[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44842-44845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22477]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Availability of Funds for National Provider of Training and 
Technical Assistance to National Service Programs Operated by Indian 
Tribes or Involving Native Americans

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service 
(Corporation) announces the availability of approximately $100,000 to 
provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) to national service 
programs supported by the Corporation that are operated by Indian 
Tribes or involve Native Americans. The Corporation expects to make one 
award in the form of a one-year cooperative agreement with the 
possibility of extension based on performance, need, and availability 
of funds.

DATES: Proposals must be received by the Corporation by 3:00 p.m. 
Eastern time on September 21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: All proposals should be submitted to the Corporation for 
National and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, 
DC 20525, Attention: Laurel Ihator, Room 9808.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Ekstrom or Susan Schechter at the 
Corporation for National and Community Service, (202) 606-5000, ext. 
461, T.D.D. (202) 565-2799. This notice may be requested in an 
alternative format for persons with visual impairments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Corporation for National and Community Service was established 
in 1993 to engage Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service in 
their communities. The Corporation's national and community service 
programs provide opportunities for participants to serve full-time and 
part-time, with or without stipend, as individuals or as a part of a 
team. AmeriCorps*State/National, VISTA, and National Civilian Community 
Corps engage thousands of Americans on a full- or part-time basis at 
more than 1,000 locations to help communities meet their toughest 
challenges. Learn and Serve America integrates service into the 
academic life of more than 800,000 students in all 50 states. The 
National Senior Service Corps utilizes the skills, talents and 
experience of over 500,000 older Americans to help make communities 
stronger, safer, healthier and smarter.
    The Corporation directly operates the AmeriCorps*VISTA *NCCC 
programs. More than 4,000 AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve to develop 
grassroots programs, mobilize resources and build capacity for service 
programs across the nation. AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian 
Community Corps) provides an opportunity for approximately 1,000 
individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 to participate in a 
residential program principally located on downsized military bases.
    The Corporation provides assistance to organizations that carry out 
AmeriCorps*State/National, Learn and Serve America, and National Senior 
Service Corps programs. AmeriCorps*State/National programs, which 
involve 25,000 Americans each year in results-driven community service, 
are grant programs managed by (1) State Commissions that select and 
oversee programs operated by local organizations, (2) national non-
profit organizations that identify and act as parent organizations for 
operating sites across the country; (3) Indian tribes; or (4) U.S. 
Territories. Learn and Serve America grants provide service learning 
opportunities for students in K-12 and higher education settings. The 
National Senior Service Corps operates through grants to local 
organizations for Retired Senior Volunteer Programs (RSVP), Foster 
Grandparents and Senior Companions to provide service to their 
communities. For additional information on the national service program 
supported by the Corporation, go to http://www.nationalservice.org.

II. Eligibility

    Public agencies, non-profit organizations (i.e., youth-serving 
groups, community-based organizations, and service organizations), 
institutions of higher education, Indian tribes, and

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for-profit companies are eligible to apply. Based on previous T/TA 
provider application processes and the Corporation's estimate of the 
number of potential applicants, the Corporation expects fewer than ten 
applications to be submitted.

III. Period of Assistance and Other Conditions

A. Cooperative Agreements

    Awards made under this Notice will be in the form of cooperative 
agreements. Administration of cooperative agreements is controlled by 
the Corporation's regulations, 45 CFR Part 2541 (for agreements with 
state and local government agencies) and 45 CFR Part 2543 (for 
agreements with institutions of higher education and other 
organizations). Providers must comply with reporting requirements, 
including quarterly financial reports and quarterly progress reports 
linking progress on deliverables to expenditures.

B. Use of Materials

    To ensure that materials generated for training and technical 
assistance purposes are available to the public and readily accessible 
to grantees and subgrantees, the Corporation retains royalty-free, non-
exclusive, and irrevocable licenses to obtain, use, reproduce, publish, 
or disseminate products, including data produced under the agreement, 
and to authorize others to do so. The awardee will agree to make 
available, to the extent practical, products at no cost or at the cost 
of reproduction to the national service field as identified by the 
Corporation.

C. Time Frame

    The Corporation expects that work under agreements awarded through 
this Notice will commence on or about November 1, 1998, following the 
conclusion of the Corporation's selection process and the negotiation 
of a cooperative agreement. The Corporation expects that the period of 
performance will be one year, with the possibility of extension based 
on performance, need and availability of funds.

D. Other Corporation-sponsored Training and Technical Assistance

    In addition to using the provider selected under this Notice, the 
Corporation currently provides T/TA to national service programs 
through a network of national providers in conflict resolution, human 
relations and diversity training, educational success, financial 
management, supervisory skills training, training materials 
development, National Service Resource Center, organizational 
development and program management, public safety programs, risk 
management, crew-based programming, member development and management, 
sustainability, and out-of-school time.

IV. T/TA Activities

    The Corporation expects the provider selected under this Notice to 
integrate the following requirements into its service delivery:
    1. Consistent with the Statement of Work, respond to requests for 
T/TA from Indian tribes regarding any aspect of a national service 
program operated by an Indian tribe.
    2. Respond to requests for T/TA relating to Native American issues 
made by any other organization operating a national service program 
supported by the Corporation.
    3. Coordinate continually with Corporation staff concerning 
programs that are in particular need of T/TA support.
    4. Conduct active, targeted outreach to programs identified by the 
Corporation as needing T/TA services.
    5. Work in partnership with programs to help identify/clarify needs 
and determine the most suitable responses.
    6. Prepare and submit for approval by the Corporation specific 
criteria for the evaluation of their T/TA services. After each T/TA 
event, to facilitate continuous improvement of these services, the 
provider will solicit evaluations of its services consistent with the 
approved evaluation criteria. The provider will maintain records on 
these evaluations and provide these records to the Corporation or an 
authorized representative upon request. The provider will also submit 
to the Director of T/TA a quarterly report which, in part, (1) compares 
accomplishments with goals; (2) describes the nature and scale of T/TA 
activity; (3) provides aggregate summaries of the evaluations of each 
event; (4) recommends agendas based on analyses of T/TA activity and 
trends; (5) as practicable, relates activity costs to budget line 
items; (6) identifies developments that hinder compliance with the 
agreement; and (7) when appropriate, cites or proposes corrective 
action, and seeks Corporation assistance. The Corporation may conduct 
independent assessments of the provider's performance.
    7. Orient and train staff and consultants in the Corporation's 
background and objectives.
    8. Collaborate in training events organized by other providers for 
the Corporation.
    9. Conduct outreach to national service programs to promote 
awareness of available T/TA services for programs operated by Indian 
tribes and for other issues involving Native Americans.
    10. Use peer-provided T/TA in situations where this approach is 
feasible and appropriate. Identify, document and transmit effective 
practices.
    11. Develop training that is interactive, culturally appropriate, 
experiential and based on the principles of adult learning.
    12. Develop training designs that accommodate participants at 
various levels of existing knowledge and skills.
    13. Ensure that assistance is inclusive of, and accessible to, 
persons with disabilities.
    14. Link all T/TA activities to the greatest extent possible to the 
goal of sustainability in the absence of Corporation financial support.
    15. Help organizations improve the quality of their program 
objectives and desired outcomes.
    16. Operate with a focus on capacity-building to help programs 
develop their internal T/TA capacity, such as by improving their skills 
in problem identification, problem solving and assessing local T/TA 
resources. The provider should develop train-the-trainer initiatives 
for the purpose of increasing capacity at the tribal and local level to 
deliver T/TA services to national service programs. The provider should 
support and encourage programs' access to local T/TA resources.
    17. Develop and maintain a network of geographically dispersed and 
tribally-diverse experts that includes staff from Corporation-funded 
programs.
    18. Use electronic communication as much as possible to facilitate 
the delivery of T/TA services. The Corporation is especially interested 
in approaches that expedite service delivery, increase communications 
and are cost-efficient. In all T/TA activities, programs should be 
encouraged and assisted in using electronic communication and 
automation.

V. Statement of Work

    The provider should deliver a training program that reflects the 
diverse and unique needs of the approximately 40 Indian tribes 
operating national service programs. The provider will broker services 
of consultants and other national providers, offer direct services 
whenever they fall within the range of expertise of the provider, and 
provide

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designated support services to Indian tribes that receive grants to 
operate national service programs.
    Specific tasks include, but are not limited to, the following:
     Recruit, screen and retain a qualified pool of 
consultants, primarily Native American, with a diverse array of skills 
and expertise.
     Orient consultants to the Corporation's mission, 
philosophy, objectives, and requirements.
     Identify consultants from geographically and tribally 
diverse backgrounds.
     Conduct targeted outreach as identified by the 
Corporation.
     Establish partnerships with other national providers.

--Provide training and orientation on Native American issues to 
providers as requested
--Conduct joint training sessions when appropriate
--Review and evaluate resource materials developed by other national 
providers to ensure that they are appropriate and useful for Indian 
tribes operating national service programs

     Respond promptly to T/TA needs in the most appropriate 
manner:

--Refer need to a consultation/provider
--Provide on-line consultation
--Provide telephone consultation via a toll-free number
--Provide on-site consultation.

     Plan and coordinate an annual ``network'' training event 
for approximately 75-100 participants from Indian tribes operating 
national service programs.
     Develop and maintain a web page that includes:

--T/TA calendar
--Resource information that supports programs
--Articles
--Agendas and resource materials from training events conducted by the 
provider and consultant pool
--Service learning information.

     Monitor and post information on the listserv dedicated to 
Indian tribes operating national service programs.
     Develop and disseminate information on a quarterly basis 
for and about Indian tribes operating national service programs.
     Develop resource manuals or materials as needed.
     Work with the National Service Resource Center to 
establish a resource library specifically related to the needs of 
Indian tribes operating national service programs.

--Identify relevant workshops, conferences, print materials, Internet 
sites, curricula and videos
--Maintain a catalog of available resources.

     Develop and conduct needs assessments for Indian tribes 
operating national service programs.

VI. Application Guidelines

A. Proposals Must Include

    A cover page listing: name, address, phone number, fax number, e-
mail address and World Wide Web site (if available) of the applicant 
organization and contact person; a 50-75 word summary of the proposed 
T/TA program or activity; and the total funding requested (not to 
exceed $100,000).
    A narrative of no more than 10 double-spaced, single-sided, typed 
pages in no smaller than 12-point font describing:
    (a) Objectives, scope of activities being proposed, and expected 
outcomes (e.g., proposed number and duration of training events and 
number of participants; proposed number of consultations).
    (b) Detailed work plan for accomplishing the objectives to include 
a timeline demonstrating implementation of each objective.
    (c) Applicant's plan for regularly evaluating its performance and 
reporting the findings and proposed improvements to the Corporation.
    3. A narrative of no more than six double-spaced, single-sided, 
typed pages in no smaller than 12-point font describing the 
organization's capacity to provide T/TA services nationwide, including 
descriptions of recent work similar to that being proposed, references 
that can be contacted related to that work, organizational structure 
and staff strengths and backgrounds (resumes of proposed staff may be 
included in an appendix).
    4. A detailed budget summary, including the allocation of person-
hours/days by task, an estimate of travel and other direct costs by 
task as appropriate, using the following format:

                                                 Budget Summary                                                 
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                    Applicant                                                                                   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Staff.........................................  ...........  List positions in attached Budget Narrative.    
    Salaries.....................................  ...........  ................................................
    Benefits.....................................  ...........  ................................................
    Subtotal A...................................  ...........  ................................................
B. Program Staff Development.....................  ...........  Include expenses for program directors to attend
                                                                 training events. Costs included in Other should
                                                                 be described in the accompanying budget        
                                                                 narrative.                                     
    Travel.......................................  ...........  ................................................
    Per Diem.....................................  ...........  ................................................
    Other........................................  ...........  ................................................
    Subtotal B...................................  ...........  ................................................
C. Consultants...................................  ...........  Specify the total cost of consultants.          
D. Training Events...............................  ...........  This amount should include the cost of training 
                                                                 supplies, facilities, etc.                     
E. Sub-contracts, sub-grants.....................  ...........  Specify the total cost of subgrants and         
                                                                 subcontracts, if any.                          
F. Communication.................................  ...........  This amount should include the total cost of    
                                                                 communications systems and equipment. Systems  
                                                                 may include newsletters, computer networks and 
                                                                 mailings.                                      
    Systems......................................  ...........                                                  
    Equipment....................................  ...........                                                  
    Subtotal F...................................  ...........                                                  
G. Supplies......................................  ...........  Include only supply costs not associated with   
                                                                 Training Events.                               
H. Other.........................................  ...........  Specify the total of all other costs unrelated  
                                                                 to the above categories.                       

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Total Request (A through H)......................  ...........  ................................................
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    Costs in proposed budgets must consist solely of those allowable 
under reimbursable cost principles found in applicable OMB Circulars. A 
supporting budget narrative including an explanation of the basis for 
cost estimates is required. Include any information on funding from 
other sources if any. (Provider match is not required.)
    5. Resumes and/or other descriptions of staff qualifications may be 
included in an appendix and are not subject to the page limits that are 
otherwise applicable.
    6. Applicants must submit one unbound, original proposal and two 
copies. Proposals may not be submitted by facsimile.
    B. Selection Process and Criteria
    To ensure fairness to all applicants, the Corporation reserves the 
right to take remedial action, up to and including disqualification, in 
the event a proposal fails to comply with the requirements relating to 
page limits, line spacing, and font size.
    The Corporation will assess applications based on the criteria, and 
respective weights, listed below.
Quality (35%)
    The Corporation will consider the quality of the proposed 
activities based on:
    (a) Demonstrated understanding of the needs and requirements of 
national service programs operated by Indian tribes or involving Native 
Americans, other national service programs, and the role of training 
assistance in supporting Corporation-funded programs.
    (b) Description of proposed T/TA objectives, activities, and 
expected outcomes.
    (c) Degree to which the objectives are addressed through the work 
plan.
Organizational and Personnel Capacity (35%)
    The Corporation will consider the organizational capacity of the 
applicant to deliver the proposed services based on:
    (a) Organizational experience in delivering high-quality training 
and technical assistance, particularly in the area(s) under 
consideration, and the experience of staff proposed for the project.
    (b) Organizational experience in delivering high-quality training 
and technical assistance to Indian tribes flexibly, creatively, 
responsively, and working in partnership with other organizations and 
individuals.
    (c) Background of the organization's leadership and key staff 
proposed for the project.
    (d) Demonstrated ability to manage federal assistance.
    (e) Demonstrated ability to provide T/TA services nationwide on a 
cost-effective basis.
Evaluation (10%)
    The Corporation will consider how the applicant:
    (a) Proposes to assess its services and products delivered under 
the award.
    (b) Plans to use assessments of its services and products to 
improve subsequent services and products.
Budget (20%)
    The Corporation will consider the budget based on:
    (a) Scope of proposed T/TA activity (i.e., number of persons, 
programs, and/or Indian tribes proposed T/TA activities are planned to 
reach);
    (b) Cost-effectiveness of the proposed activity; the degree to 
which the T/TA provider proposes a reasonable estimate of the amount of 
services the organization will be able to provide given the requested 
amount of funds and the organization's existing resources.
Preference of Nation-Wide Capacity
    In addition, the Corporation may select an organization that has 
demonstrated its ability to provide T/TA on a nation-wide basis over an 
organization of comparable merit that has not demonstrated this 
ability.

    Dated: August 17, 1998.
Thomas L. Bryant,
Acting General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-22477 Filed 8-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-M