[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 23 (Thursday, February 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6159-6161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2322]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--State Jail Inspector:
Training Curriculum Revision and Update
AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Jails Division is
seeking applications for the revision and update of its curriculum for
State jail inspector training. The project will be for a 12-month
period and will be completed in conjunction with the NIC Jails
Division. The awardee will work closely with NIC staff on all aspects
of the project. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate, at a
minimum, (1) in-depth knowledge of the variety, scope, legal standing,
and application of State jail inspections, (2) experience working with
the nation's State jail inspectors, (3) experience in conducting jail
inspections, and (4) expertise and experience in developing curriculums
based on adult learning principles as reflected in the Instructional
Theory into Practice (ITIP) model.
DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. (EDT) on Monday,
February 14, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National
Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 5002, Washington,
DC 20534. Applicants are encouraged to use Federal Express, UPS, or
similar service to ensure delivery by the due date as postal mail is at
times delayed due to security screening.
Applicants who wish to hand-deliver their applications should bring
them to 500 First Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534, and dial 202-307-
3106, ext. 0, at the front desk for pickup.
Faxed or e-mailed applications will not be accepted; however,
electronic applications can be submitted via http://www.grants.gov.
For Further Information: A copy of this announcement and links to
the required application forms can be downloaded from the NIC Web site
at http://www.nicic.gov.
Questions and Answers: Questions about this project and the
application procedures should be directed to Jim T. Barbee,
Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of Corrections.
Questions must be e-mailed to Mr. Barbee at [email protected]. Mr. Barbee
will respond by e-mail. Only questions received by 4 p.m. (EDT) on
Thursday, February 10, 2011 will be answered. Answers to these
questions will appear on NIC's Web site under the ``Corrections
Community'' blog attached to this announcement.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: Of the nation's 50 States, 33
States have some form of minimum jail standards or inspections. The
legal standing of State standards vary significantly among the States
as does the rigor of the inspection process. The responsibility for
jail standards and inspections differs from State to State, ranging
from State agencies, to independent commissions, to nonprofit
professional associations. However, the common factor among most State
jail standard efforts is usually the minimal resources allocated for
the function. In 2002, NIC developed a no-cost jail inspector training
program in support of States' efforts to improve jail conditions and
operations through standards and inspections. Improvement of the
nation's jails is consistent with NIC's mission. Today, NIC would like
to update the existing curriculum and associated training materials to
reflect changes in the field. The existing NIC jail inspector training
materials (e.g., ITIP-based curriculum, participant manuals, PowerPoint
presentations, program evaluations, and other materials) to be revised/
updated are available for review at http://www.nicic.gov under the
``Corrections Community'' blog attached to this announcement.
Scope of Work: The cooperative agreement awardee will create and
conduct an online survey to obtain feedback from former trainees, draft
a revised curriculum for the jail inspector training program, pilot the
curriculum, and revise the curriculum based on an assessment of the
pilot. The final curriculum will include a program description
(overview), detailed narrative lesson plans, presentation slides for
each lesson plan, a participant manual that follows the lesson plans,
and a process and outcome evaluation (developed in concert with NIC's
Research and Evaluation Division). The successful applicant will
demonstrate an ability to maximize the use of multimedia resources,
including blended learning technology and strategies, if required, to
enhance the adult learning experience of jail inspectors. The
curriculum will be designed according to the ITIP model for adult
learners (refer to the ITIP toolkit located at http://nicic.gov/Library/018534). Lesson plans will be in a format that NIC provides.
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A schedule of activities for this project should include, at a
minimum, the following:
Meetings: The cooperative agreement awardee will attend up to five
meetings. The initial meeting with the NIC project manager will focus
on the project overview and preliminary planning. This will take place
shortly after the cooperative agreement is awarded.
The awardee will also meet up to two times (these may be Web-based
meetings) with NIC staff and up to five administrators of jail
inspection agencies or subject matter experts (SMEs). The purpose of
these meetings is to identify clearly the primary duties of State jail
inspectors. Note that the SMEs will be selected by NIC, but all costs
associated with their meeting attendance will be paid by the awardee.
The awardee will meet up to two times with NIC staff during the
revision of the draft curriculum. One meeting will be devoted to
drafting a framework for the curriculum, including module topics,
performance objectives, estimated timeframes, sequencing, and potential
instructional strategies. The other meeting will focus on lesson plan
development, review, and revision and other project issues as they
arise.
Development of Draft Curriculum: The cooperative agreement awardee
will draft the full curriculum in consultation with NIC staff. The
awardee will then send it to NIC staff and the selected SMEs for
review.
NIC will choose the SMEs, but the awardee will reimburse them for
time and expenses related to the review. The draft curriculum must be
submitted sufficiently in advance of the pilot to ensure there is time
to make any required changes.
Curriculum Pilot: The draft curriculum will be piloted to determine
needed refinements. Although the length of the program will be
determined by the content, the awardee should project that the program
will last no more than 5 days. The curriculum may also incorporate
blended learning strategies to accompany the in-class training.
The awardee, in conjunction with NIC, will identify up to 3
trainers for the program. The awardee will contract with and pay all
costs associated with retaining the trainers, including travel,
lodging, meals, fees, and miscellaneous expenses. NIC will secure
training space at its academy in Colorado, select program participants,
notify participants of selection and program details, supply training
equipment, and provide for participant lodging, meals, and
transportation. The awardee will provide final training materials in an
appropriate timeframe and media format (e.g., doc, xls, avi, jpeg, mp3)
as determined by NIC and in consultation with its writer/editor,
webmaster, and audiovisual staff.
Curriculum Revision and Final Product: Based on the pilot and
discussions with NIC staff, the awardee will revise the curriculum. The
awardee will submit the revised curriculum to NIC staff for final
review and make any remaining changes. The awardee will submit the
completed curriculum to NIC in hard copy (1) and on disk in Word,
PowerPoint, or other acceptable formats as designated by NIC. The
awardee is responsible for securing all copyright releases in writing
in addition to achieving 508 format compliance.
Document Preparation: For all awards in which a document will be a
deliverable, the awardee must follow the Guidelines for Preparing and
Submitting Manuscripts for Publication as found in the ``General
Guidelines for Cooperative Agreements,'' which will be included in the
award package.
Application Requirements: An application package must include OMB
Standard Form 425, Application for Federal Assistance; a cover letter
that identifies the audit agency responsible for the applicant's
financial accounts as well as the audit period or fiscal year under
which the applicant operates (e.g., July 1 through June 30); and an
outline of projected costs with the budget and strategy narratives
described in this announcement. The following additional forms must
also be included: OMB Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B, Assurances--Non-
Construction Programs (both available at http://www.grants.gov); DOJ/
FBOP/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and
Other Responsibility Matters; and the Drug-Free Workplace Requirements
(available at http://www.nicic.org/Downloads/PDF/certif-frm.pdf).
Applications should be concisely written, typed double spaced, and
reference the NIC opportunity number and title referenced in this
announcement. If you are hand delivering or submitting via Fed-Ex,
please include an original and three copies of your full proposal
(program and budget narrative, application forms, assurances and other
descriptions). The original should have the applicant's signature in
blue ink. Electronic submissions will be accepted only via http://www.grants.gov.
The narrative portion of the application should include, at a
minimum: A brief paragraph indicating the applicant's understanding of
the project's purpose; a brief paragraph that summarizes the project
goals and objectives; a clear description of the methodology that will
be used to complete the project and achieve its goals; a statement or
chart of measurable project milestones and timelines for the completion
of each milestone; a description of the qualifications of the applicant
organization and a resume for the principal and each staff member
assigned to the project (including instructors) that documents relevant
knowledge, skills, and abilities to complete the project; and a budget
that details all costs for the project, shows consideration for all
contingencies for the project, notes a commitment to work within the
proposed budget, and demonstrates the ability to reasonably provide
deliverables according to schedule.
The narrative portion of the application should not exceed ten
double-spaced typewritten pages, excluding attachments related to the
credentials and relevant experience of staff.
In addition to the narrative and attachments, the applicant must
submit one full sample curricula developed by the primary curriculum
developer(s) named in the application. The sample curriculum must
include lesson plans, presentation slides, and a participant manual.
Authority: Pub. L. 93-415.
Funds Available: NIC is seeking the applicant's best ideas
regarding accomplishment of the scope of work and the related costs for
achieving the goals of this solicitation. Funds may be used only for
the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the project.
The funding amount should not exceed $73,000.
Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any State or
general unit of local government, private agency, educational
institution, organization, individual, or team with expertise in the
described areas. Applicants must have demonstrated ability to implement
a project of this size and scope.
Review Considerations: Applications will be subject to the NIC
Review Process. The criteria for the evaluation of each application
will be as follows: Project Design and Management--30 points; Applicant
Organization & Project Staff Background--30 points; Budget--20 points;
Sample Curricula--20 points.
Note: NIC will not award a cooperative agreement to an
applicant who does not have a Dun and Bradstreet Database Universal
Number (DUNS) and is not registered in the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR).
[[Page 6161]]
Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the
dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 800-333-0505.
Applicants who are sole proprietors should dial 866-705-5711 and select
option 1.
Applicants may register in the CCR online at the CCR Web site at
http://www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and
worksheet at this Web site.
Number of Awards: One.
NIC Opportunity Number: 11JA01. This number should appear as a
reference line in the cover letter, where the opportunity number is
requested on Standard Form 424, and on the outside of the envelope in
which the application is sent.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.601.
Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the
provisions of the executive order.
Thomas J. Beauclair,
Deputy Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2011-2322 Filed 2-2-11; 8:45 am]
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