[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32195-32196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15883]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--The Instructional 
Theory Into Practice (ITIP) Guidance Tools Project

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting 
proposals from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a 
cooperative agreement for a nine month project period. Work under this 
agreement will result in a ``tool kit'' to aid those charged with 
assessing the quality of lesson plans to include performance 
objectives, content delivery strategies, training activities, and 
supplemental materials. The tool kit will be framed around the 
Instructional Theory Into Practice model. In addition to providing 
assessment guidance, the tool kit will provide a brief history of the 
model, a description of the relevant research, a glossary, and a list 
of relevant references and websites.
    It is anticipated that the tool kit will be used by training staff 
from: (1) Federal, State, and local corrections agencies, (2) all 
agency levels, and (3) agencies of all sizes and levels of funding. 
Consequently, the tool kit must provide sufficient rational and 
background information where needed, be easily understood, and 
convenient to use. Since many NIC Corrections Program Specialists (CPS) 
are responsible for coordinating and, in some cases, developing and 
delivering training, the tool kit will be developed and tested using 
input and feedback from NIC staff.
    Ultimately the tool kit will allow users to develop lesson plans 
and review, assess, and provide feedback on lesson plans and training 
materials prepared by others. It must be easy to use by training 
coordinators.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. EDT on July 24, 2009. 
Selection of the successful applicant and notification of review 
results to all applicants will be sent by August 31, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to Director, National 
Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 5007, Washington, 
DC 20534. Applicants are encouraged to use Federal Express, UPS, or 
similar service to ensure delivery by the due date.
    Hand delivered applications should be brought to 500 First Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20534. At the front desk, call (202) 307-3106, 
extension 0 for pickup. Faxed applications will not be accepted. The 
only electronic applications (preferred) that will be accepted can be 
submitted via http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  A copy of this announcement can be 
downloaded from the NIC Web site at http://www.nicic.gov.
    All technical or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement should be directed to Dee Halley, Correctional Program 
Specialist, Research and Evaluation Division, National Institute of 
Corrections. She can be reached by calling 1-800-995-6423 extension 4-
0374 or by e-mail at [email protected].
    This project consists of six goals. The recipient of the award 
under this cooperative agreement will: (1) Develop a detailed work plan 
including major milestones, a description of NIC's role in the project, 
NIC review and approval points, and a project schedule. Note: the 
project schedule will be shown by quarters and reflect the number of 
months from the award date, as opposed to actual dates. (2) Develop a 
strategy to evaluate the utility and efficacy of the tool kit. This 
strategy should be practical and suggest short-term outcomes aimed at 
determining the quality of the lesson plans developed or reviewed using 
the tool kit. (3) Obtain input from NIC staff regarding, but not 
limited to, problems experienced in assessing lesson plans and training 
materials, providing guidance to developers on how lesson plans and 
materials can be improved, and how the tool kit can be structured in a 
way that increases the likelihood it will be used. (4) Provide a plan 
for the development of a tool kit to include the format and structure, 
major components with a brief content description and any appendices, 
forms, or additional information. (5) Develop and test the first draft 
of the tool kit. Included under this goal is the collection and 
assessment of feedback information, and development of recommended 
changes for NIC approval. (6) Revise the tool kit as indicated and 
deliver a camera ready copy of the product. For all awards in which a 
document will be a deliverable, the awardee must follow the Guidelines 
for Preparing and Submitting Manuscripts for Publication as found in 
the ``General Guidelines for Cooperative Agreements'' which will be 
included in the award package.
    Required Expertise: Applicants should be able to demonstrate the 
capacity to accomplish all six project goals and have experience with 
curriculum and lesson plan development, training delivery, the ITIP 
model, learning styles, adult learning theory, and development of 
informational products and tools.
    Application Requirements: The application should be concisely 
written, typed double-spaced and reference the NIC Opportunity Number 
and Title provided in this announcement. The program narrative text is 
to be limited to 25 double-spaced pages, exclusive of resumes and 
summaries of experience (do not submit full curriculum vitae). In 
addition to the program narrative, an application package must include 
OMB Standard Form 425, Application for Federal Assistance; a cover 
letter that identifies the audit agency responsible for the applicant's 
financial accounts as well as the audit period or fiscal year that the 
applicant operates under (e.g., July 1 through June 30); and an outline 
of projected costs. The following additional forms must also be 
included: OMB Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction 
Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B, Assurances--Non-Construction Programs 
(all OMB Standard Forms are available at http://www.grants.gov); DOJ/
FBOP/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and 
Other Responsibility Matters; and the Drug-Free Workplace Requirements 
(available at http://www.nicic.org/Downloads/PDF/certif-frm.pdf.)

    Authority: Public Law 93-415.

    Funds Available: NIC is seeking the applicants' best ideas 
regarding accomplishment of the scope of work and the related costs for 
achieving the goals of this solicitation. The final budget and award 
amount will be

[[Page 32196]]

negotiated between NIC and the successful applicant. Funds may only be 
used for the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the 
project.
    This project will be a collaborative venture with the NIC Research 
and Evaluation Division.
    Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any state or 
general unit of local government, private agency, educational 
institution, organization, individual or team with expertise in the 
described areas. Applicants must have demonstrated ability to implement 
a project of this size and scope.
    Review Considerations: Applications received under this 
announcement will be subject to the NIC Review Process. The criteria 
for the evaluation of each application will be as follows:

Programmatic (40%)

    Are all of the six project goals and adequately discussed? Is there 
a clear statement of how each project goal will be accomplished, to 
include: Major tasks that will lead to achieving the goal; the 
strategies to be employed; required staffing; and other required 
resources. Are there any innovative approaches, techniques, or design 
aspects proposed that will enhance the project?

Organizational (35%)

    Does the proposed project staff possess the skills, knowledge, and 
expertise necessary to design and complete the tasks? Does the 
applicant agency, institution, organization, individual or team have 
the organization capacity to achieve the six project goals? Are the 
proposed project management and staffing plans realistic and sufficient 
to complete the project within the nine month time frame?

Project Management/Administration (25%)

    Does the applicant identify reasonable objectives, milestones, and 
measures to track progress? If consultants and/or partnerships are 
proposed, is there a reasonable justification for their inclusion in 
the project, and a clear structure to insure effective coordination? Is 
the proposed budget realistic, provide sufficient cost detail/
narrative, and represent good value relative to the anticipated 
results?

    Note: NIC will NOT award a cooperative agreement to an applicant 
who does not have a Dun and Bradstreet Database Universal Number 
(DUNS) and is not registered in the Central Contractor Registry 
(CCR).

    A DUNS number can be received at no cost by calling the dedicated 
toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-800-333-0505 (if you are a sole 
proprietor, you would dial 1-866-705-5711 and select option 1).
    Registration in the CCR can be done online at the CCR Web site: 
http://www.ccr.gov. A CCR Handbook and worksheet can also be reviewed 
at the Web site.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 09PEI28. This number should appear as a 
reference line in the cover letter, where indicated on Standard Form 
424, and outside of the envelope in which the application is sent.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.602.
    Executive Order 12372: This program is not subject to the 
provisions of Executive Order 12372.

Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. E9-15883 Filed 7-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P