[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 23 (Thursday, February 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6159-6161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2322]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--State Jail Inspector: 
Training Curriculum Revision and Update

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Jails Division is 
seeking applications for the revision and update of its curriculum for 
State jail inspector training. The project will be for a 12-month 
period and will be completed in conjunction with the NIC Jails 
Division. The awardee will work closely with NIC staff on all aspects 
of the project. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate, at a 
minimum, (1) in-depth knowledge of the variety, scope, legal standing, 
and application of State jail inspections, (2) experience working with 
the nation's State jail inspectors, (3) experience in conducting jail 
inspections, and (4) expertise and experience in developing curriculums 
based on adult learning principles as reflected in the Instructional 
Theory into Practice (ITIP) model.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, 
February 14, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National 
Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 5002, Washington, 
DC 20534. Applicants are encouraged to use Federal Express, UPS, or 
similar service to ensure delivery by the due date as postal mail is at 
times delayed due to security screening.
    Applicants who wish to hand-deliver their applications should bring 
them to 500 First Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534, and dial 202-307-
3106, ext. 0, at the front desk for pickup.
    Faxed or e-mailed applications will not be accepted; however, 
electronic applications can be submitted via http://www.grants.gov.
    For Further Information: A copy of this announcement and links to 
the required application forms can be downloaded from the NIC Web site 
at http://www.nicic.gov.
    Questions and Answers: Questions about this project and the 
application procedures should be directed to Jim T. Barbee, 
Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of Corrections. 
Questions must be e-mailed to Mr. Barbee at [email protected]. Mr. Barbee 
will respond by e-mail. Only questions received by 4 p.m. (EDT) on 
Thursday, February 10, 2011 will be answered. Answers to these 
questions will appear on NIC's Web site under the ``Corrections 
Community'' blog attached to this announcement.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: Of the nation's 50 States, 33 
States have some form of minimum jail standards or inspections. The 
legal standing of State standards vary significantly among the States 
as does the rigor of the inspection process. The responsibility for 
jail standards and inspections differs from State to State, ranging 
from State agencies, to independent commissions, to nonprofit 
professional associations. However, the common factor among most State 
jail standard efforts is usually the minimal resources allocated for 
the function. In 2002, NIC developed a no-cost jail inspector training 
program in support of States' efforts to improve jail conditions and 
operations through standards and inspections. Improvement of the 
nation's jails is consistent with NIC's mission. Today, NIC would like 
to update the existing curriculum and associated training materials to 
reflect changes in the field. The existing NIC jail inspector training 
materials (e.g., ITIP-based curriculum, participant manuals, PowerPoint 
presentations, program evaluations, and other materials) to be revised/
updated are available for review at http://www.nicic.gov under the 
``Corrections Community'' blog attached to this announcement.
    Scope of Work: The cooperative agreement awardee will create and 
conduct an online survey to obtain feedback from former trainees, draft 
a revised curriculum for the jail inspector training program, pilot the 
curriculum, and revise the curriculum based on an assessment of the 
pilot. The final curriculum will include a program description 
(overview), detailed narrative lesson plans, presentation slides for 
each lesson plan, a participant manual that follows the lesson plans, 
and a process and outcome evaluation (developed in concert with NIC's 
Research and Evaluation Division). The successful applicant will 
demonstrate an ability to maximize the use of multimedia resources, 
including blended learning technology and strategies, if required, to 
enhance the adult learning experience of jail inspectors. The 
curriculum will be designed according to the ITIP model for adult 
learners (refer to the ITIP toolkit located at http://nicic.gov/Library/018534). Lesson plans will be in a format that NIC provides.

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    A schedule of activities for this project should include, at a 
minimum, the following:
    Meetings: The cooperative agreement awardee will attend up to five 
meetings. The initial meeting with the NIC project manager will focus 
on the project overview and preliminary planning. This will take place 
shortly after the cooperative agreement is awarded.
    The awardee will also meet up to two times (these may be Web-based 
meetings) with NIC staff and up to five administrators of jail 
inspection agencies or subject matter experts (SMEs). The purpose of 
these meetings is to identify clearly the primary duties of State jail 
inspectors. Note that the SMEs will be selected by NIC, but all costs 
associated with their meeting attendance will be paid by the awardee.
    The awardee will meet up to two times with NIC staff during the 
revision of the draft curriculum. One meeting will be devoted to 
drafting a framework for the curriculum, including module topics, 
performance objectives, estimated timeframes, sequencing, and potential 
instructional strategies. The other meeting will focus on lesson plan 
development, review, and revision and other project issues as they 
arise.
    Development of Draft Curriculum: The cooperative agreement awardee 
will draft the full curriculum in consultation with NIC staff. The 
awardee will then send it to NIC staff and the selected SMEs for 
review.
    NIC will choose the SMEs, but the awardee will reimburse them for 
time and expenses related to the review. The draft curriculum must be 
submitted sufficiently in advance of the pilot to ensure there is time 
to make any required changes.
    Curriculum Pilot: The draft curriculum will be piloted to determine 
needed refinements. Although the length of the program will be 
determined by the content, the awardee should project that the program 
will last no more than 5 days. The curriculum may also incorporate 
blended learning strategies to accompany the in-class training.
    The awardee, in conjunction with NIC, will identify up to 3 
trainers for the program. The awardee will contract with and pay all 
costs associated with retaining the trainers, including travel, 
lodging, meals, fees, and miscellaneous expenses. NIC will secure 
training space at its academy in Colorado, select program participants, 
notify participants of selection and program details, supply training 
equipment, and provide for participant lodging, meals, and 
transportation. The awardee will provide final training materials in an 
appropriate timeframe and media format (e.g., doc, xls, avi, jpeg, mp3) 
as determined by NIC and in consultation with its writer/editor, 
webmaster, and audiovisual staff.
    Curriculum Revision and Final Product: Based on the pilot and 
discussions with NIC staff, the awardee will revise the curriculum. The 
awardee will submit the revised curriculum to NIC staff for final 
review and make any remaining changes. The awardee will submit the 
completed curriculum to NIC in hard copy (1) and on disk in Word, 
PowerPoint, or other acceptable formats as designated by NIC. The 
awardee is responsible for securing all copyright releases in writing 
in addition to achieving 508 format compliance.
    Document Preparation: 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.
    Application Requirements: 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 under 
which the applicant operates (e.g., July 1 through June 30); and an 
outline of projected costs with the budget and strategy narratives 
described in this announcement. 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 (both 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).
    Applications should be concisely written, typed double spaced, and 
reference the NIC opportunity number and title referenced in this 
announcement. If you are hand delivering or submitting via Fed-Ex, 
please include an original and three copies of your full proposal 
(program and budget narrative, application forms, assurances and other 
descriptions). The original should have the applicant's signature in 
blue ink. Electronic submissions will be accepted only via http://www.grants.gov.
    The narrative portion of the application should include, at a 
minimum: A brief paragraph indicating the applicant's understanding of 
the project's purpose; a brief paragraph that summarizes the project 
goals and objectives; a clear description of the methodology that will 
be used to complete the project and achieve its goals; a statement or 
chart of measurable project milestones and timelines for the completion 
of each milestone; a description of the qualifications of the applicant 
organization and a resume for the principal and each staff member 
assigned to the project (including instructors) that documents relevant 
knowledge, skills, and abilities to complete the project; and a budget 
that details all costs for the project, shows consideration for all 
contingencies for the project, notes a commitment to work within the 
proposed budget, and demonstrates the ability to reasonably provide 
deliverables according to schedule.
    The narrative portion of the application should not exceed ten 
double-spaced typewritten pages, excluding attachments related to the 
credentials and relevant experience of staff.
    In addition to the narrative and attachments, the applicant must 
submit one full sample curricula developed by the primary curriculum 
developer(s) named in the application. The sample curriculum must 
include lesson plans, presentation slides, and a participant manual.

    Authority: Pub. L. 93-415.

    Funds Available: NIC is seeking the applicant's best ideas 
regarding accomplishment of the scope of work and the related costs for 
achieving the goals of this solicitation. Funds may be used only for 
the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the project. 
The funding amount should not exceed $73,000.
    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 will be subject to the NIC 
Review Process. The criteria for the evaluation of each application 
will be as follows: Project Design and Management--30 points; Applicant 
Organization & Project Staff Background--30 points; Budget--20 points; 
Sample Curricula--20 points.

    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).


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    Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the 
dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 800-333-0505. 
Applicants who are sole proprietors should dial 866-705-5711 and select 
option 1.
    Applicants may register in the CCR online at the CCR Web site at 
http://www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and 
worksheet at this Web site.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 11JA01. This number should appear as a 
reference line in the cover letter, where the opportunity number is 
requested on Standard Form 424, and on the outside of the envelope in 
which the application is sent.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.601.
    Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the 
provisions of the executive order.

Thomas J. Beauclair,
Deputy Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2011-2322 Filed 2-2-11; 8:45 am]
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