[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 144 (Monday, July 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40366-40369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19711]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Federal Set-Aside Program; Special Projects of Regional and 
National Significance; Girl Neighborhood Power Cooperative Agreements

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The HRSA announces that approximately $1.0 million in fiscal 
year (FY) 1997 funds is available for five cooperative agreements: one 
National Consortium of Girl Neighborhood Power Partners and four 
Community-Based Girl Neighborhood Power Partners Programs. All awards 
will be made under the program authority of section 502(a) of the 
Social Security Act, the MCH Federal Set-Aside Program. The Girl 
Neighborhood Power (GNP) Program will be administered through HHS 
intra-agency agreements as a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Special 
Project of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) initiative. 
Awards will be made for 5-year periods. Funds for GNP cooperative 
agreements are appropriated by Public Law 104-208. Within the HRSA, 
SPRANS awards are administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau 
(MCHB).
    The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the 
health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 
2000, a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. The MCH 
Block Grant Federal Set-Aside Program addresses issues related to the 
Healthy People 2000 objectives of improving maternal, infant, child and 
adolescent health and developing service systems for children with 
special health care needs. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of 
Healthy People 2000 (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy 
People 2000 (Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the 
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 
20402-9325 (telephone: 202-512-1800).
    The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a 
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. 
In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, 
prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion

[[Page 40367]]

of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day 
care, health care or early childhood development services are provided 
to children.

ADDRESSES: Federal Register notices and application guidance for MCHB 
programs are available on the World Wide Web via the Internet at 
address: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/hrsa/mchb. Click on the file name you 
want to download to your computer. It will be saved as a self-
extracting (Macintosh or WordPerfect 5.1) file.
    To decompress the file once it is downloaded, type in the file name 
followed by a . The file will expand to a WordPerfect 5.1 file.
    For applicants for GNP cooperative agreements who are unable to 
access application materials electronically, a hard copy (Revised PHS 
form 5161-1, approved under OMB clearance number 0937-0189) may be 
obtained from the HRSA Grants Application Center. Requests should 
specify the category or categories of activities for which an 
application is requested so that the appropriate forms, information and 
materials may be provided. The Center may be contacted by: Telephone 
Number: 1-888-300-HRSA, FAX Number: 301-309-0579, E-mail Address: 
[email protected]. Completed applications should be returned to: 
Grants Management Officer (CFDA #93.110X), HRSA Grants Application 
Center, 40 West Gude Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

DATES: The application deadline date is August 26, 1997. Applications 
will be considered to have met the deadline if they are either: (1) 
Received on or before the deadline date, or (2) postmarked on or before 
the deadline date and received in time for orderly processing. 
Applicants should request a legibly dated receipt from a commercial 
carrier or the U.S. Postal Service, or obtain a legibly dated U.S. 
Postal Service postmark. Private metered postmarks will not be accepted 
as proof of timely mailing. Late applications will be returned to the 
applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for technical or programmatic 
information should be directed to: Trina Menden Anglin, M.D., Ph.D., 
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA, Parklawn Building, Room 18A-39, 
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, telephone: 301-443-5599. 
Requests for information concerning business management issues should 
be directed to: Sandra Perry, Grants Management Officer (GMO), Maternal 
and Child Health Bureau, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18-12, Rockville, 
Maryland 20857, telephone: 301-443-1440.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Background and Objectives

    Girl Neighborhood Power!: Building Bright Futures for Success is a 
collaborative, multi-phase, effort by the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) and America's communities to help encourage and 
empower 9 to 14 year-old girls to make the most of their lives. As part 
of the Secretary's Girl Power Campaign and the Administration's 
strategy to prevent teen pregnancy, and as a response to the 
President's charge to promote volunteerism and forge coalitions for 
America's children, the Secretary of HHS is challenging America's 
communities to become active partners in assisting 9 to 14 year-old 
girls to successfully navigate adolescence by: Rejecting tobacco, 
alcohol, and illicit drugs; and embracing physical activity, nutrition, 
abstinence, education, mental health, social development, and strong 
futures. Major objectives of GNP include: To give girls the information 
and clear messages they need to stay away from risky behaviors, to 
avoid teen pregnancy and to make responsible decisions about their 
lives; help support and guide parents, peers, siblings, neighbors, and 
other adults involved with the lives of America's girls; and teach 
skills that build confidence for girls and help them develop and 
sustain a broad range of interests in academics, arts, sports, music, 
volunteerism, and other positive activities that help build healthy 
girls and communities.
    The GNP program addresses the unique needs, interests, and 
challenges faced by 9 to 14 year-old girls. The initiative takes a 
comprehensive approach by looking at the many challenges girls face and 
addressing them not only with targeted health messages about behaviors 
they should avoid, but also by giving them positive messages, 
meaningful opportunities, and skills to move through adolescence and 
build healthy futures. To accomplish this, the initiative will build 
strong partnerships that galvanize parents, schools, communities, 
religious organizations, media, health providers, businesses, local 
governments, and other caring adults. It will also challenge Americans 
to organize both at the national level and in local neighborhoods.
    The GNP initiative will support challenge grants and create ``power 
partners'' who will enter into cooperative efforts with public, private 
and community organizations that have a demonstrated commitment to: 
contributing to strengthening career and family roles; providing 
opportunities for community service; fostering access to diverse 
communities; including participants in the planning and implementation 
of efforts; and involving key leaders who are in a position to make a 
difference in effecting positive change.
    Challenge grants will take the form of cooperative agreements to 
support special projects that: Plan and implement innovative and cost-
effective approaches for directing resources to promote community-
defined preventive health, educational, social, and developmental 
objectives; foster and promote cooperation among volunteers, community 
organizations, individuals, agencies, businesses, and families; and 
build community and statewide partnerships among volunteers, 
professionals in health, education, social services, government, and 
business to achieve self-sustaining programs. Within the broad scope of 
improving the well-being of girls and their families, a multitude of 
project foci may be acceptable. It is expected that the issues to be 
addressed as well as the specific approaches to be used will be 
selected by the applicant. However, each grantee will be expected to 
support at least four neighborhood programs for girls.

Eligible Applicants

    Any public or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal 
organization (as defined at 25 U.S.C. 450(b), is eligible to apply for 
cooperative agreements covered by this announcement.

Funding

    Two categories of GNP special projects are open for competition in 
FY 1997: (1) One cooperative agreement for a National Consortium of 
Girl Neighborhood Power Partners; and (2) four cooperative agreements 
for Community-Based Girl Neighborhood Power Partners projects. Awards 
will be made for 5-year periods.
    No first-year award in either category requires grantee matching. 
In the second through the fifth years Community-Based Girl Neighborhood 
Power Partners Project grantees will be required to provide matching 
equal to 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent and 100 percent, 
respectively, of the amount of the federal grant in order to 
demonstrate sustainability of project effort.
    It is anticipated that substantial Federal programmatic involvement 
will be required in these cooperative

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agreements. This means that after award, awarding office staff provide 
technical assistance and guidance to, or coordinate and participate in, 
certain programmatic activities of award recipients beyond their normal 
stewardship responsibilities in the administration of grants. Federal 
involvement may include, but is not limited to, planning, guidance, 
coordination and participation in programmatic activities. Periodic 
meetings, conferences, and/or communications with the award recipient 
are held to review mutually agreed upon goals and objectives and to 
assess progress. Details on the scope of Federal programmatic 
involvement in cooperative agreements included in this Notice, 
consistent with HRSA grants administration policy, are included in the 
application kit for each cooperative agreement category.

Category 1: National Consortium of Girl Neighborhood Power Partners

     Narrative Description of this Competition: The purpose of 
this cooperative agreement is to assemble Federal, State, and local 
governments, professional organizations, social and religious 
institutions, schools and universities, community groups, foundations, 
media, corporate leaders, families, and young people as an ongoing 
``national neighborhood caucus.'' The mission of this body is to 
provide overall direction and galvanize a national commitment to the 
initiative. Participants will collaborate, share knowledge and 
expertise, serve as advisors to the Community-based Girl Neighborhood 
Power Partners Projects, and secure resources sufficient to plan, 
organize, implement, staff, and otherwise support the consortium, 
establish a framework for mutual problem solving, and attain program 
goals.
     Estimated Amount of this Competition: $200,000.
     Number of Expected Awards: 1.
     Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: Preference for 
funding will be given to a single national nonprofit organization or a 
coalition of organizations with a history of service to young people, 
particularly girls 9 to 14 years of age.
     Evaluation Criteria: See Criteria for Review; applications 
will be reviewed, in addition, on the basis of the extent to which: (a) 
The project will contribute to the improvement to the health, 
education, and well being of 9 to 14 year old girls; and (b) the 
project is responsive to HHS policy concerns applicable to the GNP 
program.

Category 2: Community-Based Girl Neighborhood Power Partners Projects

     Narrative Description of this Competition: The purpose of 
these projects is to combine public and private resources at the 
community level to implement neighborhood efforts addressing the 
health, education, and psychosocial needs of girls 9 to 14 years of 
age. These local efforts will include community service and at least 
two of the following additional program elements: mentoring; before/
after school activities; health education; and career development. 
Projects are challenged to achieve a lasting and sustained investment 
by enabling communities to use existing resources, including, 
volunteers, in a collaborative and mutually supportive way.
     Estimated Amount of this Competition: $800,000.
     Number of Expected Awards: 4.
     Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: Priority for 
funding in this category, in the form of a 1.0 point favorable 
adjustment in the priority score in a 4.0 point range, will be given to 
projects serving low income communities. An additional 0.5 point 
favorable adjustment will be given to projects serving any federally 
designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community area and 
coordinating with the local Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community 
lead entity organization. (A list of the Empowerment Zone and 
Enterprise Community sites will be included with the program guidance.) 
In addition, preference for funding will be given to national/regional/
local, nonprofit organizations, with a successful history of both 
service to young people, particularly girls 9 to 14 years of age, and 
local community presence and commitment.
     Evaluation Criteria: See Criteria for Review; applications 
will be reviewed, in addition, on the basis of the extent to which: (a) 
The project will contribute to the improvement to the health, 
education, and well being of 9 to 14 year old girls; (b) the project is 
responsive to the mission of the GNP program; and (c) the project will 
be integrated with the administration of other federal community grants 
in addition to the MCH Block Grant, State primary care plans, public 
health, and prevention programs, ACF's Community Schools programs, the 
Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community Initiative and other related 
programs in the respective communities.

Special Concerns

    HRSA places special emphasis on improving service delivery to 
women, children and youth from communities with limited access to 
comprehensive care. To assure access and cultural competence, projects 
will involve individuals from the populations to be served in the 
planning and implementation of the project. The intent is to ensure 
that the broadest possible representation of culturally distinct and 
historically under-represented groups is assured through programs and 
projects sponsored by the MCHB. This same emphasis applies to improving 
service delivery to children with special health care needs.

Evaluation Protocol

    All SPRANS projects, including any project awarded as part of the 
GNP initiative, are expected to incorporate a carefully designed 
protocol capable of documenting measurable progress toward achieving 
the project's stated goals. The protocol should be based on a clear 
rationale relating the grant activities, the project goals, and the 
evaluation measures. The measurements of progress toward goals should 
focus on health outcome indicators, rather than on intermediate 
measures such as process or outputs. A project lacking a complete and 
well-conceived evaluation protocol may not be funded.

Data Reporting Requirements

    All SPRANS grantees are required to report annually to HHS (under 
OMB No. 0915-0169) the number of persons served or trained (by race and 
ethnicity), evaluations performed, Healthy People 2000 Objectives 
addressed, and related information. Data forms for this purpose are 
sent to all grantees during the first grant year, and annually 
thereafter.

Project Review and Funding

    The GNP special projects will be administered as SPRANS cooperative 
agreements under the MCH Block Grant's SPRANS authority. Program 
policy, grantee selection, program oversight, and evaluation will be 
carried out by MCHB/HRSA with full participation by the following HHS 
agencies: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 
(OS); Office of Public Health and Science (OS); Office of Population 
Affairs (OS); Office on Women's Health (OS); Administration on Children 
and Families; Bureau of Primary Health Care (HRSA); National Center for 
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC); National 
Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH); and the Health 
Care Financing Administration.

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Criteria for Review

    The criteria which follow are used, as pertinent, to review and 
evaluate applications for awarding all SPRANS grants and cooperative 
agreements. Further guidance regarding review criteria specific to the 
GNP program is supplied in application materials, which will specify 
final criteria.

--The quality of the project plan or methodology.
--The extent to which the project will contribute to the advancement of 
maternal and child health and/or improvement of the health of children 
with special health care needs.
--The extent to which the project is responsive to policy concerns 
applicable to MCH grants and to program objectives, requirements, 
priorities and/or review criteria for specific project categories, as 
published in program announcements or guidance materials.
--The extent to which the estimated cost to the Government of the 
project is reasonable, considering the anticipated results.
--The extent to which the project personnel are well qualified by 
training and/or experience for their roles in the project and the 
applicant organization has adequate facilities and personnel.
--The extent to which, insofar as practicable, the proposed activities, 
if well executed, are capable of attaining project objectives.
--The adherence of the project's evaluation plans to the requirements 
of the Evaluation Protocol.
--The extent to which the project will be integrated with the 
administration of the Maternal and Child Health Services block grants, 
State primary care plans, public health and prevention programs, State 
and local Medicaid agencies, and other related programs in the 
respective State(s).
--The extent to which the application is responsive to the special 
concerns and program priorities specified in this notice.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

    This program is subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements (approved under OMB No. 0937-0195). Under these 
requirements, the community-based nongovernmental applicant must 
prepare and submit a Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS). The 
PHSIS is intended to provide information to State and local health 
officials to keep them apprised of proposed health services grant 
applications submitted by community-based nongovernmental organizations 
within their jurisdictions.
    Community-based nongovernmental applicants are required to submit 
the following information to the head of the appropriate State and 
local health agencies in the area(s) to be impacted no later than the 
Federal application receipt due date:
    (a) A copy of the face page of the application (PHS 5161-1).
    (b) A summary of the project (PHSIS), not to exceed one page, which 
provides:
    (1) A description of the population to be served.
    (2) A summary of the services to be provided.
    (3) A description of the coordination planned with the appropriate 
State and local health agencies.

Executive Order 12372

    The MCH Federal set-aside program has been determined to be a 
program which is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 
concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs. The OMB 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.110X.

    Dated: July 22, 1997.
Claude Earl Fox,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-19711 Filed 7-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P