[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 144 (Thursday, July 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43864-43865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18225]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--Development of a 21st 
Century Corrections Learning Professional Competency Model

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 soliciting 
proposals from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a 
cooperative agreement in a twelve (12) month project period for the 
development of a Corrections Learning Professional Competency Model. 
This project will identify the workplace learning competencies needed 
by correctional learning/training professionals at different 
organizational levels. It will define the competency, identify the 
relevant knowledge needed for its development, describe behaviors that 
are reflective of the competency, identify the skills required to use 
and develop the competency and suggest training strategies appropriate 
to the competency. The competency model will provide the foundation and 
focus, in conjunction with the NIC Learning and Performance White Paper 
(to be completed October, 2012), and the knowledge, skills, behaviors, 
responsibilities, and tasks needed for the future development and 
delivery of corrections learning work within the NIC Academy and the 
field of corrections. It will also provide a model for learning 
professionals in the field of corrections.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 
9, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Applicants will be encouraged to submit their proposals 
electronically via http://www.grants.gov. Applications may also be sent 
to: Director, National Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street NW., 
Room 5002, Washington, DC 20534. Applicants submitting proposals non-
electronically should provide three unbound copies of all documents and 
are encouraged to use Federal Express, UPS, or similar service to 
ensure delivery by the due date. Faxed applications will not be 
accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All technical or programmatic 
questions concerning this announcement should be directed to Bernie 
Iszler, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of 
Corrections. She can be reached by calling 303-338-6618 or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: NIC has prioritized building training capacity in 
corrections agencies for decades. Historically the NIC Academy's work 
has included development of multiple curricula for corrections trainers 
and training administrators based on the field's needs, development of 
new technologies and the latest workplace learning research.
    As NIC envisions its work with corrections learning professionals 
in this century, we foresee multiple challenges that need to be 
addressed and explored including: A shift in roles from training 
director to learning and performance manager, from trainer to learning 
facilitator, a shift from only classroom content delivery to delivery 
in electronic platforms including synchronous and asynchronous 
sessions, a shift from training as an event to learning as a process 
including the creation of learning opportunities on a continuum from 
readiness preparation to on-demand just-in-time availability to 
coaching in the workplace. These shifts call for the development of a 
new competency model that places the learning professional in a 
position to enhance the performance of their agency. (reference: ASTD 
Competency Study: Mapping the Future)
    Scope of Work: Tasks to be performed under this cooperative 
agreement include: (1) Identify the competencies needed by correctional 
learning leaders, training administrators, trainers, facilitators, 
adjunct trainers, subject matter experts and other levels of 
responsibility and job descriptions; (2) develop a profile for 
different levels of correctional learning professionals; (3) determine, 
list, and justify which competencies are most critical to each level; 
(4) identify a knowledge base and/or relevant theories required by the 
learning professional to use and develop the core competencies; (5) 
identify the skills required to use and develop the competencies at 
each level; (6) identify behaviors that reflect the core competencies 
at each level; and (7) provide tools with which NIC and correctional 
learning professionals in the field can use to revise and develop 
programs with appropriate combination of theoretical and skill-based 
content. Deliverables will include: (1) A brief narrative review of the 
project; (2) Learning professional profiles at different levels of 
responsibility and job descriptions; (3) A narrative describing 
existing workplace learning professional competencies; and (4) The 
Corrections

[[Page 43865]]

Learning Professional Competency Model format in the form of a matrix 
containing the name of each competency, and a definition and 
description of each competency. While this solicitation for a 
cooperative agreement has presented an outline for this project, this 
cooperative agreement welcomes innovative ideas regarding the process 
and final competency model product.
    Specific Requirements: Documents or other media that are produced 
under this award must follow these guidelines: Prior to the preparation 
of the final draft of any document or other media, the awardee must 
consult with NIC's Writer/Editor concerning the acceptable formats for 
manuscript submissions and the technical specifications for electronic 
media. For all awards in which a document will be a deliverable, the 
awardee must follow the guidelines listed herein, as well as follow 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 www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements.
    All final documents and other media submitted for posting on the 
NIC Web site must meet the federal government's requirement for 
accessibility (508 PDF or HTML file). The awardee must provide 
descriptive text interpreting all graphics, photos, graphs, and/or 
multimedia to be included with or distributed alongside the materials 
and must provide transcripts for all applicable audio/visual works.
    Application Requirements: Applications should be concisely written, 
typed double spaced and reference the project by the ``NIC Opportunity 
Number'' and Title in this announcement. The package must include: 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); 
a program narrative not to exceed 20 pages, in response to the 
statement of work and a budget narrative explaining projected costs. 
Applicants may submit a description of the project teams' 
qualifications and expertise relevant to the project, but should not 
attach lengthy resumes. Large attachments to the proposal describing 
the organization or examples of other past work are discouraged. The 
following forms must also be included: OMB Standard Form 424, 
Application for Federal Assistance; OMB Standard Form 424A, Budget 
information--Non-Construction Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B, 
Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (these forms are available at 
http://www.grants.gov) and DOJ/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying; 
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and the Drug-
Free Workplace Requirements (available at http://nicic.gov/Downloads/General/certif-frm.pdf.
    Applications may be submitted in hard copy, or electronically via 
http://www.grants.gov. If submitted in hard copy, there needs to be an 
original and three copies of the full proposal (program and budget 
narratives, application forms and assurances). The original should have 
the applicant's signature in blue ink.

    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 only be used for 
the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the project.
    Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any public or 
private agency, educational institution, organization, individual or 
team with expertise in the described areas.
    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 seven project tasks adequately discussed? Is there a 
clear statement of how each task will be accomplished, to include: 
Major sub-tasks, 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 complete the tasks listed under the scope of 
work? Does the applicant organization, group, or individual have the 
organizational capacity to achieve all seven project tasks? Are the 
proposed project management and staffing plans realistic and sufficient 
to complete the project within the project 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 CRR can be done online at the CCR Web site: 
http://www.bpn.gov/ccr. A CCR Handbook and worksheet can also be 
reviewed at the Web site.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 12AC16. 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.

James Cosby,
Acting Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2012-18225 Filed 7-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P