[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54034-54035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22704]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Office of Public Health and Science; Grant Award to Development 
Systems, Incorporated

AGENCY: Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, Office of Population 
Affairs, OPHS, OS, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to inform the public that the Office of 
Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (OAPP) is awarding $664,700 in FY 2000 to 
Development Systems, Incorporated (DSI) under Title XX of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300z, et seq.). DSI proposes to directly 
assist Title XX grantees in implementing an ongoing quality assurance 
program, as is required by section 2006(a)(10) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 3002-5(a)(10).
    DSI has submitted an unsolicited application to support a three-
year technical assistance project that will increase the capacity of 
Title XX

[[Page 54035]]

grantees to effectively implement their demonstration projects by 
providing quality assurance within program activities. Many 
organizations that apply to OAPP for Adolescent Family Life (AFL) 
funding for either demonstration projects for care services or 
prevention services are often new, small, community-based, 
inexperienced organizations. Although they may be able to write an 
application, present acceptable data on the needs for services and 
present a sound methodology for achieving results, including an 
evaluation plan, most of them do not have staff in place to implement 
the proposed programs. Consequently technical assistance and training 
are essential to enable most AFL demonstration projects to get started 
and to make core services available within a reasonable time after such 
grant is received.
    DSI is a unique organization in its proposed provision of technical 
assistance to AFL grantees. It is very familiar with the needs of 
grantees and is sensitive to the problems, difficulties and obstacles 
that grantees face in implementation of both care and prevention AFL 
projects. DSI has already established a needs assessment instrument 
specific to AFL programs, has established relationships with logistical 
sites for technical assistance and AFL specific facilitators, and has 
established rapport with not only grantees, but also with OAPP staff. 
For these reasons, after a review by an objective review panel of the 
unsolicited proposal submitted by DSI, this award is made on non-
competitively.
    The technical assistance activities proposed by DSI will include 
organizing, implementing, and facilitating two orientation meetings per 
year for all AFL grantees, which will provide the pertinent information 
and guidance they need to familiarize themselves with AFL legislation 
and policy. DSI proposes to assess the needs of all AFL grantees at the 
orientation meetings, subsequently develop technical assistance goals 
and objectives, and will then organize and implement 8-10 regional 
technical assistance meetings addressing the grantee identified needs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Sheeran, Acting Director, 
Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, Office of Population Affairs, 
4350 East-West Highway, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814 or call (301) 
594-4004.

    Dated: August 28, 2000.
Mireille B. Kanda,
Acting Director, Office of Population Affairs.
[FR Doc. 00-22704 Filed 9-05-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-17-M