[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