[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39514-39516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16276]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Women Offenders: 
Developing an Agencywide Approach

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) is seeking 
applications from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a 
18-month cooperative agreement to implement a blended-learning training 
program entitled Women Offenders: Developing an Agencywide Approach. 
This project will be completed in conjunction with the NIC Community 
Services Division and the awardee will work closely with NIC staff on 
all aspects of the project. To be considered, applicants must 
demonstrate, at a minimum, in-depth knowledge of (1) evidence-based, 
gender-responsive research and knowledge and practice in the policy, 
programming, and operation of women's jails, prisons, and community 
supervision agencies; (2) the preparation needed for the delivery of a 
blended-learning curriculum to correctional audiences and related 
stakeholders; (3) specific examples of expertise in directing 
implementation of similar projects in which blended learning was used; 
and (4) working collaboratively with correctional leadership and 
related stakeholders.

DATES: Applications must be received by August 15, 2012.

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.
    Hand delivered applications should be brought to 500 First Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20534. At the front security desk, dial 7-3106, 
ext. 0 for pickup.
    Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted. Electronic 
applications can only 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 Maureen Buell, Correctional Program 
Specialist, National Institute of Corrections, Community Services 
Division. Ms. Buell can be reached directly at 1-800-995-6423 ext. 
40121 or by email at [email protected]. In addition to the direct reply, 
all questions and responses will be posted on NIC's Web site at 
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 date of this 
cooperative agreement solicitation. Only questions received by 12:00 
p.m. (EDT) on August 8, 2012 will be posted on the NIC Web site.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Established by Congress in 1974, NIC has worked closely 
with federal, state, and local jails, prisons, and community 
corrections on a broad range of initiatives. Related to this 
solicitation, NIC has worked diligently to develop products through 
collaborative partnerships that reflect research and experience 
relevant to justice-involved women. Within that body of work, there is 
an awareness that correctional policy and practice has been created to 
manage primarily male offenders and then applied to female populations, 
bypassing issues that contribute to women's pathways to criminal 
justice involvement, imprisonment, transition/reentry, and community 
supervision. The program in this solicitation, Women Offenders: 
Developing an Agencywide Approach, provides a roadmap for agency 
planners to effect policy and practice in managing the increased 
numbers of justice-involved women.
    The delivery of this training event is designed for audiences of 
correctional leadership and management who influence agency policy and 
practice and are invested in improving systemic (i.e., improved 
management of correctional resources, including staff, programs, use of 
physical space, etc.) and individual outcomes (i.e., risk reduction/
recidivism, reduction in behavioral health symptoms) in the management 
of women committed to the justice system. The blended-learning program 
will be hosted regionally.
    Scope of Work: The awardee will use the existing curricula, Women

[[Page 39515]]

Offenders: Developing an Agencywide Approach, and other adjunct 
materials already developed for use in the 2.5- to 3-day training 
events. Additionally, the awardee may add additional current and 
relevant materials that will enhance the quality of the program. The 
awardee will also ensure that any adaptations to program content and 
instructional strategies are previously approved by NIC and effectively 
contribute to meeting the program goals.
    All the activities noted will be conducted collaboratively with 
NIC. The awardee will (1) review and become familiar with the 
established curriculum, lesson plans, presentation slides, participant 
and trainer manuals, as well as any other adjunct training materials in 
preparation for program delivery. Any additional materials will be 
shared with NIC staff to ensure relevance and appropriateness to the 
established curriculum. (2) Pay fees and expenses for the instructors 
(faculty) delivering the program. If qualified, the project director 
and designated project staff may be included as instructors (faculty). 
(3) Work with NIC to print instructor and participant materials and 
assume additional costs not covered by NIC related to provision of the 
materials. The awardee will send one full set of these materials to NIC 
prior to the delivery of the program for approval. (4) Establish 
criteria for choosing the regional training sites while considering 
some of the following criteria: regions that have expressed interest in 
hosting and have access to appropriate space, a region's or 
jurisdiction's desire to implement and/or enhance current practice with 
its female offender population, geographic consideration (accessibility 
by participant teams without incurring costs that cannot be covered by 
the host agency [NIC will not be responsible for participant travel, 
lodging, or per diem costs]), agencies that are interested in 
developing and/or enhancing correctional partnerships. (5) Select 
instructors (faculty) with appropriate expertise and knowledge, 
negotiate their work, pay their fees and expenses, and supervise their 
work. (6) Actively work with NIC to determine participant team 
eligibility and notify participant teams of program acceptance. (7) 
Sequence blended-learning training events to include what activities 
will occur before the onsite portion of the training, activities 
onsite, and post-training activities either virtual or onsite. The 
awardee will distribute materials to participant teams and faculty, 
deliver webinar events and engage after the training in followup tasks 
including ongoing, but time-limited, virtual coaching of participant 
teams. (8) Lead participant teams through a strategic planning process 
using the established curriculum. (9) Ensure that the NIC program 
evaluation form is both distributed to and collected from participants. 
The results will be shared with NIC to be used as feedback for future 
training.
    Document Length: The length of the application should be determined 
by content. Brevity and clarity are encouraged.
    Meetings: The cooperative agreement awardee will participate in an 
initial meeting with the NIC staff for a project overview and 
preliminary planning prior to September 15, 2012. Additionally, the 
awardee should plan to meet with NIC staff routinely to discuss the 
activities noted in the timeline (see below) during the course of the 
cooperative agreement. Meetings will be held no less than quarterly and 
may be conducted via webinar or in person as agreed upon by NIC and the 
awardee.
    Document preparation: For all awards in which a document will be a 
deliverable, the awardee must follow (1) the Guidelines for Preparing 
and Submitting Manuscripts for Publication as found in the ``General 
Guidelines for Cooperative Agreements,'' which can be found on our Web 
site at http://www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements; and (2) NIC 
recommendations for producing documents using plain language, which can 
be found at www.nicic.gov/plainlanguage.
    All final publications submitted for posting on the NIC Web site 
must meet the federal government's requirement for accessibility (508 
PDF, 508 HTML file, or other acceptable format). The awardee must 
provide descriptive text interpreting all graphics, photos, graphs, 
and/or multimedia associated with publication. All documents developed 
under this cooperative agreement must be submitted in draft form to NIC 
for review prior to the final products being delivered.
    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); an outline 
of projected costs with the budget and strategy narratives described in 
the 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 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.gov/Downloads/General/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 
www.grants.gov.
    Place the following at the top of the abstract: Project title; 
Applicant name (Legal name of applicant organization); Mailing address; 
Contact phone numbers (voice, fax); Email address, and; Web site 
address, if applicable.
    The narrative portion of the application should include, at a 
minimum, the following:
    Opening statement: A statement indicating the applicant's 
understanding of the project's purpose, goals, and objectives. The 
applicant should state this in language that is specific and that fully 
explains the proposed activities.
    Project Design and Implementation: This section should describe the 
design and implementation of the project fully as noted in the scope of 
work.
    Project Management: Include a chart of measurable project 
milestones and timelines for the completion of each aspect of the 
project.
    Capabilities and Competencies: This section should describe the 
qualifications of the applicant organization, any involvement of 
partner organizations, and the expertise of key staff to be involved in 
the project. Please attach resumes that document relevant knowledge, 
skills, and abilities to complete the project for the project principle 
and each staff member assigned. If the applicant organization has 
completed similar projects in the past, please include the URL/Web site 
or ISBN number for accessing a copy of the referenced work.
    Budget: The budget should detail all costs for the project, show 
consideration for all contingencies for the project, note a commitment 
to work within the proposed budget, and demonstrate the ability to 
provide deliverables according to schedule.


[[Page 39516]]


    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 may be used only for 
the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the project. 
The funding amount will not exceed $50,000 for a period of 18 months.
    Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any state or 
general unit of 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 reviewed by a team. 
Among the criteria used to evaluate the applications are indication of 
a clear understanding of the project requirements as stated in the 
solicitation; background, experience, and expertise of the proposed 
project staff, including any sub-contractors; effectiveness of an 
innovative approach to the project; clear, concise description of all 
elements and tasks of the project with sufficient and realistic time 
frames necessary to complete the tasks; technical soundness of 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 commitment to work within the 
proposed budget; and indication of availability to work with NIC staff.
    Applications received under this announcement will be subject to a 
collaborative review process. The criteria for the evaluation of each 
application will be as follows:

Programmatic: 40 Points

    Are all of the tasks and activities adequately covered? Is there a 
clear description of how each project activity will be accomplished, 
including major tasks; the strategies to be employed; required 
staffing; responsible parties, and other required resources? Are there 
any unique or exceptional approaches, techniques, or design aspects 
proposed that will enhance the project?

Project Management and Administration: 20 Points

    Does the applicant identify reasonable objectives, milestones, or 
measures to track progress? Are the proposed management and staffing 
plans clear, realistic, and sufficient to complete the project? Is the 
applicant willing to meet with NIC as specified in the solicitation for 
this cooperative agreement?

Organizational and Project Staff Background: 30 Points

    Do the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the organization and the 
proposed project staff demonstrate a high level of competency to 
complete the tasks? Does the applicant/organization have the necessary 
experience and organizational capacity to complete all goals of the 
project? If consultants and/or partnerships are proposed, is there a 
reasonable justification for their inclusion in the project and a clear 
structure to ensure effective coordination?

Budget: 10 Points

    Is the proposed budget realistic, does it provide sufficient cost 
detail/narrative, and does it represent good value relative to the 
anticipated results? Does the application include a chart that aligns 
the budget with project activities along a timeline with quarterly 
benchmarks? In terms of program value, is the estimated cost reasonable 
in relation to the work performed and project objectives?

    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 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: 
www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and worksheet at 
this Web site.
    Number of Awards: One
    NIC Opportunity Number: 12CS19. 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.

Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2012-16276 Filed 7-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P