[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11226-11230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6059]
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NATIONAL SKILL STANDARDS BOARD
[SGA 97-02]
Voluntary Partnership Planning and Phase I Implementation Grants
AGENCY: National Skill Standards Board.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for grant
applications.
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SUMMARY: The National Skill Standards Board (NSSB), under the National
Skill Standards Act of 1994 (the Act), announces the availability of
funds for initiating Voluntary Partnership activity through combined
Planning and Phase I Implementation grants. A grant will be made to the
organization or coalition of organizations best positioned and capable
of convening key stakeholder representatives from across a cluster as
defined by the National Skill Standards Board. It is the Board's intent
that one grant will be made in each of the three clusters.
It is anticipated that three awards will be made in the range of
$80,000 to $160,000, depending on the statement of work proposed by the
participant. The period of performance will vary, but will not exceed
nine months. Awardees of this grant will be eligible to receive a non-
competitive grant for long-term Voluntary Partnership activities.
DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications shall be April 10,
1997, at 4:45 p.m. (Eastern Time) at the address below.
ADDRESSES: Applications shall be made to the Division of Contract
Administration and Grant Management, Attention: Lisa Harvey, U.S.
Department of Labor, Procurement Services Office, 200 Constitution
Avenue, N.W., Room N-5416, Washington, D.C. 20210.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For questions/clarifications regarding information contained in this
announcement, contact Lisa Harvey at (202) 219-9355. (This is not a
toll free number). Telephonic or faxed requests for the SGA will not be
honored.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Skill Standards Board is
soliciting proposals on a competitive basis for the conduct of
activities to convene key stakeholder representatives of the clusters
as defined by the National Skill Standards Board. The purpose of the
grant is to initiate the implementation of the Voluntary Partnerships
activities through the nine month Voluntary Partnership Planning and
Phase I Implementation Grants. Applicants successfully completing the
Planning and Phase I Implementation will be qualified to apply for NSSB
recognition as a Voluntary Partnership. As such, they will be eligible
to receive a non-competitive grant for long-term Voluntary Partnership
activities. The NSSB is an independent agency for which the U.S.
Department of Labor serves as fiscal agent. The Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Administration (OASAM) within the U.S. Department of Labor
will administer the grant process on behalf of the National Skill
Standards Board. All inquiries related to the grants should be directed
to OASAM.
This announcement consists of three parts. Part I discusses the
procedures for eligible applicants who wish to apply
[[Page 11227]]
for these funds. Part II provides the detailed Statement of Work/
Reporting Requirements. Part III describes the selection process/
criteria for the award.
Part I. Application Process
A. Eligible Applicants
Awards under this Solicitation will be made to the organization or
group of organizations best positioned and capable of convening key
stakeholders representative of the three clusters enumerated below. It
is the Board's intent that one grant will be made in each cluster.
Part III enumerates and defines in depth a series of criteria that
will be utilized to rate applicant submissions. There will also be a
responsiveness test conducted to determine whether applicants have
addressed fundamental criteria and are eligible applicants. If it is
determined that an application has not clearly attempted to respond to
the criteria, that application will be deemed nonresponsive and not be
considered any further for a grant. One aspect of responsiveness
include clearly demonstrating as willingness to support the mission of
the NSSB and to work within existing Board policy, and fiscal
responsibility as defined below.
1. Willingness To Support the Mission of the NSSB and to Work Within
Existing Board Policy
The applicant must provide a written statement supporting the
Board's mission and guiding principles, and committing to work within
proposed Board policy. The statement should demonstrate an
understanding of the Board's work and existing policy.
Mission. The mission of the National Skill Standards Board is to
encourage the creation and adoption of a national system of skill
standards which will enhance the ability of the United States to
compete effectively in a global economy. These voluntary skill
standards will be developed by industry in full partnership with
education, labor and community stakeholders, and will be flexible,
portable and continuously updated and improved.
This national skill standards system is intended to do the
following:
Promote the growth of high performance work organizations
in the private and public clusters that operate on the basis of
productivity, quality and innovation, and in the private cluster,
profitability;
Raise the standard of living and economic security of
American workers by improving access to high skill, high wage
employment and career opportunities for those currently in, entering,
or re-entering the workforce; and
Encourage the use of world-class academic, occupational
and employability standards to guide continuous education and training
for current and future workers.
Principles Guiding the Board's Work.
The skill standards must be voluntary. The system will
only work if the final product is relevant to employers, unions,
educators and employees, jobseekers and students.
The process will be business-led in full partnership with
education, labor and community stakeholders.
The skill standards must be flexible, portable and
continuously updated and have equal relevance to both the public and
private clusters.
The Board's work will be integrated with relevant, cutting
edge work already being done by employers, states, unions and education
systems.
Skill standards must be dynamic and geared toward the
future, with an emphasis on the process of continuous improvement. The
Board's mission will not be fully achieved if standards are static and
merely codify present practices.
The standards must be consistent with existing civil
rights laws.
Existing Board Policy. The Board's ``Proposal to Establish a
Voluntary National Skill Standards System'' (the Proposal) published in
the Federal Register on December 19, 1996, Vol. 61, No. 245, pp. 67068-
67072. A copy of the Proposal can be obtained by downloading from the
NSSB home page on the internet (address: www.nssb.org) or by contacting
Lisa Harvey (202) 219-9355. The Proposal represents the Board's working
policy framework. It is the intent of the NSSB to continually review
the effectiveness of its policy in practice, particularly in early
implementation efforts. These three grants represent the initiation of
Voluntary Partnership activity and their experiences will be included
as information considered in the review of NSSB policy. Applicants
should be aware that Board policy is evolving.
2. Fiscal Responsibility
The applicant must be--or have delegating authority to--a viable
financial agent. This viability will be demonstrated by a certification
that the agent has received an independent audit within the past year
that was conducted utilizing generally accepted accounting principles
(GAAP). This audit must have found that the agent had in place adequate
internal accounting and other control systems to provide reasonable
assurance that it is managing its funds in accordance with applicable
laws and regulations, and that the organization has complied with laws
and regulations that may have material effect on its financial
statements and on whatever major Federal assistance programs in which
it is involved.
Evidence of viability may be provided by a copy of a letter from
the independent auditor who conducted the most recent financial review
of the putative financial agent. Organizations on the Federal debarment
list and any organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which engages in lobbying activities.
B. Submission of Proposals
An original and three (3) copies of the proposal shall be
submitted. The proposal shall consist of two (2) separate and distinct
parts.
Part I shall contain the Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for
Federal Assistance'' and SF 424A ``Budget.'' The individual signing the
SF 424 on behalf of the applicant shall represent the responsible
financial and administrative entity for the grant should that
application result in an award.
Part II shall contain a technical proposal that demonstrates the
Offeror's capabilities in accordance with the Statement of Work
contained in this announcement, and proposes specific activities and
timeframes with which to accomplish the Statement of Work. No cost data
or reference to price shall be included in the technical proposal.
C. Hand Delivered Proposals
Proposals must be post marked at least five (5) days prior to the
closing date. However, if proposals are hand delivered, they must be
received at the designated place by 4:45 p.m., Eastern Time (insert
date x number of days after date of publication. All overnight mail
will be considered to be hand delivered and must be received at the
designated place by the specified closing date. Telegraphed and/or
faxed proposals will not be honored. Failure to adhere to the above
instructions will be a basis for a determination of nonresponsiveness.
D. Late Proposals
A proposal received at the office designated in the Solicitation
after the exact time specified for receipt will not be considered
unless it is received before the award is made and it:
(1) Was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the
fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of
applications (e.g., an offer submitted in response to a solicitation
requiring
[[Page 11228]]
receipt of applications by the 20th of the month must be mailed by the
15th);
(2) Was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service,
Post Office to addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing
two working days prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals.
The term ``working days'' excludes weekends and U.S. Federal holidays.
The term ``post marked'' means a printed, stamped, or otherwise
place 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 employees of the U.S. Postal
Service.
E. Period of Performance
The period of performance will vary according to activities
proposed, but will not exceed 9 months from the date of execution. It
is anticipated that grant awards will be in the $80,000-160,000 range
depending on the activities proposed by the applicant. Applicants must
indicate a start date no later than June 30, 1997.
Part II--Statement of Work/Reporting Requirements
A. Project Summary
The National Skill Standards Board intends to make grants ranging
from $80,000 to $160,000 to the organization or group of organizations
best positioned and capable of convening key stakeholders in each of
three clusters. This convening body will build coalitions to seek NSSB
recognition as Voluntary Partnerships for the purpose of developing
voluntary skill standards systems that can be endorsed by the National
Skill Standards Board. One grant will be made in each of the following
three clusters:
Manufacturing, Installation and Repair.
Wholesale/Retail Sales.
Business and Administrative Services.
Further detail on the industries and occupations contained in these
three clusters can be obtained by downloading from the NSSB home page
on the internet (address: www.nssb.org) or by contacting Lisa Harvey
(202) 219-9355. These very broad clusters of major industries and
occupations are consonant with the dictates of the Act (Sec. 504(a))
which denotes that such clusters of occupations shall involve one or
more than one industry in the United States and that share
characteristics that are appropriate for the development of common
skill standards.
There will be two phases in the Statement of Work. Throughout both
phases, there will be independent technical assistance and evaluation
agreements in place. Successful applicants under this Solicitation will
stipulate that they will cooperate with both the technical assistance
and evaluation grantees and provide to both entities whatever data is
requested.
B. Statement of Work
The first phase will be the development and solidification of the
coalition of all industry partners--industry employers, labor
organizations, educators, and community based organizations, to name
some of the major stakeholders--into an entity that will seek NSSB
recognition as a Voluntary Partnership. The Voluntary Partnership will
constitute a project management structure that will ultimately guide
the development of a cluster-wide skill standards system to be endorsed
by the National Skill Standards Board. It is anticipated that when the
first phase is completed, there will be such a coalition in place.
However, it is expected that coalition building and expansion
activities will be a continuing function of the Voluntary Partnership.
The second phase will be for the cluster-wide coalition to develop
a long-term strategic plan for activities to be undertaken following
the conclusion of the Planning and Phase I Implementation Grant. All
stakeholders as identified in the Criteria for Recognition as a
Voluntary Partnership must be involved in the planning process. The
final criteria will be provided at the start date of these grants and
will be consistent with the legislative definition, section (504(b)) of
the Act. A copy of the legislation can be obtained by downloading from
the NSSB home page on the internet (address: www.nssb.org) or by
contacting Lisa Harvey (202) 219-9355.
The anticipated grant deliverables are enumerated under the
reporting requirements specified in Part B. below.
C. Reporting Requirements.
The Grantee is required to provide reports and documents listed
below:
(1) Quarterly Financial Reports. The grantee shall submit to the
Grant Officer's Technical Representative (GOTR) within the 30 days
following the end of each quarter, three (3) copies of a quarterly
Financial Status Report (SF 269) until such time as all funds have been
expended or the period of availability has expired.
(2) Progress Reports. The grantee shall submit to the GOTR two
progress reports.
The First report shall be submitted when the cluster-wide coalition
has been assembled; this report shall include:
Documented commitment to participate from members of a
coalition meeting criteria for a Voluntary Partnership as specified by
the Board.
Documented commitment to align efforts with NSSB policy
and guidelines for Voluntary Partnership and Voluntary Partnership
activities.
A written statement of operating principles and procedures
defining roles and decision-making processes for the Voluntary
Partnership.
The second report shall be submitted upon the completion of the
long-term strategic plan and shall include:
A long-term strategic plan will identify long- and short-
term goals, objectives and strategies to successfully develop the
components of a cluster-wide skill standards system, including, but not
limited to: (1) the identification of concentrations for the cluster;
(2) the development of a basic certificate for that cluster; and (3)
the initiation of a process by which specialty certificates in that
cluster will be endorsed. The strategic plan will include a budget. The
Strategic Plan will also address communications issues related to
building stakeholder support for the skill standards and cost/revenue
implications of maintaining a high quality system.
A completed application for NSSB recognition as a
Voluntary Partnership and for long-term implementation funds. The
application will be provided to the grantee on the start date.
Corrective Action
There is a presumption that the first phase shall be completed
within six months of the execution of the Grant and that this report
shall be filed within thirty days after that completion and that the
second phase will be completed within three months after the completion
of the first phase. Should there be some delay in completion the
grantee may be required to report in writing and, in such form as the
GOTR may prescribe, that there is such a delay, what the causes are for
it, and a timetable for completion of the activity. The Grant Officer
and grantee will work together to identify mutually acceptable
corrective action within one month. If the Grant Officer and grantee
cannot reach a mutually acceptable corrective action, the Grant Officer
can unilaterally impose his/her corrective action.
[[Page 11229]]
Part III. Rating Criteria for Award/Selection Process
Prospective offerors are advised that the selection of grantees for
an award is to be made after careful evaluation of proposals by a panel
of specialists. The panel's conclusions are advisory in nature and not
binding on the Grant Officer. The panelists will evaluate the proposals
for acceptability, with emphasis on the scoring criteria enumerated
below. Although some scoring criteria are weighted more heavily than
others, the NSSB emphasizes that a minimum score on each criterion is
critical to the successful performance of the Statement of Work.
Applicants should be advised that the proposal must score at least 60%
of the total points in each category to be considered technically
acceptable.
A. Employer Leadership (35 points)
The proposal must include effective evidence that employers will
play a leadership role. Effective evidence will be judged on:
The strength and specificity of the commitments, a letter
of commitment from an employer should enumerate the details of that
commitment (e.g., two executives with strong backgrounds in production
line management will be available for six months on a 40 percent
basis);
The diversity of employers, e.g., presence of large and
small employers, public and private employers; and
The extent to which employers from across the cluster are
represented.
B. Involvement of All Key Stakeholders (25 points)
The applicant must supply clear evidence of an ability to
collaborate with all key stakeholders within the designated cluster
including employers, organized labor, education, government and
community-based organization representatives. It is expected that an
application will define and enumerate who those stakeholders are,
together with a concise statement of why the particular entity is
considered a key stakeholder in the given cluster. Letters of
commitment from key stakeholders can be included with the application.
The factors referred to in Criterion A will be utilized here as
well. A demonstrated history with coalition and specificity with regard
to how and to what degree the key stakeholders have agreed to
participate will be considered effective evidence.
C. Employment (10 points)
An applicant organization must demonstrate that its coalition
includes a group of employers that collectively employs at least 40
percent of the workforce within the cluster. Applicants are cautioned
to approach this criterion with specificity. Effective evidence may
include member survey results from trade associations, business
organizations and employment statistics from individual employers or
projections based on hard data regarding number and size of employers
involved.
D. Required Knowledge (10 points)
The applicant must demonstrate that the coalition has a working
knowledge in these areas: Skill standards, training, workforce
development, work organization, assessment, and certification. The
applicant must identify both the coalition member and the
accomplishments that demonstrate a working knowledge of these key
areas: e.g. XXXX Company has received the Malcolm Baldrige award and is
an acknowledge national leader in high performance work practices; XXXX
Trade Association has a 50-year history of certification; XXXX Labor
Group has a long-standing apprenticeship training program; XXXX
Education Institution has a leading assessment and certification center
in the region.
Offerors are advised that discussions may be necessary in order to
clarify any inconsistencies in their applications. The panelists'
evaluations are only advisory to the Grant Officer. The final decisions
for grant award will be made by the Grant Officer, after considering
the panelists' scoring decisions. The Grant Officer's decisions will be
based on what is determined to be the most advantageous to the Federal
Government in terms of technical quality and other factors.
E. Rating Criteria
Applicants are advised that selection for grant award is to be made
after careful evaluation of technical applications by a panel. Each
panelist will evaluate applications against the various criteria on the
basis of 80 points.
The scores will then serve as the primary basis to select
applications for potential award.
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1. Technical criteria Points
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a. Employer Leadership......................................... 35
b. Involvement of all Key Stakeholders......................... 25
c. Employment.................................................. 10
d. Required Knowledge.......................................... 10
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F. Evaluation Process and Competitive Range
Although the Government reserves the right to award on the basis of
the initial proposal submissions, the Government may establish a
competitive range, based on initial proposal evaluation, for the
purpose of selecting those qualified applicants with whom the
Government will hold discussions. Competitive range will be based on
the technical evaluation.
Following the Grant Officer's call for the receipt of final
revisions to the proposals (Best and Final Offers), the evaluation
process described above will be repeated to consider such revisions are
submitted by applicants. Following this evaluation, the Government will
determine which applicant has received the greatest number of points,
and is thus in line for award of the resulting grant.
g. Content of Grant Application
1. Technical Proposal
The technical proposal shall not exceed 20 single sided, double
spaced, 10 to 12 pitch typed pages. Given the page limitation, it is
important to plan your proposal submission carefully so as to include
all relevant information.
2. Cost Proposal
The cost (business) proposal must be separate from the technical
proposal. The transmittal letter, all letters of support, and public
policy certificates shall be attached to the business proposal, which
shall consist of the following:
a. Standard Form 424: Application for Federal Assistance, signed by
an official from the applicant organization who is authorized to enter
the organization into a grant agreement with the Department of Labor.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number is 17.248.
b. Budget Information: Budget Information must consist of the
following: ``Budget Information,'' Sections A-F of Standard Budget Form
424A.
(Use the forms and instructions provided, with the following
qualifications)
(1) In Section A, Budget Summary, enter in column (e), the amount
of Federal funds applied for; enter in column (f) the total value of
any match/in-kind contributions. Provide totals in column (g) and row
5.
(2) In Section B, Budget Categories, enter detailed separate cost
breakdowns for both the amount of Federal funds requested in the grant
application (entered in column 1) and the total amount of in-kind
services and/or matching funds that shall be made available (column 2).
Grantees shall format the budget backup so that program costs are
easily distinguishable from administrative costs.
[[Page 11230]]
The object class category entitled ``j. Indirect Charges'' shall
not be used when it is proper and appropriate to direct charge costs
relating to the program. The indirect charges object class category is
properly used to display costs based on (a) an approved, negotiated
indirect cost rate and plan with either the Department of Labor (DOL)
or another cognizant Federal Government audit agency; or (b) a proposed
rate based on a cost allocation plan that might be used as a 90-day
billing rate for the grant award until the grantee can negotiate an
acceptable and allowable rate with the Office of Cost Determination of
DOL.
3. Budget Back-up Information: As an attachment to the Standard
Budget Forms, the applicant must provide at a minimum, and on separate
sheet(s), program/administrative costs which include the following
information (applicants are encouraged to use the attached budget back-
up format that provides for display of all the required information):
(1) A breakout of all personnel costs by position title, salary
rates and percent of time of each position to be devoted to the
proposed project;
(2) An explanation and breakout of extraordinary fringe benefit
rates and associated charges (i.e., rates exceeding 35% of salaries and
wages);
(3) An explanation of the purpose and composition of, and method
used to derive the costs of each of the following: travel, equipment,
supplies, sub-agreements and any other costs. The applicant shall
include costs of any required travel described in the attached Special
Provisions. Mileage charges shall not exceed 31 cents per mile.
(4) Description/specification of and justification for equipment
purchases, if any. Any non-expendable personal property having a unit
acquisition cost of $500 or more, and a useful life of two or more
years must be specifically identified (State and local governments see
29 CFR Part 97, all others see 29 CFR Part 95).
Applicants are advised that information and dollar amounts provided
in the budget back-up must be consistent with and therefore, easily
cross-walked to Section B, Object Class Category, of the Standard
Budget Forms. They should also be consistent with the budget narrative
contained in the application.
d. Budget Narrative: (1) A narrative explanation of the budget
which describes all proposed costs and indicates how they are related
to the operation of the project.
(2) This shall include, at a minimum, an identification of staff
associated with the program and a description of their duties relative
to the program. The description shall justify the percentages of staff
time being charged to the grant.
(3) Travel, equipment, supplies, contractual (including subgrants),
and other charges in the budget shall be explained and justified with
respect to the project approach.
(4) Provide this information separately for the amount of requested
Federal funding and the amount of proposed match/in-kind contribution.
e. Indirect Cost Information: If indirect charges are claimed in
the proposed budget, the applicant must provide on a separate sheet,
the following information:
(1) Name and address of cognizant Federal audit agency;
(2) Name, address and phone number (including area code) of the
Government auditor;
(3) Documentation from the cognizant agency indicating:
(a) Indirect cost rate and the base against which the rate should
be applied;
(b) Effective period (dates) for the rate;
(c) Date last rate was computed and negotiated;
(4) If no government audit agency computed and authorized the rate
claimed, provide brief explanation of computation, who computed and the
date; if the applicant is awarded a grant, the proposed indirect rate
must be submitted to a Federal audit agency within 90 days of award for
approval.
H. OMB Clearance
Offerors awarded a grant under this solicitation will be required
to provide the supporting documents needs to clear data collection
instruments with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of
Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as
amended, if collection activities under the grant require response from
ten (10) or more members of the public. In this regard, the narrative
for all projects should indicate the scope the of planned data
collection activity.
I. Disposal of Data
Data collected by the grantee will become the property of the
Department of Labor, upon completion of this project. The grantee shall
defer to the GOTR as early as possible for guidance as to ensure that
the data are documented and easily accessible and usable.
J. Allowable Costs
Determinations of allowable costs shall be made in accordance with
the following applicable Federal cost principles:
State and Local Governments--OMB Circular A-87.
Educational Institutions--OMB Circular A-21.
Non-Profit Organizations--OMB Circular A-122.
Profit Making Commercial Firms--FAR 31.2.
Profit will not be considered an allowable cost in any case.
K. Administrative Provisions
The grant awarded under this SGA shall be subject to the following
administrative standards and provisions:
29 CFR Part 95--Federal Standards for Federally Funded Grants and
Agreements.
29 CFR Part 97--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and
Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.
29 CFR Part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded
Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
L. Grant Assurances and Certifications
The applicant must include the attached assurances and
certifications.
M. Special and General Provisions
These are attached for your information. If the applicant is
awarded a grant, it will be required to operate the program in
accordance with these provisions. Please note that the Special
Provisions actually incorporated into the grant may differ from those
included in the SGA, in order to reflect information specific to the
application.
Signed at Washington, D.C., this sixth day of March 1997.
Edythe West,
Executive Director, National Skill Standards Board.
[FR Doc. 97-6059 Filed 3-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-23-M