[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 145 (Friday, July 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39242-39244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19074]



[[Page 39241]]


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Part IV





Department of Commerce





_______________________________________________________________________



Economic Development Administration



_______________________________________________________________________



National Technical Assistance, Research and Evaluation--Additional 
Request for Proposals; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 145 / Friday, July 26, 1996 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economic Development Administration
[Docket No. 950302065-6203-05]
RIN 0610-ZA03


National Technical Assistance, Research and Evaluation--
Additional Request For Proposals

AGENCY: Economic Development Administration (EDA), Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: A total of $328,500,000 is available to EDA for all of its 
programs for FY 1996 (See Notice of Funding Availability for FY 1996 at 
61 FR 29526), of which approximately $2,125,000 (including funds to be 
transferred to EDA from the Department of Defense's Office of Economic 
Adjustment, DOD/OEA) is or will be available for National Technical 
Assistance and for Research and Evaluation for specific projects which 
will aid in better understanding the causes of and solutions to 
economic distress/ underemployment and unemployment throughout the 
Nation in the specific priority areas described herein. EDA published a 
Request for Proposals in 61 FR 31782, June 20, 1996, hereinafter 
referred to as NOFA-RFP #1 requesting proposals for projects to be 
funded under these programs. EDA is soliciting proposals for the 
specific project described in this Notice (hereinafter referred to as 
NOFA-RFP #2) to be funded if acceptable proposals are received. If a 
proposal submitted under NOFA-RFP #2 is funded during this fiscal year, 
it will be funded from funds remaining after consideration of 
applications submitted under NOFA-RFP #1, if any. This NOFA-RFP #2 
describes the conditions under which eligible applications for this 
program under either National Technical Assistance (13 CFR Part 307, 
Subpart C) or Research and Evaluation (13 CFR Part 307, Subpart A) will 
be accepted and selected for funding. It is not known at this time 
whether National Technical Assistance or Research and Evaluation funds 
will be used for the project described herein, because such funding is 
contingent upon the availability, if any, of funds under each program, 
as well as the primary focus of the project to be funded.

DATES: Full proposals must be received in the Office of Technical 
Assistance and Research (see Addresses section below) by close of 
business, August 15, 1996, followed by submission of completed 
applications, OMB Control Number 0610-0094, from proponents selected by 
EDA, at a date to be determined by EDA. EDA will make the award by 
September 30, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send proposals, and later full applications, if invited to 
do so, (see Section IV) to either: Lewis R. Podolske, Technical 
Assistance Program, Economic Development Administration, Room 7315, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230 (National Technical 
Assistance); or John J. McNamee, Research and Evaluation Program, 
Economic Development Administration, Room 7315, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230 (Research and Evaluation).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John J. McNamee, (202) 482-4085 
(Research and Evaluation); Lewis R. Podolske, (202) 482-2127 (National 
Technical Assistance); or David McIlwain, (202) 482-5265, (Public 
Works, Flood Coordinator).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

A. Authority

    The Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, (Pub. L. 89-
136, 42 U.S.C. 3121-3246h), as amended (PWEDA) at Sec. 3151 authorizes 
EDA to: provide technical assistance which would be useful in reducing 
or preventing excessive unemployment or underemployment by conducting, 
among other things, studies evaluating the needs of, and the 
development of potential for economic growth in distressed areas (42 
U.S.C. 3151(a)); and to conduct a program of research to assist in the 
formulation and implementation of national, state and local programs to 
raise income levels and other solutions to the problems of 
unemployment, underemployment, underdevelopment and chronic depression 
in distressed areas and regions (42 U.S.C. 3151(c)(B)). The Omnibus 
Appropriations Act of 1996, Public Law 104-134, makes funds available 
for these programs.

B. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

    11.303 Economic Development-Technical Assistance; 11.312 Economic 
Development--Research and Evaluation Program.

C. Program Descriptions

    For descriptions of these programs see EDA's final rule at 13 CFR 
chapter III, 61 FR 7979, March 1, 1996, as corrected at 61 FR 15371, 
April 8, 1996, and its interim-final rule at 60 FR 49670, September 26, 
1995.

D. Additional Information and Requirements

    No award of Federal funds will be made to an applicant who has an 
outstanding delinquent Federal debt until either: (1) The delinquent 
account is paid in full; (2) A negotiated repayment schedule is 
established and at least one payment is received; or (3) Other 
arrangements satisfactory to DoC are made.
    Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in 
an application not being considered for funding.
    Applicants seeking an early start, i.e., to begin a project before 
EDA approval, must obtain a letter from EDA allowing such early start. 
Such approval may be given with the understanding that an early start 
does not constitute project approval. Applicants should be aware that 
if they incur any costs prior to an award being made they do so solely 
at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the Government. 
Notwithstanding any verbal or written assurance that may have been 
received, there is no obligation on the part of EDA to cover pre-award 
costs.
    The total dollar amount of the indirect costs proposed in an 
application under any EDA program must not exceed either the indirect 
cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior 
to the proposed effective date of the award, or 100 percent of the 
total proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, whichever 
is less.
    If an application is selected for funding, EDA has no obligation to 
provide any additional future funding in connection with an award. 
Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of 
performance is at the sole discretion of EDA.
    Unless otherwise noted below, eligibility, program objectives and 
descriptions, application procedures, selection procedures, evaluation 
criteria and other requirements for all programs are set forth in EDA's 
final rule at 13 CFR Chapter III, 61 FR 7979, March 1, 1996, as 
corrected at 61 FR 15371, April 8, 1996, and its interim-final rule at 
60 FR 49670, September 26, 1995.

II. Areas of Special Emphasis

    EDA seeks proposals for the specific project described as follows:
     Evaluate and Develop a Model Based on the Midwest Flood of 
1993.
    EDA invites proposals to study the management and implementation of 
disaster assistance, and to develop a model for use by governmental 
agencies and others interested in implementing

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future programs for supporting economic recovery of affected disaster 
areas. The test subject for this project is EDA's implementation of its 
grant program to aid communities that were impacted by the Midwest 
Flood of 1993.
    Background: Though there are other programs that provide financial 
assistance to aid communities affected by disasters, only EDA projects 
for the Midwest Floods of 1993 are being analyzed in this project. The 
Midwest Flood of 1993 affected nine states: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, 
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and 
Wisconsin. Congress appropriated $200 million to EDA for emergency 
expenses resulting from the flood, which EDA used to assist in the 
development of post disaster economic recovery strategies and to meet 
local infrastructure needs not covered by other Federal programs. This 
EDA effort encompassed a broad geographic area impacted by the flood, 
and depended upon coordination with nine state governments, with 
different capacities of the affected states to deal with the disaster, 
and a wide variety of issues to be dealt with. It also involved program 
coordination with two EDA regional offices, resulted in the development 
of streamlined project processing, and an ``ad hoc'' system of 
interagency coordination to avoid funding duplication. In addition, EDA 
transferred funds to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their 
participation in the levee repair component of the flood relief 
efforts.
    Scope of Work: The successful applicant will (1) assess whether the 
EDA post-disaster assistance was appropriate and gave communities a 
better chance to enhance their economic recovery beyond their immediate 
emergency needs; (2) evaluate whether such assistance has ramifications 
beyond the immediate disaster impact area; (3) assess to what extent 
changes in project implementation timeframes were due to changes in 
grantee priorities or other external conditions, and investigate 
whether a time line for grant implementation should take into account 
the nature of the EDA assisted projects and the normal disaster 
recovery process; (4) examine the effectiveness of EDA's efforts and 
recommend key performance measures which EDA and others can use to 
assess implementation of future EDA and other disaster assistance; (5) 
compare the EDA/Corps of Engineers levee repair program to those of 
other government agencies (e.g., the Department of Agriculture's Soil 
Conservation Services) to determine best practices; and (6) highlight 
possible areas for improving the post-disaster assistance process.
    EDA is interested in measuring overall program performance, by 
assistance categories, that is, by the types of grants made. In 
undertaking this analysis, the applicant will need to examine selected 
grant files, interview EDA staff, interview state and local officials 
and others involved in implementing the recovery process in the 
affected communities. The resulting data must be appropriately analyzed 
and the results, with recommendations as appropriate, presented in a 
final report to be available for use by all Federal and state agencies 
and other interested parties. All project records are located in or are 
accessible through the Denver and Chicago regional offices.
    The applicant will also be required to conduct briefings and 
training workshops for entities interested in the results of this 
project. These briefings and training workshops will be conducted in 
Washington, DC, and the six EDA regions, and will total no more than 
one such briefing/workshop for each of the seven locations.
    Cost: If this project is funded under the National Technical 
Assistance program: if properly justified, the Assistant Secretary may 
consider a waiver of the required 25 percent local share of the project 
cost; if this project is funded under the Research and Evaluation 
program: no local match is required.
    Timing: This project should be completed and the final report 
submitted by September 30, 1997.
     Other Models of Performance Measurement and Program Impact 
Analyses of Economic Development Programs or Projects.
    EDA funds a variety of economic development projects to help 
economically distressed communities generate long-term, private sector 
jobs and diversify their economies. These include planning, technical 
assistance, research, infrastructure, and revolving loan fund projects. 
Other Federal and state agencies fund similar economic development 
projects. EDA is currently seeking to develop expertise in measuring 
the effectiveness of these kinds of economic development efforts. In 
addition to the specific proposals requested in NOFA-RFP #s 1 and 2, 
should there be funds left in either the Research and Evaluation or 
National Technical Assistance Programs after the first round of 
projects in NOFA-RFP #s 1 and 2, we would consider additional economic 
development program performance measurement and economic impact 
analysis proposals that qualified applicants may wish to submit. Should 
resources be available, we would select projects on the basis of the 
requirements listed in EDA's Regulations at 13 CFR Chapter III, 61 FR 
7979, March 1, 1996, as corrected at 61 FR 15371, April 8, 1996, and 
its interim-final rule at 60 FR 49670, September 26, 1995, and on their 
ability to increase the level of knowledge of the economic development 
profession concerning performance measurement and/or impact analysis. 
It must be made clear to all potential proposers, however, that funding 
for any additional projects is dependent upon there being uncommitted 
resources in either the Research and Evaluation or National Technical 
Assistance Programs, and that projects may be funded under either 
program depending upon where resources are available. Therefore, 
eligibility requirements for an award will be based on the program 
under which the potential award will be made.

III. How To Apply

A. Eligible Applicants

     National Technical Assistance--See 13 CFR 307.12 in EDA's 
final rule at 13 CFR chapter III, 61 FR 7979, March 1, 1996, as 
corrected in 61 FR 15371, April 8, 1996, and its interim-final rule at 
60 FR 49670, September 26, 1995. Eligible applicants are as follows: 
public or private nonprofit organizations including nonprofit national, 
state, area, district, or local organizations; accredited educational 
institutions or nonprofit entities representing them; public sector 
organizations; and Native American organizations, including American 
Indian tribes; local governments and state agencies. Technical 
Assistance grant funds may not be awarded to private individuals or 
for- profit organizations.
     Research and Evaluation--See 13 CFR 307.17 in EDA's final 
rule at 13 CFR chapter III, 61 FR 7979, March 1, 1996, as corrected in 
61 FR 15371, April 8, 1996, and its interim- final rule at 60 FR 49670, 
September 26, 1995. Eligible applicants are as follows: private 
individuals, partnerships, corporations, associations, colleges and 
universities, and other suitable organizations with expertise relevant 
to economic development research.

B. Proposal Submission Procedures

    The proposals submitted by potential applicants may not exceed ten 
pages in length and should be accompanied by a proposed budget, 
resumes/qualifications of the key staff, and proposed time line.

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IV. Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

    Proposals will receive initial reviews by EDA to assure that they 
meet all requirements of this announcement, including eligibility and 
relevance to the specified projects as described herein. EDA will carry 
out its selection process and evaluation criteria as described at 13 
CFR part 304 and Secs. 307.13, 307.14, 307.18, and 307.19 in EDA's 
final rule at 13 CFR chapter III, 61 FR 7979, March 1, 1996, as 
corrected in 61 FR 15371, April 8, 1996, and its interim-final rule at 
60 FR 49670, September 26, 1995.
    EDA will select the applicants it deems most qualified and cost 
effective and will invite those applicants to submit full applications.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    OMB has approved these information collection requirements under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 under OMB Control Number 0610-AA47.

    Dated: July 23, 1996.
Wilbur F. Hawkins,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development.
[FR Doc. 96-19074 Filed 7-25-96; 8:45 am]
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