[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32406-32412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13057]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Discretionary Cooperative Agreement To Support a Teen Occupant 
Protection Campaign

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Announcement of Cooperative Agreement(s) to support Teen 
Occupant Protection Campaign.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
announces a discretionary Cooperative Agreement program under Section 
403 to provide funding for one or two States to support a Teen Occupant 
Protection Campaign. NHTSA anticipates funding this Cooperative 
Agreement for a period of three years. This notice solicits 
applications from applicable State agencies (e.g., highway safety 
offices, motor vehicle administrations, law enforcement agencies, and 
others), traffic safety organizations, or a consortium of agencies/
organizations, for funds to be made available in fiscal year (FY) 2004. 
Interested applicants must submit an application packet that meets the 
requirements set forth in the application section of this notice. NHTSA 
will review the applications to determine which State agency will 
receive funding under this announcement.

DATES: Applications must be received by the office designated below on 
or before July 9, 2004, at 3 p.m., e.d.t.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement 
(NPO-220), Attn: Ross S. Jeffries, Contract Specialist, 400 7th Street, 
SW., Room 5301, Washington, DC 20590. All applications submitted must 
include a reference to NHTSA Cooperative Agreement Number: DTNH22-04-H-
05111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Scope of the Problem

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the 
Federal agency assigned to implement the National Initiative for 
Increasing Seat Belt Use Nationwide, being carried out under the Buckle 
Up America Campaign. Safety belts have proven to be the most effective 
occupant protection device in saving lives and preventing injuries in 
motor vehicle crashes. Restraint use, while crucial for any vehicle 
occupant, is especially critical for young people between the ages of 
16 and 20. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 16 
to 20 year olds in the United States. In 2002, the fatality rate in 
motor vehicle crashes for 16-20-year-olds was approximately twice the 
rate for all other ages. There are many reasons; for instance, while 
teens are learning the new skills needed for driving, many frequently 
engage in high-risk behaviors, such as speeding, underage drinking, 
and/or not using their safety belt. In 2002, 5,625 teens were killed in 
passenger vehicles involved in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 60 
percent of those killed were not buckled up.

Effective Strategies To Increase Safety Belt Use for Teens

    A comprehensive review of the scientific literature, State and 
Federal Government reports, and other sources of information was 
recently conducted by NHTSA to determine the scope of teen fatalities 
and injuries due to the non-use of safety belts and to identify and 
summarize programs, interventions, and strategies that can potentially 
increase safety belt usage by teens. According to this review, proven 
effective strategies that increase safety belt usage in the general 
population have the most immediate and greatest potential for 
increasing teen safety belt usage. These include upgrading State safety 
belt laws to primary enforcement and conducting highly publicized 
enforcement of these laws. Strategies that were identified as possibly 
being effective for teens included enforcement of Graduated Driver 
Licensing (GDL) laws that explicitly include requirements for safety 
belt usage in all three phases of licensure and provide sanctions that 
prohibit ``graduation'' to the next licensing phase if there is a 
safety belt citation. The review also found that a combination of 
strategies seems to work better than one alone. A community program 
including education, diversity outreach, highly publicized enforcement, 
and parental involvement would likely have a substantial effect on teen 
belt use. However, these strategies would probably need to be sustained 
for the effect to last over time.
    GDL has proven to be effective at reducing high-risk driving 
behaviors and reducing crashes involving young drivers. GDL is a system 
for phasing in on-road driving, allowing beginner drivers to get their 
initial experience under conditions that involve lower risk and 
introducing them in stages to more complex driving situations. GDL 
addresses young risk takers by limiting their driving privileges for 
driving violations. In some States, failure to wear a safety belt is 
considered a driving violation and may be subject to a sanction, such 
as an increased fine or delayed progress through the GDL levels.
    High-visibility enforcement has been effective in increasing safety 
belt use in the general population through the Click It or Ticket 
Campaign. In jurisdictions where license advancement is contingent on 
maintaining a violation-free driving record, general high-visibility 
enforcement can be particularly beneficial. In addition to the 
documented deterrent effect of such programs, these efforts should also 
discourage violation of GDL restrictions, since detection of such an 
infraction would then delay progression to the next licensing level.
    While many GDL laws either include safety belt use as a provision, 
or provide for a sanction if a safety belt violation occurs, most teens 
and most parents are not aware of this requirement in GDL. For example, 
in a recent North Carolina study (Foss et al., 2004 in press) only 5 
percent of parents and 3 percent of teenagers were aware of the safety 
belt requirement. If safety belt requirements and consequences for 
safety belt violations were publicized, this element of GDL could 
substantially increase safety belt usage by teens in the future, 
especially because teens believe that they are relatively likely to be 
cited for traffic violations.
    Law enforcement officers also are often unaware of the GDL law in 
their State and do not enforce it vigorously. Priority research needs 
identified at the Symposium on Graduated Drivers

[[Page 32407]]

Licensing: Documenting the Science of GDL (Journal of Safety Research 
34 (1), 2003) included a recommendation to study methods to increase 
GDL enforcement by police, and ascertain if a stronger connection 
between GDL and other traffic laws could make GDL enforcement easier. 
Safety belt and zero Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) laws appeared to 
be especially relevant.

Campaign Objective

    The objective of this Cooperative Agreement is to increase safety 
belt use among young drivers. This will be accomplished by testing the 
benefit of a safety belt provision within a State's GDL law, and 
demonstrating under which conditions the provision is most effective. 
It is hypothesized that having a safety belt provision and a related 
penalty/sanction within the GDL law will increase safety belt use among 
teens/young drivers because they will not want to risk receiving a fine 
or delaying ``graduation'' to their intermediate or full license.
    Thus, to be eligible for this cooperative agreement, the 
applicant's State must have a safety belt provision and related 
sanction in its GDL law, or have such a provision by the time of the 
award. For example, in North Carolina, before graduating to Level Two 
(the intermediate license), a young driver must keep their permit for 
at least 12 months and have no moving violation convictions or safety 
belt infractions within the preceding six months.

Campaign Strategies

    To increase safety belt use among young drivers, this Cooperative 
Agreement will support the implementation of three primary strategies: 
(1) a social marketing campaign that highlights the State's GDL safety 
belt provision; (2) promotion of the State's safety belt provision 
within the GDL law; and (3) education of law enforcement about GDL laws 
and increased participation of law enforcement in high-visibility 
enforcement of the law; thus, increase the awareness of young drivers 
that there are consequences when they violate GDL provisions and, in 
the process, reduce their perception that they are immune to such 
consequences.
    The applicant may consider a variety of program designs utilizing 
the above strategies. However, the first strategy--a social marketing 
campaign--shall be included in all of the designs.
    Preference will be given to applicants who design their program to 
have an experimental condition and a control condition. For instance, 
the applicant may decide to test some or all of the strategies (e.g., 
promotion of the safety belt provision, implementation of a social 
marketing campaign, and high-visibility enforcement) in one part of the 
State (or in selected communities) and have a control site where there 
are no strategies implemented in another part of the State. A State 
also may decide to enhance a strategy in one condition, such as adding 
checkpoints to the heightened enforcement. This will allow comparison 
of strategies and the ability to identify which strategy, or 
combination of strategies, works best. Some conditions to consider in 
the program design are:
    1. Social marketing campaign/media, promotion of safety belt 
provision, and heightened law enforcement.
    2. Social marketing campaign with no extra enforcement.
    3. Social marketing campaign/media and checkpoints added to 
heightened enforcement.
    To be considered for an award under this Cooperative Agreement, the 
applicant shall include in its application a detailed plan and timeline 
for how they will implement all or a combination of these strategies 
and how the strategies will be designed and evaluated in the State. It 
is anticipated that project activities/implementation will occur over a 
period of six-months to a year.
(1) Social Marketing Campaign
    Social marketing suggests that to change behavior(s), one must 
identify the core values of the target audience and develop messages 
and delivery mechanisms that will resonate with this audience. In the 
case of increasing safety belt use for young drivers, the value they 
regard the most may not necessarily be ``safety.'' More likely young 
drivers value the influence of their peers, or the importance of 
independence and autonomy.
    The purpose of the campaign is to promote the safety belt provision 
and its related sanction. The messaging developed for this initiative 
must reflect this provision. To be considered for an award under this 
Cooperative Agreement, the messaging developed for this initiative by 
applicants also must concentrate on a core value of teens and how to 
influence that value to create behavior change (i.e., increase safety 
belt use). For instance, young drivers place a very high value on 
independence and freedom. One way to achieve increased independence is 
to have a driver's license. Messaging would then emphasize that the 
freedom and independence (the core value) that comes with a license can 
be achieved if young drivers adhere to the safety belt provision in the 
GDL law of their state. The messaging also must highlight that the law 
is being enforced, and that violation of the law can result in delay of 
licensure. Messages must be pre-tested to ensure they are reaching the 
intended young driver audience.
    Applicants shall develop a social marketing process that consists 
of, at a minimum: Planning; Message and Materials Development; Pre-
testing; Implementation; and, Evaluation and Feedback. A major 
component of marketing the campaign will be the use of media. 
Applicants shall include in their implementation plan the use of earned 
and paid media, and submit an outline of the media channels/media buy 
plan that will be used.
(2) Promote Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Safety Belt Provision
    Raising awareness about and promoting the State's safety belt 
provision is a potential strategy for this initiative. If applicants 
propose this strategy, they must address how they will build awareness 
about the safety belt provision, through strategies such as: providing 
information to new drivers as they apply for their license; adding 
information to the driver's license exam study guides; disseminating 
information through high schools; disseminating information to parents/
caregivers; and, including information about the GDL law provisions and 
sanction in driver's education classes, etc.
(3) High-Visibility Enforcement
    Although most young drivers will generally adhere to the 
constraints placed on their license, there is a need to ensure that 
there are enforcement mechanisms in place. This helps to underscore the 
societal expectation of responsible driving behavior. It also provides 
a source of external motivation to comply for those individuals who are 
less concerned about general social expectations. It is well documented 
that the visible presence of active enforcement will increase 
compliance.
    GDL, however, appears to be a low priority for law enforcement and 
available information suggests that law enforcement and motor vehicle 
departments do not enforce GDL vigorously. Some GDL provisions are 
inherently difficult to enforce, since violations are difficult to 
detect (such as nighttime driving restrictions). However, law 
enforcement could check on possible GDL violations when they stop a 
young driver's vehicle for some other reason, such as speeding (Foss 
and Goodwin, Journal of Safety Research 34(2003) 79-84).

[[Page 32408]]

    If applicants propose this strategy, they must address how law 
enforcement officers will be educated about GDL in their State (and the 
safety belt provision within the GDL law), and how law enforcement will 
be educated about the importance of enforcing this law. Applicants must 
submit an enforcement plan that demonstrates increased, intensive 
enforcement (such as that applied in the Click It or Ticket Model). To 
be considered for an award under this Cooperative Agreement using this 
strategy, the applicant also shall demonstrate how the messaging/media 
will coincide with the enforcement component to create a high-
visibility campaign.

Evaluation of Programs

    Meaningful and timely evaluations of the State's Teen Occupant 
Protection Campaign are essential for its success. Possible evaluation 
measures for this campaign include: safety belt use among young drivers 
in the State (pre- and post-implementation of strategies), using a 
mini-statewide survey; safety belt citations issued to young drivers in 
the targeted age group, and if available, Department of Motor Vehicle 
(DMV) or court/adjudication data (pre- and post-education of law 
enforcement); young driver awareness of GDL law and attitudes (pre- and 
post-implementation of strategies), using DMV or telephone surveys; law 
enforcement attitudes and awareness of GDL in State (pre- and post-
education of law enforcement).
    If selected for award of this Cooperative Agreement, the applicant 
must be willing to cooperate with a NHTSA evaluator, who will help the 
State identify the most appropriate and effective data collection 
sources and evaluation methods, as well as assist with the 
implementation of the evaluation.

Availability of Funds and Period of Performance

    Contingent on the availability of funds and satisfactory 
performance, Cooperative Agreement(s) awarded under this announcement 
will extend for a performance period not to exceed 36 months (three-
years), with 30 months of planning and implementation, and six months 
for evaluation and preparation of the final report. A total of $650,000 
is currently available to provide funding for one or two States to 
support a Teen Occupant Protection Campaign. The Government reserves 
the right to make multiple awards under this announcement. Applicants 
should submit projects and associated budgets for three-years of the 
performance period. It is estimated that any award under this 
announcement will occur in September 2004.

NHTSA Involvement

    In support of the activities undertaken by this grant program, 
NHTSA will:
    1. Provide a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) 
to coordinate activities between the Grantee and NHTSA during the 
performance of the resultant Cooperative Agreement, and to serve as a 
liaison between NHTSA Headquarters, NHTSA Regional offices and the 
Grantee.
    2. Provide information and technical assistance from other 
government sources and available resources as determined appropriate by 
the COTR.
    3. Serve as a liaison between NHTSA Headquarters, Regional Offices, 
and others (Federal, State, and local) interested in occupant 
protection for young drivers, and/or interested in the activities of 
the Grantee(s) as appropriate.
    4. Stimulate the transfer of information among Cooperative 
Agreement recipients and others engaged in occupant protection 
programs.
    5. Review and approve draft and final versions of the deliverables.

Successful Applicant Responsibilities

    NHTSA intends to replicate successful strategies and activities 
conducted pursuant to this Cooperative Agreement in other States. 
Therefore, this project will be closely monitored and its results 
shared with other programs and constituencies. NHTSA will work with the 
successful applicant(s) to ensure that the necessary components of the 
project are in place to fulfill this goal. Successful applicant 
responsibilities include:
    1. Briefing--Participate with key NHTSA staff in the initial 
briefing/start-up meeting, which will take place after the Cooperative 
Agreement is awarded. The meeting will take place at NHTSA Headquarters 
in Washington, DC within (30) days after award of the resultant 
Cooperative Agreement. The purpose of the meeting will be to review the 
project's objectives, planned course of action, responsibilities, 
milestones and deliverables, and to resolve any differences between the 
government's approach and the successful applicant's approach. The 
successful applicant shall first conduct a short briefing (20-30 
minutes) describing the organization's planned approach and provide 
attendees with appropriate briefing materials. After the prepared 
briefing, the successful applicant and NHTSA personnel will discuss 
specific details of the project.
    2. Site Selection for Strategy Implementation--The successful 
applicant (s) shall select the appropriate sites for the strategies to 
be implemented. The sites shall be in mid-sized communities (avoiding 
very small or large urban communities) and teens should represent 
approximately six (6) to ten (10) percent of the overall population.
    3. Form a Project Task Force--To foster collaboration with new and 
existing partners, the successful applicant(s) will organize a project 
task force. The task force will meet quarterly, at minimum, to discuss 
and plan project strategies, identify opportunities for collaboration 
and resource sharing, identify significant deliverables and milestones 
within the deliverable/milestone schedule, and coordinate other project 
related activities. Potential key members for the task force shall 
include social marketing/media consultants, law enforcement 
representatives, public health/injury prevention professionals, 
representatives from research and/or academic institutions, and State 
and local government representatives (State Highway Safety Office, 
Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Health, Department of 
Education, etc.).
    4. Personnel and Equipment--Provide necessary skilled personnel and 
equipment needed for performing the work under this Agreement. Assign a 
project officer as the point of contact for NHTSA's COTR for the 
purpose of ongoing coordination and review of the day-to-day work under 
this Agreement.
    5. Campaign Oversight--Provide ongoing project oversight, including 
oversight of any sub-grantee(s), the project task force and related 
project staff.
    6. Evaluation--The successful applicant(s) shall be responsible for 
collecting information about project activities, resources and 
outcomes. In partnership with NHTSA, the successful applicant(s) shall 
develop a process evaluation plan to document materials, marketing, 
media, education, and enforcement activities, as applicable. The 
evaluation plan shall include how the ultimate success of this project 
will be measured, i.e., what outcome data will be necessary. The 
successful applicant(s) shall work with a NHTSA evaluator, who will be 
available to assist with the design and evaluation of the project.
    7. Report and Written Deliverables--Provide quarterly reports, 
annual summary reports, and a final report to the NHTSA COTR. Maintain 
records of

[[Page 32409]]

internal and management discussions on planning, implementation, and 
evaluation activities related to this project. Accurate project records 
will assist in the replication of the successful approaches and 
processes identified as a result of this Cooperative Agreement.

Allowable Uses of Federal Funds

    Allowable uses of Federal funds shall be governed by the relevant 
allowable cost section and cost principles referenced in OMB Circular 
A-87 ``--Cost Principles for State, Local or Indian Tribal Governments. 
Additional administrative requirements can be found in 49 CFR Part 18--
Department of Transportation Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments. Funds 
provided under this Cooperative Agreement shall be used to carry out 
the activities described in the project plan for which the Cooperative 
Agreement is awarded. A maximum of 15 percent of funds may be used for 
the purchase of equipment to assist in carrying out project activities.

Eligibility Requirements

    Applicants are limited to key State agencies (e.g., highway safety 
offices, motor vehicle administrations, law enforcement agencies, and 
others) and traffic safety organizations, or a consortium of agencies/
organizations. State level or national organizations shall demonstrate 
an understanding of safety belt use and related initiatives, such as 
Buckle Up America and the Click It or Ticket Campaign, and they shall 
demonstrate their capacity and commitment to administer/oversee the 
project.
    To be eligible for award of the resultant Cooperative Agreement, 
documentation shall be provided that verifies that the State has a 
safety belt provision within the GDL law, or will have such a provision 
by the time of the award.
    Applicants must be able to provide financial support to State and 
local law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction within the 
community or county. Financial support might include funding overtime 
enforcement activities or other incentives to participate in the 
project.
    All primary applicants and/or sub-grantees that will be conducting 
activity within a specific State or Tribal community using this funding 
shall include a letter of support from the applicable State Highway 
Safety Office with their application. To fulfill this requirement, 
applicants or grantees conducting activities within specific Tribal 
communities shall provide a letter from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Indian Highway Safety Program. In addition, the applicant shall include 
letters of cooperation and participation from key partners who will be 
involved in the project. These partners shall include law enforcement 
agencies, marketing and media contractors/consultants, research 
institutions, the judicial branch of government, public health 
personnel, and other public and private sector partners.
    Specifically, successful applicants shall have:
    1. Demonstrated understanding and expertise in the development and 
implementation of traffic safety programs and substantial knowledge of 
safety belt issues, particularly for young drivers in the targeted age 
group;
    2. Organizational infrastructure with adequate staff and resources 
to handle the day-to-day logistical needs of the program;
    3. Staff with adequate writing skills to prepare press releases, 
reports, articles and other methods of promotion and communication;
    4. Demonstrated ability to work with the media (e.g., develop media 
buy plans, place media buys, etc.) or coordinate this effort with an 
appropriate firm;
    5. Demonstrated ability to work with law enforcement to develop a 
high-visibility enforcement campaign, or coordinate this effort with 
the appropriate agency;
    6. Demonstrated capacity and experience with program planning, 
design and data collection and analysis; and
    7. The capability to outline strategies and successes and 
challenges of the project to serve as a model for other States.

Application Procedures

    Each applicant shall submit one (1) original and four (4) copies of 
the application package to: Department of Transportation (DOT), 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of 
Contracts and Procurement (NPO-220), 400 7th Street, SW., Room 5301, 
Washington, DC 20590, Attention: Ross S. Jeffries, Contract Specialist. 
Applications may be single spaced, typed on one side of the page only, 
must not exceed 25 pages, and must include a reference to NHTSA 
Cooperative Agreement No DTNH22-04-H-05111. Appendices, which may be 
included, are not counted in the 25-page limit.
    Only complete packages received on or before 3 p.m. e.d.t. on June 
28, 2004 will be considered.


    Note: All questions concerning this announcement shall be 
directed to Ross S. Jeffries, Contract Specialist. Mr. Jeffries may 
be reached by telephone at (202) 366-6283 or by E-mail: 
[email protected]. It is preferred that any and all such 
questions be sent via E-mail to Mr. Jeffries.

Application Contents

    Applicant(s) must include all of the contents listed below in their 
application package:
    1. The application package must be submitted with OMB Standard Form 
424, (Rev. 7-97 or 4-88, including 424A and 424B), Application for 
Federal Assistance, with the required information provided and the 
certified assurances included. While the Form 424-A deals with budget 
information, and section B identifies Budget Categories, the available 
space does not permit a level of detail that is sufficient to provide 
for a meaningful evaluation of the proposed costs. A supplemental sheet 
should be provided which presents a detailed cost breakdown of the 
proposed total project effort, including evaluation and reporting, 
(direct labor, including labor category, level of effort, and rate; 
direct materials, including itemized equipment; travel and 
transportation, including projected trips and number of people 
traveling; sub-contracts/sub-grants, with similar detail, if known; and 
overhead) and since activities may be performed with a variety of 
financial resources, applicants need to fully identify all project cost 
and their funding sources in the proposed budget. The proposed budget 
must identity all funding sources in sufficient detail to demonstrate 
that the overall objectives of the project will be met. The estimated 
costs should be separated and proposed by year. Applicants may obtain 
the required forms from Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/.
    2. The application shall include a project narrative not to exceed 
25 pages that provides the following information in separately labeled 
sections:
    A. Introduction: Brief general description of the State's 
geographic and demographic population distribution, including 
population estimates for teens in the State, any unique characteristics 
of the State relevant to the applicant's plan to increase safety belt 
use, and a summary of available information on teen motor vehicle 
injuries and fatalities in the State, young drivers safety belt use 
rates and trends, and young driver awareness and attitudes toward belt 
use and the State's GDL law.
    B. The State's GDL Law: A description of the State's GDL law and 
the safety belt provision within the law (including

[[Page 32410]]

the sanction/penalty for violating the safety belt provision). If 
available, this section should also include recent data regarding how 
many young drivers are cited for a safety belt violation while in GDL, 
and how many of these young drivers then received the associated 
sanction (such as increased fine or delayed ``graduation'').
    C. Goals and Objectives: A discussion section that presents the 
principal goals and objectives of the proposed plan and articulates the 
potential to increase safety belt use rates within the young drivers in 
target age group, with supporting rationale. This section must identify 
any proposed partnerships and key members of the project task force. 
Documentation of existing public and/or political support may also be 
included (e.g. endorsement of the Governor, Community Police or Patrol, 
Association of Chiefs of Police, Community Medical Society, etc).
    D. Project Description. This section shall include a detailed 
description of the activities to be implemented in the plan, including:
    1. Key strategies to be employed;
    2. Key features (e.g. participants, design, methodology); and
    3. A project plan that includes a listing of milestones in 
chronological order, to show the schedule of expected accomplishments 
and their target dates.
    The project plan must include a comprehensive social marketing 
strategy that includes the following information:
    1. Planning;
    2. Message and Materials Development;
    3. Pre-testing;
    4. Implementation; and
    5. Evaluation and Feedback.
    When describing messaging and materials development, applicants 
shall also discuss the following:
    1. Product: What is the behavior that young drivers are being asked 
to adopt?
    2. Price: What do young drivers have to give up to adopt the 
behavior, what will they gain?
    3. Place: What distribution channels will be used to get the 
message to young driver (paid and earned media)?
    4. Promotion: How will teens be reached and motivated with the 
message (public relations, promotions, media advocacy, special events, 
etc.)?
    In a project plan that includes promotion of the State's GDL safety 
belt provision, the applicant shall provide the following information:
    1. The strategies planned to build awareness about the safety belt 
provision, such as: providing information to new drivers as they apply 
for their license; adding information to the driver's license exam 
study guides; disseminating information through high schools; 
disseminating information to parents/caregivers; peer-to-peer awareness 
activities; and, including information about the GDL law provisions and 
sanction in driver's education classes, etc.
    2. Community or other partners that will be involved in this 
effort; and,
    3. Measures (process and outcome) that will be used to evaluate 
success of promotional/awareness strategies.
    In a project plan that includes a comprehensive enforcement 
strategy, the applicant shall provide the following information:
    1. Strategies that will be used to educate law enforcement about 
GDL (e.g., roll call videos, workshops, etc.) and number of officers 
expected to participate in education;
    2. The number of law enforcement agencies that are expected to 
participate in heightened enforcement;
    3. The kinds of law enforcement activities and strategies that will 
take place (e.g., checkpoints, saturation patrols, foot patrols at 
selected intersections, etc.);
    4. The number of officers that will participate;
    5. The percentage of contacts with the young drivers in the 
targeted age group, on average, that are expected to result in a 
citation for a safety belt violation; and
    6. The full extent that other community partners will be involved, 
such as educators, business owners, the judicial branch of government, 
public health personnel, and other public and private sector partners.
    E. Personnel: This section shall identify the proposed project 
officer and other proposed key personnel considered critical to the 
successful accomplishment of the activities under this project. A brief 
description of their qualifications and respective responsibilities 
shall be included. The proposed level of their effort and contributions 
to the various activities in the plan shall also be identified. Each 
organization, corporation, or consultant who will work on the project 
shall be identified, along with a short description of the nature of 
the effort or contribution and relevant experience.
    F. Evaluation: This section shall describe how the project will be 
evaluated and what measures will be used to determine the outcomes of 
the activities in the project plan. This section shall demonstrate the 
applicant's willingness to work with a NHTSA evaluator, who will be 
available to assist the successful applicant with the evaluation design 
and implementation. It is critically important that the resultant 
Cooperative Agreement be carefully evaluated so that other States may 
learn the relative strengths and weaknesses of the strategies and 
approaches undertaken and what effects they have on safety belt use 
rates. The evaluation section shall describe the methods for assessing 
actual results achieved under the plan. Outcomes can be documented in a 
number of ways. Increases in observed safety belt use and reductions in 
motor vehicle crash fatalities and injuries provide the ultimate 
measure of success. However, intermediate measures, such as changes in 
enforcement policies and procedures, as well as increases in citations 
for young drivers for non-safety belt use may be utilized to measure 
progress.
    In particular, the applicant's proposal shall describe how it 
intends to assess the effectiveness of its project with respect to:
    1. Safety belt use among young drivers (pre- and post-
implementation of strategies);
    2. Safety belt citations issued to young drivers (pre- and post-
education of law enforcement);
    3. Young driver awareness of GDL law and attitudes (pre- and post-
implementation of strategies); and
    4. Law enforcement attitudes and awareness of GDL in State (pre- 
and post-education of law enforcement).
    G. Past Performance and Financial Responsibility. To evaluate this 
information adequately, the Applicant shall provide the following 
information:
    (1) Identify at least three references who can attest to the past 
performance history and quality of work provided by the Applicant on 
previous assistance agreements and/or contracts. In doing so, the 
Applicant shall provide the following information for each reference:
    (a) Assistance Agreement/ Contract Number;
    (b) Title and brief description of Assistance Agreement/ Contract;
    (c) Name of organization, name of point of contact, telephone 
number, and e-mail address of point of contact at the organization with 
which the Applicant entered into an Assistance Agreement/ Contract;
    (d) Dollar value of Assistance Agreement/ Contract;
    (e) Any additional information, which the Applicant may provide to 
address the issue of past performance and financial responsibility.
    (2) The Applicant shall indicate if it has ever appeared on the 
General Service Administration's (GSA) List of Parties Excluded From 
Federal Procurement and Non-procurement Programs or on GSA's ``Excluded 
Parties

[[Page 32411]]

List.'' If so, the Applicant shall discuss the circumstances leading up 
to its inclusion in either of these listings and its current status to 
enter into Assistance Agreements and/or Contracts.
    (3) The Applicant shall indicate if it has ever filed for 
bankruptcy, or has had any financial problems, which may affect, 
negatively, its ability to perform under this Assistance Agreement.

Review Procedures, Criteria and Evaluation Factors

    Each application package will be reviewed initially to confirm that 
the applicant is an eligible candidate (as described under Eligibility 
Requirements) and has included all of the items specified in the 
Application Procedure section of this announcement. A NHTSA Evaluation 
Committee will then evaluate applications submitted by eligible 
candidates. It is anticipated that awards will be made in September 
2004. The applications will be evaluated using the following criteria 
(listed in descending order of importance).
    1. Past Performance and Financial Responsibility--The extent to 
which the proposed Grantee has fulfilled its performance and financial 
obligations on previous Assistance Agreements and/or Contracts will be 
evaluated. This evaluation will include:
    (a) The proposed Grantee's record of complying with milestone and 
performance schedules applicable to previous Assistance Agreements and/
or Contracts;
    (b) The proposed Grantee's record of cooperation with the awarding 
agency under previous Assistance Agreements and/or Contracts;
    (c) The degree to which the proposed Grantee efficiently and 
effectively utilized Assistance Agreement and/or Contract funding;
    (d) The degree to which the proposed Grantee complied with the 
terms and conditions of previous Assistance Agreements and/or 
Contracts;
    (e) The degree to which the proposed Grantee complied with 
applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars and/or the 
Federal Acquisition Regulation, on previous Assistance Agreements and/
or Contracts;
    (f) The level of financial stability possessed by the proposed 
Grantee.
    2. Organizational Capabilities--The applicant shall provide and 
will be evaluated on the degree to which it has a viable organizational 
entity with sufficient demonstrated commitment and experience in 
performing the tasks required for successful implementation of this 
Cooperative Agreement. Specifically, the applicant shall demonstrate: 
an understanding and knowledge of traffic safety initiatives (e.g., 
Buckle Up America, Click It or Ticket Campaign, etc.); knowledge of 
strategies to increase safety belt use, particularly for the teen 
population; ability to organize/oversee a social marketing campaign 
with a strong media component; and, research and evaluation capacity, 
or affiliation with an academic/research institution or other entity 
that possesses these critical capabilities.
    3. Project Plan/Approach--The applicant shall provide and will be 
evaluated on the degree to which it has a sound and feasible plan for 
the development of program activities. The approach shall demonstrate: 
a clear and comprehensive understanding of young drivers traffic safety 
issues (including applicable data on the scope of the problem for teens 
in the State); knowledge of GDL laws and specific elements of the GDL 
law in the State; and, understanding of effective strategies to 
increase safety belt use in the targeted age group of 16 to 20.
    4. Evaluation Plan--The applicant shall provide and will be 
evaluated on the degree to which it has a sound and feasible plan for 
how the project will be evaluated and what measures will be used to 
determine the outcomes of the activities in the project plan. The 
applicant shall demonstrate a willingness to work with NHTSA evaluators 
to ensure a comprehensive evaluation plan. It is critically important 
that the resultant Cooperative Agreement be carefully evaluated so that 
other state may learn the relative strengths and weaknesses of the 
strategies and approaches undertaken and what effects they have on 
safety belt use rates. The evaluation section shall describe the 
methods for assessing actual results achieved under the plan.
    5. Partnerships/Collaboration--The applicant shall demonstrate and 
will be evaluated on the degree to which it has the ability (through 
examples of current and prior activities) to form effective 
partnerships with other organizations, coalitions, and community 
leaders/officials, etc. The applicant shall develop a preliminary 
structure and membership for the Project Task Force and address the 
rationale for the membership and their roles and responsibilities.
    6. Project Management--The applicant shall demonstrate and will be 
evaluated on the degree to which it has a sound program management 
structure and delineation of responsibility for different parts of the 
project. NHTSA will assess the qualifications and expertise of project 
personnel. The applicant's staffing should be adequate to manage and 
implement the project.
    7. Budget--The applicant shall include a budget that clearly 
identifies, itemizes and explains project costs. NHTSA will give a 
preference to applicants who identify resources from within or outside 
their organization to support the project during and beyond the grant 
period. Additionally, the applicant will be evaluated on how it 
efficiently utilizes the requested Government funds.

Terms and Conditions of Award

    1. Prior to award, each applicant must comply with the 
certification requirements of 49 CFR Part 20, Department of 
Transportation New Restrictions on Lobbying, and 49 CFR Part 29, 
Department of Transportation Government wide Debarment and Suspension 
(Non procurement) and Government wide Requirements for Drug Free 
Workplace (Grants).
    2. Reporting Requirements and Deliverables:
    a. Quarterly Progress Reports: A summary of the previous quarter's 
activities and accomplishments, significant problems encountered or 
anticipated, an itemization of expenditures made during the quarter, 
and proposed activities for the upcoming quarter. Press clips and 
highlights from activities should be included in each quarterly report. 
Any decisions and actions required in the upcoming quarter should also 
be in the report.
    b. Annual Summary Report: At the completion of each year of the 
Cooperative Agreement, the Grantee will be required to submit an annual 
summary report. The reports will include a list of partners, materials 
developed and disseminated, and feedback from the field, as well as 
document and review the notable accomplishments of the year, evaluation 
results and recommendations for the future years' efforts.
    c. Draft Final Report: The Grantee will be required to prepare a 
Draft Final Report that includes a complete description of the projects 
conducted, including partners, overall program implementation, 
evaluation methodology and findings from the program evaluation. In 
terms of information transfer, it is important to know what worked and 
what did not work, under what circumstances, and what can be done to 
avoid potential problems in future projects. The Grantee will be 
required to submit the Draft Final Report to the COTR 60 days prior to 
the end of the performance period.

[[Page 32412]]

The COTR will review the draft report and provide comments to the 
Grantee within 15 days of receipt of the document.
    d. Final Report: The revised Final Report will be delivered to the 
COTR one (1) month before the end of the performance period and reflect 
the COTR's comments. The comprehensive report will detail the major 
activities, events, data collection, methodology, and best practices/
strategies that can be replicated in other States. The Grantee shall 
supply the COTR with:

 Four hard copies of the final document;
 A disk (or CD-ROM) of the report in Microsoft Word Format; and
 A redlined version of the Final Report reflecting changes made 
in response to the COTR's comments.

    e. Briefings and Presentations: The Grantee will be required to 
conduct a final briefing with NHTSA officials and other invited parties 
in Washington, DC upon the completion of the project. An initial 
briefing and an interim briefing, approximately midway through the 
period of performance, may be required. The Grantee will be required to 
prepare an article and submit it for publication in a professional 
journal. All articles and briefings shall be submitted to NHTSA 
initially in draft format for review and comment. The Grantee will be 
required to submit drafts to the COTR 30 days before the event date or 
publication submission date.
    3. During the effective performance period of Cooperative 
Agreements awarded as a result of this announcement, the agreement 
shall be subject to NHTSA's General Provisions for Assistance 
Agreements, dated July 1995.

    Issued on: May 4, 2004.
Sue D. Ryan,
Director, Office of Safety Programs, Program Development and Delivery.
[FR Doc. 04-13057 Filed 6-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P