[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 131 (Wednesday, July 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40985-40991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17398]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[ACF-ORR-06-25-2003]


Employment Subsidy Program for Refugees With Assimilation 
Difficulties

AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of FY 2003 social services discretionary 
funds for employment subsidy projects for refugees who have experienced 
long-term difficulties with assimilation.

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    CFDA Number: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for 
this program is 93.576.

SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement invites eligible entities 
to submit competitive grant applications for Employment Subsidy 
Projects for Refugees \1\ who have experienced long-term difficulties 
with assimilation. These grants are intended for localities with 
concentrations of refugees who have experienced difficulty integrating 
economically and socially into local communities. Applications will be 
accepted pursuant to the Director's discretionary authority under 
section 412(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 
1522(c)(1)(A)), as amended. Applications will be screened and evaluated 
as indicated in this program announcement. Awards will be contingent on 
the outcome of the competition and the availability of funds.
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    \1\ Eligibility for refugee social services includes: (1) 
Refugees; (2) asylees; (3) Cuban and Haitian entrants; (4) certain 
Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the U.S. as immigrants; 
(5) certain Amerasians from Vietnam, including U.S. citizens; and 
(6) victims of a severe form of trafficking (see 45 CFR 400.43 and 
ORR State Letter 01-13 as modified by 02-01 on 
trafficking victims). For convenience, the term ``refugee'' is used 
in this notice to encompass all such eligible persons.

DATES: The closing date for submission of applications is August 8, 
2003. See Part IV of this announcement for more information on 
submitting applications.
    Announcement Availability: This program announcement and related 
application materials are available from the ORR Web site at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/funding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Sommerville, Division of 
Community Resettlement, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration 
for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Eighth Floor 
West, Washington, DC 20447, telephone: (202) 401-4861, e-mail: 
[email protected] or Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, Division of 
Discretionary Grants, Office of Grants Management, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW., Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447, telephone 
(202) 401-4577, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program announcement consists of four 
parts:

Part I: Background, legislative authority, funding availability, 
eligible applicants, project and budget periods, program purpose and 
objectives, and allowable activities
Part II: General Instructions for preparing a full project description 
and evaluation criteria
Part III: The Review Process--intergovernmental review, initial ACF 
screening, and competitive review
Part IV: The Application--application forms, application submission and 
deadlines, certifications, assurances, and disclosure required for non-
construction programs, regulations, treatment of program income, and 
reporting requirements.

    Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13): Public reporting 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 16 
hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection 
of information. The project description is approved under OMB control 
number 0970-0139 which expires 12/31/03. An agency may not conduct or 
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Part I: Background

    The purpose of this program announcement is to increase rates of 
refugee employment and decrease rates of refugee welfare utilization by 
providing earned income subsidies to enable refugees who have 
experienced long-term difficulties, or who are likely to experience 
long-term difficulties, in assimilating into American communities with 
positive workforce experiences. These projects are intended to assist 
refugees: (1) Who have experienced long-term difficulties in 
assimilating into American communities or (2) who are likely to 
experience long-term difficulties in assimilation, including recently 
arrived refugees with conditions described below, older refugees, 
refugees with disabilities or chronic illnesses, and youth who are not 
enrolled in school and have little or no family support structure. 
These grants will provide opportunities for subsidized and unsubsidized 
job placements that will lead to permanent employment and economic 
self-sufficiency. Economic self-sufficiency contributes significantly 
to successful integration.
    Projects funded under this announcement are intended to assist 
communities across this country with concentrations of refugees, many 
of whom entered the United States over a decade ago, who continue to 
experience difficulty integrating into their communities and achieving 
economic self-sufficiency. For some of these refugees, language skills, 
cultural barriers, the lack of financial resources, and years of 
relying on public assistance have resulted in isolating them from the 
mainstream, limiting their employment opportunities, and hindering 
their integration into American communities. Their low rate of 
assimilation has been documented in many localities on such key 
indicators as poverty levels, welfare utilization, car and home 
ownership, high school completion, college attendance or graduation, 
English language fluency, employment rates, household income, per 
capita income, and naturalization rates.
    Projects funded under this announcement are also intended to assist 
communities with more recently arrived refugees who are likely to 
experience long-term unemployment and difficulties in assimilating. For 
instance, some refugees experience difficulties in employment and

[[Page 40986]]

assimilation due to the long-term impacts of circumstances such as 
lengthy stays in refugee camps, torture, starvation, prolonged 
malnutrition, or other trauma prior to their arrival in the U.S. In 
addition, some refugees are from environments and cultural backgrounds 
that are so distinct from the way of life in the United States that 
their ability to assimilate successfully is a greater challenge than 
that experienced by some other refugee populations. Finally, older 
refugees, refugees with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses, and 
youth who are not enrolled in school and have little or no family 
support structure encounter additional difficulties in integrating into 
the American workforce and American society. These refugees also may 
experience long-term difficulties in employment and assimilation.

Legislative Authority

    This program is authorized by section 412(c)(1)(A) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended, (8 U.S.C. 
1522(c)(1)(A)), which authorizes the Director ``to make grants to, and 
enter into contracts with, public or private nonprofit agencies for 
projects specifically designed--(i) To assist refugees in obtaining the 
skills which are necessary for economic self-sufficiency, including 
projects for job training, employment services, day care, professional 
refresher training, and other recertification services, (ii) to provide 
training in English where necessary (regardless of whether the refugees 
are employed or receiving cash or other assistance); and (iii) to 
provide where specific needs have been shown and recognized by the 
Director, health (including mental health) services, social services, 
educational, and other services.''

Funding Availability

    ORR expects to award approximately $5 million in FY 2003 
discretionary social services funds for 10 to 20 projects in amounts 
ranging from $200,000 to $800,000. The award amount range is for 
planning purposes. Applications with requested amounts that exceed the 
upper value of the dollar range specified will still be considered for 
review. No matching or cost sharing by the applicant is required.

Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants for these funds include public and private, 
nonprofit agencies. Faith-based and community organizations are 
eligible to apply for these grants.
    Private, non-profit agencies are encouraged to submit with their 
applications the optional survey located under ``Grant Manuals & 
Forms'' at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm.

Project and Budget Periods

    Under this announcement, ORR invites applications for project 
periods of up to three years. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be 
for a one-year budget period, although project periods may be for three 
years.
    Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards, 
beyond the first one-year budget period but within the three-year 
project period, will be entertained in subsequent years on a 
noncompetitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory 
progress and performance of the grantee, and a determination that 
continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government.

Program Purpose and Objectives

    Projects funded under this announcement will be designed to connect 
long-term unemployed refugees to the labor force and to provide, 
through subsidized wages, earned income to refugees and their 
households. The purpose is to assist these refugees in making a 
transition to unsubsidized permanent employment and to full integration 
in their communities.
    Refugees eligible to participate in projects funded under this 
announcement must be at least 18 years of age and must not be enrolled 
in school on a full-time basis. Refugee participants must also be 
unemployed, without earned income, employed part-time, or members of 
families receiving public assistance. Refugees are eligible to 
participate in this project if they have resided in the U.S. for a 
minimum of one year and have been residents of their communities for a 
minimum of three months. Refugees must demonstrate that they have 
exhausted other types and sources of employment services and that they 
are continuing to experience long-term unemployment.
    ORR anticipates that refugees targeted for these programs would 
include long-term recipients of public assistance (12 months or more), 
refugees who face termination from Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families (TANF) within the 12 month period following enrollment in this 
project, and refugees who have experienced unusually difficult 
circumstances in employment and in assimilation. Refugee populations 
such as older workers, refugees with disabilities, and at-risk youth 
who are at least 18 years of age, who are not enrolled in school, and 
who have little or no family support structure may be included as well.
    Subsidized positions may be in either public or private sector 
organizations. Grantees must establish a network of relationships with 
appropriate public or private employers to identify and develop 
suitable subsidized positions. Through written contractual agreements, 
grantees may use funds to reimburse employers for up to 100 percent of 
the employment wage (including fringe benefits), for a maximum of nine 
months. In exchange for the salary subsidy, the employer agrees to 
provide the refugee employee additional supervisory assistance in 
learning the job and to retain the refugee employee in this position 
after the wage subsidy has ended. If insufficient funds are available 
to continue the position, the employer agrees to assist the refugee 
employee in securing other employment.
    Applicants should identify the types and number of employment 
positions to be included in their project, including job descriptions, 
qualifications, salary levels, and benefits. Project participants must 
be paid an hourly wage equivalent to the prevailing rates of pay for 
persons employed in similar occupations by the same employer. No wage 
should be lower than the Federal minimum wage. Refugee employees must 
be eligible for all benefits available to all other employees at the 
work site.
    Wage subsidies must be used for a net increase in the number of 
positions within a given organization and may not be used to replace 
currently funded positions. Refugees employed as a result of this 
project may not displace employed workers or workers on layoff.

Allowable Activities

    Allowable activities may include, but are not limited to, the 
following:
    [sbull] Placement of long-term unemployed refugees in subsidized 
positions;
    [sbull] Placement of long-term unemployed refugees in unsubsidized 
placements;
    [sbull] On-the-job training for refugee participants to obtain 
professional skills at the workplace; i.e. core office skills, office 
protocol, notification of sick leave, time and attendance procedures, 
etc.;
    [sbull] Vocational English language training in conjunction with a 
specific position;
    [sbull] Technical assistance to employers working with refugee 
participants;
    [sbull] On-site mentoring programs between refugees and other 
employees;
    [sbull] Provision of support services to refugees which may 
include: on-site

[[Page 40987]]

technical assistance, employment counseling, job retention counseling 
and activities, and work-related incidental expenses for such items as 
work shoes, uniforms, glasses, public transportation passes, etc., if 
these are not available from other sources;
    [sbull] Technical assistance to vocational and educational 
instructors working with refugees; and
    [sbull] Provision of specialized services to address the specific 
needs of the refugee population being assisted.
    To be successful in this competition, applicants must demonstrate 
their capacity to implement and manage new and financially complex 
projects. Applicants must also describe their agency's links to the 
refugee populations to be assisted through this program. Finally, 
applicants must demonstrate a specific need for supplementation of 
available employment resources to place refugees with difficulties in 
assimilating into permanent employment.

Part II: General Instructions for Preparing a Full Project Description

Purpose

    The project description provides a major means by which an 
application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications 
for available assistance. The project description should be concise and 
complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are 
being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can 
present information clearly and succinctly. In preparing your project 
description, all information requested through each specific evaluation 
criteria should be provided. Awarding offices use this and other 
information in making their funding recommendations. It is important, 
therefore, that this information be included in the application.

General Instructions

    ACF is particularly interested in specific factual information and 
statements of measurable goals in quantitative terms. Project 
descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance, not length. 
Extensive exhibits are not required. Cross-referencing should be used 
rather than repetition. Supporting information concerning activities 
that will not be directly funded by the grant or information that does 
not directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity 
should be placed in an appendix.
    Pages should be numbered and a table of contents should be included 
for easy reference. Pages should be numbered sequentially, including 
any attachments or appendices. The application narrative should be in a 
12-pitch font. An executive summary should be included. Tabs should not 
be used.

Introduction

    Applicants required to submit a full project description shall 
prepare the project description statement in accordance with the 
following instructions and the specified evaluation criteria. The 
instructions give a broad overview of what your project description 
should include while the evaluation criteria expands and clarifies more 
program-specific information that is needed.

Project Summary/Abstract

    Provide a summary of the project description (a page or less) with 
reference to the funding request.

Objectives and Need for Assistance

    Clearly identify the physical, economic, social, financial, 
institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a solution. The need 
for assistance must be demonstrated and the principal and subordinate 
objectives of the project must be clearly stated; supporting 
documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials from 
concerned interests other than the applicant, may be included. Any 
relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referred 
to in the endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate demographic data and 
participant/beneficiary information, as needed. In developing the 
project description, the applicant may volunteer or be requested to 
provide information on the total range of projects currently being 
conducted and supported (or to be initiated), some of which may be 
outside the scope of the program announcement.

Results or Benefits Expected

    Identify the results and benefits to be derived. For example, ORR 
is particularly interested in:
    [sbull] Numbers, types, and average salaries of initial and 
subsequent subsidized and unsubsidized job placements;
    [sbull] The degree to which employee benefits, including medical 
coverage, are available for subsidized and unsubsidized positions;
    [sbull] The cost per placement into subsidized and unsubsidized 
positions;
    [sbull] Hours per week of unsubsidized/subsidized job placements;
    [sbull] Number of transitions from subsidized to unsubsidized 
positions, and job retention;
    [sbull] Total funds used for subsidies.
    The application may include other performance outcomes, as 
appropriate.

Approach

    Outline a plan of action which describes the scope and detail of 
how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions 
or activities identified in the application. Cite factors which might 
accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the 
proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of 
the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in 
cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.
    Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the 
accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such 
terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities 
accomplished. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or 
function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of 
accomplishments and their target dates.
    If any data is to be collected, maintained, and/or disseminated, 
clearance may be required from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). This clearance pertains to any ``collection of information that 
is conducted or sponsored by ACF.''
    List organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key 
individuals who will work on the project along with a short description 
of the nature of their effort or contribution.

Geographic Location

    Describe the precise location of the project and boundaries of the 
area to be served by the proposed project. Maps or other graphic aids 
may be attached.

Additional Information

    Following are requests for additional information that need to be 
included in the application:

Staff and Position Data

    Provide a biographical sketch for each key person appointed and a 
job description for each vacant key position. A biographical sketch 
will also be required for new key staff as appointed.

Organizational Profiles

    Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and 
cooperating partners such as organizational charts, financial 
statements, audit reports or statements

[[Page 40988]]

from CPAs/Licensed Public Accountants, Employer Identification Numbers, 
names of bond carriers, contact persons and telephone numbers, child 
care licenses and other documentation of professional accreditation, 
information on compliance with Federal/State/local government 
standards, documentation of experience in the program area, and other 
pertinent information. Any non-profit organization submitting an 
application must submit proof of its non-profit status in its 
application at the time of submission.
    The non-profit agency can accomplish this by including in the 
application:
    a. A reference to the applicant organization's listing in the 
Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt 
organizations described in the IRS Code.
    b. A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.
    c. A statement from a State taxing body, State attorney general, or 
other appropriate State official certifying that the applicant 
organization has a non-profit status and that none of the net earning 
accrue to any private shareholders or individuals.
    d. A certified copy of the organization's certificate of 
incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit 
status.
    e. Any of the items in the above for a State or national parent 
organization and a statement signed by the parent organization that the 
applicant organization is a local non-profit affiliate.
    Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with 
their applications the optional survey located under ``Grant Manuals & 
Forms'' at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm.

Third-Party Agreements

    Include written agreements between grantees and subgrantees or 
subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These agreements must 
detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules, remuneration, and 
other terms and conditions that structure or define the relationship.

Letters of Support

    Provide statements from community, public and commercial leaders 
that support the project proposed for funding. All submissions should 
be included in the application OR by application deadline.

Budget and Budget Justification

    Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget 
object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed 
calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, 
and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to 
be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the 
funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
    Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the 
categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, 
and allocability of the proposed costs.

General

    The following guidelines are for preparing the budget and budget 
justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed 
and justified in the budget and narrative justification. For purposes 
of preparing the budget and budget justification, ``Federal resources'' 
refers only to the ACF grant for which you are applying. Non-Federal 
resources are all other Federal and non-Federal resources. It is 
suggested that budget amounts and computations be presented in a 
columnar format: first column, object class categories; second column, 
Federal budget; next column(s), non-Federal budget(s), and last column, 
total budget. The budget justification should be a narrative.

Personnel

    Description: Costs of employee salaries and wages.
    Justification: Identify the project director or principal 
investigator, if known. For each staff person, provide the title, time 
commitment to the project (in months), time commitment to the project 
(as a percentage or full-time equivalent), annual salary, grant salary, 
wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants or personnel 
costs of delegate agencies or of specific project(s) or businesses to 
be financed by the applicant.

Fringe Benefits

    Description: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as 
part of an approved indirect cost rate.
    Justification: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages 
that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, 
retirement insurance, taxes, etc.

Travel

    Description: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the 
applicant organization (does not include costs of consultant travel).
    Justification: For each trip, show the total number of traveler(s), 
travel destination, duration of trip, per diem, mileage allowances, if 
privately owned vehicles will be used, and other transportation costs 
and subsistence allowances. Travel costs for key staff to attend ACF-
sponsored workshops should be detailed in the budget.

Equipment

    Description: ``Equipment'' means an article of nonexpendable, 
tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year 
and an acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) the 
capitalization level established by the organization for the financial 
statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. (Note: Acquisition cost means the 
net invoice unit price of an item of equipment, including the cost of 
any modifications, attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus 
necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired. 
Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in-transit 
insurance, freight, and installation shall be included in or excluded 
from acquisition cost in accordance with the organization's regular 
written accounting practices.)
    Justification: For each type of equipment requested, provide a 
description of the equipment, the cost per unit, the number of units, 
the total cost, and a plan for use on the project, as well as use or 
disposal of the equipment after the project ends. An applicant 
organization that uses its own definition for equipment should provide 
a copy of its policy or section of its policy which includes the 
equipment definition.

Supplies

    Description: Costs of all tangible personal property other than 
that included under the Equipment category.
    Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and their 
costs. Show computations and provide other information that supports 
the amount requested.

Contractual

    Description: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except 
for those which belong under other categories such as equipment, 
supplies, construction, etc. Third-party evaluation contracts (if 
applicable) and contracts with secondary recipient organizations, 
including delegate agencies and specific project(s) or businesses to be 
financed by the applicant, should be included under this category.
    Justification: All procurement transactions shall be conducted in a 
manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free 
competition. Recipients and sub-

[[Page 40989]]

recipients, other than States that are required to use Part 92 
procedures, must justify any anticipated procurement action that is 
expected to be awarded without competition and exceed the simplified 
acquisition threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 403(11) currently set at 
$100,000. Recipients might be required to make available to ACF pre-
award review and procurement documents, such as request for proposals 
or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc.

    Note: Whenever the applicant intends to delegate part of the 
project to another agency, the applicant must provide a detailed 
budget and budget narrative for each delegate agency, by agency 
title, along with the required supporting information referred to in 
these instructions.

Other

    Enter the total of all other costs. Such costs, where applicable 
and appropriate, may include but are not limited to insurance, food, 
medical and dental costs (non-contractual), professional services 
costs, space and equipment rentals, printing and publication, computer 
use, training costs, such as tuition and stipends, staff development 
costs, and administrative costs.
    Justification: Provide computations, a narrative description and a 
justification for each cost under this category.

Indirect Charges

    Description: Total amount of indirect costs. This category should 
be used only when the applicant currently has an indirect cost rate 
approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or 
another cognizant Federal agency.
    Justification: An applicant that will charge indirect costs to the 
grant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If the 
applicant organization is in the process of initially developing or 
renegotiating a rate, it should immediately upon notification that an 
award will be made, develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal 
based on its most recently completed fiscal year in accordance with the 
principles set forth in the cognizant agency's guidelines for 
establishing indirect cost rates, and submit it to the cognizant 
agency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals 
may also request indirect costs. It should be noted that when an 
indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect 
cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the grant. 
Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is 
allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the 
applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgment that the 
applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

Program Income

    Description: The estimated amount of income, if any, expected to be 
generated from this project.
    Justification: Describe the nature, source and anticipated use of 
program income in the budget or refer to the pages in the application 
that contain this information.

Total Direct Charges, Total Indirect Charges, Total Project Costs

    Self-explanatory.

Evaluation Criteria

    1. Approach--(25 points) The applicant provides a clear explanation 
of a feasible, appropriate, and complete plan for establishing 
subsidized employment opportunities for refugee participants, including 
evidence of subsequent permanent employment. The proposed activities 
and timeframes are reasonable and feasible. The applicant has described 
the planning and/or consultation efforts undertaken. The applicant 
identifies local employers who have made commitments to the project and 
describes them (e.g., number and types of jobs, supportive services and 
training, qualifications, and salary levels, etc.) The applicant 
includes a description of the proposed plan for recruitment and for 
selecting refugees for participation. There is a clear description of 
the availability and planned use of other community services and 
resources for refugee employment. The strategy and plan are likely to 
achieve proposed results and lead to increased permanent employment 
opportunities for refugees.
    2. Results or Benefits Expected--(20 points) The outcomes and 
benefits proposed are reasonable and reflect the objectives of this 
announcement. The applicant clearly identifies the results and benefits 
to be derived for refugees and their families as well as for the 
community. Proposed outcomes are measurable and achievable within the 
grant project period, and the proposed monitoring, information 
collection, and documentation are appropriately designed to assess 
project performance.
    3. Organizational Profiles--(20 points) Applicant organization and 
staff and partner organizations are well qualified and have 
demonstrated the capability to implement and manage new programs, to 
recruit and work with the refugee population, and to manage employment 
programs for refugees. The administrative and management features of 
the project, including a plan for fiscal and programmatic management of 
each activity and planning activities, are described in detail with 
proposed start-up times, ongoing timelines, major milestones or 
benchmarks, a component/project organization chart, and a staffing 
chart. The qualifications of project staff are documented. The 
applicant has provided a copy of its most recent audit report. If 
appropriate, written agreements between grantees and sub-grantees or 
other cooperating entities, detailing work to be performed, 
remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define 
the relationship to this project, are provided.
    4. Budget and Budget Justification--(20 points) The budget and 
narrative justification are reasonable, clearly presented, and cost-
effective in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated 
results. The methodologies for estimating the number of refugee 
participants are reasonable. The projected cost per job placement is 
reasonable.
    5. Objectives and Need for Assistance--(15 points) The applicant 
identifies and documents the characteristics of the refugee population 
and/or community to be assisted and clearly describes the need for 
subsidized employment for this population. Indicators of the need for 
assistance and of low rates of assimilation may include reliance on 
public assistance, incomes below 200 percent of the Federal poverty 
level, and low rates of employment, education, access to financial 
institutions, and car and home ownership.

Part III: The Review Process

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR part 100, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services 
Programs and Activities.'' Under the Order, States may design their own 
processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed federal assistance 
under covered programs.
    All States and Territories except Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, 
Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, 
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, 
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, 
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming have elected not to 
participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from these 
twenty-six jurisdictions need take no action

[[Page 40990]]

regarding E.O. 12372. Applicants for projects to be administered by 
Federally recognized Indian Tribes are also exempt from the 
requirements of E.O. 12372. Applicants should contact their Single-
Points-of-Contact (SPOC) as soon as possible to alert them of the 
prospective applications and receive any necessary instructions. 
Applicants from participating jurisdictions must submit any required 
material to the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office 
can obtain and review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The 
applicant must submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and 
indicate the date of this submittal (the date of contact) on the 
Standard Form 424, item 16a.
    Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application 
deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.
    SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine 
endorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are 
requested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and 
those official State process recommendations which may trigger the 
``accommodate or explain'' rule.
    When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be 
addressed to: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade SW., Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447.
    A list of the Single Points of Contact for each participating State 
and Territory can be found on the web at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
    Initial ACF Screening--Each application submitted under this 
program announcement will undergo a pre-review to determine that (1) 
the application was received by the closing date and submitted in 
accordance with the instructions in this announcement; and (2) the 
applicant is eligible for funding.
    Competitive Review--Applications which pass the initial ACF 
screening will be evaluated and rated by an independent review panel on 
the basis of evaluation criteria specified below. The evaluation 
criteria were designed to assess the quality of a proposed project and 
to determine the likelihood of its success. The evaluation criteria are 
closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall 
quality of an application. Points are awarded only to applications that 
are responsive to the evaluation criteria within the context of this 
program announcement.

Part IV: The Application

    Application Forms--In order to be considered for a grant under this 
program announcement, an application must be submitted on the forms 
supplied and in the manner prescribed by ACF. Applicants requesting 
financial assistance under this announcement must file the Standard 
Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance; SF 424A, Budget 
Information--Non-construction Programs; SF 424B, Assurances--Non-
Construction Programs. The forms may be reproduced for use in 
submitting applications. Application materials, including forms and 
instructions, are available from the ORR Web site at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/funding. The application materials are 
also available from the Contact named in the preamble of this 
announcement.
    Please do not include books or videotapes as they are not easily 
reproduced and are, therefore, inaccessible to the reviewers.
    Application Submission and Deadlines--An application with an 
original signature and two clearly identified copies are required. 
Applicants must clearly indicate on the SF 424 the grant announcement 
number under which the application is submitted. Applicants have the 
option of omitting from the application copies (not from the original) 
specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified in the 
application budget. The copies may include summary salary information.
    The closing time and date for receipt of applications is 4:30 p.m. 
(Eastern Time Zone) on August 8, 2003. Mailed or handcarried 
applications received after 4:30 p.m. on the closing date will be 
classified as late.
    Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced 
deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date and 
received by ACF in time for the independent review to: U.S. Department 
of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Grants Management, Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, 
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447. 
ACF will acknowledge receipt of applications. Receipt of applications 
will be acknowledged by letter. Applicants are cautioned that express/
overnight mail services do not always deliver as agreed.
    Applications handcarried by applicants, by applicant couriers, or 
by other representatives of the applicant shall be considered as 
meeting an announced deadline if they are received on or before the 
deadline date, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EDT, at the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for 
Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, ACF Mailroom, 
Second Floor (near loading dock), Aerospace Building, 901 D Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20024, between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal 
holidays). The address must appear on the envelope/package containing 
the application with the note ``Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants 
Officer.''
    ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or 
through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to 
ACF electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of 
submission and time of receipt.
    Late applications--Applications that do not meet the criteria above 
are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant 
that its application will not be considered in the current competition.
    Extension of deadlines--ACF may extend application deadlines when 
circumstances such as acts of God (e.g., floods, hurricanes, etc.) 
occur or when there are widespread disruptions of mail service.
    Determinations to extend or waive deadline requirements rest with 
the Chief Grants Management Officer.
    For Further Information on Application Deadlines, Contact: Daphne 
Weeden, Grants Officer, Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 
L'Enfant Promenade SW., Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447, 
Telephone: (202) 401-4577.
    Certifications, Assurances, and Disclosure Required for Non-
Construction Programs--Applicants requesting financial assistance for 
non-construction projects must file the Standard Form 424B, 
``Assurances: Non-Construction Programs.'' Applicants must sign and 
return the Standard Form 424B with their applications.
    Applicants must provide a signed certification concerning lobbying. 
Prior to receiving an award in excess of $100,000, applicants should 
furnish an executed copy of the lobbying certification (approved by the 
Office of Management and Budget under control number 0348-0046). 
Applicants must sign and return the certification with their 
application.
    Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their 
compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988.

[[Page 40991]]

By signing and submitting the application, applicants are providing the 
certification and need not mail back the certification with the 
application.
    Applicants must make the appropriate certification that they are 
not presently debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for the 
award. By signing and submitting the application, applicants are 
providing the certification and need not mail back the certification 
with the application.
    Applicants must also understand that they will be held accountable 
for the smoking prohibition included within Pub. L. 103-227, Part C 
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (also known as the Pro-Children's Act of 
1994). A copy of the Federal Register notice that implements the 
smoking prohibition is included with the forms. By signing and 
submitting the application, applicants are providing the certification 
and need not mail back the certification with the application.
    Administrative Grant Regulations--Applicable U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services regulations can be found in 45 CFR part 74 or 
part 92.
    Treatment of Program Income--Program income from activities funded 
under this program may be retained by the recipient and added to the 
funds committed to the project, and used to further program objectives. 
Program income must be reported semi-annually on the Financial Status 
Report (SF-269).
    Post-Award Reporting Requirements--Grantees are required to file 
the Financial Status Report (SF-269) semi-annually and the Program 
Performance Reports quarterly. The Program Performance Reports should 
provide adequate data to assess the extent to which the grantee is 
achieving the goals of this grant announcement. Funds issued under 
these awards must be accounted for, and reported upon, separately from 
all other grant activities. The official receipt point for all reports 
and correspondence is the Grants Officer, Administration for Children 
and Families, Office of Grants Management, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 
Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447, Telephone: (202) 401-4577. An 
original and one copy of each report shall be submitted within 30 days 
of the end of each reporting period directly to the Office of Grants 
Management.
    A final Financial Status Report and Program Performance Report 
shall be due 90 days after the project expiration date or termination 
of federal budget support.

    Dated: July 1, 2003.
Nguyen Van Hanh,
Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement.
[FR Doc. 03-17398 Filed 7-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P