[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53848-53851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25645]



[[Page 53847]]

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Part III





Department of Justice





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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention



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Evaluation Facilitation for the Tribal Youth Program; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 191 / Monday, October 4, 1999 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP)-1249]
RIN 1121-ZB82


Evaluation Facilitation for the Tribal Youth Program

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention, Justice.

ACTION: Announcement of Discretionary Competitive Cooperative 
Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
(OJJDP) is requesting applications for the Evaluation Facilitation for 
the Tribal Youth Program. The Evaluation Facilitator will provide 
direction, training, and technical assistance to local Program 
Assessment Teams that will be conducting participatory evaluations of 
juvenile justice projects under OJJDP's Tribal Youth Program. The 
Evaluation Facilitator will also conduct an analysis of the juvenile 
justice system structure and operations in each site. This analysis 
will address the relationship the juvenile justice activities and 
responsibilities of tribal, county, State, and Federal governmental 
entities and the historical, social, and economic context in which they 
exist.

DATES: Applications must be received by November 18, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Interested applicants can obtain an application kit from the 
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736. The application kit is 
also available at OJJDP's Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/
about.html#kit.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phelan Wyrick, Program Manager, Office 
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 202-353-9254. [This is 
not a toll-free number.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

    The purpose of this program is to provide high quality guidance and 
direction to up to five local stakeholder teams that will be conducting 
evaluations of projects supported by the Tribal Youth Program. The 
Evaluation Facilitator will also conduct an analysis of the structure 
and operations of the juvenile justice system and tribal justice system 
at each of these sites. Applications are encouraged from researchers 
and evaluators who have experience conducting large-scale participatory 
evaluations and/or working closely with tribal populations.

Background

    The Tribal Youth Program was designed to provide federally 
recognized Indian tribes 1 with support for juvenile justice 
activities in one or more of the following categories:
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    \1\ Federally recognized Indian tribes are those tribes listed 
in the Federally Recognized Tribes List Act located in the lower 48 
States and Alaska Native villages in Alaska.
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     Reduce, control, and prevent crime both by and against 
tribal youth.
     Provide interventions for court-involved tribal youth.
     Improve tribal juvenile justice systems.
     Provide prevention programs focusing on alcohol and drugs.
    These categories are broad, allowing applicants for the Tribal 
Youth Program to customize their applications to the particular needs 
of their communities. The Tribal Youth Program will fund sites for a 
project period of 3 years. Funding under this program may be applied 
toward starting new projects or continuing, expanding, or enhancing 
existing projects. Applicants responding to this program announcement 
should review the Tribal Youth Program Guidelines and Application Kit 
for more detailed information. Copies of that announcement can be 
obtained by calling OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-
8736 or sending an e-mail request to [email protected]. Fax-on-demand 
service is also available through the Clearinghouse number listed above 
(choose option 1, then option 2). OJJDP program announcements are also 
available online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/current.html.

Site Selection Procedures for the Evaluation

    Of the sites that will be selected to receive funding under the 
Tribal Youth Program, up to five will be selected to participate in 
this evaluation. These sites will receive supplemental funding to 
support their evaluation efforts. To be eligible for this supplemental 
funding, sites must receive an award under the Tribal Youth Program and 
must have explicitly applied for inclusion in the evaluation as part of 
their Tribal Youth Program application. The pool of eligible applicants 
will then be reviewed by OJJDP and the Evaluation Facilitator selected 
under this solicitation. Efforts will be made to include at least one 
Alaska Native village. Criteria for selection will include:
     Willingness and capacity to use multiple and varied 
approaches to collect information.
     Willingness to commit resources (in-kind services).
     Willingness to involve key stakeholders in decisionmaking 
around the evaluation.
     Degree to which the evaluation activity is perceived as 
being useful to the program's end users.
     Potential to build an evaluation capacity within the 
tribal community.
    Sites will be notified if they are selected for the participatory 
evaluation and will be given instructions for submitting applications 
for supplemental funding after the initial Tribal Youth Program awards 
have been made.

Evaluation Strategy

    Research and program evaluation in Indian country have been 
criticized for returning little practical information or resources to 
the people who are the focus of study. Meetings and focus groups with 
tribal practitioners and researchers in Indian Country have revealed a 
strong interest in research and evaluation that are driven by members 
of the community, respectful of tribal values and customs, and geared 
toward practical application and local utilization of findings. The 
need for building local research and evaluation capacity has also been 
highlighted.
    Under this solicitation, OJJDP will competitively award one 
cooperative agreement for an Evaluation Facilitator for the 
participatory evaluation of the Tribal Youth Program. The Evaluation 
Facilitator's primary role is to guide the process of the participatory 
evaluation and provide training and technical assistance in each of the 
selected sites. The secondary role of the Evaluation Facilitator will 
be to provide an analysis of the structure and operations of the 
existing juvenile justice system and tribal justice system in each 
site.

Facilitating the Participatory Evaluation

    The participatory evaluation is designed to assess program 
implementation and outcomes by forming partnerships between the 
Evaluation Facilitator and local Program Assessment Teams (PAT's). 
PAT's will be composed of individuals at each selected evaluation site 
who have a stake in the program, such as program staff, community 
residents, tribal leaders/tribal council, elders, native youth, and 
parents. With the assistance of the Evaluation Facilitator, PAT's will 
design and implement culturally appropriate process and outcome 
evaluations of their local projects under the Tribal Youth Program. The 
Evaluation Facilitator will provide

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intensive training and technical assistance to PAT's as they move 
through the evaluation process. This approach is designed to build 
local evaluation capacity while the evaluation remains community driven 
and directed toward practical application and utility of findings. 
Thus, this evaluation is designed to address concerns that have been 
raised by practitioners and researchers in tribal government and 
communities.
    Up to five of the Tribal Youth Program sites will be selected to 
participate in the evaluation and will receive supplemental funding for 
evaluation in addition to their Tribal Youth Program awards. PAT's will 
be formed at each of the evaluation sites. At minimum, PAT's will be 
composed of one half-time coordinator and several additional volunteer 
members including program stakeholders and community members, as noted 
above. PAT members will not be required to have previous evaluation or 
research experience. However, PAT's will make the final decisions on 
such issues as the selection of evaluation questions and methods of 
inquiry, and PAT members will carry out the tasks of data collection 
and analysis. Throughout the process, PAT's will be responsible for 
interpreting and adhering to local values and customs with regard to 
data collection and information sharing. PAT's will also be responsible 
for reporting their activities to the Evaluation Facilitator.
    The Evaluation Facilitator will build local evaluation capacity by 
providing direction, training, and technical assistance over a 3-year 
project period to PAT members. The Evaluation Facilitator must be able 
to respond to direct requests for guidance and training. Training 
should cover areas including, but not limited to, program evaluation 
design, construction of program logic models, data collection 
procedures, selection and construction of data collection instruments, 
data analysis techniques, and reporting. Furthermore, the Evaluation 
Facilitator must be able to anticipate future and unrecognized needs 
that the PAT's may have as they conduct their evaluation. Both the 
Evaluation Facilitator and the PAT's will be responsible for ensuring 
that the program assessment includes evaluation of both process and 
outcomes and that the assessment produces results that have direct 
practical implications for program development.
    Training visits to each of the sites during the first year of the 
project will be critical. It is likely that at least one Alaska Native 
village site will be included in the evaluation, and travel should be 
budgeted accordingly. Through the Tribal Youth Program, the PAT's will 
have access to a computer system with Internet access and e-mail 
capability. It is expected that ongoing communication will take place 
with the sites and assistance will be given via e-mail, electronic file 
transfer, telephone, and conventional mail.
    Since programs are likely to be in early developmental and planning 
phases during much of the first 12 months, evaluation activities should 
focus on assembling an effective PAT, planning and implementing a 
process evaluation, and planning an outcome evaluation. The Evaluation 
Facilitator will be responsible for providing the necessary direction, 
training and technical assistance to accomplish these tasks.

Analyzing the Existing Juvenile Justice System and Tribal Justice 
System

    It is the responsibility of the Evaluation Facilitator to conduct 
an analysis of the existing juvenile justice system at each of the 
evaluation sites. A central feature of this analysis will be the 
relationships between tribal government and county, State, and Federal 
entities and other tribal governments as they relate to juvenile 
justice. The analysis should also include indicators of workload within 
the juvenile justice system and tribal justice system; data management 
procedures and capabilities; and the relationship between the juvenile 
and adult criminal components of the system. Minimally, this effort 
will require review of official documents and interviews with key 
informants and community members. Additional data collection activities 
such as field observations or case reviews are encouraged and may be 
necessary.
    The local project that is being supported by the Tribal Youth 
Program should be examined in the context of the existing juvenile 
justice system and tribal justice system. To do this, the Evaluation 
Facilitator will have to become familiar with the program activities at 
the sites as well as the tribal government and tribal body. This 
familiarity is expected to develop through the preliminary reports from 
PAT's and close interactions with site personnel through training and 
technical assistance.
    The written analysis of the existing juvenile justice system and 
tribal justice system should include specific recommendations for 
improving juvenile justice system operations at individual sites and at 
other county, State, and Federal government entities that share 
responsibility for handling juvenile offenders. The analytical report 
should be completed in the first 12 months of the project period, and 
updates must be provided in each of the subsequent budget periods.

Goals

    The goals for this project are to:
     Provide direction, training, and technical assistance to 
local Program Assessment Teams for a participatory evaluation that 
covers both the process and the outcomes of the Tribal Youth Program.
     Analyze the existing juvenile justice system and tribal 
justice system structure and operations at each evaluation site and 
identify the location and function of the activities under the Tribal 
Youth Program within the context of this system.
     Analyze the relationships between tribal government and 
county, State, and Federal government agencies and other tribal 
governments as they relate to juvenile justice responsibilities and 
operations.

Objectives

    The objectives for this project are to:
     Provide direction, training, and technical assistance 
necessary for each Program Assessment Team to construct program models 
and evaluation designs that cover both process and outcomes.
     Provide direction, training, and technical assistance 
necessary for each Program Assessment Team to select and carry out 
procedures for data collection, analysis, and reporting.
     Document the structure of the existing juvenile justice 
system and tribal justice system at each site.
     Document workload, data management procedures and 
capabilities, and the relationship between the juvenile and adult 
criminal justice systems in each site.
     Document the activities of the projects at the sites that 
are participating in the evaluation of the Tribal Youth Program.
     Document the relationships between tribal government and 
county, State, and Federal agencies as they relate to the existing 
juvenile justice system.
     Provide reports as indicated below.

Products

    The Evaluation Facilitator will be responsible for supplying PAT's 
with training materials (e.g., written guidance, sample instruments, 
instructional materials), as necessary.
    The Evaluation Facilitator will submit progress reports 6 months 
and 11 months into the first year of the project. These reports will 
include discussion of

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developments or changes in the Program Assessment Teams, training 
activities to date and plans for future training, progress of local 
evaluation designs, and progress of the juvenile justice system 
documentation (required for the first report only).
    At the conclusion of the first 12-month budget period, the 
Evaluation Facilitator will submit a separate analytical report 
covering the juvenile justice system in each of the evaluation sites, 
the relationships between tribal and nontribal governmental entities in 
this system, and the location and function of the Tribal Youth Program 
activities in the context of this system. This report should be 
suitable for publication as an OJJDP Bulletin.
    In the second and third years of the project period, PAT's will be 
responsible for providing written reports on evaluation findings 
addressing both program process and outcomes. At the end of the second 
year, the Evaluation Facilitator will provide a preliminary report on 
progress and early findings from the process and outcome evaluations at 
each of the sites. Also at this time, the Evaluation Facilitator will 
provide an updated report on the analysis of the juvenile justice 
system and tribal justice system at each site. At the end of the third 
year, the Evaluation Facilitator will integrate the reports provided by 
the PAT's into a larger document that will include a final site-by-site 
analysis of the local juvenile justice system and tribal justice 
system, the role of tribal government or eligible native corporations 
in this system, and the development and impact of the efforts funded 
under the Tribal Youth Program. This document will constitute the final 
report for the Evaulation Facilitator and should include detailed 
descriptions of evaluation methods and results. A less detailed version 
of this report will also be created for publication in a form that is 
suitable for an OJJDP Bulletin.

Eligibility Requirements

    OJJDP invites applications from public and private agencies, 
organizations, and institutions (including tribal colleges and 
universities, pursuant to Executive order 13021) and from individuals. 
Private, for-profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or 
fee. Joint applications from two or more eligible applicants are 
welcome; however, one applicant must be clearly indicated as the 
primary applicant (for correspondence and award purposes) and the 
others indicated as coapplicants.

Project Abstract

    Applications must include a project abstract that summarizes the 
problems to be addressed, the goals of the project, project design, and 
the management and organizational capability of the applicant. The 
abstract should be double-spaced and no longer than 250 words.

Selection Criteria

    Applications will be evaluated and rated by a peer review panel 
according to the criteria outlined below.

Problem(s) To Be Addressed (20 points)

    Applicants must include in the project narrative a clear and 
concise discussion of issues related to conducting research and 
evaluation in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. 
Specifically, applicants should discuss approaches to applying 
evaluation methods in culturally sensitive ways for these populations. 
Also, applicants should discuss current juvenile justice issues in 
tribal communities within the framework of the cultural history of 
these populations.

Goals and Objectives (15 points)

    Applicants must define specific and measurable goals and objectives 
for coordinating and implementing this project. These should be guided 
by the requirements in this solicitation, but the applicant should 
expand and augment them to fit with its approach to the project.

Project Design (25 points)

    The application should describe in detail the overall design of the 
project. The discussion should include a description of anticipated 
training and technical assistance activities related to both the 
process and the outcome evaluation. It is important to describe how the 
applicant will work directly with the sites in providing guidance for 
the evaluation process, which includes, but is not limited to, 
evaluation design, the construction of program logic models, data 
collection procedures, selection and construction of data collection 
instruments, data analysis, and reporting. The applicant should also 
describe in detail the methods to be used to document and analyze the 
existing juvenile justice systems. This description should include 
specification of the information and data elements that will be 
collected.
    The application must include a timeline that indicates when 
specific tasks will be started and completed and when products will be 
submitted. The timeline must be referenced as appropriate in the 
narrative but should be placed in appendix A of the application.

Management and Organizational Capability (30 points)

    The application must include a discussion of how the applicant will 
coordinate with Program Assessment Teams and others to achieve 
evaluation goals and objectives. The applicant's management structure 
and staffing must be adequate and appropriate for the successful 
implementation of the project. The applicant must identify responsible 
individuals and key consultants, their time commitment, and major 
tasks. Key staff and consultants should have significant experience in 
training; group facilitation; and program evaluation, including both 
process and outcome evaluations using both qualitative and quantitative 
methods. They should demonstrate the ability to work effectively with 
tribal populations. Staff and key consultant resumes must be attached 
as part of the appendixes.

Budget (10 points)

    Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, 
detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the 
activities to be undertaken during the first 12 months of the project 
period. Applicants should budget for travel to one cross-site cluster 
meeting in addition to any other travel. A brief budget narrative 
should also be included.

Format

    The body of the application may not exceed 30 pages in length. 
These page limits do not include the budget narrative, appendixes, 
application forms, or assurances. The narrative portion of the 
application must be submitted on 8\1/2\ by 11-inch paper, double spaced 
on one side of the paper in a standard 12-point font. These standards 
are necessary to maintain a fair and uniform standard among all 
applicants. If the narrative does not conform to these standards, OJJDP 
will deem the application ineligible for consideration.

Award Period

    This project will be funded in the form of a cooperative agreement 
with a project period of 36 months. The initial budget period for this 
application is 12 months. Funding in subsequent budget periods may be 
at lower levels and will depend upon grantee performance, availability 
of funds, and other criteria established at the time of award.

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Award Amount

    Up to $550,000 is available to the Evaluation Facilitator for the 
initial 12-month budget period. Of these funds, $150,000 will be 
awarded by the Evaluation Facilitator during this budget period through 
contracts with the five PAT sites to support this evaluation activity, 
including the provision of information and data to the Evaluation 
Facilitator.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

    For this program, the CFDA number, which is required on Standard 
Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, is 16.731. This form is 
included in OJJDP's Application Kit, which can be obtained by calling 
the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or sending an e-mail 
request to [email protected]. The Application Kit is also available 
online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/about.html#kit.

Coordination of Federal Efforts

    To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in 
addressing State and local needs, the U.S. Department of Justice is 
requesting applicants to provide information on the following: (1) 
active Federal grant awards supporting this or related efforts, 
including awards from the U.S. Department of Justice; (2) any pending 
applications for Federal funds for this or related efforts; and (3) 
plans for coordinating any funds described in items (1) and (2) with 
the funding sought by this application. For each Federal award, 
applicants must include the program or project title, the Federal 
grantor agency, the amount of the award, and a brief description of its 
purpose.
    ``Related efforts'' is defined for these purposes as one of the 
following:
     Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed award 
would supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded 
with other Federal grants).
     Another phase or component of the same program or project 
(e.g., to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal funds or 
to provide a substance abuse treatment or education component within a 
criminal justice project).
     Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance or 
evaluation) to the program or project described in the application.

Delivery Instructions

    All application packages must be mailed or delivered to the Office 
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile Justice 
Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, Rockville, MD 
20850; 301-519-5535. Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the 
envelope, the applicant must clearly write ``Evaluation Facilitation 
for the Tribal Youth Program.''

Due Date

    Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five 
copies of the application package are received by 5 p.m. ET on November 
18, 1999.

Contact

    For further information, contact Phelan Wyrick, Research and 
Program Development Division, 202-353-9254, or send an e-mail inquiry 
to [email protected].

Suggested Resources

Ayers, T. 1987. Stakeholders as partners in evaluation: A 
stakeholder-collaborative approach. Evaluation and Program Planning 
10:263-271.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. 1999. American Indians and Crime. U.S. 
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice 
Statistics.
Burke, B. 1998. Evaluating for a change: Reflections on 
participatory methodology. New Directions in Evaluation 80:43-56.
Dugan, M. 1996. Participatory and empowerment evaluation: Lessons 
learned in training and technical assistance. In Empowerment 
Evaluation: Knowledge and Tools for Self-Assessment & 
Accountability, edited by D. Fetterman, S. Kaftearian, and A. 
Wandersman. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gaventa, J., Creed, V., and Morrissey, J. 1998. Scaling up: 
Participatory monitoring and evaluation of a Federal empowerment 
program. New Directions in Evaluation 80:81-94.
Assessment & Accountability, edited by D. Fetterman, S. Kaftearian, 
and A. Wandersman, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gaventa, J., Creed, V., and Morrissey, J. 1998. Scaling up: 
Participatory monitoring and evaluation of a Federal empowerment 
program. New Directions in Evaluation 80:81-94.
Melton, A. 1995. Indigenous justice systems and tribal society. 
Judicature 79:126-133.
Nielsen, M., and Silverman, R. 1996. Native Americans, Crime, and 
Justice. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Pommersheim, F. 1995. Braid of feathers: American Indian law and 
contemporary tribal life. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Dated: September 24, 1999.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 99-25645 Filed 10-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P