cmvost nofa - as posted.pdf

United States Department of Transportation

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Fiscal Year 2013 – Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training

Notice of Funding Availability

The United States Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) grant program funding opportunity. This document will assist you by providing important information about the CMVOST program, including the FY 2013 program priorities and critical information related to preparing and submitting a grant application. All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 P.M. (Eastern Time) on December 10, 2012.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for CMVOST is 20.235.

Important Changes and Reminders for FY 2013:

• All Applicants, even Applicants that have received previous funding, should read this entire Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). This NOFA establishes minimum requirements for FY 2013 submissions, which have changed from previous years.

Please review the entire document before submitting an application.

• All FY 2013 CMVOST applications must be submitted in response to this NOFA;

FMCSA does not anticipate a second NOFA for FY 2013 CMVOST.

• There are required elements that all Applicants must address in the application. A suggested outline is located in Appendix A – Guidance for Designing Performance-based Projects, which includes a Project Narrative and a Budget Narrative (also see Appendix B – Guidance for Developing an Object Class Budget), Appendix C – Key Contacts Form Instructions, and Appendix D – FMCSA Financial Assistance Agreement General Provisions and Assurances (subject to revision).

• The FMCSA will not evaluate applications received without the complete set of required forms and attachments; all application section elements and all documents must be submitted (see Section IV).

• Application review information is clarified to include expectations and evaluation criteria (see Section V).

• All Applicants must submit a current FMCSA Administrative Capability Questionnaire.

(An Applicant need only prepare and certify one questionnaire for all FY 2013 applications, but it must be included in each grant application).

• The FMCSA will provide reimbursement for no more than 80 percent of all eligible costs and recipients are required to provide a 20 percent match. Applications that fail to fully document their intent and ability to provide the matching funds will not be considered.

• Grantees must agree to comply with the FMCSA Financial Assistance Agreement General Provisions and Assurances throughout the grant period of performance in order to execute the grant agreement and before grant funds are awarded (see Section VI).

• The Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system, along with Federal Agency Registration (FedReg), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) have migrated to the new System for Award Management (SAM) as of July 2012. For further information please see https://www.sam.gov/sam/ or https://www.bpn.gov/ccr.

Section I: Funding Opportunity Description

The FMCSA announces the availability of CMVOST funding as authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA- LU), Pub. L. No.109–59, § 4134, 119 Stat. 1144, 1744-45 (2005), as amended by Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), Pub. L. No.112–141, § 32603(g) (2012).

CMVOST is intended to expand the number of Commercial Driver’s License holders possessing operator safety training in order to reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving CMVs.

Eligible awardees for CMVOST funding include persons who train operators of CMVs such as post-secondary educational institutions (public or private), colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, associations, truck driver training schools, and State and local governments.

Program Goals – FY 2013 National Priorities

The FY 2013 goal of the CMVOST program is to expand the number of Commercial Driver’s License holders possessing operator safety training in order to reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles.

The National priority of the FY 2013 CMVOST program is to assist current or former members of the United States Armed Forces (including Guard members and Reservists) and their spouses to receive training to transition to the CMV operation industry. The FMCSA will give primary consideration to those applicants that demonstrate in the application a capacity to recruit and train these individuals and provide job placement assistance after graduation.

Secondary to the above National priority, FMCSA may also consider those applicants that demonstrate in the application a capacity to recruit and train individuals and provide job placement assistance after graduation to persons in documented economically distressed regions of the U.S.

Section II: Award Information

Available Funding

For FY 2013, FMCSA anticipates awarding a total of $1,000,000 in CMVOST funding to between 8 and 12 eligible applicants, with awards ranging in amount from $30,000 to $150,000 per award. The funds will assist CMV training programs to train an average of 30-60 students at an average of $3,500 per student.

i. The Federal share of all funds awarded under the CMVOST grant program is 80 percent of eligible costs. Recipients are required to provide a 20 percent match of the total program cost. Applications that fail to fully document their intent and ability to provide the matching funds will not be considered.

iii. If an Applicant accepts a grant awarded under this program, it is responsible for all project expenses that exceed the amount awarded. The FMCSA may contact the Applicant directly if the award amount is expected to be less than the amount requested to ensure that the project will remain sustainable with less than the amount requested.

iv. The FMCSA expects to announce awards as soon as administratively practicable

(subject to availability of funds).

Cost Requirements

Costs charged to FMCSA grants must be in accordance with the applicable cost principles for the Grantee type. All reimbursable items must be necessary, reasonable, allocable, and allowable to accomplish the goals of the program. These standards are described in the applicable cost principles and administrative requirements:

• 49 CFR Part 18 and/or 49 CFR Part 19 (depending on the type of Grantee);

• 2 CFR Part 220 (Cost Principles for Educational Institutions, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21);

• 2 CFR Part 225 (Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments, OMB Circular A-87); and/or

• 2 CFR Part 230 (Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations, OMB Circular A-122).

The eligibility of specific items is subject to review by the FMCSA. For assistance during the pre-application phase, Applicants may contact the FMCSA Grant Program Manager listed in Section VII of this NOFA for guidance on the cost eligibility of activities or items.

In accordance with Section 4134 of SAFETEA-LU, the purpose of CMVOST is to train future CMV operators in the safe use of CMVs. Funding through this program may not be used to acquire equipment (e.g., computers, simulators, vehicles) or for capital improvements (e.g., buildings, driving tracks, etc.). Indirect expenses for facilities used for personnel, support staff, and equipment to the extent they are measurable and recurring (e.g., rent and overhead) are eligible for reimbursement. NOTE: Any application containing indirect costs in its proposed project budget, whether these costs are to be reimbursed by FMCSA or to meet match requirements, must be accompanied by either the signed current indirect cost rate negotiated agreement approved by the cognizant Federal agency or a copy of the request for such rate. If indirect costs are not included in the project’s proposed budget, no indirect cost rate agreement is required.

IMPORTANT: Applicants must present all costs associated with training students in the format of student tuition, not individual applicant expenses associated with providing training.

Applications should document the standard tuition rate for the program offered and request funding in terms of tuition, or a percentage of tuition, times the number of students the applicant anticipates training. Applicants should also include an approximation of the expenses that contribute to the tuition costs. Finally, applicants may include itemized expenses (direct and indirect) associated with student recruitment and job placement. Please see Section V – Budget Narrative for further explanation and an example.

Section III: Eligibility Information

Eligible applicants include State, local, and Federally-recognized Native American Tribal governments and post-secondary educational institutions (public or private) such as colleges, universities, vocational technical schools, associations, and truck driver training schools. The FMCSA gives priority to educational institution applicants that are accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and to applicants that serve an economically distressed region in the United States. Applications received from non-accredited educational institutions and applications not addressing the National priorities will be considered only if funds remain available for award.

Note: Individuals and businesses are not eligible to receive CMVOST funding.

Section IV: Application and Submission Information

Application Information

The FMCSA utilizes Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) for accepting CMVOST program applications. All FY 2013 CMVOST applications must be submitted electronically through this site. To apply, the Applicant first must complete the Grants.gov registration process. To register, go to http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp and follow the instructions found on the Grants.gov website by selecting “Get Registered.”

The registration process can take as long as four weeks. Applicants are encouraged to register as soon as possible. The Grants.gov website provides customer support through its toll-free number, (800) 518-4726, or through e-mail at support@grants.gov. The customer support center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to address Grants.gov technical issues. The FMCSA does not own or maintain Grants.gov and is therefore unable to provide technical assistance; all technical assistance issues should be directed to the above contact information.

All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on December 10, 2012. Applications received after this time will be considered only if funds remain available after the review process for timely applications. Due to unforeseen connectivity or technical issues associated with online submission, FMCSA strongly encourages all Applicants to submit their applications well in advance to allow for additional time if needed.

If the designated grant official from an Applicant requires special assistance or accommodation associated with submitting this grant application, methods other than Grants.gov are available. Please contact the Agency personnel listed in Section VII of this notice if assistance is required.

Application Requirements

All CMVOST program applications for FY 2013 must include the following Standard Forms as provided in Grants.gov:

1. SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance This is the standard application form for all requests for Federal assistance. When completing Section F, please ensure that the individual listed as point of contact is knowledgeable about the project applied for and can answer relevant questions.

2. SF-424A – Budget Information for Non-Construction Program This is a standard budget form for requests for Federal assistance. On page 1, the Applicant may indicate up to four (4) projects requested. The Applicant should clearly indicate the title of each project in the boxes provided in Column A. If there are more than four (4) projects proposed, please submit just the total for all projects on the SF-424A on Grants.gov and then provide the detailed breakdown of each project using the Excel version of the SF-424A form (located on the Grantee resources page at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/GRANTS/grantee-resources.aspx) as a supplemental form. You may use as many supplemental forms as needed to provide a breakdown of each sub-project. However, please ensure that when combined they tie to the total submitted through Grants.gov.

On page 1A, please clearly indicate up to four (4) projects listed on page 1 in Rows 1-4 (if applicable) and then fill in the appropriate object class categories in Rows A-K. See Appendix B – Guidance for Developing an Object Class Budget.

Please complete the remaining pages as appropriate. If the Applicant feels that an additional budget worksheet is necessary to further explain estimated costs, please attach a budget document to the Attachments Form (explained in #6 below). Attached budgets should be pre-formatted to print on standard, letter-sized paper (PDF format is preferable). If the Applicant attaches budget worksheets for multiple projects under the same grant application, each project should be clearly distinguished in the document.

3. SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs This is a standard assurances form associated with accepting Federal assistance funds. This assurances document indicates that the Applicant organization is in substantial compliance with various programs, regulations, and Federal laws. This document should not be completed without confirmation from the appropriate agency or State official that the Applicant organization is indeed compliant. The FMCSA and other applicable Federal agencies reserve the right to request further information and/or conduct an audit to confirm compliance as indicated on this form, as provided for in the United States Code or the Code of Federal Regulations.

4. SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities This form requests information related to the lobbying activities of the Applicant.

5. Attachment Forms

This document is used to submit supplemental attachments to support the grant application.

These attachments must include a copy of the Applicant’s approved indirect cost rate from its cognizant Federal agency or a letter indicating that the Applicant has no cognizant agency (see supplemental information below).

Please note, applications received without the complete set of required forms will be not be evaluated until all forms are received. All forms are part of the application package available for download and completion in Grants.gov.

Beginning August 15, 2012, Applicants must now limit the file names of their attachments to the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore ( _ ), hyphen (-), space, period. If the Applicant uses any other characters when naming their attachment files, their applications will be rejected by grants.gov.

CMVOST-specific components or attachments to the application MUST include:

A project narrative that includes a problem statement, objectives, goals, strategies and activities, an evaluation or monitoring plan, a description of the Applicant’s organizational capacity, and a budget narrative (see Appendix A – Guidance for Designing Performance-based Projects to see a sample performance-based plan);

A line-item budget and a budget narrative that justifies the budget requested by line item;

Current approved indirect cost rate letter, if applicable – see Supplemental Information;

FMCSA Administrative Capability Questionnaire; and Key Contacts Form (see Appendix C – Key Contacts Form Instructions).

Additionally, the Applicant’s project narrative must address the following topics:

1. Describe the current educational requirements to enroll in training at the Applicant’s location and note accreditation credentials. For institutions applying under the primary National priority, explain how the applicant will recruit, train, and provide job placement assistance for current or former members of the United States Armed Forces and their spouses (as described above). The application must specify the recruitment strategy to target these individuals and how the organization will verify the eligibility status of these qualified individuals. IMPORTANT: Grants awarded under the first National priority established in this announcement may only be used to train the individuals described above; FMCSA may request documentation to ensure this standard is met before reimbursement to the successful grantee is authorized.

2. At a minimum, performance measures must include the number of students who enroll in the training program; the number of students trained as CMV operators;

and the number of students that have been successfully placed in the transportation industry as CMV operators.

3. The detailed budget must also include the number of students to be trained and the cost of training per student.

Supplemental Information

The Applicant should attach any supplemental information that it believes will support the proposal. However, the Applicant should limit the information provided to FMCSA to what is needed to evaluate the proposed projects. Descriptions of problems and proposed solutions should not exceed 3 – 4 pages in length unless they involve the most complicated of issues.

The FMCSA advises that:

• If the Applicant is claiming indirect costs, a copy of the Applicant’s signed current approved indirect cost rate from the cognizant Federal agency should be included in the application.

• When preparing an application package, Applicants should not save each application section as an individual document. All information relating to a single project request should be included in one document attached to the application package (PDF preferred).

• Budgets and other information in charts or spreadsheets should be pre-formatted for printing on standard size copy paper.

Section V: Application Review Information

The FMCSA will review all application packages for FY 2013 CMVOST funding for eligibility, completeness, and timeliness of submission. The FMCSA will evaluate each of the required proposal elements: Problem Statement, Project Goal(s) and Objective(s), Work Plan, Evaluation or Monitoring Plan, Organizational Capacity, and the Budget Narrative. Reviewers will consider the below criteria and questions when reviewing each application for its impact on highway safety.

Project Narrative

• Scope of Project /Purpose. Describe the current educational requirements for training new students, the location of training and note accreditation credentials. Also explain the type of curricula available for new drivers training.

• Goals /Objectives. Explain how the applicant will meet the two goals of the CMV

Operator Safety Training grant. Also include a plan for the implementation of the CMV Operator Safety Training grant program.

• Line-Item Detailed Budget. The budget represents a substantive and important portion of the application. The budget identifies all proposed project costs (direct and indirect costs), including required 20% matching funds. To claim indirect costs, the applicant organization must attach the most recent approved indirect cost rate agreement established with the cognizant Federal agency.

Both cash and in-kind contributions are eligible as matching funds. (Refer to 49 CFR Part 18 and/or 49 CFR Part 19 (depending on the type of grantee) for more information related to acceptable matching and cost sharing.) The budget must include a description of the eligible activities being supported by funding as reflected in Section B of the SF-424a. Indirect, equipment, and contractual costs, if any, must be described. The detailed budget must also include:

1. Number of new students to be trained and

2. Cost per new student training.

• Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Include a plan for how the applicant will measure progress of the training program. At minimum, the plan must include the following performance measures:

o Number of new students who enroll in the training program;

o Number of new students trained as CMV operators; and o Number of new students that have been successfully placed in the transportation industry as CMV operators.

Problem Statement

This section documents the need for the proposed program and describes the unmet needs the Applicant intends to address. Applicants should describe the problem and provide supporting data whenever possible. Applicants should compare data to a baseline whenever possible. All data must be properly cited and clearly presented to minimize the need for additional validation.

Evaluation Criteria: In reviewing the Problem Statement, FMCSA will consider the extent to which the Applicant has demonstrated knowledge of the problems associated with the CMVOST program and clearly identified the barriers to successfully meeting the national priorities listed in this NOFA. The FMCSA may consider any or all of the following criteria in its evaluation:

1. How well does the application support applicable statutory and program requirements?

2. Does the application provide data to support the need or the problem it proposes to mitigate?

3. In considering data provided by the Applicant:

i. How well is the data quantified?

ii. Are the data sources identified and appropriate for the purposes used? To what extent?

iii. Does the application establish baseline measures or benchmarks to describe the problem statement? To what extent?

Project Goal(s) and Objective(s) http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title49/49cfr18_main_02.tpl http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=5f5450be46eaa23d1aa295e2a613077d&rgn=div5&view=text&node=49:1.0.1.1.13&idno=49

This section establishes the outcome-based goals and objectives of the grant activities and directly addresses the problem statement. The application should establish goals and objectives that are performance-based in nature and linked to increased highway safety, rather than simply identifying counts of specific activities. Objectives must be specific, measurable results expected within a particular grant performance period. The FMCSA will consider the reasonableness of these goals in evaluating the application. Further, if FMCSA awards a grant based on these project goals and objectives, it will use these Applicant-established goals to evaluate performance and for consideration in awarding future grants.

This section may explain broad themes for proposed actions and should reflect reasonable choices among alternative paths, but not identify or explain specific activities.

Evaluation Criteria: In reviewing the Project Goals and Objectives, FMCSA will consider the extent to which the Applicant describes sound program goals and objectives that are specific, measurable, and can likely be achieved during the grant period of performance. The FMCSA will also consider the extent to which the Applicant thoroughly explains why it selected the project goals and objectives to address the need(s) established in the Problem Statement. The FMCSA may consider any or all of the following questions in its evaluation:

1. How well does the project goal address FMCSA’s FY 2013 national priorities for

CMVOST?

2. How well does the project goal address the Applicant’s problem statement?

3. How well does the application establish project objectives that are measureable using the data sources identified?

4. How well does the application establish project objectives that are reasonable and feasible in their scope?

Work Plan: Proposed Tasks

This section should describe the various tasks and program activities the Applicant proposes to carry out using grant funds to accomplish the objectives and mitigate issues identified in the problem statement. The Work Plan must include a description of the site(s) where the work will be performed, the duration of each proposed task or activity, the number of personnel necessary to conduct the activities, and the entire time schedule for the effort. The level of detail will vary according to the project, but should be concise and sufficient to support the project goal and justify the funding requested in the budget. This section is the core of the Applicant’s proposal.

Evaluation Criteria: In reviewing the Work Plan, FMCSA will consider the extent to which the Applicant describes tasks, activities, and timelines to achieve the project goals. The FMCSA may consider any or all of the following questions in its evaluation:

1. How well does the application describe tasks and activities that will help achieve the project objectives and mitigate the problem identified?

2. How well does the application describe the sites where the activities will be conducted?

3. How well does the application describe specific goods, services, and individuals or organizations necessary for the completion of tasks to support the project goal?

4. How well does the application establish detailed and feasible timelines for each proposed task or activity?

5. How well does the application identify implementation challenges and describe how the Applicant may overcome them?

6. How well does the application describe innovative or creative approaches to implementing the program (if applicable)?

7. How well does the application's CMV program/curriculum meet industry standards for training students to safely operate CMVs?

Evaluation or Monitoring Plan

In this section the Applicant explains how it will monitor its program strategies to ensure they are being implemented as designed and achieving the desired results. Applicants should use the program performance goals established earlier in the application and identify milestone measures during the performance period to achieve those goals. Applicants could also identify process evaluation measures that describe how their organization will remain focused on implementing a quality program on time and within budget. Finally, Applicants should provide additional information regarding the outcome evaluation to detail the types of measures that will be used to document the success of the proposed project. Applicants should describe how they plan to measure the effectiveness of each activity and strategy, such as using incremental benchmarks for a multi-phased strategy to determine whether targets/milestones were met. The following factors may be used by the Applicant to evaluate performance:

• baseline data compared to new results;

• effectiveness of strategies and activities;

• monitoring plan and adjustments, as appropriate; and

• data for quarterly reports or annual update.

Evaluation Criteria: In reviewing the Evaluation or Monitoring Plan, FMCSA will consider the extent to which the Applicant thoroughly outlines how it will monitor the effective implementation of the strategies and document the project outcomes. The FMCSA may consider any or all of the following questions in its evaluation:

1. How well does the application describe an Evaluation/Monitoring Plan that assesses the overall performance of the proposed project?

2. How well does the application utilize iterative performance measures that are quantifiable, time-specific, and realistic?

3. How well does the application describe the performance measures that support the project outcome goals?

4. Does the application include data sources that are relevant to completing the evaluation? To what extent?

Organizational Capacity

In this section the Applicant demonstrates that it has the expertise to successfully implement the stated strategies and attain its stated goal(s). Organizational Capacity includes information related to the Applicant’s organizational goals, mission statement, structure, and other information relevant to the proposed project. Providing a description of the scope of current activities as well as key elements of previous and/or other motor carrier or highway safety programs demonstrates the Applicant organization’s ability to successfully implement program requirements and meet program expectations. It is also appropriate to reference any past performance descriptions and/or operating certifications/accreditations in this section.

Evaluation Criteria: In reviewing the Organizational Capacity, FMCSA will consider the extent to which the Applicant thoroughly documents its infrastructure and other organizational information to demonstrate an ability to perform the activities proposed in the application.

This may include past performance during previous projects. The FMCSA may consider any or all of the following questions in its evaluation:

1. How well does the Applicant describe its organization, mission, and infrastructure? For example, is the Applicant an accredited training institution or institution of higher education? Does the Applicant have a valid training program?

2. How well does the Applicant describe its work on current or past activities for similar projects?

3. How well does the Applicant demonstrate its capability to successfully implement the proposed project?

The FMCSA may also consider the following questions, based on information contained in Agency records; Applicants may include proprietary information to support this section of their application:

4. How well has the Applicant performed in achieving its goals in prior awards from

FMCSA?

5. How effectively has the Applicant utilized proposed funds in previous grants (based on remaining, unexpended balances at the end of similar efforts in previous grants)?

6. What is the actual or estimated amount of funds available for expenditure from previously issued grants for projects similar to those in the application?

Budget Narrative

This section describes the costs necessary to complete the proposed tasks and achieve the project goal. The Budget Narrative should thoroughly and clearly justify or explain each Budget Category (Object Class) and follow all guidelines and limitations as provided in the application package. The budget narrative must be clear, specific, detailed, and mathematically correct; it should correspond to the information and figures on the budget forms. A well-written Budget Narrative allows the Applicant and FMCSA to understand all costs included in the budget and to monitor the expenditure of funds and determine whether the budget items are allowable for reimbursement under Federal cost principles. Where appropriate, costs per unit will be calculated and compared with national averages to determine cost-effectiveness. As appropriate, proposed costs will be compared with historical information to confirm reasonableness. The level of detail should be sufficient to justify the funding requested.

Example:

Published Tuition Cost for CMV training course at Anytown Technical College: $1700 times anticipated students trained (50) = $85,000 Total Federal share: $68,000 Total grantee share: $17,000

Recruitment Manager: $22.00/hour x 200 hours = $4,400 Job Placement Manager: $24.00/hour x 200 hours = $4,800 Total Federal share: $7,360 Total grantee share: $1,840.

Explanation of tuition cost Estimated costs per student in a total class of 8 for 110 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction:

Instructor expenses: $850.00 Instructor fringe benefits: $150.00 (approved indirect cost rate letter attached) Facility costs: $140.00 Vehicle rental: $300.00 Fuel: $110.00 Books, Regulations, Training Material: $105.00 Academic Administration fee (application processing, record keeping) $145.00

Evaluation Criteria: In reviewing the Budget Narrative, FMCSA will consider the extent to which the Applicant describes costs that are allocable, allowable, reasonable, and necessary.

The FMCSA may consider any or all of the following questions in its evaluation:

1. How well does the application provide clear explanations of the costs associated with each Budget Category (Object Class)?

2. How well does the Budget Narrative support the funds requested on the application Budget forms? Does the Applicant provide cost per student trained?

3. How accurate are the mathematical computations in the Budget Narrative and in other budget forms?

4. How well does the application demonstrate a cost-effective approach that will provide a demonstrable impact on safety as the result of grant funds?

5. Does the application describe proposed project expenditures that are:

i. Allowable under the cost principles established in this NOFA and all

FMCSA cost eligibility policies;

ii. Allocable specifically to the activities proposed by the application;

iii. Reasonable in amount and quantity for the activities proposed;

iv. Necessary to conduct the activities proposed?

6. If applicable, how well is an Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) applied to the budget?

7. If applicable, how well are fringe benefits applied to the budget?

Funding Decisions

This is a discretionary grant program. Funding decisions may depend on the quality and completeness of the information provided. The FMCSA does not have an appeals process for unsuccessful applications for discretionary grant funds.

Section VI: Award Administration Information

Upon receipt and approval of the complete CMVOST application package, FMCSA will award funding and enter into grant agreements as soon as administratively practicable. An award recipient may be required to submit a supplemental budget or project narrative based on a partial or modified grant award.

Funding amounts made available for reimbursement may be impacted by limitations placed on the spending authority and appropriations enacted for FMCSA.

Reporting responsibilities include quarterly program performance status using the Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR). The PPR should address any additional questions/factors as deemed appropriate by FMCSA.

Grantees must agree to the FMCSA Financial Assistance Agreement General Provisions and Assurances before grant funds will be awarded (see http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/chief-counsel/2012/2012-FMCSA-Grant- Provisions.pdf). These provisions require, but are not limited to, submission of quarterly financial (Federal Financial Report SF-425) and performance progress reports (PPR).

Additional information on quarterly reports and other required forms and templates is available at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/safety-initiatives/mcsap/ mcsapforms.htm.

Section VII: Agency Contact

This grant program is managed by:

Office of Safety Programs, State Programs Division Office of the Associate Administrator for Enforcement Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration United States Department of Transportation

Please contact your FMCSA Division Office to obtain further information and guidance concerning Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. For general information about CMVOST funding and requirements, please contact FMCSA Headquarters:

Crystal Polk CMVOST Grant Program Manager Email (preferred): crystal.polk@dot.gov Office: 202-366-0734 Fax: 202-366-7908

By Mail:

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, West Building Washington, DC 20590 ATTN: Crystal Polk (MC-ESS)

Section VIII: Other Information

The FMCSA Grant Programs Website: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/grants/grants.aspx

The FMCSA Grantee Resources Website: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/GRANTS/grantee-resources.aspx.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/contact/offices/displayfieldroster.asp

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APPENDIX A

GUIDANCE FOR DESIGNING PERFORMANCE-BASED PROJECTS

FMCSA seeks to award funding for performance-based programs. When applying for grant opportunities, Applicants should describe program goals, objectives, and outcomes before describing the specific tasks necessary to achieve them. By focusing on the outcome or impact of a program, the Applicant is better able to explain to FMCSA the need for financial assistance.

When requesting grant funding for multiple projects within a single grant application, Applicants should discuss each project individually. That is, Applicants must provide clear and concise problem statements, proposed solutions, explanations of the resources necessary to achieve the desired outcomes, and expected timelines for each project, keeping all relevant information for individual efforts separated. Applicants should address all of the components of each project, in sequence, before addressing a different project. This approach allows FMCSA to fully evaluate the merits of each project individually.

The following provides general guidance on preparing a typical Project Narrative and Budget Narrative for a discretionary grant. Please note that each FMCSA announcement will provide specific guidance regarding the format of the application, the required elements, and evaluation criteria.

I. Project Narrative

The Project Narrative section of the application is where the Applicant describes what problem or need it intends to address with grant funds, the goals and objectives the project expects to accomplish, proposed tasks and timelines, and how the effectiveness of the project design will be measured. The Project Narrative should be succinct, self-explanatory, and well-organized so that reviewers can understand each component of the proposed project. Project Narrative sections are described below.

a. Problem Statement

This section documents the need for the proposed program and describes the unmet needs to be addressed, with data clearly presented and cited. The following is a sample crash-based Problem Statement:

[COUNTY] in the northwest corridor of I-99 in [STATE], is ranked XX among the XX counties in [STATE] for the number of fatal and injury crashes among large trucks and buses.1 In the most recent five years for which data are documented (YEAR – YEAR), XX people have lost their lives due to crashes caused by [FACTOR].2 The data also suggests that [FACTOR-2] is increasing as the proximate cause of crashes during the heaviest traffic times.

Data Source(s) Fatalities by State. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), www.fars.nhtsa.dot.gov

2008 Collision Statistics. 2010 Highway Safety Funding Guideline. Page XX.

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The following is a sample of a non-enforcement-related Problem Statement:

The State of CDLandia currently conducts CDL knowledge and skills testing according to a modified version of the AAMVA 2.0 testing model. This version is no longer compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.1

Data Source(s) 1 Commercial Driver’s License Testing and Commercial Learner’s Permit Standards Rule [76 FR 26854, May 9, 2011]

b. Goal(s) and Objective(s)

This section establishes the outcome-based goals and objectives of the grant activities and directly addresses the problem statement.

Effective Goals and Objectives are:

• Specific

• Measureable

• Action-oriented

• Realistic

• Time-phased

The FMCSA will consider the reasonableness of these goals and objectives in evaluating the application. Further, if FMCSA awards a grant based on these project goals and objectives, it will use these Applicant-established goals to evaluate performance for consideration of future grants.

Sample Goal: The State of Borderland requests Federal financial assistance through the FY 2013 BEG program to reduce the number of crashes involving unsafe trucks crossing U.S.

international borders operated by foreign carriers and/or drivers. Grant funds will be used to support activities that provide targeted enforcement activities as the strategy to achieve this goal.

Sample Objectives:

1. To decrease fatalities involving vehicles entering the U.S. from a foreign country by

___%, from ____# during FY 2012 to ____# by September 30, 2013

2. To increase safety inspections of vehicles entering the US from a foreign country by

___%, from ____# during FY 2012 to ____# by September 30, 2013

3. To increase the knowledge of highway safety from a baseline of ____% to ____% among individuals attending one of the five safety enforcement education/publicity campaigns for compliance with CMV safety standards and regulations focusing on drivers of vehicles entering the US from a foreign country conducted during FY 2013

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c. Work Plan: Proposed Tasks

This section describes the various tasks and program activities the Applicant proposes to carry out using grant funds to accomplish the objectives and mitigate the issues identified in the problem statement. This section should not be based upon specific dates, but based on award date plus duration of time needed to complete each task. Vague timeframes such as “Summer 2013” are not acceptable.

Project Strategy The Applicant describes the strategy it plans to implement to achieve its

Goals and Objectives.

Project Activity The Applicant describes the activities to be performed to implement each Project Strategy, including time frames for each activity.

Note: The Applicant may implement more than one strategy to achieve the stated performance objective. In those instances, the strategy, project activity measure(s), Work Plan and Evaluation / Monitoring sections as well as the Budget Narrative should remain sequenced within the document to allow for easier review.

Sample Work Plan:

Strategy: Conduct Targeted Safety Enforcement Education Activities

Time Frame

Proposed Activity/Milestone Location

Responsible Party

Level of Effort

Award + 90 days

Identify date and locations to begin safety enforcement targeted education campaign (and provide day-to-day support for duration of project)

Applicant agency

Project Assistant (1)

.5 FTE

Award + 90 days

Identify Educator, locations to provide education, and any other needed resources (and provide oversight for duration of project)

Applicant agency

Project Manager (1)

.5 FTE

Award + 120

Design questionnaires for pre/post surveys

Consultant agency

Consultant (1)

100 hours

Award + 200

Conduct safety enforcement education classes and pre/post tests

Truck driving schools, trucker associations

Educators (2)

2 @ 120 hours each

Award + 330

Evaluate results of pre/post tests for safety enforcement education classes, write report

Consultant agency location

Consultant (1)

1 @ 200 hours

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d. Identification / Resolution of Challenges

This section should discuss any challenges that potentially could arise in the design or implementation of the activities described in the Work Plan. Applicants should be sure to include strategies that could be used to mitigate these challenges. This is a section that often is not included by Applicants; however, it is particularly useful for new grants and/or project designs for which it is unclear how well they will perform.

e. Evaluation / Monitoring Plan

In this section the Applicant should explain how it will monitor its program strategies to ensure they are being implemented as designed and achieving the desired results. The Evaluation Plan is the roadmap that will serve as a guide through each step of the evaluation. Each objective should have at least one strategy and each strategy should have at least one project activity measure. Project activity measures are specific, observable, and measurable characteristics or changes that show the progress a program is making towards achieving a specified goal or objective. Once the project activity measures are identified, the sources of data and how the data will be collected will need to be determined. Some data collection methods are more appropriate for process evaluation (such as a count of the number of times an activity is conducted), while other methods are more appropriate for outcome evaluation (such as measuring change in knowledge using pre- and post-survey results).

Project Activity Measure The Applicant describes how it will quantifiably measure the activities, e.g., number of staff hours, details completed/performed, or other measures of the particular activities.

Evaluation / Monitoring The Applicant describes how it will evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of each respective Project Activity Measure against the Work Plan and Project Strategy. Incremental benchmarks must be described and included for a multi-phased strategy.

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Sample Monitoring / Evaluation Plan Outline

Objective: To conduct five (5) safety enforcement education/publicity campaigns for compliance with CMV safety standards and regulations focusing on drivers use of handheld cellular devices.

Proposed Strategy:

Project Activity Measure:

Data Source:

Communicating Results

Responsible Party/Agency

Media Campaign project activities are being conducted at the planned level (quantity and quality)

Number, length, type, and time of day media ads are aired

Logs;

Amount of spending

To whom:

Stakeholders, Funder

How: Quarterly Report, Final Report, Website

Project Manager

Outreach/Education project activities are:

a) being conducted at the planned level (quantity and quality)

Number of classes conducted, length of time for each class

Sign-in sheets

To whom:

Stakeholders, Funder

How: Quarterly Report, Final Report

Educator

b) moving in the desired direction

Survey results demonstrating increased knowledge / awareness

Pre- and post- tests conducted & analyzed

To whom:

Stakeholders, Funder

How: Final Report, Fact Sheet, Website

Consultant

f. Organizational Capacity

In this section the Applicant should demonstrate it has the expertise to successfully implement the stated strategies and attain its stated goal(s). The following is a sample outline for an Organizational Capacity statement:

The [FULL LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION/AGENCY] [TYPE OF ORGANIZATION] was established in [YEAR] [FOR THE PURPOSE OF]. The location of the organization’s headquarters and applicable operating sites [NAME, CITY, COUNTY, STATE]. Describe the organization’s background or history and important milestones in relation to highway safety.

Describe the organization’s [MISSION]. The agency/organization possesses a proven capability to assist FMCSA in achieving its mission to improve the safety of commercial motor vehicles and save lives by conducting [PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES].

Describe the agency/organization’s most important achievements, current and past, and/or operating certifications/accreditations.

II. Budget Narrative

This section describes the costs necessary to complete the proposed tasks and achieve the project goal(s). The Budget Narrative should thoroughly and clearly justify or explain each Budget Category (Object Class) and follow all guidelines and limitations as provided in the application

A - 6 package. The budget narrative must be clear, specific, detailed, and mathematically correct; it should correspond to the information and figures on the budget forms. A well-written Budget Narrative allows the Applicant and FMCSA to understand all costs included in the budget and to monitor the expenditure of funds to determine whether the budget items are allowable for reimbursement under the Federal cost principles. As appropriate, proposed costs will be compared with historical information to confirm reasonableness. The level of detail should be sufficient to justify the funding requested.

The Budget Narrative provides justification for all budget line items as to the relevance of the proposed project costs. FMCSA Grant Budgets consist of three components:

Budget Narrative – provides the methodology explaining the numbers SF-424A Form – breaks down the budget into object class categories Line-item budget – provides the detail behind each of the SF-424A object class categories and is project specific

The Budget Narrative is based on both the SF-424A Object Code Categories and the line item budget. For example:

Personnel: All personnel are permanent full-time State employees unless otherwise specified. Personnel could include one Project Manager, at a rate of X working on the proposed BEG project at 50% FTE and one Training Officer, at a rate of Y, fully dedicated to the BEG project to arrive at total dollars.

Travel: This estimate is based on 10 travel nights at $150 per night (lodging and per diem – government vehicle used) for two people to travel to 10 sites to provide BEG education activities: $3,000.

Supplies: Printing costs: $0.25 per test for 5,000 pre-test surveys and 5,000 post-test surveys to be conducted as part of the BEG education activities to measure change in knowledge: $2,500.

If multiple projects are proposed in one grant application, Applicants should group expenses separately for each project using the object class categories provided in Standard Form 424A - Budget Information. Applicants should ensure that detailed narratives are provided for each project in each proposal. Budget Narratives should describe how the Federal funds are to be used. For example, a project involving personnel would explain each position to be filled and how it applies to the project and Federal funds.

If there are more than four (4) projects proposed, Applicants should only submit the total for all projects on the SF-424A on Grants.gov and then provide the detailed breakdown of each project using the Excel version of the SF-424A form (located on the Grantee resources page at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/GRANTS/grantee-resources.aspx) as a supplemental form.

Applicants may use as many supplemental forms as needed to provide a breakdown of each project. However, Applicants should ensure that when supplemental forms are combined, they tie to the total amount submitted through Grants.gov.

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APPENDIX B

GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPING AN OBJECT CLASS

BUDGET

Guidance for completing Object Class Categories on Form 424-A, under Section B – Budget Categories:

6a. Personnel: Personnel is defined as wages and salaries paid to employees of the grantee organization who are directly involved in grant implementation. This includes overtime.

Helpful hints

• This line item should not include personnel hired by a sub-grantee, employees hired from a temporary staffing agency or specialized support provider, or consultant; those costs are included in the “Contractual” line item.