U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Serving Adult and Youth Ex-Offenders through Strategies Targeted to Characteristics Common to Female Ex-Offenders
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY-11-12
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 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, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Latifa Jeter, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 11-12, 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 U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), announces the availability of approximately
$12 million in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to award approximately eight grants to serve adult and youth ex-offenders pre- and post-release. Applicants may choose to serve either youth or adults but may not serve both populations. Services to be funded will be targeted to female ex-offenders, but must also be open to eligible male ex-offenders. Applicants may submit only one proposal for up to $1.5 million, with the amount requested depending on the number of participants to be served.
These grants will be selected through a competitive process open to any non-profit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) status, unit of state or local government, or any Indian and Native American entity eligible for grants under WIA Section 166. These grants will cover a 30-month period of performance that includes up to six months of planning and a minimum of 24 months of operation. In the past, DOL has allotted 3 to 4 months for planning. However, because of the large number of mandatory partners required for these grants, we are allowing up to 6-months for planning to solidify the partnerships to ensure that all services will be available to participants. The 24 month period for operation must include time to allow each participant to complete the program and have between 3-4 months of follow-up. Thus, the last cohort of participants must complete program services 3 to 4 months before the end of the grant. Grantees may provide follow-up services to some participants while providing direct services to others.
Applicants must document that there are a sufficient number of female ex-offenders in the geographic area to be served to meet the number of participants that they propose to serve. National statistics show that there is an adequate number of youth and adult male ex-offenders available for service by these grants. Therefore, we are only requiring grantees to demonstrate that there are enough female ex-offenders in their identified geographic area available to receive services.
The Department expects that the cost-per-participant will be within the range of $4,000 to $6,000 (inclusive of administration and planning costs). We encourage but do not require grantees to enroll a portion of their participants before release. These participants may only be enrolled within 90 days before their release date.
The purpose of these grants is to improve the long-term labor market prospects of these ex-offenders by using strategies targeted to the characteristics common to female ex-offenders. Grantees must include an integrated strategy that includes empowerment and self-development, workforce development, education, and case management, as well as required partnerships with State and local criminal justice agencies that serve adults or youth, as appropriate for the target population; the local educational system and/or GED providers (serving adults or youth as appropriate); local One-Stop Career Centers and local workforce investment boards (WIBs); mental health providers; alcohol and drug abuse treatment centers; and child and family services agencies that both administer child support and enforcement programs and assist with family reunification. Additional partnerships should include social services agencies, rehabilitation services, housing assistance agencies, post-secondary education providers and legal assistance programs. Grantees must assist participants in developing Individual Career Plans (ICPs) that include strategies for upward mobility in the workplace. These grants must have a strong career development component that seeks to place each participant in post-secondary education, a registered apprenticeship program, or vocational training leading to credentials in demand industries and employment.
This solicitation provides background information, describes the application submission requirements, outlines the process that eligible entities must use to apply for funds covered by this solicitation, and outlines the evaluation criteria used as a basis for selecting the grantees.
A. Background of Funding Opportunity
1. Youth
Teenage girls have a much lower rate of committing crimes than teenage boys, but girls who do become involved in the juvenile justice system represent a highly at-risk group in need of much support. As discussed below, while male and female juvenile offenders share many risk factors, female juvenile offenders have additional risk factors, have different patterns of offending, and often require different types of services than their male counterparts. This grant will support programs that address those additional risk factors and patterns of offending, and provide those different types of services. However, the programs cannot be limited to female offenders; they must be open to otherwise-eligible male offenders who have those risk factors, display those patterns of offending, or need those types of services.1
Females represent roughly 25 percent of juvenile arrest and delinquency cases heard by juvenile courts, and 15 percent of youth in residential placement in the juvenile justice system.2 The custody rate of juvenile females is less than one-fifth of males (70 females per 100,000 versus 370 per 100,000 for males).3 Studies show that the delinquent acts of girls are typically less chronic and less serious than those of boys.4 Greater percentages of male juveniles than females are in placement for murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, drug offenses, and public order offenses. Greater percentages of females than males are in placement for status offenses (such as running away from home, underage drinking, and being deemed unable to be controlled by their parents or guardians) and assaults.5 Status offenses are the primary offense leading to custody for 18 percent of females compared to only 9 percent of males.6 Although assaults committed by both male and female juvenile offenders are most commonly against persons of the same sex and same age, the second most common assaults committed by female juvenile offenders are against family members, while the second most common assaults committed by male juvenile offenders are against strangers.7 Some research suggests that girls may be three times more likely than boys to assault family members.8 When a girl uses violence against a family member, a parent—usually the mother—is the most common target.9
The Girls Study Group, a panel of researchers and practitioners initially convened in 2004 by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, noted in a 2010 report that “minor offenses may mask serious problems that girls are experiencing. Running away from home and other status offenses (such as truancy) are major components of girls’ delinquency. Studies of girls who are chronic runaways document significant levels of sexual and physical victimization. This suggests that although their offense behavior may not appear to be very serious, these girls may be fleeing from serious problems and victimization, some involving illegal behavior by adults, which in turn makes them vulnerable to subsequent victimization and engaging in other behaviors that violate the law such as prostitution, survival sex, and drug use.”10
In recent years, simple assaults by girls have increased while simple assaults by boys have declined. However, the Girls Study Group has concluded that this has occurred not because girls have become more violent, but rather due to recently enacted mandatory and pro-arrest laws for domestic violence. Female juvenile offenders are now being arrested for altercations with family members that were previously handled informally or documented as status offenses (the girl being designated as ungovernable).11
Due to the difference in the offenses committed by boys and girls and the difference in the way the juvenile justice system treats boys and girls, girls are more likely than boys to be placed in detention facilities as opposed to long-term correctional facilities. In 2003, 45 percent of girls in custody were in detention facilities compared to 35 percent of males in custody.
Girls and boys share a common set of risk factors for getting involved in delinquency. These include a disruptive family life; failure in school; living in a high-poverty, high-crime neighborhood; and the lack of community-based programs. The Girls Study Group notes, however, that although similar risk factors may play a role in both girls’ and boys’ delinquency, gender differences can result in different types and rates of delinquent behaviors for girls and boys, and that boys and girls are differentially exposed to certain risk conditions, placing them at variable risk for certain types of delinquency.12 Risks that are of special concern for girls or that affect large percentages of delinquent girls include:
Sexual and/or physical abuse: Girls in the juvenile justice system have a higher incidence than boys of prior sexual abuse.13 The Girls Study Group noted one study that showed that girls with a history of sexual or physical abuse were 2.4 times more likely than other girls to engage in violence.14
Family turmoil and conflicts: Research indicates that girls are generally more closely attached to family than boys, and thus are more affected when family breakdown or conflict develops.15 Significantly more girls enter custody from no-parent families (32 percent of females versus 24 percent of males) and from foster families or foster agency care (7 percent of females versus 4 percent of boys).16 The Girls Study Group noted the family characteristics that in one study were significantly correlated with the delinquency of girls, including negative and critical mothers, harsh discipline, inconsistent discipline, family conflict, frequent family moves, multiple caregivers, longer periods of time with a single parent, and growing up in a socioeconomically disadvantaged family.17
Early Puberty: Research shows that while the timing of puberty may also be a risk factor for boys, the early onset of puberty creates particular risks for girls, including increased conflict with parents, often negative associations with older boys and young men much older than them, and increased delinquency and risk-taking behavior.18
Learning Disabilities and School Failure: Significant risk factors relating to early onset of delinquency for both boys and girls are learning disabilities and failure in school. Thirty percent of juvenile offenders report that they have been diagnosed with a learning disability, compared to 5 percent of youth in the general population that have been diagnosed with such a disability.19
Mental health and substance abuse disorders: Both boys and girls in the juvenile justice system have high rates of mental health and substance abuse disorders. A study that included 1,400 youth in 29 different settings in Louisiana, Texas, and Washington found that 70 percent of youth in juvenile correctional facilities, detention centers, and community-based programs had either a diagnosable mental health or substance abuse disorder, including 80 percent of girls and 67 percent of boys, and that 27 percent of youth in these facilities had a mental health or substance abuse disorder severe enough to require significant and immediate treatment.20 The study found that 56 percent of girls and 27 percent of boys had anxiety disorders, 29 percent of girls and 14 percent of boys had a mood disorder, and that 55 percent of girls and 43 percent of boys had a substance abuse disorder.21
Because community-based resources for girls are scarce and the juvenile justice system perceives the need to protect girls, girls are often placed in residential confinement as a means of social control.22
To prepare this population of ex-offenders for the workforce, these various risk factors must be addressed through a multi-disciplinary strategy that includes: treating substance abuse, providing mental health counseling and treatment, providing family counseling, identifying alternative living arrangements for participants who cannot return home and addressing any disability related issues. Providing guidance and support to secure this spectrum of services will allow female ex-offenders the stability to improve their educational and employment outcomes, which include: increasing high school graduation rates, improving literacy and math skills, as well as assisting participants in entering for college and/or other post-secondary training and employment.
2. Adult
The 2010 FBI Unified National Crime Reports showed that females accounted for 25.5 percent of all arrests in 2010, including 19.5 percent of arrests for violent crime and 37.6 percent of arrests for property crimes.23 Female arrests for violent crimes were mainly for aggravated assault.24 Over the past 10 years, arrests of males declined by 6.8 percent while arrests of females increased by 10.5 percent.25 The increase in arrests of females was mainly driven by an increase in property crimes and other non-violent crimes.26 Over the past 10 years, arrests for violent crimes declined by 12 percent for males and stayed the same for females, while arrests of females for property crimes increased by 27 percent, for driving while intoxicated by 36 percent and for drug offenses by 14 percent.27 These changes did not have that much of an effect on the overall ratio of arrests between males and females, increasing the proportion of total female arrests from 22.4 percent in 2001 to 25.5 percent in 2010.28
On average, females commit less serious crimes than males. The proportion of females in the prison system is less than the proportion of females among persons arrested. In 2009, females represented 7 percent of the total population of state and federal prisons.29 In the 1980s and 1990s, the prison population in the U.S. expanded greatly for both males and females due to the crack cocaine epidemic and mandatory sentencing laws. During that period, the proportion of state and federal inmates who were females increased from 4.3 percent in 1983 to 5.7 percent in 1990 to 6.7 percent in 2000.30
Female inmates were substantially more likely than male inmates to have been on probation or parole at the time of their arrest which led to their incarceration. Approximately one in three women as compared to one in five men, were on probation at the time of arrest; indicating a more troubling pattern of recidivism for females.31
Both men and women have a host of unique physical , mental, and financial issues stemming from physical and sexual abuse, family turmoil and conflict, and early pregnancy/parenthood. However, anxiety and depression are higher in female offenders than their male counterparts.32 “Since 1991, the number of children with a mother in prison has more than doubled, up 131%. The number of children with a father in prison has grown by 77%. This finding reflects a faster rate of growth in the number of mothers held in state and federal prisons (up 122%), compared to the number of fathers (up 76%) between 1991 and midyear 2007.”33 Because of the increasing rate of incarceration of parenting females, who are far more likely to be a custodial parent, this increases the number of children who may be raised by secondary family members or in the foster care system. In addition, a recent study of female offenders by the American Correctional Association (ACA) found that over half of all adult female offenders were victims of physical abuse and 36 percent had been sexually abused. Female offenders were also more likely to come from difficult employment circumstances than male offenders with only four in ten women in State prison reporting full-time employment before their arrest, compared to six in ten men working full-time prior to arrest. As well, less than 8% of male offenders reported receiving welfare before arrest while 30% of women received such assistance pre-arrest34.
The risk factors identified in the youth section above are only exacerbated in the adult female population because of the many years of abuse and neglect. The ability to gain the trust of this population is key to assisting them in developing and carrying-out a plan to reenter their community.
B. Communities and Participants to be Served
Applicants may select to serve either an adult or youth population, but may not serve both. The population you plan to serve under this grant should be clearly noted in the project title. Applicants may serve either youth ex-offenders between the ages of 14 and 21 who are currently involved with the juvenile justice system or have been involved with the juvenile justice system, and have never been involved with the criminal adult system, or adult ex-offenders aged 18 and above who have been released from incarceration from the criminal adult system within 180 days before enrollment. The 180 days limitation does not apply to applicants serving youth ex-offenders.
These grants are aimed at geographic areas with large numbers of female ex-offenders. The geographic area can be a city, a county, a sub-area of a city or county, a set of contiguous counties, an Indian Reservation, a local workforce investment area, or other similar geographic area. Applicants must identify the geographic area in which the project will be located and provide documentation on the number of adult female ex-offenders returning from either prisons or jails for the most recent year for which data are available, or the number of female youth ex-offenders on probation, in alternative sentencing programs, or in detention in the most recent year for which data is available, depending on which population they propose to serve. National statistics show that there is an adequate number of youth and adult male ex-offenders in all areas available for service by these grants. Therefore, we are only requiring grantees to demonstrate that there are enough female ex-offenders in their identified geographic area available to receive services. Applicants planning to serve adult female ex-offenders must provide data from the criminal justice system. Applicants planning to serve youth female ex-offenders must provide data from the juvenile justice system. Youth or adult participants that have been convicted of a sexual offense, other than prostitution, are not eligible to be served by these grants. Because of the characteristics of the targeted population in this solicitation, the Department deems it necessary to provide a safe and trusting environment that will enable participants to benefit from the components of these programs without fear, either real or perceived, of injury or assault. The Department funds other WIA grant programs for ex-offender populations that do not prohibit the provision of services to sexual offenders.
Applicants who are serving adult ex-offenders can enroll participants within 180 days of release from incarceration. Applicants who are serving youth ex-offenders do not have a time limit on their involvement in the juvenile justice system before enrollment, unless they are under the supervision of the juvenile justice system in an out-of-home placement, which requires services to begin no more than 90 days before release.
C. Enrollment Assessment
Applicants must describe the components and measurements of their enrollment assessment tool as part of the application. This tool must evaluate the appropriateness of each participant for the program by identifying common characteristics found in female ex-offenders. These characteristics are found in both the youth and adult populations, though they may be more pronounced in the adult population because of years of abuse. Some identifiers are listed in Section I.A (Background of Funding Opportunity) and include: physical abuse, sexual abuse, family turmoil, early puberty, learning disabilities, school failure, and mental health and substance abuse issues. At a minimum, all of these risk factors must be included in both the adult and youth assessment tools. Applicants must also include in their assessment tool the need of some participants to reunite with and/or improve parenting of minor children. In addition, the assessment tool must evaluate the needs of potential participants and the potential benefits they will receive from the strategies discussed in Section II.D (Required Program Components) and Section II.G (Allowable Uses of Grant Funds). Upon award, the Department will provide additional guidance so that grantees can fully develop an assessment tool to evaluate all potential participants.
D. Required Project Components
Each project funded under these grants must include each of the project components described below. Individuals enrolled in these projects do not necessarily have to participate in every one of these project components but they must be offered.
1. Recruitment Strategies
Applicants must develop recruitment strategies that will enable them to effectively recruit ex-offenders with characteristics common to female ex-offenders. Recruitment must be open to all members of the ex-offender population. Example: If the applicant sends recruitment flyers to a female correctional facility in the target area, they must also send the same recruitment flyer to the male correctional facility in the target area. Applicants must have a clear and consistent recruitment policy that provides the same opportunity for males and females to learn about the program.
2. Strategies of Empowerment and Self-Development
Participant personal development activities must be offered that develop non-technical skills, abilities and traits needed to appropriately function in the workplace. These activities must support one or more workplace competencies, which may include problem-solving and other cognitive skills, oral communication skills, personal qualities, work ethic, and interpersonal and teamwork skills. Examples include leadership, financial literacy, and job readiness training.
One such strategy may include mentoring. Mentors should assist participants with transitioning into the community, and may address participants’ needs including family support and unification and assistance with understanding how to secure supportive services. Many types of organizations can provide mentors, such as faith- and community-based organizations, business firms, and college service-learning clubs, and may include one-on-one mentoring, group mentoring, and service-based (community-service project) mentoring. We expect that mentoring will start at some point before release for participants in correctional facilities to allow them to become familiar with their mentors but no earlier than 90 days before their release date.
3. Strategies in Case Management
This component will provide a team of full-time case managers that serve as advocates to program participants. Case managers must assist community supervision officers in linking ex-offenders to supportive services such as: transportation and housing assistance, mental health services, substance abuse treatment centers, legal aid services and organizations that assist with family reunification. In addition, case managers must coordinate with child care agencies to assist participants with children to secure child care. Case managers must also ensure that participants receive training in financial literacy; counseling about their civil rights including issues related to criminal records and employment, and if the person has a disability, the right to free and appropriate education and reasonable work accommodations; and assistance applying for jobs and Federal benefits such as Pell Grants, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicare. Additionally, case managers must provide 3 to 4 months of follow-up services to each participant within the period of performance of the grant.
Participants in confinement must receive case management services before release, but no earlier than 90 days prior to their release date. Pre-release services should include linking these offenders to supportive services and connections to transportation and housing assistance, mental health and substance abuse treatment centers, legal aid services, rehabilitation services and organizations that assist with family reunification and other social services as needed upon their release.
4. Education and Training
The activities identified in the education and training component are related to the age of the applicant and not the program model (Adult or Youth). Adult and Youth program applicants must each incorporate all of these activities in their application.
The educational component for youth aged 14 through 17 must place a high priority on the attainment of a high school diploma. This reinforces and is consistent with the compulsory education laws in many states, which require youth to remain in school until the age of 18. The educational component for participants aged 18 and above must focus on the attainment of a high school diploma or GED and increasing literacy and numeracy skills.
The educational component must include the following as appropriate for each age group: reading and math remediation; retrieval and compilation of credits from various high schools and correctional facilities; tutoring; GED instruction; language instruction for those with limited English proficiency; and assisting participants complete college applications and financial aid forms. These interventions must be integrated with career and occupational development. Applicants must design these interventions so that they lead participants to attainment of a secondary school diploma, GED, or other State-recognized educational credential.
Training must lead to credentials in demand industries in the local area. Applicants must use Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to develop training programs that are relevant to the employment needs of their local community. Training programs should consider focusing on “nontraditional” jobs for women. Although many nontraditional jobs are in the construction and manufacturing industries, the reality is nontraditional occupations span all major occupational groups; and these nontraditional jobs are often skilled or technical and typically have a higher rate of pay than jobs traditionally held by women. The considerably higher pay for nontraditional occupations can help individuals attain economic self-sufficiency, support their families, and build assets.
Implementing this component will require partnerships with the local public school system(s), apprenticeship programs, job training programs, vocational training programs and community and four-year colleges.
5. Workforce Development
Workforce development programs must assist participants in developing their career goals and understanding career pathway options. An ICP must be developed for each participant that reflects his or her individual needs and career goals. This will include goals related to personal issues, such as counseling, substance abuse treatment, housing, and child custody/support issues that can affect workplace success, as well as goals related directly to workforce development, such as continuing education, vocational training, and employment placements. The workforce development component may include: paid and/or unpaid work experience, on-the-job training (OJT), internships which allow participants to interact with professionals in their fields of interest, vocational or occupational training opportunities, placement into apprenticeships and employment, career exploration, paid and/or unpaid part-time work experience, part-time employment and summer employment opportunities, depending on the target population to be served.
Participants in confinement must be exposed to career opportunities and the establishment of career goals before release.
6. Follow-Up Services
Follow-up services must be provided for 3 to 4 months for each participant and must be completed by the end of the performance period of the grant. Follow-up services may include: regular contact with participants to ensure retention in employment and/or school; assistance in addressing work-related or school-related problems; assistance in securing better paying jobs or career development; furthering education; referrals to peer support groups; mentoring; and tracking progress made by participants in employment and/or education after training.
E. Required Partnerships and Roles
1. Youth Programs
a) Partnerships with juvenile correctional facilities (residential) must include referrals of eligible youth prior to release who plan to return to the target community. Applicants must coordinate services for incarcerated program participants with state and local juvenile justice agencies such as: career planning; planning for educational placement post-release; case management; mentoring and the coordination of post-release transition services.
b) Partnerships with the local juvenile justice system (non-residential) must include referrals of eligible youth who are on parole or probation, in alternative sentence programs and in diversion programs. Grantees must coordinate services for program participants with juvenile community supervision officers, such as: career planning; assistance with educational placement; case management; mentoring and referrals to supportive services.
c) Partnerships with the local public school system must include transition assistance for youth returning to school after release from juvenile correctional facilities and a focus on improving education services to youth placed on probation by the juvenile justice system.
d) Partnerships with the local foster care system must be established to ensure coordination in serving juvenile offenders in foster care.
e) Partnerships with the local child and family services agencies must offer assistance with family unification and child support and enforcement.
f) Partnerships with local mental health agencies must provide assessments and assistance to eligible program participants.
g) Partnerships with local drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers must provide counseling and treatment to eligible program participants.
h) Partnerships with the local workforce investment board and local employers must include the coordination of services to support career exploration, OJT, summer employment and paid and/or unpaid part-time work experience.
i) Partnerships with local alternative education and GED providers must include services and instruction that assist participants with attaining a high school diploma or state equivalent.
2. Adult Programs
a) Partnerships with correctional facilities (residential) must include referrals of eligible adult participants before release who plan to return to the target community. Grantees must coordinate services for incarcerated program participants with State and local criminal justice agencies, including career planning; planning for educational placement post-release; case management; mentoring and the coordination of post-release transition services.
b) Partnerships with local adult criminal justice agencies (non-residential) must include referrals of eligible adult participants on probation or parole who have been released from prison or jail within 180 days. Applicants must coordinate services for program participants with community supervision officers such as: career planning; employment opportunities; assistance with GED instructional placement; case management; support groups; and mentoring.
c) Partnership with local child and family services agencies must include assistance with family unification and child support and enforcement.
d) Partnerships with local mental health treatment agencies must include the provision of assessments and treatment assistance for program participants.
e) Partnerships with local drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers must include counseling and treatment to eligible program participants.
f) Partnerships with local workforce investment boards and local employers must include the coordination of services to support paid and/or unpaid work experience, OJT, internships, apprenticeships and employment opportunities.
g) Partnerships with local alternative education and GED providers must include services and instruction that assist adult participants with attaining a high school diploma or state equivalent.
F. Additional Partnerships for Youth and Adult Programs
Legal Services Centers can be used for participant referrals to provide help to resolve landlord-tenant disputes, help to renters who have received eviction notices and help to maintain federal housing subsidies where appropriate but these services are not allowable costs under this grant. However, payment may be made with grant funds on behalf of a participant for legal services related to the purposes of this grant, such as: securing a driver’s license, expunging criminal records, creating and/or modifying child support orders, helping parents in obtaining and retaining custody of their children, and helping victims of domestic violence by obtaining protective and restraining orders.
Local Housing Agencies can be used for participant referrals to assist with housing.
Rehabilitation Services can be used for participant referrals to assist persons with disabilities.
Post-Secondary Education Institutions can provide participant referrals to provide additional education that leads to career advancement.
NOTE: Allowable partnerships are not limited to the examples listed above.
G. Allowable Uses of Grant Funds
Allowable uses of grant funds for youth and adult projects funded under these grants include:
1.) Workforce and education activities, such as:
job placement services that include nontraditional jobs for women;
vocational skills training and wages in an on-the-job training framework that include nontraditional jobs for women, such as: carpentry, transportation inspectors or highway maintenance workers;
paid and unpaid work experiences which include nontraditional jobs for women, including community service activities that offer the opportunity to reunite and be embraced by their community;
payment of stipends to participants based on their performance in the program to recognize achievements/milestones;
payment of employment and retention bonuses to participants based on their achievements/milestones reached in these activities;
basic skills instruction and remedial education that emphasize its relevance to daily life;
tutoring, dropout prevention activities, GED instruction, alternative secondary school services and career awareness classes that develop lifelong career pathways;
counseling and assistance in compiling high school credits/credit retrieval programs, applying for post-secondary education, and financial aid to implement participants' individual career development plans and
language instruction programs, and services and information in appropriate languages for individuals with limited English proficiency.
2.) Case management, supportive services and related activities, including but not limited to:
individual and group mentoring with mentors that may have the same risk factor characteristics that have been successful in life;
assistance with the development of ICPs for participants;
referrals to housing assistance, including those facilities for special identified needs, such as group homes that allow children to reside with their parent(s) or domestic violence shelters;
referrals to mental health counseling that may be required as a result of family violence, domestic violence, sexual abuse or other physiological or sociological factors;
referrals to rehabilitation services;
referrals to parenting classes and services to assist with successful family reunification;
referrals to legal services to assist with concerns such as family reunification, domestic violence issues, and landlord disputes, and payments for legal services related to the purpose of this grant, such as: securing a driver’s license, expunging criminal records, helping parents in obtaining and retaining custody of their children, including, creating and/or modifying child support orders, and helping victims of domestic violence by obtaining protective and restraining orders;
referrals to substance abuse treatment.
3.) Leadership and personal development activities that seek to develop cognitive and soft skills that participants will need to succeed in future jobs and that support one or more workplace competencies, including:
Problem-solving, such as balancing family, relationships and work;
Oral communication skills, which may assist them in verbalizing problems with balancing family and work;
Strong work ethic and sense of responsibility and belonging to the work community; and
Ability to work as part of a team and assist new entrants to transition into the work environment.
4.) Follow-up services that focus efforts on education, job retention, wage gains, and career progress through regular contact with employers, educational institutions, and other post-placement supporting agencies, including:
Assistance in addressing work-related problems that arise, such as the imbalance between work and family responsibilities;
Assistance in securing better-paying jobs, which include nontraditional jobs for women;
Career development and further education as identified in participants' ICP.
Continued coordination with employers and local workforce agencies and educational institutions where participants have been placed;
Work in peer support groups with members of the same risk factors and characteristics common to female ex-offenders;
Individual and group mentoring with mentors that may have the same risk factor characteristics that have been successful in life; and
Tracking of progress made by participants in employment after training.
ETA has approximately $12 million available under this competition and expects to fund approximately 8 grants. Applicants may submit proposals for up to $1.5 million, with the amount requested depending on the number of participants to be served. Any grant application with a proposed value greater than $1.5 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.
Period of Performance
DOL will fund these grants for a 30-month period of performance that includes up to six months of planning and a minimum of 24 months of operation which must include 3 to 4 months of follow-up. In the Budget Narrative, discussed in section IV.B.I, applicants must provide separate budgets for planning and operations. Regardless of the length of the planning period, applicants must budget for a minimum of 24 months of operation. The 24 months of operation must include time to allow each participant to complete the program and have between 3-4 months of follow-up. The last cohort would complete program services 3 to 4 months before the end of the grant. Grantees must use their planning funds judiciously during the planning period and use them specifically for planning and pre-implementation activities associated with this grant. Applicants must plan to fully expend grant funds during the period of performance while ensuring full transparency and accountability for all expenditures. Grantees will be expected to achieve planning milestones during the post-award planning phase. These milestones are the hiring of core program staff, including the Project Director and other key positions, such as case managers and job developers. Grantees will also be expected to solidify all necessary partnerships for the successful delivery of services and to have initiated recruitment and outreach efforts for enrollment of participants during the planning phase. The Federal Project Officer will review completion of these milestones within the grant’s planning phase. Grantees who do not meet these milestones may be subject to corrective action.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
Any non-profit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) status, unit of state or local government, or any Indian and Native American entity eligible for grants under WIA Section 166 may apply for these grants. An organization may submit only one application for up to $1.5 million. If more than one application is submitted, only the first application received will be reviewed.
Cost sharing or matching funds are not required as a condition for application.
C. Other Eligibility Criteria
There are no other eligibility criteria for applicants.
Eligible Participants
Participants Eligible to Receive Services
Youth Program
An individual may participate in a project funded under these grants if she/he:
is between the ages of 14 and 21 on the date of enrollment;
is determined appropriate for needing services under the grantee’s enrollment assessment tool developed in accordance with Sections I.A and I.C;
is currently involved or has been involved with the juvenile justice system but has never been involved in the adult criminal justice system. Involvement is defined as those who are or were:
under the supervision of the juvenile justice system, either in out-of-home placements (with release dates within 90 days) or on probation or parole;
placed in an alternative sentence by the juvenile justice system; or
placed in a diversion program as an alternative to juvenile prosecution by the juvenile justice system.
has never been convicted as an adult under Federal or State law and has not been convicted of a sexual offense, other than prostitution; and
currently resides in the geographic area to be served as identified by the grantee, or resided in the geographic area before current confinement in a correctional facility, and will be returning to the geographic area to be served.
Adult Program
An individual may participate in a project funded under these grants if she/he:
is 18 years old or older on the date of enrollment;
has been convicted as an adult and imprisoned under Federal or State law but has never been convicted of a sexual offense other than prostitution;
is determined appropriate for needing services under the grantee’s enrollment assessment tool developed in accordance with Sections I.A and I.C;
is enrolled in the program within 180 days after their release from prison, jail, or a halfway house and is returning to the target community, or is currently incarcerated but has a release date within 90 days;
currently resides in the geographic area to be served as identified by the grantee, or resided in the geographic area before current confinement in a correctional facility, and will be returning to the geographic area to be served;
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 veterans’ 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.
Transparency
DOL is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes. Posting grant applications on public websites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas. For this grant competition, we will publish the abstracts required by Section IV, B.Part III for all applications on the Department’s public website or similar publicly accessible location. Additionally, we will publish a version of the Technical Proposal required by Section IV B. Part II, for all those applications that are awarded grants, on the Department’s website or a similar location. No other parts of or attachments to the application will be published. The Technical Proposals and Abstracts will not be published until after the grants are announced. In addition, information about grant progress and results may also be made publicly available.
DOL recognizes that grant applications sometimes contain information that an applicant may consider proprietary or business confidential information, or may contain personally identifiable information (PII). Proprietary or confidential commercial/business information is information that is not usually disclosed outside your organization and the disclosure of which is likely to cause you substantial competitive harm. PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual‘s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.35
Abstracts will be published in the form originally submitted, without any redactions. However, in order to ensure that PII and proprietary or confidential commercial/business information is properly protected from disclosure when DOL posts the winning Technical Proposals, applicants whose technical proposals will be posted will be asked to submit a second redacted version of their Technical Proposal, with any proprietary, confidential commercial/business, and PII redacted. All non-public information about the applicant’s staff should be removed as well. The Department will contact the applicants whose technical proposals will be published by letter or email, and provide further directions about how and when to submit the redacted version of the Technical Proposal. Submission of a redacted version of the Technical Proposal will constitute permission by the applicant for DOL to make the redacted version publicly available. If an applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Technical Proposal, DOL will publish the original Technical Proposal in full, after redacting PII. (Note that the original, unredacted version of the Technical Proposal will remain part of the complete application package, including an applicant’s proprietary and confidential information and any personally identifiable information.)
Applicants are encouraged to maximize the grant application information that will be publicly disclosed, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, or capable of identifying a person. The redaction of entire pages or sections of the Technical Proposal is not appropriate, and will not be allowed, unless the entire portion merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate, DOL will follow the procedures outlined in the Department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).
Redacted information in grant applications will be protected by DOL from public disclosure in accordance with federal law, including the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1905), FOIA, and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). If DOL receives a FOIA request for your application, the procedures in DOL’s FOIA regulations for responding to requests for commercial/business information submitted to the government will be followed, as well as all FOIA exemptions and procedures. 29 CFR § 70.26. Consequently, it is possible that application of FOIA rules may result in release of information in response to a FOIA request that an applicant redacted in its “redacted copy.”
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 reviewed. 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://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). 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. As stated in block 21 of the SF-424 form, the signature of the authorized representative on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and Certifications form SF-424B (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). The SF-424B is not required to be submitted with the application.
In addition, the applicant’s signature in block 21 of the SF-424 form constitutes assurance by the applicant of the following in accordance with 29 CFR § 37.20:
As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title I of WIA, the grant applicant assures that it will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws: Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which prohibits discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States or participation in any WIA Title I—financially assisted program or activity; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color and national origin; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. The grant applicant also assures that it will comply with 29 CFR part 37 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance.
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://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). 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 will not be 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. An awardee 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 will not be reviewed.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. In addition to the Technical Proposal, the applicant must submit the following attachments:
A. Technical Proposal Attachments Required for Review of the Application:
An up to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project, including but not limited to the scope of the project, how the program strategies are targeted to the characteristics common to female ex-offenders, proposed outcomes, a brief discussion of the geographic area to be served by the grant, the number of eligible participants to be served, the applicants’ recruitment strategy, how each project component will be integrated into the program and the training provided that leads to industry recognized credentials in demand industries If using grants.gov for submission, this document must be attached under the Mandatory Other Attachment section and labeled abstract. Please note that applicants will be held to outcomes provided and failure to meet those outcomes may have a significant impact on future grants with ETA;
Project/Performance Site Location(s) form (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). If using grants.gov for submission, this form must be attached under the required forms section. Please note that this is a standard form used for many programs and has a check box for applying as an individual. Disregard this box on the form as individuals are not eligible to apply for this solicitation;
Verification from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of non-profit 501(c)(3) status signed by an authorized representative of the IRS. ALL applicants must submit this verification even if current DOL grantee and documentation are assumed to be on file;
Letters of commitment and/or understanding from the required partners;
Charts documenting past grant performance and timeliness of reports as discussed in Section V; and
Previous grantor contact information as discussed in Section V.
The attachments listed above do not count against the 25-page limit for the Technical Proposal. Applications that do not include all of the required attachments listed above will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
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 on the closing date. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. 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 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 hardcopy 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: Latifa Jeter, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 11-12, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington DC 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. Grants.gov will reject applications if the applicant’s CCR is expired. 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, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .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 or 606-545-5035 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 proposed project 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 subgrant or contract under the grant or subgrant; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the grantee, subgrantee, 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. The grantee may not use federal funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where the Department has a license or rights of free use in such work. Grantees may be entitled to use such work with specific approval from the Grant Officer. 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 U.S. 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.”
Grant funds may be used to pay wages and related benefits for work experiences in the public, private for-profit, or non-profit sectors where the objective assessment and Individual Career Plan indicate that work experiences are appropriate. Payments may take the form of wages or stipends. Stipends are generally provided to participants for participating in classes and training. Wages are compensation for services performed for an employer. Grantees must comply with WIA section 181 and 20 CFR 667.272 of the WIA regulations, which detail the applicable wage and labor standards. If paying participants a stipend, grantees must maintain documentation on how the amount for the stipend was set and the parameters governing its distribution. Grantees providing wages or stipends to participants should be aware of the implications under IRS provisions. Please consult www.irs.gov for more information.
In addition, grantees are authorized to provide incentive payments to youth. WIA Sec. 129(a)(5) authorizes incentive payments to youth for recognition and achievement tied to training activities and work experiences. Incentive payments to adults are typically unallowable costs under WIA; however, 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. Incentive payments must be tied to the goals of the grant. The organization must have policies and procedures in place governing the award of incentives and the incentives provided under the grant must be in alignment with these organizational policies. In addition, incentive payments are generally considered miscellaneous compensation and are taxable. Please consult www.irs.gov for more information. Under this solicitation, grantees can use no more than 1.5% of the award for incentive payments.
Needs-related payments are a form of supportive services which are paid directly to participants or to other entities to cover specific items of cost incurred by the participant for allowable services that enable the individual to participate in the activity or program. See 20 CFR 663.815. Up to 1.5% of DOL grant funds may be used to provide needs-related payments to assist participants with costs related to transportation, child care, food or other household items, such as paying a utility bill to prevent shut-off. Needs-related payment should be tied directly to the cost identified and must be documented to support both the participant’s need for the service as well as the actual transaction. Grantees must have a consistent policy in place on the provision of needs-related payments.
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 criteria that will be used for each category to evaluate grant proposals. The evaluation criteria are described below:
Criterion |
Points |
|
10 |
|
50 |
|
25 |
|
15 |
TOTAL |
100 |
1. NEED IN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA TO BE SERVED (Up to 10 points)
Points will be awarded under this criterion based on the case you make in your proposal for the local need for the project. The strength of the case is based on:
The rationale for choosing the geographic area to be served. As noted earlier, the geographic area can be a city, a county, a sub-area of a city or county, a set of contiguous counties, an Indian Reservation, a local workforce investment area, or other similar geographic area. You must describe the area you propose to serve along with your rationale for choosing that area;
The extent of female involvement in gangs (if proposing a youth program) in the area. Provide a full explanation and the source of your data;
The resources currently available for serving returning ex-offenders with characteristics common to female ex-offenders in the target area. Provide a full explanation and the source of your data;
The current gaps in services to ex-offenders with characteristics common to female ex-offenders in the target area. Provide a full explanation and the source of your data; and
The extent to which there is a pool of eligible participants that is equal to or greater than the number of participants that the applicant proposes to serve in the geographic area. You must document that there is a sufficient number of female ex-offenders in the geographic area to be served to meet the number of participants that you propose to serve. See Section III. D. for definition of eligible participants.
Applicants proposing to serve juvenile ex-offenders must provide data from the juvenile justice system showing the number of juvenile female offenders in the target area who were in correctional facilities, in detention, in alternative sentencing programs, in diversion programs, on parole and on probation for the most recent year available;
Applicants proposing to serve adult ex-offenders must provide data from the criminal justice system showing the number of adult female offenders who returned to the target area from federal or state prisons and local jails in the most recent year available.
PROJECT DESIGN (Up to 50 points)
Describe how you will address the six project design components listed below. This criterion will be evaluated on the likely effectiveness of the project design as determined by the specific information, research, and analysis presented in support of the following:
A. Strategies of Empowerment and Self-Development (Up to 10 points)
Describe your personal development activities for participants, which include: the development of non-technical skills, abilities, and traits that participants need to function in a work environment.
Describe how these activities support one or more workplace competencies, which may include problem-solving and other cognitive skills, oral communication skills, personal qualities, work ethic, and interpersonal and teamwork skills.
Describe how the empowerment and self-development components are integrated into the overall program.
Describe how mentoring will be incorporated in the self-development and empowerment component of the program.
Describe the structure and activities of the mentoring component, such as whether the grant will provide one-on-one, group or service-based mentoring; how you will recruit mentors.
Describe how mentoring will assist participants with transitioning into the community, and may address issues such as family support and unification, and assistance with understanding how to secure supportive services.
If providing pre-release services, describe those services and how they will be provided.
B. Recruitment and Selection Strategy (Up to 5 points)
Describe how your recruitment strategies will recruit ex-offenders with characteristics common to female ex-offenders.
Describe your clear and consistent policy for recruitment and selection of participants, including how you will ensure that male and female offenders will be offered the same recruitment opportunities.
Describe the components and measurements of your enrollment assessment tool.
C. Strategies in Case Management (Up to 10 points)
Describe the ratio of case managers to participants and how the case managers will act as advocates for program participants.
Describe how case managers will assist community supervision officers in serving returning ex-offenders and in linking them to supportive services, such as: transportation, housing, mental health services, substance abuse treatment centers, legal aid services and organizations that assist with family reunification.
Describe how case managers will coordinate with child care agencies to ensure that participants with children have access to child care, and ensure that participants receive training in financial literacy; counseling about their civil rights, including civil rights issues related to criminal records and employment; and assistance applying for jobs and Federal benefits such as Pell Grants, Food Stamps and Medicaid.
Describe how case management services will bridge active program participation and the follow-up period to ensure adequate tracking of post-program outcomes and retention success for participants within the period of performance of the grant.
If providing pre-release services, describe the case management services that participants in confinement will receive before release, such as: planning to link them to supportive services and connections to transportation and housing assistance, mental health and other social services upon release.
D. Education and Training (Up to 10 points)
Based on the population you are serving (i.e. adult or youth), describe the educational components to be offered. Include the types of educational interventions and/or support such as: reading and math remediation; credit retrieval/compilation of credits from various high schools and correctional facilities; tutoring; high school diploma or other State-recognized educational credential attainment; GED instruction and attainment; language instruction for those with limited English proficiency; and assisting participants to complete college applications and financial aid forms. Include the number of hours or percentage of time spent in this activity.
Describe how these educational interventions will be integrated into career and occupational development, including nontraditional jobs for women.
Identify the type(s) of training offered that lead to credentials in demand industries in the local area.
Describe the process and resources used to identify these training program(s). You must use Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on training program(s) that are relevant to the employment needs of their local community. Describe the partnerships you have developed, such as partnerships with, the local public school system, registered apprenticeship programs, job training programs, vocational training programs, community and four-year colleges and their roles in the development and implementation of the training program(s).
E. Workforce Development (Up to 10 points)
Describe how you will assist participants in developing their career goals and understanding career pathway options.
Describe how you will develop an Individual Career Plan for each participant and what issues the plan will address.
Describe how you will develop and provide training opportunities in “non-traditional” jobs for women.
Describe how you will deliver the workforce development component, including: paid and unpaid work experience; on-the-job training (OJT); internships which allow participants to interact with professionals in their field of interest; vocational and occupational training opportunities, placement into apprenticeships, employment, and career exploration; paid and unpaid part-time work experience; and part-time employment and summer employment, depending on the population to be served.
If you propose to serve participants pre-release, describe how you will provide exposure to career pathway options and establish career goals for participants in confinement.
F. Follow-Up Services (Up to 5 points)
Describe the efforts that will be made to ensure sufficient follow-up services are provided to participants for a minimum of 3 to 4 months during the grant performance period.
Describe the follow-up services that will be provided, such as: regular contact with participants to ensure retention in employment and/or school; assistance in addressing work-related or school-related problems; assistance in securing better paying jobs or career development; furthering education; referrals to peer support groups; mentoring; and tracking progress made by participants in employment and/or education after training.
Describe the frequency and intervals of contact with participants during the follow-up component of the program.
3. PARTNERSHIPS (Up to 25 points)
Points for Partnerships will be rated based on the comprehensiveness of the responses and the descriptions and documentation provided to support the following:
Required Partnerships (Up to 20 Points)
Describe the extent to which the applicant has received commitments from the required partners listed in Section I.E (Required Partnerships and Roles). Letters of commitment and/or memoranda of understanding must be included as attachments to the Technical Proposal as documentation of required partnerships.
B. Additional Partnerships (Up to 5 Points)
Describe the progress made and extent to which the applicant has
received commitments from additional suggested partners listed in
Section I.F (Additional Partnerships for Youth and Adult
Programs).
4. ORGANIZATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL CAPACITY (Up to 15 points)
The rating methodology for this criterion is described in the bullet points below.
Discuss the length of time and the specific experience the organization has in operating programs for ex-offenders. Points will be determined based on the comprehensiveness of the response and the relevance of the response to this project. (Up to 5 points)
Performance Chart: In chart format, as an attachment to the technical proposal, all applicants must provide information on past grant performance as required by the grantor, using one of the categories below that is applicable for your organization. (up to 4 points):
Youth-Serving Applicants – If you have completed an ETA youth ex-offender grant on or after January 1, 2008, you must, with respect to the most recently completed youth ex-offender grant only, provide past grant performance goals established by DOL and the actual grant outcomes obtained for 1) enrollment and 2) placement (in employment, the military, post-secondary education, or advanced training/occupational skills training). If you have not completed an ETA youth ex-offender grant within the past four years, you must use data from a completed grant, not from DOL, using the instructions in the category below for Youth-Serving applicants that have not previously received an ETA youth ex-offender grant.
Adult-Serving Applicants - If you have completed an ETA adult Reintegration of Ex-Offenders (RExO), formerly known as the Prisoner Reentry Initiative, grant on or after January 1, 2008, you must, with respect to the most recently completed RExO adult grant only, provide past grant performance goals established by DOL and the actual grant outcomes obtained for 1) enrollment and 2) the entered employment rate. If you have not completed an ETA adult RExO grant within the past four years, you must use data from a completed grant, not from DOL, using the instructions in the category below for Adult-Serving applicants that have not previously received an ETA adult RExO grant.
Youth-Serving Applicants with no previous ETA youth ex-offender grant awards: You must provide information on the most recently completed grant that was completed on or after January 1, 2008 in which you served youth offenders. This may include a program or project that was funded by a Federal agency other than DOL, state or local agencies, one or more foundations, or funded from individual donations and contributions. You must select and provide two goals required by the grantor(s)/funder(s) and the actual outcomes obtained.
Adult-Serving Applicants with no previous ETA adult RExO grant awards: You must provide information on the most recently completed grant that was completed on or after January 1, 2008 in which you served adult ex-offenders. This may include a program or project that was funded by a Federal agency other than DOL, state or local agencies, one or more foundations, or funded from individual donations and contributions. Specifically, you must select and provide two goals required by the grantor(s)/funder(s) and the actual outcomes obtained.
All applicants may reference only one project that was awarded within the last four years, as described above. In the attachment, applicants must also provide the project grant number along with the name, title, organization, email address and telephone number of an individual from the previous grantor entity or agency who has oversight for the program referenced above and can verify the information stated by the applicant. If the goals, outcomes obtained and contact information are not provided in the attachment for the selected project, the applicant will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who demonstrate that they have exceeded their reported project goals will receive the full 4 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who met, but did not exceed, their reported project goals will receive 3 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who met only one project goal, but exceeded that goal, will receive 2 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who met only one goal and did not exceed that goal will receive 1 point for this sub-criterion. Applicants who did not meet either goal, will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion.
ETA reserves the right to confirm this information for all applicants.
Performance Narrative: Explain the circumstances for the project referenced above that enabled you to meet the project goals or that prevented you from meeting them. You should discuss the systems in place that allowed you to meet the goals or, if you did not meet the goals, explain how those challenges were overcome to make the project as successful as possible. Points will be determined based on the level of success indicated by the evidence provided. (up to 4 points)
Timely Reporting: In chart format as an attachment to the technical proposal, you must provide the two most recent grant report due dates and the actual dates on which the reports were submitted for the grant project identified above. These reports can be programmatic, financial or other reports required by the grant. (up to 2 points)
If these dates are not provided in the attachment, applicants will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants that demonstrate that they met both due dates will receive 2 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants that demonstrate that they met only one due date will receive 1 point for this sub-criterion. Applicants that did not meet any of the due dates will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion.
If the contact person from the grantor entity or agency who can verify timely submission of reports differs from the contact person verifying past grant performance goals and actual grant outcomes, you must submit the name, title, email address and telephone number for this additional individual. Include this information in the attachment for this sub-criterion.
ETA reserves the right to confirm this information for all applicants.
Applications for grants under this Solicitation will be accepted after the publication of this announcement and until the specified time on 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 responses to the required information described in section V.A. The ranked scores will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for funding, in conjunction with other factors such as geographic balance; the availability of funds; and which proposals are most advantageous to the government. The panel 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 email and may request a written debriefing on the significant weaknesses of their proposal.
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 such items as program components, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems in place to support grant implementation. 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 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 29 CFR 95.13 and Part 98 (Governmentwide 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 they have 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.
iv. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information
Applicant’s submitting proposals in response to this SGA must recognize that confidentiality of sensitive data is of paramount importance to the Department of Labor and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting a proposal, Grantees are assuring that all data exchanges conducted through or during the course of performance of this grant will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal law. All such activity conducted by ETA and/or Grantee/s will be performed in a manner consistent with applicable state and Federal laws.
By submitting a grant proposal, the applicant agrees to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality by complying with the following provisions that are applicable in governing their handling of confidential information:
Grantees shall not extract information from data supplied by DOL/ETA for any purpose not stated in the SGA.
Grantees shall retain data received from DOL/ETA only for the period of time required to use it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable federal records retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, the Grantee agrees that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and permanent deletion of electronic data.
Grantees shall ensure that any information used during the performance of this Grant has been obtained and is being transmitted in conformity with applicable Federal and state laws governing the confidentiality of information. Information transmitted to DOL/ETA containing sensitive information including personally identifiable information (PII) must be encrypted using National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 validated products. The encrypted information must be encrypted in a form that would allow the receiver of the information to decrypt the information without installing additional software or tools.
Access to any information created by DOL/ETA shall be restricted to only those employees of the Grant recipient who need it in their official capacity to perform duties in connection with the Scope of Work outlined in this SGA.
Grantee employees and other personnel who will have access to sensitive/confidential/proprietary/private data shall be advised of the confidential nature of the information, the safeguards required to protect the information, and the civil and criminal sanctions for noncompliance with such safeguards that are contained in Federal and state laws.
Prior to being able to have access to confidential data, Grantee employees and other personnel shall execute a standard document acknowledging their understanding of the confidential nature of the data and the safeguards with which they must comply in their handling of such data as well as the fact that they may be liable to civil and criminal sanctions for improper disclosure.
Grantees further acknowledge that all data obtained through DOL/ETA shall be stored in an area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized persons at all times and the data will be processed using grantee issued equipment, managed information technology (IT) services, and designated locations approved by DOL/ETA. Accessing, processing, and storing of DOL/ETA data on personally owned equipment, at off-site locations e.g. employee’s home, and non-Grantee managed IT services e.g. yahoo mail, is strictly prohibited unless approved by DOL/ETA.
All data shall be processed in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of the records/documents and is designed to prevent unauthorized persons from retrieving such records by computer, remote terminal or any other means. Data may be downloaded to, or maintained on, mobile or portable devices only if the data are encrypted using NIST FIPS 140-2 validated products. In addition, wage data may only be accessed from secure locations.
Data obtained by the Grantee through a request shall not be disclosed to third parties except as permitted by the Grant Officer.
Grantees shall permit ETA to make onsite inspections during regular business hours for the purpose of conducting audits and/or to conduct other investigations to assure that the Grantee is complying with the confidentiality requirements described above. In accordance with this responsibility, Grantees shall make records applicable to this Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection, review, and/or audit.
Grantees shall take the steps necessary to ensure the privacy of all PII obtained from participants and/or other individuals and to protect such information from disclosure to unauthorized individuals. Grantees shall maintain such PII in accordance with the DOL/ETA standards for information security provided herein, including any updates to such standards provided to the Grantee by DOL/ETA. Grantees shall report immediately to the DOL ETA Information Security Officer (ISO) any suspected or confirmed breaches or compromise of PII obtained from participants and/or other individuals.
3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, DOL/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.
4. Special Program Requirements
A. Evaluation.
DOL may require that the program or project participate in a formal evaluation of overall grant performance. To measure the impact of the grant program, DOL may conduct an independent evaluation of the outcomes and benefits of the projects. By accepting the grant funds, the grantee agrees to make individual records on participants, employers and funding available to the evaluator(s) under the direction of DOL with appropriate measures to protect the confidentially of participants. Please note this evaluation may make use of program MIS data, local administrative data on crime and recidivism, and program progress reports. DOL recognizes that there will be limitations on this cooperation due to State confidentiality requirements on data on individual offenders. It is critical that the grantee keep this information up to date and accurate for both performance measurement and evaluation purposes.
B. Performance Goals.
These grants will be subject to performance goals measuring their progress in meeting the goals of the grant. National goals will be set after grant award in the following areas for youth and adult programs:
The placement rate of participants including placement in employment, post-secondary institutions, returning to secondary education, advanced training or occupational skills training
Wage earnings for adult program participants only;
The retention of participants in employment and education placements in the quarter after program completion;
The recidivism rate of young adult and adult ex-offenders served aged 18 and above and
The rate at which participants receive high school diplomas and GEDs or equivalent education credentials and industry-recognized certifications.
Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. Quarterly financial reports, quarterly performance reports, including required data regarding performance goals, and quarterly narrative reports 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 performance report within 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. This report is 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 outcomes. This reporting will require post-placement follow-up and tracking of participants. For youth-serving programs, this report will be submitted via email or postal mail. For adult-serving programs, this report will be submitted electronically through a Web-based MIS system that will be provided to grantees. Grantees must have a high-speed internet connection in order to access this system. For all grantees, the last quarterly performance report that grantees submit will serve as the grant’s Final Performance Report.
Quarterly Narrative Reports
Grantees will be required to submit a Quarterly Narrative Report within 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. This report 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 will provide grantees with further guidance about the content of the narrative report, which will be submitted via email or postal mail for youth-serving programs and via the Web-based MIS system used to submit the Quarterly Performance Reports for adult-serving programs.
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 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 11-12, and along with their 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. Web-Based Resources
DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. For example, the CareerOneStop portal (http://www.careeronestop.org), provides tools to help job seekers explore careers, investigate salary and benefit information, research education and training opportunities, plan a job search and browse job sites, write and improve resumes and cover letters, and prepare for a job interview ; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Online (http://online.onetcenter.org ) supports workers and students in career planning by accessing key data for identifying and developing workplace skills; and America's Service Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org), connects people to local offices providing employment and training services, and provides maps and driving directions to the nearest One Stop Career Center and unemployment insurance filing assistance. America’s Service Locator has information on more than 20,000 local resources and offices.
B. 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 and talent development programs. To learn about the 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 National Career Clusters™ Framework provides a structure for organizing and delivering quality Career Technology Education programs through comprehensive programs of study (POS). As an organizing tool for curriculum design and instruction, this national framework provides the essential knowledge and skills for the 16 Career Clusters™ and their Career Pathways. It also functions as a useful guide in developing programs of study bridging secondary and postsecondary curriculum and for creating individual student plans of study for a complete range of career options.
. Information about the sixteen career cluster areas can be found by accessing: www.careerclusters.org.
C. Workforce3One Resources
1. ETA encourages applicants to view the information gathered through the conference calls with Federal agency partners, industry stakeholders, educators, and local practitioners. The information on resources identified can be found on Workforce3One.org at: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/2001008333909172195/info.
D. My Next Move
My Next Move, is a new online tool intended to assist all job seekers, but may be especially useful for students, young adults and other first-time workers as they explore potential careers.
The new website allows users to search by occupation, by industry and using the O*NET Interest Profiler, which matches an individual’s interests with suitable occupations by asking 60 questions. Users can also search for occupations in three categories: careers with a “bright outlook” in growing industries, occupations that are part of the “green” economy and occupations that have a Registered Apprenticeship program.
Each occupation that a user selects has an easy-to-read, one-page profile, including information about what knowledge, skills and abilities are needed; the occupation’s outlook; the level of education required; technologies used within the occupation; and other, similar jobs. In addition, each occupation profile includes direct links to local salary information, training opportunities and relevant job openings.
E. my Skills my Future
The website enables job seekers to match their occupational skills and experience with the skills needed in other occupations. This is a self-help website to help those individuals who are in transition and want to seek out new opportunities or looking for their next career opportunity. Along with possible education and training in those fields, it also can be used by organizations in an effort to help retain current employees.
The site also has links to job openings, specific training/education information and links to the skills required for specific jobs.
2. 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.
IX. Other Information
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 SOLICITATION.
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 XXXXX, in Washington, D.C. by:
Latifa Jeter
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration
1 There may be circumstances in which applicants whose gender designation is male will be unable to qualify for a program for physical / biological reasons, such as in a program that is targeted to ex-offenders who are pregnant. Such circumstances, however, will be extremely rare: for the vast majority of programs, organizers should assume that they will receive applications from persons whose gender designation or gender identity is male, but who display the characteristics the program is intended to address (such as committing the types of status offenses or assaults against family members, or experiencing the types of sexual or other physical victimization, discussed in the following paragraphs of the main text). Excluding such persons on the sole basis of their gender would be unlawful.
2 Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, D.C., Report prepared by the National Center for Juvenile Justice.
3 “Youth’s Characteristics and Backgrounds: Findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement,” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, D.C., December 2010.
4 See The Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency”, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, April, 2010 and the Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report cited above.
5 “Youth’s Characteristics and Backgrounds: Findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement.” Also, see Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report.
6 “Youth’s Characteristics and Backgrounds: Findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement.” Also see Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report.
7 The Girls Study Group, “Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context,” Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, May, 2008.
8 The Girls Study Group, “Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context.”
9 The Girls Study Group, “Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context.”
10 The Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency”, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, April, 2010. Also see the other bulletins in the Girls Study Group Series, including “Resilient Girls—Factors that Protect Against Delinquency,” January, 2009; “Charting the Way to Delinquency Prevention for Girls,” October, 2008; and “Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context,” May, 2008.
11 See the Girls Study Group reports “Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context,” and “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency”.
12 Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency.”
13 Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency.”
14 Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency”.
15 Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency.”
16 “Youth’s Characteristics and Backgrounds: Findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement” cited above.
17 Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency”.
18 Girls Study Group, “Causes and Correlates of Girls’ Delinquency”.
19 “Youth’s Characteristics and Backgrounds: Findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement.”
20 Jennie Shufelt and Joseph Cocozza, “Youth with Mental Health Disorders in the Juvenile Justice System: Results from a Multi-State Prevalence Study,” National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, June 2006.
21 See Jennie Shufelt and Joseph Cocozza cited above.
22 “Justice by Gender: The Lack of Appropriate Prevention, Diversion, and Treatment Alternatives for Girls in the Justice System,” a Report Jointly Issued by the American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, May 2001.
23 See Crime in the United States 2010, Table 33, Ten-Year Arrest Trends by Sex, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice.
24 See Crime in the United States 2010, Table 33 cited above.
25 Crime in the United States 2010, Table 33.
26 Crime in the United States 2010, Table 33.
27 Crime in the United States 2010, Table 33.
28 Crime in the United States 2010, Table 33.
29 Heather West, William Sabol, and Sarah Greenman, “Prisoners in 2009,” Bureau of Justice Statistics Monograph, U.S. Department of Justice, December 2010.
30 See Heather West, William Sabol, and Sarah Greenman, “Prisoners in 2009,” cited above and the data table spreadsheets for males and females under “Prisoners in Custody of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 1983-98” under National Prisoner Statistics on the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, web page.
31 Greenfield, L.A. and Snell, T.L. “Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Women Offenders.” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, revised October 3, 2000.
32 Timmons-Mitchell, J., Brown, C., Schulz, S.C., Webster, S.E., Underwood, L.A. and Semple, W.E. “Comparing the Mental Health Needs of Female and Male Incarcerated Juvenile Delinquents.” Behavioral Sciences and the Law 15: 195-202, 1997; Bloom, B., Owen, B., Covington, S. and Raeder, M. “Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders.” National Institute of Corrections, October 2002.
33 Glaze, L. E. and Maruschak, L.M. “Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children.” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, revised March 3, 21010. http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/pptmc.pdf
34 Greenfield, L.A. and Snell, T.L. “Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Women Offenders.” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, revised October 3, 2000.
35 Memorandums 07-16 and 06-19. GAO Report 08-536, Privacy: Alternatives Exist for Enhancing Protection of Personally Identifiable Information, May 2008, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08536.pdf.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | DEPARTMENT OF LABOR |
| Author | frugoli.pam |
| Last Modified By | Naradzay.Bonnie |
| File Modified | 2012-03-13 |
| File Created | 2012-03-13 |