target Population(s) and Provision of Paid Work Experience with that Population(s) |
20 |
3. ETJ Program Design |
25 |
4. Strength of Partnership with Required Partners |
20 |
5. Project Management Capacity and Evaluation Readiness |
20 |
TOTAL |
100 |
1. Statement of Need and Identification of Target Population(s) (15 points)
Applicants must fully describe the contiguous area in which they will operate the ETJ program and the need in that area for the grant resources. The applicant must include information on the population of the area, including economic indicators such as the poverty rate, the unemployment rate, the high school drop-out rate, and the numbers of individuals without a high school diploma as well as labor market information. The applicant must also identify the target population (non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders) they intend to serve.
Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which applicants fully describe all of the following:
The area where the program will operate, the needs of the area that will be met, and the benefits to the area as a result of the planned services provided by this demonstration grant. If there are particular neighborhoods within the area where the grant activities will be focused, applicants must identify and describe these neighborhoods, and provide available data specific to the service area(s). In addressing this sub-criterion, applicants must include a description of the population of the area and the economic indicators (poverty rate, unemployment rate, high school drop-out rate, and number of individuals without a high school diploma) and must identify the source(s) for any data provided. Applicants may use Census Tract Data from the 2000 Census to obtain these indicators. Go to http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en, and use the link on the left for People. In addition, applicants are encouraged to review TEN 19-10 -- Guide to State and Local Workforce Data: For Analysis and Informed Decision Making.) (8 points)
The labor market for the local area or region where the grant activities will be implemented that demonstrates the need for the project, including current labor market information such as projections of career opportunities in growing industries. (5 points)
The characteristics and size of the target population(s) the applicant will serve with this demonstration grant. (2 points)
2. Experience with the Target Population(s) and Provision of Paid Work Experience for the Targeted Population(s) (20 points)
Applicants must describe their experiences in providing employment and non-employment services to the target population(s) they intend to serve, including TJ opportunities. If working as a consortium, applicants must also describe their partner(s) with experience providing TJ opportunities.
Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which applicants provide the following:
A description of the comprehensiveness of its experience, including how long the applicant, and its partner(s) with experience in providing TJ opportunities, if appropriate, has been providing such services; how long the existing paid work experience or TJ programs and services have been offered; what those programs include; whether a pay structure for participants is in place; if they offer any incentives for retention in and completion of the program; whether or not participants are placed in high-growth or in-demand career fields for both the paid work experience and the unsubsidized employment; and any past accomplishments of the program for non-custodial parents, ex-offenders, or both. (10 points)
A description, supported by annual performance data for each of the past three years, of the applicant’s and its partner agency(ies) capacity to successfully perform a project of this scope. The annual performance data must include data on: (10 points)
Number of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders enrolled;
Number of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders that completed the TJ program;
Number and percent of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders that completed the applicant’s program, if applicable;
Number and percent of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders who have entered unsubsidized employment, including employment in high-growth or in-demand career fields;
Number and percent of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders that have retained unsubsidized employment for six months after program completion and, if available, for nine and twelve months after program completion;
Number and percent of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders that have entered post-secondary training or education and the number and percent who achieved an educational or training credential; and
Number and percent of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders who have received their GED or high school diploma while participating in the program.
3. ETJ Program Design (25 points)
Applicants must fully describe the service delivery flow or the sequence of services for their planned ETJ program, including how they will recruit participants, receive and make referrals to and from other service providers (including those deemed job ready and, thus, ineligible for enrollment in the program), what ETJ opportunities will be offered, and what services will be provided to help participants retain employment and achieve and remain self-sufficient.
Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which applicants provide a comprehensive approach and fully describe a program which meets the criterion in Section I.B and C and which includes all of the following:
The proposed recruitment strategy, including methods for outreach to new participants, referral to and from required partners (and other partners, as applicable), and selection of program participants. Applicants must include in this discussion their current processes for making and receiving referrals and whether there are any changes or enhancements to their existing processes as a result of the proposed program. (7 points)
The current or existing services they deliver. Services described must include all of the program components listed above in Section I. B. Program Design – Core Program Components. (3 points)
The enhanced services they plan to deliver as part of this demonstration project. The enhanced services described may include one or more enhancements (see Section I.C. Program Design – Enhancements to the Core Program Components, for examples of acceptable enhancements). Specifically, applicants must describe in detail the proposed transitional job(s), including duration, hours (full- or part-time), wage, industry, etc. In providing this description, applicants must provide a sense of the sequence of services they will deliver and the services that will be delivered by their partners. (5 points)
The services that will assist participants with transitioning from paid work experience to unsubsidized employment including the services that will assist participants with retaining and advancing in unsubsidized employment after completion of the transitional job . See Section I.D. Program Design – Enhancements to Post-Program Services for examples of acceptable enhancements. Applicants must discuss whether they or their partners provide these services and include a discussion of any changes or enhancements to the provision of these services as a result of the proposed program. (7 points)
Their plans for using the Federal Bonding Program (as applicable), the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, and/or other methods to encourage employers to hire participants. (3 points)
To fully address bullets 2 and 3, applicants must provide compelling arguments or evidence for why their proposed design would produce better positive results than seen in unenhanced transitional jobs interventions. If possible, the applicant should use research evidence to support the design they propose. If rigorous evidence does not exist or the applicant is proposing an innovative untried strategy, the proposal should make a strong case using related research, theories or a strong logic model.
4. Strength of Partnership with Required Partners (20 points)
Partnering across service organizations with specialized expertise designed to address specific barriers for or needs of non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders is critical to the success of an ETJ program. Applicants must demonstrate and provide evidence that their planned services for this demonstration project will be implemented by a partnership with the required partners. Applicants must have MOUs from the required partners attached to their technical proposal to corroborate the applicant’s proposed ETJ program. Required partners include employers, One-Stop Career Centers, and depending on the target population(s) the applicant plans to serve, child support enforcement agencies and/or criminal justice (probation and parole) agencies. Commitments from other partners are encouraged; however MOUs are not required.
Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which applicants provide a comprehensive approach and fully describe strong partnerships which contain all of the following:
For private employer partners working with the applicant, applicants must describe the employer’s commitment and engagement on the project, including provision of transitional jobs or paid work experience, unsubsidized employment following program completion, program design guidance, and/or collaboration efforts on other activities working with the grantee and evaluator. Applicants should also discuss if employer partners offer career ladder/lattice or other promotions or advancement opportunities. MOUs from employer partners must corroborate the applicant’s description of each employer’s role in the technical proposal and confirm the employer partner’s commitment to consider training program participants during the paid work experience and consider hiring participants into unsubsidized jobs following program completion, if determined to be a good fit for both parties. The MOUs must show that the applicant has a relationship with the employer partner(s); however, applicants may recruit additional employers as part of their proposed ETJ program approach. For example, applicants may propose to advertise the paid work experience as a strategy to recruit new employers. (8 points)
For One-Stop Career Center partners, applicants must describe their relationship with the One-Stop(s) and the role of the One-Stop(s) in recruiting participants and providing services, including the range of staff-assisted, self-directed, and other services to be provided by the One-Stop such as assessments, soft skills training, vocational training, job placement assistance, resource room materials and equipment, and other resources. The MOU with One-Stop partners must corroborate the applicant’s description in the technical proposal. (5 points)
For partners from the child support enforcement system and the criminal justice system, the applicant must describe their relationship with the relevant partner, including the partner’s role in recruiting participants from one or both target populations, and their qualifications and abilities to impact the success of the program and ongoing operations through service provision and other activities. (5 points)
MOUs from the child support enforcement system must corroborate the applicant’s description in the technical proposal and must demonstrate linkages with the applicant by describing the referral processes between their program and the applicant and strategies developed for wage garnishment and for ensuring that participants’ child support orders and arrears are commensurate with their ability to pay, as well as any processes in place to expedite establishment and modifications to orders or participation in arrears management programs; discussing their role with the applicant in addressing domestic violence issues (if applicable), providing parenting skills training including any partnerships they may have developed with fatherhood programs and any other activities offered to assist in the development of parenting plans, visitation agreements, or other activities offered to assist in the development of cooperative relationships among family members served by the child support enforcement system; and confirming the child support enforcement agency’s efforts to assist the applicant with reporting any outcomes for non-custodial parents.
MOUs from criminal justice agencies must corroborate the applicant’s description in the technical proposal and must demonstrate linkages with the applicant by describing referral processes between their program and the applicant in terms of identifying and serving recently released offenders at medium or high risk of recidivism according to the criminal justice system; discussing their role in providing services that directly address the factors usually associated with recidivism such as substance abuse and anger management, as well as any established strategies for reducing prison or jail admissions for technical parole violations; and addressing the criminal justice agencies’ plans for assisting the applicant in providing and reporting recidivism or other outcomes for ex-offenders.
If other partners are engaged, the applicant must describe such partnership, the role each partner plays and the breadth and depth of each partner’s contribution to the proposed project. (2 point)
5. Project Management Capacity and Evaluation Readiness (20 points)
Applicants must describe their organization and its qualifications to run the planned program of services for non-custodial parents and/or ex-offenders.
Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which applicants fully describe their project management capacity and evaluation readiness to include all of the following:
The applicant’s proposed project management structure, including a discussion of the organization’s accounting and data systems, current annual budget, and fiscal controls in place for auditing and accountability procedures; experience with operating grants from Federal or non-Federal sources or private organizations, and its ability to handle multiple funding streams; its capability for handling the number of wage-related payment tasks, as well as data and performance management requirements, associated with at least 500 individuals; and its ability to monitor the performance of 500 participants, and its proposed staffing pattern. This should include a discussion of the qualifications and experience of key staff members (including the proposed evaluation coordinator), including their competency to work with the target population(s), to implement new or enhanced services, and to work with the technical assistance and evaluation contractors; the time commitment, roles, and contributions of all proposed staff, including current caseload sizes; and the applicant’s plan for interacting and communicating with all partners, including their past experience as a lead agency and their level of success with managing partnerships. (15 points)
The organization’s capacity to accomplish the goals and outcomes of the demonstration grant project or their experience participating in other evaluations, including meeting the recruitment goals for the target populations and demonstrating capacity for serving increased numbers of participants in terms of space, service structure, and staffing; hosting evaluation site visits; accurately tracking participants’ activities at the individual level; and providing program records and other information, as necessary. (5 points)
B. Review and Selection Process
Applications for grants under this SGA will be accepted after the publication of this announcement and until the closing date. A technical review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in this SGA. Up to 100 points may be awarded to an application, depending on the quality of the response to the required information described above. The scores assigned during the review of proposals constituting the first-tier of a two-tier process will serve as the primary basis for ranking applications for the second-tier review.
First, all responsive applications will be rated and ranked by the review panel. At the conclusion of this first stage of the selection process, the Grant Officer will identify finalists who will move on to the second stage of the selection process.
During the second stage of the selection process, the evaluation contractor will visit the top-rated applicants to assess actual programmatic and organizations capacity, verify partnerships, observe ongoing activities, examine the program participant intake procedures to ascertain the appropriate point of random assignment should the applicant be awarded a grant, and the applicant’s overall capacity to participate in the rigorous evaluation.
The visits are expected to last one day in April or May 2011 and may include, but not be limited to the following activities:
Interviews with program staff;
Interviews with all or most required partners providing services;
Brief demonstration of the program Management Information System (MIS) and data collection processes, and review of routine management reports; and
Group discussion with 4-6 current program participants (if feasible).
The site visits will have to be arranged very quickly. After the initial application review, the Grant Officer will provide notice to the applicants chosen for a site visit and the evaluation team will conduct a conference call with each of those applicants to agree on a plan for the visit. The visit will take place within two weeks after notice is given by the Grant Officer. Grant awards will be made no later than June 30, 2011. Being chosen for a site visit does not guarantee the applicant will receive a grant award.
The panel score will serve as the primary basis for selection in conjunction with other factors such as the results of the site visits, geographic balance, the availability of funds, and which proposals are most advantageous to the government. Please note that ETA is setting aside a minimum of $15,000,000 in grant funds to serve ex-offenders. The two-tier process results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant Officer may consider any information that comes to his/her attention. The government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions with the applicant. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the award will be based on the applicant’s signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on http://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
All award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage (http://www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected for award will be contacted directly before the grant’s execution. Non-selected applicants will be notified by mail or e-mail and may request a written debriefing on the significant weaknesses of their proposal, findings from evaluation site visits and/or financial assessments.
Selection of an organization as a grantee does not constitute approval of the grant application, as submitted. Before the actual grant is awarded, ETA may enter into negotiations about items such as program components, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems in place to support grant implementation, among others. If the negotiations do not result in a mutually acceptable submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiations and decline to fund the application. DOL reserves the right to not fund any application related to this SGA.
1. Administrative Program Requirements
All grantees will be subject to all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and the applicable OMB Circulars. The grant(s) awarded under this SGA will be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions:
i. Non-Profit Organizations – OMB Circular A–122 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 230, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements)
ii. Educational Institutions – OMB Circular A–21 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 220, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
iii. State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments – OMB Circular A–87 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 225, and 29 CFR Part 97 (Administrative Requirements).
iv. Profit Making Commercial Firms – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – 48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
v. All Grant Recipients must comply with the applicable provisions of The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law No. 105-220, 112 Stat. 936 (codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) and the applicable provisions of the regulations at 20 CFR 660 et seq. Note that 20 CFR part 667 (General Fiscal and Administrative Rules) includes unsuccessful applicant appeal information.
vi. All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 29 CFR 95.13 and Part 98 (Government-wide Debarment and Suspension, and drug-free workplace requirements), and, where applicable, 29 CFR Part 96 (Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements) and 29 CFR Part 99 (Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations).
vii. 29 CFR Part 2, subpart D—Equal Treatment in Department of Labor Programs for Religious Organizations, Protection of Religious Liberty of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and Beneficiaries.
viii. 29 CFR Part 31—Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Labor—Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
ix. 29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
x. 29 CFR Part 35— Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.
xi. 29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
xii. 29 CFR Part 37 – Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
xiii. 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30—Labor Standards for the Registration of Apprenticeship Programs, and Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training, as applicable.
2. Other Legal Requirements:
i. Religious Activities
The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. Section 2000bb, applies to all Federal law and its implementation. If your organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to receive Federal financial assistance under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act and maintain that hiring practice even though Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act contains a general ban on religious discrimination in employment. If you are awarded a grant, you will be provided with information on how to request such an exemption.
ii. Lobbying or Fundraising the U.S. Government with Federal Funds
In accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-65) (2 U.S.C. 1611), non-profit entities incorporated under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c) (4) that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds and grants. No activity, including awareness-raising and advocacy activities, may include fundraising for, or lobbying of, U.S. Federal, State or Local Governments (see OMB Circular A-122).
iii. Transparency Act Requirements
Applicants must ensure that it has the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by section 6202 of Pub. Law 110-252) (Transparency Act), as follows:
All applicants, except for those excepted from the Transparency Act under sub-paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 below, must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the subaward and executive total compensation reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, should they receive funding.
Upon award, applicants will receive detailed information on the reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part 170, Appendix A, which can be found at the following website: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22705.pdf.
The following types of awards are not subject to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act:
Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive Federal awards as natural persons (i.e., unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or she may own or operate in his or her name);
Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities' previous tax year; and
Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classified information.
3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, ETA’s acceptance of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any programs(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB Circulars require that an entity’s procurement procedures must ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted, as much as practical, to provide open and free competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity to provide services, the DOL’s award does not provide the justification or basis to sole source the procurement, i.e., avoid competition, unless the activity is regarded as the primary work of an official partner to the application.
Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. Quarterly financial reports, quarterly progress reports, and MIS data must be submitted by the grantee electronically. The grantee is required to provide the reports and documents listed below:
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
A Quarterly Financial Status Report (ETA 9130) is required until such time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has expired. Quarterly reports are due 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. Grantees must use DOL’s Online Electronic Reporting System and information and instructions will be provided to grantees.
2. Quarterly Performance Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly progress report within 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. Grantees will be required to submit updated aggregate level MIS data within 45 days after the end of each quarter based on a DOL template that will require quarterly, year-to-date, and program-to-date information on participant demographics at time of enrollment, participant services provided, and interim and long-term participant performance outcomes. This reporting will require post-placement follow-up and tracking of participants.
A government-procured Web-based MIS will be provided to all grantees. Grantees will be required to have industry-standard computer hardware and high speed Internet access in order to use the MIS system. Grant funds may be used with the prior approval of the Grant Officer to upgrade computer hardware and Internet access to enable projects to use the MIS system. The report must include quarterly information about grant activities. The last quarterly progress report that grantees submit will serve as the grant’s Final Performance Report. This report should provide both quarterly and cumulative information on the grant activities. It must summarize project activities, employment outcomes and other deliverables, and related results of the project, and should thoroughly document the training or labor market information approaches used by the grantee. DOL may require additional data elements to be collected and reported on either a regular basis or special request basis. DOL will provide grantees with formal guidance about the data and other information that is required to be collected. Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements.
3. Quarterly Narrative Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly narrative report to the designated Federal Project Officer within 45 days after the end of each quarter, providing a detailed account of activities undertaken during that quarter. The quarterly narrative report should be in descriptive form and must include:
In-depth information on accomplishments, including project success stories, upcoming grant activities, and promising approaches and processes.
Progress toward performance outcomes, including updates on product, curricula, and training development.
4. Record Retention
Applicants must be prepared to follow Federal guidelines on record retention, which require grantees to maintain all records pertaining to grant activities for a period of not less than three years from the time of final grant close-out.
For further information about this SGA, please contact Mamie D. Williams, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance, at (202) 693-3341. Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to [email protected] and must specifically reference SGA/DFA PY 10-11, and along with question(s), include a contact name, fax and phone number. This announcement is being made available on the ETA Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/grants and at http://www.grants.gov.
A. Reintegration of Ex-Offenders - Adult Program (RExO-Adult)
The Reintegration of Ex-Offenders - Adult Program (RExO-Adult), formerly known as the Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI), is designed to strengthen urban communities through an employment-centered program that incorporates mentoring, job training, and other comprehensive TJ services. This program seeks to reduce recidivism by helping former inmates find work when they return to their communities. Community and faith-based organizations play a key role in this initiative by providing soft-skills and other appropriate basic training, serving as mentors, making appropriate referrals to the One-Stop system, connecting with community colleges and other providers of occupational skills training, and providing or referring ex-offenders to needed supportive services. For more information on RExO-Adult, please visit: http://www.doleta.gov/RExO/eta_default.cfm.
B. Young Parents Demonstration Project
The Young Parents Demonstration Program is designed to provide educational and occupational skills training leading to family economic self-sufficiency to both mothers and fathers, and expectant mothers ages 16-to-24. Projects are encouraged to serve young parents in high-risk categories, including those who are court-involved, in the child welfare or foster care system, homeless, or victims of child abuse. To see the list of grantees awarded funding, please see the news release at: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20090600.htm. To learn more about this project, as well as other ETA research and demonstration, and evaluation projects, please visit the following Web page: http://www.doleta.gov/reports/opdr/opdr_projects.cfm. To find and review completed reports on ETA-funded projects, please visit the ETA Research Publication Database at: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm.
C. CareerOneStop Web portal
DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. For example, see the CareerOneStop portal (http://www.careeronestop.org), which provides national and state career information on occupations; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Online (http://online.onetcenter.org ) which provides occupational competency profiles; and America's Service Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org), which provides a directory of our nation's One-Stop Career Centers.
D. Industry Competency Models and Career Clusters
ETA supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection of competencies that, taken together, define successful performance in a particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point for the design and implementation of workforce development programs. To learn about industry-validated models, visit the Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel. The CMC site also provides tools to build or customize industry models, as well as tools to build career ladders and career lattices for specific regional economies.
Career Clusters and Industry Competency Models both identify foundational and technical competencies, but their efforts are not duplicative. The Career Clusters link to specific career pathways in sixteen career cluster areas and place greater emphasis on elements needed for curriculum performance objectives, measurement criteria, scope and sequence of courses in a program of study, and development of assessments. Information about the sixteen career cluster areas can be found by accessing: http://www.careerclusters.org/.
E. Workforce3One Resource
1. ETA encourages applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.
F. Resources on TJ Programs
Baider, Allegra and Abbey Frank (2006). Transitional Jobs: Helping TANF Recipients with Barriers to Employment Succeed in the Labor Market, CLASP (May 23).
Barnow, Burt S. (1999). The Low-Wage Labor Market: Challenges and Opportunities for Economic Self-Sufficiency.
Bloom, Dan (2009). The Joyce Foundation’s Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration: Testing Strategies to Help Former Prisoners Find and Keep Jobs and Stay out of Prison. NY, NY: MDRC.
Bloom, Dan, Cindy Redcross, Janine Zweig, and Gilda Azurdia (2007). Transitional Jobs for Ex-Prisoners: Early Impacts from a Random Assignment Evaluation of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Prisoner Reentry Program. Washington, DC: MDRC.
Bloom, Dan, Sarah Rich, Cindy Redcross, Erin Jacobs, Jennifer Yahner, and Nancy Pindus (2009). Alternative Welfare-to-Work Strategies for the Hard-to-Employ: Testing Transitional Jobs and Pre-Employment Services in Philadelphia. Washington, DC: MDRC.
Bouman, John and Antolin, Joseph A. (2006). Attacking Poverty by Attacking Chronic Unemployment: A Proposal to Stabilize and Grow the Transitional Job Strategy, Clearinghouse REVIEW Journal of Poverty Law and Policy (May-June): 105-112.
Bouman, John, Antolin, Joseph A., and Young, Melissa (2007). Attacking Poverty by Attacking Chronic Unemployment: An Update on Developments in Transitional Job Strategies for Former Prisoners, Clearinghouse REVIEW Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, (July-August 2007): 152-156.
Dworkin, Julie (2006). Transitional Jobs: A Model Employment Service for People with Barriers (Policy Brief), Chicago, IL: Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Frank, Abbey (2007). Increasing Opportunities: Creating and Expanding Transitional Jobs Programs for TANF Recipients under the Deficit Reduction Act, Washington, DC: CLASP and NTJN (January 18).
Jenks, Stephen S. and Lois MacGillivray (2006). Youth Offender Demonstration Project Evaluation, Final Report: Volume One.
Kass, David S. (2004). Financing Transitional Jobs Programs: A Strategic Guide to Federal Funding Programs, Washington, DC: The Finance Project.
Kim, Anne (2001). Transitional Jobs: A Bridge into the Workforce for Hard-to-Employ Welfare Recipients (Policy Brief), Progressive Policy Institute: Washington, DC (March).
Kirby, et al. 2002. Transitional Jobs: Stepping Stones to Unsubsidized Employment, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (April).
MDRC, Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ Publications.
Redcross, Cindy, Dan, Bloom, Gilda Azurdia, Janine Zweig, and Nancy Pindus (2007). Transitional Jobs for Ex-Prisoners: Implementation, Two-Year Impacts, and Costs of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Prisoner Reentry Program. NY, NY: MDRC.
Redcross, Cindy, Dan Bloom, Erin Jacobs, Michelle Manno, Sara Muller-Ravett, Kristin Seefeldt, Jennifer Yahner, Alford A. Young, Jr., and Janine Zweig (2010). Work after prison: One-year findings from the Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration. Washington, DC: MDRC.
Renwick, Trudi (2008). Transitional Jobs Return on Investment Study. Washington, DC: Fiscal Policy Institute (August).
Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (2000). Assessing Impacts of Welfare Reform on Individual, Family and Community Well-Being in the Rural South, Washington, DC: National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
Szekely, Amanda Elk (2004). Transitional Jobs for Ex-Offenders, Welfare Information Network, 8(7): 6.
The Joyce Foundation’s Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration: Testing Strategies to Help Former Prisoners Find and Keep Jobs and Stay Out of Prison: Implementation and First-Year Results (Policy Brief October 2010).
Welfare Information Network (2001). Transitioning into Employment through Wage-Based Publicly-Funded Jobs, Resources for Welfare Decisions, Vol. 5, No. 14, (November).
Section IX. Other Information
OMB Information Collection No. 1225-0086
OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires November 30, 2012.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of the Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301, Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected]. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND IT TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED IN THIS SGA.
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant. The information collected through this “Solicitation for Grant Applications” will be used by the Department of Labor to ensure that grants are awarded to the applicant best suited to perform the functions of the grant. Submission of this information is required in order for the applicant to be considered for award of this grant.
Signed XX, in Washington, D.C. by:
XX
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration
1 Pub. L. 111-117, Div. D, Title I, 123 Stat. 3227 (Dec. 16, 2009).
2 As part of President Obama’s Responsible Fatherhood Initiative designed to raise awareness and encourage the vital role that fathers play in American communities and families, the Transitional Jobs Demonstration will play a role in supporting employment attainment and retention for vulnerable fathers such as those who are leaving prison and/or are unprepared to meet child support obligations.
3 As defined in WIA Title I, subtitle A, section 101 (24) and (25).
4 Also known as a social enterprise in which an organization that operates an enterprise or business, such as a thrift store or warehouse, employs participants at its own facilities.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | _____________________________________________________________________ |
| Author | Owner |
| Last Modified By | Michel Smyth |
| File Modified | 2011-02-23 |
| File Created | 2011-02-23 |