[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20611-20613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08096]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Agreement for a Social Impact Partnership Project
AGENCY: Department of the Treasury.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for
Results Act (``SIPPRA''), the U.S. Department of the Treasury
(``Treasury''), the U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL''), and the New
York State Energy and Research Development Authority (``NYSERDA'') have
entered into an agreement for a social impact partnership project (the
``Project Grant Agreement'').
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Project Grant Agreement contains the
following features:
(1) The outcome goals of the social impact partnership project:
The project expects to increase employment and earnings of low
income individuals who may experience barriers to employment and
increase the financial stability of low-income families.
(2) A description of each intervention in the project:
The project's interventions will be delivered by training providers
located in several priority geographic regions across New York State.
Training providers will be subcontracted by NYSERDA who will oversee
implementation and administration of the interventions.
Training providers will provide clean energy job training and
supportive services to eligible and enrolled individuals. Common
intervention features and strategies across participating providers
will include:
Sectoral employment training focused on energy efficiency
occupations and leading to industry recognized technical certifications
(e.g., Building Performance Institute (BPI)
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and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), among
others);
Work-based learning, including opportunities for
apprenticeships and on-the-job training;
Cohort models, which facilitate persistence and
completion, particularly for youth;
Direct employment of completers by training providers who
are also contractors, or well-established linkages to employers, which
facilitates job placement;
``Soft skills'' and ``21st Century Skills'' training; and
Supportive services, such as childcare and transportation.
(3) The target population that will be served by the project:
The project will serve low-income individuals in New York State
whose household income is below 60% of the State Median Income,
including those participating in Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), and other benefit programs.
Priority populations include individuals who are long-term unemployed
and youth who are 16 to 24 years of age.
(4) The expected social benefits to participants who receive the
intervention and others who may be impacted:
The primary expected social benefits from the project include:
Increased employment opportunities and earnings for long-
term unemployed individuals and youth;
Reduced dependence of low-income families on federal
means-tested benefits; and
Increased financial stability of low-income families.
(5) The detailed roles, responsibilities, and purposes of each
Federal, State, or local government entity, intermediary, service
provider, independent evaluator, investor, or other stakeholder:
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Role Entity Responsibilities
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Government Entity/Funder...... NYSERDA.......... Manage
SIPPRA funds flow
between Treasury and
Project.
Fund
training services.
PFS Intermediary.............. Social Finance, Lead project
Inc. design and support
government entity
contracting and fund
management.
Oversee and
support evaluation.
Provide
active performance
management services
to monitor project
indicators and
outcomes and
facilitate
governance
committees.
Independent Evaluator......... MDRC............. Evaluate
whether pre-
determined outcomes
have been achieved.
Analyze
federal budgetary
impact observed.
Produce
Evaluation Progress
Reports bi-annually
and a Final
Evaluation Report
within six months of
project completion.
Service/Training Provider TRC Companies, Support
Technical Assistance. Inc. NYSERDA in
implementation of
interventions by
contracted service
providers delivering
job training and
supportive workforce
services (e.g.,
Green City Force).
Training Providers............ Green City Force Identify and
and others. enroll eligible
individuals in
designated
geographic region.
Deliver
clean energy
workforce services
(job training and
supportive services)
to enrolled
individuals and
support their
placement into
employment.
Report and
share programmatic
data with Service
Provider and other
Project partners as
necessary.
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(6) The payment terms, the methodology used to calculate outcome
payments, the payment schedule, and performance thresholds:
NYSERDA will deliver the job training to three different cohorts.
Cohort 1 will receive the training in project year 1; cohort 2 will
receive the training in project year 2; and cohort 3 will receive the
training in project year 3. To calculate the outcome payment, the
average annual earnings of the treatment group will be compared to the
average annual earnings of the control group, for six years after
program services, or follow-up years. As a result, the project will
measure six outcomes, with a single outcome payment to be calculated
for each project year from project years 4 through 6 (covering follow-
up years 1 through 3, respectively, for all cohorts) and three outcome
payments in project year 7 (covering follow-up year 4 for all cohorts,
follow-up year 5 for cohorts 1 and 2 and follow-up year 6 for cohort
1).
The outcome payment is determined using a tiered outcome payment
scheme based on levels of success in achieving the outcome. While the
average increase in earnings due to the treatment is calculated at the
level of the follow-up year, individuals within each cohort and follow-
up year may differ in income. Thus, the payouts are calculated by
combining the cohort-level increase in income due to the treatment with
individual-level income data.
(7) The project budget:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN20AP21.006
[[Page 20613]]
(8) The project timeline:
The project timeline covers the seven-and-a-half-year period
starting June 2021 through November 2028. Service delivery is expected
to be implemented over three years in three cohorts. Evaluation is to
be conducted over six, five, and four years after service delivery is
completed for each cohort, respectively, with the final evaluation
report being completed in the six months following the project period.
(9) The project eligibility criteria:
Providers will identify eligible participants using a variety of
outreach tactics and referral channels that leverage local and
community partners and networks and will employ a comprehensive
recruitment and enrollment process that is tailored to the target
population. The application process will include multiple stages that
assess applicants' skills, interest and motivation, as well as
potential needs or barriers to be addressed.
Each service provider will have access to a pool of interested
applicants through the agencies in which they are housed and through
their network of community-based organizations.
(10) The evaluation design:
A randomized controlled trial will be conducted in which eligible
and interested individuals would be randomly assigned to a group
eligible for the clean energy training program and other services or to
a control group not eligible for the program.
(11) The metrics that will be used in the evaluation to determine
whether the outcomes have been achieved as a result of each
intervention and how these metrics will be measured:
Annual earnings will be measured using wage records from the New
York State Unemployment Insurance (UI) system.
(12) The estimate of the savings to the Federal, State, and local
government, on a program-by-program basis and in the aggregate, if the
agreement is entered into and implemented and the outcomes are achieved
as a result of each intervention:
The estimated savings to the federal government is the $7.1 M.
The estimated savings to State is $3.6M.
Kathleen Victorino,
SIPPRA Program Director, Office of Economic Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-08096 Filed 4-19-21; 8:45 am]
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