[Federal Register: June 26, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 123)]
[Notices]               
[Page 43169-43182]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26jn02-104]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Disability Employment Policy

 
Innovative Demonstration Grants for Youth With Disabilities

AGENCY: Office of Disability Employment Policy, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant 
Applications of Innovative Demonstration Grants for Youth with 
Disabilities (SGA 02-12).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or ``Department''), 
Office of Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP'') announces the 
availability of $2.5 million to award competitive grants to fund model 
demonstration programs designed to enhance the capacity of youth 
programs working in coordination with the Workforce Investment Act 
(WIA) (Pub. L. 105-220, 29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) to serve youth with 
disabilities. Up to five competitive grants will be awarded in the 
range of $350,000 to $500,000. These awards are for a two-year period 
of performance. To be eligible, applicants must be local WIA grant 
recipients, fiscal agents for such grant recipients, Local Workforce 
Investment Boards (Local Boards), and/or competitively selected 
eligible youth service providers with formal agreements with such 
organizations.
    Each grant must involve members of two specific groups in strategic 
planning and implementation activities: Youth with disabilities 
(including those with hidden disabilities such as psychiatric 
disabilities, substance addiction, mental retardation and learning 
disabilities), relevant experts in the field of young people with 
disabilities (such as disability organizations, researchers, policy 
makers, employers, family members and/or family organizations, 
independent living centers, or service providers). Each grant must also 
include a management and evaluation component. All forms necessary to 
prepare an application are included in this Solicitation for Grant 
Application (SGA.) If another copy of a Standard Form is needed, go 
online to http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/grants/forms.html.

DATES: One (1) ink-signed original, complete grant application plus two 
(2) copies of the Technical Proposal and two (2) copies of the Cost 
Proposal must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement 
Services Center, Attention Grant Officer, Reference SGA 02-12, Room N-
5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, not later 
than 4:45 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST), August 12, 2002. 
Hand-delivered applications must be received by the Procurement 
Services Center by that time.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be directed to the U.S. Department of 
Labor, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Grant Officer, Reference 
SGA 02-12, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All applicants are advised that U.S. 
mail delivery in the Washington, DC area has been erratic due to 
concerns involving anthrax contamination. All applicants must take this 
into consideration when preparing to meet the application deadline. It 
is recommended that you confirm receipt of your application by 
contacting Cassandra Willis, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement 
Services Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free 
number), prior to the closing deadline.

Acceptable Methods of Submission:

    The application package must be received at the designated place by 
the date and time specified or it will not be considered. Any 
application received at the Office of Procurement Services Center after 
4:45 p.m., EDST, August 12, 2002, will not be considered unless it is 
received before the award is made and:
    1. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the 
fifth calendar day before August 12, 2002; or
    2. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5:00 p.m. at the place 
of mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal 
holidays, prior to August 12, 2002; or
    3. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the U.S. 
Department of Labor at the address indicated.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, 
an application received after the above closing time and date shall be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk 
place a legible hand cancellation ``bulls-eye'' postmark on both the 
receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
the U. S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Procurement 
Services Center on the application wrapper or other documentary 
evidence or receipt maintained by that office.
    Applications sent by other delivery services, such as Federal 
Express, UPS, etc., will also be accepted; however, the applicant bears 
the responsibility of timely submission.
    All applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in the 
Washington, DC area has been erratic due to concerns involving anthrax 
contamination. All applicants must take this into consideration when 
preparing to meet the application deadline. Therefore, it is 
recommended that you confirm receipt of your application by contacting 
Cassandra Willis, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services 
Center, telephone (202) 693-4570, (this is not a toll-free number), 
prior to the closing deadline. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing 
may contact the Department via the Federal Relay Service, (800) 877-
8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Authority

    Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001, Pub. L. 106-554, 114 Stat. 
2763, A-10, 29 U.S.C. 557(b); DOL, HHS, Education & Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2002, Pub L. 107-116, 115 Stat. 2177.

II. Background

    The President's ``New Freedom Initiative'' is designed to increase 
the number of people with disabilities who enter, re-enter, and remain 
in the workforce. This initiative is dedicated to increasing investment 
in, and access to, assistive technologies and expanding educational 
opportunities in order to increase the ability of individuals with 
disabilities to integrate into the workforce; and to promote increased 
access into the community.\1\
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    \1\ For more information about the New Freedom Initiative, go to 
the White House web page at www.whitehouse.gov/news/
freedominitiative.
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    A key to increasing the employment of people with disabilities is 
to ensure that young people with disabilities are provided resources 
and assistance to move from school to work, as opposed to becoming 
dependent on welfare or other benefits programs. One way of 
accomplishing this is to increase the

[[Page 43170]]

participation of youth with disabilities in mainstream workforce 
development activities under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
(WIA).
    According to the U.S. Department of Education, the national high 
school graduation rates (e.g. diplomas, GED, alternative certificates) 
for students with disabilities are below that of youth without 
disabilities. Nearly nine-tenths (88%) of students without disabilities 
graduate, compared to only 62% of youth with disabilities.\2\ Moreover, 
students with disabilities experience a school drop out rate that is 3 
times greater than that for youth without disabilities--31% vs. 11%. 
Youth with emotional disabilities experience an even higher drop out 
rate of 54%. It is estimated that only one-third of young people with 
disabilities who need job training receive it. Young people with 
disabilities also have significantly lower rates of participation in 
post-secondary education. Finally, the Social Security Administration 
has found that many young people with disabilities who enter the 
Supplementary Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability 
Insurance (SSDI) rolls are likely to remain on the program rolls for 
their entire lives.
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    \2\ U.S. Department of Education, National Center on Education 
Statistics, The Condition of Education 2000 in Brief, Jeanne H. 
Nathanson NCES 2001-045, Washington, DC; U.S. Government Printing 
Office, 2001 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special 
Education and Rehabilitation Services, Twenty-second Annual Report 
to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Act, Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
2000.
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    The federal/state vocational rehabilitation system is neither large 
enough to serve, nor solely responsible for serving, all youth with 
disabilities that depart the school system. According to the U.S. 
Department of Education, each year approximately 500,000 young people 
with disabilities leave our nation's schools. Vocational rehabilitation 
programs are able to serve less than 40,000 of these young people with 
disabilities. Many of the remaining 460,000 youth with disabilities are 
potentially eligible for youth programs supported under WIA. One of the 
most significant reforms under WIA section 129(c) [29 U.S.C. 2854(c)], 
is the consolidation of the year-round youth program and the summer 
youth program into a single formula-based funding stream. Under WIA, 
each local workforce investment area must have a year-round youth 
services strategy that incorporates summer youth employment 
opportunities as one of ten required program elements (WIA section 
129(c)(2), 20 CFR 644.410). The ten program elements reflect successful 
youth development approaches and focus on the following four key 
themes:
    1. Improving educational achievement (including such elements as 
tutoring, study skills training, and instruction leading to secondary 
school completion, drop-out prevention strategies, and alternative 
secondary school offerings);
    2. Preparing for and succeeding in employment (including summer 
employment opportunities, paid and unpaid work experience, and 
occupational skills training);
    3. Supporting youth (including supportive services needs, providing 
adult mentoring, follow-up services, and comprehensive guidance and 
counseling); and
    4. Offering services intended to develop the potential of young 
people as citizens and leaders (including leadership development 
opportunities.)
    WIA provides a variety of work preparation programs that can assist 
youth with disabilities in achieving their career ambitions. The 
potential is great for these programs to prepare eligible youth 
participants with disabilities for employment. These services need to 
be made available to young people with disabilities. Traditionally, 
however, they are not recruited to participate in these programs. WIA 
youth service providers may not be aware of the need to serve youth 
with disabilities in their communities and may lack the resources to 
develop strong partnerships and an equitable referral/assessment 
system.
    Moreover, vocational rehabilitation agencies, special education 
agencies, and other agencies serving youth with disabilities may not be 
aware of the potential for coordinating resources with WIA-based 
programs. They may also be unaware of opportunities for creating 
mechanisms for such programs to cooperate and support young people with 
disabilities.
    Currently, WIA-assisted youth programs report that difficulties in 
identifying the number of youth with non-visible disabilities who 
already participate in WIA-assisted youth programs hinders the long-
term success of these young people. Because the disabilities of many 
youth go unidentified in WIA-assisted youth programs, the rate of their 
failure may be higher than for those whose disabilities are evident.
    The U.S. Department of Labor has determined that youth programs 
must be strengthened to better serve young people with disabilities. 
ODEP's vision incorporates providing technical assistance and support 
designed to assist WIA-assisted youth programs to increase the capacity 
of those programs to serve people with disabilities.
    In order to accomplish this goal, a two-pronged approach will be 
used. This approach includes:
    1. Awarding grants designed to demonstrate and further develop the 
capacity of WIA-assisted youth programs to serve youth with 
disabilities; and,
    2. Maintaining a technical assistance program to support capacity 
building for various youth programs.
    In combination, these activities contribute to achieving the goals 
of the President's ``New Freedom Initiative''.
    This SGA is designed to further the first of these activities. The 
supporting national technical assistance program (the WIA Disability 
Technical Assistance Consortia for Adults and Youth) was established in 
October 2001 to help with the implementation of these demonstration 
grants.

III. Purpose

    This SGA supports model demonstration projects that develop, 
implement, evaluate, and disseminate new or improved approaches that 
generate knowledge, and promote best practices to WIA-assisted youth 
programs. Its purpose is to increase participation and improve results 
in those programs for young people with disabilities including those 
with hidden disabilities such as psychiatric disabilities, substance 
addiction, mental retardation, and learning disabilities.
    For the purposes of this SGA, a youth with a disability is defined 
as a youth aged 14 to 21 years old who (1) has a physical or mental 
impairment that substantially limits one or more of his or her major 
life activities or; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or; (3) is 
regarded as having such an impairment.
    The purpose of these demonstration projects is to help WIA-assisted 
youth programs develop their capacity to serve youth with disabilities. 
This capacity building will allow these programs to develop and further 
demonstrate strategies and techniques to increase the participation of 
youth with disabilities. These strategies and techniques can, in turn, 
serve as models for similar WIA-assisted youth programs. These projects 
will target youth both in- and out-of-school. As a result of these 
demonstrations, and associated technical assistance efforts, ODEP 
anticipates that all WIA-assisted youth programs will learn from and 
follow these examples. This should result in a system-wide increase in 
the successful participation of youth with disabilities in all WIA-
assisted youth programs.

[[Page 43171]]

    Included in the objectives of these model demonstration projects is 
a goal of building upon and enhancing the integrated youth development 
approach envisioned under WIA, by incorporating knowledge of best 
practices developed through 15 years of research from the fields of 
rehabilitation, special education, maternal and child health, school-
to-work, and youth development as discussed in Section IV of this SGA.
    Projects are required to collaborate with the WIA Disability 
Technical Assistance Consortia for Adults and Youth (described above in 
the Background Section) designed to provide assistance to other WIA-
assisted youth programs, in order to catalyze the systems changes 
outlined in the SGA.

IV. Statement of Work

    This SGA seeks proposals from organizations that will implement 
demonstration projects designed to develop their WIA-assisted youth 
program's capacity to increase its services to youth with disabilities 
including those with non-visible disabilities such as psychiatric 
disabilities, substance addiction, mental retardation, and learning 
disabilities. The ultimate goal is to allow these programs to become 
leaders in developing and further demonstrating strategies and 
techniques to increase both the participation of and results for youth 
with disabilities.
    These grants are designed to enable WIA-assisted youth programs to 
support those needed efforts to achieve improved service to youth with 
disabilities in their existing programs. Grant funds may not be used to 
provide direct service payments for youth with disabilities; existing 
funding is to be used for this purpose. Rather, these funds are 
intended to be used in ways which create system change or overall 
program improvements to enable youth programs to more successfully 
serve youth with disabilities.
    Under this grant, grantees must serve at least 40 youth with 
disabilities each year or, if the program has fewer than 200 
participants, at least 20% of them must be participants with 
disabilities.
    Proposals must demonstrate how the grantee would develop, 
implement, evaluate, and disseminate new or improved approaches to the 
youth programs that generate knowledge and promote best practices, to 
increase participation, and improve results in those programs for young 
people with disabilities. In addition, grantees must participate in 
technical assistance efforts designed to disseminate to other programs 
their successful strategies and techniques for serving greater numbers 
of youth with disabilities including those with non-visible 
disabilities.
    All grantees must operate demonstration projects that integrate the 
four key themes and ten program elements of WIA-assisted youth 
programs, listed at WIA section 129(c)(2) (20 CFR 644.410) discussed 
above with one or more of the following best practice features:
    1. Demonstrations focused on promoting effective structures, 
policies, and practices to improve results for youth with disabilities 
in WIA-assisted programs, including those with non-visible 
disabilities, in areas such as admission, enrollment, assessment, staff 
development, interagency coordination, etc.;
    2. Demonstrations of effective service interventions and approaches 
that help young people with disabilities to overcome barriers to 
positive education and employment outcomes including such things as 
illicit drug use;
    3. Demonstrations that focus on the link between academic and 
occupational skill standards; and on the integration of academic and 
applied learning in real work settings;
    4. Demonstrations that focus on supporting and accommodating young 
people with disabilities in integrated, inclusive work, and work-
preparation environments at all times, especially if their educational 
program has been delivered even partially in a segregated setting;
    5. Demonstrations that focus on youth-centered planning and 
development (e.g., assessment, choice, rights and responsibilities, 
life skills, drop out prevention strategies, paid and unpaid work 
experiences, leadership development, adult mentoring);
    6. Demonstrations that focus on promoting physical and mental 
health, substance abuse prevention, and the link between health and 
positive educational and employment outcomes;
    7. Demonstrations that focus on increasing the type of involvement 
by business, family, and community, that create effective connections 
to intermediaries with strong links to the job market and to local and 
regional employers;
    8. Demonstrations which develop and leverage linkages with other 
state and local initiatives that provide services and supports for 
young people with significant disabilities. Such initiatives may 
include, but are not limited to, systems change efforts promoting 
enduring systems improvement and comprehensive coordination; health 
care; substance abuse prevention; housing; transportation; education; 
supported employment; small business development; technology related 
assistance; private foundations; faith-based initiatives; and
    9. Demonstrations that research alternative methods of measuring 
WIA performance outcomes that consider the various characteristics of 
people with disabilities, including those with non-visible 
disabilities.
    Some examples of resources for information about WIA-assisted youth 
program components and these best practice features can be located on 
the following Web sites:
    1. Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Office of Youth 
Services Web site: www.doleta.gov/youth--services.
    2. National Transition Alliance for Youth with Disabilities: 
www.dssc.org/nta.
    3. The Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child 
Health, ``Healthy and Ready to Work'' Web site: www.mchbhrtw.org.
    4. National Youth Employment Coalition, Program and Effective 
Practices Network (PEPNET) Web site: www.nyec.org.
    5. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Web site: 
www.ici.edu.
    6. The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability Web site: 
www.ncwd-youth.info/ig.html.
    In addition, a model demonstration project must:
    1. Provide a detailed management plan for project goals, 
objectives, and activities;
    2. Describe how they plan to comply with the employment 
nondiscrimination and equal opportunity requirements of the various 
laws listed in the assurances section, and how they plan to meet the 
needs of individuals with disabilities from diverse cultures and/or 
racial and ethnic groups;
    3. Use rigorous quantitative or qualitative evaluation methods and 
data;
    4. Evaluate the model by using multiple measures of results to 
determine the effectiveness of the model and its components or 
strategies for continuous program improvements;
    5. Produce detailed procedures and materials that would enable 
others to replicate the model;
    6. Communicate with appropriate audiences through means such as 
technical assistance providers and disseminators, publications, 
conference presentations, and/or a web site. (If the project maintains 
a web site, it must include relevant information and documents in an 
accessible form); and
    7. Collaborate with appropriate Federal and state agencies and

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programs, such as the Department of Health and Human Services Maternal 
and Child Health Bureau, Children with Special Health Care Needs 
Program, Health Care Financing Administration, Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration, Administration on Developmental 
Disabilities, Social Security Administration, and the Department of 
Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.
    Grantees must support the travel cost associated with sending at 
least one representative to the annual ODEP Grantees' training 
conference, to be held in Washington, DC.
    The Department will arrange for an independent evaluation of 
outcomes, impacts, and benefits of the demonstration projects. Grantees 
must make records available to evaluation personnel, as specified by 
the evaluator(s) under the direction of the Department.

V. Funding Availability

    The period of performance will be 24 months from the date of 
execution by the Government. Up to five (5) competitive grants will be 
awarded in the range of $350,000 to $500,000. It is expected that the 
funds used for this SGA will support the costs associated with the 
development, implementation, and evaluation of a model demonstration 
project for a youth program to significantly increase the numbers of 
young people with disabilities participating and benefiting from 
program activities. Projects can use the available funds to conduct a 
variety of activities to support these models, such as outreach, 
recruitment, staff training, strategic planning, assessment, 
curriculum/materials development, career development, student-focused 
planning, program alignment, partnership building, reasonable 
accommodations, etc. Youth programs are required to use existing 
funding to provide direct services to young people with disabilities.

VI. Eligible Applicants

    To be eligible, applicants must be WIA grant recipients for a local 
area, fiscal agents for such grant recipients, Local Boards, and/or 
competitively selected eligible youth service providers. Each grantee 
must involve members of two specific groups in strategic planning and 
implementation activities: youth with disabilities, and relevant 
experts in the field of young people with disabilities (such as 
disability organizations, researchers, policy makers, employers, family 
members and/or family organizations, independent living centers, or 
service providers.)
    According to section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an 
organization, as described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, that engages in lobbying activities will not be eligible 
for the receipt of federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan. 
See 2 U.S.C. 1611; 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4).

VII. Application Contents

    General Requirements--Two copies and an original of the proposal 
must be submitted, one of which must contain an original signature. 
Proposals must be submitted by the applicant only. There are three 
required sections of the application. Requirements for each section are 
provided in this application package.

Part I--Executive Summary

    The Executive Summary must be no more than 2 single-spaced pages in 
length giving a clear summary of the project narrative.

Part II--Project Narrative--(Appendices: Letters of Commitment/Support, 
Resumes, etc.)

    Applicants must include a project narrative that addresses the 
Statement of Work in Part IV of this notice and the selection criteria 
that are used by reviewers in evaluating the application.
    You must limit the project narrative to the equivalent of no more 
than fifty (50) pages using the following standard. This page limit 
does not apply to Part I, the Executive Summary; Part III, the Project 
Financial Plan (Budget); and, the Appendices (the assurances and 
certifications, resumes, a bibliography or references, and the letters 
of support). A page is 8.5" x 11" (on one side only) with one-inch 
margins (top, bottom, and sides). All text in the application 
narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, and 
captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs 
must be double-spaced (no more than three lines per vertical inch); 
and, if using a proportional computer font, use no smaller than a 12-
point font, and an average character density no greater than 18 
characters per inch (if using a non-proportional font or a typewriter, 
do not use more than 12 characters per inch.)
    Applicants must also include in Part II of the proposal a narrative 
that addresses all of the Evaluation Criteria (section VIII below) that 
will be used by reviewers in evaluating individual proposals.
    Applicants shall collaborate with other research institutes, 
centers, and studies and evaluations that are supported by DOL and 
other relevant Federal agencies.

Part III Project Financial Plan (Budget)

    Applications must include a detailed financial plan that identifies 
by line item the budget plan designed to achieve the goals of this 
grant. The Financial Plan must contain the SF-424, Application for 
Federal Assistance, (Appendix A) and a Budget Information Sheet SF-424A 
(Appendix B).
    In addition, the budget must include on a separate page a detailed 
cost analysis of each line item. Justification for administrative costs 
must be provided. Approval of a budget by DOL is not the same as the 
approval of actual costs. The individual signing the SF 424 on behalf 
of the applicant must represent and be able to legally bind the 
responsible financial and administrative entity for a grant should that 
application result in an award. The applicant must also include the 
Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C).

VIII. Evaluation Criteria/Selection

A. Evaluation Criteria

    The application must include appropriate information of the type 
described below.
1. Significance of the Proposed Project (20 Points)
    In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Department considers the following factors:
    a. The potential contribution of the proposed project to increase 
knowledge or understanding of problems, issues, or effective strategies 
for youth programs in serving young people with disabilities;
    b. The extent to which the proposed project is likely to yield 
findings that may be used by other appropriate agencies and 
organizations;
    c. The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies;
    d. The likely utility of the products (such as information, 
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed 
project, including the potential for the products' being used 
effectively in a variety of other settings;
    e. The extent to which the promising practices of the proposed 
project are to be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use 
the information or strategies;
    f. The potential replicability (national significance) of the 
proposed project or

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strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation 
in a variety of settings; and,
    g. The importance or magnitude of the results which are likely to 
be attained by the proposed project.
2. Quality of the Project Design (20 Points)
    In evaluating the quality of the proposed project design, the 
Department considers the following factors:
    a. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable;
    b. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population and other identified needs;
    c. The extent to which the design of the proposed project can 
measure methods for recruiting and serving youth with disabilities each 
year;
    d. The extent to which the proposal demonstration incorporates the 
four key themes identified in Part IV, Statement of Work;
    e. The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of this 
grant;
    f. The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
a review of disability related literature, up-to-date knowledge from 
research and effective practice of youth-centered planning and youth 
development principles and approaches, and the use of appropriate 
methodological tools to ensure successful achievement of project 
objectives;
    g. The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
state, and Federal resources;
    h. The extent to which the applicant encourages involvement of 
young people with disabilities, relevant experts, and organizations in 
project activities; and,
    i. The extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.
3. Quality of Project Personnel (15 Points)
    The Project Narrative must describe the proposed staffing of the 
project and must identify and summarize the qualifications of the 
personnel who will carry it out. The projects funded under this notice 
must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment 
qualified individuals with disabilities in project activities. In 
addition, the Department considers the qualifications, including 
relevant education, training and experience of key project personnel as 
well as the qualifications, including relevant training and experience 
of project consultants or subcontractors. Resumes must be included in 
the Appendices.
4. Adequacy of Resources (10 Points)
    In evaluating the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, 
the Department considers the following factors:
    a. The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization;
    b. The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the 
proposed project to the implementation and success of the project;
    c. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project;
    d. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project; 
and
    e. The extent to which the applicant proposes to leverage other 
resources and funds, or to use these funds to leverage other funds.
    The applicant may include letters of commitment from proposed 
partners in the Appendix.
5. Quality of the Management Plan (20 points)
    In evaluating the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Department considers the following factors:
    a. The extent to which the management plan for project 
implementation achieves the objectives of the proposed project on time 
and within budget, including clearly defined staff responsibilities, 
and time allocated to project activities, time lines, milestones for 
accomplishing project tasks and project deliverables;
    b. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products 
and services from the proposed project; and,
    c. The extent to which the time commitments of the project director 
and/or principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
6. Quality of the Project Evaluation (15 points)
    In evaluating the quality of the project's evaluation design, the 
Department considers the following factors:
    a. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, context, and 
outcomes of the proposed project;
    b. The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for 
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies;
    c. The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of 
objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended 
outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative 
data;
    d. The extent to which the evaluation will provide information to 
other youth programs about effective strategies suitable for 
replication or testing in other settings; and,
    e. The extent to which the methods of evaluation measure in both 
quantitative and qualitative terms, program results and satisfaction of 
youth with disabilities.

B. Selection Criteria

    Acceptance of a proposal and an award of federal funds to sponsor 
any program(s) is not a waiver of any grant requirement and/or 
procedures. Grantees must comply with all applicable Federal statutes, 
regulations, administrative requirements and OMB Circulars. For 
example, the OMB circulars require, and an entity's procurement 
procedures must require, that all procurement transactions shall be 
conducted, as practical, to provide open and free competition. If a 
proposal identifies a specific entity to provide the services, the 
award does not provide the justification or basis to sole-source the 
procurement, i.e., to avoid competition.
    Applications will be reviewed by a panel using the criteria 
described in this SGA. Applications will be ranked based on the score 
assigned by the panel after careful evaluation by each panel member. 
The ranking will be the primary basis to identify applicants as 
potential grantees. Although the Government reserves the right to award 
on the basis of the initial proposal submissions, the Government may 
establish a competitive range, based upon the proposal evaluation, for 
the purpose of selecting qualified applicants. The panel's conclusions 
are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The 
Government reserves the right to ask for clarification or hold 
discussions, but is not obligated to do so. The Government further 
reserves the right to select applicants out of rank order if such a 
selection would, in its opinion, result in the most effective and 
appropriate combination considering factors such as:

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    1. Findings of the grant technical evaluation panel
    2. Geographic distribution of the competitive applications;
    3. Assuring a variety of program designs; and,
    4. The availability of funds.

IX. Reporting

    Grantees must submit financial and participation reports under this 
program as prescribed by OMB Circulars A-102 and A-110 as applicable. 
See also 29 CFR parts 95 & 97. It is estimated that the quarterly 
program report will take five (5) hours to complete. These include:
    1. Financial Reports;
    2. Quarterly and Final Program Results and Reports on the 
Satisfaction of Youth with Disabilities;
    3. Other Reporting (to Technical Assistance Service Providers, 
etc.), as prescribed by DOL.

X. Administrative Provisions

A. Administrative Standards and Provisions

    Grants awarded under this SGA are subject to the following:
     29 CFR Part 95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements with Institutions of Higher 
Education.
     29 CFR Part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally 
Funded Grants, Contracts, and Agreements
     29 CFR Part 97--Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments
    The grant awarded under this SGA shall be subject to the following:

B. Allowable Costs

    Determinations of allowable costs are made in accordance with the 
following applicable Federal cost principles:
     State and Local Government--OMB Circular A-87
     Nonprofit Organizations--OMB Circular A-122
     Profit-making Commercial Firms--48 CFR Part 31
    Profit will not be considered an allowable cost in any case.

C. Grant Non-Discrimination Assurances

    Each applicant must include an assurance that, as a condition of 
the award, the applicant will comply fully with the nondiscrimination 
and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws:
     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. (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)
     29 CFR part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of 
Disability in Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from 
Federal Assistance. (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act)
     29 CFR part 36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in 
Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial 
Assistance. (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972)
     29 CFR part 37 Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and 
Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
(WIA)
    The applicant must include the attached assurances and 
certifications.

D. Limitation on Administrative and Indirect Costs

    1. Direct Costs for administration, plus any indirect charges 
claimed.
    2. Indirect costs claimed by the applicant must be based on a 
federally approved rate. A copy of the negotiated, approved, and signed 
indirect cost negotiation agreement must be submitted with the 
application.
    3. If the applicant does not presently have an approved indirect 
cost rate, a proposed rate with justification may be submitted. 
Successful applicants will be required to negotiate an acceptable and 
allowable rate with the appropriate DOL Regional Office of Cost 
Determination within 90 days of grant award.
    4. Rates traceable and trackable through the State Workforce 
Agency's Cost Accounting System represent an acceptable means of 
allocating costs to DOL and, therefore, can be approved for use in 
grants to State Workforce Agencies.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 18th day of June, 2002.
Lawrence J. Kuss,
Grant Officer.

APPENDIX A. Application for Federal Assistance, Form SF 424
APPENDIX B. Budget Information Sheet, Form SF 424A
APPENDIX C. Assurances and Certifications Signature Page
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[FR Doc. 02-16099 Filed 6-25-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CX-C