EPA-I-R-OCFO-02.pdf

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AGENCY: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO)

TITLE: Promoting Readiness and Enhancing Proficiency to Advance Reporting and Data

(PREPARED)

ACTION: NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

TYPE: INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NO: EPA-I-R-OCFO-02

ASSISTANCE LISTING NO: 66.203

KEY DATES:

JUL 29, 2024 NOFO CLOSES – APPLICATIONS DUE BY 11:59 P.M., EASTERN TIME

OCT 3, 2024 ANTICIPATED FINAL SELECTIONS OF AWARDS

DEC 31, 2024 ANTICIPATED AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT

APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Application packages must be submitted electronically to the EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) no later than July 29, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) to be considered for funding. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) will post a recorded webinar titled “Supporting Grant Recipient Capacity for Data, Reporting, and Evidence-building” to assist potential applicants under this competitive funding opportunity. The recorded webinar will review the funding opportunity, key sections of the application, and the application process. Furthermore, OCFO will host weekly office hours during the duration of the NOFO’s open period to answer questions regarding eligibility, clarify questions on the NOFO content, and the process. OCFO/EPA cannot answer questions on specific applications (e.g., Should I do this; do you want this, is this a good project, etc.). Potential applicants seeking funding under this competitive announcement (EPA-I-R-OCFO-02) are encouraged to view the recording and participate in the office hours. Dates for the office hours can be found at https://www.epa.gov/evaluate/prepared.

Note - Prior to naming a contractor (including consultants) or subrecipient in your application as a “partner”, please carefully review Section IV.d, of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses that are incorporated by reference in this announcement and included here. Applicants must compete contracts for services and products, including consultant contracts, and conduct cost and price analyses, to the extent required by the procurement provisions of the regulations at 2 CFR Part 200. Applicants are not required to identify subrecipients and/or contractors (including consultants) in their application. However, if they do, the fact that an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor, or consultant in the application EPA selects for funding does not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with subaward and/or competitive procurement requirements as described in Section IV.d, of EPA’s Solicitation Clause. Please note that applicants may not award sole source contracts to consulting, engineering or other firms assisting applicants with the application solely based on the firm's role in https://sam.gov/fal/78d780b3bcf9484b8deb09e2d27f8353/view https://www.epa.gov/evaluate/prepared https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

-2-preparing the application or based on an assertion that the individual or firm has “unique qualifications”. EPA will not consider the qualifications, experience, and expertise of named subrecipients and/or named contractor(s) during the application evaluation process unless the applicant provides documentation that it has complied with these requirements. For additional guidance applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements. EPA expects recipients of funding to comply with competitive procurement contracting requirements as well as EPA’s rule on Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in EPA Programs in 40 CFR Part 33. The Agency does not accept justifications for sole source contracts for services or products available in the commercial marketplace such as consulting, data analysis, or project management.

EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease the total number of grants awarded or reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement. Such changes may be necessary as a response to the quality of applications received by EPA or the amount of funds available.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

EPA expects to issue up to 50% of awards to new applicants who have either never received funding from EPA or who received EPA funding for the first time in FY23 or FY24, provided the new applicants submit proposals that are meritorious.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance

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FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT CONTENTS BY SECTION

SECTION I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

SECTION II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

SECTION IV. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

SECTION V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

SECTION VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

APPENDIX A - DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX B - LOGIC MODEL

APPENDIX C - OPTIONAL ITEMIZED BUDGET SHEET TEMPLATE, BUDGET NARRATIVE, SHEET

DEFINITIONS, AND EXAMPLE

APPENDIX D - OPTIONAL PROJECT NARRATIVE TEMPLATE

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SECTION I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking additional applications from eligible public and private nonprofit entities (see eligibility described in Section III.A of this announcement) to assist current or prospective EPA grant recipients (herein referred to as grant recipients) more effectively address their grant progress and performance requirements of their EPA-funded grant agreements. Reporting requirements involve gathering data, administering reports, and addressing evidence-building metrics.

Applicants may place special emphasis on aiding EPA-funded recipients and subrecipients of Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water programs, as well as grant recipients representing small, underserved, and/or tribal communities that are applying for or receiving EPA grant funding, including but not limited to funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58 [also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)] funding and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Public Law 117-169. See Section I.H for scope of work requirements.

A. Executive Orders and Definitions The EPA, as well as other federal government agencies/departments as part of a government-wide effort are seeking to address environmental, public health, and energy challenges affecting communities, and specifically those adversely and disproportionately affected by environmental, climate, and human health harms and risks. This includes communities historically underserved and adversely impacted by persistent poverty, inequality, and lack of funding/resources.

In furtherance of this effort, this NOFO is being issued to support Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government, issued on January 20, 2021, which expressed Administration policy that the federal government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. The Executive Order defines “underserved communities” as “populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life…” As described further in the Executive Order, “underserved communities” may include communities of color such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities;

persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. For purposes of this NOFO, “underserved communities” has the meaning set forth in Executive Order 13985 and includes “environmentally overburdened communities” (that is, communities adversely and disproportionately affected by environmental, climate and human health harms and risks including remote, rural, and urban communities).

This NOFO also supports Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, issued on January 27, 2021, which deepened the Administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice by creating the Justice40 Initiative. The Justice40 Initiative establishes a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments—including those in climate change; clean energy and energy efficiency; clean transit; affordable and sustainable housing; training and workforce development; the remediation and reduction of legacy pollution; and the development of critical clean water infrastructure—flow to disadvantaged communities. Increased technical assistance and community engagement of disadvantaged communities was included as a benefit under Justice40 per the Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40 Initiative (M-21-28).

https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/

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Environmental justice as defined by the EPA is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no one group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal environmental programs and policies.

Meaningful involvement means that: People have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health; The public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; Community concerns will be considered in the decision-making process; and Decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.

Energy justice as defined by the Department of Energy (DOE or Department) is “the goal of achieving equity in both the social and economic participation in the energy system, while also remediating social, economic, and health burdens on those disproportionately harmed by the energy system” (Initiative for Energy Justice, 2019). At its core, energy justice applies the basic principles of civil rights to the climate space.

Capacity building is support, investment, or training used to bring an eligible beneficiary to the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity, so it may more effectively and efficiently implement its mission. It is a process in which eligible beneficiaries improve and retain skills, knowledge, tools, and other resources needed to improve environmental conditions for low- and moderate- income families in local communities. It is not a one-time effort to improve short-term effectiveness, but a continuous improvement strategy with the eligible beneficiary toward the creation of a sustainable and effective organization that serves its community.

Evaluation - “An assessment using systematic data collection and analysis of one or more programs, policies, and organizations intended to assess their effectiveness and efficiency.” Evidence Act § 101 (codified at 5 U.S.C. § 311). Credible program evaluation activities are implemented with relevance and utility, rigor, independence and objectivity, transparency, and ethics (OMB Circular A-11, Part 6 Section 290).

Outcomes - Results achieved, or benefits derived from the capacity building activity conducted, typically demonstrated by the eligible beneficiary.

Outputs - Deliverables such as products, grants made, individuals served, or trainings delivered that are usually quantified by number produced, number delivered, number of attendees, etc. Outputs do not measure a change in a beneficiary's capacity or capabilities.

For a complete list of definitions, see Appendix A.

B. Background For EPA grant programs, evaluating data, administering reports, and sharing evidence-building metrics of grant-funded work are vitally important components for tracking the grant recipients’ progress and performance. However, many EPA grant recipients face capacity challenges for engaging in these activities and many small, underserved, and/or tribal communities that are eligible for EPA grants sometimes

-6-choose to pass on funding opportunities because they anticipate that they will have problems with data and reporting requirements. The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (https://www.epa.gov/evaluate/evidence-act) provides a framework for federal agencies, like EPA, to gather and examine data for the purpose of managing performance, addressing areas for continuous improvement and modes of learning, and influence decision-making using the best available evidence.

Consistent with the Evidence Act, BIL and IRA funded programs are being asked by EPA to collect and use data, or use existing data, for measuring progress and building evidence on program effectiveness, including implementation activities, performance reporting, and program evaluation. This includes collecting feedback from programs’ grant recipients and beneficiary communities, as well as collecting data or using existing data to assess program effectiveness and equitable delivery.

BIL and IRA funded grants provide an excellent opportunity to identify effective strategies as well as to design new strategies that support and improve grant recipient data and reporting capacity. Many EPA grant recipients representing small, underserved, and tribal communities targeted for EPA grant opportunities lack robust capacity for data, reporting, and for evidence-building. In 2022, EPA held a roundtable with various federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and foundations to learn more about the challenges around grant recipient capacity building for managing data and reporting requirements, as well as using data and reporting for evidence-building. Roundtable participants cite a wide range of capacity issues ranging from staffing, lack of user-friendly systems for data and reporting, and competing (sometimes conflicting) data and reporting requirements of different funders. For example, a key capacity challenge is staff turnover, i.e., retaining knowledge and skills in managing data and fulfilling reporting requirements, especially for grant agreement activities that take several years to complete. Also, many grant recipients do not have the capacity to effectively use and report data in ways that help them conduct program evaluations or other empirical studies (such as data analysis or statistics) on their own. The EPA continues to reach out to funders and organizations to better exchange information on Promoting Readiness and Enhancing Proficiency to Advance Reporting and Data (PREPARED) and share technical assistance opportunities.

C. Project Goals EPA is committed to implementing strategies designed to help small and underserved communities, including those with environmental justice concerns, address data and reporting requirements, and build the evidence-building capacity of these communities. Under this NOFO, EPA is seeking applications that address any of the following project goals:

Provide technical assistance and increase capacity for small, underserved, and tribal communities.

Project assistance may include but is not limited to: steps to enhance EPA grant recipients’ and funded-program beneficiaries’ evidence-building capacity, including tools for data analysis, statistics, and program evaluation designed to generate high-quality information that supports learning and improvement of outcomes and impacts. EPA grant recipients are entities that receive direct funding from the EPA, while program beneficiaries are individuals, communities, and/or organizations that benefit from an EPA funded grant/program. For example, technical assistance can include tools to help grant recipients measure the benefits of projects in ways that are minimally burdensome, including tools to help quantify climate change and equity benefits. Additionally, the Agency recognizes that writing a proposal in response to an announcement requires considerable effort, and that doing so is itself an undertaking that can require pre-award capacity for data and reporting, as well as an understanding of evidence-building. In recognition of this type of capacity need, and to share the knowledge gained from the process with small, underserved, and tribal communities' applications should emphasize widely sharing lessons learned and best practices with the general public so that knowledge transfer is open and accessible to all interested https://www.epa.gov/evaluate/evidence-act

-7-parties. Consistent with principles defined under the EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations, the EPA is committed to working with federally recognized tribes in building capacity to carry out program responsibilities affecting tribal communities and the health and welfare of the populace, including capacity for data, reporting, and evidence-building. As such, applications will be expected to incorporate qualitative data such as community voices, alternative sources of knowledge, indigenous knowledge (IK) and lived experiences as components of the overall picture. Applicants that incorporate these methodologies) demonstrate an adherence to cultural competency that should be prioritized and reflected in work with communities, specifically small, underserved, and/or tribal communities. By working together to build capacity, and combining multiple sources of data alongside technical assistance, greater inclusivity can be achieved while maintaining focus on the overall mission and deliverables.

Provide communities that receive EPA grant funding with tools and strategies for evidence-building that leverages data and reporting requirements. Communities understandably focus on data and reporting required by funders such as EPA, but this can unintentionally limit their ability to engage in evidence-building, i.e., to produce high-quality and timely quantitative and qualitative information that help improve outcomes and results for their communities. To address these issues, EPA is interested in receiving applications that target and provide resolutions on capacity issues found in small, underserved, and/or tribal communities. Applications should also address and provide resolutions on issues related to the relative lack of experience with data collection, data management, and post-award reporting among the smaller/newer grant recipients compared to larger/more established grant recipients.

Support technical assistance on water and wastewater funding investments. EPA is strengthening its water technical assistance programs to support communities in assessing their water needs and apply for their fair share of a historic investment in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between FY 2022 and FY 2026. As a result, anticipated awards under this NOFO may include projects that provide technical assistance and/or training to small, underserved and/or tribal communities that apply for, but do not receive, grant funding from EPA as direct recipients of EPA funding or as program beneficiaries who participate in the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water programs, with the opportunity to take part in “Learning Cohorts” that focus on addressing challenges to data, reporting, and evidence-building through selected technical assistance activities. Further, EPA may also hold a national networking workshop(s) to support such learning cohorts. For more information on the state-by-state allocation of 2024 funding and information, see the Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment.

D. Partnerships Eligible applicants should work with local governments, states, tribes, and non-governmental organizations to support capacity building, technical assistance, training, reports/studies, tools, and other eligible activities to protect human health and the environment. See Section I.H.2 for a complete list of eligible services and activities, and Section III.A for eligible entities.

Below is a list of several terms defining the multiple relationships that will be managed through the PREPARED awards. Applicants should integrate these terms in their applications to define the types of relationships and collaborations that will play a part in their work as a grant recipient.

• Collaborative Pass-through Relationships: These relationships are subawards to other nonprofits, units of government, institutions of higher education, and/or federally recognized tribes and Intertribal Consortia that meet the requirements of 40 CFR 35.504. The grant recipient https://www.epa.gov/tribal/epa-policy-administration-environmental-programs-indian-reservations-1984-indian-policy https://www.epa.gov/tribal/epa-policy-administration-environmental-programs-indian-reservations-1984-indian-policy https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2022/12/01/white-house-releases-first-of-a-kind-indigenous-knowledge-guidance-for-federal-agencies/ https://www.epa.gov/dwsrf/annual-allotment-federal-funds-states-tribes-and-territories

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• Procurement Relationships: These relationships are for the acquisition of goods and services from for-profit firms and individual consultants. All procurement relationships will be required to be established in compliance with the competitive requirements in 2 CFR Part 200 and 2 CFR Part 1500 as interpreted in the Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements.

• Program Participants: These are individuals receiving stipends, travel assistance, or other participant support cost payments as authorized in 2 CFR 1500.1 and the EPA Guidance on Participant Support Costs or compensation as advisory council members as described in the EPA Office of Grants and Debarment Guidance on Selected Items of Cost for Recipients. Workshop participants and focus groups are examples of program participants as are representatives of community-based organizations who participate in the governance process where one or more community-based nonprofit organizations is involved in the design and decision-making of the subgrants program. Example participatory governance activities could include advisory bodies composed of community-based nonprofit organizations that oversee and provide advice on the development of the subaward process. The participatory governance framework should describe controls for ensuring that representatives of community-based nonprofit organizations involved in the design and decision-making for the subgrants program do not have relationships with organizations competing for subgrants or receiving noncompetitive funding that create actual or apparent conflicts of interest. Note that grant recipients may compensate representatives of community-based organizations who participate in the governance process with stipends to the extent permissible in the above referenced EPA guidance documents.

• Collaborative In-Kind Relationships: These relationships are agreements between entities to cooperate to achieve common goals/objectives that do not involve transfers of EPA funds.

The applicant should demonstrate experience in working with communities and/or demonstrate experience in the application of community-engaged participatory work. To demonstrate this experience appropriately, the following areas should be addressed in the application:

• How has the applicant built trusting relationships with communities that they have partnered with?

• How has the applicant prioritized the community in the design of outreach strategies, education, interventions, evaluation efforts, projects, and/or program development?

• How has the applicant ensured community involvement, centered community challenges, lived experiences, and/or indigenous knowledge in their work from conception to dissemination?

Applicants without experience working with the intended beneficiaries mentioned in Section I.B should describe how their application can effectively perform and address the stated goals of this announcement.

E. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage The capacity building, administrative support, technical assistance, training, outreach, reports/studies, tools, and other eligible activities to be funded under this announcement support the following Strategic Goals and Objectives of EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan:

https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g05-r1 https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g05-r1 https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g01-r https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g01-r https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

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• Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis;

• Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights;

• Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance

• Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities;

• Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities;

• Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities;

• Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment;

This announcement also supports key priorities of the Administration as detailed in Executive Order 13985 signed by President Biden on January 20, 2021, titled, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14008 signed by President Biden on January 27, 2021, titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Specifically, the projects selected under this NOFO will support the federal government’s efforts to advance racial equity and environmental and energy justice, address health outcome disparities and support underserved communities.

In addition, pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” EPA must link assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan. EPA’s current Strategic Plan for 2022-2026 is available at: https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.

The activities to be funded under this NOFO support the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan: Strategy 1 - Ensure Scientific Integrity and Science-Based Decision Making; Strategy 2 - Consideration of Health of Children at All Stages and Other Vulnerable Populations; Strategy 3 - Advance EPA’s Organizational Excellence and Workforce Equity; Strategy 4 - Strengthen Tribal, State, and Local Partnerships and Enhance Engagement; or more specifically Goal 2 (Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights), Objective 2.1, (Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels) of the Strategic Plan which states that “Building Community Capacity and Climate Resilience and Maximizing Benefits to Overburdened and Underserved Communities: EPA will increase support for community-led action by providing unprecedented investments and benefits directly to communities with environmental justice concerns and by integrating equity throughout Agency programs.” Applicants should explain in their application how their project will further these strategies and they will be evaluated on this under the evaluation criteria in Section V.A.

EPA Order 5700.7 also requires that applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements. Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the goals and objectives described above.

• Outputs: The term “output” refers to an activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period or by a specified date.

• Outcomes. The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that relates to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective.

Details are further detailed in Section I.H. Scope of Work and Program Specific Requirements, 3.

Performance Measures.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

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The FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan prioritizes “building community capacity and climate resilience and maximizing benefits to overburdened and underserved communities. In this effort, EPA will increase support for community-led action by providing unprecedented investments and benefits directly to communities with environmental justice concerns and by integrating equity throughout Agency programs.” Consistent with this Strategic Plan priority, BIL, IRA and other EPA grant programs will strive to address climate resilience and environmental justice in communities, especially in underserved communities that have, and continue to be, plagued by environmental pollution and health, and environmental justice challenges. These communities often need technical assistance and training to enhance their opportunities to access EPA’s financial assistance opportunities and then subsequently to support effective grants management and performance reporting. Building increased capacity for data, reporting, and evidence-building, can help EPA grant recipients representing small, underserved, and tribal communities better address community needs and solutions, and improve their climate resilience and environmental justice outcomes. See Appendix A for definitions relevant to environmental justice and capacity building.

F. Authority Congress provided EPA with both funding and authority to support communities’ capacity for data, reporting, and evidence-building through the following authorities:

• Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), as amended

• Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1420

• Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a)

• Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3)

• Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, as amended

• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, as amended

• Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203

• Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(c)(3), as amended

Additional and future funding for awards under this NOFO is contingent on the availability of future appropriations.

G. Minority Serving Institutions EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in Section III, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity.

For purposes of this solicitation, the following are considered MSIs:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1061(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. §

1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at Tribal College or University https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://msiexchange.nasa.gov/institutions?qp%255B0%255D%3Dcategories__name%26qo%255B0%255D%3Dis%26qv%255B0%255D%3DTribal%2520College%2520or%2520University&data=05%7c02%7cJanuary.Elizabeth%40epa.gov%7cce728762fa32486c424f08dc7042bbc2%7c88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7c0%7c0%7c638508679118331670%7cUnknown%7cTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7c0%7c%7c%7c&sdata=us5kKX4IwXwPCSv4YwAcBZCewwRMInG8uCa2KrvI2rc%3D&reserved=0

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3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; and

5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20 U.S.C.

1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions

H. Scope of Work and Program Specific Requirements Through the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 20181 and GPRA Modernization Act of 20102 and consistent with the Presidential Memorandum, Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking3, this funding enhances community capacity and their ability to collect appropriate, high-quality data that can be used to achieve better community-based programmatic outcomes.

For FY2025, there is approximately $2,000,000 available to carry out eligible activities related to capacity building. Activities should relate to advancing awareness of best practices related to program evaluation with an emphasis on “learning”, rather than trying to “fix” an environmental concern. The applicant should clearly explain how the methods and approaches used will engage community stakeholders.

In general, the cooperative agreement proposals should:

• Include a clear description of the planned effort, project, strategy, intervention and how it would address the Project Goals as described in Project Goals, Section I.C. and Scope of Work – detailed under this section.

• Identify major goals, and clearly defined objectives and outcome measures of the project.

• Explain how the project would be implemented and discuss its sustainability and transferability.

• Include plans for an evaluation component.

• Describe the type of Eligible Services and Activities the applicant will provide, how they will implement the eligible services and activities, and how program participants, especially small, underserved, and/or tribal communities, will be made aware of, and can access the Eligible Services – see Eligible Services and Activities, Section I.H.1. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to design their capacity building activities around the types of Eligible Services described or other similar services to meet the objectives of this Cooperative Agreement.

Applications will be evaluated on these approaches, see Evaluation Criteria, Section V.A.

1. Eligible Services and Activities.

The Eligible Services to be provided by recipients operating under this NOFO should be based on accomplishing the following objectives related to training, capacity development, planning, technical assistance, and evaluation activities to assist small, underserved, tribal grant recipient communities with information, tools, and assistance.

1 Pub. L. No. 115-435, 132 Stat. 5529 (2019), available at https://www.epa.gov/evaluate/evidence-act 2 GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-352, available at https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ352/PLAW-

111publ352.pdf 3 See https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/memorandum-on-restoring-trust-in-government-through-scientific-integrity-and-evidence-based-policymaking/ https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4 https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ352/PLAW-111publ352.pdf https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ352/PLAW-111publ352.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/memorandum-on-restoring-trust-in-government-through-scientific-integrity-and-evidence-based-policymaking/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/memorandum-on-restoring-trust-in-government-through-scientific-integrity-and-evidence-based-policymaking/

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• Capacity Development and Technical Assistance. Building the capacity of local governments

–especially in disadvantaged communities –is essential to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and effective utilization of federal investment from the EPA.

Recipients will provide technical assistance and/or research to support communities in a range of activities, such as positioning communities to demonstrate their success so they can apply for funding that bolsters their ability to obtain state and federal support. A significant emphasis will be on supporting communities in preparing for, accessing, and implementing the $50 billion in funding that the EPA will distribute from the BIL through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs.

• Tools and Resources. Recipients will work collaboratively with the EPA (as part of the Agency’s substantial involvement) to identify the tools, research needs, data, and other technical information to support local, state, and tribal partners to effectively implement environmental regulations and infrastructure investments.

It is anticipated that up to 4 entities will be selected for these functions. Under the anticipated cooperative agreements issued in this funding opportunity, recipients will provide eligible services to assist communities, specifically disadvantaged, rural, and/or tribal communities, with environmental evidence and capacity building projects to address environmental, energy justice, and other environmental challenges such as clean water, drinking water, and stormwater needs.

Applicants should list specific services in their application designed to achieve the NOFO’s objective of providing technical assistance related to access to BIL funding. BIL services may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting personnel and data infrastructure needs related to performance management and program evaluation needs associated with their application, such as supporting pre-application development and coordination for infrastructure project delivery, that builds capacity to help disadvantaged communities implement capital funding.

• Preparing potential grant recipients for success in data collection and management, as well as post-award reporting inclusive of quality assurance project planning (i.e., Quality Assurance Project Plans and Quality Management Plans); the identification and assessment in the utility of existing data/information; and any other activities related to project design and measurement activities.

• Creating and maintaining user-friendly data that community grantees can use to help with basic post-award reporting into EPA systems.

• Creating a connection between programmatic efforts and desired outcomes through logic modeling.

• Supporting evidence informed decision-making for communities, including positioning disadvantaged communities to demonstrate their success and then equipping them with the ability to access funding through direct EPA grants or participation in state CW and DWSRF programs.

• Supporting capacity for community-based program evaluation using qualitative and/or quantitative methods.

• Incorporating mixed methods evaluation, research methods, and analyses inclusive of surveys and qualitative data.

• Dissemination and translation of mixed methods, statistical analyses, and findings for lay audience/community understanding.

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• Other similar activities applicants propose to build community capacity to employ approaches to program evaluation and other evidence-building, such as:

− Creating opportunities for community to better define concerns and set priorities for discussion and action;

− Developing workshops, training, and other skills development opportunities;

− Extending networks, partnerships, and developing coalitions (see Section I.D for partnership definitions);

− Building databases and accessing existing databases;

− Community engagements and relationship building linked to data, reporting, and evidence-building; and − Identify opportunities to streamline data collection processes, including cross-agency, intergovernmental, and private funding source data sharing.

• Development of other similar activities the applicant determines to be necessary and appropriate to carry out their proposed projects.

• Pilots to assist with any of the above.

Consistent with these parameters, applicants should design their capacity building activities to provide, at a minimum one of the Eligible Services described above. Applicants may also propose approaches to addressing eligible services that differs from or supplements what is described and may propose other types of technical assistance activities that meet the objectives of this NOFO as long as the activities are eligible for funding under the appropriate statutory authorities.

2. Performance Measures.

a) Technical Assistance Activities Applicants should describe how they will provide these services to grant recipients through the most efficient and effective means practicable. In providing the Eligible Services under this Cooperative Agreement, applicants should design an approach intended to assist program participants with assistance and information on:

• Understanding and complying with administrative and programmatic post-award grant functions and responsibilities and federal grant regulations (e.g., 2 CFR Part 200, as adopted and amended by 2 CFR Part 910 and 2 CFR Part 1500, 2 CFR Part 35, 40 CFR Part 35) as well as applicable state regulations and private funding governance.

• Any other similar activities they believe will be effective in providing technical assistance, training, and support to grant recipient to facilitate their participation in funding programs for environmental and energy justice and in the environmental and/or energy decision making process.

b) Collaboration and Engagement Activities Applicants should design their capacity building activities to assist grant recipients in identifying and building partnerships/coalitions (see Section I.D. for partnership-type examples) to advance the sustainability and transferability of their projects. Collaborations are essential to effective community work, especially among small, underserved, and tribal communities. This may include coordination and/or facilitation services and similar activities for meetings and communications between grant recipients and their stakeholders to address and discuss environmental concerns and inform program development and implementation. This approach

-14-to collaborations can also include a cohort approach (e.g., supporting communities with shared objectives and/or characteristics as a group through delivering curated capacity building, training, peer learning and support). This activity may also require performing analyses, assisting in the generation of reports, identifying additional needs and/or challenges affecting certain communities, as well as proposing recommendations to address them.

Collaboration and engagement may be exemplified thorough activities that demonstrate having experience in working with communities and/or experience in the application of community-engaged participatory methods. The applicant can demonstrate this experience appropriately by addressing areas detailed in the Evaluation Criteria Guidance Section V.A.

c) Evaluation Activities related to the community grant recipients

The evaluation component of this Cooperative Agreement is essential. Applicants should demonstrate expertise in the design, development, and implementation of program evaluation and other evidence-building (see Evaluation Criteria Section V.A.). Applicants should demonstrate that they have the appropriate staff resources, knowledge, and administrative or programmatic infrastructure necessary to provide the Eligible Services described above, either through their own organization and/or through the ability to obtain it through properly procured contracts, authorized subawards, or other appropriate non-financial partnerships and collaborative mechanisms. This also includes the technical competency and knowledge of how to use government grant systems and the ability to interpret and translate grant requirements, policies and procedures into plain language and other languages besides English as necessary.

For assistance in the development of the evaluation component, the following publications can be referenced:

• OMB M-20-12: Phase 4 Implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: Program Evaluation Standards and Practices

• OMB’s M-22-12 - Advancing Effective Stewardship of Taxpayer Resources and Outcomes in the Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

• GAO-12-208G, Designing Evaluations 40 (rev. 2012), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588146.pdf

• American Evaluation Association, An Evaluation Roadmap for a More Effective Government (Sept. 2019), available at https://www.eval.org/Portals/0/Docs/AEA%20Evaluation%20Roadmap%202019%2 0Update%20FINAL.pdf

1) Evaluation Type There are four types of program evaluations commonly used to assess community-engaged programmatic efforts. Formative evaluations are used when the goal is to learn from improvement and establish feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of activities prior to full implementation. Process or implementation evaluations provide detailed descriptive information on the way a program operates, or an intervention is implemented. In alignment with program objectives, outcome evaluations are used to measure the immediate effect of the program and assess how well the objectives have been achieved. Impact evaluations are concerned with the long-term effects of programmatic activities and are designed to estimate how well overarching goals have been achieved.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-12.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-12.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/M-22-12.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/M-22-12.pdf https://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588146.pdf

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2) Project Design

Applicants should include their plan to work with and/or partner with small, tribal, and/or underserved communities that are applying for or receiving funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58 [also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)] funding and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Public Law 117-169 and/or other environmental grant funding from EPA as direct recipients of EPA funding or communities that participate as program beneficiaries in the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water programs. If a partnership is proposed in the application, this partnership does not need to be fully executed (e.g., MOU) by the time the application is submitted in order to receive project funding.

(a) A program logic model: The use of a logic model or theory of change is required for the design of infrastructure programs to document the intended program theory and desired outcomes. See Appendix B for optional template.

(b) Evaluation Questions: Each objective of the project design must include specific questions that will be answered during the evaluation (e.g., Does the proposed project improve knowledge or skills and if so, by how much?).

(c) Measures: For each evaluation question, discuss specific measures that you will use (e.g., participation reports by age and other demographics, surveys of participants and /or staff, etc.). Discuss any related strengths and weaknesses of the proposed measures.

(d) Methods: Discuss the methods that will be used to answer the evaluation questions, including:

• Sampling plan(s) and expected sample size(s).

• Data collection methods (how, by whom, how often, when).

• Data analysis methods (how and by whom).

• Data translation and dissemination methods

• Identify related strengths and weaknesses of these methods.

(e) Outputs and Outcomes

• Outputs: Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative, they must be measurable during the cooperative agreement funding period and are not to include assessments of change in a beneficiary's capacity or capabilities. Examples of expected outputs may include the following:

- Documented outreach efforts undertaken to ensure underserved communities, remote communities, and tribal…