[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17771-17786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7869]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Notice of
Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for
Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career Platform (HVCP) and Category 2--
Enhancing the Ability of Community- and Faith-Based Organizations To
Deliver Virtual Career Exploration Services, Including Healthcare
Careers
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor.
[[Page 17772]]
Announcement Type: Notice of Solicitation for Grant Applications.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY 09-09
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.275.
SUMMARY: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the
availability of approximately $13.2 million in grant funds authorized
by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery
Act) for projects that use virtual service-delivery models to promote
career opportunities in the healthcare sector.
This Solicitation provides applicants with the option to choose
from two categories to submit a single grant application. These
categories are:
Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career Platform (HVCP) and
Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of Community- and Faith-Based
Organizations to Deliver Virtual Career Exploration Services, Including
Healthcare Careers
Grants to support the above mentioned categories will be awarded
through a competitive process.
Applicants must indicate in the abstract of their proposal the
category under which they are applying. Applicants are encouraged to
read the entire SGA since applicants under both Categories 1 and 2 are
required to work collaboratively on some part of the project. The
Category 1 grant recipient is required to create an HVCP and give
Category 2 grant recipients training on how to use the service, and
Category 2 grant recipients are required to train their staff, as well
as staff from local One-Stop Career Centers, on the HVCP as part of
year 2 grant activities.
Under Category 1, ETA intends to award one grant for up to $6.6
million to develop and operate an HVCP. Under Category 2, ETA intends
to award two to four grants totaling approximately $6.6 million to
national community- and faith-based organizations and non-profit One-
Stop Career Center operators. The Category 2 grantees will increase
access to virtual career exploration services by (a) building their
capacity to deliver these services to their customers in local
communities and (b) increasing the ability of their customers to make
use of and benefit from online resources.
Eligible applicants for Category 1 include private nonprofit
organizations with a nationally-focused mission. Eligible applicants
under Category 2 of this grant Solicitation include private national
nonprofit organizations that deliver services through networks of local
affiliates, coalition members, or other established partners, including
non-profit operators of One-Stop Career Centers. See section III.A for
additional information related to eligible applicants.
This Solicitation provides background information and describes the
application submission requirements, outlines the process that eligible
entities must use to apply for funds covered by this Solicitation, and
details how grantees will be selected. Applicants should read the
entire SGA and note the specific sections that contain required
information, such as in section II.A, section III.A, and section IV.B,
where failure to comply will be considered non-responsive and those
applicants will not be considered for funding.
The Department of Labor is committed to providing the public with
an open and transparent grant selection process and providing useful
information to assist prospective applicants with developing quality
proposals. One way to achieve these goals is through public access to
selected and non-selected grant applications. Applicants are advised
that the information they submit in response to this Solicitation may
be posted on a publicly accessible Web site or may otherwise be made
available to the public.
DATES: Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under
this announcement is May 7, 2010. Applications must be received no
later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. A pre-recorded Webinar will be online
(http://www.workforce3one.org) and accessible for viewing on April 14,
2010, and will be available for viewing anytime after that date. While
a review of this Webinar is encouraged it is not mandatory that
applicants view this recording.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department
of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA
PY 09-09, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N4716, Washington, DC
20210. For complete ``Application and Submission Information,'' please
refer to section IV.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (Recovery Act):
Competitive Grants for Worker Training and Placement in High Growth and
Emerging Industry Sectors
On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the
Recovery Act, through which Congress intended to preserve and create
jobs, promote the nation's economic recovery, and assist those most
impacted by the recession. Among other funding directed toward the
Department, the Recovery Act provides $750 million for a program of
competitive grants for worker training and placement in high growth and
emerging industries. Of the $750 million allotted for competitive
grants, the Recovery Act designates $500 million for projects that
prepare workers for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable
energy industries described in Section 171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA). The Recovery Act further provided that in
awarding grants for the remaining $250 million, projects that prepare
workers for careers in the healthcare sector would receive priority. To
date, ETA has awarded $720 million in competitive grants to 244
grantees and will use a portion of the funds to provide technical
assistance to Recovery Act grantees.
With this SGA, DOL is devoting $13.2 million to prepare workers for
careers in the healthcare sector by promoting the creation of an online
platform that will use standardized data, application programming
interfaces (APIs), and hosting infrastructure to support new
applications, which will help individuals learn about and prepare for
careers in the healthcare industry. The SGA will also build the
capacity of community- and faith-based organizations to provide diverse
customers with access to virtual resources and to assist their
customers in using virtual and other resources to pursue career
pathways, including those in the healthcare sector. These efforts will
help participants prepare for and find employment, while leveraging
other Recovery Act investments intended to create jobs and promote
economic growth.
B. The Need for Virtual Career Services in the Healthcare Industry
In December 2009, ETA held a series of conference calls and a web-
based meeting with healthcare subject matter experts from federal,
state and local government, education institutions, and other public
and private organizations to explore the need for virtual
[[Page 17773]]
healthcare career resources. Among the stakeholders, there was general
consensus that there are gaps in the information that individuals have
about healthcare career opportunities and occupations; some of these
gaps could be filled via virtual services. In addition, there are many
healthcare career resources online that may not be having maximum
impact because they are difficult to find, especially for underserved
populations, and they are not interconnected. There is a need to better
connect and inform the public or ``publicize'' the information,
practices and resources that are currently available and being used, as
well as a need to build certain additional components that are not
presently available. Resources identified from these consultations,
from the Jobs for America's Job Seekers Challenge, and selected Federal
resources have been compiled and can be accessed on the Workforce3One
site at: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/2001008333909172195/info.
The objectives for the HVCP were developed based on the input received
as a result of these conference calls.
C. Healthcare Sector and Occupations
As many industries experience lay-offs and job losses, the
healthcare industry remains a critical driver in regional economies
across the nation. In December 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) reported that the healthcare sector continued to grow.
Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other ambulatory care
settings added 21,500 new jobs in December 2009.
Healthcare providers employ large numbers of workers and contribute
significantly to the strength of regional economies. BLS projects that
healthcare employers will generate about 4 million new wage and salary
jobs between 2008 and 2018, with the health services and social
assistance sector projected to grow by 25.3 percent, adding more jobs
(nearly 4.0 million) than any other industry sector. Employment growth
in the healthcare sector will be driven by significant increases in
demand for healthcare and assistance because of an aging population and
longer life expectancies. In addition, projected retirements for
current healthcare workers will necessitate a pipeline of skilled
individuals ready to enter healthcare occupations. The growing
diversity of our nation's population will also require additional
skills and competencies, such as linguistic and cultural competencies,
that impact the quality of care.
The need for qualified workers in this diverse sector impacts the
quality and availability of medical care, and the economic stability
and growth potential of local communities in rural, urban, and suburban
areas. Moreover, the growing complexity of healthcare delivery,
including changing technologies and introduction of advanced medical
devices, will require both incumbent workers and new entrants to
continuously upgrade their skills. Although job opportunities exist for
workers without extensive specialized training, most healthcare
occupations require training leading to a vocational license,
certificate, or degree.
ETA is particularly interested in supporting the development of a
platform that will emphasize opportunities within health technology and
healthcare support occupations such as: medical and clinical laboratory
technologists, medical and clinical laboratory technicians, dental
hygienists, cardiovascular technologists and technicians, diagnostic
medical sonographers, nuclear medicine technologists, radiologic
technologists and technicians, emergency medical technicians and
paramedics, dietetic technicians, pharmacy technicians, psychiatric
technicians, respiratory therapy technicians, surgical technologists,
licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, community health
workers and patient navigators, medical records and health information
technicians, dispensing opticians, orthotists and prosthetists,
occupational health and safety specialists, occupational health and
safety technicians, home health aides, nursing aides/orderlies/
attendants, psychiatric aides, occupational therapist assistants and
aides, physical therapist assistants and aides, dental assistants,
medical assistants, medical equipment preparers, medical
transcriptionists, and pharmacy aides.
D. Grant Objectives
ETA is interested in projects that expand access to healthcare
career information, especially to diverse populations, and reduce
barriers to accessing those resources. The development of the HVCP by
the grantee funded under Category 1 of this SGA will be complemented by
activities of grantees funded under Category 2. Category 2 grantees
will provide technical assistance to help connect their customers to
virtual workforce development services. By expanding access to online
career services, including healthcare careers, ETA seeks to achieve the
following objectives:
Assist current and future workers to consider healthcare
career options by providing information on the required education and
preparation, the nature of the day-to-day work, the work environment,
experience, tasks performed on the job, and expectations for the
continuing education required to advance along a career pathway or
ladder;
Assist individuals, through appropriate assessment, who
have an interest in and aptitude for healthcare careers, with career
decision-making, in order to help them select among the range of
healthcare career options;
Assist individuals in developing a plan of action to
achieve their healthcare career goals through information on education
and training requirements, licensing requirements, available training
options, and links to local One-Stop Career Centers, community
colleges, and other appropriate organizations;
Provide selected online training to assist individuals in
obtaining pre-healthcare competencies so that they will be ready to
enroll in training toward their career goal--this could include courses
to increase literacy and mathematics proficiency as well as
prerequisite courses in science fundamentals;
Support individuals in achieving their career goals
through media and social networking, such as virtual tutoring, virtual
mentoring, virtual study groups or forums, virtual job clubs, and
similar virtual services;
Enable third-party software developers to build, ``beta''-
test, and launch applications that utilize standardized information
resources and associated APIs;
Provide hosting infrastructure for healthcare career
information, training resources, and other data, along with
standardized APIs, to support both in-house and third-party
applications;
Develop, launch, iterate, and provide in-house
applications that provide the information and services outlined above;
Enable a new marketplace of applications that can use the
HVCP to support existing and new business models around healthcare
career information;
Promote the HVCP services, and help disadvantaged
populations use virtual services by providing train-the-trainer
training and support to (1) Community-and Faith-Based Organizations and
One-Stop Career Center Staff, and (2) Community- and Faith-Based
Organizations and One-Stop Career Center customers to help them make
use of the services and information in the HVCP, through a variety of
means such as tutorials,
[[Page 17774]]
training, and videos. As appropriate, this training may be made
available to other partners such as libraries. This outreach and
technical assistance can include both virtual and in-person training;
and
Provide linkages to national, state, regional, and local
healthcare career resources, services, and applications.
Provide linkages to training and employment including
Registered Apprenticeship and joint labor-management programs.
E. Key Project Elements for Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career
Platform (HVCP)
The following are key activities and deliverables required for the
HVCP grant Solicitation:
i. Develop Asset Map. Identify what virtual tools and services are
available for persons interested in a healthcare career and which ones
would be valuable to include in on the HVCP;
ii. Develop a Gap Analysis. Analyze the resources identified in the
asset map and identify gaps in information and tools that need to be
developed as in-house applications running on the HVCP to adequately
promote healthcare career exploration and career planning;
iii. Build and Operate Platform. Design, build, and operate an open
platform for healthcare career information resources and services,
together with APIs and hosting infrastructure for healthcare career
information and in-house and third-party applications;
iv. Develop an HVCP as an open source platform. Both the system and
the uncompiled source code should be open source or located in the
public domain. The structure of the site should look beyond the current
operating environment and integrate the long-term Open Government
objectives of universal access and cross-platform integration. See the
Open Government Directive issued by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) in Memorandum M-10-06 dated December 8, 2009 located at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/documents/open-government-directive.
Please note that all tools and components developed for the HVCP
must be discrete and separate, capable of being decoupled from the
platform and added to other systems.
v. Develop Assessment Tool. The HVCP must include an assessment
tool as one of the applications developed for the platform. Through its
review, ETA found generic assessments for occupation sectors but was
unable to identify assessments that match users to specific healthcare
occupations. Therefore, we are specifying that one of the tasks will be
to provide a healthcare occupation-specific assessment. To address this
need, applicants in Category 1 will provide an interest, aptitude, and
readiness assessment tool for specific healthcare careers. Furthermore,
the assessment and results should be detailed enough to be able to
direct an individual to specific occupations within the overall
healthcare career field at the level of detail as described within the
Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O*NET) system
or additional detail provided by the Health Resources and Services
Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services,
rather than just providing a general vocational interest indicating
that the healthcare industry as a whole is a possible career option.
The assessment tool should also assess current educational and work
readiness and potential transferable skills so as to help diverse
individuals develop a career pathway plan that includes needed
education as well as jobs or occupations along a career ladder to
higher, family-supporting wages.
vi. Incorporate Online Training Component. The HVCP must include an
online training application that would consist of noncredit
prerequisite courses for entry-level healthcare careers. Many training
courses already exist; these as well as any gaps should be identified
in the asset-mapping portion of the project. The training would assist
individuals in preparing for postsecondary level education and training
and in obtaining pre-healthcare career competencies so that they will
be ready to enroll in training for their career goal. Examples of the
training courses to be offered could include courses to increase
literacy, mathematics and science fundamental prerequisites, such as
introductions to basic biology, chemistry, and anatomy.
vii. Develop and deliver outreach materials and staff training.
Outreach materials must be developed describing the HVCP and its
components. Staff training on the use of the HCVP and the resources
available on the platform must be developed to be delivered to One-Stop
Career Centers and Community- and Faith-Based Organizations (including
Category 2 grantees) regarding the use of the HVCP and the resources
available on the site.
viii. The HVCP will be developed during year 1 and will be
maintained and updated throughout year 2.
F. Key Project Elements for Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of
Community- and Faith-Based Organizations To Deliver Virtual Career
Exploration Services, Including Healthcare Careers
Grantees will use funds to build their capacity to both offer
virtual services to diverse clients and customers, and to assist their
customers in making good use of such resources, through any of the
following:
i. Capacity-Building Activities (not to exceed 30 percent of
proposed project budget). Grantees can augment their information
technology capacity through any of the following:
Providing additional computer workstations for customers
in Year 1;
Increasing broadband capacity or Internet access (e.g.,
more lines, faster connections) in Year 1;
Obtaining software, including computer literacy
assessments and training modules to help customers learn about and
become comfortable using online services in Year 1; and
ii. Customer Service Activities
Providing training for their own staff and customers, and
staff from local One-Stop Career Centers, on effective use of online
career and workforce development services to help jobseekers prepare
for and find employment, in Year 1 and Year 2;
Providing computer literacy and career development
training for their customers; specifically assisting customers to use
virtual resources and Internet based sites for planning career
pathways, including identifying career goals, planning required
education and training, and applying for jobs in their chosen career
field, in Year 1 and Year 2; and
Implementing training for staff and customers using the
HVCP and its materials (developed by the Category 1 grantee), in Year 2
II. Award Information
A. Award Amount
Under this SGA, ETA intends to award approximately $13.2 million in
grant funds authorized by the Recovery Act for two categories of
projects that use virtual service-delivery models to promote career
opportunities, including those in the healthcare sector. The eligible
applicant criteria for each category of projects are defined in section
III.A. Within the funding ranges specified below, applicants are
encouraged to submit proposals for quality projects at a funding level
that is appropriate to the project.
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1. Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career Platform (HVCP)
ETA anticipates that it will award one grant for up to $6.6 million
to develop and operate an HVCP. ETA reserves the right to change this
amount depending on the quantity and quality of applications submitted
under this SGA. However, ETA will consider requests for greater than
$6.6 million to be nonresponsive, and such applicants will not be
considered for funding.
2. Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of Community- and Faith-Based
Organizations to Deliver Virtual Career Exploration Services, Including
Healthcare Careers
ETA intends to award two to four grants in amounts ranging from $1
to $3 million, for a total of up to $6.6 million to build the capacity
of national community- and faith-based organizations to provide virtual
services to their clients and customers in support of career
exploration, including healthcare careers. ETA reserves the right to
change this amount depending on the quantity and quality of
applications submitted under this SGA. ETA does not expect to fund any
project for less than $1 million, but this does not preclude funding
grants at a lower amount based on the type and number of quality
submissions. However, ETA will consider requests for greater than $3
million nonresponsive, and such applicants will not be considered for
funding.
B. Period of Performance
The period of grant performance for all awards will be up to 24
months from the date of execution of the grant documents. This
performance period includes all necessary grant activities, including
implementation and start-up activities. Applicants must submit a
timeline of activities planned for the entire 24-month period.
ETA expects to make grant awards under this SGA by June 30, 2010,
and also expects that the grant start date will be July 1, 2010.
Applicants should plan for start-up activities under the grant to begin
immediately after award, and we strongly encourage grantees to develop
their project work plans and timelines accordingly. In addition, the
Department intends for the HVCP (Category 1) grantee to complete
development of an initial operating version of the HVCP within the
first year of the grant.
While grant awards will be funded for a period of performance of
two years, ETA may make available up to three additional years of
funding, depending upon the availability of funds and the demonstrated
performance of grant activities. However, applications must include a
timeline of activities that reflects full expenditure of grant funds
and completion of grant activities during the 24-month period of
performance, while ensuring full transparency and accountability for
all expenditures.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants and Strategic Partnerships
Under this Solicitation, applicants may apply under one of two
categories:
Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career Platform (HVCP); or
Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of Community- and Faith-Based
Organizations to Deliver Virtual Career Exploration Services, Including
Healthcare Careers.
Applicants may only submit a grant application under one category
and only one application per applicant will be accepted. Applicants
must indicate in the abstract of their proposal the category under
which they are applying. Applications that do not adhere to the above
instructions will be considered to be nonresponsive and not reviewed or
funded. In particular, if an applicant submits more than one
application, none of the applications will be considered. (Please see
section IV.F for instructions for withdrawing an application before
submitting a new application.) These two applicant categories will
compete separately for funding under this SGA, and each Category will
be paneled and reviewed separately.
This section provides separate eligibility and partnership
information for each of the two categories.
1. Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career Platform
i. Eligible applicants for Category 1
Eligible applicants for Category 1 grants are private nonprofit
organizations with a nationally-focused mission to promote education,
workforce development, career pathways, employment, or retention (such
as national healthcare occupational associations, national health
associations with experience in working with diverse populations,
national educational associations with experience in healthcare
workforce development, national workforce development associations, or
nationwide healthcare systems that focus on both healthcare service
delivery and education). An organization with a mission that focuses on
a specific State, region, or local area (such as a State Workforce
Agency, local workforce investment board, or community college) is not
eligible to apply as the lead applicant, but may be included as part of
the strategic partnership described in section III.A.ii.
ii. Strategic Partnerships for Category 1
To be eligible to apply for funding under Category 1, applicants
must demonstrate that the proposed project will be implemented by a
robust strategic partnership that maximizes available resources, either
virtual resources or additional financial resources, to support the
project and represents the level of combined organizational expertise,
in the following areas, which is necessary to effectively execute the
project:
Workforce Development and Training. The applicant and/or
its strategic partners must have significant knowledge and experience
in designing and delivering career exploration services and training,
particularly in online and virtual environments. To ensure that this
knowledge and experience is represented in the project, the applicant
may partner with educational institutions (such as community or
technical college systems) and the public workforce investment system
(such as State Workforce Agencies or local workforce investment boards
and their One-Stop systems).
Healthcare Occupations. The applicant and/or its strategic
partners must have significant knowledge of the healthcare occupations
described in section I.C of this SGA, including an understanding of the
knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for these occupations, as well
as associated training, education, and licensure or certification
programs. To ensure that this knowledge is represented in the project,
the applicant may partner with healthcare occupational associations,
healthcare employers and industry-related organizations, and/or
educational institutions with healthcare programs successful in placing
individuals in employment in the industry.
Development and Deployment of Virtual Service Delivery
Platforms. The applicant and/or its strategic partners must have
expertise and experience in programming open-source platforms, and
developing and implementing online virtual service-delivery models,
particularly online virtual training and education services. To ensure
that the project partnership is well-equipped to design a site to serve
the public, the applicant may partner with (or procure
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the services of) information technology providers or other
organizations, including for-profit organizations, with significant
relevant expertise and experience.
Public Outreach Expertise. The applicant and/or its
strategic partners must have significant knowledge and experience in
conducting public outreach and awareness campaigns that could be
employed in promoting a new site to its intended users and have
experience in working with diverse populations. These outreach
capabilities could include use of traditional media avenues, such as
press releases or interviews; public service announcements; networking;
use of social media; as well as search engine optimization strategies
to direct traffic to the site.
2. Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of Community- and Faith-Based
Organizations To Deliver Virtual Career Exploration Services, Including
Healthcare Careers
i. Eligible Applicants for Category 2
Eligible applicants for Category 2 grants are private national or
multi-state nonprofit community- or faith-based organizations that
deliver services through networks of local affiliates, coalition
members, or other established partners, including labor management
organizations and non-profit organizations that operate One-Stop Career
Centers in more than one state. It is ETA's intent that investments in
Category 2 achieve geographic balance across the country and increase
capacity in both rural and urban settings in at least six different
sites. Therefore, applicants under Category 2 must demonstrate that
they have the capacity to work in a variety of communities in more than
one state.
ii. Strategic Partnerships for Category 2
To be eligible for funding under Category 2 of this SGA, applicants
must demonstrate that the proposed project, in each community served,
will be implemented by a robust strategic partnership that maximizes
available resources to support the project, provides access to diverse
job seekers, and provides access to employment opportunities within the
healthcare sector. At a minimum, this strategic partnership must
include at least one representative, for each community served through
the project, from each of the following categories:
The public workforce investment system, such as State or
local Workforce Investment Boards and their One-Stop systems, to
further strengthen the existing collaboration betweens One-Stops and
community- and faith-based organizations to provide career services to
individuals whose role may include, but is not limited to, identifying,
assessing, and referring candidates for training, and connecting and
placing participants with employers that have existing job openings;
and
Public and private employers or industry-related
organizations who employ or represent the healthcare occupations
described in section I. C of this SGA.
B. Cost Sharing
Cost sharing or matching funds are not required as a condition for
application, but applicants may use leveraged resources.
C. Other Grant Specifications
1. Required Collaboration Between Category 1 and Category 2 Grantees
Following the selection of grant recipients under this
Announcement, the grantee under Category 1 must enter into a separate
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each grant awarded under
Category 2. The MOUs will detail the HVCP services and training that
the Category 1 grantee will provide to Category 2 grantees, and will
describe how Category 2 grantees will utilize the HVCP platform and
associated tools developed by the Category 1 grantee.
2. Other Grant Specifications for Category 1
i. Sustainability: The grantee is required to explore options for
sustaining the HVCP in the event that additional Federal funds are not
available at the close of the grant period. Such options could include
potential sponsors, foundations, or associations or organizations that
would be interested in maintaining the benefits obtained through the
HVCP in building the healthcare workforce pipeline. The applicant must
provide a plan to develop a sustainability options paper as part of the
grant deliverables.
3. Other Grant Specifications for Category 2
i. Allowable Activities for Category 2
The purchase of automated data processing (ADP) equipment,
considered essential for the implementation of the project, will be
allowed with the prior approval of the Agency. However, no more than 30
percent of the grant funds can be used for such purchases. Also, in
accordance with 29CFR 95.34, equipment may be retained for use in the
grant project for which it was acquired, as long as needed after grant
termination, unless directed otherwise by the agency.
Staff training, including training programs and/or
personnel assessments or tests leading to a credential attesting to
competency in providing career development services to individual
customers.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. How To Obtain an Application Package
This SGA contains all of the information and links to forms needed
to apply for grant funding.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission for Category 1--
Healthcare Virtual Career Platform and Category 2--Enhancing the
Ability of Community- and Faith-Based Organizations To Deliver Virtual
Career Exploration Services, Including Healthcare Careers
Proposals submitted in response this SGA will consist of three
separate and distinct parts: (I) A cost proposal; (II) a technical
proposal; and (III) attachments to the technical proposal. Applications
must include the following or will be considered non-responsive and
will not be considered: (1) The Standard Form (SF)-424, ``Application
for Federal Assistance;'' (2) the SF-424A Budget Information Form; (3)
Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S[supreg]) Number; (4) Budget
Narrative; (5) A request grant funds within the appropriate funding
range noted in section II.A; and (6) Abstract. Applications that fail
to adhere to the instructions in this section will be considered non-
responsive and will not be considered. The amount listed in Part I:
Cost Proposal and the amount listed on the SF-424 ``Application for
Federal Assistance should be the same. Please note, the funding amount
included on the SF-424 will be considered the official funding amount
requested.
Part I. The Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal must include the
following items:
SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance'' (available
at http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp
and http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm). The SF-424 must
clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with
authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an
award, the individual signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant
shall be considered the authorized representative of the
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applicant. Applicants must supply their D-U-N-S[supreg] Number on the
SF-424. If submitting a hard copy application, the SF-424 must be
signed by the authorized representative. All applicants for Federal
grant and funding opportunities are required to have a D-U-N-S[supreg]
Number. See Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Notice of Final
Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402, June 27, 2003. The D-U-N-S[supreg] Number
is a non-indicative, nine-digit number assigned to each business
location in the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) database having a unique,
separate, and distinct operation, and is maintained solely by D&B. The
D&B D-U-N-S[supreg] Number is used by industries and organizations
around the world as a global standard for business identification and
tracking. If you do not have a D-U-N-S[supreg] Number, you can get one
for free through the D&B Web site: http://smallbusiness.dnb.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Glossary?fLink=glossary&footerflag=y&storeId=10001&indicator=7.
The SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp and http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm). In preparing the Budget
Information Form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative
explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.
Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a
description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It
should also include a description of leveraged resources provided to
support grant activities. In addition, the applicant should address
precisely how the administrative costs support the project goals. The
entire Federal grant amount requested (not just one year) should be
included on both the SF-424 and SF-424A. No leveraged resources should
be shown on the SF-424 and SF-424A.
Applications that fail to provide an SF-424, SF-424A, a D-U-N-
S[reg] Number, and a budget narrative will be considered non-responsive
and not reviewed.
Applicants are also encouraged, but not required, to
submit OMB Survey N. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity
for Applicants, which can be found under the Grants.gov, Tips and
Resources From Grantors, Department of Labor section at http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/tips_resources_from_grantors.jsp#13
(also referred to as Faith-Based EEO Survey PDF Form).
Part II. The Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal must
demonstrate the applicant's capability to implement the grant project
in accordance with the provisions of this Solicitation. The guidelines
for the content of the Technical Proposal are provided in section V of
this SGA. The Technical Proposal for Category 1: Healthcare Virtual
Career Platform is limited to 25 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11
inch pages with 12-point text font and 1-inch margins. The Technical
Proposal for Category 2: Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of
Community- and Faith-Based Organizations to Deliver Virtual Career
Exploration Services, Including Healthcare Careers is limited to 20
double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12-point text font
and 1-inch margins. Any materials beyond the specified page limit will
not be read. Applicants should number the Technical Proposal beginning
with page number 1. Applications that do not include Part II, the
Technical Proposal, will be considered non-responsive.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. In addition to the
Technical Proposal, applicants must submit letters of commitment from
all required partners or one letter of commitment that is co-signed by
all partners that describes the roles and responsibilities of each
partner. Electronic signatures are permissible in the letter(s) of
commitment.
Applicants should not send letters of commitment separately to ETA,
because letters received separately will be tracked through a different
system and will not be attached to the application for review. ETA does
not permit general letters of support submitted by organizations or
individuals that are not partners in the proposed project and that do
not directly identify the specific commitment or roles of the project
partners. Support letters of this nature will not be included in the
evaluation review process.
The applicant also must provide an Abstract, not to exceed two
double-spaced single-sided pages and must include the following
sections: (1) Summary of the proposed project, including applicant
name; (2) applicant category as referenced in section III.A; (3)
project title; (4) key partners; (5) projected outcomes; and (6)
funding level requested.
Attachments to the technical proposal do not count against the page
limit for the Technical Proposal, but may not exceed 10 pages for
Category 1 and Category 2 applicants. Any additional materials beyond
the 10-page limit for attachments will not be read. Applications that
do not include the abstract will be considered non-responsive and will
not be considered.
C. Submission Process, Date, Times, and Addresses
Applications may be submitted electronically on Grants.gov or in
hard copy by mail or hand delivery. Applicants submitting proposals in
hard copy must submit an original signed application (including the SF-
424) and one (1) ``copy-ready'' version free of bindings, staples or
protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the proposal by DOL.
Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy are also required to
provide an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc
(CD). If discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy are
identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official
applicant submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide
identical applications in hardcopy and CD format may have an impact on
the overall evaluation.
The closing date for receipt of applications under both Category 1
and Category 2 of this announcement is May 7, 2010. Applications must
be received at the address below no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time.
Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be
accepted. If an application is submitted by both hard-copy and through
http://www.grants.gov a letter must accompany the hard-copy application
stating why two applications were submitted and the differences between
the two submissions. If no letter accompanies the hard-copy, we will
review the copy submitted through http://www.grants.gov. Applications
that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will be
considered non-responsive. No exceptions to the mailing and delivery
requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. Further,
documents submitted separately from the application, before or after
the deadline, will not be accepted as part of the application.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/
DFA, PY 09-09, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N4716, Washington, DC
20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area
may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered
proposals will be received at the above address. All overnight mail
will be considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the
designated place by the specified closing date and time.
[[Page 17778]]
Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be
successfully submitted at http://www.grants.gov no later than 4 p.m.
Eastern Time on May 7, 2010, and then subsequently validated by
Grants.gov. The submission and validation process is described in more
detail below. The process can be complicated and time-consuming.
Applicants are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as
possible and to plan for time to resolve technical problems if
necessary.
The Department strongly recommends that before the applicant begins
to write the proposal, applicants should immediately initiate and
complete the ``Get Registered'' registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. Applicants should read
through the registration process carefully before registering. These
steps may take as much as four weeks to complete, and this time should
be factored into plans for electronic submission in order to avoid
unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application.
The site also contains registration checklists to help you walk through
the process. The Department strongly recommends that applicants
download the ``Organization Registration Checklist'' at http://www.grants.gov/assets/Organization_Steps_Complete_Registration.pdf
and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration
process. Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning
the registration process will alleviate last minute searches for
required information and save time.
To register with Grants.gov, applicants applying electronically
must have a D-U-N-S[reg] Number and must register with the Federal
Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Step-by-step instructions for
registering with CCR can be found at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp. All applicants must register with CCR in order to apply
online. Failure to register with the CCR will result in your
application being rejected by Grants.gov during the submission process.
The next step in the registration process is creating a username
and password with Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational
Representative (AOR). AORs will need to know the D-U-N-S[reg] Number of
the organization for which they will be submitting applications to
complete this process. To read more detailed instructions for creating
a profile on Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step3.jsp.
After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz point of Contact
(E-Biz POC)--a representative from your organization who is the contact
listed for CCR--will receive an e-mail to grant the AOR permission to
submit applications on behalf of their organization. The E-Biz POC will
then log in to Grants.gov and approve an applicant as the AOR, thereby
giving him or her permission to submit applications. To learn more
about AOR Authorization visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step5.jsp, or to track AOR status visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp.
An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a
submission as an electronically signed application. The registration
and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval,
establishes an AOR. When you submit the application through Grants.gov,
the name of your AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line
of the application. Applicants must register the individual who is able
to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as
the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid
submissions.
When a registered applicant submits an application with Grants.gov,
an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the
application is successfully received by Grants.gov. Within two business
days of application submission, Grants.gov will send the applicant two
e-mail messages to provide the status of application progress through
the system. The first e-mail, almost immediate, will contain a tracking
number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov. The
second e-mail will indicate the application has either been
successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors. Only
applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and
subsequently successfully validated will be considered. It is the sole
responsibility of the applicant to ensure a timely submission. While it
is not required that an application be successfully validated before
the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time before the
deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has
not been successfully validated. Therefore, sufficient time should be
allotted for submission (two business days) and, if applicable,
subsequent time to address errors and receive validation upon
resubmission (an additional two business days for each ensuing
submission). It is important to note that if sufficient time is not
allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and
time, the application will not be considered.
To ensure consideration, the components of the application must be
saved as .doc, .xls or .pdf files. If submitted in any other format,
the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will
prevent our ability to consider the application. ETA will attempt to
open the document but will not take any additional measures in the
event of problems with opening. In such cases, the non-conforming
application will not be considered for funding.
We strongly advise applicants to use the plethora of tools and
documents, including FAQs, which are available on the ``Applicant
Resources'' page at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp.
ETA encourages new prospective applicants to view the online
tutorial, ``Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA
Competitive Grants,'' available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.
To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for
users and other time sensitive updates as information is available,
applicants may subscribe to ``Grants.gov Updates'' at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscription_signup.jsp.
If applicants encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find
an answer in any of the other resources, call 1-800-518-4726 to speak
to a Customer Support Representative or e-mail ``[email protected]''.
The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is
closed on federal holidays.
Late Applications: For applications submitted on Grants.gov, only
applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00
p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated
will be considered. Applicants take a significant risk by waiting to
the last day to submit by Grants.gov.
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, it was
properly addressed, and it was: (a) Sent by U.S. Postal Service mail,
postmarked 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) sent by professional overnight delivery service to
the addressee not later than one
[[Page 17779]]
working day before the date specified for receipt of applications.
``Postmarked'' 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 these instructions will be a
basis for a determination that the application was not filed timely and
will not be considered. Evidence of timely submission by a professional
overnight delivery service must be demonstrated by equally reliable
evidence created by the delivery service provider indicating the time
and place of receipt.
D. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
E. Funding Restrictions
Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with
the applicable Federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are those
charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative
determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal
cost principles or other conditions contained in the grant.
Successful and unsuccessful applicants will not be entitled to
reimbursement of pre-award costs.
1. Indirect Costs
As specified in OMB Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs are
those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot
be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. In order
to use grant funds for indirect costs incurred, the applicant must
obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with its cognizant Federal
agency either before or shortly after grant award.
An indirect cost rate (ICR) is required when an organization
operates under more than one grant or other activity whether Federally-
assisted or not. Organizations must use the ICR supplied by the
cognizant agency. If an organization requires a new ICR or has a
pending ICR, the Grant Officer will award a temporary billing rate for
90 days until a provisional rate can be issued. This rate is based on
the fact that an organization has not established an ICR agreement.
Within this 90 day period, the organization must submit an acceptable
indirect cost proposal to their cognizant Federal agency to obtain a
provisional ICR.
2. Administrative Costs
Under this SGA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a
project or program may not use more than 10 percent of the amount of
the grant to pay administrative costs associated with the program or
project. Administrative costs could be direct or indirect costs, and
are defined at 20 CFR 667.220. Administrative costs do not need to be
identified separately from program costs on the SF-424A Budget
Information Form. However, they must be discussed in the budget
narrative and tracked through the grantee's accounting system. To claim
any administrative costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant
must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its cognizant Federal
agency.
3. Salary and Bonus Limitations
Under Public Law 109-234, none of the funds appropriated in Public
Law 109-149 or prior Acts under the heading ``Employment and Training
Administration'' that are available for expenditure on or after June
15, 2006, may be used by a recipient or sub-recipient of such funds to
pay the salary and bonuses of an individual, either as direct costs or
indirect costs, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. Public Laws
111-8 and 111-117 contain the same limitations with respect to funds
appropriated under each of these Laws. These limitations also apply to
grants funded under this SGA. The salary and bonus limitation does not
apply to vendors providing goods and services as defined in OMB
Circular A-133 (codified with 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99). See Training and
Employment Guidance Letter number 5-06 for further clarification:
http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.
4. Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages
Organizations that receive grants through this SGA may not use
grant funds to pay for the wages of participants. Further, the
provision of stipends to training enrollees for the purposes of wage
replacement is not an allowable cost under this SGA.
5. Intellectual Property Rights
The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and
irrevocable license to reproduce, publish or otherwise use, and to
authorize others to use for Federal purposes: (1) The copyright in all
products developed under the grant, including a subgrant or contract
under the grant or subgrant; and (2) any rights of copyright to which
the grantee, subgrantee or a contractor purchases ownership under an
award (including but not limited to curricula, training models,
technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses
include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute
such products worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise.
Federal funds may not be used to pay any royalty or licensing fee
associated with such copyrighted material, although they may be used to
pay costs for obtaining a copy which are limited to the developer/
seller costs of copying and shipping. If revenues are generated through
selling products developed with grant funds, including intellectual
property, these revenues are program income. Program income is added to
the grant and must be expended for allowable grant activities.
The source code, including all code incorporated to create the
components and system that will comprise the HVCP developed under this
grant will be considered open-source, subject to copyright by the
grantee under the express provisions of an open-source software
license. To this end, in lieu of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL)
standard reservation of a license in copyrighted works developed under
a grant per 29 CFR 95.36, the intellectual property rights of DOL, its
grantees and subgrantees (including contractors of the grantee/
subgrantee) in the HVCP will be governed by an open-source software
license, namely, the GPLv3 license (attached, Appendix A), unless
otherwise agreed upon in writing by authorized representatives of both
DOL and the grantee.
Grantees must include the following language on all products
developed in whole or in part with grant funds: ``This workforce
solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of
Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The solution was
created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official
position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes
no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or
implied, with respect to such information, including any information on
linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the
information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy,
continued availability, or ownership.'' For assessments and tools
developed by the grantee, the following must be added to the disclaimer
statement: ``This solution is copyrighted by the
[[Page 17780]]
institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or
personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is
permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the
copyright owner.'' For the HVCP platform and other open-source
products, the following must be added to the disclaimer statement
``This solution is distributed as open-source software under a GPLv3
license, which is included on the start-up screen of the software or
written in the code.''
F. Other Submission Requirements
Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by
written notice to the Grant Officer at any time before an award is
made.
V. Application Review Information
Evaluation Criteria
This section identifies and describes the criteria that will be
used for each category to evaluate grant proposals. The evaluation
criteria are described below in two categories:
Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career Platform; or
Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of Community- and Faith-Based
Organizations to Deliver Virtual Career Exploration Services, Including
Healthcare Careers.
A. Evaluation Criteria: Category 1--Healthcare Virtual Career Platform
(HVCP)
These criteria and point values are:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criterion Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Strategy and Project Work Plan............................ 40
2. Platform Design and Technical Specifications.............. 15
3. Organizational Capacity and Technical Expertise........... 25
4. Deliverables and Outcomes................................. 20
----------
Total.................................................... 100
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Strategy and Project Work Plan (40 points)
The HVCP is intended to be a Web-based clearinghouse specifically
designed to improve access to information and resources available for
individuals, including individuals from underserved communities,
interested in pursuing healthcare careers. This online tool will
integrate both existing resources via links or Web services, along with
certain newly developed components or tools, in a single, accessible
user-friendly platform that presents users with a logical way to think
about healthcare career exploration and decision-making, as well as
planning their next steps in terms of education and other preparation,
including planning their own career pathway and career ladder. The
applicant must provide a complete and very clear explanation of its
proposed strategy and its implementation plans to meet these
objectives.
The applicant must describe the proposed web-based career
exploration strategy in full; explain how the proposed components
address healthcare workforce needs; and, demonstrate how the proposed
project will effectively provide online content and services (1) to
encourage diverse individuals to pursue healthcare careers and (2) to
develop their career and education and training plans. In support of
the proposal, applicants should describe any evidence-based research
that they considered in designing the strategy. The applicant must
present a comprehensive work plan for the project, following the format
provided in this section. Points for this section will be based on the
relevance, completeness, and quality of data and analysis which
underlie the Strategy and Project Work Plan as follows:
i. Strategies for Developing HVCP (20 points)
Scoring under this section will be based on the extent to which the
applicant fully and clearly describes its proposed strategies for
performing the following tasks under the grant and indicates how they
will be carried out through the activities in the work plan:
Develop Asset Map. Identify what virtual tools and
services are available for persons interested in a healthcare career
and which ones would be valuable to include as part of the HVCP (year
1).
Develop a Gap Analysis. Analyze the resources identified
in the asset map (above) and identify gaps in information and tools
that need to be developed as in-house applications running on the HVCP
to adequately promote healthcare career exploration and career
planning, especially for diverse communities (year 1).
Build and Operate Platform. Design, build, and operate an
open platform for healthcare career information resources and services,
together with APIs and hosting infrastructure for healthcare career
data and in-house and third-party applications;
Develop a design for the HVCP to deliver all the
identified components (year 1). Both the system and the uncompiled
source code should be open source or located in the public domain.
Develop Assessment Tool. The HVCP must include an
assessment tool. The applicant should provide an interest, aptitude,
and readiness assessment tool for specific healthcare careers, as one
of the applications developed for the platform. The assessment and
results should be detailed enough to be able to direct an individual to
specific occupations within the overall healthcare career field, rather
than just providing a general vocational interest indicating that the
healthcare industry as a whole is a possible career option. The
assessment tool should also assess current educational and work
readiness and potential transferable skills to help an individual
develop a career pathway plan that includes needed education as well as
jobs or occupations along a career ladder to higher, family-supporting
wages (year 1).
Incorporate Online Training Component. The HVCP must
include an online training component that would consist of noncredit
prerequisite courses for entry-level healthcare careers. Such training
courses already exist and would be identified in the asset-mapping
portion of the project (year 1).
ii. Outreach, Training and Collaboration Strategy (5 points)
Scoring under this section will be based on the extent to which the
applicant fully and clearly describes its strategies for providing
public outreach, awareness and training activities as described below:
Public Outreach and Awareness Activities. The applicant
must provide a comprehensive outreach and awareness strategy for the
public workforce investment system and community- and faith-based
organizations (including recipients of grant funds for Category 2 of
this SGA) to inform and create awareness of the information and
services offered by the HVCP. The applicant should take into account
the needs and barriers facing diverse communities. The applicant should
describe train-the-trainer activities, to be delivered either in-person
or virtual. The applicant must clearly identify how the proposed
strategy will enable the project to effectively recruit users to the
site and empower them to use the services provided (year 2).
Training. The applicant must develop and provide training
on the tools and services available on the HVCP as well as a tutorial
on the site itself, virtually and in-person for staff, including staff
of One-Stop Career Centers, community- and faith-based organizations,
and Category 2 grant recipients and for individuals (year 2).
Collaboration. The applicant is expected to provide train-
the-trainer training and collaborate with the recipients of Category 2
grant funds. The
[[Page 17781]]
applicant must provide a proposed strategy to initiate contact and
collaborate with Category 2 grant recipients in order to implement the
outreach and training described above. The applicant must enter into a
MOU agreement with the recipient of Category 2 grant awards within 60
days of the grant award (year 2).
iii. Project Work Plan (10 points)
The applicant must provide a comprehensive project work plan.
Factors considered in evaluating the project work plan will include:
(1) The presentation of a coherent plan that demonstrates the
applicant's complete understanding of all the activities,
responsibilities, and costs required to implement each phase of the
project and achieve projected outcomes within the timeframe of the
grant; and (2) the demonstrated feasibility and reasonableness of the
timeline for accomplishing all necessary start-up activities, including
the ability to begin start-up activities immediately following the
grant start date of no later than July 1, 2010, and to launch a beta-
version of the HVCP site no later than July 1, 2011. Applicants must
present this work plan in a table that includes the following
categories:
Project Tasks. Applicants must provide a detailed timeline
for the six major tasks: (1) Asset mapping; (2) Gap analysis; (3) HVCP
clearinghouse design and development; (4) Assessment development; (5)
Online readiness, refresher and prerequisite training; and (6)
Outreach, Training and Collaboration Activities.
Activities. Applicants must identify the major activities
required to implement each phase of the project. For each activity,
include the following information: (a) Start Date; (b) End Date; (c)
the project partner(s) that will be primarily responsible for
performing each activity; (d) Key tasks associated with each activity;
and (e) Key project milestones, with a list of the target dates and
associated outcomes projected.
iv. Sustainability Options (5 points)
The Project Work Plan must include information on the development
of a proposed sustainability options document, as described in Section
III.C.2, options may include potential partnerships and leveraged
resources. The Project Work Plan must include adequate time throughout
the life of the grant to conduct sustainability planning. Applicants
must build in specific meetings or activities and deliverables in the
Project Work Plan that will focus on sustainability planning and the
development of a written sustainability options document, which will be
a required deliverable submitted to ETA at the end of the grant.
2. Platform Design and Technical Specifications (15 points)
ETA seeks to make this nationwide HVCP available and accessible to
end users with computer equipment ranging from basic to sophisticated
and internet access speeds ranging from low to high. Applicants must
take this into consideration when designing the platform.
i. Platform Design (10 points)
The applicant should submit either a process flow diagram or a site
map to illustrate the structure of the proposed HVCP. The applicant may
also provide information (description or flow chart) detailing a user's
experience on the proposed HVCP. This and other information provided
regarding the platform design can be included either in the technical
proposal or in the attachments to the technical proposal.
ii. Technical Specifications (5 points)
The applicant must fully and clearly describe how the finished HVCP
platform will meet or exceed the following technical specifications:
The platform should be developed in a nonproprietary
format. The proposed open data structure must enable multidimensional
integration (horizontal, vertical, future and legacy) with
complementary systems;
The platform must be modular, scalable, extensible,
highly-available and flexible to provide an individual user experience;
The database should be Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
compliant;
The proposed system should be compatible with standard web
browsers (Internet Explorer 7 or higher, Firefox 2.0 or higher, Mozilla
1.7 or higher, Netscape 8.0 or higher, AOL 8 or higher, Google Chrome
1.0 or higher, Opera 8.0 or higher, Safari 2.0 or higher); and
The completed system must be compliant with section 508 of
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (see http://www.ada.gov/websites2.htm).
3. Organizational Capacity and Technical Expertise (25 points)
The applicant must fully and clearly describe its capacity and its
partners' capacity (if applicable) to effectively staff and support the
proposed project. The application must also fully demonstrate the
applicant's fiscal, administrative, and technical capacity and
expertise to implement the key components of this project, including
designing and hosting Web sites and developing/validating career and/or
skill assessment instruments and describe the track record of the
applicant and its partners in implementing projects of similar focus,
size, and scope.
Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which
applicants provide evidence of the following:
i. Fiscal, Administrative, and Technical Capacity and Experience
(15 points)
The application must provide strong evidence that the applicant and
its partners have the fiscal, administrative, and technical capacity
and experience to effectively administer this grant. Discussion should
include:
A full description of the applicant's capacity, including
its systems, processes, and administrative controls that will enable it
to comply with Federal rules and regulations related to the grant's
fiscal and administrative requirements.
Strong evidence that the applicant and/or its strategic
partners (as identified in section III.A) have: (a) Technical skill and
expertise in designing and operating online platforms and applications;
(b) significant knowledge of healthcare occupations, including an
understanding of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for these
occupations, as well as associated training, education, and licensure
or certification programs; (c) significant knowledge and experience in
designing and delivering career guidance, particularly in online and
virtual environments that reflects sensitivity to the needs of a
diverse workforce; (d) expertise and experience in developing
assessments. Applicants must provide a letter or letters of commitment
(See section IV.B for instructions on submitting a required letter of
commitment). The letter/letters should describe the roles and
responsibilities of each partner.
ii. Staff Capacity (10 points)
Strong evidence that the applicant and its partners have the staff
capacity to implement the proposed project must be provided. Scoring
under this criterion will be based on the extent to which applicants
address the following factors:
The proposed staffing pattern for the project, including
program management, technical, administrative, and program staff, which
demonstrates that the role(s) and time commitment of the proposed staff
are sufficient to ensure proper direction, management, implementation,
and timely completion of each component and task.
Where a specific project manager is identified, the
applicant must demonstrate that the qualifications and level of
experience of the proposed project manager are sufficient to ensure
[[Page 17782]]
proper management of the project. Where no project manager is
identified, the applicant should discuss the minimum qualifications and
level of experience that will be required for the position.
4. Deliverables and Outcomes (20 points)
The applicant must demonstrate a results-oriented approach to
managing and operating its project by providing projections for all
outcome categories relevant to measuring the success or impact of the
project. The applicant must include projected outcomes, which will be
used as goals for the grant. Scoring under this section will be based
on the following:
i. Deliverables (10 points)
The applicant must provide a list of deliverables such as asset
map, gap analysis, assessment tool and a sustainability options
document and provide a brief description of each deliverable. For the
assessment tool deliverable, the grantee will provide relevant testing
and validation documentation. For the sustainability document
deliverable, the grantee will describe options for sustaining the HVCP,
as described in section III.C.2.
ii. Outcomes (10 points)
The applicant must provide a methodology for tracking outcomes as
well as provide projections outcomes including, but not limited to the
following outcome categories:
Web Analytics that may include a number of site visits,
Number of registered users per service (examples include
career exploration, online training, job search, etc.)
Number of trainers trained (train-the-trainer sessions)
B. Evaluation Criteria: Category 2--Enhancing the Ability of Community-
and Faith-Based Organizations To Deliver Virtual Career Exploration
Services, Including Healthcare Careers
This section identifies and describes the criteria that will be
used to evaluate the grant proposals for Category 2. These criteria and
point values are:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criterion Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Statement of Need......................................... 15
2. Strategy and Project Work Plan............................ 40
3. Project Management and Organizational Capacity............ 25
4. Outcomes.................................................. 20
----------
Total...................................................... 100
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Statement of Need (15 points)
Applicants must fully demonstrate a clear and specific need for the
Federal investment in the proposed activities. It is critical
throughout this section that applicants are explicit and specific as
possible in citing sources of data and analysis. Applicants should use
all relevant data from a wide variety of traditional resources (e.g.,
BLS reports, and state surveys) and non-traditional information sources
including consultation with industry associations, or tracking private
sector and government infrastructure investments, building permits, job
postings, and business hiring trends. Points for this section will be
based on the relevance, completeness, and quality of data and analysis
which should serve as the foundation for the Strategy and Project Work
Plan as follows:
i. Demographics (5 points)
Applicants must fully describe the demographics and characteristics
of the clients served by the community- or faith-based organization at
each local site and their existing level of information and computer
technology literacy and ability to make use of Internet based sites for
planning career pathways, including identifying career goals, planning
required education and training, and applying for jobs in their chosen
career field.
ii. Existing Need (10 points)
Applicants must include a brief inventory of existing computer
access for clients at each local site, including the ratio of client to
computer work stations, the capacity of broadband access, any time
limitations on customer use, existing software or programs currently
used for information and computer technology literacy training, if any.
Applicants must provide a full description of the specific types of
information and training, if any, available for customers and clients
regarding career exploration and decision-making, labor market
information on in-demand industries and occupations, access to and use
of online training and career assessments, including whether capacity
is adequate or not to meet current needs of the additional numbers to
be served through the grant.
2. Strategy and Project Work Plan (40 points)
The applicant must provide a complete and very clear explanation of
its proposed strategy and its implementation plans. The applicant must
present a comprehensive work plan for the project, following the format
provided later in this section. Points for this criterion will be
awarded for the following factors:
i. Proposed Capacity-Building Strategies (5 points)
Applicants must provide a detailed description of its proposed
capacity-building strategies. The applicant must describe the proposed
computer literacy and career development strategy in full (described in
section I.F); explain how the proposed capacity building, staff
training, and customer training addresses the applicant's statement of
need; and, demonstrate how the proposed project will effectively
deliver improved career planning services including to diverse
populations, such as diverse cultural communities, individuals with
limited English proficiency, low-income individuals, individuals with
disabilities, veterans, and other underserved groups. Staff development
may include training leading to credentials in career advising or
coaching. In support of the proposal, applicants should describe any
evidence-based research that they considered in designing the strategy
(years 1 and 2).
ii. Roles and Commitment of Project Partners (10 points)
Scoring on this section will be based on the extent to which the
applicant fully and clearly demonstrates the breadth and depth of their
partners' commitment to the proposed project, by addressing the
following factors:
Applicants must fully and clearly demonstrate they have
assembled a comprehensive and representative partnership, including
providing a clear description of partner involvement in the development
of the technical proposal. The applicant should fully describe the
specific roles and level of participation of each of the project
partners listed in III.A.2.ii including education/training, expertise,
and/or other activities that partners will contribute to the project.
The applicant must also demonstrate a strong commitment
from its partners by providing a letter of commitment signed by all
partners (See section IV.B for instructions on submitting a required
letter of commitment).
iii. Proposed Recruitment and Pre-Training Activities, Training and
Collaboration Strategies (15 points)
Recruitment and Pre-Training Activities: The applicant
must provide a comprehensive outreach and recruitment strategy that is
inclusive of the diverse populations defined in the statement of need,
that defines a clear process for finding and referring customers to the
career planning and information and computer literacy programs, and
describes pre-training activities such as case management services and
assessment services, if applicable. The applicant must clearly identify
how the proposed strategy will enable the project to effectively
recruit
[[Page 17783]]
those populations and identify any potential barriers to employment
(years 1 and 2).
Training: DOL encourages applicants to base their training
strategies on program models that have shown promising outcomes for
serving the populations that are the primary customers of the applicant
organization. The applicant must provide a detailed explanation of the
proposed career exploration training activities to assist clients in
using online career and employment resources, including the HCVP. The
application should also include a discussion of how the design of the
training activities will accommodate the current skill and education
level (including literacy and computer literacy), age, language
barriers, and level of work experience of the populations. The
applicant must also describe how the project will integrate basic
skills, computer literacy, and career planning training where
appropriate; take place at times and locations that are convenient and
easily accessible for the populations; provide career planning for
occupations and jobs, including those in healthcare; educate
individuals about opportunities for career advancement and wage growth
within the health industry and career pathways; and provide
comprehensive coaching to help individuals take advantage of those
opportunities (years 1 and 2).
Collaboration: The applicant must collaborate with the
recipient of Category 1 grant funds, who will provide training to
Category 2 grant recipients regarding the new HVCP. The applicant must
provide a proposed strategy to collaborate with the Category 1 grant
recipient. The applicant must enter into a MOU agreement with the
recipient of Category 1 grant award within 60 days of the grant award.
The Category 1 grant recipient will initiate the process of developing
an MOU agreement. Category 2 applicants must demonstrate a willingness
to work with the Category 1 grant recipient.
iv. Project Work Plan (10 points)
The applicant must provide a comprehensive project work plan.
Factors considered in evaluating the project work plan will include:
(1) The presentation of a coherent plan that demonstrates the
applicant's complete understanding of all the activities,
responsibilities, and costs required to implement each phase of the
project and achieve projected outcomes within the timeframe of the
grant; (2) the demonstrated feasibility and reasonableness of the
timeline for accomplishing all necessary start-up and education/
training activities, including the ability to begin start-up activities
immediately following the grant start date of no later than July 1,
2010, and to begin education and training activities as soon as
possible; and, (3) the extent to which the budget aligns with the
proposed work plan and is justified with respect to the adequacy and
reasonableness of resources requested. Applicants must present this
work plan in a table that includes the following categories:
Project Tasks: Lay out the timeline for the four major
tasks--Capacity Building/Equipment Purchase and Set-Up, Collaboration
with Category 1 recipient, Recruiting participants, and Serving
participants.
Activities: Identify the major activities required to
implement each phase of the project. For each activity, include the
following information: (a) Start Date; (b) End Date; (c) Project
partner(s) that will be primarily responsible for performing each
activity; (d) Key tasks associated with each activity; (e) Key project
milestones, with a list of the target dates and associated outcomes
projected for capacity building efforts including technology upgrades,
recruitment of participants, and participants served; and (f) As
accurately as possible, list the sub-total budget dollar amount
associated with each activity.
3. Project Management and Organizational Capacity (25 points)
The applicant must fully describe its capacity, including its
partners' capacity, to effectively staff the proposed initiative. The
application must also fully demonstrate the applicant's fiscal,
administrative, and performance management capacity to implement the
key components of this project, and the track record of the applicant
and its partners in implementing projects of similar focus, size, and
scope.
Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which
applicants provide evidence of the following:
i. Staff Capacity (10 points)
Strong evidence that the applicant and its partners, including
local affiliates, have the staff capacity to implement the proposed
initiative must be provided. Discussion should include:
The proposed staffing pattern for the project, including
program management and administrative staff and program staff, which
demonstrates that the role(s) and time commitment of the proposed staff
are sufficient to ensure proper direction, management, implementation,
and timely completion of each project.
Where a project manager is identified, the applicant must
demonstrate that the qualifications and level of experience of the
proposed project manager are sufficient to ensure proper management of
the project. Where no project manager is identified, the applicant
should discuss the minimum qualifications and level of experience that
will be required for the position.
ii. Fiscal, Administrative, and Performance Management Capacity (10
points)
The application must provide strong evidence that the applicant and
its partners have the fiscal, administrative, and performance
management capacity to effectively administer this grant. Discussion
should include:
A full description of the applicant's capacity, including
its systems, processes, and administrative controls that will enable it
to comply with Federal rules and regulations related to the grant's
fiscal and administrative requirements.
A full description of the applicant's capacity, including
its systems and processes, that will support the grant's performance
management requirements through effective tracking of participant
status and performance outcomes including both participant-level data
and aggregate outcomes. The applicant must include an explanation of
the applicant's processes and systems for tracking participants, as
well as collecting and managing data in a way that allows for accurate
and timely reporting of performance outcomes.
iii. Applicant's Experience (5 points)
The applicant must demonstrate its experience leading or
participating significantly in a comprehensive partnership, and the
experience of the applicant and its partners in effectively
implementing and operating career exploration, career and education
planning, and job search initiatives of similar focus, size and scope.
The discussion must include:
Specific examples of the applicant's experience in leading
or participating significantly in a partnership that focused on career
planning and preparation for diverse populations, including a
description of the programmatic goals of the project, and a
demonstration of the results achieved by that project.
Specific examples of the applicant's track record
administering Federal, State, or local grants. Applicants that have not
received grants before should provide specific examples of their
program management experiences, or other relevant experiences
administering Federal, State, or local funds. Examples should include
the programmatic goals and programmatic,
[[Page 17784]]
fiscal, and administrative results from these projects.
A description of the applicant's and its partners'
experience in projects providing career planning services to diverse
individuals including the programmatic goals and results of the
projects.
4. Outcomes (20 points)
The applicant must demonstrate a results-oriented approach to
managing and operating its project by providing projections for all
outcome categories relevant to measuring the success or impact of the
project, providing an estimated cost per participant, describing the
outcomes that will be produced as a result of the grant activities, and
fully demonstrating the appropriateness and feasibility of achieving
these results within the grant period of performance. The applicant
must include projected outcomes, which will be used as goals for the
grant. The applicant must provide projections and track outcomes
including but not limited to the following outcome categories for all
participants served with grant funds:
Total number of sites affected by capacity building
efforts;
Total participants served;
Percentage increase in participants due to capacity
building efforts;
Amount of increased capacity provided through grant funds;
Applicants must collect and report participant-level data from the
following categories:
Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics;
Services provided; and
Outcomes achieved.
C. Review and Selection Process
Applications for grants under this Solicitation will be accepted
after the publication of this announcement and until the closing date.
A technical review panel will carefully evaluate applications against
the selection criteria. These criteria are based on the policy goals,
priorities, and emphases set forth in this SGA. Up to 100 points may be
awarded to an application, depending on the quality of the responses to
the required information described in section V.A. The ranked scores
will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for
funding, in conjunction with other factors such as urban, rural, and
geographic balance; the availability of funds; and which proposals are
most advantageous to the government. The panel results are advisory in
nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant Officer may
consider any information that comes to his/her attention. The
government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions
with the applicant. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the
award will be based on the applicant's signature on the SF-424,
including electronic signature via E-Authentication on http://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
All award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage (http://www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected for award will be contacted
directly before the grant's execution and non-selected applicants will
be notified by mail. Selection of an organization as a grantee does not
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before the
actual grant is awarded, ETA 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.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Administrative Program Requirements
All grantees will be subject to all applicable Federal laws,
regulations, and the applicable OMB Circulars. The grant(s) awarded
under this SGA will be subject to the following administrative
standards and provisions:
i. Non-Profit Organizations--OMB Circulars A-122 (Cost Principles)
and 29 CFR part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
ii. Educational Institutions--OMB Circulars A-21 (Cost Principles)
and 29 CFR part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
iii. State and Local Governments--OMB Circulars A-87 (Cost
Principles) and 29 CFR part 97 (Administrative Requirements).
iv. Profit Making Commercial Firms--Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR)--48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 CFR part 95
(Administrative Requirements).
v. All entities must comply with 29 CFR parts 93 (New Restrictions
on Lobbying) and 98 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension), and,
where applicable, 29 CFR parts 96 and 99 (Audit Requirements).
vi. 29 CFR part 2, subpart D--Equal Treatment in Department of
Labor Programs for Religious Organizations, Protection of Religious
Liberty of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and
Beneficiaries.
vii. 29 CFR part 31--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted
Programs of the Department of Labor--Effectuation of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
viii. 29 CFR part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in
Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial
Assistance.
ix. 29 CFR part 33--Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis
of Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of
Labor.
x. 29 CFR part 35-- Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the
Department of Labor.
xi. 29 CFR part 36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in
Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial
Assistance.
The following administrative standards and provisions may be
applicable:
i. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law No. 105-220,
112 Stat. 936 (codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) and 20
CFR part 667 (General Fiscal and Administrative Rules).
ii. 29 CFR part 29 and 30--Apprenticeship and Equal Employment
Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training; and
iii. 29 CFR part 37--Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and
Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA),
42 U.S.C. 2000bb, applies to all Federal law and its implementation. If
your organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring
decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to
receive Federal financial assistance under Title I of WIA and maintain
that hiring practice even though Section 188 of WIA contains a general
ban on religious discrimination in employment. If you are awarded a
grant, you will be provided with information on how to request such an
exemption.
iv. Under WIA Section 181(b)(4), health and safety standards
established under Federal and State law otherwise applicable to working
conditions of employees are equally applicable to working conditions of
participants engaged in training and other activities. Applicants that
are awarded grants through this SGA are reminded that
[[Page 17785]]
these health and safety standards apply to participants in these
grants.
In accordance with section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995 (Pub. L. 104-65) (2 U.S.C. 1611), non-profit entities incorporated
under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c)(4) that engage in
lobbying activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds and
grants.
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, DOL/ETA's acceptance
of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any programs(s)
does not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures.
For example, the OMB Circulars require that an entity's procurement
procedures must ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted,
as much as practical, to provide open and free competition. If a
proposal identifies a specific entity to provide services, the DOL's
award does not provide the justification or basis to sole source the
procurement, i.e., avoid competition, unless the activity is regarded
as the primary work of an official partner to the application.
2. Special Program Requirements
i. Evaluation
DOL may require that the program or project participate in an
evaluation of overall performance of ETA grants.
C. Reporting
Quarterly financial reports, quarterly progress reports, and MIS
data will be submitted by the grantee electronically. The grantee is
required to provide the reports and documents listed below:
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
A Quarterly Financial Status Report (ETA 9130) is required until
such time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has
expired. Quarterly reports are due 45 days after the end of each
calendar year quarter. Grantees must use DOL's Online Electronic
Reporting System and information and instructions will be provided to
grantees.
2. Quarterly Performance Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly progress report within 45 days
after the end of each calendar year quarter. The report will include
quarterly information regarding grant activities. The last quarterly
progress report that grantees submit will serve as the grant's Final
Performance Report. This report should provide both quarterly and
cumulative information on the grant's activities. It must summarize
project activities, employment outcomes and other deliverables, and
related results of the project, and should thoroughly document the
training or labor market information approaches used by the grantee.
DOL will provide grantees with formal guidance about the data and other
information that is required to be collected and reported on either a
regular basis or special request basis. Grantees must agree to meet DOL
reporting requirements.
3. Record Retention
Applicants must be prepared to follow Federal guidelines on record
retention, which require grantees to maintain all records pertaining to
grant activities for a period of not less than three years from the
time of final grant close-out.
4. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5)
Provisions
Prospective applicants are advised that, if they receive an award,
they must comply with all requirements of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 [Pub. L. 111-5]. Applicants are advised to
review the Act and implementing OMB guidance in the development of
their proposals. Requirements include, but are not limited to:
a. Adherence to all grant clauses and conditions as they relate to
Recovery Act activity.
b. Prohibition on expenditure of funds for activities at any casino
or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course or swimming
pool.
c. Compliance with the requirements to obtain a D-U-N-S[reg] number
and register with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). ETA has issued
additional guidance related to reports which can be found in the
Training and Employment Guidance Letter NO. 29.08, dated June 10, 2009.
d. Submission of required reports in accordance with Section 1512
of the Recovery Act. These reports will be due quarterly within 10 days
of the end of the reporting period and are in addition to ETA required
reports addressed in section VI.C of this SGA. ETA will issue
additional guidance related to these reports and their submission
requirements shortly.
Implementing OMB guidance may be found at http://www.recovery.gov.
VII. Agency Contacts
For further information regarding this SGA, please contact Melissa
Abdullah, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance,
at (202) 693-3346 (This is not a toll-free number). Applicants should
e-mail all technical questions to Abdullah, [email protected] and must
specifically reference SGA/DFA PY 09-09, and along with question(s),
include a contact name, fax and phone number. This announcement is
being made available on the ETA Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/grants and at http://www.grants.gov.
VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants
A. Web-Based Resources
DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of
assistance to applicants. For example, the CareerOneStop portal (http://www.careeronestop.org), which provides national and state career
information on occupations; the Occupational Information Network
(O*NET) Online (http://online.onetcenter.org) which provides
occupational competency profiles; and America's Service Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org), which provides a directory of our nation's
One-Stop Career Centers.
B. Industry Competency Models and Career Clusters
ETA supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an
understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to
an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection
of competencies that, taken together, define successful performance in
a particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point
for the design and implementation of workforce and talent development
programs. To learn about the industry-validated models visit the
Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel. The CMC site also provides tools to build or customize
industry models, as well as tools to build career ladders and career
lattices for specific regional economies.
Career Clusters and Industry Competency Models both identify
foundational and technical competencies, but their efforts are not
duplicative. The Career Clusters link to specific career pathways in
sixteen career cluster areas and place greater emphasis on elements
needed for curriculum performance objectives; measurement criteria;
scope and sequence of courses in a program of study; and development of
assessments. Information about the sixteen career cluster areas can be
found by accessing: www.careerclusters.org.
C. Workforce3One Resources
1. ETA encourages applicants to view the information gathered
through the
[[Page 17786]]
conference calls with Federal agency partners, industry stakeholders,
educators, and local practitioners. The information on resources
identified can be found on Workforce3One.org at: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/2001008333909172195/info.
2. ETA encourages applicants to view the online tutorial, ``Grant
Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,''
available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.
D. Working With Other Recovery Act Programs and Federal Partners
The Recovery Act made funds available to a number of other Federal
programs that will impact the creation and expansion of healthcare
occupations and other high growth and emerging industries, as well as
providing training for those occupations. DOL is partnering with other
Federal agencies to support the creation of jobs by developing a
pipeline of skilled workers in the healthcare industry and other high
growth and emerging industries. Where possible, ETA encourages
applicants to connect their workforce development strategies to other
Recovery Act-funded projects that provide training, create jobs or
impact the skill requirements of existing jobs. ETA recommends that
applicants review other parts of the Recovery Act. For example, there
are specific Recovery Act activities related to healthcare through the
Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). For other
high growth and emerging industries, it may be appropriate to review
other Recovery Act programs from the Department of Energy, Department
of Transportation, etc. For links to federal agency Recovery Act Web
sites, please visit http://recovery.gov/?q=content/agencies.
Furthermore, other Federal departments, including Education, Health
and Human Services, and Energy, also have or are developing Web-based
resources that should be leveraged or linked to through this project.
DOL will make the connections between the HVCP grantee and cognizant
Federal officials in relevant Federal departments and agencies, during
the first 60 days following award.
IX. Other Information
OMB Information Collection No. 1225-0086
OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires November 30, 2012.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless such
collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden
for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing
and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding
the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the
U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of Darrin A. King,
Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room
N1301, Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be e-mailed to [email protected]. Please do not return the completed application to
this address. Send it to the sponsoring agency as specified in this
solicitation.
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a
grant. The information collected through this ``Solicitation for Grant
Applications'' will be used by the Department of Labor to ensure that
grants are awarded to the applicant best suited to perform the
functions of the grant. Submission of this information is required in
order for the applicant to be considered for award of this grant.
Unless otherwise specifically noted in this announcement, information
submitted in the application is not considered to be confidential.
Please be advised that the Grant Officer for this competition is
James Stockton.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of April 2010.
Donna Kelly,
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-7869 Filed 4-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P