[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 112 (Thursday, June 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32611-32630]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13116]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Disability Employment Policy

[SGA 04-07]


Funding Opportunity: Chronic Homelessness Employment Technical 
Assistance (CHETA) Initiative; Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement

    Announcement Type: Notice of availability of funds; solicitation 
for Cooperative Agreement applications for Chronic Homelessness 
Employment Technical Assistance Initiative.
    Funding Opportunity Number: (SGA 04-07).
    Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.720.
    Dates: Proposals are due July 26, 2004.
    Application and Amendments: If copies of the standard forms are 
needed, they can be downloaded from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grant_forms.html.
    To received amendments to this solicitation (please reference SGA 
04-07) all applicants must register their name and address in writing 
with the Grant Officer at the below listed address.
    Cassandra Mitchell, Department of Labor: Procurement Services 
Center, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20210; Telephone (202) 693-4570.
    Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of 
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with the Employment 
and Training Administration (ETA), announces the availability of $1.5 
million to fund one (1) Cooperative Agreement award to operate the 
Chronic Homelessness Employment Technical Assistance (CHETA) 
Initiative. This $1.5 million award will be for a 36-month period of 
performance. In addition, this initiative may be funded for up to two 
(2) additional option years at approximately $500,000 per year, 
depending on performance, identified need and the availability of 
future funding.

I. Funding Opportunity Description and Authority

    The overall purpose of CHETA is to create a technical assistance 
capability designed to assist DOL's currently funded ``Ending Chronic 
Homelessness through Employment and Housing'' awardees, an initiative 
cooperatively sponsored by ODEP and the Veterans Employment and 
Training Service (VETS), meet customized employment-related program 
goals and to collect and disseminate information on how best to meet 
the customized employment needs of persons who are chronically 
homeless. (See the full definition for persons who are chronic homeless 
and customized employment at the end of this section).

    Authority: Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2004, Pub. L. 
108-7, 117 Stat. 11 (2003).

    The ODEP anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement for $1.5 
million, for a 36-month period of performance. In addition this 
initiative may be funded for up to two (2) additional option years at 
approximately $500,000 per year, depending on performance, identified 
need, and the availability of future funding. CHETA will primarily 
support the delivery of intensive employment-related technical 
assistance services to DOL's five (5) ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' 
awardees identified in this solicitation, and, in turn share what is 
learned through these grants with other interested entities, especially 
the workforce development system. In addition, CHETA's technical 
assistance efforts will help to inform policy efforts in this area of 
concern.
    This ODEP Cooperative Agreement anticipates substantial involvement 
between ODEP and the awardee during the performance of this project. 
Involvement will include collaboration or participation by ODEP in the 
overall direction of the project throughout the period of the award. 
The ODEP will provide expertise and guidance in decisions involving 
strategic planning (including development of a proactive plan to 
deliver technical assistance to the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' 
awardees), allocation of resources, key personnel decisions, 
development of public information materials, and analysis and 
implementation of evaluation findings.
    Recently, the DOL (ODEP and VETS), in cooperation with the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), issued a 
solicitation for cooperative agreement applications, ``Ending Chronic 
Homelessness Through Employment and Housing.'' See 68 FR 42818 (July 
18, 2003) or visit http://www2.dol.gov/odep/archives/archive.htm. On 
September 30, 2003, five cooperative agreements were awarded under this 
competition to the cities of Portland, OR; San Francisco,

[[Page 32612]]

CA: Los Angeles, CA; Boston, MA; and Indianapolis, IN, see http://www2.dol.gov/odep/media/press/recip.htm, to deliver to persons with 
disabilities who are chronically homeless customized employment 
services and permanent housing services through the local One-Stop 
Career Center System, in collaboration with each city's homeless 
serving community.
    For the last several years (Federal Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002), 
ODEP has also funded two additional types of customized employment 
demonstration grants (``Customized Employment'' and ``WorkFORCE 
Action'') for persons with significant disabilities. These two grant-
funded priorities are unique in that they apply a philosophy of 
``customizing employment'' services, with enhanced coordination of 
these customized services with multiple partners, especially One-Stop 
Career Centers. As a result of these additional customized employment 
grants, improved employment outcomes for persons with disabilities are 
being realized.
    These promising results offer the potential of increased employment 
outcomes for organizations serving the employment needs of persons who 
are chronically homeless. In view of this potential, DOL's ``Ending 
Chronic Homelessness'' awardees were funded to demonstrate the expanded 
potential of ``customized employment'' strategies for people with 
disabilities who are chronically homeless, in support of two important 
goals: ending chronic homelessness over the next decade and integrating 
persons with disabilities into the work force.
    The ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' Initiative provides an 
opportunity for DOL and HUD to combine their respective resources and 
expertise in a joint approach to provide employment and housing 
services to people with disabilities who are chronically homeless so 
that they can live and work independently within their communities. 
Further, these five projects are expected to increase the involvement 
of the local workforce development system by fostering partnerships 
with key disability and homeless serving organizations to meet the 
employment needs of persons with disabilities who are chronically 
homeless. This effort is therefore precedent setting, because it 
partners together the housing and workforce development systems, to 
serve the employment needs of people with disabilities who are 
chronically homeless.
    In order to support these five projects, as well as the systems 
change that they represent, ODEP and its partners, ETA and VETS, 
strongly recognize the need for targeted and comprehensive technical 
assistance to provide direct and proactive support, training, 
dissemination of information on promising practices, etc., to the 
``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' projects. Therefore, this CHETA 
initiative is being funded to provide technical assistance to bring 
together the workforce development system with the homeless-serving 
community to provide customized employment and permanent housing for 
people with disabilities who are chronically homeless.
    The CHETA Initiative will also help to support the President's New 
Freedom Initiative. The New Freedom Initiative is designed to increase 
the number of people with disabilities who enter, re-enter, and/or 
remain in the workforce. By emphasizing the need to increase the 
capacity of federally-supported employment and training programs to 
serve persons who are chronically homeless, this award will further the 
New Freedom Initiative's goal of increased integration of Americans 
with disabilities into the workforce.
    Recently, the Federal Government through the Interagency Council on 
Homelessness (http://www.ich.gov) has embarked on a collaborative 
effort to end chronic homelessness in the next decade. This 
solicitation supports that initiative by helping the ``Ending Chronic 
Homelessness'' awardees and, in turn, the workforce development system, 
establish and improve the partnerships between the workforce 
development system and key disability and homeless serving 
organizations and housing providers, so that the customized employment 
needs of people with disabilities who are chronically homeless can be 
met.
    In addition, the CHETA Initiative will help support implementation 
of the coordinated workforce development system envisioned under the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) (Public Law 105-220, 29 U.S.C. 
2801 et seq.). The WIA established comprehensive reform of existing 
federal job training programs, consolidating multiple programs into a 
unified system and bringing multiple federal programs together as 
required partners in the One-Stop delivery system. The One-Stop Career 
Centers, which comprise the heart of this system, are well positioned 
to expand employment opportunities for persons who are disabled and 
chronically homeless, by helping to ensure that the workforce system is 
accessible both physically and programmatically.
    The ODEP and its partners, ETA and VETS, strongly recognize the 
need for technical assistance to provide proactive support, training, 
dissemination of information on effective practices, etc., to the 
awardees under the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' Initiative. These 
five awardees need proactive technical assistance and cross-connecting 
expertise to bring together the workforce development system with the 
homeless serving community to provide customized employment 
opportunities and permanent housing for persons with disabilities who 
are chronically homeless. Accordingly, the broad goals of this CHETA 
Initiative will be to:
     Provide the five DOL ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' 
awardees with proactive and intensive, ongoing technical assistance 
support;
     Provide technical assistance on a limited basis to other 
DOL and HUD grantees involved in related initiatives;
     Inform ODEP about identified policy implications of 
combining employment-related services with permanent housing services 
for persons with disabilities who are chronically homeless; and,
     Develop strong linkages between the five project 
communities and collaborate with other national initiatives providing 
services and support for persons with disabilities who are chronically 
homeless.
    The five DOL ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' awardees to be served 
under this cooperative agreement are profiled as follows:
     Portland, Oregon. Worksystems, Inc. will organize a 
coalition of 17 local organizations, including faith based 
organizations, from the housing, disability, employment, employer and 
veteran communities, to coordinate permanent housing services with 
customized employment services in an effort to end the cycle of chronic 
homelessness for individuals within the Portland community. The key 
operational component of this project will be the Community Services 
Team (CST), which will use a strength-based assessment and treatment 
plans and motivational interviewing to engage individuals in self-
determined service planning. The CST will deliver a full array of 
services in a facilitative manner, eliminating bureaucratic obstacles. 
Customized employment strategies such as job carving, micro-enterprise 
development, individual development accounts (ITA's), and peer mentors 
will be the hallmarks of this advanced effort.
     Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Private Industry Council 
will organize a coalition of local organizations from the housing, 
disability, employment,

[[Page 32613]]

employer and veteran communities in a combined effort to coordinate 
permanent housing services with customized employment services so as to 
end the cycle of chronic homelessness for individuals within the Boston 
community. Through an extensive collaboration, the project will create 
a blend of housing and employment services that will be presented in a 
seamless and coordinated fashion, providing ease of access to 
consumers. The integration of housing and support services with 
customized employment services will help program participants more 
effectively to move towards self-sufficiency over time. The project 
will build a continuum of employment services. This effort will 
increase connections and capabilities of the One-Stop Career Centers 
and of other service systems to serve persons with disabilities who are 
chronically homeless, resulting in permanent systems change.
     San Francisco, California. Under the leadership of the 
Private Industry Council of San Francisco, Inc., this award will help 
the community implement the concept of offering ``vocationalized'' 
housing to a representative number of targeted individuals, in order to 
begin to create a culture of work with the hope of ending the cycle of 
chronic homelessness for individuals within the San Francisco community 
by offering new strategies for servicing this rapidly growing 
population. This effort will seek to better combine and coordinate the 
multiple services and agencies that deliver vocationalized housing in 
an effort to improve both the involvement of the area's workforce 
development system, including the area One-Stop Career Centers, and the 
employment options for the chronically homeless.
     Indianapolis, Indiana. Under this award, the Indianapolis 
Private Industry Council, Inc. will create a new ``System of Care'' 
approach designed to combine and coordinate the various service 
delivery partners, including in the employment and housing areas, in a 
way which offers the consumer no wrong doors for entry into the system. 
This approach will also organize a process that includes housing 
developers and employers as direct participants with service providers, 
consumers and community members to design, implement, manage and fund 
individual plans of care that support sustainable living with full 
participation in community life, including through employment. This 
CHETA Initiative will capitalize on the capabilities and systems 
changes already realized through two previous DOL employment grants.
     Los Angeles, California. Under the leadership of the 
Workforce Development Division of the Community Development Department, 
City of Los Angeles, ten Los Angeles agencies representing the public 
and private, community-based and faith-based sectors have joined 
together to better integrate the permanent housing, mental health and 
other workforce development programs serving persons with disabilities 
who are both chronically homeless and mentally ill. All partners are 
committed to improving and enhancing the coordination of activities 
among agencies that operate emergency shelters, provide support 
services to the homeless, offer mental health and substance abuse 
treatment programs, provide permanent, supportive, affordable housing, 
and develop employment opportunities. Customized employment services 
will be provided and coordinated with housing and other needed services 
in order to break the cycle of chronic homelessness.
    For purposes of this solicitation, the terms applicable to this DOL 
Cooperative Agreement are as follows:
     Customized Employment: The term ``customized employment'' 
means individualizing the employment relationship between employees and 
employers in ways that meet the needs of both. It is based on an 
individualized determination of strengths, needs, and interests of the 
person with a disability and is also designed to meet the specific 
needs of the employer. It may include approaches such as supported 
employment; supported entrepreneurship; individualized job development; 
job carving and restructuring; use of personal agents (including 
individuals with disabilities and family members); development of 
micro-boards, micro-enterprises, cooperatives and small businesses; and 
use of personal budgets and other forms of individualized funding that 
provide choice and control to the person and promote self-
determination. These and other job development or restructuring 
strategies result in job responsibilities that are customized and 
individually negotiated to fit the needs of individuals with 
disabilities. Customized employment assumes the provision of reasonable 
accommodations and supports necessary for the individual to perform the 
functions of a job that is individually negotiated and developed.
     Persons who are Chronically Homeless: A person who is 
``chronically homeless'' is an unaccompanied homeless individual with a 
disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a 
year or more, OR who has had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness 
in the past three (3) years. In order to be considered chronically 
homeless, a person must have been sleeping in a place not meant for 
human habitation (e.g., living on the streets) and/or in an emergency 
homeless shelter. A disabling condition is defined as a diagnosable 
substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental 
disability, or chronic physical illness or disability including the co-
occurrence of two or more of these conditions. A disabling condition 
limits an individual's ability to work or perform one or more 
activities of daily living.

II. Award Information

    The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Disability Employment 
Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with the Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA), announces the availability of $1.5 million to 
fund one (1) Cooperative Agreement award to operate the Chronic 
Homelessness Employment Technical Assistance (CHETA) Initiative, 
designed to assist DOL's currently funded ``Ending Chronic Homelessness 
through Employment and Housing'' awardees, an initiative cooperatively 
sponsored by ODEP and the VETS. This $1.5 million award will be for a 
36-month period of performance. In addition, this initiative may be 
funded for up to two (2) option years at approximately $500,000 per 
year, depending on performance, identified need, and the availability 
of future funding. This cooperative agreement will include substantial 
involvement between ODEP and the awardee during the period of 
performance. ODEP will provide project oversight throughout the period 
of the award. The ODEP will be involved in decisions involving 
strategic planning (including the plan to deliver pro-active technical 
assistance to the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' grantees), allocation 
of resources, development of public information materials, and analysis 
and implementation of evaluation findings.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants for this DOL Cooperative Agreement are public/
private non-profit or for profit organizations or consortia, including 
faith-based and community organizations, with appropriate capabilities, 
experience, and expertise. If the proposal includes multiple

[[Page 32614]]

consortia members, there must be a prime or lead member who is the 
responsible fiscal and programmatic agent. All applications must (1) 
clearly identify the lead grant recipient and fiscal agent, as well as 
all other members of the consortium applying for this cooperative 
agreement award; (2) provide a clear description of each member's roles 
and responsibilities; and (3) provide a detailed plan for how the award 
money will be allocated among the consortium. As a Department of Labor-
funded initiative, it is expected that the lead grant recipient for any 
such consortium shall have primary expertise in employment-related 
areas.

2. Cost Sharing

    Cost sharing and matching funds are not required under this SGA.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application

    Applications, announcements, or forms will not be mailed. The 
Federal Register may be obtained from your nearest government office or 
library. In addition, a copy of this notice and the application 
requirements may be downloaded from the Office of Disability Employment 
Policy Web site at http://www.dol.gov/odep and at http://www.fedgrants.gov. If additional copies of the standard forms are 
needed, they can also be downloaded from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grantforms.html.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    General Requirements: To be considered responsive, all applications 
must be submitted on time to DOL at the address listed above. 
Applicants must submit one (1) paper copy with an original signature, 
and two (2) additional paper copies of the signed proposal. To aid with 
the review of applications, DOL also requires applicants to submit an 
electronic copy of their proposal's Sections II (Executive Summary) and 
III (Project Narrative) on compact disc (CD) or floppy disc using 
Microsoft Word. The application must be double-spaced with standard 
one-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides) on 8\1/2\ x 11 paper, and 
must be presented on single-sided and numbered pages. A font size of at 
least twelve (12) pitch is required throughout. All text in the 
application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, 
quotations, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs must be double-spaced (no more than three lines per 
vertical inch); and, if using a proportional computer font, must be in 
at least a 12-point font, and must have an average character density no 
greater than 18 characters per inch (if using a non-proportional font 
or a typewriter, must not be more than 12 characters per inch). 
Applications that fail to meet these requirements will be considered 
non-responsive.
    DOL Cooperative Agreement Requirements: The three required sections 
of the application are:

Section I--Project Financial Plan
Section II--Executive Summary--Project Synopsis
Section III--Project Narrative

    Applications that fail to meet the mandatory requirements for each 
section stated below will be considered non-responsive:
     Section I. Project Financial Plan (Budget) (The Project 
Financial Plan will not count against the application page limits.) 
Section I of the application must include the following three required 
parts:
    (a) Completed ``SF-424--Application for Federal Assistance.''
    The DOL Cooperative Agreement application must include one SF-424 
with the original signatures of the legal entity applying for 
Cooperative Agreement funding and two additional copies. The individual 
signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant must represent and be 
able to legally bind the responsible financial and administrative 
entity for a Cooperative Agreement should that application result in an 
award. 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 that engages in lobbying 
activities will not be eligible for the receipt of federal funds 
constituting an award, cooperative agreement, or loan. See 2 U.S.C. 
1611; 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4). For item 10 of the SF-424, the Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for the program is 17.720. 
(See Appendix A of this SGA for required form). The organization unit 
section of Block 5 of the SF-424 must contain the Dun and Bradstreet 
Number of the applicant. Please note that beginning October 1, 2003, 
all applicants for federal grant opportunities are required to include 
a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number with their application. See OMB 
Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402 (June 27, 2003). 
Applicants' DUNS numbers should be entered into Block 5 of SF-424. The 
DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely 
identifies business entities. There is no charge for obtaining a DUNS 
number (although it may take 14-30 days). To obtain a DUNS number, 
access the following Web site: http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/ or call 
1-866-705-5711. Requests for exemption from the DUNS number requirement 
must be made to OMB.
    (b) Completed SF-424 A--``Budget Information Sheet'' (Appendix B) 
must be included.
    (c) DOL Budget Narrative and justification that provides sufficient 
information to support the reasonableness of the costs included in the 
budget in relation to the service strategy and planned outcomes, 
including continuous improvement activities. The DOL Budget Narrative 
and Justification must describe all costs associated with implementing 
the project that are to be covered with Cooperative Agreement funds. 
The applicant must support the travel and associated costs of sending 
at least one representative to periodic meetings with DOL staff in 
Washington, DC (at least once per quarter) and to the annual ODEP 
Policy Conference for its grantees, to be held in Washington, DC at a 
time and place to be determined. The applicant must comply with the 
``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements to State and Local Governments,'' (also known as OMB 
Circular A-102''), codified at 29 CFR part 97, or ``Grants and 
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other 
Non-Profit Organizations'' (also known as the ``Common Rule'' or OMB 
Circular A-110), 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).
    In addition, the DOL budget must include, on a separate page, a 
detailed cost analysis of each line item. Justification for 
administrative costs must be provided. Approval of a budget by DOL is 
not the same as the approval of actual costs. The applicant must also 
include the Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C) 
and the Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Appendix 
D).
     Section II. Executive Summary--Project Synopsis: The 
Executive Summary is limited to no more than two single-spaced, single-
sided pages on 8\1/2\ x 11 papers with standard margins throughout. 
Each application shall include a project synopsis that identifies the 
following:
    (a) The applicant;
    (c) The planned period of performance;

[[Page 32615]]

    (d) The list of partners, as appropriate; and,
    (e) An overview of how the applicant will provide the technical 
assistance and manage the repository of knowledge developed.
     Section III. Project Narrative. The DOL Cooperative 
Agreement Project Narrative is limited to no more than thirty (30), 
8\1/2\ x 11 pages, double-spaced with standard one-inch margins (top, 
bottom, and sides), and must be presented on single-sided, numbered 
pages. [Note: The Financial Plan, the Executive Summary, and the 
Appendices, including letters of cooperation, resumes, etc., are not 
included in this thirty-page limit]. It also requested that one (1) 
Micro Soft Word copy on a Computer Disk of the Project Narrative 
Section be submitted along with the three copies required. The 
requirements for the project narrative are described below under Part 
V--Application Review Information.

3. Submission Dates and Times (Acceptable Methods of Submission)

    Applications will be accepted commencing June 10, 2004. The closing 
date for receipt of applications by DOL under this announcement is July 
26, 2004. Applications, including those hand-delivered, must be 
received by 4:45 p.m. (e.t.) on July 26, 2004, at the address specified 
below. No exceptions to the mailing and hand-delivery conditions set 
forth in this notice will be granted. Applications that do not meet the 
conditions set forth in this notice will be considered non-responsive.
    Applications must be mailed or hand-delivered to: U.S. Department 
of Labor, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, 
Reference SGA 04-07, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Telefascimile (FAX) applications will not be 
accepted.
    Withdrawal of Applications. An application that is timely submitted 
may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram (including mailgram) at 
any time before an award is made. Applications may be withdrawn in 
person by the applicant or by an authorized representative thereof, if 
the representative's identity is made known and the representative 
signs a receipt of the proposal.
    Hand-Delivered Proposals. It is preferred that applications be 
mailed at least five days prior to the closing date. To be considered 
for funding, hand-delivered applications must be received by 4:45 p.m. 
(e.t.) on July 26, 2004, at the specified address. Failure to adhere to 
the above instructions will serve as a basis for a determination of 
non-responsiveness. Overnight express mail from carriers other than the 
U.S. Postal Service will be considered hand-delivered applications and 
must be received by the above specified date and time.

4. Intergovernmental Review

    This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

5. Funding Restrictions

     Funding Levels--The total funding available for this 
solicitation is $1.5 million. Only one award will be made. The 
Department of Labor reserves the right to negotiate the amount to be 
awarded under this competition. Please be advised that requests 
exceeding the $1.5 million will be considered non-responsive. Further 
there will be no reimbursement of pre-award costs.
     Period of Performance--The period of performance will be 
for a 36-month period of performance from date of the award unless 
modified. It is expected that the successful applicant will begin 
program operations under this solicitation immediately upon receiving 
the ``Notice of Award.''
     Option Year Funding--In addition, this initiative may be 
funded for up to two (2) additional option years at approximately 
$500,000 per year, depending on performance, identified need and the 
availability of future funding. Since federal funds for years four (4) 
and five (5) will depend on Congressional funding for those fiscal 
years, these option years will only be executed, assuming other 
conditions are satisfactory to ODEP, one year at a time. Applications 
under this SGA should include general proposals and budgets for these 
two option years.
     Limitation on Indirect Costs--Indirect costs claimed by 
the applicant must be based on a federally approved rate. A copy of the 
negotiated approved, and signed indirect cost negotiated agreement must 
be submitted with the application. If the application does not 
presently have an approved indirect cost rate, a proposed rate with 
justification may be submitted. The successful applicant will be 
required to negotiate an acceptable and allowable rate with the 
appropriate DOL Regional Office of Cost Determination within 90 days of 
the cooperative agreement award.

6. Other Submission Requirements

    Applicants are advised that mail in the Washington, DC area may be 
delayed due to mail decontamination procedures and may wish to take 
this information into consideration when preparing to meet the 
application deadline.
    Late Applications. Any application received after the exact date 
and time specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice 
will be considered non-responsive, unless it is received before awards 
are made and it: (a) Is determined that its late receipt was caused by 
DOL error after timely delivery to the Department of Labor; (b) was 
sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail not later than 
the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of 
applications (e.g., an application submitted in response to a 
solicitation requiring receipt of applications by the 20th of the month 
must have been post marked by the 15th of that month); or (c) was sent 
by the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service to addressee 
not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing two working days prior to 
the date specified for receipt of applications. The term ``working 
days'' excludes weekends and Federal holidays. ``Post marked'' means a 
printed, stamped, or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a 
postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable without 
further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of 
mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.

V. Application Review Information

1. Program Criteria

    The ``primary objectives'' of this technical assistance initiative 
are to:
     Provide comprehensive, pro-active technical assistance, 
training and on-site support to the five awardees under the DOL (ODEP, 
ETA, VETS) and HUD ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' Cooperative 
Agreement awards described above, including assistance with:
    (a) Strategic planning and implementation;
    (b) Development of partnerships and linkages with other disability 
and homeless serving organizations;
    (c) Coordination and leveraging of multiple resources and funding 
streams;
    (d) Recruitment;
    (e) Capacity-building, technical training and grant-specific 
assistance on implementation of customized employment strategies within 
a One-Stop Career Center;
    (f) Assistance with sustainability and evaluation;
    (g) Identification of state and local practice and policy issues; 
and
    (h) Sponsorship of periodic combined technical assistance meetings 
for all five of the awardees.

[[Page 32616]]

    These areas of technical assistance are designed to increase 
customized employment opportunities for people who are chronically 
homeless through One-Stop Career Centers. Technical assistance efforts 
will be coordinated with and will complement those of ODEP's National 
Center on Workforce and Disability for Adults (NCWD/A), as well as 
ODEP's other technical assistance efforts, including: the National 
Consortium on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Y), Training and 
Technical Assistance for Providers (T-TAP), Job Accommodation Network 
(JAN), and Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN). In addition, 
the awardee must agree to actively utilize the programs sponsored by 
the ODEP, including the Job Accommodation Network (http://www.jan.icdi.wvu.edu/links/), and the Employer Assistance Referral 
Network (http://www.earnworks.com).
     Develop a repository of expert knowledge and materials on 
promising practices and resources supporting the delivery of customized 
employment services to persons with disabilities who are chronically 
homeless through the workforce development systems, especially One-Stop 
Career Centers; and to disseminate this information to other DOL and 
HUD programs interested in similar initiatives through a Web-based 
technical assistance initiative;
     Collect and process employment policy-related information 
for ongoing feedback to ODEP; and, otherwise support ODEP and as 
requested in their efforts to advance policies which increase 
employment, personal choice, and wages for people who are chronically 
homeless;
     Develop strong linkages and collaborate with other 
national federal initiatives that provide services and supports for 
people who are chronically homeless in order to better coordinate 
efforts among the various initiatives.
    In order to accomplish these ``primary objectives'', the CHETA 
Initiative must pursue the following ``activities'':
     Provide pro-active technical assistance, training, 
information assistance and knowledge transfer to each of the grantees 
under ODEP's ``Ending Chronic Homelessness through Employment and 
Housing'' cooperative agreements, in order to increase the awardees' 
capabilities and performance in securing customized employment for 
people who are chronically homeless. The CHETA Initiative will:
    (a) Conduct a needs assessment of the five (5) ``Ending Chronic 
Homelessness'' awardees to determine the type and details of technical 
assistance that is necessary for these cooperative agreements to meet 
their goals and objectives;
    (b) In cooperation with the ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' 
awardees and with DOL's approval, prepare and implement a site-specific 
strategic planning, technical assistance and training plan for each 
awardee with projected timelines for delivering needed technical 
assistance;
    (c) Review project applications, quarterly reports, and other 
documentation to identify potential areas of support;
    (d) Identify, on an ongoing basis, materials and resources for use 
by the awardees;
    (e) Conduct a minimum of two (2) technical assistance site visits 
per year per awardee; conduct a minimum of one (1) national or regional 
training per year for all awardees;
    (f) Conduct monthly teleconferences with the ``Ending Chronic 
Homelessness'' awardees to facilitate knowledge transfer and networking 
among the awardees;
    (g) Respond to ``Ending Chronic Homelessness'' awardees' requests 
for expert assistance by sponsoring and arranging on-site, phone, e-
mail consultations, or other appropriate forms of knowledge-transfer.
    These technical assistance efforts should be flexible so as to 
allow for the use of any necessary outside consultants who possess 
expertise beyond the capabilities of the CHETA staff.
     Provide a repository of information, primarily via 
electronic means (Web-based, e-mail messages, other distance learning 
and knowledge transfer techniques), on relevant training and technical 
assistance materials that are both collected and developed in order to 
meet CHETA's first program objective. This repository of information is 
to be shared with other interested organizations and agencies.
     Collect employment policy-related information for ongoing 
feedback to ODEP on policies and practices at the local, state and 
national level that act both as barriers and facilitators to securing 
customized employment for the targeted group. This information will be 
analyzed by ODEP and shared with appropriate DOL agencies for their 
consideration.
     Support ODEP, as requested, in its efforts to increase 
employment, personal choice, and wages for people who are chronically 
homeless through the workforce development system, including by 
responding to requests for information, analysis, and other assistance 
from ODEP; by researching, collecting, and disseminating information 
from states concerning effective and meaningful participation of people 
who are chronically homeless in One-Stop Centers; and by evaluating 
project goals, objectives, and activities to determine the 
effectiveness of project strategies and the overall impact of technical 
assistance, training, and information services.
     Develop linkages and collaborate working relationships 
with other associated federal technical assistance (T/A) initiatives, 
such as ODEP's five national T/A efforts (National Center on Workforce 
and Disability for Adults, National Collaborative for Workforce and 
Disability for Youth, Training and Technical Assistance for Providers, 
Job Accommodation Network, and the Employer Assistance Referral 
Network), as well as with other related federally-funded T/A 
initiatives, such as ETA's Technical Assistance and Evaluation Provider 
for the Work Incentive Grants and Disability Program Navigator 
Initiative projects (ETA's Division of Disability and Workforce 
Programs); Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 
(SAMHSA's) T/A Center for PATH grants; and, VETS' National Veterans 
Training Institute (NVTI) Center. In addition, coordinate training and 
technical assistance efforts in ways that utilize or complement other 
related grant programs, such as ODEP's Customized Employment Grant 
program, ETA's Work Incentive Grant (WIG's) program, VETS Homeless 
Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) grants, Centers for Medicaid and 
Medicare Services Medicaid Infrastructure Grants, state level Medicaid 
Buy-In programs, and other federal and state related disability 
employment supports grant programs.

2. Panel Review Criteria

    Applications will be reviewed for compliance with the requirements 
of this notice. A careful evaluation of applications will be made by a 
technical review panel, which will evaluate the applications against 
the rating criteria listed below. The panel results are advisory in 
nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. DOL may elect to award 
grants with or without discussion 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 Grant Officer may 
consider any information that is available and will make final award 
decisions based on what is most advantageous to the Government, 
considering such factors as panel findings and availability of funds. 
In review of applications, proposals will be evaluated under the 
following evaluation criteria.

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A. Project Design and Project Management (50 Points)
    Under this section, the applicant must describe the project design 
and its management plan. The proposed project design must address how 
the applicant intends to respond to ``primary objectives'' and 
``activities'' listed above in this Section. Also, under this section, 
the applicant must describe how the applicant will address the 
following DOL priorities for fiscal year 2004:
    (1) Increase the availability of skills training, employment 
opportunities, and career advancement for persons with disabilities who 
are chronically homeless; and
    (2) Develop comprehensive One-Stop Career Centers, that are 
welcoming and valued by customers who are chronically homeless seeking 
workforce assistance through ensuring availability of staff trained on 
homeless issues.
    Applicants must also provide a detailed management plan that 
identifies the critical activities, time frames, and responsibilities 
for effectively implementing the project, including staff organization 
and management and the evaluation process for assuring successful 
implementation of Cooperative Agreement objectives. The management plan 
will be evaluated to determine whether the applicant has developed an 
adequate plan that to:
     Effectively carry out the goals and objectives of the 
proposed initiative, on time and within budget;
     Describe the predicted outcomes resulting from activities 
funded under the cooperative agreement; and
     Identify methods for gaining and incorporating customer 
and consumer feedback (both from the five chronically homelessness 
grantee programs to be served by CHETA, as well as from the homeless 
persons with disabilities they serve) that will be used by the 
applicant to make program adjustments and to determine success.
B. Staff Capacity (30 Points)
    The applicant must describe the proposed staffing of the DOL CHETA 
Cooperative Agreement Initiative, including the key personnel and the 
roles each will play, their time commitments and the responsibilities 
each will assume. The applicant must also identify how it will ensure 
that trained and experienced staff or consultants will be available 
with the following expertise:
    (1) Demonstrated knowledge of/experience with diverse customized 
employment strategies, including individualized approaches to 
identification of strengths, needs and interests of the individual; 
customized employment planning; job development and negotiation; and 
development/use of micro-enterprises, self-employment, cooperatives and 
small businesses;
    (2) Demonstrated knowledge of/experience with various forms of 
self-directed accounts that provide personal control, choice and 
assistance to the individual including but not limited to Individual 
Training Accounts (ITA's), Individual Development Accounts (IDA's), and 
individual budgets;
    (3) Demonstrated knowledge of diverse disabilities, especially 
persons with disabilities who are chronically homeless and mentally 
ill, substance abusers, and those who have veteran status;
    (4) Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with workforce 
development systems, particularly One-Stop Career Centers and their 
administrative structures;
    (5) Demonstrated knowledge of /experience with community-based 
strategic planning, methods for achieving sustainability of programs, 
development of essential partnerships (including WIA required and non-
required partnerships) and systems change strategies, including 
strategies necessary for innovative blending of resources to achieve 
customized employment;
    (6) Demonstrated knowledge of other employment-related support 
services and programs especially Medicaid, transportation, SSI, and 
SSDI; and
    (7) Demonstrated knowledge of/experience in successful delivery of 
technical assistance and knowledge transfer.
    The staffing/consultant plan should:
    (1) Summarize the qualifications, including relevant education, 
training, and experience of both key project personnel and project 
consultants or subcontractors. Attach copies of resumes in the 
Appendices.
    (2) Describe the experience in serving persons with disabilities 
who are chronically homeless and in providing customized employment 
services.
    (3) Describe the proposed staff/consultant's experience in 
providing employment-related technical assistance and knowledge 
transfer to diverse audiences relevant to this solicitation.
    (4) Describe the extent to which the time commitments of the 
project director and other key project personnel are appropriate and 
adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project; and how key 
personnel and consultants will be managed.
    (5) Describe plans for recruiting persons with disabilities for 
employment, as well as in key consulting roles.
C. Evaluation and Continuous Improvement Strategies (10 Points)
    The proposal must demonstrate how the goals, objectives, tasks and 
outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified 
and measurable; the extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project; and the 
extent to which the applicant encourages involvement of people with 
disabilities and their families, experts and organizations, and other 
relevant stakeholders in project activities that lead to stronger 
evaluation and continuous improvement strategies. The proposal will be 
evaluated on:
    (1) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the technical assistance 
needs to be met and other identified needs;
    (2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project provides 
clear understanding of, and experience with, utilization of customized 
employment strategies for increasing employment, choice, and earnings 
of persons with disabilities, including those who are chronically 
homeless;
    (3) The extent to which the management plans for project 
implementation is likely to achieve the objectives of the proposed 
project on time and within budget; and
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project design features 
innovative strategies to deliver the required technical assistance 
supports and achieve sustainable knowledge transfer across project 
activities.
D. Documenting and Reporting (10 Points)
    Applicants should outline their strategy for documenting and 
reporting the activities undertaken during the life of the Cooperative 
Agreement for ODEP's use. In evaluating this section, the following 
factors must be addressed and ODEP considers them to be of particular 
importance:
    (1) The method by which the initiative will evaluate external 
technical assistance information and materials to ensure a high 
standard of quality about effective strategies suitable for replication 
or testing in other settings;
    (2) The extent to which the methods of documentation and reporting 
include the objective use of performance measures that are clearly 
related to the intended outcomes of the project and

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will produce quantitative and qualitative data; and
    (3) The adequacy of mechanisms for measuring the quality of 
products and services developed by the proposed initiative.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    N/A.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    A. Notice that an organization has been selected as the cooperative 
agreement recipient does not constitute approval of the cooperative 
agreement application as submitted. Before the actual cooperative 
agreement award, ODEP may enter into negotiations concerning such items 
as program components, funding levels, and administrative systems. If 
the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submittal, the Grant 
Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to 
fund the proposal.
    B. A post-award conference will be held within the first month of 
the award, for the cooperative agreement award winner, in Washington, 
DC, with ODEP and other DOL representatives. The associated travel cost 
for this two-day meeting should be included as a part of their budget 
proposal. Both program and administrative matters will be reviewed. As 
a continuation of the post-award process, after this first meeting with 
DOL, CHETA will immediately organize and fund through its budget, a 
meeting for teams from each of the five ``Chronic Homelessness'' 
cooperative agreement sites, as described in Section I and V, above. 
This two-day post award meeting shall be held in Portland, OR (or one 
of the other five sites), and shall involve 4 to 5 representatives from 
each of the five cooperative agreement sites. In addition to supporting 
the travel and participation costs (hotel lodging, meeting space, per 
diem, travel costs) of these five teams, several key experts on 
customized employment, chronic homelessness should be provided for in 
the proposed budget. The purpose of this post award meeting is to both 
involve the five cooperative agreement awardees in the formation of 
CHETA's technical assistance plans and to provide the five sites with 
an opportunity for sharing and additional technical assistance.

2. Administrative and National Policy

A. Limitations on Administrative and Indirect Costs
    (1) Indirect costs claimed by the applicant must be based on a 
federally approved rate. A copy of the negotiated approved, and signed 
indirect cost negotiated agreement must be submitted with the 
application.
    (2) If the applicant does not presently have an approved indirect 
cost rate, a proposed rate with justification may be submitted. The 
successful applicant will be required to negotiate an acceptable and 
allowable rate with the appropriate DOL Regional Office of Cost 
Determination within 90 days of the cooperative agreement award.
B. Administrative Standards and Provisions
    Unless specifically provided in the cooperative agreement, DOL's 
acceptance of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any 
program(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant/cooperative agreement 
requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB circulars require 
and an entity's procurement procedures must provide that all 
procurement transactions will be conducted, as practical, to provide 
open and free competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity 
to provide the services, the DOL award does not provide the 
justification or basis to sole-source the procurement, i.e. avoid 
competition. This cooperative agreement will be subject to the 
following administrative standards and provisions:
     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, 
Foreign Governments, Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign 
Governments, and International Organizations;
     29 CFR part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally 
Funded Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements;
     29 CFR part 97--Uniform Administrative Requirement for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments;
     29 CFR part 98--Federal Standards for Government-wide 
Debarment and Suspension (non-procurement) and Government-wide 
Requirements for Drug Free Workplace (Grants/Cooperative Agreements);
     29 CFR part 99--Audit of States, Local Governments and 
Non-profit Organizations;
     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 
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Nondiscrimination on the 
Basis of Handicap in Programs and Activities, and Nondiscrimination on 
the Basis of Sex in Education Programs Receiving or Benefiting from 
Federal Financial Assistance.
C. Allowable Costs
    Determinations of allowable costs shall be made in accordance with 
the following applicable federal cost principles:
     State and Local Government--OMB Circular A-87.
     Nonprofit Organizations--OMB Circular A-122.
     Profit-Making Commercial Firms--48 CFR Part 31.
    Profit will not be considered an allowable cost in any case.
D. Cooperative Agreement Assurances
    As a condition of the award, the applicant must certify that it 
will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity 
provisions of the following laws:
     29 CFR part 31--Nondiscrimination in Federally-assisted 
programs of the Department of Labor, effectuation of Title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964;
     29 CFR part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of 
Disability in Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from 
Federal Assistance (Implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 
29 U.S.C. 794);
     29 CFR part 36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in 
Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance 
(Implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. 
1681 et seq.); and
    The applicant must include assurances and certifications that it 
will comply with these laws in its Cooperative Agreement application. 
The assurances and certifications are attached as Appendices C, D.

3. Reporting and Monitoring

    The ODEP is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation 
of this Cooperative Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of 
this announcement and the terms of the Cooperative Agreement award 
document. Applicants should assume that ODEP staff will conduct on-site 
project reviews periodically. Reviews

[[Page 32619]]

will focus on timely project implementation, performance in meeting the 
Cooperative Agreement's objectives, tasks and responsibilities, 
expenditures of Cooperative Agreement funds on allowable activities, 
and administration of project activities. The CHETA Initiative may be 
subject to other additional reviews, at the discretion of the ODEP, and 
ODEP staff or their announced designees from ETA, VETS and/or HUD may 
conduct these reviews
    The DOL Cooperative Agreement awardee, under this competition, will 
be required to submit to DOL quarterly financial and narrative program 
progress reports for each quarter funded. The awardee will be required 
to submit periodic financial and participation reports. Specifically, 
the following reports will be required:
    A. Quarterly reports: The quarterly report is estimated to take ten 
hours to complete. The form for the Quarterly Report will be provided 
by the ODEP. The ODEP will work with the awardee to help refine the 
requirements of the report, which will, among other things, include 
measures of ongoing analysis for continuous improvement and customer 
satisfaction. Quarterly reports will be due 30 days after the close of 
the quarters of each federal fiscal year. This report will be filed 
using an on-line reporting system.
    B. Standard Form 269: Financial Status Report Form (FSR) will be 
completed on a quarterly basis, using the on-line electronic reporting 
system.
    C. Final Project Report: The final report will include an 
assessment of project performance and outcomes achieved. The final 
report is estimated to take 20 hours to complete. This report will be 
submitted in hard copy and on electronic disk complying with format and 
instructions provided by the ODEP. An outline of the final report is 
due to ODEP forty-five (45) days before termination of the Cooperative 
Agreement with a draft of the final report due to the ODEP thirty (30) 
days before the termination of the Cooperative Agreement. The final 
report is due to the DOL within 30 days following the termination of 
the Cooperative Agreement. If the two option years are exercised, the 
final report will be due upon their completion.
    The awardee must agree to cooperate with independent evaluations to 
be conducted by ODEP. ODEP or its designee will arrange for and conduct 
this independent evaluation of the outcomes, impact, and 
accomplishments of the project. The awardee must agree to make 
available records on all parts of project activity, including 
participant employment and wage data, and to provide access to 
personnel, as specified by the evaluator(s), under the direction of the 
ODEP. This independent evaluation is separate from the any proposed 
ongoing evaluation for continuous improvement commissioned by the 
awardee. ODEP's evaluation of the CHETA award includes a process 
evaluation regarding extensive information pertaining to achievements 
under the Cooperative Agreement.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For information on this DOL Cooperative Agreement and related items 
contact Cassandra Mitchell, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement 
Services Center telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free 
number), prior to the closing deadline. Persons who are deaf or hard of 
hearing may contact Cassandra Mitchell, via the Federal Relay Service, 
(800) 877-8339.

    Signed in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of June, 2004.
Johnny A. Arnold, II,
Acting Grant Officer.
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[FR Doc. 04-13116 Filed 6-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CX-C