15.243 Attachment A (Proposal Narrative Template).docx

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Financial Assistance (Cooperative Agreements)

ATTACHMENT A

PROJECT PROPOSAL

(Suggested Format)

Instructions: A Project Proposal must be submitted with the Standard Form (SF) 424 Application for Federal Assistance, for all BLM Assistance Agreements. Complete each section below. Use additional sheets as needed.

Person Submitting Proposal:

Date:

Organization Name:

NOFO No.:

Applicant Project Title (not the NOFO Title):

Estimated Period of Performance:

Proposed Project Location (include BLM District/Field Office and BLM POC as applicable):

STATEMENT OF NEED:

Describe your organization’s mission, objectives, and engagement in recruiting interns. Illustrate how they support the proposed project and how they relate to DOI priorities.

RECRUITING PLAN/STRATEGIES:

Describe your organization’s knowledge and experience recruiting individuals who must be at least 17 years of age. Describe any particular organizational focus, such as types of individuals (ages/skills/abilities/other demographics) targeted for recruitment. Describe geographic area covered by your organization’s services.

As applicable, specifically address the following:

· Does your organization have knowledge and experience marketing and recruiting for internship opportunities to individuals within the geographic project area, or within the state where the project resides? How long does the recruitment process typically take? In regard to participant screening and eligibility reviews, attach a copy of any related recruitment questionnaire(s) and application form(s). What print and web resources do you use to support your marketing plans and recruitment strategies?

· Demonstrate effective outreach and recruitment planning efforts when submitting applications for consideration in response to this NOFO request. Applicants must clearly outline and describe their outreach and recruitment plans that will successfully demonstrate the applicant is actively recruiting for Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) talent. The applicant should demonstrate the ability to perform the following functions: (1) actively conduct outreach and recruitment for talent at MSIs; (2) ensure proper and detailed oversight over the completion of recruitment and sourcing activities; (3) track onboarding/offboarding activities throughout the lifecycle of the cooperative agreement; (4) track and maintain outreach and recruitment data/records and share information upon request.

· The ability to support projects that involve significant outdoor activity and hands-on work that help young people gain meaningful work related to natural and cultural resource management. Some programs may include work that is in-house that have a clear connection to the BLM’s mission, but will have an 11-week, full time schedule of on the ground fieldwork.

· Capacity to provide participants with job skill development; community skill development to help participants acquire an ethic of service to others; and help instill a deeper understanding of, and connection to, the natural or cultural environment.

· Ability to provide safe and reasonable round-trip transportation for participants to and from BLM project sites at the beginning and end of their assignment. For participants living within commuting distance of their duty station, reimbursement for travel expenses. Also, the ability to provide participants with food, equipment, and all educational, first aid, recreational and general training, and supplies required as appropriate to the assignment.

· Plans to conduct on-site project evaluations in coordination with BLM to assess project progress and make sure participants are receiving the expected experience.

· Manage and carry out all administrative functions associated with projects funded under this program, including maintaining all administrative records required for operation and management of the youth program participants.

· Certify that standard background screenings and eligibility reviews are conducted on all participants.

· Ability to obtain written permission from a parent or legal guardian for all individuals under 18 years of age before they begin an assignment.

· Provide workers compensation coverage for all participants, including staff crew, and team leads.

TECHNICAL APPROACH:

Describe your organization’s technical approach to implementing the proposed project.

As applicable, specifically address the following:

· What are your organization’s policies and established protocols to ensure that interns report safety incidents/accidents, work site concerns, etc?

· What is your organization’s policy and procedures for on boarding e.g. background checks?

· What is your organization’s policy and procedures for off boarding when project is complete e.g., return federal issued ID card, return government issued equipment?

· How does your organization oversee, direct, and take corrective measures for issues of conduct for interns?

· What is your organization’s experience and/or policy to provide interns with food, camping equipment, educational materials, personal protective equipment, first aid, and general supplies?

· What work-related and safety training does your organization provide for interns?

· How will your organization provide supervision, in coordination with agency staff, to interns?

· How will your organization track hours of service and provide stipends to interns?

· How will your organization provide education and training opportunities to interns, including information on the Public Lands Corps hiring authority?

· Does your organization track interns placed within the Federal government?

Describe the human capital, technical resources and skills of your organization to accomplish the listed recruiting needs. Include an estimate of the amount of personnel time your organization would devote to this task.

· Identify staff with appropriate technical expertise and their qualifications e.g. special skills, licenses or permits held. This should be the supervisor overseeing interns.

PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN:

How will your organization measure interns’ performance and describe the assessment tools used. Include monitoring of sub-recipients, contractors, consultants, volunteers, etc.

TIMETABLE OR MILESTONES TO COMPLETE EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

Describe significant outputs and expected outcomes of the project with a clear set of milestones of how they will be measured

Proposals must have measurable outcomes. The success of the projects funded under this announcement shall be validated and tracked by BLM Program Officers [Suggested table below (Contact POC for more specific information)]:

Insert specific, measureable outcomes (milestone, task, and/or activity, i.e., # of interns/crewmember recruited with POP project date, recruitment announcement advertised, # of acres surveyed in x county, miles of trail to be completed, # of artifacts curated at x museum/facility, draft or final report of x, or # of public outreach events (identify types of events) as applicable

PUBLIC BENEFIT AND PROGRAM INTEREST OF THE BLM

How does your mission and outcomes of the project benefit the public directly?

Describe how BLM receives the indirect benefit of conservation activities by supporting your organization’s mission and goals?

QUALIFICATIONS/PAST PERFORMANCE:

Describe any previous experience your organization has in delivering internship programs for the Federal government.

Describe your organization’s experience in governance of internship projects.

List all federally funded assistance agreements (not contracts) that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5, and preferably BLM agreements) specific to the project you are applying under, and describe how you documented and/or reported on whether you were making progress toward achieving the expected results (e.g., outputs and outcomes) under those agreements. Describe similar successful projects completed in the past and any unique qualifications your organization may possess.

Describe the experience of your key personnel related to this proposal, list names and qualifications.

OVERLAP OR DUPLICATION OF EFFORT STATEMENT

Provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regard to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision.

If no such overlap or duplication exists, state:

“There is no overlap or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”.

When overlap exists, your statement must end with:

“We understand that if at any time we receive funding from another source that is duplicative of the funding we are requesting from the Bureau of Land Management in this application, we will immediately notify the Bureau of Land Management point of contact identified in this NOFO in writing.”

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