Jobs for Veterans State Grants Application and Planning Instructions for Fiscal Years 2015-2019

JOBS FOR VETERANS STATE GRANTS APPLICATION

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) hereby requests applications for grant funding to provide services to veterans for Fiscal Years (FY) 2015- 2019 as authorized under Title 38 United States Code (38 U.S.C.), Chapter 41. Grant applications must include a budget forecast for FY 2015 only. A new budget forecast based on annually allocated funding will be requested by VETS for each subsequent year of the grant period.

The State Agency authorized to enter into agreements with the DOL to operate the Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) and the Workforce Agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Governments of the Virgin Islands and Guam and the District of Columbia will be provided funds for FY 2015. The grant funding amounts provided are for planning purposes and determined by the funding formula provided at Chapter 20, Part 1001, Subpart F of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The actual amount to be made available to each State is dependent upon the annual Congressional appropriation.

Approximately one percent of the funding provided may be used for postage and an equivalent amount may be requested for the Incentive Awards program described in these application instructions.

This Application contains the following:

• General Program Application Information and Government Requirements.

• Formula Funding Levels, Instructions, and Application Form Information.

• Certifications, Assurances and Grant Provisions.

Consistent with electronic government (E-Gov) mandates, the application instructions are available at http://www.dol.gov/vets/grants/state/jvsg_forms.htm.

The application instructions provided indicate how the State Plan and required forms will be processed prior to being entered into Grants.gov.

VETS’ Directors for Veterans’ Employment and Training (DVETs) are familiar with this application and are available to provide any and all technical assistance needed to prepare the FY 2015-2019 JVSG application.

Cassandra Mitchell

Grant Officer

Procurement Services Center

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DATES 1

CONTACT INFORMATION 1

PURPOSE OF THIS APPLICATION 1

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 1

PART I: BACKGROUND 1

PART II: FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 2

PART III: REFERENCES 3

PART IV: ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS 4

PART V: ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES 4

PART VI: SERVICE PRIORITIES 5

PART VII: DVOP SPECIALIST/LVER STAFF ASSIGNMENT 6

PART VIII: DVOP/LVER RESPONSIBILITIES 6

ROLE OF THE DVOP SPECIALIST 7

ROLE OF LVER STAFF 7

PART IX: INTENSIVE SERVICES 8

PART X: INCENTIVE AWARDS 8

PART XI: SPECIAL INITIATIVES 8

PART XII: MONITORING AND REPORTING 8

PART XIII: REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT APPLICATION 9

SECTION I - Executive Transmittal 10

SECTION II - Program Narrative (State Plan) 11

SECTION III - Annual Budget Forecast (FY 2010) 15

PART XIV: THE REVIEW PROCESS 16

PART XV: OTHER RESOURCE LINKS and ATTACHMENTS 16

DATES: State Grant Applications will be accepted from eligible applicants commencing on the date of publication of these Application instructions. Final applications are due to the appropriate State Director for Veterans' Employment and Training (DVET) no later than July 28, 2014. Applications that do not meet the criteria set forth in these instructions may not be accepted.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Questions should be referred to the appropriate State DVET.

PURPOSE OF THIS APPLICATION: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) requests authorized state agencies, districts and U.S. territories (referred to herein as state agencies) to submit one application per state to operate Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) programs in accordance with Title 38, Chapter

41 and 42 of the United States Code (38 U.S.C.).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

PART I: BACKGROUND

In accordance with 38 U.S.C. §4102A(b)(5-7) and §4102A(c), the Assistant Secretary for

Veterans' Employment and Training (ASVET) makes grant funds available for use in each State to support Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER) staff, supervises the distribution and use of those funds, and monitors the performance of recipients. To receive grant funding the statute requires States to submit an application for a grant that contains a narrative plan, hereinafter referred to as the State Plan, which describes:

• The projected employment outlook for veterans in the State;

• Consistent with VPLs 03-14 and 04-14 or any later guidance, the population(s) of veterans to be served;

• How grant-funded staffs are deployed to serve veterans;

• The duties assigned to DVOP specialists and LVER staff that fulfill the requirements of Sections 4103A and 4104 of Title 38 and Veterans’ Program Letter (VPL) 03-14 and/or any more current VPL on the subject;

• The manner in which DVOP specialists and LVER staff are integrated in the State's employment delivery service system or American Job Centers (AJCs);

• How the State provides or intends to provide, through both the DVOP and AJC partner staff (1) job and job training intensive services, (2) employment placement services, and (3) job-driven training and subsequent placement service program for eligible veterans and eligible persons;

• How the State implements and monitors the administration of priority of service to covered persons;

• The Incentive Award Program that is planned and uses a limited percentage of grant funds (1%); and

• The State’s plan for how it intends to fulfill the requirement in 38 U.S.C. 4102A(c)(8)(A) that DVOP and LVER staff receive training from the National Veterans' Employment and Training Services Institute within 18 months of assignment.

PART II: FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Grants awarded under this process will span a period of five years unless notified otherwise. Funding amounts will be awarded annually through grant modifications based upon enacted appropriation laws. Grantees are required to provide activity, fiscal and performance reports and are accountable for compliance with standards of performance and other grant-related matters in accordance with directives issued by VETS through Veterans' Program Letters (VPLs).

Standards of performance will comply with current legislative requirements and be consistent with VETS' mission and strategic goals. They will be formulated to be Government Performance and Results Act compliant and will be compatible with measures developed by the DOL's Employment and Training Administration.

States should use the appropriate allocation estimate for the period to present its plan for programs and activities authorized by 38 U.S.C. Chapters 41 and 42. The total base funding estimate for each State is provided in the Preliminary Estimate of Funding column of Attachment I. This column includes the 1% set aside that can only be used for approved Incentive Award Programs. The last column contains the Preliminary Estimate of Funding for States that do not plan to use Incentive Award funding.

The FY 2015 planning estimates shown in Attachment 1 may differ from the funding made available in FY 2014 through VPL 01-14 Change 1. This is a result of the application of the JVSG funding formula, which is based on annual data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the distribution of unemployed veterans across the nation. Any state whose FY 2015 planning estimate is less than the total FY 2014 funding made available through VPL 01-14 Change 1, may request additional funds, up to the FY 2014 level, in order to continue to support the increased staffing levels through FY 2015.

States are not permitted to initially request funding for special Initiatives in response to this application process, but may request additional funding for this purpose under a completely separate request in accordance with the most recent VPL on the subject of requesting Mid-Year or Interim Modification Requests.

States will develop an annual Budget Plan that allocates the total funding requested to each of the programs authorized, i.e. DVOP, LVER, and Incentive Awards. If a state cannot administer a program of performance incentive awards, those funds (1%) should not be requested and will be subject to reallocation.

Federal government obligations and funding for future years are contingent upon the availability of continued authorization and appropriations. If, in any year, a timely appropriation is not enacted into law, or if the actual appropriation falls below the projection, the DOL reserves the right, upon proper notice to the grantee, to unilaterally reduce the grant amounts to reflect the actual amounts available in the funding resolution or annual appropriation. Based upon under-expenditures, VETS may adjust a grantee's funding through the reallocation process.

PART III: REFERENCES

The following references apply:

• 38 U.S.C., Chapters 41 and 42, as amended;

• 20 CFR, Part 1001, Services for Veterans;

• 20 CFR, Part 1010, Priority of Service for Covered Persons;

• 29 CFR, Part 96, Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts and Other Agreements;

• 29 CFR, Part 97, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments (OMB Circular A-102);

• 29 CFR, Part 31 and 32 Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted programs of the Department of Labor, Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964; and Nondiscrimination of the Basis of Handicap in Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance;

• OMB Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_default;

• VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, Title II of Public Law 112-56 section 241,: Requirement for the U.S. Department of Labor, VETS, to conduct regular audits to ensure compliance with the statutory duties of DVOP Specialists and LVERs;

• Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, Public Law 107-288; 20 CFR Part 1001, Subpart D: Authority granted the U.S. Department of Labor, VETS, to implement a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) based on State non-compliance with Public Law 107-288 and the most current VPL’s on the SWA administration of the JVSG in accordance with the terms of this grant;

• VPL 03-14 or the most current VPL on the subject of Roles and Responsibilities of the DVOP Specialist and LVER staff;

• VPL 04-14 or the most current VPL on the subject of designating additional populations of veterans eligible for services.

• VPL 05-05 or the most current VPL on the subject of Allowable Charges to the Jobs for Veterans State Grant;

• VPL 03-10 or the most current VPL on the subject of Interim Modifications to the Jobs for Veterans State Grant;

• VPL 03-11, Change 1 or the most current VPL on the subject of Negotiating Performance Goals;

• VPL 01-09, National Implementation of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment and Veterans' Employment and Training Service Partnership Project, dated December 11, 2008 (or the most current guidance on this subject);

• VPL 02-07, Annual Performance Incentive Awards for State Employees and Employment Service Offices, dated May 1, 2007 (or the most current guidance on the subject);

• VPL 01-14 Change 1, Distribution of Additional Fiscal Year 2014 Funds – Jobs for Veterans State Grant Programs, dated March 4, 2014; and

• Training and Employment Guidance Letter 04-06, Plans to Phase out Penalty Mail Costs for "Employment Security" Programs and Availability of Supplemental Budget Funds for Conversion to Commercial Mail Methods, dated August 15, 2006.

PART IV: ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

The JVSGs are offered non-competitively. Applications for funds available under this process will be accepted only from one designated administrative entity within each state, generally the state agency that operates the public labor exchange delivery system within the state.

PART V: ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

The JVSG is a formula grant that supports DVOP specialist and LVER staff positions. Cost projections, once approved by the Assistant Secretary, become the basis for spending during each Federal fiscal year. The total annual formula allocation provided by VETS should be used to forecast expenditures in up to three grant activities: DVOP Activities, LVER Activities and the Incentive Award Program. The total costs forecast for each grant activity are divided among the standard object class categories of Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Other, and Indirect.

Indirect costs are chargeable to each grant activity except the Incentive Award Program in accordance with each State's cost allocation plan(s) or one or more approved indirect cost rates. Indirect costs are defined by OMB CircularA-87. The Cognizant Federal Agency, or usually the U.S. Department of Labor's Division of Cost Determination, approves the cost allocation plan or indirect cost rate(s) and applicable allocation base(s) for each State Agency receiving grant funds.

Note: Although OMB Circular (A-87) adopts the concept of the full allocation of indirect costs and cost allocation methodologies, annual VETS appropriation restricts the reimbursement of indirect costs associated to previous fiscal years, therefore it may be necessary to develop a special rate for the JVSG award with the DOL or State cognizant agency.

OMB Circular A-87. Selling and Marketing states:

"Costs of selling and marketing any products or services of the governmental unit are unallowable (unless allowed under section 1.of this appendix as allowable public relations costs or under section 33.)"

Direct charges to the grant for marketing or advertising the grantee agency are prohibited. Direct charges to the JVSG for marketing are allowed only to the extent that the materials or activities promote only the DVOP and/or LVER program and only to the extent that the materials do not benefit more than one Federal Award. Since marketing veterans to employers will normally benefit more than one Federal Award, a cost pool created from indirect costs shared by all agency funding is the acceptable source for developing such materials or engaging in those activities. Funds to conduct forums or job fairs are prohibited costs under the "Other" object class category. These activities may only be funded as part of an indirect cost pool.

Four general rules apply to all costs associated with the JVSG:

• To avoid duplicate charges, the same cost entries cannot be recorded in more than one grant activity, i.e. the hours charged to Special Initiatives (SI) must be recorded only as SI costs and may not also be entered as DVOP or LVER costs;

• Incentive Award Program costs are charged to the LVER Program regardless of the beneficiaries of these funds;

• Annually awarded JVSG funds may only be expended for obligations incurred during the same annual funding period and only to support the grant-funded staff or administration of the grant; and,

• Approved planned costs cannot be shifted from one grant activity to another without approval of a grant modification request.

To fulfill the ASVET's mandate at 38 U.S.C. 4102A (b) (6) to "monitor and supervise on a continuing basis the distribution and use of funds provided for use in the States [for JVSG]," VETS will monitor total quarterly obligations and expenditures. Additionally, VETS will monitor the ratio of the costs incurred for Personal Services (PS) and Personnel Benefits (PB) to the total costs incurred (PS + PB to Total) to determine if States are varying from approved annual plans and to suggest adjustments, as appropriate.

PART VI: SERVICE PRIORITIES

The JVSG, in and of itself, does not constitute a State's Veterans' Program.

As established in legislation, the JVSG is but one component of an umbrella of programs that are required by law to provide service to veterans. The DVOP specialists and LVER staff funded by the grant fill a particular niche in that overall program of services to veterans. To ensure that DVOP and LVER staff are focused on their primary statutory responsibilities, under VPLs 03-14 and 04-14, DVOP specialists must focus on providing intensive services and may only serve veterans with significant barriers to employment (SBEs) and veterans 18-24, while under VPL 03-14, LVERs must perform employer outreach and facilitation within the state’s employment service delivery system on behalf of all veterans in the AJC.

PART VII: DVOP/LVER STAFF ASSIGNMENT

This grant provides funds to exclusively serve eligible veterans and eligible persons as defined at 38 U.S.C. 4101(4-5). States will not assign JVSG funded staff to functions that may conflict with this purpose or with Title 38, Chapter 41 requirements, applicable regulations (20 CFR 1001, et. seq.), JVSG Special Grant Provisions or guidance from VETS. State plans must demonstrate that JVSG staff will be assigned and utilized in accordance with the applicable provisions of Title 38 and VPLs 03-14 (or the most current VPL on the duties or roles and responsibilities of JVSG staff), and the General and Special provisions of this grant application to meet the employment and training needs of eligible veterans and eligible persons. 38 U.S.C., 4102A (b) (3) requires the ASVET to coordinate and consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) with respect to "rehabilitation and training activities carried out under chapter 31 of" Title 38, U.S. Code. To fulfill this requirement, VETS and the VA last executed a Memorandum of Understanding in October of 2005. In December of 2008, the two agencies jointly launched a national Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) to improve the quality of employment services and outcomes for veterans with disabilities. In accordance with the TAG, distributed to States via VPL 01-09, each State Agency is required to appoint a DVOP specialist or other appropriate state agency staff to function as the Intensive Services Coordinator (ISC). Many States may already fulfill this requisite by out­stationing DVOP specialists at VR&E offices. Beginning in FY 2010, assignment of a half-or full-time ISC (as negotiated between the DVET, the state agency and the VA) was required as a part of the State’s staffing plan and is required with the FY 2015-2019 JVSG application as well.

If approved, DVOP specialists may be assigned to other locations for meaningful and productive outreach activities to serve veterans and eligible persons. Such off-site locations include, but are not limited to:

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (U.S. DVA);

• Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) for the U.S. DVA;

• Military treatment facilities (MTF) and Warrior Transition Units/Battalions (WTU/WTB);

• Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program (IVTP) grantee locations;

• Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) grantee locations;

PART VIII: DVOP/LVER RESPONSIBILITIES

VETS continues to encourage states to fully integrate the JVSG staff into the AJC network; however, states must ensure that DVOP specialists and LVERs are providing those services identified in VPL 03-14 or later guidance and that DVOP specialists are serving only those veterans and eligible persons identified in VPL 03-14, 04-14, or later guidance.

Consistent with the provisions added to 38 USC 4103A and 4104 by the VOW Act, the Secretary has determined that the use of JVSG staff for any purpose other than serving eligible veterans and eligible persons will detract from their ability to provide adequate service to those populations. As such, states must ensure JVSG staff are providing services as described in the most current VPL on the subject and are not used for purposes other than those delineated there.

Individuals assigned to perform the duties of a DVOP specialist or an LVER must satisfactorily complete specialized training provided by the National Veterans' Training Institute (NVTI) during the 18 month period that begins on the date upon which the employee is so assigned. The specialized training courses required for DVOP specialists are Labor and Employment Specialist (LES) and Case Management (CM). The specialized training courses required for LVER staff are LES and Promoting Partnerships for Employment (PPE).

ROLE OF THE DVOP SPECIALIST:

In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 4103A(a), DVOP Specialists must prioritize service to special disabled and other disabled veterans, as defined by 38 U.S.C. 4211, and to other eligible veterans in accordance with priorities determined by the Secretary. The statute also requires that DVOP Specialists place maximum emphasis on assisting veterans who are economically or educationally disadvantaged. To more fully focus the activities of federally funded DVOP Specialists on the provision of intensive services to these categories of veterans most in need of intensive services, VETS has provided guidance under VPL 03-14 and 04-14 limiting the populations of veterans that may be served and is providing the following guidance: DVOP Specialists must provide services to eligible veterans and eligible persons, to those with a SBE, or veterans aged 18-24. In serving these individuals, DVOP Specialists must focus on providing intensive services.

ROLE OF LVER STAFF:

LVERs will be assigned duties in accordance with VPL 03-14 or the most recent VPL on the subject that promote the advantages of hiring veterans to employers, employer associations, and business groups as well as those duties that facilitate employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans in a State under the applicable State employment service delivery systems. When employer outreach is primarily accomplished by a “business services team” or like entity, the LVER should be included as an active member of that team. LVERs should advocate for all eligible veterans and eligible persons served by the AJC with business, industry, and other community-based organizations by participating in appropriate outreach activities such as:

• Participation in job and career fairs;

• Coordinating with unions, apprenticeship programs and businesses or business organizations to promote and secure employment and training programs for veterans;

• Informing Federal contractors of the process to recruit qualified veterans; and

• Promoting credentialing and licensing opportunities for veterans.

LVER funds may be used to support no more than one LVER position as a State Coordinator to provide functional supervision over the State's veterans' employment program. Costs associated with such approved position(s) may be charged directly to the grant. Additional oversight positions may be assigned at no cost to the grant. Any funded LVER positions used as central office coordinators or support staff reduce the number of LVER staff intended to be available to serve employers within the State. Requests for additional LVER positions for coordination and support purposes must be requested through a waiver and are subject to approval by the ASVET. States with previously approved waivers are required to resubmit a waiver request for the FY 2015-2019 multi-year grant period.

PART IX: INTENSIVE SERVICES

Previously identified national emphasis populations can best be served using a case management approach (as taught by NVTI) for the delivery of intensive services. For VETS purposes, case management and intensive services involve integrated activities. The prerequisites for intensive services include both; (1) completion of an assessment and (2) development of a documented individual employment plan.

PART X: INCENTIVE AWARDS

One percent of the funds made available to support the DVOP and LVER programs are specifically designated to recognize excellent service to veterans by individuals/ groups and offices. Refer to VPL 02-07 or the most recent VPL on this subject that outlines the criteria grantees are to follow in administering performance incentive award programs. State laws and union agreements may prohibit distribution of incentives to individuals. In those cases and when States do not fully expend approved Incentive Award funding VETS will reallocate the unassigned/unobligated incentive funds for other uses.

VETS is required to provide detailed information on the expenditure of Incentive Award funds in its Annual Report to Congress by February 1st of each year. Therefore, States with approved Incentive Award plans must complete the award selection process by September 30th of each year in order to be able to properly obligate (as defined in the glossary of terms) incentive award funds. Obligated incentive award funds must be liquidated by December 31st of the same year. Adjustments will be made to subsequent fiscal year funding for any portion of such funds that are not utilized within the prescribed time period or are not used for the intended purpose.

PART XI: SPECIAL INITIATIVES

States are not permitted to request any FY 2015 funds for Special Initiatives in response to this application. States may request additional funding for proposed or continuing Special Initiatives under a completely separate request in accordance with the most recent VPL on the subject of requesting Mid-Year Modifications requests. As noted in Part II above, states may request additional funding in response to this application if the FY 2015 estimates are less than the funding levels identified in VPL 01-14 Change 1.

PART XII: MONITORING AND REPORTING

Monitoring: Grantees will be responsible for monitoring the use of funds by designated Workforce areas within the State. They will monitor priority of service to veterans to ensure that all State agency staff are in compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements regarding all Department of Labor funded programs.

VETS is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of each formula grant in accordance with the provisions of this announcement and the terms of the grant award document. Applicants should assume that Department staff, or their designees will periodically conduct program reviews and on-site validation visits. These reviews will focus on activities to evaluate processes aimed at achieving the State's program goals and objectives, expenditure of grant funds on allowable activities, integration and coordination with other resources and service providers in the local area, and overall progress in achieving negotiated performance outcomes.

Reporting: Grantees will be required to submit quarterly financial reports to their respective DVET within 30 days of the end of each Federal fiscal year quarter. Narrative progress and performance reports will be submitted within 45 days after the end of each Federal fiscal year quarter. Final DVOP and LVER financial and expenditure reports will be submitted within 30 days of end of the final quarter for each program as determined by liquidation of all obligations. VETS will analyze the data and reports to ensure the grant is used exclusively to serve veterans and other eligible persons and that other terms of the State Plan are followed throughout the grant period. Detailed quarterly reporting requirements can be found in the most recent guidance on recurring reports and in the JVSG Special Grant Provisions.

VETS has established performance goals that are consistent with DOL goals. Grantees will be expected to achieve the outcomes associated with these performance goals as negotiated annually.

PART XIII: REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT APPLICATION

Applicants are advised that their submission must meet and comply with the requirements established throughout this Solicitation, all provisions of 38 U.S.C., Chapters 41 and 42 and any provisions set forth by the Grant Officer in the grant award or subsequent approvals for grant modification.

To facilitate the submission of an acceptable application, each State is requested to submit a draft application, electronically or in hard copy to the DVET for review on or before the close of business on July 14, 2014. The final application will be submitted electronically or in hard copy to the DVET by close of business on July 28, 2014.

After final review and concurrence, the State will be notified by the DVET to submit the final version through www.grants.gov. If multiple copies are submitted through grants.gov VETS will accept and verify the latest submission.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to immediately review the www.grants.gov website to include all frequently asked questions (FAQs) and complete the registration steps at

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Applicants are also encouraged to review the grant application process at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html. The process may take multiple days to complete and so States should start early to avoid late submissions.

The application and related attachments must be submitted to www.grants.gov as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Adobe Acrobat files (.doc, .docx, xls, or .pdf file extensions). Three of the documents required for a grant application require the signature of a person authorized to enter into an agreement with the Department of Labor; the Transmittal Memorandum, Standard Form (SF) 424, and Assurances and Certifications Signature Page. The person delegated to submit the application to grants.gov should meet this requirement.

After application submission, GRANTS.GOV will send the applicant two email messages to provide the status of application progress through the system. The first email, almost immediate, will confirm receipt of the application. The second email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors.

For applicants that encounter a problem with GRANTS.GOV, the helpdesk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week but closed on federal holidays. To speak to a customer service representative call 1-800-518-4726 or send an email message to [email protected]

SECTION I - EXECUTIVE TRANSMITTAL

Transmittal Memorandum (original signature required): States must submit a Transmittal Memorandum signed by a person authorized by the Governor to enter into an agreement with the U.S. DOL. Under normal circumstances, governors delegate this signature authority to the person who manages the grantee agency, i.e. State Agency Administrator, Director, Commissioner, etc.

The memorandum must provide an assurance for FY 2015-2019 that:

• The State will comply with Chapters 41 and 42 of 38 U.S.C and related regulation and policy; and

• The funds will be allocated to support as many DVOP/LVER full/half-time positions as possible and efficient to carry out the required services.

This memorandum must also provide:

• The individual whose signature appears on the Transmittal Memorandum, SF 424 and Assurances and Certifications Signature page is authorized to enter into the agreement with the U.S. DOL;

• The amount requested in the grant application and if such amount is more than the estimated funding amounts found in attachment 1, an explanation that the additional funding is to sustain the increased staffing levels based on FY 2014 funding levels.

• The number of full-time and half-time DVOP specialists and LVER staff that the applicant has determined can be supported by the funding allocation provided along with an explanation of additional staffing planned above the supported level, if applicable;

• The State has an approved or has submitted for approval, a Cost Allocation Plan or Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate;

• A description of any equipment (with a useful life of more than one year and a per­ unit cost of $5,000 or more) that would be purchased if the proposed fiscal plan is approved; and

• A description and justification for costs related to conferences, meetings or other related activities if the intent is to directly charge the JVSG for such costs.

Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Required with signature): Grant applicants should review the Assurances and Certifications provided on the VETS home page and obtain an authorized signature on the Signature Page. The signatory must be authorized as described for the Transmittal Memorandum above.

SECTION II - PROGRAM NARRATIVE (STATE PLAN)

The State Plan is limited to no more than 30 double-spaced, single-sided, numbered pages. The EXECUTIVE TRANSMITTAL and ANNUAL BUDGET FORECAST are not included in this 30-page limit.

In accordance with 38 U.S.C., Chapters 41 and 42, each grant recipient must operate under an approved, multi-year State Plan. The State Plan describes the employment situation in the recipient's labor market and the manner in which the grantee provides or facilitates the provision of employment, training, and placement services for eligible veterans, eligible persons and other populations of veterans that may be designated by the Assistant Secretary. It details the intended use of the JVSG grant funds, services to veterans by all staff and clarifies other aspects of planned grant operations.

Specifically, the State Plan will include the following sections:

A. Projected Employment Outlook for Veterans

Provide a brief description (no more than three pages) of projected employment opportunities for eligible veterans and eligible persons with current and prospective employers, including Federal, State and Local government agencies, Federal contractors and subcontractors. This section should also describe how the hiring and retention of eligible veterans and eligible persons will be promoted among representatives of such employers.

B. Targeting Services to Veterans with Significant Barriers to Employment (SBE)

The State Plan will discuss in detail how the State will:

• Identify those eligible veterans and eligible persons who will be served by DVOP Specialists in accordance with VPL 03-14 or the most recent policy;

• Describe outreach or out-stationing activities established to locate and assist these veterans and eligible persons; with the primary purpose of delivering intensive services to those persons;

• Describe strategies to coordinate with all partners to develop strategies to optimize employment outcomes for these populations;

• Identify how the grantee will monitor and assess the success of their achievements on behalf of these populations at the local level and at the state level; and

• Describe the strategies to outreach and provide services to Native American veterans with significant barriers, living on tribal lands, if any exist, and provide assurance that approval for such services has been received from the tribe(s).

C. Planned Deployment of Grant Funded Staff.

The State Plan will discuss in detail:

• How the State will assign and use DVOP specialists and other agency employees trained in case management and networking to assess, provide intensive services to and facilitate the provision of service to eligible veterans and eligible persons at various locations such as:

• Local SWA offices, areas, or regions; American Job Centers (AJCs); DVA VR&E offices;

• Military treatment facilities including Injured and Wounded Warrior Transition Units/Battalions;

• Homeless Shelters and Community Partners;

• The efforts that will be made to expeditiously fill vacancies or keep each grant-funded position filled despite State budget problems, State hiring freezes, furloughs or reductions in force.

D. DVOP Specialists.

Title 38, Section 4103A(a) requires that "a state shall employ such full- or part-time disabled veterans' outreach program specialists as the State determines appropriate and efficient to carry out intensive services under this chapter to meet the employment needs of eligible veterans."

The State Plan in accordance with Title 38 will:

• Describe the duties the grantee assigns to DVOP specialists;

• Identify the categories of veterans for which DVOP specialists will target their services consistent with VPLs 03-14 and 04-14 or later guidance;

• Describe the strategy for integrating DVOP specialists into the workforce system to provide intensive services to eligible veterans and eligible persons; and

• Describe how veterans requiring intensive services, as described in section B. above will be assigned to DVOP specialists and how DVOP specialists will implement the provision of intensive services.

E. LVER Staff.

Title 38, Section 4104(a) requires that "a State shall employ such full- and part-time local veterans' employment representatives as the State determines appropriate and efficient to carry out employment, training, and placement services under this chapter."

The State Plan in accordance with Title 38 will:

• Describe the duties assigned to the LVER position consistent with VPL 03-14 or later guidance;

• Describe how the State will use LVER staff to facilitate the provision of services to veterans; and

• Describe how each LVER conducts employer outreach on behalf of veterans and the expected outcomes for these efforts.

F. Program Integration and Leveraging Resources.

The State Plan must describe the processes used to ensure that service providers and partners work together with DVOP specialists and LVER staff to promote employment, training and placement services for veterans through the Workforce Investment Act and other DOL funded programs operated throughout the State. The plan should describe the steps taken to ensure collaboration and integration of services to ensure optimum promotion of the American Job Centers and activities for eligible veterans and eligible persons seeking jobs or training opportunities.

Specifically, the State Plan will describe:

• How the grantee ensures that, beyond collocation, DVOP specialists and LVER staff and their functions are integrated into the delivery of services to veterans within American Job Centers, VA, and state vocational rehabilitation centers, including the assignment of a DVOP specialist or other state agency staff to serve as a State ISC, and coordination with other appropriate locations where mediated labor exchange services are provided;

• How the grantee makes optimal use of the services and linkages to other service providers in the State, particularly vocational rehabilitation offices, military treatment facilities, Wounded Warrior Transition Units/Battalions, Homeless Veterans' Reintegration and Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program grantees; and, placement of veterans who seek employment and training-related services;

• How the grantee leverages, through partnership or agreement, the resources of other organizations that provide employment services to veterans, to include Native American veterans residing on tribal lands;

• How the grantee engages with industry, employers and employer associations to identify the skills needed for in-demand careers and leverages other state and federal education and training program resources to provide skills development specifically to prepare veterans for these jobs.

• How outreach and public information activities will inform veterans of the services available through the employment service and workforce development system, including employment and job training opportunities; and

• Efforts to promote the development of job-driven employment and training opportunities for veterans and eligible persons within the employer and education community, particularly how the information on services and opportunities being conveyed helps veterans to make decisions based on their individual employment needs coupled with the projected labor market.

G. Priority of Service.

Since the enactment of the Jobs for Veterans Act in 2002, priority of service has been implemented under policy guidance issued by the Employment and Training Administration. In 2008, the Department issued regulations at 20 CFR 1010 to further articulate how priority of service is to be applied across all new and existing qualified job training programs.

The State Plan should describe:

• How priority of service, as required by 38 U.S.C. 4215(b) and 20 CFR Parts 1001 and 1010, is provided to ensure that covered persons receive priority for all opportunities for which they qualify by the employment service delivery system and any sub­ grantees funded in whole or in part by the U.S. DOL;

• The process used to monitor priority of service Statewide and within each area of the State in which covered programs operate;

• How services are made available and provided within the American Job Centers (AJCs) and through other service providers to eligible veterans, eligible persons, vocational rehabilitation participants (VR&E, Chapter 31 participants), Native American veterans and other such groups targeted for special consideration, including eligible veterans and eligible persons with barriers to employment; and

• Any annual agreements with other service providers, financial or otherwise, for direct services or to coordinate services provided to the above populations.

H. Performance Incentive Awards.

If the State is not requesting the 1% funding for Performance Incentive Awards, the State Plan should indicate that this is due to a state legislative prohibition, union agreement issue, or another stated reason.

All other States should review VPL 02-07 or the most recent VPL on Annual Performance Incentive Awards for State Employees and Employment Service Offices which describes recipient eligibility, selection criteria, and acceptable awards. The State Plan should address:

• The expected outcomes to be achieved through the grantee's Incentive Award

Program;

• How the program will encourage individuals and/or offices to achieve excellence in the provision services to veterans and demonstrate improvement in the delivery of such services;

• The types of awards that will be available, i.e. name of award, if monetary, the amount of the award, and if non-monetary, the value of the award, etc.;

• The selection criteria, process, and the entity within the State that will administer the

Award funds; and

• The timeline that will be used to select recipients, make awards and to separately report to the DVET when the fourth quarter technical performance report is due each FY the use of these Incentive Award funds.

I. Narrative Budget Information.

The Annual Budget Forecast should augment the State Plan by briefly describing how actual costs are assigned to a particular program category, i.e. DVOP Activities, LVER Activities, and Incentive Awards. In other words, does the State use separate time accounting codes for each program listed above, are costs assigned according to an allocation plan, etc.

Additionally if half-time staff are assigned, the State Plan should describe how time distribution records for each is maintained to ensure that at least 50% of their time is devoted to serving veterans. In other words, do half-time DVOP specialists and LVER staff perform JVSG funded work a specific period of each day, week, or month?

SECTION III - ANNUAL BUDGET FORECAST (FY 2015)

Note: Grant numbers will be assigned by E-Grants (a DOL grant financial management system) after grant applications are submitted. Therefore, States should leave the grant number blank on all forms.

The Annual Budget Plan is required to be completed ensuring that each submission adheres to the guidance described below:

SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance: Dollar entries in Block 18g of the SF 424 should be rounded to the nearest thousand dollars and reflect the total amount of funds requested by the applicant for FY 2015. The amount requested on line 18g must not exceed the allocated funding provided by VETS.

Block 19 of the SF 424 must be completed because the JVSG is covered by Executive Order 12372. A current list of Single State Points of Contact (SSPOCs) may be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.

Block 21 of the SF 424 must be fully completed with the signature of an authorized individual and date signed. Note: Applicants must use the most current version of the multi-page SF 424 approved by OMB. This form and specific instructions are provided on the JVSG forms page link to VETS homepage at: http://www.dol.gov/vets/grants/state/jvsg_forms.htm.

Budget Information: Non-Construction Programs: States must submit a one-page VETS-401, Budget Information Summary form to support the SF 424 and make quarterly allocations of the grant award. The Object Class Category for "Equipment" should be blank unless the forecast spending is for purchases of equipment with a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit cost of $5,000 or more. If this is the case, the Transmittal Memorandum must contain a description of the equipment that would be purchased if approved.

Staffing Directory: Grant applicants must satisfy an assurance required by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, and implemented at 34 CFR Part 85, Section 85.605 and 85.610 by listing the locations where grant-funded staff will be assigned. Second, grantees fulfill a requirement set forth in 38 U.S.C. Chapter 41 as amended by Section 601 (c) of Public Law 109-461 by submitting the VETS-501, JVSG Staffing Directory; providing the name, indicating the assignment as a DVOP specialist or LVER by checking the appropriate column, assignment as half-time or full-time, and date appointed to current position for all staff funded in whole or in part by the Jobs for Veterans State Grant.

PART XIV: REVIEW PROCESS

All applications will be reviewed for compliance with the requirements of this notice. A careful evaluation of applications will be made by a review team which will ensure the State Plan narratives address the key requirements provided in these application instructions. The review team will provide all findings and recommendations to the VETS National Office for concurrence and action. Those grant applications without findings or for which all findings are satisfactorily resolved will be contacted by the DVET to submit the grant application to GRANTS.GOV. The Grant Officer will verify the accuracy of the applications and execute the grant awards after funding is made available each year during this grant period through a signed appropriation.

PART XV: OTHER RESOURCE LINKS at www.dol.gov/vets