[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 68 (Thursday, April 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18629-18652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7906]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Workforce Investment Act--Work Incentive Program To Enhance
Service Delivery for Jobseekers With Disabilities Through the National
One-Stop Delivery System, Fourth Round Solicitation for Grant
Applications
Announcement Type: New. Notice of solicitation for grant
applications.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA-04-107.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.266.
Key Dates: Deadline for Application Receipt--May 11, 2004.
Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Employment
and Training Administration (ETA), announces the availability of
approximately $14 million to be granted to qualifying applicants for
the period of June 2004 to June 2006. The Work Incentive Grant Program
provides grant funds to entities administering Workforce Investment Act
Title I programs to augment the One-Stop delivery system to facilitate
programmatic access and enhanced, streamlined service delivery for
jobseekers with disabilities, including psychiatric and other hidden
disabilities.
Authority: Key provisions relating to the One-Stop delivery
system and this Solicitation for Grant Applications are at sections
121, 134(c), and 189(c) of the Workforce Investment Act [29 U.S.C.
2841, 2864(c), 2939(c)]; the Wagner-Peyser Act [29 U.S.C. 49f(d) and
(e)]; and Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2003 [Pub. L. 108-
7]. Key regulations governing Workforce Investment Act programs are
at 20 CFR parts 652 and 660-671 [65 FR 49294 (August 11, 2000)].
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Overview of the One Stop Career Center System: Section 121 of
the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) authorizes programs to serve the
employment and training needs of Americans through the One-Stop Career
Center system. This system was established through the 1998 passage of
WIA as the key element in comprehensive reform of existing Federal job
training programs, with amendments impacting service delivery under the
adult, dislocated and youth programs, as well as the Wagner-Peyser Act,
Adult Education and Literacy Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.
Additional Federal programs are identified as required partners in the
One-Stop Career Center system with the goal of giving all Americans
access to comprehensive services, information and resources that can
help them achieve their career goals. The intention of the One-Stop
Career Center system is to establish a network of programs and
providers in co-located and integrated settings that are accessible for
individuals and businesses in each of the approximately 600 workforce
investment areas established throughout the nation. WIA established
state and local Workforce Investment Boards focused on strategic
planning, policy development, and oversight of the workforce investment
system, and accorded significant authority to the nation's Governors
and local chief elected officials to implement innovative and
comprehensive delivery systems. The vision, goals and objectives for
workforce development under the WIA decentralized system are described
in the state strategic plan required under section 112 of the
legislation. This state strategic workforce investment plan--and the
operational experience gained by all the partners to date in
implementing the WIA-instituted reforms--help identify the important
``unmet needs'' of employers and opportunities to expand access to One-
Stop Career Centers for employers and all population segments within
the local labor market.
2. ETA's Division of Disability and Workforce Programs (DDWP): DDWP
develops and implements disability policy and program initiatives
related to the workforce system, including cross-agency collaborations
to address structural barriers to employment. Since the implementation
of the WIA, ETA has directed funds and resources to improve workforce
services for persons with disabilities, including those with
psychiatric and other hidden disabilities. DDWP's major initiatives to
embrace the population of jobseekers with disabilities are:
Increasing the value and use of the One-Stop
Career Center system through the Work Incentive Grants, by providing
comprehensive informational and assistance services on multiple
programs for which jobseekers with disabilities are eligible. Eighty-
eight grants have been awarded in three rounds since October 2000 to
state and/or local workforce investment boards, and to public and
nonprofit organizations working closely with these entities. The fourth
round for this initiative is the subject of this SGA. The One-Stop
Toolkit Web site at http://www.onestoptoolkit.org includes numerous
training materials, strategies and products developed by grantees to
assist their workforce investment systems in serving the disability
community. Reviewing these materials will help you avoid proposing
activities that duplicate products already available on the Toolkit.
Enhancing comprehensive services and work
incentive information for Social Security Administration (SSA)
beneficiaries and other jobseekers with disabilities through an ETA/SSA
jointly funded Disability Program Navigator Initiative in 14 states in
which SSA is establishing employment support initiatives. Information
on this initiative, and on SSA's Ticket to Work and Work Incentive
Improvement Act
[[Page 18630]]
(Training and Employment Notice No. 6-02), can be found at http://wdsc.doleta.gov/disability.
Improving training and career opportunities and
outcomes for jobseekers with disabilities through grants focused on
innovative skill training and systems change. Twelve multi-site
Disability Employment Grants totaling $5.5 million were awarded in 2002
to showcase innovative training options within the One-Stop Career
Center system for people with significant disabilities. DDWP also
administers several Disability Information Technology (IT) Grants,
awarded in June 2001 to improve employment opportunities for people
with disabilities through intensive IT skills training and close
working partnerships with the IT employer community.
Please note that the Department of Labor's Office of Disability
Employment Policy (ODEP) has also awarded a number of grants to the
workforce system related to customized employment and youth services
for persons with disabilities. Information on these grants can be
obtained at http://dol/odep.gov.
3. Problem Statement: People who have disabilities want and need to
work. Employers need a qualified work force. Communities work best when
their citizens are productive. Yet a distressingly low percentage of
working age people with disabilities is employed. The Social Security
Administration provides benefits to nearly 13 million people with
disabilities at a cost of more than $100 billion annually; 48% of those
under 60 have a mental disability. The rate of job entry or reentry
into the workforce of SSA disability beneficiaries, including those
with psychiatric disabilities, has historically been less than \1/2\ of
1%. President Bush announced the New Freedom Initiative in February
2001 to address this serious unemployment situation and to advance
community integration of individuals with disabilities. Reasons for the
low employment levels in this population include fragmented funding
sources, differing criteria and priorities for these resources,
misconceptions among jobseekers with disabilities about integrative
support systems as well as about losing benefits if they become
employed, fear of employing jobseekers with disabilities, a history of
inflexible referral protocols, and inconsistent staff training across
systems. Our Work Incentive Grant program confronts these issues.
4. Objectives for Round IV of Work Incentive Grants: The Work
Incentive Grant program is consistent with the objectives of the
President's New Freedom Initiative, signed on February 1, 2001, to
increase employment opportunities and promote the full participation of
people with disabilities in all areas of society. These Fourth Round
Work Incentive Grants will emphasize:
Improving the One-Stop system for jobseekers
with disabilities through implementing strategies for physical,
communication and programmatic access to One-Stop services for persons
with disabilities, including psychiatric disabilities, and facilitating
coordination and collaboration of multiple agencies and providers that
impact job seekers with disabilities;
Enhancing comprehensive services through
implementation of Disability Program Navigator strategies; and
Increasing the number of people with
disabilities served under WIA and employment outcomes for jobseekers
with disabilities, including psychiatric and other hidden disabilities,
accessing WIA Title I and Wagner-Peyser programs.
II. Award Information
1. Type of assistance instrument: Two year grant.
2. Amount of funds to be awarded: Through this fourth Work
Incentive Grant Program SGA, ETA will award approximately $14 million
in funds made available under the DOL Fiscal Year 2003 appropriation.
3. Anticipated number of awards: Approximately 30 grants will be
awarded under this SGA.
4. Expected amounts of individual awards: We anticipate awarding
grants of up to $600,000 to WIA Title I and Wagner-Peyser administering
entities, including State or local Workforce Investment Boards. Grant
awards will be limited to $600,000 for state-wide grants, $400,000 for
proposals covering more than one workforce investment area, and
$200,000 for a single workforce investment area.
5. Anticipated start date and period of performance for awards:
Work Incentive Grants will be funded for the period of June 2004
through June 30, 2006. Funds must be expended by this date or will
revert to the U.S. Treasury. ETA cannot provide a no-cost extension
beyond June 30, 2006 since these funds are only available up to and
including that date.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Five types of applicants are eligible to
apply for these grants:
The state organizational entity that administers
Workforce Investment Act Title I and Wagner-Peyser programs in
partnership with its state level Workforce Investment Board;
The state level Workforce Investment Board in
partnership with its state organizational entity that administers WIA
Title I and Wagner-Peyser programs;
A local Workforce Investment Board in
partnership with its One-Stop Career Center operators;
Consortia of local Workforce Investment Boards
in partnerships with their One-Stop Career Center operators; and
Indian and Native American tribal entities, or
consortia of tribes.
It is important to note the following eligibility factors:
The Grant Officer will take into account whether
applicants have received a prior grant, or current grant funded in
Round III, with the intent of providing preference to workforce
investment areas that have not previously received a Work Incentive
Grant. In general, additional grant funds will not be awarded to
workforce investment areas under Round III WIGs since these grants are
funded through June 2005.
Fourteen (14) states have entered into
cooperative agreements with ETA to implement the Disability Program
Navigator initiative. Additional funds will be available to those
states under the Interagency Agreement between ETA and SSA. In general,
additional grant funds under this fourth WIG solicitation will not be
awarded to state and/or local areas that are in the fourteen states.
The fourteen (14) Navigator states are: Arizona, California, Colorado,
Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
The grantee will be expected to perform both
administrative and operational responsibilities for the grant;
subcontracting out of these functions will not be allowed.
The Department will give preference to states
and local workforce area(s) that have not previously received a Work
Incentive Grant. Please note that a complete list of prior and current
Work Incentive Grants and Disability Program Navigator cooperative
agreements is provided at ETA's disability Online Web site: http://wdsc.doleta.gov/disability/.
ETA encourages state and local workforce area(s)
that have previously received a Work Incentive Grant to focus their
proposal during this fourth round WIG on implementing Disability
Program Navigator positions. We expect that significant progress has
already
[[Page 18631]]
been made under the prior WIG and that implementation of Navigators
would be the most productive application of resources available under
the fourth round WIG.
Applications involving one or more local
workforce investment areas must include letters of commitment from each
local board covered under the proposal, or one letter signed by all
participating local boards (commitment letter(s) are not counted
against the page limits). Please note that letters from local boards
are not required for state level proposals.
Proposals for tribal entities should coordinate
services and enhance a One-Stop system approach for jobseekers with
disabilities in specific Indian communities or covering multiple tribal
entities that may cut across multiple states and/or workforce
investment areas. In such cases, letters of commitment from local
boards are not required. Grants to Indian and Native American tribal
grantees are treated differently because of sovereignty and self-
governance principles established under the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act allowing for the government-to-government
relationship between the federal and tribal governments.
2. Cost Sharing and Matching Funds: Identification of funds related
to cost sharing, matching funding, or in-kind participation is not
required from applicants for this grant opportunity and, therefore,
specific dollar amounts associated with public or private contributions
will not be considered in the review and decision of award by the Grant
Officer. At the same time, ETA encourages applicants to leverage
funding resources in the delivery of One-Stop Career Center services to
job seekers with disabilities, as well as coordinate other activities
across state and local disability or workforce initiatives, when
applicable, as these are primary goals of the Work Incentive Grant
program.
3. Other Eligibility Criteria: ETA encourages applicants to develop
partnerships with disability-related public and private organizations
in the development and implementation plan. Such organizations may
include: State Councils for Independent Living and local Centers for
Independent Living; state mental health agencies, state mental
retardation and Developmental Disability Councils; Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) agencies; and other private, non-profit
organizations such as disability advocacy and providers and community-
based and faith-based organizations that provide services for people
with disabilities.
Except as specifically provided, DOL/ETA's acceptance of a proposal
and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any program(s) does not
provide a waiver of any grant requirement and/or procedures. For
example, the OMB circulars stipulate that an entity's entire
procurement procedures and transactions, including subcontracts, must
provide for free and open competition. If a proposal identifies a
specific entity to provide the services, the DOL/ETA's award does not
provide the justification or basis to sole-source the procurement,
i.e., avoid competition, unless the activity is regarded as the primary
work of an official partner to the application. The official partner
must therefore identify the work it intends to do within the grant
application and attach a letter of agreement to this effect.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: This SGA contains all of
the information and forms needed to apply for grant funding.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: A cover letter, the
original proposal, plus three copies of the proposal must be submitted.
In the original proposal, the SF 424 must be signed in blue ink.
Applications must include two separate parts--Part I provides financial
and budget information; Part II provides the statement of work.
Part I
Part I of the application must contain the Standard Form (SF) 424,
``Application for Federal Assistance'' and a fully completed Budget
Information Form (see Appendix ). The SF 424 and the Budget Information
forms are also available at http://wdsc.doleta.gov/sga/forms.asp. The
SF 424 must clearly identify the applicant (i.e., the fiscal agent) and
be signed with original signatures by the representative authorized by
the governing body of the applicant to enter into the grant agreement.
Applicants shall indicate on the SF 424 the organization's IRS Status,
if applicable. Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, section 18
(29 U.S.C. 1611), an organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which engages in lobbying activities
shall not be eligible for the receipt of Federal funds constituting an
award, grant, or loan.
Dun and Bradstreet Number. Beginning October 12, 2003, all
applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities are required to
have a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number. See OMB Notice of Final Policy
Issuance, 68 FR 38402 (June 27, 2003). Applicants must supply their
DUNS number in item 5 of the new SF-424 issued by OMB (Rev. 9-
2003). See Attachment A. The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification
number that uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS
number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access
this Web site: www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711.
Financial Narrative. The Budget Information Form must incorporate
financial narrative information that describes all costs associated
with implementing the activities to be covered with grant funds.
Applicants should anticipate, for their travel budget, costs for three
key staff to attend an annual policy and training meeting in
Washington, DC, and one or two regional meetings.
Part II
Part II--Technical Proposal contains an Executive Summary and the
Statement of Work that provides narrative information on your plans for
carrying out the objectives of the Work Incentive Grant. With the
exception of the two-page single-spaced executive summary, the Part II
Statement of Work narrative must not exceed 30 pages, double-spaced on
single-sided, numbered pages with a 12-point font required throughout.
Please note that letters of commitment from local boards, and official
partnership agreements, do not count against the page limitations;
however, general letters of support for the application will count
against the page limit.
The Executive Summary, or Abstract, summarizes the proposal and the
primary objectives and scope of activities to be covered, including how
activities address the Statement of Work criteria. Demonstrate that
these activities are new and unique to the geographic area entailed. In
addition, include the following information in the Executive Summary:
The number of workforce investment areas in the
state and the number of comprehensive One-Stop Career Centers in the
state, and the workforce area(s) to be covered in the grant proposal.
The extent to which physical, programmatic and
communication access has been achieved in the One-Stop Career Center(s)
for persons with disabilities and how the proposal will address
deficiencies, if applicable.
[[Page 18632]]
The core, intensive and training service levels
for persons with disabilities compared to all participants in WIA Title
I adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs, and labor exchange
services under Wagner-Peyser, and activity levels planned under the
proposal.
The percentage of people with disabilities in
the state and/or local area, including the percentage of people who are
beneficiaries of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or
Social Security Income Program (SSI).
The most recent unemployment rate(s) in the
workforce investment area(s) covering the project, including short and
long-range employment projections.
A description of primary industries in the
workforce investment area(s), including new or emerging industries that
are projected to expand and occupational skills in most demand.
Partners, if any, who will be collaborating on
proposal activities.
The Statement of Work narrative represents your plan to meet the
system-building objectives of this SGA to increase, enhance, and
improve services for jobseekers with disabilities, including
psychiatric disabilities, with verifiable training and employment
outcomes, in the nation's workforce investment system.
(i) Statement of Need;
(ii) Workplan to Increase Comprehensive Services and Enhance One-
Stop Career Center Services: Choose (1) or (2).
(1) Comprehensive One-Stop Career Center Strategies
(2) Staff Capacity--Disability Program Navigator
(iii) Annotated Project Timeline
(iv) Improve Participation and Employment Outcomes for Persons with
Disabilities
(v) Plan to Sustain Activities Beyond WIG IV Funding
The Work Incentive Grant program represents an important element of
an overall strategy to improve employment and workforce participation
of people with disabilities, including psychiatric disabilities,
through access to the One-Stop Career Center system. Your proposal
should seek to:
Workplan 1: Increase comprehensive service
delivery through increased outreach and coordination with organizations
that serve jobseekers with disabilities, especially in States and local
workforce areas that have not previously received a Work Incentive
Grant and may not have adequate services in place.
Or Workplan 2: Enhance One-Stop Career Center
service delivery through expanded implementation of Disability Program
Navigator positions, especially in states and local areas that have
previously received a Work Incentive Grant. (As indicated above, 14
states funded through Disability Program Navigator initiative will
continue to receive funding support through their cooperative agreement
rather than this fourth round WIG solicitation.)
All applications: Improve the number of people
with disabilities registered and participating in WIA Title I or
Wagner-Peyser programs as well as improving their employment outcomes
and career advancement and plan for sustainability.
Part II consists of the following parts; which are described in
detail in section V(1) Criteria.
Part II: Statement of Work
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Categories Maximum pages, double spaced Maximum points
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) Statement of Need.................... 5 pages........................... 15 points.
(B) Workplan 1 or 2...................... 10 pages.......................... 40 points.
(C) Timeline............................. 5 pages........................... 15 points.
(D) Improve Participation and Employment 5 pages........................... 15 points.
Outcomes.
(E) Plans to Sustain WIG Activities...... 5 pages........................... 15 points.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Submission Dates and Addresses:
Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications is May 11th,
2004. Applications must be received by 4 p.m. (eastern standard time)
at the address below: Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or
telefacsimile (fax) will not be accepted. Applicants are advised that
the Department's receipt of mail has encountered delays because of mail
screening procedures at local post offices.
Addresses: Applications must be mailed to: U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: Eric Luetkenhaus, Reference: SGA/DFA 04-107, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4438, Washington, DC 20210.
Hand Delivered Proposals: If proposals are hand delivered, they
must be received at the designated address by 4 p.m., eastern time on
May 11th, 2004. All overnight mail will be considered to be hand
delivered and must be received at the designated place by the specified
closing date and time. Telegraphed, e-mail and/or fax proposals will
not be honored. Failure to adhere to the above instructions will be a
basis for determination of non-responsiveness.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This funding opportunity is not
subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.''
5. Funding Restrictions: All proposed costs should be necessary and
reasonable according to the Federal guidelines set forth in the
``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative
Agreements to State and Local Governments'' codified at 29 CFR part 97,
and ``Grants and Agreements with Institutes of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations'' codified at 29 CFR part
95, and must comply with the applicable OMB cost principles circulars,
as identified in 29 CFR 95.27 and 29 CFR 97.22(b). There is no
administrative cost limitation under the WIG funding authority and the
nature of the WIG program assumes that the majority of applicable costs
will be administrative in nature. The cost of procurement or
implementation of software or hardware to assure assistive and
accessible technologies in the One-Stop setting may account for up to
40% of the budget if warranted by compelling need.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Late Proposals. A proposal
received at the designated office after the exact time specified for
receipt will not be considered unless it is received before the award
is made and it:
Was sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or
certified mail not later than the fifth day (5th) calendar day before
the closing date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an offer
submitted in response to a solicitation requiring receipt of
application by the 20th of the month must be mailed by the 15th); or
[[Page 18633]]
Was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail
Next Day Service, Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at
the place of mailing two working days prior to the deadline date
specified for receipt of proposals in this SGA. The term ``working
days'' excludes weekends and U.S. Federal holidays.
The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of an
application received after the deadline date for the receipt of
proposals sent by the U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail
is the U.S. post mark on the envelope or wrapper affixed by the U.S.
Postal Service and on the original receipt from the U.S. Postal
Service. The term ``post mark'' means a printed, stamped, or otherwise
placed impression (exclusive of a postage meter machine impression)
that is identifiable without further action as having been supplied or
affixed on the date of mailing by employees of the U.S. Postal Service.
Withdrawal of Applications. Applications may be withdrawn by
written notice or telegram (including mailgram) received at any time
before an award is made. Application may be withdrawn in person by the
applicant or by an authorized representative thereof, if the
representative's identify is made known and the representative signs a
receipt for the proposal.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria: Applications will be reviewed based upon the following
criteria:
A. Statement of Need (Not To Exceed 5 Double-Spaced Pages; Maximum of
15 Points)
Your Statement of Need will be evaluated on (1) the overall status
of disability-related issues in the workforce investment areas covered
by your proposal; (2) the One-Stop Career Center system's strengths and
deficiencies that you and the One-Stop Career Center system will
address; and (3) your past performance in supporting service delivery
to people with disabilities. Please note: To learn about the ETA and
ODEP grants in your state and local area, see http://wdsc.doleta.gov/disability/ and click on Grants and Contracts on the menu to the left.
At this site you can view a map indicating the location of related
grants awarded in your area. To learn about the work of previously
awarded Work Incentive Grants, go to http://www.onestoptoolkit.org.
Describe the level of expertise of the One-Stop
system in the local area(s) addressed in the grant and the project
plans for addressing inadequacies.
Describe the overall status and actions taken
to-date by the One-Stop delivery system to address services to people
with disabilities, including levels of participation and outcomes in
core, intensive and training services.
For the state or local workforce area(s) related
to your proposal, identify WIA Title I adult, dislocated worker, and
youth program and Wagner-Peyser data covering the past two Program
Years (PY) for the:
(1) number and percent of people with disabilities participating or
exiting the programs compared with that of all individuals served; and
(2) number and percent of people with disabilities that entered
employment compared with employment outcomes of all individuals exiting
these programs.
Identify whether a Work Incentive Grant award
was received in the October 2000 or May 2002 award announcements along
with accomplishments and reasons for application to this solicitation.
Identify whether Disability Program Navigator(s)
have been implemented in the state or local workforce investment
area(s) under previous Work Incentive or other grants.
Identify whether an Office of Disability
Employment Policy grant has been received in the workforce investment
area(s) and how activities will be coordinated with this project
proposal.
Identify the status of physical accessibility of
state and/or local One-Stop Career Center facilities and plans for
addressing deficiencies.
Identify the status of programmatic
accessibility and plans for addressing deficiencies.
Identify the status of communication
accessibility--including availability of assistive technology--in your
One-Stop Career Centers and plans for addressing deficiencies.
Describe significant deficiencies in the state
or local workforce investment system that represent barriers to
employment for people with disabilities and what will be accomplished
under this grant to address them.
Identify ETA, ODEP or other grants and resources
in the state or local workforce area(s) which impact the delivery of
such services as well as the unmet needs of job seekers with
disabilities and can be used to enhance your project.
Identify additional state and/or local funds and
resources, if any, that will be used to support the overall objectives
of the grant and will assist in addressing the identified issues of the
grant project.
B. Workplan To Increase Comprehensive Services and Enhance One-Stop
Career Center Services (Not To Exceed 10 Double-Spaced Pages; Maximum
of 40 Points)
The purpose of the Workplan criteria is to identify the approach
proposed by the grantee to establish a welcoming and seamless One-Stop
Career Center service delivery system for persons with disabilities,
that addresses identified needs described under Section B (Statement of
Need), and achieves Work Incentive Grant objectives. In general,
achieving a seamless system requires extensive linkages and on-site
knowledge of applicable resources that address multiple disability
issues and barriers to employment that are commonly experienced by
persons with disabilities. Disability issues are often very complex and
the disability community is very diverse. These factors present
significant challenges to the workforce system in providing effective
services to individuals with disabilities. At the same time, the
comprehensive nature of the One-Stop Career Center system establishes a
workforce infrastructure that is uniquely positioned to provide the
kind of seamless service delivery that the disability community has
long been seeking. Some workforce investment areas have made great
strides in achieving universal access for their customers with
disabilities while others are at a more preliminary stage with minimal
services or assistive technology available.
Based upon the progress to-date achieved by the applicant and their
One-Stop Career Center system, we request that you identify the primary
approach of your proposal in terms of addressing Workplan (1) or (2)
described below. Although you may select both options when such an
approach will best address shortcomings in your current system, your
Workplan description must provide your rational for selecting either
(1) or (2) or both. As noted above, we are encouraging prior recipients
of Work Incentive Grants to focus solely on Workplan (2): establishing
Disability Program Navigator positions.
(1) Workplan to Address Systemic One-Stop Career Center. This
section addresses universal access and model One-Stop services for job
seekers with disabilities, including psychiatric disabilities, in a way
that is distinct from implementing Disability Program Navigator
positions.
Describe the activities you will implement to
maintain and expand the service structure for individuals with
[[Page 18634]]
disabilities who are accessing the workforce investment system. Include
capacity building of the Employment Service component of the One-Stop
system.
Identify plans to address accessibility needs of
your One-Stop Career Centers and plans to procure and implement
accessible technologies, including video interpreting services for
clients who are deaf, and how these activities will meet current system
deficiencies.
Describe plans to improve access to One-Stop
Career Center services for customers with disabilities involving: (1)
Inclusion in core, intensive and training services; (2) referral
processes for Vocational Rehabilitation services or other agency
programs; (3) joint funding of training and supportive services with
Vocational Rehabilitation or other available resources; and (4) plans
for establishing common intake or other administrative procedures that
reduce duplication.
Identify plans to implement assessment tools or
procedures to help identify individuals with learning disabilities in
the One-Stop delivery system and plans for implementing additional
tools, if applicable.
Describe plans for outreach, marketing,
training, or on-going coordination and collaboration to the disability
community and organizations that represent or work with people with
disabilities. These entities, programs or systems may include but are
not limited to: State and local Independent Living Center (CIL)
systems, mental health departments, mental retardation/developmental
disability agencies, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities,
State Vocational Rehabilitation, and other local provider or advocate
organizations, Regional Disability Business and Technical Assistance
Centers (DBTAC's) and State Governors Committees on Employment of
People with Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Training
Dissemination hub centers established under grants from the U.S.
Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education,
faith-based organizations and other community-based organizations,
Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach specialists funded by SSA,
Medicaid and Medicare system, including infrastructure grants and
Medicaid buy-in provisions, Employment Networks (EN) established under
the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act (TWWIIA).
Identify whether you are an EN under the Ticket
to Work program and whether you plan to become an EN as part of your
grant activities.
Describe specific state or local area provisions
regarding Medicaid and/or Medicare coverage, the current transportation
infrastructure, and how individuals with disabilities will access
training, employment, housing, food stamps and other supportive
services;
Describe other plans, as applicable, under your
proposal that will address or facilitate other improvements to your
state or local One-Stop Career Center system.
(2) Workplan to Implement Disability Program Navigator Positions.
These criteria build upon the joint ETA/SSA Disability Program
Navigator (DPN) initiative underway and provide for additional states
or local areas to establish similar positions through the WIG program.
The ETA/SSA position description (PD) for the Navigator is attached
(Attachment D) to this SGA for guidance on establishing Disability
Program Navigator positions in the One-Stop Career Center system. The
PD is neither prescriptive nor all-inclusive; rather, it provides
examples of the roles and functions of such a position depending upon
the needs of the One-Stop and the skills and talents of the individual
Navigator. We encourage you to consider hiring people with disabilities
for the Navigator position(s) since, in general, they are intimately
familiar with barriers to employment that others with disabilities
face.
Navigators established under this grant will be expected to
participate in training and technical assistance activities provided
under ETA's Disability Program Navigator initiative that is currently
functioning in 14 states. We will also expect that Navigator activities
will be coordinated throughout a state, to the extent there is more
than one Navigator, funded under this or other WIG or Disability
Program Navigator grants (this may not be known at time of proposal and
we will facilitate coordination when applicable subsequent to grant
award).
Plans to implement Disability Program Navigator positions must
identify:
Administrative support;
The hiring process;
Management and supervision responsibility;
Workforce investment area(s) that will include
Navigators;
One-Stop Career Center(s) to which Navigators
will be assigned; and
Anticipated role the Disability Program
Navigator(s) will fill in the workforce investment area(s) over the
course of the grant (as it relates to the attached Navigator PD).
State level proposals focused on implementing Disability Program
Navigator positions should identify a state project lead to work
closely with ETA and the University of Iowa's Law, Health Policy and
Disability Center and their Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
(RRTC) that provides training and technical assistance to this national
initiative. Proposals involving single or multiple workforce areas will
also be expected to coordinate their implementation with ETA and the
RRTC, and work with a state Navigator project lead if s/he has been
established under this or other ETA grant awards.
C. Annotated Project Timeline: (Not To Exceed 5 Pages; Maximum of 15
Points)
You must complete and annotate a Project Timeline related to your
activities proposed in the applicable Workplan section above. A model
``timeline'' is attached (Attachment C). Please provide additional
timeline information as applicable. Provide:
Goals, objectives, responsibilities,
implementation strategies and time frames, expected outcomes, and
evaluation indicators for assuring your successful completion of
critical activities.
Project organizational chart that identifies key
management staff and their responsibilities, with a matrix of
organizational responsibilities of key partner organizations, if
applicable.
D. Improve Participation and Employment Outcomes for Persons With
Disabilities (Not To exceed Five Double-Spaced Pages; Maximum of 15
Points)
These criteria seek to identify: (1) How you will increase
services, skill training, employment outcomes, job retention and career
advancement for persons with disabilities utilizing WIA Title I and
Wagner-Peyser services and programs to achieve the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals for the Work Incentive Grant
program; (2) how you will coordinate services and training with other
programs or resources for which these individuals may be eligible and
that may impact successful employment outcomes; and (3) how you will
work to sustain programs and achievements beyond the period of
performance.
Please note: Employment with special wage provisions authorized
under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. 214)
is not considered a positive employment outcome for the purpose of
Work Incentive Grants.
Proposed GPRA goals for PY 2004 and PY 2005 for Work Incentive
Grants are:
Eight percent (8%) of participants served in
adult, dislocated worker, and
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youth programs will be persons with disabilities in workforce
investment areas that receive Work Incentive Grants. (6.5% of total
participants were persons with disabilities in PY 2001)
Seventy percent (70%) of participants with
disabilities that exit the WIA adult, dislocated worker and adult youth
programs in workforce areas receiving grants will enter employment (65%
of WIA exiters with disabilities entered employment during April 1,
2001-March 31, 2002)
A measure of efficiency will be calculated.
Total costs of the grant will be divided by the total participants in
the workforce investment areas funded under the grant.
Please remember that Work Incentive Grant funds are not to be used
for direct training of participants; therefore, intensive and training
funds must be made available through WIA program and/or other mandated
(or non-mandated) partner resources in order to meet participant
employment goals and objectives. If you do blend resources across
funding streams, it is accepted practice under WIA to report
participant services and outcomes for each program involved.
Provide the following levels of planned services under state
Wagner-Peyser (e.g., Job Service, Employment Service, Labor Exchange),
state or local WIA Title I adult, dislocated worker and youth programs,
and planned levels of services and outcomes under the proposed grant
for participants in these programs (planned goals do not have to be at
the level of national GPRA goals; however, state and local workforce
area(s) should be working towards these goals):
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wagner-Peyser/Labor exchange Wagner-Peyser/Labor exchange
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Served (registered) Entered employment
State or local WIA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total No.
Total No. No. with Percent with entered No. with Percent with
served disabilities disabilities employment disabilities disabilities
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......... ............ ............ .......... ............ ............
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......... ............ ............ .......... ............ ............
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......... ............ ............ .......... ............ ............
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adult, dislocated worker, and youth Adult, dislocated worker, and youth
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Served (registered) Entered employment
State or local WIA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total No.
Total No. No. with Percent with entered No. with Percent with
served disabilities disabilities employment disabilities disabilities
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......... ............ ............ .......... ............ ............
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......... ............ ............ .......... ............ ............
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......... ............ ............ .......... ............ ............
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Your narrative must include the following information for this
criterion.
Describe your strategy for increasing the number
and percent of people with disabilities served, trained and placed into
unsubsidized employment through WIA Title I and Wagner-Peyser programs.
Your state or local workforce area(s) may already be serving and
achieving employment levels for persons with disabilities that are at
or above the GPRA goals identified. If that is the case, please
identify actions to be taken to sustain these levels of performance.
Identify how joint funding of training or
employment services may be leveraged across available programs to which
job seekers with disabilities may be eligible, including Vocational
Rehabilitation services.
Identify how your planned activities to train
and place individuals with disabilities will meet employer skill
shortage needs, including how available federal and state tax
incentives will be utilized or marketed to improve employment outcomes.
Identify the extent to which planned training
for customers with disabilities will be provided through the state or
local community college system.
Within demand industries and occupations in the
labor market to be served, describe a plan for identifying growth
occupations with positive earnings trajectories and their education and
training requirements and how job seekers with disabilities will be
included.
Describe how public supports needed by people
with disabilities may be affected by their employment or training and
state or local conditions, and then describe your proposed actions to
sustain benefits and services following successful job placement. For
example, does the state or local area have provisions to continue
supported or Section 8A housing (The Housing Act of 1992, Title IV),
where applicable, for individuals who enter unsubsidized employment?
Provide the following information concerning
developing or providing skill training and employment opportunities for
individuals with disabilities within the local workforce investment
area:
--Plans for using on-the-job training opportunities;
--Approaches for mentoring adults and youth through faith-based and
community-based organizations, employers, and Independent Living
Centers, among others;
--Strategies to foster entrepreneurial and self-employment options;
--Strategies to increase employment outcomes through individualized or
customized job development;
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--Plans for Individual Development Accounts and other asset building
programs for control of training funds, Vocational Rehabilitation
funds, Individual Training Accounts, and other funds to which these
individuals may have access (e.g., Medicaid personal assistance
services);
--Strategies to incorporate apprenticeship into planned career
opportunities;
--Strategies to deploy Plans for Achieving Self-Support (PASS), tickets
under the SSA Ticket to Work program, or other SSA work incentives when
providing services for beneficiaries of SSDI and SSI programs;
--Strategies to sustain projects and achievements beyond the period of
performance; and
--Approaches for developing employer relationships such as linkages
with Business Leadership Networks (BLNs) in achieving employment
outcomes for people with disabilities.
E. Plans To Sustain the Activities Beyond WIG IV Funding (Not To Exceed
5 Double-Spaced Pages; Maximum of 15 Points)
Identify state or local workforce plans to sustain activities or
accomplishments to be achieved under your proposal. What approaches do
you envision to achieve permanent, systemic change? What approach is
planned to assure increased coordination of services of mandated and
non-mandated partner programs that impact successful employment of job
seekers with disabilities following the end of the grant? If Navigators
are planned under your proposal, how will these positions continue to
be supported at the end of the grant? We would like to make sure that
state and local workforce areas are looking beyond the end of this
grant as part of institutionalizing the goals and objectives of the
Work Incentive Grant program to increase, enhance and improve services
and outcomes for people with disabilities accessing the workforce
program.
2. Review and Selection Process:
Technical review panels will evaluate each
application against the rating criteria listed in this SGA. Priority
will be given to applicants from states in which a work incentive grant
has yet to be awarded.
The Department may elect to award grants either
with or without discussions with the offeror. In situations without
discussions, an award will be based on the offeror's signature on the
SF 424, which constitutes a binding offer.
The panel recommendations are advisory and not
binding on the Grant Officer. The ETA grant officer will fully consider
the panel recommendations but take into account geographic dispersion,
program balance, diversity, the availability of funds, and other
factors to ensure the most advantageous award of these funds to
accomplish the system-building purposes outlined in this SGA. Please
note that Disability Program Navigator initiative states may be
expanded through cooperative agreements established in June 2003 rather
than through awards under this Work Incentive Grant solicitation.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: All award notifications will be posted on the ETA
Homepage at http://www.doleta.gov. Grant awards will be made no later
than June 30, 2004.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Grantees must
comply with the following provisions:
29 CFR parts 30, 31, 32, 33 and 36--Equal
Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training;
Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of
Labor-Effectuation of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities
Conducted by the Department of Labor; and Nondiscrimination on the
Basis of Sex in Education Programs Receiving or Benefiting from Federal
Financial Assistance;
29 CFR part 37--Implementation of the
Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1988 (WIA);
29 CFR part 93--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;
29 CFR PART 96--Audit Requirements for Grants,
Contracts and Other Agreements;
29 CFR part 97--Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local
Governments;
29 CFR part 98--Governmentwide Debarment and
Suspension (Non-Procurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-
Free Workplace;
29 CFR part 99--Audit of States, Local
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.
In accordance with section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995, Public Law 104-65 (2 U.S.C. 1611) non-profit entities
incorporated under Internal Revenue Service Code section 501(c)(4) that
engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds
and grants. Further, this program is subject to the provisions of the
``Jobs for Veterans Act,'' Public Law 107-288, which provides priority
of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt
of employment, training, and placement services in any job training
program directly funded, in whole or in part, by the Department of
Labor. Please note that, to obtain priority of service, a veteran must
meet the program's eligibility requirements. ETA Training and
Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03 (September 16, 2003)
provides general guidance on the scope of the veterans priority statute
and its effect on current employment and training programs. DOL
anticipates updating this guidance at the time of WIA reauthorization
and issuing individual guidance on each affected employment and
training program.
3. Reporting, Monitoring and Technical Assistance: We require two
types of progress reports during each quarter, or three month period,
during the period of performance: quarterly narrative progress and
financial reports. Disability Program Navigator positions may require
an additional progress report. Quarterly reports are due within 30 days
following the end of each quarter (ending on September 30, December 31,
March 31, and June 30) from the date of grant award. It is likely that
grant funds will be awarded by early June 2004 and the first quarterly
reports will be due 30 days following September 30, 2004. Between
reporting dates, the grantee shall also immediately inform the assigned
ETA Federal Project Officer of significant developments and/or problems
affecting the grantee's ability to accomplish the Workplan. At the end
of the grant, the grantee must also prepare and submit a final report
summarizing all accomplishments under the grant. The format of all
reports and submission instructions will be provided following grant
award.
ETA is responsible for ensuring effective implementation of each
competitive grant project through active technical assistance and on-
site project monitoring. This monitoring will focus on timely project
implementation in accordance with the Workplan and Timeline, the
appropriate expenditure of grant funds, integration and coordination
with other service providers in the local area, and the effectiveness
of project management in achieving project goals. Finally, on-site
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monitoring will examine the fruitfulness of efforts to build
sustainability.
We will provide extensive technical assistance over the duration of
the Round IV Work Incentive Grant through ETA's contract with the
University of Iowa's Law, Health Policy and Disability Center and their
Research Rehabilitation and Training Center on Workforce Investment and
Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities. Technical assistance
and training will include extensive information sharing across grantees
as well as numerous topical phone conferences. The selected grantees
will also share responsibility for identifying, showcasing and
replicating successful instances of involvement in the One-Stop system
by partners and organizations assisting jobseekers with disabilities.
VII. Agency Contacts
Questions should be faxed to Eric Luetkenhaus, Grant Officer,
Division of Federal Assistance at (202) 693-2705 (This is not a toll
free number). All inquiries should include the SGA/DFA 04-107 and a
contact name, fax and phone number. For more information contact Mr.
Luetkenhaus at 202-693-3109 (This is not a toll free number). This
solicitation will be also published on the Internet, on ETA's
disability online home page at http://wdsc.doleta.gov/disability/, and
the ETA home page at http://www.doleta.gov. Award notifications will
also be published on the ETA home page.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 2nd of April, 2004.
Eric D. Luetkenhaus,
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration.
Attachments
1. (SF) 424: Application Form
2. Budget Information Form
3. OMB No. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants
4. Project Timeline Format
5. Disability Program Navigator Position Description--7 pages
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[FR Doc. 04-7906 Filed 4-7-04; 8:45 am]
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