[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)

[[Page 20612]]

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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Role                     Entity          Responsibilities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (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]
BILLING CODE 4810-AK-P