[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35100-35102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-16396]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Limited Competitive Cooperative Agreement to Support National 
Passenger Protection Program

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of limited competitive cooperative agreement to support 
the National Child Passenger Safety Program.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
announces the availability of a FY 1995 limited competitive cooperative 
agreement to support the national child passenger protection program in 
the area of program development. This notice solicits applications from 
national, non-profit professional organizations which have some 
background in child transportation issues. The organization must be 
interested in refining and implementing marketing and campaign 
strategies which have been researched and developed under a previous 
NHTSA contract, designed to increase child safety seat use by rural 
populations. The purpose and result of this agreement will be to 
increase child passenger safety restraint usage rates in selected rural 
areas. This agreement is scheduled to last for eighteen (18) months.

DATES: Applications must be received at the office designated below on 
or before August 18, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement 
(NAD-30), ATTN: Earnestine Mitchell, 400 Seventh Street SW., Room 5301, 
Washington, DC 20590. All applications submitted must include a 
reference to NHTSA Limited Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program 
No. DTNH22-95-H-05202. Interested applicants are advised that no 
separate applications package exists beyond the contents of this 
announcement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General administrative questions may 
be directed to Earnestine Mitchell, Office of Contracts and 
Procurement, at (202) 366-9565. Programmatic questions relating to this 
cooperative agreement should be directed to Ms. JoAnn Murianka, Highway 
Safety Specialist, Room 5118 (NTS-11), 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20590, at (202) 366-5198.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    NHTSA estimates that child safety seats, when used correctly, can 
reduce fatalities among children less than five years of age by 71 
percent. This makes child safety seats one of the single most effective 
automobile safety innovations ever developed. As a result of 
improvements in the design of these seats, state child passenger 
protection laws and the enforcement of such laws, and public education, 
the use of child restraints has increased dramatically over the past 
decade.
    However, child safety seats are currently saving only about half of 
the lives that they could potentially save. Many children are still 
travelling unrestrained, and many who are using child safety seats are 
using them incorrectly. Recent surveys indicate that at least one in 
four safety seats is being grossly misused, substantially reducing its 
effectiveness, and as many as three out of four seats are being misused 
to some extent.
    Added to this gross misuse, the rural areas lag woefully behind in 
the national average in the use of child safety restraints. An analyses 
conducted on NHTSA's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) data 
correlated with geodemographic data shows that rural areas continue to 
be over-represented in child motor vehicle crash related fatalities. 
The rural areas in southern California and the southern states lead the 
nation in non-use of child safety restraints.
    Parents receive information and guidance concerning child passenger 
protection from many sources. One of the most effective sources for 
this communication is through the health care community and especially 
through 

[[Page 35101]]
local medical and public health care professionals. Medical 
professionals have unique credibility and influence with parents of 
young children. The child passenger protection message benefits from 
being delivered in the context of a health care activity. To many 
parents, medical professionals are viewed as the ultimate authority in 
child health care. In rural areas, the health care professionals are 
highly respected as community advocates for the health and well-being 
of children. This status enables medical professionals to increase the 
awareness of child safety issues within the community. This influence 
can be of great benefit to existing community efforts which promote 
child passenger protection.
    In the agreement, NHTSA wishes to expand upon the research 
previously conducted. In a previous contract, NHTSA developed 
preliminary profiles of individuals who will be the focus of this 
marketing campaign. The populations targeted were young mothers in 
their teens or 20's who had children under the age of 4, living in 
targeted lower economic, rural areas of Jefferson County, Georgia and 
Fentress County, Tennessee.
Objectives

    The objectives of this agreement are:
    1. To refine marketing and campaign strategies developed and focus 
tested by NHTSA to specifically target young, rural, low-income mothers 
such as those previously surveyed by NHTSA.
    2. To implement the refined campaign strategies in the selected 
rural population group.
    3. To evaluate the effects of implementing these refined marketing 
and educational campaign strategies on the usage rate of child 
passenger safety restraints in the targeted rural populations.
    4. To increase the use of child passenger restraints by the target 
rural populations.
    4. To increase the use of child passenger restraints by the target 
rural populations.
    5. To develop campaign strategies and materials which can be used 
nationally to increase correct child passenger restraint use by rural 
populations.

Specific Tasks

     1. The contractor shall meet with the COTR within one week after 
the award of the contract to review details of the contractor's 
proposed work plan and schedules for this project.
     2. The contractor shall review the marketing and educational 
campaign strategies which have been developed thus far using 
information gained from the previously surveyed target groups, with a 
view towards incorporating these strategies into the campaign 
implementation.
     3. The contractor must provide information on how child safety 
seats will be made available to the target population.
     4. The contractor shall research all existing strategies that are 
currently used in and around the target group area to ascertain their 
effectiveness.
     5. The contractor shall develop marketing and educational campaign 
strategies and materials based on the study previously conducted by 
NHTSA, current research, and any other method proposed by the 
contractor and approved by the COTR.
     6. The contractor or affiliates shall pilot test the strategies in 
the rural populations identified by NHTSA. These target rural 
populations shall be geographically located within the states of 
California, Georgia, Tennessee or Kentucky. A detailed description of 
the method(s) interaction with the public will be required by the COTR 
before the pilot testing commences. Earlier research has shown that 
young mothers in the selected rural areas interact on a regular basis 
with community health institutions. Therefore, health care sponsored 
events like Health Fairs, etc., may prove invaluable for dissemination 
of information. Contingent with the submission of the test plan, the 
contractor shall present the COTR a detailed method of evaluating the 
effectiveness of the strategies.
     7. The contractor shall identify necessary child passenger safety 
technical training needed and explain how this necessary training will 
be attained.
     8. The contractor shall coordinate efforts with local state 
highway safety offices and include a letter of support from the local 
highway safety office.
     9. It is imperative that the contractor make provisions in his 
organization to continue the implementation of the strategies developed 
after the termination of this cooperative agreement within each of the 
target areas for at least 3 years. Emphasis should be placed on making 
this an on-going program that is self-sufficient, possibly 
institutionalizing this program into existing activities. NHTSA will be 
prepared to offer suggestions that may assist the contractor to achieve 
this goal. A plan of action for self-sustenance shall be provided to 
NHTSA along with the final report.
    10. Quarterly progress reports will be provided. The contractor 
shall, upon completion of this project, present to NHTSA a detailed 
report of the entire project.

Deliverables

    A final list of required deliverables will be developed in 
accordance with the accepted proposal prior to award. For planning 
purposes, the agency anticipates that the required deliverables will 
include the following:

Work Plan and Schedules............  1 Week, 3 Weeks and 4 Weeks after  
                                      award.                            
Progress Reports...................  Quarterly.                         
Final Report (Draft)...............  1 Year after award.                
Plan for Self-sustenance Final       2 Months after project completion. 
 Report.                                                                
                                                                        

NHTSA Role in Activities

    The NHTSA Office of Occupant Protection (OOP) will be involved in 
all activities undertaken as part of this cooperative agreement program 
and will:
    1. Provide a project officer to participate in the planning and 
management of the cooperative agreement and to coordinate activities 
between the organization and OOP;
    2. Make available information and technical assistance from 
government sources, including a copy of the previously conducted NHTSA 
study. Additional assistance shall be within resources available; and,
    3. Provide liaison with other government and private agencies as 
appropriate.
Evaluation Criteria and Review Process

    Proposals must demonstrate that the applicant meets all eligibility 
requirements listed above. Proposals will be evaluated based upon bid 
price and upon the following factors which are not necessarily listed 
in order of importance:

    1. What the organization proposes to accomplish and the 
potential of the proposed project to make a significant contribution 
to national efforts to increase the correct use of child safety 
restraints in rural areas.
    2. The extent to which the project addresses foreseeable 
barriers to gaining widespread adoption of child passenger safety 
activities by the selected rural population.
    3. The overall experience, capability and commitment of the 
organization to facilitate involvement of its membership in the 
promotion of child passenger protection in rural areas.
    4. The soundness and feasibility of the proposed approach or 
work plan, including the evaluation to assess program outcomes.
    5. How the organization will provide the administrative 
capability and staff expertise necessary to complete the proposed 
project.

[[Page 35102]]

    6. The proposed coordination with and use of other available 
resources, including collaboration with state highway safety offices 
and other existing or planned state and community child occupant 
protection programs.
    7. How the organization plans to continue child passenger safety 
educational activities.

    Upon receipt of applications by the agency, they will be screened 
to assure that all eligibility requirements have been met. Applications 
will be reviewed by NHTSA staff using the criteria outlined above. The 
results of this review will be recommendations to the agency management 
for Cooperative Agreement Award.

Support, Terms, and Conditions

    Contingent on the availability of funds, satisfactory performance, 
and continued demonstrated need, this cooperative agreement may be 
awarded for a project period of up to eighteen months. The application 
for the funding period (18 months) should address what is proposed and 
can be satisfactorily accomplished during that period.
    The anticipated funding level for this cooperative agreement in FY 
95 is $85,000. Federal funds should be viewed as seed money to assist 
organizations in the development of traffic safety initiatives. Monies 
allocated in this cooperative agreement are not intended to cover all 
of the costs that will be incurred in completing this project. 
Applicants should demonstrate a commitment of financial and in-kind 
resources to the support of this project.
    The organization participating in this cooperative agreement 
program may use awarded funds to support salaries of individuals 
assigned to the project, the development or purchase of direct program 
materials, direct program-related activities, or for travel related to 
the cooperative agreement.
    The award recipient will be required to submit quarterly progress 
reports on a schedule to be determined after award. In addition, the 
recipient will be required to submit a detailed final summary report 
describing the project and its outcomes no later than two (2) months 
after termination of this agreement.

Eligibility Requirements

    In order to be eligible to participate in this cooperative 
agreement, an organization must meet the following requirements:
    1. Be a private, national non-profit organization;
    2. Have an established membership structure with state/local 
chapters or affiliates in a broad geographic region of the country;
    3. Have a membership consisting of, or works in collaboration with 
health care officials;
    4. Have staff knowledgeable of correct child safety use;
    5. Have in place a schedule of annual regional/state conferences or 
conventions and a variety of communication mechanisms that are 
appropriate for motivating members and other constituents to become 
involved in the promotion of child occupant protection at state and 
local levels;
    6. Demonstrate an understanding of the current and potential role 
affiliates can play in child occupant protection efforts at the state 
and local levels; and,
    7. Demonstrate top level support within the organization for the 
project and, where appropriate, demonstrate similar support from the 
membership or local affiliates; and
    8. Coordinate efforts with the State Highway Safety Office.

Application Procedures

    1. All applications must be covered by a signed copy of OMB 
Standard Form 424 (revised 4/88, including 424A and 424B) ``Application 
for Federal Assistance'' with the required information filled in and 
the certified assurances included. This form is available from the 
NHTSA Office of Contracts and Procurement (NAD-30), 400 Seventh Street, 
S.W., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-0607. Form 424-A deals with 
budget information, and Section B identifies Budget Categories, the 
available space does not permit for a level of detail which is 
sufficient to provide for a useful evaluation of the proposed costs. A 
supplemental sheet should be provided which presents a detailed 
breakdown of the proposed costs.
    2. Applications shall include a program narrative statement which 
addresses the following:

A. Goals and Objectives

    (i) Demonstrates the need for the assistance and states the 
principle and subordinate objectives of the project. Supporting 
documentation from concerned interests other than the applicant can 
be used. Any relevant data based on planning studies should be 
included or footnoted.
    (ii) Identifies the results and benefits to be derived.

B. Approach

    (i) Outlines a plan of action pertaining to the scope and detail 
on how the proposed work will be accomplished. Include the reasons 
for taking this approach as opposed to other approaches.
    (ii) Describes any unusual features, such as design or 
technological innovations and extraordinary social/community 
involvement.
    (iii) Provides quantitative projections of the accomplishments 
to be achieved, if possible, or lists the activities in 
chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and 
their target dates.
    (iv) Identifies the kinds of data to be collected and 
maintained, and discusses the criteria to be used to evaluate the 
results. Explains the methodology that will be used to determine if 
the needs identified and discussed are being met and if the results 
and benefits identified are being achieved.
    (v) Lists each organization, corporation, consultant, or other 
individual who will work on the project along with a short 
description of the nature of their effort or contribution and 
relevant experience.

    3. Applications must be typed on one side of the page only. The 
original and two copies of each application must be submitted. An 
applicant may submit an additional four copies to facilitate the review 
process, but there is no requirement or obligation to do so.

Terms and Conditions of the Award

    Prior to award, each recipient must comply with the certification 
requirements of 49 CFR part 29--Department of Transportation. During 
the effective period of the cooperative agreement awarded as a result 
of this notice, the agreements shall be submitted to general 
administrative requirements of OMB Circular A-110 (or the ``common 
rule'', if effected prior to the award), the cost principles of OMB 
Circular A-21 or A-22, as applicable to the recipient, and the 
provisions of 49 CFR part 29, Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 
(nonprocurement).

    Issued on June 29, 1995.
James H. Hedlund,
Acting Associate Administrator, Traffic Safety Programs.
[FR Doc. 95-16396 Filed 7-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-M