[Federal Register: April 26, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 21579-21593]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26ap05-109]
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Part V
Department of Labor
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Employment and Training Administration
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Workforce Investment Act--Migrants and Seasonal Farmworker Programs
Solicitation for Grant Applications--National Farmworker Jobs Program;
Housing Assistance for Program Year 2005; Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Workforce Investment Act--Migrants and Seasonal Farmworker
Programs Solicitation for Grant Applications--National Farmworker Jobs
Program for Program Year 2005
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration.
ACTION: New. Initial announcement of a Program Year (PY) 2005 grant
competition for operating the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP)
under section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29
U.S.C. 9201.
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Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY 04-06.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.264.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (the Department or DOL),
Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of National
Programs (ONP), Division of Seasonal Farmworker Programs (DSFP),
announces a grant competition for operating the National Farmworker
Jobs Program (NFJP), under section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act
of 1998 (WIA), 29 U.S.C. 9201. All applicants for grant funds should
read this notice in its entirety.
Section 167, paragraph (a) of WIA requires that the Secretary award
grants or contracts on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the
purposes of carrying out the activities authorized under section 167.
Under this solicitation, DSFP anticipates that approximately
$71,690,318, allotted among State service areas, will be available for
grant awards for the NFJP.
Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this
announcement is May 27, 2005. Applications must be received at the
address below no later than 5 p.m., eastern standard time.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be directed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Room N-4438, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Division of Seasonal Farmworker Programs (DSFP) is
requesting grant applications for operating the National Farmworker
Jobs Program (NFJP) in accordance with section 167 of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29 U.S.C. 9201. The NFJP is designed to
serve economically disadvantaged persons who primarily depend on
employment in agricultural labor performed within the United States,
including Puerto Rico, who experience chronic unemployment or
underemployment. Qualifying participants are typically those persons
employed on a seasonal or part-time basis in the unskilled and semi-
skilled manual labor occupations in crop and animal production. Through
training and other workforce development services, the program is
intended to assist eligible migrants and seasonal farmworkers and their
families to prepare for jobs likely to provide stable, year-round
employment both within and outside agriculture.
In response to growing global competition, the U.S. economy is
engaged in a structural change that causes skill requirements to
constantly shift and calls on businesses to be agile in adapting to
change. Changing skill requirements and the demand for an enhanced
level of business flexibility calls for a competitive workforce, one
that can quickly acquire skills in demand. Creating a competitive
workforce also means taking full advantage of diversity in the
workforce so that no worker willing to acquire needed skills is left
behind. For agricultural employers and farmworkers, the transformation
of the U.S. economy will require that these customers have access to
the full spectrum of services available from local One-Stop Career
Centers, not just services funded through the WIA Section 167 program
(NFJP).
For the past three Fiscal/Program Years (FY/PY 2003, 2004, and FY
2005), ETA has pursued a strategy intended to increase farmworkers'
access to workforce investment services by supporting the One-Stop
Career Center system's continued movement towards universality and
integrated service delivery.
As part of ETA's continued commitment to this integration strategy,
in PY 2005 the agency will continue the emphasis begun in the PY 2003
grants competition for the NFJP that requires applicants responding to
this SGA to design their programs around priorities intended to support
the system's forward movement towards full integration of services, as
follows:
Expanding the Network of Employers Using the System of Integrated
Services--The number of employers that turn to the public workforce
investment system at any given time to meet their skill needs is an
important element in a strategy designed to increase the employment and
training opportunities available to farmworkers. Therefore, this
solicitation requires applicants to establish a goal to increase, per
year, the number of employers with whom they do business, and to
explain the strategy that will be implemented to meet the increase from
the baseline established.
Targeting Occupations in High Growth Industries--This solicitation
requires applicants to provide an analysis of the industries in the
State, particularly high growth industries; the occupations in those
industries for which farmworkers could be trained; the opportunities
that exist for farmworkers to gain access to those occupations in the
areas where they live and work; as well as develop a plan for outreach
to those employers to ensure access for farmworkers to employment
opportunities. A description of the economic conditions in the State,
and how these conditions influence the availability of jobs in high
growth industries, should be included.
A Balanced Program of Activities--Among the list of activities that
can be provided through the WIA Section 167 (NFJP) program are services
often referred to as related assistance. These services are primarily
supportive services intended to assist farmworkers to enter training or
retain their employment. While related assistance services are an
important component in the menu of services provided to farmworkers,
the central focus of the NFJP remains those employment and training
services that lead to higher skilled and higher paid employment for
farmworkers, either inside or outside agriculture. Applicants will be
expected to describe how their intended mix of program services
reflects the central importance of employment and training services
that leverage economic outcomes for farmworkers.
Making Operational an Integration of Services for Farmworkers in
the One-Stop Career Center System--Achieving better integration of
employment and training services funded under the NFJP with the WIA
adult and dislocated worker formula-funded job training and related
services is a major ETA policy goal for the workforce investment
system. This policy goal was established in PY 2003 and reflected in
that year's SGA competition. It has continued to be pursued through a
variety of strategies. Better integration of services within the One-
Stop system can significantly increase the number of farmworkers who
receive high quality workforce investment services that lead to
improved employment and earnings. Applicants will be expected to
describe
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the strategic planning and operational steps they will undertake to
have a significant impact on services integration.
The NFJP is subject to the requirements found at WIA Section 167
and the Department's regulations at 20 CFR part 669. This program is
also subject to the requirements of 29 CFR parts 93 (New Restrictions
on Lobbying), 96 (Audit Requirements), and 98 (Debarment, Suspension,
and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements), as well as the non-
discrimination regulations implementing WIA Section 188 at 29 CFR part
37. Applicants should be familiar with these requirements and consult
the WIA regulations at 20 CFR parts 660 through 671 in developing their
grant proposals. Should the regulations at part 669 of WIA conflict
with regulations elsewhere in 20 CFR, the regulations at part 669 will
control.
In addition, this program is subject to the provisions of the
``Jobs for Veterans Act,'' Public Law 107-288, which provides priority
of service to veterans and certain of their spouses in all Department
of Labor-funded job training programs. Please note that, to obtain
priority of service, a veteran must first meet the NFJP's eligibility
requirements.
The NFJP is subject to the common performance measures for job
training and employment programs established by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). Guidance on the common performance
measures can be found in ETA's Training and Employment Notice (TEN) No.
8-02 (March 27, 2003), available at http://ows.doeta.gov/dmstree/ten/ten2k2/ten_08-02.htm
.
Applications submitted in response to this SGA are required to
include estimates of expected performance against these common
performance measures. The common performance measures are: Entered
Employment, Employment Retention, and Earnings Increase. Applicants
will be required to describe the reporting system they will establish
to allow for data collection sufficient to report results against the
common measures. The NFJP will begin data collection for these common
measures in PY 2005 (July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006).
II. Award Information
The type of assistance instrument to be used for the NFJP is the
grant. Grants awarded through this solicitation will be for a two-year
period, as prescribed in WIA Section 167. Please be advised that the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (Pub. L. 108-447) provided
funding for the NFJP for PY 2005 only (July 1, 2005 through June 30,
2006). Therefore, second year funding will be dependent on the
availability of funding through the FY 2006 appropriations process.
The amount available nationally for the NFJP State service area
allotments is $71,690,318. State allotments are established through a
formula process, and are published in a separate Federal Register
notice. Please refer to our Web site (http://www.doleta.gov/MSFW/pdf/allocationtable.pdf
) for a list of individual State allocations. The
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 House and Senate Reports provide
that no State area shall receive less than 85 percent of its 1998
funding level; however, it also contained a mandatory rescission of
.080 percent that applied to all programs. The total of $71,690,318
available for allocation for formula grants is a result of applying
this rescission.
For purposes of this grant application, applications are solicited
for a single NFJP operation per State, to serve the migrant and
seasonal farmworkers of each State and Puerto Rico, with the following
exceptions:
Connecticut and Rhode Island are a combined State service
area;
Delaware and Maryland are a combined State service area;
Applications for the combined State service areas
mentioned above must address the two States as a single geographic
area, but the proposed service delivery plan for the combined State
area must show that consideration has been given to the entire
population of migrant and seasonal farmworkers working or residing
within the combined geographic area;
Between 4 and 6 applications will be selected to operate
the NFJP program in the agricultural counties in California; and
No application will be accepted to provide services in
Alaska due to the State's small relative share of seasonal agricultural
employment.
Please be advised that in the event that no grant application is
received for a State, or all applications received are considered not
fundable by the Grant Officer after the panel review and scoring
process, or a grant agreement is not successfully negotiated with a
selected applicant, the Department will offer the Governor of that
State a ``right of first refusal'' to submit an acceptable application,
if that State has not applied (i.e., if no State agency in that State
applied for a grant in this competition). If the Governor does not
accept this offer within 15 days after being notified, the Department
will designate another organization to operate the NFJP in that State.
In cases where the State agency was an applicant, and all applications
are found not fundable or are not successfully negotiated, the
Department will designate another organization to operate the NFJP in
that State.
Note: Selection of an organization as a grantee does not
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before
the actual grant is awarded, the Department may enter into
negotiations about such items as program components, staffing and
funding levels, and administrative systems in place to support grant
implementation. If the negotiations do not result in a mutually
acceptable submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to
terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the application.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants--Applicants need not be a current or prior WIA
Section 167 grantee to establish eligibility to be awarded a grant
under this solicitation. States, Local Workforce Investment Boards
(LWIBs), faith-based and community organizations, institutions of
higher learning, and other entities capable of delivering services on a
statewide basis are all examples of organizations eligible to apply for
WIA Section 167 grants.
WIA Section 167(b) describes entities eligible to receive a grant
as those that have:
--An understanding of the problems of eligible migrant and seasonal
farmworkers, including their dependents;
--A familiarity with the geographical area to be served; and
--A demonstrated capacity to effectively administer a diversified
program of workforce investment activities for eligible migrant and
seasonal farmworkers.
Additionally, to be responsive to the requirements of this
solicitation, applicants must demonstrate how the strategies contained
in their applications will support the priorities described in Section
I of this solicitation, i.e., expanding the network of employers using
the system of integrated services; targeting occupations in high growth
industries; implementing a program of services that balances training
and employment services with other program interventions; and making
operational better integration of services for farmworkers.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will work with the State
Workforce Investment Board (State Board) or Local Workforce Investment
Boards (LWIB), or One-Stop operators in the service area(s) to assure
an integrated service delivery approach to farmworkers through the
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local One-Stop system. This may include strategic planning and
operational steps taken by the applicant and the State Board or LWIBs
likely to have a significant impact on services integration.
If the applicant is a State, an LWIB or a One-Stop Career Center
operator applying on behalf of the LWIB, the application must instead
demonstrate how efforts have been/will be undertaken to integrate
services provided by all One-Stop partners to enhance the workforce
services provided to farmworkers, the expected outcomes, and the ``next
steps'' to be undertaken to continue to improve on any past integration
efforts.
Cost Sharing or Matching--The WIA section 167 program does not
require grantees to share costs or provide matching funds.
Other Eligibility Criteria--In accordance with 29 CFR part 98,
entities that are debarred or suspended shall be excluded from Federal
financial assistance and are ineligible to receive a WIA Section 167
grant.
Prior to awarding a grant, the Department will conduct a
responsibility review of each potential grantee through available
records. The responsibility review relies on examining available
records to determine if an applicant has a satisfactory history of
accounting for Federal funds and property. The responsibility review is
independent of the competitive process. Applicants failing to meet the
standards of the responsibility review may be disqualified for
selection as grantees, irrespective of their standing in the
competition. Any applicant that is not selected as a result of the
responsibility review will be advised of their appeal rights. The
responsibility tests that will be applied are those present in the WIA
regulations (20 CFR 667.170).
Legal rules pertaining to inherently religious activities by
organizations that receive Federal financial assistance--The government
is generally prohibited from providing direct financial assistance for
inherently religious activities. Please note that, in this context, the
term direct financial assistance means financial assistance that is
provided directly by a government entity or an intermediate
organization, as opposed to financial assistance that an organization
receives as the result of the genuine and independent private choice of
a beneficiary. These grants may not be used for religious instruction,
worship, prayer, proselytizing, or other inherently religious
activities. Neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor
disfavor religion must be employed in the selection of grant recipients
and sub-recipients.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Address To Request Application Package
This Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) includes all
information and forms needed to apply for this funding opportunity. If
additional copies of forms are needed, they can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/msfw, or at the Federal Register Web site, http://www.gpoaccess.gov.
Content and Form of Application Submission
An application must include two (2) separate and distinct parts:
Part I--a cost proposal and Part II--a technical proposal. Applications
that fail to adhere to the instructions in this section will be
considered non-responsive and will not be considered. Part I of the
proposal is the Cost Proposal and must include the following items:
A cover letter, an original plus two (2) copies of the
proposal, and an ink-signed original SF-424, ``Application for Federal
Assistance'' (Appendix A) must be submitted. Beginning October 12,
2003, all applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities are
required to have a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number (see OMB Notice of
Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402; June 27, 2003). Applicants must
supply their DUNS number in item 5 of the new SF-424 issued by
OMB (Rev. 9-2003). The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification
number that uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS
number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access
this Web site: http://www.dunandbradstreet.com. You can also call 1-
866-705-5711.
The Standard Form (SF) 424-A (Appendix B). In preparing
the budget form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative
explanation to support the request. The budget narrative should break
down the budget and should discuss precisely how administrative costs
support the project goals.
Part II of the application is the Technical Proposal,
which demonstrates the applicant's capabilities to plan and implement
the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this
solicitation. The Technical Proposal should be limited to 40 numbered
pages, double-spaced, single-sided, in 12-point text font and one-inch
margins. Letters of support and any required attachments will not be
subject to the page limitations; letters of support will not be
included in the materials provided to the panel for review of the
proposal. If any attachments are included, please label accordingly and
specify the content of the attachment.
No cost data or reference to prices should be included in
the Technical Proposal. Instead, applicants should provide a two-page
abstract summarizing the proposed project and applicant profile
information, including the applicant's name, the project title, and the
funding level requested. The two-page abstract is not included in the
40 page limit.
Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be
considered.
Submission Dates and Times
The closing date for receipt of applications under this
announcement is May 27, 2005. Applications must be received at the
address below no later than 5 p.m. Eastern time. Applications sent by
e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (fax) will not be accepted. Applications
that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be
honored. No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set
forth in this notice will be granted.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Reference SGA/DFA PY 04-06, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4430, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants
are advised that mail delivery in the Washington, DC area may be
delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered
proposals will be received at the above address.
Applicants may apply online at http://www.grants.gov. For
applicants submitting electronic applications via Grants.gov, it is
strongly recommended that you immediately initiate and complete the
``Get Started'' steps to register with Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted.
Registration will probably take multiple
days to complete which should be factored into plans for electronic
application submission in order to avoid facing unexpected delays that
could result in the rejection of your application. It is recommended
that applicants experiencing problems with electronic submission submit
their application by overnight mail until the electronic issues are
resolved.
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Late Applications
Any application received after the exact date and time specified
for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be
considered, unless it is received before awards are made and it (a) was
sent by the U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail not later
than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of
applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th
of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) was
sent by the U.S. Postal service Express Mail or Online to addressee not
later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing or electronic submission one
(1) day prior to the date specified for receipt of applications. It is
highly recommended that online submissions be completed one working day
prior to the date specified for receipt of applications to ensure that
the applicant still has the option to submit by U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail in the event of any electronic submission problems. ``Post
marked'' means a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed impression
(exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is readily
identifiable, without further action, as having been supplied or
affixed on the date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal
Service. Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk to place
a legible hand cancellation ``bull's eye'' postmark on both the receipt
and the package. Failure to adhere to the above instructions will be
basis for a determination of nonresponsiveness.
Intergovernmental Review
Executive Order No. 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs,'' and the implementing regulations at 29 CFR part 17 are
applicable to this program. Under these requirements, an applicant must
provide a copy of the funding proposal for comment to the States that
have established a consultation process under the Executive Order.
Applications must be submitted to the State's Single Point of Contact
(SPOC), no later than the deadline for submission of the application to
the Department. For States that have not established a consultative
process under E.O. 12372, but have a State Workforce Investment Board
(State Board), the State Board will be the SPOC. For WIA implementation
purposes, this consultative process fulfills the requirement of WIA
Section 167(e) concerning consultation with Governors and Local
Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB). To strengthen the implementation of
E.O. 12372, the Department establishes the following timeframe for the
treatment of comments from the State's SPOC on WIA Section 167
applications: (1) The SPOC must submit comments, if any, to the
Department and to the applicant, no later than 30 days after the
deadline date for the submission of applications; (2) the applicant's
response to the SPOC comments, if any, must be submitted to the
Department no later than 15 days after the postmarked date of the
comments from the SPOC; (3) the Department will notify the SPOC (with
copy to the applicant) of its decision regarding the SPOC comments and
applicant response; and (4) the Department will implement that decision
within 10 days after it has notified the SPOC.
The names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the Office of
Management and Budget's (OMB) home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html
.
Funding and Other Restrictions
Grantees are limited to applying no more than 15 percent of the
grant for administrative costs (see definition of administrative costs
at 20 CFR part 667.220). Administrative costs higher than 15 percent of
the grant will not be approved.
Other Submission Requirements
All other material required to be submitted is identified in the
various sections of this solicitation.
V. Application Review Information Criteria
The following review criteria, totaling a maximum of 100 points,
apply to all applications:
Understanding the Problems of the Eligible Migrants and Seasonal
Farmworkers in the State Service Area--20 Points
Applicants must describe the economy (agricultural and non-
agricultural) in the geographic area they propose to serve, the
employment outlook for the area, including the number of employers with
whom they currently work, new employers with whom they expect to work
and the strategies to be used to attract new employers, a plan for the
continued expansion of the employer network expected to be the major
source of job opportunities for migrants and seasonal farmworkers to
enter into employment, and how economic conditions and employer hiring
needs affect the employment prospects of eligible migrant and seasonal
farmworkers.
This section must also include a detailed description of the labor
market, both agricultural and non-agricultural, the economic conditions
expected during the course of the program year, and the hiring
implications those economic conditions pose for the employers in the
area. In addition, this section must include a discussion of projected
high growth occupations in the service area that hold the potential for
improved employment and earnings for farmworkers, and the strategies to
be used in securing those opportunities for farmworkers.
Applicants must also describe the socio-economic characteristics
and problems of eligible farmworkers, and their dependents, in the
proposed service area, and describe what implications economic
conditions, the labor market outlook, and the analysis of potential
high growth occupations hold for the workforce strategies proposed
through this solicitation, given the socio-economic characteristics of
the eligible population to be served.
Scoring on this factor will be based on how well the applicant
demonstrates its understanding of the local economy and how local
economic conditions help to define the challenges to be met, and the
problems to overcome, in improving farmworkers' employment and
earnings. Scoring will also be based on how well the proposal
demonstrates the nexus between economic conditions, the characteristics
of the eligible farmworkers, and the workforce investment strategies
proposed.
The review and evaluation of this factor will look closely for
evidence of an effective network of employers that provide improved job
placement opportunities, both within and outside agriculture, and the
strategies to be used to continue to expand this employer network in
the service area. The proposal should clearly describe the goal
established to increase the number of employers with whom they do
business, the baseline number to be used in measuring the increase, and
how this expanded employer network will result in improved employment
opportunities for farmworkers in higher-skilled, higher-paid
occupations.
Familiarity With the Proposed Service Area--20 Points
To achieve the goal of integrating services for farmworkers through
the One-Stop system, the applicant must have a clear understanding of
the One-Stop system in the area and the network of social, educational,
and health services available to help meet the diverse needs of the
eligible farmworkers in the service area.
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This section must include a description of the faith-based and
community organizations in the service area and the applicant's
experience in engaging these organizations in its service delivery
strategy for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. It should also include a
description of the services available through local service
organizations, including faith-based and community organizations, and
the applicant's strategy to mobilize those service organizations to
provide comprehensive services to farmworkers while optimizing the use
of limited NFJP resources, particularly supportive or related
assistance services.
The applicant must describe its prior experience, if any, and
demonstrated effectiveness in working with the One-Stop system to
provide services to farmworkers. Include a description of the efforts
to date to integrate services to farmworkers across all partners in the
One-Stop system, and the steps to be taken to further make operational
the integration of services.
These steps may include:
Participation in local/State activities to develop the WIA
formula funded five-year plan;
Participation in activities that connect workforce
investment and education with economic development planning;
Participation in activities that help the State Board or
LWIB to get more agricultural employers involved in the workforce
investment system;
Setting co-enrollment targets (between the NFJP and the
WIA formula funded programs) that represent a substantial increase in
services to farmworkers;
Creating better pathways to both basic and post-secondary
education, specifically with community colleges;
Entering into and implementing agreements with the State
Board or the LWIBs and One-Stop operators to significantly increase
outreach to farmworkers, and to significantly increase the number of
One-Stop staff who are cross-trained in NFJP/adult and dislocated
workers services and requirements.
Applicants must describe their experience with developing or
improving existing working relationships between partners in the One-
Stop system, and how that experience will be translated into improved
services integration for eligible farmworkers.
If the applicant is a State, an LWIB, or a One-Stop operator, this
section should instead include a detailed description of the efforts to
date to integrate services for farmworkers through the One-Stop system,
the success of those efforts, and the operational steps to be
undertaken to continue down the path of integration.
Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence presented of the
applicant's knowledge of and working relationship with the network of
workforce investment and related services in the service area,
including the One-Stop system, and the services offered by social,
educational, faith-based, community, and health organizations that are
available to assist farmworkers.
Scoring will also be based on the applicant's effectiveness and
success with causing these organizations to direct their resources to
address the needs of farmworkers in a way that leads to maximizing the
availability of limited NFJP resources while increasing the services
provided to farmworkers through the One-Stop and/or through these
service agencies.
If the applicant is a State, an LWIB or a One-Stop operator,
scoring will be based instead on the success of efforts to integrate
services to farmworkers through the One-Stop system and its partners,
or the demonstrated potential for increased services to farmworkers.
Any success to date in enrolling and serving farmworkers in WIA
formula-funded programs should be outlined.
Administrative Capacity--20 Points
Applicants must demonstrate that they have adequate management
information, performance management, case management, accounting, and
program and fiscal reporting systems in place to ensure program and
fiscal integrity. Because the NFJP has eligibility requirements for
participation in the program, the applicant must also describe the
eligibility determination and verification system in place that will
allow for correct eligibility determinations and minimize enrollment of
ineligible participants. Additionally, all ETA-funded job training
programs, including the NFJP, will have to implement a data validation
initiative intended to ensure that the data collected and reported to
ETA is accurate. An applicant's participant and reporting system must
be able to implement data validation procedures, as described in TEGL
3-03, 3-03 change 1, and 3-03 change 2 (OMB clearance issued August 31,
2004).
Applicants must describe their systems in support of program
integrity, such as management information, performance management, and
program participation (including individual participant records),
needed for reporting and performance accountability and management, and
to establish and maintain a client-centered case management system.
Applicants are reminded that the NFJP is subject to the common measures
for job training and employment (Entered Employment, Employment
Retention, and Earnings Gain Increase, described earlier in this
solicitation), and will have to implement the data collection and
reporting requirements for these measures during PY 2005. Therefore,
the data collection and reporting system, and its link to performance
management and accountability, must be described in detail.
Fiscal integrity is a critical component of operating any
federally-funded program. The applicant must describe a system that is
sufficient to prepare financial reports and to trace funds to adequate
levels of expenditures to ensure lawful spending. The system must have
the capacity to track spending by program, to ensure that, for those
organizations with funding from more than one Federal program,
expenditures are posted against the appropriate program. Applicants
must also describe their capacity to manage the supportive services,
also described as related assistance services, and to account for
expenditures related to these services.
The NFJP is required to use electronic reporting via the Internet.
Applicants must describe their capacity to provide the equipment,
access, and staff qualified to perform on-line reporting. The applicant
must also demonstrate its capacity to provide case management as well
as the electronic tools to be utilized (PC, software, Internet access,
and e-mail accounts) to implement a client-centered, case management
system.
Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence of effective
systems for performance accountability and management, program and
fiscal reporting, case management, eligibility determination and
verification, as well as the ability to report electronically through
the Internet.
Proposed Plan of Services--40 Points
The proposed service plan should describe in detail the major
program activities proposed for the State service area in PY 2005. The
proposal should include a description of how these program activities
will support the priorities identified in section I of this
solicitation: expanding the network of employers; targeting high growth
occupations; a balanced program of activities; and taking the steps to
make operational the integration of services to farmworkers through the
One-Stop system.
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The proposal should describe the vision, strategy, goals and
objectives that guide the proposed plan of service and the results
expected from implementing the proposed plan. It should include a
description of how this service plan will strengthen migrant and
seasonal farmworkers' ability to obtain or retain employment, to access
employment opportunities in high growth occupations, and/or to upgrade
their employment opportunities within agriculture, if they so choose.
The plan should provide clear evidence that the service plan expands
the workforce and related services available to farmworkers due to a
closer integration between the NFJP service strategy and the local
workforce investment service plan, and new or stronger partnerships
with faith-based and community organizations.
Applicants should describe their strategy for providing related
assistance services to farmworkers (see definition at 20 CFR 669.110).
The numbers of participants receiving related assistance services
should be limited to 40 percent or less of the total number of
participants. If an organization expects that the number of
participants they will serve through related assistance services will
exceed 40 percent, the proposal should include a strong rationale
explaining why that level of participation in related assistance is an
essential element of the service strategy. It should be noted that the
NFJP is primarily a job training program whose purpose is to assist
eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families prepare
for jobs that provide stable, year-round employment, both within and
outside agriculture. Related assistance services are supportive
services intended to assist eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers
to retain employment or enter into or remain in training.
If the applicant is a State, an LWIB or a One-Stop operator, the
application must demonstrate how the service strategy achieves
integration of services by all partners in the One-Stop system, and how
this integration results in enhanced and improved workforce investment
services to farmworkers.
The program plan of service section must include descriptions of:
--The State service area covered by the plan. If the proposal is for
less than the entire agricultural area of the State (as could be the
case in California, for example) the plan must identify the geographic
area where services will be provided and an explanation supporting the
geographic area selected.
--An estimate of the number of migrant and seasonal farmworker, broken
out by category, to be provided training services. An estimate should
also be included of the number of migrant and seasonal farmworkers,
broken out by category, who will be provided related assistance
services only.
--The strategies for conducting participant outreach and recruitment,
including the involvement, if appropriate, of faith-based and community
organizations in those strategies, as well as other One-Stop partner
programs.
--The proposed client-centered case management system, including the
staff's responsibilities for managing the system, the staff development
opportunities available to enhance staff's skills in case management,
and the capacity to enhance community resources available for case
management through joint alliances and/or endeavors, such as through
the One-Stop system.
--The core services to be delivered, and how those services will be
delivered in collaboration with the One-Stop system. Include a
description of the eligibility determination system and how the
applicant determines service priorities.
--The intensive services proposed, the strategy for providing them, and
the One-Stop system's involvement in the provision of these services
(see definition of intensive services at WIA Section 134(d)(3) and 20
CFR 669.370). Please note that the NFJP regulations at 20 CFR 669.380
provide that the delivery of intensive and training services should
flow from an objective assessment process that includes an Individual
Employment Plan. The proposal must describe the strategy for doing
this, as well as the organization's capacity to appropriately address
an individual's needs as identified through the objective assessment.
Intensive services are described in WIA 134(d)(3)(C) and 20 CFR
669.370.
--If work experience is to be offered as an activity, the process by
which the determination to use it is based, and the strategy for
measuring its success as a program activity. (See 20 CFR 669.370(b)(i)
and (b)(ii)(B) for additional information on work experience
activities.)
--The training services to be provided to eligible farmworkers,
including the process used to determine a participant's enrollment in
training services, and the process used when the determination is made
not to place a participant in training. (See 20 CFR 669.410 for a
description of training services.) In addition, the proposal should
describe the strategy to be used to promote co-enrollment of
participants in the WIA formula funded programs.
--The related assistance services, including supportive services,
needed by migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents, and
the strategy for providing those services. The proposal should provide
separate descriptions for those farmworkers receiving supportive
services and also intensive and/or training services, and those
farmworkers for whom related assistance services will be the only
services provided. It should also include a description of the process
used to determine the need for related assistance services, the
differences in the determination process, if any, among migrant and
seasonal farmworker groups, and the rationale for the differences.
--The proposal should describe the applicant's strategy for balancing
related assistance services with the need to increase employment and
training services.
--A description of the strategies to be used to achieve performance
results with respect to job placement, employment retention, and
earnings gains i.e., the common measures to be implemented in PY 2005).
--The proposal should address how job placement opportunities will be
pursued among the employers in the service area, including the
strategies to secure job placement opportunities from new employers
added to the network, as well as opportunities in high growth
industries/occupations.
--The process by which the applicant will conduct follow-up services
for those who are placed in jobs or engaged in entrepreneurial
activities.
Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence that the applicant
has used the information provided in the first three rating criteria,
described above, to develop a service strategy and a plan of service
that leads to measurable impact on improving the employment and
earnings of farmworkers. It will also be based on evidence that the
plan of service contains a balanced program of activities, and a
rationale for the proposed services, as well as evidence that the
service plan encompasses resources and program activities available
from other One-Stop partners and/or the local services agencies,
including faith-based and community organizations.
The evaluation of this factor will also assess whether the service
strategy and service plan presented by the applicant
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reflect a knowledge of the local workforce investment plan and propose
services that complement that plan in a way that increases employment
opportunities for farmworkers.
If the applicant is a State, an LWIB or a One-Stop operator, the
evaluation of this factor will assess opportunities for integrating
services through the One-Stop system and its partner programs to
improve the workforce and related services received by farmworkers.
Special emphasis will be placed on the success achieved in enrolling
and serving farmworkers through WIA formula-funded programs.
Review and Selection Process
A review panel will rate each proposal according to the criteria
scoring factors specified in this solicitation. Panel reviews are
critical to the selection of grantees but are advisory in nature, and
their recommendations are not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant
Officer, in selecting potential grantees, may consider any information
that comes to his or her attention, including past performance of a
previous grant and information from the program office, and will make
the final selection determination based on what is most advantageous to
the government. The Grant Officer may consider factors such as panel
findings, geographic presence of the applicants, proposed areas to be
served, and the best value to the government, cost, and other factors.
The Grant Officer's determination for award under this SGA is final.
The Grant Officer may elect to make awards either with or without
discussions and negotiations with the applicant. In situations without
discussions, an award will be based on the applicant's signature on the
SF-424, which constitutes a binding offer.
Applications rated by the panel with a score of less than 80 points
will not be selected for award. In areas where there are no
applications with a score of 80 or above, the process for selecting
another potential grantee, described in section II, will be
implemented.
IV. Award Administration Information
Award Notices
The Grant Officer will notify applicants, in writing, if they are
selected as potential grantees. The notification will invite each
potential grantee to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the
grant as applicable, will establish a reasonable time and place for the
negotiations, and will indicate the specific service delivery area and
amount of funds to be allocated under the grant. FY 2005 funds will be
awarded for the period July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2005. Funds awarded
under WIA Section 167 are available for expenditure for two years.
An applicant that is not selected as a potential grantee or whose
application has been denied in part or in whole by the Department will
be notified in writing by the Grant Officer and advised of all appeal
rights. The notification will outline the deficiencies as noted by the
review panel and offer an opportunity for a debriefing. The written
notification by the Grant Officer constitutes a final decision.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
There are no additional administrative or national policy
requirements.
Reporting
An applicant's proposal becomes the annual grant plan after a grant
award is made, with additional information as appropriate and requested
by the funding agency. WIA Section 167 grantees will be required to
submit reports on financial expenditures, program participation, and
participant outcomes on a quarterly basis. Grantees will also have to
submit planned financial expenditures and planned program participation
forms at the beginning of the program year. Grantees must report
electronically, but may be asked to submit reports in paper form on
occasion. As reflected earlier in this solicitation, this program is
subject to the Common Measures for job training and employment
programs, to be implemented beginning July 1, 2005. Grantees will be
required to provide the data necessary to collect information for
reporting performance results against the Common Measures. Information
will be available in the future at http://www.doleta.gov/performance.
V. Agency Contacts
Questions related to this solicitation may be directed to Ms. Mamie
Williams, Grants Management Specialist, phone (202) 693-3341; fax:
(202) 693-2879 (this is not a toll free number). Please include a
contact name, fax and telephone number.
This announcement is also being made available on the ETA Web site
at http://doleta.gov/sga/sga.cfm and http://www.grants.gov.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 21st day of April, 2005.
James W. Stockton,
Grant Officer.
Attachments:
Appendix A: SF-424--Application for Federal Assistance.
Appendix B: SF-424 (A)--Budget Information Form.
Appendix C: OMB Survey N. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Opportunity for
Applications.
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