[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40575-40578]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19140]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Availability of Funds for National Provider of Training and 
Technical Assistance to State Commissions

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 between $500,000 and 
$850,000 for an organization selected under this Notice to provide 
training and technical assistance to state commissions on national and 
community service. The Corporation will announce competitions to select 
other providers of training and technical assistance later this year.

DATES: Proposals must be received by the Corporation by 3:00 p.m. 
Eastern time on September 10, 1999.

ADDRESSES: All proposals should be submitted to the Corporation for 
National and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, 
DC 20525, Attention: Cathy Harrison, Room 9814B.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Ekstrom at the Corporation for 
National and Community Service, (202) 606-5000, ext. 414, TDD (202) 
565-2799. This Notice is available on the Corporations website, http://
www.nationalservice.org/research.

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 to 
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 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 over 1,000 locations to help communities meet their toughest 
challenges. Learn and Serve America integrates service into the 
academic life of nearly one million youth 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 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 over 40,000 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 awards 
grants to state education agencies; state commissions; schools, 
colleges and universities; and nonprofit organizations to carry out 
school-based, community-based and higher-education service-learning 
programs. 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 
programs supported by the Corporation, go to http://
www.nationalservice.org.
    In addition, the Corporation supports the 
AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) and 
AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) 
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 provides 
an opportunity for approximately 1,000 individuals between the ages of 
18 and 24 to participate in a residential program located mainly on 
downsized military bases.
    Responsibilities of the state commissions include, but are not 
limited to:
     Administering a competitive process to select national 
service programs to be included in requests to the Corporation for 
funding or education awards;
     Administering grants received from the Corporation and 
overseeing and monitoring the performance and progress of funded 
programs;
     Implementing comprehensive evaluation and monitoring 
systems;
     Providing training and technical assistance to sub-
grantees on implementing and operating high quality programs; and
     Developing and updating a unified state plan for national 
service that is consistent with the Corporation's broad goals and 
includes input from Corporation state offices and state education 
agencies.

II. Eligibility

    Public-sector agencies, non-profit organizations, institutions of 
higher education, Indian tribes, and for-profit companies are eligible 
to apply. Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an 
organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4), which engages in lobbying, is not 
eligible to apply. Organizations that operate or intend to operate 
Corporation-supported programs are eligible. The Corporation will 
consider proposals from single

[[Page 40576]]

applicants, applicants in partnership and applicants proposing other 
approaches to meeting the requirement that are considered responsive to 
this Notice. Organizations may apply to provide training and technical 
assistance in partnership with organizations seeking other Corporation 
funds. Based on previous training and technical assistance competitions 
and the Corporation's estimate of potential applicants, the Corporation 
expects fewer than ten applications to be submitted in response to this 
Notice.

III. Period of Assistance and Other Conditions

A. Cooperative Agreements

    Funding awarded under this Notice will be via cooperative 
agreement. 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, non-profit 
organizations and other entities). The awardee must comply with 
reporting requirements, including submitting 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 sub-grantees, 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. To the extent practicable, 
the awardee will agree to make products available to the national 
service field as identified by the Corporation at no cost or at the 
cost of reproduction. All materials developed for the Corporation will 
be produced consistent with Corporation editorial and publication 
guidelines.

C. Time Frame

    The Corporation expects that work under the agreement awarded 
through this Notice will commence on or about December 1, 1999, 
following the conclusion of the Corporation's selection and award 
process. The Corporation will make awards covering a period not to 
exceed three years. Applications must include a proposed budget and 
proposed activities for the entire award period. If the Corporation 
approves an application and enters into a multi-year award agreement, 
at the outset it will provide funding only for the first year of the 
award period. The Corporation has no obligation to provide additional 
funding in subsequent years. Funding for the second and third years of 
an award period is contingent upon satisfactory performance, the 
availability of funds and any other criteria established in the award 
agreement.

D. Other Corporation-Sponsored Training and Technical Assistance

    In addition to supporting the training and technical assistance 
provider selected under this Notice, the Corporation currently supports 
training and technical assistance for national service programs through 
a network of national providers in the areas of conflict resolution, 
human relations and diversity, educational success, financial 
management, supervisory skills, training-materials development, 
resource center services, organizational development and program 
management, public safety, risk management, crew-based programming, 
member development and management, sustainability, and out-of-school 
time.

IV. Scope of Activities To Be Supported

    The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, states 
that the Corporation for National Service ``shall provide training and 
technical assistance, where necessary, to *  *  * State Commissions *  
*  * to enable them to apply for funding under one of the national 
service laws, to conduct high-quality programs, to evaluate such 
programs, and for other purposes.'' 42 U.S.C. 12653(e). The areas in 
which commissions need support services include identifying and 
developing plans to meet state commission technical assistance needs; 
strategic planning; monitoring and quality assurance; sustainability; 
collaborating and networking with other state agencies and national 
service entities; designing assessment, evaluation, communication and 
advisory processes; and using resources effectively.
    In addressing the tasks listed below the provider will be expected 
to deliver training that is interactive, experiential, consistent with 
the principles of adult learning, and sensitive to audience diversity. 
Further, the provider will develop training activities that take into 
account the different levels of knowledge and skills on the part of 
those being trained. Finally, in accordance with Corporation policy, 
the provider will ensure that all training and technical assistance is 
accessible to persons with disabilities as required by law.
    The Corporation expects the provider selected under this Notice to 
integrate the following requirements into its service delivery:
    1. Developing protocols and other guidelines for delivering and 
documenting the training and technical assistance services provided to 
commissions. Examples of focus areas include developing commission 
training and technical assistance service strategies, planning and 
executing training and technical assistance interventions, and helping 
to organize and conduct retreats.
    2. Developing and maintaining a network of geographically dispersed 
experts, that includes staff and commissioners from state commissions 
and/or Corporation-funded programs. The experts should be individuals 
who are well experienced in the services offered by the provider. They 
should be listed in, and their resumes made part of, the application 
package (see Section V, Application Guidelines, below) to permit review 
and discussion of their qualifications during the Corporation's 
selection process.
    3. Orienting and training staff and consultants on the 
Corporation's background and objectives.
    4. Developing a plan to promote its services to commissions.
    5. Using electronic communication as much as possible to facilitate 
the delivery of training and technical assistance services and the 
exchange of information within and among commissions, e.g., via 
electronic networks and conference calls (the provider should budget 
for at least two, one-hour conference calls per month per state, each 
involving at least 15 commissions). The Corporation is especially 
interested in approaches that expedite service delivery, increase 
communication and are cost-efficient.
    6. Assisting Corporation staff in orienting newly appointed state 
commissioners and executive directors.
    7. Delivering service in a manner that enhances the capacity of 
state commissions to function effectively. As one approach to meeting 
this objective, the provider will be expected to use transfer-of-skills 
methods and train-the-trainer models in delivering its services. 
Potential focus areas include strategic planning; program monitoring 
and evaluation; training and technical assistance management, to 
include needs assessment and resource development; and cross-program 
collaboration.
    8. Developing and managing a peer-to-peer system that makes use of 
the full

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range of service delivery, i.e., phone consultations and other 
electronic communication, materials development and shipment and site 
visits (the provider will budget for at least 20 peer site visits per 
quarter). The provider will be expected to document the system's 
operation, to include the peer selection criteria, preparation process, 
and assignment procedure. To facilitate the peer-to-peer process, the 
provider will be expected to inventory the skills of commission 
executive directors and commissioners, and publish an annotated listing 
on the provider's website for review and use by potential commission 
customers. Following each peer intervention, the provider will require 
an after-action report outlining the issues addressed, actions taken, 
results achieved and follow-up actions required.
    9. Developing annually, in coordination with the Corporation's 
program, training and technical assistance and grants staffs, and with 
commission executive directors, a strategic, training-and-technical-
assistance plan for each state commission. The provider will be 
expected to deliver the services outlined in the plans in a sequence, 
determined through similar consultation, that provides assistance 
earliest to those commissions deemed to be in greatest need. This plan 
will be updated as needed. The provider will budget for at least 43 
site visits per quarter.
    10. Responding to requests for training and technical assistance 
from state commissions directly or by facilitating services through 
other training and technical assistance providers, to include the 
Corporation's National Service Leadership Institute. In devising 
responses to such requests, the provider will coordinate with the 
Corporation's program, training-and-technical-assistance and other 
staffs, as needed, as well as with commission staff, on the strategy, 
content, delivery mode, timing and cost-effectiveness of the response. 
Following delivery of the assistance, the provider will give written 
feedback to the Corporation and other planning entities on the outcome 
of the intervention and recommended follow-up action. The provider will 
also be expected to work with commissions to document the longer-term 
impact of each intervention.
    11. Assisting state commissions in planning, organizing, 
coordinating and facilitating state-based and cluster-based (regional) 
training conferences designed to address training needs across service 
programs as well as those specific to a single service stream. The 
provider will budget to assist with the convening of at least one 
cluster-based training conference per year.
    12. Assisting commissions in assessing their compliance with State 
Commission Administrative Performance Standards. (The performance 
standards, currently in draft form, are available on the Corporation's 
website, http://www.nationalservice.org/research.)
    13. Developing and providing training and technical assistance 
designed to assist commissions in addressing areas of non-compliance 
with State Commission Administrative Performance Standards. The 
provider will budget for at least 12 interventions per year.
    14. Developing curricula that commissions can request in support of 
one- to three-day, state-based or regional training conferences on 
strengthening state commissions. Potential topic areas include 
commission structure and function, commissioner and staff orientation 
and training, program support strategies, information flow, unified 
state planning, and identifying and applying effective practices.
    15. Collaborating on training events organized by other training 
and technical assistance providers including the National Service 
Leadership Institute.
    16. Soliciting an evaluation after each training and technical 
assistance event using an assessment instrument that is approved by the 
Corporation. The provider will maintain records of these evaluations 
and provide them to the Corporation or an authorized representative 
upon request. The provider will submit aggregate summaries of each 
training-and-technical-assistance event's evaluations as part of the 
required quarterly report to the Corporation. The Corporation may 
conduct independent assessments of the provider's performance at any 
time.
    17. Researching and documenting, for dissemination, effective 
practices and lessons learned about the operation and technical 
elements of commissions.
    18. Submitting a quarterly report that, at minimum, provides the 
information below. The provider will develop the capacity to submit 
this information electronically as stipulated by the Corporation.
    a. A comparison of accomplishments with the goals and objectives 
for the period.
    b. An annotated version of the approved budget that compares actual 
costs with budgeted costs by line item, and explains differences. The 
explanation should include, as appropriate, an analysis of cost 
overruns and high-cost units and a description of service requests not 
anticipated in your original budget.
    c. A description of the services provided to include:
    (1) Number of requests received by topic area and stream of 
service;
    (2) The activity conducted to address each request (e.g., training, 
on-site technical assistance, phone consultation and other electronic 
communication and/or materials development and shipment) and mode of 
delivery (e.g., staff member, consultant, peer assistant and/or other 
provider);
    (3) The number of participants in each training and technical 
assistance event;
    (4) The cost of responding to each request based on the direct 
costs to the provider;
    (5) Average cost per delivery mode (e.g. on-site consultations, 
conference calls, cluster meetings, and peer-to-peer interventions);
    (6) Client feedback on the services rendered (including the 
aggregate evaluation of each training event);
    (7) Problems encountered in delivering services with 
recommendations for addressing them. d. A list of upcoming activities 
and events;
    e. Recommended training and technical assistance focus areas as 
suggested by analyses of service activity and trends.
    f. A discussion of developments that hindered, or may hinder, 
compliance with the cooperative agreement.

V. Application Guidelines

A. Proposal Content and Submission

    Applicants are requested to submit one unbound, original proposal 
and four copies. Proposals may not be submitted by facsimile. Proposals 
must include the elements below. 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.
    1. 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 
training and technical assistance program or activity; and the total 
funding requested.
    2. A narrative of no more than 25 double-spaced, single-sided, 
typed pages in no smaller than 12-point font describing:
    a. Objectives, scope of activities being proposed, and deliverables 
projected in response to the scope-of-activities

[[Page 40578]]

requirements outlined in Section IV of this Notice (e.g., number and 
duration of training events and number of participants; number of 
technical assistance visits; number and type of consultations; 
curricular modules and other materials, etc.).
    b. Detailed work plan for accomplishing the objectives to include a 
timeline for implementing each objective.
    c. A plan for regularly evaluating performance and reporting 
findings and proposed improvements to the Corporation.
    3. A narrative of no more than four double-spaced, single-sided, 
typed pages in no smaller than 12-point font describing the 
organization's capacity to provide training and technical assistance 
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 
(lists and resumes, along with anticipated rates of pay, of proposed 
staff and expert consultants shall be included in an appendix; this 
information is not subject to the page limits that are otherwise 
applicable).
    4. A detailed, line-item budget with hours and costs organized by 
personnel, task and sub-task and related to the activities and 
deliverables outlined in the introductory narrative.
    a. Include staff and expert-consultant hours and pay rates being 
proposed by task and sub-task, and indicate by task and sub-task the 
types and quantities of other direct costs being proposed (for example, 
amounts of travel; volumes of other task-related resources, such as 
communications, postage, etc.). Costs in proposed budgets must consist 
solely of costs allowable under applicable cost principles found in OMB 
Circulars.
    b. Provide a budget narrative that includes an explanation of the 
basis for the cost estimates. The organization of the budget narrative 
should parallel that of the line-item budget. Each of the elements and 
sub-elements that comprise the totals of the individual budget lines 
must be fully explained in the narrative. The narrative should show how 
each cost was derived, using equations to reflect all factors 
considered. The anticipated unit cost (with derivation) of the various 
deliverables (such as training events and technical assistance 
interventions) should be provided.
    c. Identify other funding sources, if any, which will be used to 
support the proposed training and technical assistance services. 
Applicants should be mindful that a demonstrated commitment to 
providing services in the most cost-effective manner possible will be a 
major consideration in the evaluation of proposals. (Provider match is 
not required.)

B. Selection Criteria

    The Corporation will assess applications based on the criteria 
listed below.
1. Quality (30%)
    The Corporation will consider the quality of the proposed 
activities based on:
    a. Demonstrated understanding of the needs of state commissions, 
Corporation-funded programs, and the Corporation itself.
    b. Descriptions of proposed training and technical assistance 
techniques, including procedures for testing new curricula and training 
activities before offering them on a large scale.
    c. The degree to which the objectives outlined in the proposal's 
introductory narrative are addressed through the work plan.
2. Organizational and Personnel Capacity (30%)
    The Corporation will consider the organizational capacity of the 
applicant to deliver the proposed services based on:
    a. Demonstrated organizational experience in delivering high-
quality training and technical assistance, particularly in the area(s) 
under consideration, in a flexible, responsive, collaborative and 
creative manner.
    b. Background of the organization's leadership and staff/
consultants proposed for the project.
    c. Demonstrated ability to manage a federal grant or apply sound 
fiscal management principles to grants and cost accounting.
    d. Demonstrated ability to provide training and technical 
assistance services nationwide on a cost-effective basis.
3. 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 modify 
and improve subsequent services and products.
4. Budget (30%)
    The Corporation will consider the budget based on:
    a. Scope of the proposed training and technical assistance activity 
(e.g., the number of states, programs and individuals the proposed 
activities are intended to reach);
    b. Cost-effectiveness of the proposed activity, in part, in 
consideration of the scale and comprehensiveness of the services 
proposed for the funding requested.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 12653(e).

    CFDA No. 94.009 Training and Technical Assistance.

    Dated: July 20, 1999.
William H. Bentley,
Director, Department of Evaluation and Effective Practices, Corporation 
for National and Community Service.
[FR Doc. 99-19140 Filed 7-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-U