2012artmethod2-rfa.pdf

OMB CONTROL NUMBER – 0584-0512 Page 1

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM

FISCAL YEAR 2012

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEWS AND TRAINING GRANTS

METHOD II - TRAINING AND OVERSIGHT GRANTS

States are required to use this solicitation to apply for the Administrative Reviews and Training Grants Method II: Training and

Oversight Grants.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: MAY 1, 2012

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA number 10.579)

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

OMB CONTROL NUMBER – 0584-0512

National School Lunch Program Fiscal Year 2012

Request for Applications for Administrative Reviews and Training Grants Method II - Training and Oversight Grants

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION

II. PURPOSE OF GRANT FUNDING

III. AUTHORITY

IV. ART METHOD II GRANT TYPES

A. Planning Grants

B. Implementation Grants

V. WHO MAY APPLY

VI. CRITICAL DATES AND AWARD PERIODS

A. Critical Dates

B. Award Periods

VII. HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING

VIII. WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

A. Planning Grant Applications

B. Implementation Grant Applications

IX. APPLICATION FORMAT

X. APPLICATION REVIEW AND GRANT AWARD PROCESS

A. Initial Screening

B. Panel Review

C. Selection

D. Determination of Award Amounts

XI. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. Administrative Requirements

B. Funding

C. Assurances and Disclosures

D. Reporting

XII. CHECKLIST FOR THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

APPENDIX A: OMB Cost Principles 2 CFR 225

APPENDIX B: Summaries of Active ART Method II Grant Projects

APPENDIX C: Planning or Implementation Grant Budget Checklist

APPENDIX D: ART Method II Planning Grant Proposal Template and Instructions

APPENDIX E: ART Method II Implementation Grant Proposal Template and Instructions

National School Lunch Program Fiscal Year 2012

Request for Applications for Administrative Reviews and Training Grants Method II - Training and Oversight Grants

I. INTRODUCTION

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-265) amended Section 22 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to establish a requirement that State agencies (SAs) conduct additional administrative reviews of selected local educational agencies (LEAs). It also amended Section 7 of the Child Nutrition Act to provide funding for States to be used for administrative reviews and training of LEAs. Both of these requirements are focused on LEAs which have demonstrated a high level of, or a high risk for, administrative error.

To assist SAs in achieving these requirements, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has up to $4 million available in fiscal year (FY) 2012 to fund Method II Administrative Reviews and Training (ART) Grants for training and oversight. The grant funds will be available only to the 57 SAs that administer the Child Nutrition Programs, and are for the purpose of identifying, reviewing, monitoring and training LEAs that have demonstrated a high level of, or a high risk for, administrative error. FNS will make the funds available on a competitive basis. States may apply for a Planning grant or an Implementation grant, as described in Section IV, ART Method II Grant Types, in this Request for Applications (RFA).

The purpose of this RFA is to:

• Describe the types of grants available

• Describe which entities are eligible to apply for grant funds;

• Solicit applications from eligible entities;

• Describe the requirements for submitting a successful application;

• Describe how applications will be reviewed and selected; and

• Describe the terms and conditions that grantees must adhere to.

FNS intends to work collaboratively with grant applicants and grantees throughout the application process and the life of grants awarded through this RFA. Accordingly, within approximately three weeks of this RFA’s publication, FNS will conduct a webinar with all State agencies and FNS regional offices to review the RFA and address questions regarding the application process. Notification of the webinar date, time and call-in information will be communicated to SAs via the FNS Regional offices and the FNS Child Nutrition Division’s PartnerWeb at https://www.partnerweb.usda.gov

FNS reserves the option to award these funds using either a grant agreement or cooperative agreement. FNS specifically anticipates awarding the funds associated with the implementation projects as cooperative agreements to allow FNS more active participation with the cooperator during both project development and project execution. Examples of FNS participation include activities such as the following:

https://www.partnerweb.usda.gov/�

• Ongoing evaluation of quarterly progress and financial reports to monitor the grantee’s project activities to ensure that the objectives, terms and conditions of the agreement are met;

• Periodic on-site and off-site technical assistance to provide evaluation and guidance on project activities and outputs as they relate to child nutrition program objectives, including: providing program guidance on curriculum development; evaluation of training materials and websites; evaluation of technology improvements; review of project plans and milestones; review of procurement documents for sub grantee involvement (i.e., requests for proposals, contracts, statements of work, and project plans) and other technical assistance related to project objectives; and

• Periodic collaborative meetings for multiple grantees for the purposes of technical assistance, training, problem solving and sharing successful or promising practices.

Meetings may be conducted as webinars, teleconferences or training workshops in the Washington, D.C. area or at a program related conference.

NOTE: Applicants for implementation grants should include in their budget estimates the following FNS sponsored collaborative activities for each year of the requested grant period: 1) estimated cost of travel and time for two State project staff to participate in an annual FNS technical assistance meeting lasting two full days in Washington, D.C. (costs should be itemized); 2) personnel costs to participate in quarterly technical assistance webinars (generally one hour each); and 3) personnel and contractor costs for preparation and participation in annual technical assistance and evaluation State site visits (one day each) and conference calls (approximately three per year at one hour each) with FNS contractors and staff.

II. PURPOSE OF GRANT FUNDING

The purpose of this grant funding is to decrease administrative errors in those LEAs and schools identified by SAs as having problems or where problems are likely to arise. For FY 2012, SAs should focus on one or more of the following three areas in developing their ART Method II Grant applications:

• Training of LEA administrative personnel in application, certification, verification, meal counting and meal claiming procedures. Training may include internet-based training sessions.

• Oversight and training activities focused on the nutritional quality of the meals.

• Technology improvements which demonstrate an ability to address administrative errors through the use of targeted monitoring and increased training in error-prone LEAs. States choosing this option must clearly demonstrate how the proposed technology can be used to implement State-level activities, specifically review and training activities associated with error prone LEAs. For example, proposals may include the following:

o Development of data analysis tools to monitor application, certification (including direct certification), verification (including direct verification), meal counting and meal claiming procedures for error-prone school districts;

o Training methods utilizing internet technology; or o Other innovative State-level automated solutions to identify and reduce administrative errors in error-prone school districts.

Proposals for technology improvements addressing other aspects of State-level program management or local-level functions will not be considered.

See Appendix B: Summaries of Active ART Method II Grant Projects for web links to access brief descriptions of currently approved ART Method II Implementation Grant projects.

This information may be helpful to SAs in exploring possibilities for viable use of funding.

Funds authorized under the ART Method II Grants cannot be used to replace or augment funding allocated for existing review requirements. In addition, pursuant to Section 7(g) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, funds authorized cannot be used to replace funding allocated for training in administrative practices (including training in application, certification, verification, meal counting and meal claiming procedures) which is required to occur at a minimum of once a year.

III. AUTHORITY

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-265) authorizes funding for ART Grants. To be eligible, SAs must propose projects that identify and target LEAs that are experiencing or are likely to experience administrative errors.

IV. ART METHOD II GRANT TYPES

The FY 2012 ART Method II Grant award process involves two types of awards:

• ART Method II Planning Grants; and

• ART Method II Implementation Grants

SAs may apply for either type of grant, but not for both. Only one grant application will be accepted from an SA in response to this solicitation.

A. Planning Grants Planning grants are intended for National School Lunch Program (NSLP) agencies that know they need to improve and address their State’s administrative errors, but may need to conduct additional research to identify the most effective way of doing so to ensure that a chosen approach is actually the most effective approach. Therefore, potential uses of Planning grant funds include, but are not limited to: feasibility studies and cost/benefit analyses to plan for automation projects; conducting an internal review of the State’s administrative processes;

hiring a contractor or university to conduct a study of the processes and recommend solutions; consulting with stakeholders; and assessing current training and oversight capabilities and needs.

NSLP Agencies that are awarded Planning grants from this solicitation may apply for funding for an Implementation grant at the next annual opportunity (FY 2013) in order to carry out an implementation project in follow-up to their Planning grant activities and outcomes. Planning grant funds may be used to complete the planning for the implementation project and to develop an ART Method II Implementation grant application based on the Planning grant project outcomes. However, SAs awarded Planning grants in FY 2012 who then apply for an Implementation grant in FY 2013 are not guaranteed to receive an FY 2013 Implementation grant award. Due to funding limitations each year, all ART Method II Grant awards, both Planning and Implementation, are competitive awards and will be based on the evaluation criteria stated in each fiscal year’s grant announcement.

Consequently, FNS encourages SAs to apply for Planning grants to conduct activities that would be beneficial in helping them reduce administrative errors, even if they do not receive an ART Method II Implementation Grant award and have to rely on other resources to carry out an implementation project.

State agencies must address the questions in the Appendix D: ART Method II Planning Grant Proposal Template and Instructions to develop a Planning grant application. The instructions are designed to assist SAs in developing fully responsive Planning grant applications for viable planning activities and to bring consistency to the proposal process for evaluation purposes.

The maximum amount of any single Planning grant is $75,000. However, FNS retains authority to award less than the amount requested in the application.

B. Implementation Grants Implementation grants are intended for NSLP Agencies that know what they need to do to improve their State’s administrative training and oversight processes, but lack the resources to implement those changes. Potential uses of Implementation grant funds include, but are not limited to, developing and delivering training to LEA administrative personnel, improving State-level technologies to enhance State-level monitoring capability to identify and address errors in error-prone school districts, upgrading software, purchasing hardware and implementing accordingly.

SAs must address the questions in the Appendix E: ART Method II Implementation Grant Proposal Template and Instructions to develop an Implementation grant application.

Appendix E instructions and tips are designed to 1) guide applicants in thinking through all aspects of implementing proposed solutions, with particular emphasis on reducing risks associated with technology related aspects of their proposals, and 2) assist applicants in considering and capturing budget items such as, but not limited to, costs for: personnel, hiring contractors, purchasing equipment, developing training, supplies and travel (including travel for SA staff to attend at least one two-day annual USDA meeting for grantee States) Following the guidance will assist SAs to develop fully responsive Implementation grant applications, and help to bring consistency to the proposal process for evaluation purposes.

The maximum amount of any single Implementation grant is $1,250,000. However, FNS retains authority to award less than the amount requested by an applicant. The size of Implementation grants will likely vary significantly, based on differences in project scope, the responsiveness of application packages (see Section VIII, What to Include in the Application Package), and clarity of demonstrated need.

V. WHO MAY APPLY

Eligible applicants include all SAs that administer the NSLP. In this instance, the term SA means (a) the State educational agency; and (b) any other agency of the State which has been designated by the Governor or other appropriate executive or legislative authority of the State and approved by the Department of Agriculture to administer the Program in schools. In instances where there are two agencies within a State, such as in the case where the public and private agencies are different, separate applications are acceptable.

VI. CRITICAL DATES AND AWARD PERIODS

A. Critical Dates Applications must be received via www.grants.gov on or before 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, May 1, 2012. Applications received after this date and time will not be considered. SAs have the option of applying for either a Planning grant or an Implementation grant, but not both. Only one grant application will be accepted from an SA in response to this solicitation. FNS will evaluate the applications in accordance with the criteria outlined in Section X, Application Review and Grant Award Process, to select applications for awards. The actual number of awards will depend on the quality of the applications and the availability of funds. Applications selected for award will be announced within approximately 90 days following the grant application deadline, and funds will be made available via a Grant or Cooperative Agreement award document following the award announcements.

B. Award Periods The award period for the FY 2012 ART Method II Grants will be as follows, beginning from the date of the award:

• Planning grants will be awarded for up to one year; and

• Implementation grants will be awarded for one to three years.

All grant funds must be obligated and all program activities under the grant (other than activities relating to the close out of the grant) must be completed by the end of award period.

The close out of the grant must occur no later than 90 days following the end of the award period, and all obligations incurred under the grant must be liquidated by this date. Any funds that are not liquidated within 90 days following the end of the award period must be returned to FNS. In addition, the final progress reports are due to FNS no later than 90 days following the end of the award period. Please see Section XI, Administrative Requirements and Terms and Conditions, for additional reporting requirements.

VII. HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING

Applicants may obtain the RFA package by downloading the application from the FNS website www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm or by downloading the application from the www.grants.gov website.

http://www.grants.gov/� http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm�

Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before 5pm Eastern Time, May 1, 2012.

Applications submitted after this date and time or submitted via mail service, facsimile or e-mail will not be considered for funding.

Electronic Submission Applicants must submit applications electronically through www.grants.gov. To submit the application electronically via the www.grants.gov website, there are a number of steps in the registration process that will be required before the application may be submitted. It is very important that users of the grants.gov system familiarize themselves with the requirements for system use. Please be aware that in order to use the grants.gov system, users will need to register online at Grants.gov and obtain both a Data Universal Number (DUNS) and a Central Contractor Registry Number.

When applicants apply through www.grants.gov, they will receive a confirmation notice that the application has been accepted by the system. Applicants must then send an email to notify the FNS Grant Officer that the proposal has been submitted through the www.grants.gov portal and that they have received a confirmation notice from www.grants.gov that the application has been accepted by the system. It is recommended that you submit the online application at least two weeks before the application deadline in case there are problems with the website.

Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering Systems (DUNS) Number and Central Contractor Registration (CCR) In order to submit your application via www.grants.gov, you must have obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, registered in both the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system, and on Grants.gov. Therefore the applicant is advised to allow ample time to initiate its grants.gov application submission. All applicants must have current CCR status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a Federal Award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25. Please visit the following websites to obtain additional information on how to obtain a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and register in the CCR Registry (www.bpn.gov/ccr).

Below is additional information that should assist the applicant through this process:

DUNS Number: In order to obtain a DUNS number, if your organization does not have one, or if you are unsure of the number you can contact Dun and Bradstreet via the internet at www.dnb.com or by calling 1-888-814-1435, Monday thru Friday, 8am-9pm ET. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number.

CCR Registration: Once the DUNS number is assigned the entity must be registered at the Central Contract Registration website via www.bpn.gov/ccr. According to the website, registration usually takes 3-5 business days. This is a free on-line registrant database for the U.S Federal government.

Grants.gov Registration: In order to apply for a grant, your organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process at www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. Generally, the registration process takes between 3-5 business days.

http://www.grants.gov/� http://www.grants.gov/� http://www.grants.gov/� http://www.bpn.gov/ccr� http://www.dnb.com/� http://www.bpn.gov/ccr� http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp�

All questions regarding the application and electronic submission notification should be referred to the FNS Grant Officer, Carla Garcia via email at Carla.Garcia@fns.usda.gov.

VIII. WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

To be considered complete, the ART Method II Grant application must include all the required documents and information listed in the following sections for the specific type of grant -- Planning or Implementation.

A. Planning Grant Applications To be considered complete, application packages for ART Method II Planning Grants must include all information listed in the following table. Failure to provide any item on the list could result in your application being removed from competition.

Table 1 – Checklist for Planning Grant Application Package

Required Documents and Information Explanation

1. Cover Page Include

- Agency Name and Address

- Contact Information - Name, address, phone number, email address, and fax number for the NSLP agency staff person(s) responsible for the application;

- Brief abstract to summarize proposed Planning grant project (maximum 250 words)

2. Project Proposal Narrative - Appendix D

10-page limit

Make sure pages are numbered

For a Planning grant project proposal narrative to be considered complete, applicants must structure and develop their proposal narrative by answering all questions listed in the Appendix D: ART Method II Planning Grant Proposal Template and Instructions. Applicants should address all questions in the order they are listed. The instructions are intended to simplify both the narrative development for applicants and the evaluation process for reviewers.

3. Form SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm

4. Form SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm

5. Form SF-424B, Assurances – Non-Construction Programs

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm

6. Form SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm mailto:Carla.Garcia@fns.usda.gov� http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm� http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm�

Table 1 – Checklist for Planning Grant Application Package

7. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement If Indirect Costs are included in the budget, applicants must provide a copy of their agency’s signed Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with a Federal agency.

8. Justification for Sole Source Contracts

If Contractual costs are included in the budget estimate and the contractor is (or will be) acquired without competition, the applicant must provide a justification for a sole source contract.

B. Implementation Grant Applications To be considered complete, application packages for ART Method II Implementation Grants must include all information listed in the following table. Failure to provide any item on the list could result in your application being removed from competition.

Table 2 – Checklist for Implementation Grant Application Package

1. Cover Page Include

- Agency Name and Address

- Contact Information - Name, address, phone number, email address, and fax number for the NSLP agency administrator and staff person(s) responsible for the application;

- Brief abstract to summarize proposed grant project goals, objectives and proposed solution (maximum 250 words)

2. Project Proposal Narrative - Appendix E

35-page limit for responses to Questions 1-22

Make sure pages are numbered

For an Implementation project proposal narrative to be considered complete, applicants must structure and develop their project proposal by answering all questions in the Appendix E: ART Method II Implementation Grant Proposal Template and Instructions. The template is designed to guide applicants in thinking through all aspects of proposed solutions, with particular emphasis on reducing risks associated with technology related aspects of their proposals prior to the grant award.

The content of a proposal submission should align with the questions posed in Appendix E and incorporate all questions in the order listed. If the same response applies to more than one question, you may provide the response in the first question where it applies, and then reference the answer in

Table 2 – Checklist for Implementation Grant Application Package later questions. However, be sure that you have provided sufficient information to fully respond to all questions. Applicants should have an entry for every question.

All questions may not be applicable for projects that do not involve technology developments or improvements. If questions are not applicable, indicate by stating “not applicable.”

3. Form SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm

4. Form SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm

5. Form SF-424B, Assurances – Non-Construction Programs

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm

6. Form SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Link to form at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm

7. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement If Indirect Costs are included in the budget, applicants must provide a copy of their agency’s signed Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with a Federal agency.

8. Justification for Sole Source Contracts

If Contractual costs are included in budget estimate and the contractor is (or will be) acquired without competition, the applicant must provide a justification for a sole source contract.

IX. APPLICATION FORMAT

Applications should meet the following formatting guidelines:

• 10-page maximum length for Planning grant narrative response to Appendix D;

• 35-page maximum length for Implementation grant narrative response to Appendix E;

• Page restrictions apply only to content of the narrative proposals and do not apply to other required forms and supporting documents, such as the SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, cover page, indirect cost rate agreement, resumes, letters of support, and assurance forms);

• 8 ½” by 11” paper;

• 12 point Times New Roman or Arial font size (smaller font may be used in tables, charts and graphs as long as they are clearly readable);

• Numbered pages.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm� http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/grants.htm�

X. APPLICATION REVIEW AND GRANT AWARD PROCESS

A. Initial Screening FNS will screen all applications to ensure they are eligible and fully responsive. Eligible and responsive applications are those that meet the following requirements:

1. Submitted by eligible applicants (see Section V, Who May Apply);

2. Submitted on or before the required deadline (see Section VI, Critical Dates and Award Periods);

3. Are complete (see Section VIII, What to Include in the Application Package); and

4. Are in the required format (see Section IX, Application Format).

Ineligible or nonresponsive applications will be removed from further consideration for grant funds. Thereafter, FNS will review and consider eligible applications in accordance with the evaluation process described in the following paragraphs.

B. Panel Review After initial screening, FNS will convene an evaluation panel of FNS staff to consider the merit of each grant application. Each application that passes initial screening will be given to the panel to be evaluated and scored according to how well it addresses each application component. The panel will assign each application a score using the evaluation criteria and weights specified below for each evaluation component.

A. Scoring for Planning Grant Applications:

• Project Purpose and Impact on Program Integrity 30 points

- The significance of the problem(s) to be addressed is clearly demonstrated and proposed planning activities are appropriate to address the problem(s) identified.

- The project goals and objectives are in line with the ART Method II Grant focus areas and purpose of the funding described in Section II, Purpose of Grant Funding.

- The planning activities to be completed during the grant period clearly support:

- Identification of ways to reduce administrative errors in error-prone school districts;

- Planning for implementation of solutions to improve program integrity, including the areas of application, certification, verification, meal counting and meal claiming.

• Project Design and Management 40 points

- The project organization, management approach (including staffing, procurement of contractors, communications planning, quality assurance planning, risk management planning, partnering with appropriate stakeholders, tracking timelines, monitoring progress, etc.) indicate that the applicant has the capacity to manage and execute the planning project successfully to meet the goals of the project.

- The scope and timeline proposed for the project are reasonable and attainable during the Planning grant time frame.

• Budget Plan 20 points

- The total funding amount requested is appropriate for the scope of the project.

- Proposed costs are reasonable, necessary and allocable to carry out the project's goals and objectives.

- The budget includes a line item description for every allowable cost and shows how it supports the project goals.

- Budget calculations and documentation show clearly how the budget components were developed and costs estimated.

- If indirect costs are included, the applicant agency's Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with a Federal agency is provided and the indirect cost rate is applied correctly to allowable direct costs.

• Sustainability and Transferability 10 points

- The proposed planning project is likely to produce outcomes and information that not only will aid the applicant SA in implementing program improvements, but also will produce knowledge that is transferable to other SAs for similar improvement projects.

- The applicant demonstrates that the SA has the capacity to implement program improvements in follow-up to the Planning grant activities, when ART Method II Planning Grant funding ends.

B. Scoring for Implementation Grant Applications:

• Project Purpose, Goals and Impact on Program Integrity 30 points

- The significance of the problem(s) to be addressed is clearly demonstrated and proposed implementation activities are appropriate to address the problem(s) identified.

- The project goals and objectives are in line with the ART Method II Grant focus areas and purpose of the funding described in Section II, Purpose of Grant Funding.

- The implementation activities to be completed during the grant period clearly support:

- Reduction of administrative errors in error-prone school districts;

- Implementation of viable solutions to improve program integrity, including the areas of application, certification, verification, meal counting and meal claiming.

- The performance measures used to assess success are realistic, measureable and clearly defined.

• Project Planning, Design and Management 40 points

- The project organization, project management approach (including staffing, procurement of contractors, communications planning, quality assurance planning, risk management planning, system development lifecycle process planning where applicable, partnering with appropriate stakeholders, tracking timelines, measuring performance, monitoring progress, etc.) indicate that the applicant has the capacity to manage and execute the implementation project successfully to meet the goals of the project.

- The scope and timeline proposed for the project are reasonable and attainable during the Implementation grant time frame.

• Budget Plan 20 points

- The total funding amount requested is appropriate for the scope of the project;

- Proposed costs are reasonable, necessary and allocable to carry out the project's goals and objectives;

- The budget includes a line item description for every estimated cost and shows how it supports the project goals.

- Budget calculations and documentation show clearly how the budget components were developed and costs estimated.

- If indirect costs are included, the applicant agency's Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with a Federal agency is provided and the indirect cost rate is applied correctly to allowable direct costs.

• Sustainability and Transferability 10 points

- The proposed implementation project is likely to produce outcomes and information that not only will aid the applicant SA in accomplishing program improvements, but also will produce knowledge that is transferable to other SAs for similar improvement projects.

- The applicant demonstrates that the SA has to capacity to implement and sustain the program improvements resulting from the Implementation grant activities after the ART Method II Implementation Grant funding ends.

C. Selection After evaluation and scoring, grant applications will be arrayed by type (planning or implementation) and by score within the type, starting with the highest score. Applications with the highest scores for each type will be recommended to receive funding. FNS intends to award up to a total of $225,000 in Planning grants. The remaining available funds will be awarded as Implementation grants to the highest scoring Implementation grant applications.

Grantees will be selected on a competitive basis, based on an objective review of their proposals according to the technical evaluation criteria outlined in this request for applications (RFA). A list of all applications deemed eligible for award will be submitted to the Selection Official for a final decision regarding funding. The Selection Official has ultimate authority to decide which applications are approved and funded, and generally will adhere to the recommendations made by the reviewers, provided that funding is available. However, the Selection Official reserves the right to deviate from those recommendations. The Selection Official may take other factors into account when granting awards and/or not awarding a particular award.

Other USDA or FNS priorities the Selection Official may consider include, but are not limited to: the innovation demonstrated in an application; agency priorities; and the scores assigned by the technical review panels. The selection official may also determine that, based on their scores, few of the applications are of technical merit. In such a case, FNS may make fewer awards or smaller awards than expected or make no awards. In addition, FNS reserves the option to select one or more lower rated applications in order to achieve a diversity of projects and regional representation.

D. Determination of Award Amounts As part of the technical review process, FNS will review applicants’ budgets to ensure that all costs are reasonable, allowable and applicable. Applications selected and approved for funding with budgets that are realistic, well justified, and supported will likely be funded at the requested amounts. However, FNS reserves the right to fund applications out of rank order to achieve priorities identified earlier; or at lesser amounts if FNS determines that the project can be implemented with less funding; or at lesser amounts if Federal funding is not sufficient to fully fund all applications that merit awards. This is subject to availability of funds. Also, FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in future fiscal years should additional funds be made available through future appropriations.

FNS will review and consider the merit of each grant application and reserves the right to fund only those applications that are able to demonstrate their capability to improve their State’s administrative processes and error rates. Additionally, FNS may adjust the amounts requested in the application to ensure that funds are made available at appropriate levels.

FNS also reserves the right to suspend or terminate an award for materially failing to perform in accordance with a State application.

XI. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. Administrative Requirements

The grant program will be awarded and administered in accordance with the following Federal and program regulations and the corresponding OMB Circulars.

Government-wide Regulations

• 2 CFR Part 25: “Universal Identifier and Central Locator Contractor Registration”

• 2 CFR Part 170: “Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information”

• 2 CFR Part 175: “Trafficking in Persons: Grants and Cooperative Agreements”

• 2 CFR Part 180: “Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-Procurement)”

• 2 CFR Part 417: “USDA Non-procurement Debarment and Suspension”

USDA Regulations

• 7 CFR Part 3015: Uniform Federal Assistance Requirements implementing OMB directives (OMB Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments);

• 7 CFR Part 3016: Uniform Federal Assistance Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments;

• 7 CFR Part 3018: Restrictions on Lobbying;

• 7 CFR Part 3021: Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance);

• 7 CFR Part 3052: (OMB Circular A-133) Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations; and

• 7 CFR Part 15: Discrimination; Civil Rights

Confidentiality of an Application When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of FNS transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the application. The original copy of an application that does not result in an award will not be released to the public.

B. Funding

In addition to the administrative requirements mentioned above, the provisions below will also be a part of the agreement between FNS and the SA.

• Funds authorized cannot be used to replace existing funding (e.g. State Administrative Expense (SAE) funds) earmarked by the SA for administrative review, oversight and training.

• Current expenditures of State and local funds for the operation of school nutrition programs shall not be diminished as a result of receipt of funds to implement administrative review, oversight and training.

• Funds cannot be used to shift existing staff from their normal duties paid with SAE funds to support the grant activities unless the staff that are reassigned are replaced with additional staff in the positions that are vacant.

• Funds must be used for FNS approved ART Method II grant project activities for the purpose of identifying, reviewing, monitoring and training LEAs that have demonstrated a high level of, or a high risk for, administrative error.

C. Assurances and Disclosures

• Applicants must provide assurance that they are neither suspended nor debarred prior to FNS making an award.

• Applicants chosen for award will also be required to ensure that all sub-contractors and sub-grantees are neither excluded nor disqualified under the suspension and debarment rules found at 7 CFR Sec. 3017.300 by doing any one of the following:

a) Checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) found at www.epls.gov

b) Collecting a certification that the entity is neither excluded nor disqualified.

Since a Federal certification form is no longer available, the grantee or sub-grantee electing this method must devise its own; and include a clause to this effect in the sub-grant agreement and in any procurement contract expected to equal or exceed $25,000 awarded by the grantee or a sub-grantee under its grant or sub-grant.

• If chosen, the applicant must also agree to make a good faith effort, on a continuing basis, to (A) maintain a drug-free workplace (including taking specific actions described at 7 CFR Sec. 3021.200 through 3021.230); and (B) identify all workplace locations where work under Federal award will be performed (7 CFR Sec. 3021.200).

Since Federal entities will no longer collect a paper certification, this may include the following:

a) Notifying all sub-grantees and contractors of the Drug Free Workplace rules,

b) Making conforming changes to your internal procedures, directives, training materials, etc., and

c) Incorporating the new rules into your sub-grantee monitoring practices.

D. Reporting All SAs receiving funds for FY 2012 ART Method II Grants are required to submit the following reports in accordance with the deadlines noted:

1. Quarterly Financial Reports. Grantees will be required to submit quarterly SF-425 financial reports and a final SF-425 financial report electronically via the FNS “Food Programs Reporting System” (FPRS). In order to access FPRS, SAs are required to have USDA e-authentication to access FPRS. Further instructions regarding data entry into FPRS, the reporting format and dates will be provided to those receiving awards.

2. Quarterly Progress Reports. The Quarterly Progress Reports must include (in narrative form): 1) a brief description of the planned activities for the report period; 2) accomplishments for each activity and completion dates; 3) a description of any deviations from the approved plan—this summary should discuss difficulties encountered and solutions developed; 4) any other unique aspects that would be useful to share; and 5) an overview of plans for the coming quarter. A Progress Report must be submitted quarterly. In addition, a final progress report is due to FNS no later than 90 days following the end of the award period. Completion dates and the process for reporting will be provided to those receiving awards.

http://www.epls.gov/�

XII. CHECKLIST FOR THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

The application package must be submitted through www.grants.gov and include the following required forms:

•• Application Template (Appendix D for Planning grants, Appendix E for Implementation Grants);

•• Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance;

•• Standard Form 424A, Budget Summary

•• Standard Form 424B, Assurances – Non Construction Programs;

•• Form SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

•• The Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Application Review Checklist:

All proposals submitted under this RFA must contain the applicable elements as described in this announcement. The application must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov, by 5:00pm Eastern Time on May 1, 2012. The following checklist has been prepared to assist in ensuring that the proposal is complete and in the proper order prior to submission.

Read the RFA carefully, usually more than once.

Have you obtained a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and registered the number into the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system?

Have you prepared and submitted the appropriate forms as shown above

RFA CFDA # 10.579

Have you included your contact information: telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address?

Have you addressed, met, and considered any program specific requirements or restrictions?

Is the project’s proposal clearly stated?

o Does it comply with any format requirements, o Does it comply with the page limitation, and o Most important does it directly relate to the RFA’s objectives and priorities?

o Don’t assume that reviewers know anything about your organization and its work.

Have one or more persons, other than the writers, read your proposal? Was it clear to them?

Does the proposed project proposal and budget meet the bona fide needs of the RFA?

Is the budget summary included?

o Does it agree with the calculations shown on the budget form SF-424A?

o Is the budget in line with the project description?

Be sure to submit a timely application into www.grants.gov in order to meet the RFA application deadline.

FNS reserves the right to request additional information not clearly addressed.

APPENDIX A: OMB COST PRINCIPLES 2 CFR 225

Link to 2 CFR 225, OMB Cost Principles for State, Local and Tribal Governments:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/fedreg/2005/083105_a87.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/fedreg/2005/083105_a87.pdf�

APPENDIX B: SUMMARIES OF ACTIVE ART METHOD II GRANT PROJECTS

Summaries for all awarded ART Method II grant projects are located at the following links on the FNS Child Nutrition Division grant website. FNS has not received applications for planning grants under this funding source, so only implementation grant summaries are published.

2009 ART Method II Grant Summaries:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Grants/2009ART_grantsummaries.htm

2011 ART Method II Grant Summaries:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Grants/2011ARTmethod2summaries.htm http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Grants/2009ART_grantsummaries.htm� http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Grants/2011ARTmethod2summaries.htm�

APPENDIX C: PLANNING OR IMPLEMENTATION GRANT BUDGET CHECKLIST

BUDGET CHECKLIST YES NO

This budget checklist should be used in the development of a grant. NOTE: The proposed project budget must align with the activities outlined in the proposal. FNS reserve the right to request information not clearly addressed in the proposal and or budget.

PERSONNEL

Did you include all key employees paid for by this grant under this heading?

Are employees of the applicant’s organization identified by name and position title?

Did you reflect the current yearly salary as a percentage of time to be devoted to the project?

For Implementation grants, for each year of the requested grant period, did you include in your budget estimates the following FNS sponsored collaborative activities: 1) the cost of labor for two State project staff to participate in one annual FNS technical assistance meeting lasting two days in Washington, D.C. (costs should be itemized); 2) personnel costs to participate in quarterly technical assistance webinars (generally one hour each); and 3) personnel costs for preparation and participation in annual technical assistance and evaluation State site visits (one day each) and conference calls (approximately 3 per year at one hour each) with FNS contractors and staff.

FRINGE BENEFITS

Did you include your organization’s fringe benefit amount along with the basis for the computation?

Did you list the type of fringe benefits to be covered with Federal funds?

TRAVEL

Are travel expenses itemized? For example origination/destination points, number and purpose of trips, number of staff traveling, mode of transportation and cost of each trip.

Are the Attendee Objectives and travel justifications included in the narrative?

Is the basis for the lodging estimates identified in the budget? For example include excerpt from travel regulations.

Did you include the cost of travel for 2 State project staff to attend an annual 2-day meeting with FNS in Washington D.C.?

EQUIPMENT

Is the need for the equipment justified in the narrative?

Are the types of equipment, unit costs, and the number of items to be purchased listed in the budget?

Is the basis for the cost per item or other basis of computation stated in the budget?

SUPPLIES

Are the types of supplies, unit costs, and the number of items to be purchased reflected in the

Is the basis for the costs per item or other basis of computation stated?

CONTRACTUAL: (FNS reserves the right to request information on all contractual and sub-grant awards associated costs after a contract or sub-grant is awarded.)

Are the products to be acquired or the professional services to be funded described in the

Has the justification for the need to contract or subgrant been included in the budget?

For professional services, are the hours to be devoted to the project and the amounts to be charged to the project clearly stated?

Is the methodology on how the applicant determined the contractual costs included in the

Are there sole-source contracts listed under this heading? If so, has sufficient justification been provided in order to approve the use of a single source without competition?

Do your estimates for contractual costs include your contractor’s preparation and participation in FNS onsite State visits for evaluation and technical assistance purposes?

Consultant Services: All associated costs must be clearly related to the consulting services and the proposal. Details to justify the costs should include: a description of services being considered; an itemized list of all potential direct cost and fees, including labor estimates;

number of personnel including related position titles; and specialized qualifications as appropriate.

OTHER

For all other line items listed under the “Other” heading, list all items to be covered under this heading along with the methodology on how the applicant derived the costs to be charged to the program.

INDIRECT COSTS

Are indirect costs included in the estimated budget? If so, is the amount requested based upon a rate approved by a Federal Agency? If yes, a signed copy of the negotiated rate agreement must be provided along with the application.

APPENDIX D: ART METHOD II PLANNING GRANT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE AND

INSTRUCTIONS

For a Planning grant project proposal narrative to be considered complete, applicants must structure and develop their proposal narrative by answering all questions and addressing all items listed in the following ART Method II Planning Grant Proposal Template table that follows.

Applicants should address all questions in the order they are listed. The instructions are intended to simplify both the narrative development for applicants and the evaluation process for reviewers.

Important Note: Please check to be sure that all budget estimates contained in the Appendix D narrative responses match the budget estimates entered on the Budget Information Form SF- 424A, and the total grant funding requested in Section 18 on the Application for Federal Assistance Form SF-424. Also be sure that the project timeline described in the narrative responses matches the proposed project start and end dates in Section 17 of the SF-424 application form.

Application Packet The Planning grant application packet must…