[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55591-55593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25960]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: A ``Systems Approach''
for Workforce Performance--Curriculum Development
AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, 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 to develop and field test a 36-hour curriculum to
train a multi-disciplinary staff in state correctional agencies and
prison systems. The time of the cooperative agreement is for a twelve
month period. Two training pilots at sites selected by NIC will be
completed no later than September 30, 2010, with a final curriculum
delivered to NIC no later than December 30, 2010.
The training curriculum will focus on the concept of agency
management and operations as a systemic and collaborative effort of all
stakeholders in the system. It will include updated and contemporary
elements essential for managing an agency and institution to achieve
its statutory mandates and mission in an increasingly challenging and
budget lean environment. It will include modules on organizational
change and building a culture for collaboration. The ultimate goal of
the curriculum will be to provide management teams with the tools to
manage their operations and demonstrate efficient, effective, safe and
secure practices for staff, inmates and the general public.
DATES: Applications must be received by 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, November
30, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National
Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 5007, 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 desk, dial 7-3106, extension 0
for pickup.
Faxed applications will not be accepted. Electronic applications
can be submitted via www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this announcement can be
downloaded from the NIC Web page at www.nicic.gov.
All technical or programmatic questions concerning this
announcement should be directed to Michael Dooley, Correctional Program
Specialist, Prisons Division, National Institute of Corrections, at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview: The overall goal of the initiative is to design, develop,
field test and revise, as needed, a training curriculum that will
provide a multi-disciplinary staff in state correctional agencies and
prison systems the competencies, skills and tools to leverage the
performance of their operations and demonstrate efficient, effective,
safe and secure practices for staff, inmates and the general public.
Background: Managing prisons in today's climate presents
correctional administrators and prison officials' particular
challenges. First, and likely at the forefront, is the problem of
shrinking state revenues forcing drastic cuts in funding. The impact
has been far reaching, from delaying expansions needed to accommodate a
growing population, closing units or even whole facilities to
stretching staffing ratios compromising security and safety (2007/2008
NIC Needs Assessment). Many agencies are under mounting pressure to
release large volumes of prisoners across communities within their
jurisdictions.
Second, the population demographic has become increasingly complex.
A growing women offender population presents unique gender challenges
for prison management who continue to operate with a bias toward the
male offender. A growing number of offenders diagnosed with mental
illness, sentenced and placed in prison present very difficult and
unique challenges to both custody and case management staff. These
offenders present a serious management, safety and budget problem for
correctional administrators.
Another demographic that has already begun to pose problems,
especially in terms of cost, is the ``aging'' population resulting from
the past three decades of ``tough on crime'' legislation. This
population and its impact will continue to intensify over the next two
decades. Other issues facing prison administrators are: Coping with the
changing generational workforce with different values and perspectives,
some of which are not conducive to effective and efficient management;
the age old cultural dissonance between custody and treatment staff
compounded by expanding roles and expectations of each; and an
increased demand for accountability and to open a typically closed
system to both the media and the public.
The list of issues for agency and prison management goes on. The
overarching need for agencies facing increasingly complex systems and
unique challenges is to adopt performance-based behaviors, processes
and standards, and deploy practices and strategies that embrace the
multiple disciplines of stakeholders and functions that make up an
agency and prison operation.
Another NIC related project currently underway, ``Identifying
Characteristics of High Performing Correctional Organizations (HCPO),''
will inform and serve as a foundational element for curriculum work
done under this project. The HCPO project is focused on developing a
methodology to design a model and assessment tool to identify and
bridge gaps between current performance and optimal performance in
terms of efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in correctional
organizations. For more information on this project, please visit the
HCPO Blog at http://NICIC.gov/HPCO.
Purpose/Outcomes: The overarching purpose of this initiative is to
promote and help correctional agencies develop the organizational
competence to implement systematic, seamless and ``high performing''
practices resulting in increased accountability for enhanced public
safety and fiscal responsibility. The following intended outcomes for
this project are: Agency operational practices will improve next to
performance standards identified by system stakeholders with an action
learning plan strategy; Agency/institutional and cultural barriers will
be reduced/eliminated as evidenced by an increase in collaborative
behaviors and collective performance among stakeholders; Safety and
security in an agency/institution will increase; Agencies/institutions
will adopt key elements and standards of a learning and performance-
based culture.
[[Page 55592]]
Scope of Work: Under this cooperative agreement, the single goal is
the development, testing, and revision of a curriculum to train a
multi-disciplinary staff in State correctional agencies and prison
systems.
A description of the products and deliverables for the project
include a training curriculum titled: A ``Systems Approach'' for
Workforce Performance. The Curriculum package will contain: (1) An
instructor/facilitator's guide with associated tools, materials and
resources; (2) A participant resource guide to be used in conjunction
with all training activities; (3) Instructional aides and materials
including presentation slide shows, charts, handouts, case studies,
assessments, etc. to support instruction and facilitation.
Training Program Description: The training program has been
announced in NIC's Service Plan--``Technical Assistance, Information,
and Training for Adult Corrections'', for delivery during FY 2010. A
description follows, or may be downloaded online at http://nicic.gov/Library/023761, refer to page 52.
This 36-hour ``agency exclusive'' strategy development program will
focus on the concept of agency management and operations as a systemic
and collaborative effort of all stakeholders in addressing policies,
procedures, and practices in their correctional system. It will include
updated and contemporary elements essential for managing an agency in
an increasingly challenging and budget-conscious environment. It will
reveal and promote evidence-based practice that results in both short-
term offender management and long-term public safety. The program
includes modules on organizational change and building an environment
of collaboration. The objective is to provide management teams with the
tools and techniques necessary for coordinating their operations and to
demonstrate a systemic approach in developing, maintaining, and
evaluating those services and operations for efficiency and
effectiveness.
The program can accommodate up to 30 participants identified by the
host agency. The agency should be able to provide onsite meeting space
for both the main sessions and breakout sessions. NIC will provide the
facilitators and materials.
The targeted audience for the training is agency executive staff,
including the director, deputy/assistant directors, regional directors
and program administrators, wardens/superintendents, and designated
program and security managers from a selected correctional agency who
are responsible for agency-wide operations and programs.
Training Program Goals: The following are the intended outcomes for
participants completing the training program: Adopt and implement
organizational and individual ``performance-based'' behaviors,
strategies and techniques; Adopt and implement an established set of
performance standards and benchmarks supported by organizational
literature and research, and identified by relevant NIC workgroups on
agency performance; Identify system performance barriers and gaps, and
implement, evaluate and revise strategies to close these gaps; Assess
agency/institutional cultural characteristics and implement strategies
to leverage healthy cultural behaviors, limit/reduce unhealthy cultural
barriers, and increase collaborative behaviors and the collective
performance among agency/institutional stakeholders; Develop and
implement strategies to promote an integrated, systems approach to the
operations and practices in an agency/institution leading to
substantially improved operational efficiencies and practices; Assess
and evaluate organizational behavior and practices that embrace
``organizational learning'' and implement strategies to enhance or
adopt the key elements and standards of a learning and performance-
based culture.
Requirements: The recipient of this cooperative agreement award
must, at a minimum, do the following within the scope of this project:
Consult with the Correctional Program Specialist (CPS) assigned to
manage the cooperative agreement to ensure understanding of, and
agreement on, the scope of work to be performed; Submit a detailed work
plan with time lines and milestones for accomplishing project
activities to CPS for approval prior to any work being performed under
this agreement; Designate a point of contact, which would serve as the
conduit of information and work experience between the CPS and the
award recipient; Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and
literature review to support the basis of the curriculum; Review
relevant NIC curriculum and/or documents in the development of the
curriculum; Consult with the CPS on both proposed content and training
strategies. (The NIC/CPS will have final approval of both); Conduct a
field test of the curriculum. This will consist of two pilot trainings
to be done at two agencies selected by NIC. (Note: all participant
associated costs will be the responsibility of the agency receiving the
training. It is expected that the recipient of the cooperative
agreement award will budget for the cost of training staff); Consult
with the CPS concerning trainers for program delivery with NIC having
final approval of training program faculty; Consult with the CPS on
evaluation methodology; and provide evaluation data with
recommendations for revisions to the curriculum.
Curriculum Specifications: The curriculum must be designed and
developed adhering to the following standards and specifications: The
curriculum and training design is consistent with and embraces the
Instructional Theory into Practice (ITIP) model. A reference to this
model can be found at the following link on the NIC Web site http://nicic.gov/Library/010714; Written products are developed to support the
training; The curriculum facilitation guide is written using a standard
curriculum document format to include at a minimum: Module/Sections and
Titles, Performance Objectives/Expectations, Learning Activities Guide,
Practice/Application, Evaluation Method and Resources needed to conduct
training activities; References are cited that support curriculum
content and concepts; Copyright permissions are secured for the use of
copyright protected publications and materials with a minimum usage of
three years; All documents must be delivered electronically in both MS
Word 2003 or higher and Adobe PDF; A ``camera print ready'' hard copy
must also be submitted; NIC will have final approval of the format,
look and organization of the curriculum documents.
Required Expertise: The successful applicant will possess
knowledge, skills and experience in the following areas: Knowledge of
organizational development, systems theory, organizational behavior,
team development, organizational change, and the ability to demonstrate
the application of the learning concepts in a correctional agency/
prison system; Knowledge and experience with correctional agency/prison
system operations and cultural dynamics; Knowledge, skills and
experience in curriculum development based on adult learning theory and
the Instructional Theory into Practice (ITIP) format; Knowledge and
expertise in a variety of instructional delivery strategies to include,
but not be limited to, instructor-led e-learning including asynchronous
computer/Web-based, instructor-led synchronous Web-based, social
learning networks, Web 2.0 applications, etc.; Skilled in designing
[[Page 55593]]
training curriculum linked to training objectives; Knowledge of
training evaluation methods; and Effective written and oral
communication skills.
Application Requirements: Applications should be concisely written,
typed double spaced and reference the ``NIC Funding Opportunity
Number'' and Title provided in this announcement. The application
package must include: OMB Standard Form 424, 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 of
fiscal year that the applicant operates under (e.g., July 1 through
June 30), an outline of projected costs, and the following forms: OMB
Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non Construction Programs, OMB
Standard Form 424B, Assurances--Non Construction Programs (available at
www.grants.gov), and DOJ/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying;
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free
Workplace Requirements (available at http://www.nicic.gov/Downloads/PDF/certif-frm.pdf.)
Applications may be submitted in hard copy, or electronically via
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. The program narrative text must
be limited to 15 double spaced pages, exclusive of resumes and
summaries of experience. Please do not submit full curriculum vitae.
A web-conference will be conducted for persons with the intent to
respond to the solicitation on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 12 p.m.
EDT. During this conference, NIC project managers will respond to
questions regarding the solicitation and expectation of work to be
performed. Please notify Michael Dooley electronically at
[email protected] by 12 p.m. noon EDT on Friday, November 13, 2009,
regarding your interest in participating in the conference. You will be
provided with the Web link, call-in number and instructions for
accessing the session.
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.
This project will be a collaborative venture with the NIC Prisons
Division.
Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any private
agency, educational institution, organization, individual or team with
expertise in the described areas.
Review Considerations: Applications received under this
announcement will be subjected to a 3 to 5 person NIC Peer Review
Process.
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.
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).
Number of Awards: One.
NIC Funding Opportunity Number: 10P07. This number should appear as
a reference line in the cover letter, in box 4a of 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. E9-25960 Filed 10-27-09; 8:45 am]
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