[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44956-44958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18985]


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 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement; Correctional Health 
Care Executive Curriculum Development

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

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Administration 
Division is seeking applications for the development of a competency-
based correctional health care executive curriculum to train two-person 
teams comprised of a Warden, Associate Warden, or Jail Administrator 
and a Health Services Administrator. This project will be for an 
eighteen-month period. NIC Administration Division staff will direct 
the project and will participate in curriculum design, lesson plan 
development, and the creation of related material.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. (E.D.T.) on August 26, 
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 mail at NIC is 
sometimes delayed due to security screening.
    Hand-delivered applications should be brought to 500 First Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20534. At the front desk, dial (202) 307-3106, 
extension 0 for pickup.
    Faxed and e-mailed applications will not be accepted; however, 
electronic applications can be submitted via http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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/cooperativeagreements.
    All technical or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement should be directed to CDR Anita E. Pollard, Corrections 
Health Manager, National Institute of Corrections. CDR Pollard can be 
reached by e-mail at [email protected]. In addition to the direct reply, 
all questions and responses will be posted on NIC's Web site at http://www.nicic.gov for public review. (The names of those submitting 
questions will not be posted.) The Web site will be updated regularly 
and postings will remain on the Web site until the closing

[[Page 44957]]

date of this cooperative agreement solicitation. Only questions 
received by 12 p.m. (EDT) on August 17, 2011 will be answered.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Both jails and state and federal prisons are daily 
responsible for providing medically necessary care to more than 2.5 
million offenders housed within the confines of their facilities. The 
administration of correctional hospitals and ambulatory care clinics 
involves specialized knowledge related to procuring and managing the 
myriad services provided, i.e., medical, dental, laboratory, 
pharmaceutical, radiographic, infection control, long-term care, 
restorative therapy, health information management, and medical 
specialty services, including behavioral health and obstetrical/
gynecological services.
    In addition to managing these services and personnel, correctional 
health care executives must judiciously contract with community-based 
facilities and practitioners to deliver services that are not provided 
in jail and/or prison health units. Prior knowledge and experience in 
managing a health care facility expedites the successful administration 
of health care resources and programs using proven strategies for 
efficient health care delivery. However, this specialized correctional 
health care knowledge is not typically part of the traditional 
education and training of key administration staff positions--Warden, 
Associate Warden, Jail Administrator or Health Services Administrator. 
The complexities of a dual-missioned facility (i.e., correctional & 
medical management) can present overwhelming and seemingly 
insurmountable challenges.
    NIC intends to develop a training program to better prepare staff 
in each of these positions to complete their duties in support of a 
facility's overarching health care mission. This training program will 
promote the use of evidence-based policies and practices in a 
curriculum format using the Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP) 
model.
    The occurrence of strategic partnerships within organizations is on 
the rise. In a time of changing workforce issues, security issues, 
technological advances, and fiscally constraining budgets, it is 
imperative that organizations and individuals learn to adapt. 
Approaching leadership strategically is a learned skill. Forward-
looking organizations proactively seek ways to advance the leadership 
capacities of the administrators they promote, or intend to promote, to 
senior and executive administration.
    Target Audience: Wardens, Associate Wardens, Jail Administrators, 
or Health Services Administrators who are serving in jails, state and 
federal prisons, as well as community corrections facilities with a 
demonstrated health care mission.
    Scope of Work: The cooperative agreement awardee will produce a 
complete training curriculum using a blended learning format designed 
with ITIP model instruction, which will contain an instructor/
facilitator's guide with associated tools, materials, and resources 
with a final, agreed upon curriculum delivered to NIC no later than 
January 30, 2013; a participant resource guide to be used in 
conjunction with all training activities; instructional aides and 
materials, including presentation slide shows, CDs, charts, handouts, 
case studies, assessments, etc. to support instruction and 
facilitation; and a pilot demonstration training facilitation and 
delivery.
    The schedule of activities for project completion should include, 
at a minimum, the following activities (for the development of the 
blended curriculum): Meet with the NIC project manager for a project 
overview and initial planning; review materials provided by NIC, 
including the Correctional Health Care Executive Competency Profile 
(September 2011); meet with NIC staff to draft a framework for the 
curriculum, including content topics, performance objectives, estimated 
timeframes, sequencing, and potential instructional strategies; meet 
with NIC staff to outline content for each module and assign writers; 
write lesson plans; exchange lesson plans among the writers for review; 
revise lesson plans; send lesson plans to advisory committee for review 
and comment (the committee comprises five members identified by NIC and 
paid by the awardee); meet with NIC staff to review comments and agree 
on draft curriculum revisions; revise lesson plans; develop a 
participant manual, presentation slides, and program overview; submit a 
final draft of all curriculum materials to NIC for review; revise as 
directed by NIC; and submit final curriculum in hard copy and on a USB 
flash drive in Microsoft Word format.
    The awardee, in conjunction with NIC, will identify up to four 
trainers for the 36-hour classroom training program, contract with and 
pay all costs associated with the trainers, including travel, lodging, 
meals, fees, and miscellaneous expenses. NIC will secure training space 
at the National Corrections Academy in Aurora, CO; select pilot program 
participants (12); notify participants of selection and program 
details; supply training equipment and materials; and provide for 
participant lodging, meals, and transportation.
    Application Requirements: An application package must include: OMB 
Standard Form 424, 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); an outline 
of projected costs with the budget and strategy narratives described in 
this announcement; a project summary/abstract; and a sample curriculum. 
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 project by 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 the full proposal (program and budget 
narrative, application forms, assurances and other descriptions). The 
originals should have the applicant's signature in blue ink. Electronic 
submissions will be accepted only via http://www.grants.gov.
    The single-page project summary/abstract portion of the application 
should include a concise summary of the application's project 
description and a brief description of the critical elements of the 
proposed project. Place the following information at the top of the 
abstract: Project title; applicant name; mailing address; contact 
telephone number & e-mail address; and any applicable Web site URLs.
    The narrative portion of the cooperative agreement application 
should include, at a minimum: A brief statement indicating the 
applicant's understanding of the purpose of this cooperative agreement; 
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 clearly developed work plan with 
measurable project milestones and timelines for the completion of each 
milestone; a description of the

[[Page 44958]]

qualifications of the applicant organization and any partner 
organizations doing the work proposed, and the expertise of key staff 
to be involved in the project; and a budget that details all costs for 
the project, shows a consideration for all contingencies for the 
project, notes a commitment to work within the proposed budget, and 
demonstrates the ability to provide deliverables reasonably according 
to schedule.
    The narrative portion of the application should not exceed 10 
double-spaced typewritten pages, excluding attachments related to the 
credentials and relevant experience of staff.
    In addition to the project summary/abstract and narrative, the 
applicant must submit one full sample curricula developed by the 
primary curriculum developers named in the application. The sample 
curriculum must include lesson plans, presentation slides, and a 
participant manual.

    Authority:  Public Law 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 (up to $100,000) may be 
used only for the activities linked to the desired outcome of the 
project.
    Eligibility of Applicants: Eligible applicants include any state or 
general unit of local government, private agencies, educational 
institutions, individuals, organizations, or teams 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 a NIC review process consisting of a 
three to five person team. Evaluation will be based on criteria such 
as: Clarity of applicant's understanding of project tasks; background, 
experience, and expertise of the proposed project staff, including 
subcontractors; specific experience with and expertise in local jail 
and/or prison health care administration; innovative approaches, 
techniques, or design aspects that enhance the project; experience with 
curriculum design based on ITIP; experience in designing, managing, 
facilitating, or delivering training on correctional health-care-
related topics; clarity of the description of all project elements and 
tasks; technical soundness of the project design and methodology; 
financial and administrative integrity of the proposal, including 
adherence to federal financial guidelines and processes; a sufficiently 
detailed budget that shows consideration of all contingencies for this 
project and a commitment to work within the proposed budget; an 
indication of availability to meet with NIC staff at various points 
during the project; and design and quality of sample curriculum.

    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).

    Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the 
dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-800-333-0505. 
Applicants who are sole proprietors should dial 1-866-705-5711 and 
select option 1.
    Applicants may register in the CRR online at the CCR Web site, 
http://www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and 
worksheet at this Web site.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 11AD11. 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: 16.601

    Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the 
provisions of Executive Order 12372.
    NIC expects this award to be signed by September 30, 2011.

Thomas J. Beauclair,
Deputy Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2011-18985 Filed 7-26-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P