[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50929-50941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19856]



[[Page 50929]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Expanding Economic Opportunity and Income Security Through 
Workforce Education, Skills Training, Employment Creation, and Local 
Economic Development

AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for 
Cooperative Agreement Applications (SGA 02-19).

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    This notice contains all of the necessary information and forms 
needed to apply for cooperative agreement funding.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International 
Labor Affairs (ILAB), will award up to US $4 million through one or 
more cooperative agreement to an organization or organizations to 
develop and implement a project to expand economic opportunity and 
improve income security for targeted populations of current workers and 
workforce entrants in the Philippines and Pakistan. USDOL is seeking 
applicants from qualified organizations for the implementation of 
workforce education, skills training, employment creation, and local 
economic development that will lead directly to new or improved 
employment and income opportunities for current or future workers. 
Applicants will submit one application with separate proposals for each 
country and include outreach to one or more targeted populations 
including women, disenfranchised young adults, religious and ethnic 
minorities, people with disabilities, and rural or economically 
disadvantaged communities.

DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications is Wednesday, 
September 4, 2002. Applications must be received by 4:45 p.m. (Eastern 
Daylight Savings Time) at the address below. No exceptions to the 
mailing, delivery, and hand-delivery conditions set forth in this 
notice will be granted.

ADDRESSES: Application forms will not be mailed. They are published in 
this Federal Register Notice, and in the Federal Register which may be 
obtained from your nearest U.S. Government office, public library, or 
on-line at http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/index.html. 
Applications must be delivered to: U.S. Department of Labor, 
Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-5416, 
Attention: Lisa Harvey, Reference: SGA 02-19, Washington, DC 20210. 
Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be 
accepted. Applications sent by other delivery services, such as Federal 
Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted, however, the applicant bears the 
responsibility for timely submission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harvey: E-mail address: [email protected]. All applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in the 
Washington, DC area has been slow and erratic due to the recent 
concerns involving anthrax contamination. All applicants must take this 
into consideration when preparing to meet the application deadline. It 
is recommended that you confirm receipt of your application by 
contacting Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services 
Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free number) prior 
to the closing deadline. All inquiries should reference SGA 02-19. See 
Section III.B for further information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ILAB's Office of Foreign Relations (OFR) 
carries out a worldwide international technical assistance program in 
support of three objectives: (1) Expanding Economic Opportunity and 
Income Security for Workers; (2) Protecting the Basic Rights of 
Workers; and (3) Reducing the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS through Workplace 
Education. As a means to develop and implement projects to expand 
economic opportunity and income security for workers, ILAB announces 
the availability of funds to be granted by cooperative agreement to one 
or more qualifying organizations to achieve the USDOL program 
objectives to implement a program of workforce education (possibly 
including literacy), skills training, employment creation (possibly 
including self-employment opportunities), and local economic 
development in Pakistan and the Philippines. These objectives are part 
of a broader USDOL program to address social safety net needs. The 
process of globalization and economic liberalization have often led to 
high expectations of the population to foster social progress after 
achieving a more stable and solid economy and democratic government. 
National, regional, and local social safety nets are viewed as an 
important element in efforts to garner support for economic reform and 
trade liberalization as they provide a modicum of security in a highly 
dynamic labor market. The cooperative agreement(s) will focus on 
providing skills training to one or more targeted populations including 
women, disenfranchised young adults, religious and ethnic minorities, 
people with disabilities, and rural or economically disadvantaged 
communities that are directly linked to real jobs and increased earned 
income. Program elements may also include the provision of training in 
self-employment and business development, community-based local 
economic development, and job-related tools and equipment to individual 
participants or service providers as needed to ensure the success of 
the program.
    The cooperative agreement(s) will be actively managed by ILAB to 
assure achievement of the stated objectives. Applicants are encouraged 
to be creative in proposing innovative and cost-effective interventions 
that will have a demonstrable impact on unemployment rates and earnings 
for project participants and their communities.

I. Background and Program Scope

A. Problem Identification: Islamic Republic of Pakistan

    The country is divided into four provinces (Balochistan, North-West 
Frontier, Punjab, and Sindh), one territory (Federally Administered 
Tribal Areas), and one capitol territory (Islamabad Capitol Territory). 
Although the military is the primary political force, the religious 
clergy, landowners, industrialists, and small business owners have 
significant influence over domestic and international politics.
    Pakistan has a total population estimated at 140 million and a 
national literacy rate of 33% (55.3% for males and 29% for females). 
There is no national law mandating compulsory education nor are 
sufficient public resources dedicated to education. As a result many 
children reach legal working age without basic education, literacy, or 
workforce preparedness skills.
    Nearly 56% of the population is of working age but the actual labor 
force is only 40 million (44% in agriculture, 39% in services, and 17% 
in industry). There is also extensive export of labor, primarily to the 
Middle East. The official unemployment rate is 6% although it is 
generally agreed that real unemployment is much higher, especially for 
youth, women, and ethnic minorities.
    Although 97% of the population is Muslim, there is ethnic tension 
between the Sunnis, who comprise 77% of the total Muslim population, 
and the Shi'as, who are 20% of the total Muslim population. There is 
reportedly frequent discrimination in both public and private sector 
employment and education for all religious minorities but primarily 
Christians. Despite a legal

[[Page 50930]]

requirement that employers either hire qualified persons with 
disabilities for at least 2% of their positions or pay a fee to a 
government fund for persons with disabilities, this is rarely enforced.
    Women, particularly in the rural areas where female literacy rates 
are 2% or less, are also subject to discrimination in education and 
employment opportunities. The National Institute of Psychology 
conducted a survey in the rural areas and reported that 42% of parents 
cited ``no financial benefit'' as the reason they did not send their 
daughters for formal education. Other surveys have found that girls are 
also not sent to school so that they can assist with household duties. 
Discrimination in college acceptance rates of qualified applicants 
between boys (83%) and girls (28%) further discourages investment in 
girls' education.
    Forty percent (40%) of the population lives below the poverty line 
and foreign investment is limited. Per capita GDP is estimated at about 
US$441 and is tied closely to agricultural yields that are adversely 
affected due to current and persistent drought conditions. Pakistan's 
largest exports are textiles (garments, cotton cloth, and yarn), rice, 
and other agricultural products. The U.S. is the largest recipient of 
exported goods, receiving nearly one quarter of Pakistan's exports.

B. Problem Identification: Republic of the Philippines

    The Philippines has a total population of nearly 83 million of 
which 48.1 million are in the labor force, primarily in agriculture, 
government, and services, and to a lesser extent in assembly 
manufacturing. Primary education is compulsory and the national 
literacy rate is 94.6%, 95% for males and 94.3% for females. Secondary 
school dropout rates are high, however, with a total graduation rate of 
50%; among the poor the rate is even lower due to the cost of school 
uniforms, supplies, and transportation.
    Forty one percent (41%) of the population lives below the poverty 
line with higher rates among Muslims and those living in rural areas. 
The economy has had a difficult time recovering from the Asian 
financial crisis of the late 1990s and the country's political 
instability since the overthrow of the Marcos regime. Exports, reaching 
US$38 billion in 2000, are concentrated in electronic equipment, 
machinery, garments, and coconut products.
    Employment opportunities for youth, women, people with 
disabilities, rural residents, indigenous people, and Muslims 
(primarily those residing in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindinao) 
are especially limited. With regard to the latter, religious leaders 
from both the Muslim and the Christian communities contend that the 
economic disparities are the basis for the violence and armed 
aggression, not religious intolerance. Workplace sexual harassment, 
particularly in the special economic zones, is thought to be 
significant although underreported due to fear of job loss in 
retaliation. In addition, women are traditionally hired under short 
term and part time work contracts. Although there are legal protections 
against these forms of discrimination, they are not enforced.

C. Program Scope

    Given the magnitude of the need for skills training and the size of 
the potential beneficiary population, applicants are encouraged to 
focus their responses in ways that target a specific community or 
target population, support U.S. foreign policy objectives within the 
country, and leverage other donor-funded or host government activities. 
Furthermore, applicants should emphasize the interconnectedness of the 
proposed training with real employment opportunities and benefits to a 
broader community.
    Applicants may wish to consider the following programs as 
illustrative examples of the types of projects that might be considered 
for USDOL funding. In the Philippines, with the support of an 
international NGO, young adults are trained in the repair and 
maintenance of hospital equipment. Subsequent to the receipt of the 
training, graduates are provided with a personal set of the hardware 
needed to perform the job and are linked to hospitals willing to hire 
them. This program also has the developmental benefit of improving 
healthcare services for disadvantaged populations. In Pakistan, the 
government has developed a partnership with the Chambers of Commerce to 
increase the involvement of the private sector in the identification of 
skills needed for employment and the successful transfer of those 
skills by the public sector education system.

II. Authority

    ILAB is authorized to award and administer this program by the 
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002, Pub. L. No.107-116, 115 
Stat. 2177 (2002).

III. Application Process

A. Eligible Applicants

    Any commercial, international, or not-for-profit organization 
capable of successfully implementing workforce education and skill 
training (including literacy), employment creation, and local economic 
development, and working with foreign national government ministries, 
regional and local government entities, employers, non-governmental and 
community-based organizations, and labor groups to improve workforce 
preparedness skills (possibly including literacy education), employment 
creation (possibly including self-employment opportunities), and local 
economic development is eligible for this cooperative agreement(s). 
Government ministries likely to be involved include those for labor, 
education, social affairs, commerce, finance, and those for special 
targeted populations such as youth, women, or minorities. Partnerships 
of more than one organization are also eligible although in such a case 
a lead organization must be identified. The capability of an applicant, 
partners, and co-applicants to perform necessary aspects of this 
solicitation will be determined under Section V.B Rating Criteria.
    Please note that eligible cooperative agreement applicants must not 
be classified under the Internal Revenue Code as a section 501(c)(4) 
entity. See 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4). According to the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act of 1995, as amended, 2 U.S.C. 1611, an organization, as described 
in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, that engages 
in lobbying activities will not be eligible for the receipt of federal 
funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.

B. Submission of Applications

    One (1) ink-signed original, complete application plus two (2) 
copies of the proposal must be submitted to the U.S. Department of 
Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 
N-5416, Washington, DC 20210, not later than 4:45 p.m. EDST, September 
4, 2002.
    The application must consist of two (2) separate parts. Part I of 
the application must contain the Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application 
for Federal Assistance'' (Appendix A) (The entry on SF 424 for the 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA) is 17.700) and 
sections A-F of the Budget Information Form SF 424A (Appendix B). Part 
II must contain a technical proposal that demonstrates capabilities in 
accordance with the Statement of

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Work (Section IV.A) and the selection criteria (Section V.B).
    To be considered responsive to this solicitation, the application 
must consist of the above-mentioned separate sections not to exceed 60 
single-sided (8\1/2\[sec] x 11[sec]), double-spaced, 10 to 12 pitch 
typed pages for which a response is submitted. Any applications that do 
not conform to these standards may be deemed non-responsive to this 
solicitation and may not be evaluated.
    Standard forms and attachments are not included in the page limit. 
The application must include a table of contents and an abstract 
summarizing the application in not more than two (2) pages. These pages 
are also not included in the page limits.
    Upon completion of negotiations, the individual signing the SF 424 
on behalf of the applicant must be authorized to bind the applicant.

C. Acceptable Methods of Submission

    The grant application package must be received at the designated 
place by the date and time specified or it will not be considered. Any 
application received at the Office of Procurement Services after 4:45 
pm EDST on September 4, 2002 will not be considered unless it is 
received before the award is made and:
    1. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the 
fifth calendar day before August 6, 2002;
    2. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the U.S. 
Department of Labor at the address indicated; or
    3. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 pm at the place of 
mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, 
prior to August 6, 2002.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, 
an application received after the above closing time and date shall be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post Office 
receiving clerk on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to 
Addressee'' label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on 
the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the 
same meaning as defined above. Therefore, applicants should request 
that the postal clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' 
postmark on both the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
the U.S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Procurement 
Services Center on the application wrapper or other documentary 
evidence or receipt maintained by that office.
    Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not 
be accepted. Applications sent by other delivery services, such as 
Federal Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted, however, the applicant 
bears the responsibility for timely submission. Because of delay in the 
receipt of mail in the Washington, DC area, it is recommended that you 
confirm receipt of your application by contacting Lisa Harvey, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, telephone (202) 693-
4570 (this is not a toll-free number), prior to the closing deadline. 
All inquires should reference SGA 02-19.

D. Funding Levels

    Approximately US $4 million is budgeted for this project to fund 
activities in Pakistan and the Philippines. Although USDOL reserves the 
right to award more than one cooperative agreement, a partnership of 
more than one organization may apply to implement the project. 
Applicants will submit one application with separate proposals for each 
country, for the implementation of projects in both countries and are 
encouraged to utilize locally-based entities and personnel to implement 
much of the project in order to institutionalize and sustain project 
improvements and reduce costs. The award of any sub-contract will be 
subject to USDOL approval (Section IV.D).

E. Program Duration

    The duration of the project funded by this SGA is three (3) years. 
The start date of project activities will be negotiated upon the 
awarding of the cooperative agreement(s).

IV. Requirements

A. Statement of Work

    In developing their proposals, applicants should develop a strategy 
for the implementation of the project that will achieve the stated 
objectives to expand economic opportunity and income security through 
workforce education, skills training, employment creation, and local 
economic development for one or more targeted populations including 
women, disenfranchised young adults, religious and ethnic minorities, 
people with disabilities, and rural or economically disadvantaged 
communities.
    The strategy should take into account the implementing environment 
in Pakistan and the Philippines and incorporate innovative 
methodologies for identifying participants, selecting project partners, 
engaging local employers and education and training service providers, 
and, if possible, leveraging other investments or activities. The 
strategy should also demonstrate how the applicant proposes to involve 
employer, labor, non-governmental and community-based organizations and 
local, regional, and national government officials in the 
implementation of the project. The applicant should draft a strategy 
demonstrating how it will meet the project objectives by the end of the 
grant period and how the issue of sustainability will be integral to 
project implementation. The applicant should present a strategy that 
also includes indicators of successful implementation with specific and 
realistic numerical goals such as employment placement rates, literacy 
improvements, self-employment starts, and the monetary value of local 
economic development activities.
    The applicant should include a rationale for the selection of the 
participants (i.e., industries, regions, gender, ethnicity, age groups, 
or U.S. government policy interests), outline the training materials, 
individual assessment tools, business development approaches, other 
materials that will be used as well as a strategy for ensuring that the 
project activities will lead directly to employment and improved earned 
income for participants. In addition, the applicant should develop 
sustainable innovative strategies for involving government, employers' 
and workers' organizations, community-based entities, and non-
governmental organizations, as appropriate, in the development, 
implementation, evaluation, and management of project activities.

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B. Deliverables

    Following the award of the cooperative agreement(s), unless 
otherwise indicated, the applicant must submit copies of all required 
reports to USDOL by the specified due dates. Other documents, such as 
project designs, are to be submitted by mutually agreed-upon deadlines.
    1. Project Designs. The organization(s) awarded the cooperative 
agreement (grantee) will, draft the design, and submit a project 
document in the format established by USDOL, to include a background 
and justification section, project strategy (objectives, outputs, 
activities, indicators), project implementation timetable, project 
management organizational chart, project budget, logical framework and 
performance monitoring plan to systematically monitor project results. 
The document will also include sections, which cover coordination 
strategies, project management, and sustainability of project 
improvements involving government, employers' and workers' 
organizations as well as other non-governmental organizations as 
appropriate. Each project design will be drawn, in part, from the 
proposal written in response to this solicitation. Based upon the 
responses to this solicitation and subsequent to the award, it may be 
determined by USDOL that in order to finalize a project design, the 
grantee(s) will need to travel to both countries with a USDOL official 
for a project design mission trip.
    2. Technical Progress Reports. The grantee(s) must furnish a typed 
technical report to USDOL on a quarterly basis, no later than 15 days 
from the last date of each quarter, i.e., 31 March, 30 June, 30 
September and 31 December of each year. The 30 June (2nd quarter) and 
31 December (4th quarter) reports are abbreviated and need only 
indicate whether the work plan was fully implemented and if not, 
explain why not and attach the amended work plan. The grantee(s) must 
also furnish a separate financial report (SF 272) to USDOL on the same 
quarterly basis. The format for the technical progress report will be 
the standard format developed by USDOL and must contain the following 
information:
    a. For each project objective, an accurate account of activities 
carried out under that objective during the reporting period as it 
relates to the work plan;
    b. Major trends in the project that note particular success with a 
particular activity or trends that indicate a need to readjust or 
expand the work plan (after a sufficient period of implementation, to 
be determined by USDOL in consultation with the grantee(s), this ought 
to include the development of individual vignettes of how specific 
individuals' lives and their communities were improved as a result of 
their participation in this project);
    c. An account of problems, proposed solutions, actions taken or 
required regarding implementation of the project;
    d. New proposals for activities, staffing, funding, etc.;
    e. Lessons learned in project implementation;
    f. Future actions planned in support of each project objective;
    g. An accounting of staff and any sub-contractor hours expended; 
and
    h. Aggregate amount of costs incurred during the reporting period, 
tracking expenditures vs. budget.
    4. Annual Work Plan. An annual work plan for the project as 
implemented in each country will be submitted within 45 days after the 
approval of the project design by USDOL. Subsequent annual work plans 
will be delivered as amended to reflect modifications in 
implementation, no later than one year following submission of previous 
work plan, or to reflect amendments based on recommendations made 
during mid-term evaluations, no later than 30 days following the mid-
term evaluation.
    5. Monitoring and Evaluation. A performance monitoring plan will be 
developed in collaboration with USDOL, including beginning and ending 
dates for projects and planned and actual dates for mid-term and final 
project evaluations, and included as part of the submission of the 
project document for USDOL approval. The monitoring plan will be 
prepared after analysis of existing baseline data, including revision 
of indicators provided in project documents. The plan will include 
performance indicators and instruments to collect and report on 
performance data on a semi-annual basis.
    6. Evaluation Reports. The Grant Officer's Technical Representative 
(GOTR) will determine on a case-by-case basis whether mid-term 
evaluations will be conducted by an internal or external evaluation 
team. All final evaluations will be external in nature. The grantee(s) 
must respond to any comments and recommendations resulting from the 
review of the mid-term report and will submit a work plan for 
implementing the recommendations of the mid-term report within 15 days 
following formal submission of the report to the grantee(s) by USDOL.

C. Production of Deliverables

    1. Materials Prepared and Purchased Under the Cooperative 
Agreement. The grantee(s) must submit to USDOL all media-related and 
educational materials developed by it or its sub-contractors under this 
cooperative agreement(s), including relevant press releases, for use in 
this project before they are reproduced, published, or used. The 
grantee(s) must consult with USDOL to ensure that materials are 
compatible with USDOL materials relating to its overall technical 
assistance program, i.e., public relations material such as video and 
web site. USDOL considers brochures, pamphlets, videotapes, slide-tape 
shows, curricula, and any other training materials used in the project, 
educational materials. USDOL will review materials for technical 
accuracy. USDOL will also review training curricula and purchased 
training materials for accuracy before they are used. The grantee(s) 
must obtain prior approval from the Grant Officer for all materials 
developed or purchased under this cooperative agreement. All materials 
produced by grantee(s) must be provided to USDOL in a digital format 
for possible publication on the Internet by USDOL.
    2. Acknowledgment of USDOL Funding. In all circumstances, the 
following must be displayed on printed materials:
    Preparation of this item was funded by the United States Department 
of Labor under Cooperative Agreement No. [insert the appropriate 
cooperative agreement number].
    When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, 
bid solicitations, and other documents describing projects or programs 
funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all grantees receiving 
Federal funds, including State and local governments and recipients of 
research grants, must clearly state:
    a. The percentage of the total costs of the program or project, 
which will be financed with Federal money;
    b. The dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; 
and
    c. The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the 
project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
    In consultation with USDOL, identification of USDOL's role will be 
determined to be one of the following:
    a. The USDOL logo may be applied to USDOL-funded material prepared 
for world-wide distribution, including posters, videos, pamphlets, 
research documents, national survey results, impact evaluations, best 
practice

[[Page 50933]]

reports, and other publications of global interest. The grantee(s) will 
consult with USDOL on whether the logo should be used on any such items 
prior to final draft or final preparation for distribution. In no event 
shall the USDOL logo be placed on any item until USDOL has given the 
grantee written permission to use the logo, after obtaining appropriate 
internal USDOL approval for use of the logo on the item.
    b. If the USDOL determines the logo is not appropriate and does not 
give written permission, the following notice must appear on the 
document:
    This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of 
the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, 
commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. 
Government.

D. Administrative Requirements

    1. General. Grantee organizations, which may include faith-based 
organizations, will be subject to applicable Federal laws (including 
provisions of appropriations law) and the applicable Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. Determinations of allowable 
costs will be made in accordance with the applicable Federal cost 
principles, i.e., Non-Profit Organizations--OMB Circular A-122. The 
cooperative agreement(s) awarded under this SGA will be subject to the 
following administrative standards and provisions, if applicable:
    29 CFR part 36--Federal Standards for Nondiscrimination on the 
Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal 
Financial Assistance.
    29 CFR part 93--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
    29 CFR part 95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other 
Non-Profit Organizations, and with Commercial Organizations, Foreign 
Governments, Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign 
Governments and International Organizations.
    29 CFR part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded 
Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
    29 CFR part 98--Federal Standards for Government wide Debarment and 
Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-
Free Workplace (Grants).
    29 CRF part 99--Federal Standards for Audits of States, Local 
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.
    2. Sub-contracts. Sub-contracts must be awarded in accordance with 
29 CFR 95.40-48. In compliance with Executive Orders 12876 as amended, 
13230, 12928, and 13021 as amended, the grantee(s) is strongly 
encouraged to provide subcontracting opportunities to Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and 
Tribal Colleges and Universities.
    3. Key Personnel. The applicant must list the individual(s) who has 
been designated as having primary responsibility for the conduct and 
completion of all work in the project it proposes. The grantee(s) 
agrees to inform the GOTR whenever it appears impossible for one or 
more of these individual(s) to continue work on the project as planned. 
The grantee(s) may nominate substitute personnel for approval of the 
GOTR, however, the grantee(s) must obtain prior approval from the Grant 
Officer for all key personnel. If the Grant Officer determines not to 
approve the personnel change, he/she reserves the right to terminate 
the cooperative agreement.
    4. Encumbrance of Cooperative Agreement Funds. Cooperative 
agreement funds may not be encumbered/obligated by the grantee(s) 
before or after the cooperative agreement period of performance. 
Encumbrances/obligations outstanding as of the end of the cooperative 
agreement period may be liquidated (paid out) after the end of the 
cooperative agreement period. Such encumbrances/obligations may involve 
only commitments for which a need existed during the cooperative 
agreement period and which are supported by approved contracts, 
purchase orders, requisitions, invoices, bills, or other evidence of 
liability consistent with the grantee(s)'s purchasing procedures and 
incurred within the cooperative agreement period. All encumbrances/
obligations incurred during the cooperative agreement period must be 
liquidated within 90 days after the end of the cooperative agreement 
period, if practicable.
    5. Site Visits. USDOL, through its authorized representatives, has 
the right, at all reasonable times, to make site visits to review 
project accomplishments and management control systems and to provide 
such technical assistance as may be required. If USDOL makes any site 
visit on the premises of the grantee(s) or a sub-contractor(s) under 
this cooperative agreement(s), the grantee(s) must provide and must 
require its sub-contractors to provide all reasonable facilities and 
assistance for the safety and convenience of the Government 
representatives in the performance of their duties. All site visits and 
evaluations must be performed in such a manner as will not unduly delay 
the work.

V. Review and Selection of Applications for Cooperative Agreement Award

A. The Review Process

    USDOL will screen all applications to determine whether all 
required elements are present and clearly identifiable. A technical 
panel will objectively rate each complete application against the 
criteria described in this announcement. The panel recommendations to 
the Grant Officer are advisory in nature. The Grant Officer may elect 
to select one or more grantees on the basis of the initial proposal 
submission; or, the Grant Officer may establish a competitive or 
technically acceptable range for the purpose of selecting qualified 
applicants. If deemed appropriate, following the Grant Officer's call 
for the preparation and receipt of final revisions of proposals, the 
evaluation process described above will be repeated to consider such 
revisions. The Grant Officer will make a final selection determination 
based on what is most advantageous to the Government, considering 
factors such as panel findings, geographic presence of the applicants, 
the best value to the government, cost and other factors. The Grant 
Officer's determination for award under this SGA is final.
    Notice: Selection of an organization as a cooperative agreement 
recipient does not constitute approval of the cooperative agreement 
application as submitted. Before the actual cooperative agreement is 
awarded, the Grant Officer may enter into negotiations concerning such 
items as program components, funding levels, and administrative 
systems. If the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submission, 
the Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and 
decline to fund the application.

B. Rating Criteria and Selection

    The technical panel will review grant applicants against the 
criteria listed below on the basis of 100 points with up to additional 
five points available for non-federal or leveraged resources. The 
criteria are presented in the order of emphasis that they will receive.
1. Approach, Understanding of the Programmatic Area and Specific 
Country Context, and Management Plan (40 points)
    a. Overview. This section of the proposal must provide the 
following:

[[Page 50934]]

    (1) A summary of the applicant's general strategy for each country 
in addressing the needs as identified in Section I of this SGA;
    (2) The applicant's rationale for selection of the target 
population(s), which demonstrates an understanding of the in-country 
situation with regards to specific populations and communities and the 
delivery of workforce and economic development services;
    (3) The applicant's identification of specific, challenging, but 
realistic numerical goals for project success;
    (4) Indicators for assessing attainment of the goals; and
    (5) The other expected outcomes over the period of performance for 
each task.
    The applicant must describe in detail the proposed approach to 
comply with each requirement in Section IV.A of this solicitation, 
including all tasks and methods to be utilized to implement the 
project. Also, the applicant must explain the rationale for using this 
approach. In addition, this section of the proposal must demonstrate 
the applicant's thorough knowledge and understanding of the education 
and employment needs of the target populations in each of the specific 
country contexts, best-practice approaches for meeting these needs, 
working with the tripartite partners, and work that has been done and 
is being done in the field as applied to each country.
    b. Logical Framework. The strategy should include an outline of the 
objectives, activities, outputs, assumptions, and indicators envisioned 
for implementation of the project.
    c. Implementation Plan. The applicant must submit an implementation 
plan for the entire project, preferably with a visual aid such as a 
Gantt chart. The implementation plan should outline the approach that 
will be used to implement the project including a list of activities 
and an explanation of how each relates to the overall development 
objective of expanding employment opportunities and increasing income 
security for the project participants and their communities. The plan 
should list the activities envisioned for the life of the project as 
well as scheduling of activities by objective, starting with the 
execution of the cooperative agreement and ending with the final 
report. In describing the implementation plan, the applicant must 
address the following points:
    (1) Describe the use of existing or potential infrastructure and 
the use of qualified personnel, including qualified foreign nationals, 
to implement the project in each country. One chart for the entire 
project is acceptable if the approach will be uniform in both 
countries. Describe existing education, training, and personal 
assessment materials, if any, that will be used and explain how other 
materials and training curriculum will be developed.
    (2) Explain the strategy for delivering the education and training 
services including where, when, and how the services will be delivered 
and whether any supportive services, such as child care, food 
allocation, and transportation, will be provided. Outline how the local 
partners will be involved in the implementation.
    (3) Demonstrate how the project will strengthen national, local, 
public, and private institutions and policies on meeting the education, 
training, employment, and economic development needs of the target 
population(s) and their communities.
    (4) Demonstrate how the organization would systematically monitor 
and report on project performance to measure the achievement of the 
project objective(s).
    (5) Demonstrate how the organization would build the national, 
regional, and local capacity to ensure that project activities are 
sustained after completion of the project.
    d. Management and Staff Loading Plan. The management plan for each 
country must also include a management and staff loading plan. The 
management plan should include the following:
    (1) A project organizational chart, demonstrating management 
structure, key personnel positions, and indicating proposed links with 
the relevant national, regional, and local government entities, 
employer, worker, non-governmental, and community-based organizations, 
and other significant local actors.
    (2) A description of the functional relationship between elements 
of the project's organization; and
    (3) The identity of the individual responsible for project 
management and the lines of authority between this individual and other 
elements of the project.
    The staff loading plan must identify all key tasks and the person-
days required to complete each task. Labor estimates for each task must 
be broken down by individuals assigned to the task, including sub-
contractors and consultants. All key tasks must be charted to show time 
required to perform them by months or weeks.
2. Experience and Qualifications of the Organization (25 points)
    The evaluation criteria in this category are as follows:
    a. The applicant, either individually or together with its partners 
or co-applicants, in applying for the award must demonstrate experience 
with workforce education, skills training, literacy, employment 
creation, self-employment assessment and promotion, and local economic 
development; working directly with government ministries, employers' 
and worker's organizations, non-governmental and community-based 
organizations, and local government officials; analyzing relevant 
national and provincial laws relating to discrimination in education, 
training, and employment; and implementing a project in both countries.
    Organizations applying in partnership or as co-applicants must 
identify the lead organization, demonstrate an approach to ensure 
successful collaboration including clear delineation of respective 
roles and responsibilities, and submit a signed letter of agreement 
between the parties verifying the commitment of the parties to work 
together to implement the program. The partnership agreement must 
include a designation for the lead organization. (Please note that 
points will be neither awarded nor deducted for partnership formation 
as long as a collaborative capability can be shown.)
    b. The organization(s) must also demonstrate that it has an 
effective system of operations in each designated country. These 
contacts must enable the organization(s) to demonstrate that they can 
perform successfully in both countries.
    c. The proposal must include information regarding previous grants, 
contracts, or cooperative agreements, including all of the following:
    (1) The organization for which the work was done;
    (2) A contact person in that organization with his/her current 
phone number;
    (3) The dollar value of the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement for the project(s);
    (4) The time frame and professional effort, either directly by key 
personnel, by consultants, or under contractual arrangements involved 
in the project(s);
    (5) A brief summary of the work performed; and
    (6) A brief summary of accomplishments.
    This information on previous grants and contracts shall be provided 
in appendices and will not count in the 40-page maximum page 
requirement.

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3. Experience and Qualifications of Key Personnel (25 points)
    This section of the application must include sufficient information 
for judging the quality and the competence of key staff proposed to be 
assigned to the project(s) proposed to assure that they meet the 
required qualifications. Successful performance of the proposed work 
depends heavily on the qualifications of the individuals committed to 
the project. Accordingly, in its evaluation of each application, USDOL 
will place emphasis on the applicant's commitment of key personnel 
qualified for the work involved in accomplishing the assigned tasks. 
Information provided on the experience and educational background of 
personnel must indicate the following:
    (a) The identity of key personnel assigned to the project. ``Key 
personnel'' are staff who are essential to the successful operation of 
the project and completion of the proposed work and, therefore, may not 
be replaced or have their hours reduced without the approval of the 
Grant Officer.
    (b) The educational background and experience of all staff to be 
assigned to the project.
    (c) The special capabilities of staff that demonstrate prior 
experience in organizing, managing and performing similar efforts.
    (d) The current employment status of staff and their availability 
for this project. The applicant must also indicate whether the proposed 
work will be performed by persons currently employed or is dependent 
upon planned recruitment or sub-contracting.
    Note that management and professional technical staff members 
comprising the applicant's proposed team should be individuals who have 
prior experience with organizations working in similar efforts, and are 
fully qualified to perform work specified in the Statement of Work. 
Where sub-contractors or outside assistance is proposed, organizational 
control should be clearly delineated to ensure responsiveness to the 
needs of USDOL. Key personnel must sign letters of agreement to serve 
on the project and indicate availability to commence work within three 
weeks of grant award.
    The following information must be furnished:
    (a) The applicant must designate a Project Director to oversee the 
project and other key personnel to perform the requirements necessary 
for success in both countries. The Project Director must have a minimum 
of three years of professional experience in a leadership role in the 
implementation of workforce education and training programs and local 
economic development in a developing country, including project design, 
management, monitoring, and evaluation, participant selection, 
stakeholder identification and inclusion, and the development and 
effective use of outreach, education, training, and assessment 
materials.
    (b) The applicant should specify other personnel proposed to carry 
out the requirements of this solicitation.
    (c) A resume should be provided for each of the key personnel to be 
assigned to the project. At a minimum, each resume must include: the 
individual's current employment status and previous work experience, 
including position title, duties performed, dates in position, 
employing organizations, and educational background. Duties must be 
clearly defined in terms of role performed, i.e., manager, team leader, 
consultant, etc. (Resumes must be included as attachments, which do not 
count against the page limitation.)
    (d) The special capabilities of staff that demonstrate prior 
experience in organization, managing, and performing similar efforts.
    (e) The current employment status of key personnel proposed for 
work under the cooperative agreement, i.e., whether personnel are 
currently employed by the organization or whether their employment 
depends upon planned recruitment or sub-contracting.
4. Budget Plan (10 points)
    The applicant must develop two proposed budgets, one each for 
implementation of the project in each country. This section of the 
application must explain the costs for performing all of the 
requirements presented in this solicitation and for producing all 
required reports and other deliverables presented in this solicitation; 
costs must include labor, training, material production and 
dissemination, equipment, travel, and other related costs. The budget 
plans will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining the 
efficient and effective allocation of funding for proposed program 
implementation. Preference may be given to applicants with low 
administrative costs. Administrative costs shall be reflected 
separately on the budget plan from programmatic costs.
    (e) The current employment status of key personnel proposed for 
work under the cooperative agreement, i.e., whether personnel are 
currently employed by the organization or whether their employment 
depends upon planned recruitment or sub-contracting.
5. Leveraging of Funding (5 points)
    USDOL will give up to five (5) additional rating points to 
applications that include non-Federal resources that significantly 
expand the dollar amount, non-monetary resources, size and scope of the 
proposal, or capitalize upon previous U.S. government or private 
investments. The applicant may include any leveraging or co-funding 
anticipated. To be eligible for additional points under this criterion, 
the applicant must list the source(s) of funds, the nature, and 
activities anticipated with these funds under this cooperative 
agreement, and any partnerships, linkages or coordination of 
activities, and/or cooperative funding.
    This stated commitment will be incorporated into the text of the 
cooperative agreement with the selected applicant(s).

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 31 day of July, 2002.
Daniel P. Murphy,
Director, Procurement Services Center.
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P

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[FR Doc. 02-19856 Filed 8-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-C