HHS-2017-ACL-AOD-HAVA-0231 revised.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Disabilities

Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

HHS-2017-ACL-AOD-HAVA-0231

Application Due Date: 07/12/2017

Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

HHS-2017-ACL-AOD-HAVA-0231

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Submission Dates and Times

4. Intergovernmental Review

5. Funding Restrictions

6. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

Department of Health & Human Services

ACL Center: Administration on Disabilities Funding Opportunity Title: Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Announcement Type: Modification Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2017-ACL-AOD-HAVA-0231 Primary CFDA Number: 93.618 Due Date For Letter of Intent: 06/01/2017 Due Date for Applications: 07/12/2017 Date for Informational Conference Call: N/A

Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3- 5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with http://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary The Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) in the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 funds for the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) for Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As). The P&A system, as established under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 15001) works to protect the legal and human rights of individuals with disabilities. The purpose of the funds awarded under this announcement is to provide T/TA to the nationwide network for P&A systems to assist with their promotion of full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities. HAVA activities implemented by the P&As include assistance to individuals with disabilities to register to vote, cast a vote, and access polling places and to develop proficiency in the use of voting systems and technologies, as well as support of policies, procedures and practices that assist individuals with disabilities in such activities. The T/TA projects awarded under this announcement shall support P&As in technical assistance activities. In order to assess the availability and use of voting systems and technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities (including blindness), the T/TA projects may support training in the use of such systems and technologies by individuals with disabilities (including blindness). At least one award recipient shall be responsible for providing T/TA to the P&As for non-visual access.

https://www.grants.gov

I. Funding Opportunity Description Provisions under Section 291 of the Help America Vote Act provide for the award of grants for Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) to assist Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) in:

Promoting full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities, including registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places; and

Providing T/TA for non-visual access. (At least one recipient must provide T/TA assistance in this area.)

In addition, the funds may be used to assist P&As in:

Developing proficiency in the use of voting systems and technologies as they affect individuals with disabilities; and

Demonstrating and evaluating the use of such systems and technologies by individuals with disabilities (including blindness) in order to assess the availability and use of such systems and technologies for such individuals.

Statutory Authority The Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law (P.L.) 107-252, Title II, Subtitle D, Part 5, Section 291.

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Grant Estimated Total Funding: $347,410 Expected Number of Awards: 2 Award Ceiling: $220,410 Per Project Period Award Floor: $127,000 Per Project Period Length of Project Period: 24-month project with two 12-month budget periods

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants are public and private nonprofit entities (42.U.S.C. 15461). An entity is eligible to receive funds if the entity (A) is a public or private nonprofit entity with demonstrated experience in voting issues for individuals with disabilities; (B) is governed by a board with respect to which the majority of its members are individuals with disabilities or family members of such individuals or individuals who are blind; and (C) submits to ACL an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as ACL may require.

Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive awards under this announcement.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: No

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

Application Responsiveness Criteria Applications will be reviewed to establish responsiveness to the following criteria. Those that do not meet the required criteria will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed.

The successful applicants shall propose how they will provide T/TA to the 55 P&As via the following approaches:

1. Develop and utilize innovative strategies to exchange and transfer knowledge among the 55 P&As;

2. Explore with the P&As ways to fully include individuals with disabilities in the voting process, thus ensuring the meaningful involvement of, and input from, the P&As and individuals with disabilities;

3. Develop a method to provide ongoing T/TA to the P&As that will be essential in supporting them to meet the requirements of the HAVA statute; and

4. Disseminate information to the P&As that will strengthen the work completed relating to voting efforts with individuals with disabilities.

Applicants must describe their organizational capability, including how they will manage the T/TA efforts, and document their experience in voting issues for individuals with a full range of disabilities. Each applicant should ensure that key project personnel have the professional background appropriate to fill the position, including knowledge of the disability community to offer T/TA to the P&As. Each applicant is asked to conduct a discussion on barriers and opportunities relating to voting and the disability community.

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the three screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following screening requirements:

1. Applications must be submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” https://www.grants.gov/ plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11-point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 75 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 75pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 75 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 75-page limit.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from https://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an https://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the application deadline.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from http://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grant s/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL is requiring applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov. The Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with http://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support @grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

At the http://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

All applicants must have a DUNS number (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/) and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Applicants should finalize a new, or renew an existing, registration at least two weeks before the application deadline. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at: https://www.sam .gov /sam/ transcript/ SAM_Quick_ Guide_Grants_ Registrations-v1.6. ;pdf.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov?subject=Support mailto:support@grants.gov?subject=Support http://www.grants.gov/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_Quick_Guide_Grants_Registrations-v1.6.pdf https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_Quick_Guide_Grants_Registrations-v1.6.pdf

Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its DUNS number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a DUNS number at the time the subaward is made.

Since October 1, 2003, The Office of Management and Budget has required applicants to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities. The DUNS number is free and easy to obtain.

Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 866-705-5711 or by using this link to access a guide: http ://www. ;whitehouse.gov/ sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns _num_guide.pdf.

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from http://www.grants.gov that contains http://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from http://www.grants.gov.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Melvenia Wright Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Phone Number: (202) 795-7472 E-mail: melvenia.wright@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns_num_guide.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns_num_guide.pdf http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:melvenia.wright@acl.hhs.gov

Due Date for Letter of Intent: 06/01/2017 Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. The deadline for submission of the letter of intent is (Insert date here). Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Melvenia Wright Administration on Intellectual & Development Disabilities Email: Melvenia.Wright@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11-point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. The suggested length for the Project Narrative is 75 pages; 75 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 75pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 75 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 75-page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

The components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the 75-page limit include:

Summary/Abstract

Problem Statement

Goal(s) and Objective(s)

Proposed Intervention

Special Target Populations and Organizations

Outcomes

Project Management

Evaluation

Dissemination

Organizational Capacity

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application, since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether your project meets the minimum requirements for grants under the authorizing statutes. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. ACL recommends that your project narrative include the following components:

Summary/Abstract This section should include a brief (265 words maximum) description of the proposed project, including: goal(s), objectives, outcomes, and products to be developed. Detailed instructions for completing the summary/abstract are included in the “Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/Abstract.”

Problem Statement This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the particular problem or issue the proposed intervention is designed to address, including how the project will potentially affect older adults and/or people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers as well as the health care and social services systems.

Goals and Objectives This section should consist of a description of the project’s goal(s) and major objectives. Unless the project involves multiple, complex interventions, we recommend you have only one overall goal.

Proposed Intervention This section should provide a clear and concise description of the intervention you are proposing to use to address the problem described in the “Problem Statement.” You should also describe the rationale for using the particular intervention, including factors such as: “lessons learned” for similar projects previously tested in your community, or in other areas of the country; factors in the larger environment that have created the “right conditions” for the intervention (e.g., existing social or economic factors that you’ll be able to take advantage of, etc.). Also note any major barriers you anticipate encountering, and how your project will be able to overcome those barriers. Be sure to describe the role and makeup of any strategic partnerships you plan to involve in implementing the intervention, including other organizations, supporters, and/or consumer groups.

Special Target Populations and Organizations This section should describe how you plan to involve organizations in a meaningful way in the planning and implementation of the proposed project. This section should also describe whether, and if so, how the proposed intervention will target hard-to-reach populations, such as limited-English speaking populations, those of greatest economic need, and those of greatest social need.

Outcomes This section of the project narrative must clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. (NOTE: ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes.) This section should also describe how the project’s findings might benefit the field at large, (e.g., how the findings could help other organizations throughout the nation to address the same or similar problems.), List measurable outcomes in the optional work plan grid (“Project Work Plan – Sample Template”) under “Measurable Outcomes,” in addition to any discussion included in the narrative along with a description of how the project might benefit the field at large.

A “measurable outcome” is an observable end-result that describes how a particular intervention benefits consumers. It demonstrates the functional status, mental well-being, knowledge, skill, attitude, awareness, or behavior. It can also describe a change in the degree to which consumers exercise choice over the types of services they receive, or whether they are satisfied with the way a service is delivered. Additional examples include: a change in the responsiveness or cost-effectiveness of a service delivery system; a new model of support or care that can be replicated in the aging network; new knowledge that can contribute to the field of aging; a measurable increase in community awareness; or a measurable increase in persons receiving services. A measurable outcome is not a measurable “output”, such as: the number of clients served;

the number of training sessions held; or the number of service units provided.

You should keep the focus of this section on describing what outcome(s) will be produced by the project. You should use the Evaluation section noted below to describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

Your application will be scored on the clarity and nature of your proposed outcomes, not on the number of outcomes cited. It is totally appropriate for a project to have only ONE outcome that it is trying to achieve through the intervention reflected in the project’s design.

Project Management This section should include a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants, and partner organizations, and how they will contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes. It should specify who would have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as: leadership of project; monitoring the project’s on-going progress; preparation of reports; and communications with other partners and ACL. It should also describe the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Evaluation This section should describe the method(s), techniques, and tools that will be used to: 1) determine whether the proposed intervention achieved its anticipated outcome(s), and 2) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative - from the project that will be useful to people interested in replicating the intervention, if it proves successful.

Dissemination This section should describe the method that will be used to disseminate the project’s results and findings in a timely manner, and in easily understandable formats, to parties who might be interested in using the results of the project to inform practice, service delivery, program development, and/or policy-making, including and especially those parties who would be interested in replicating the project.

Organizational Capacity Statement Each application should include an organizational capability statement and vitae for key project personnel. The organizational capability statement should describe how the applicant agency (or the particular division of a larger agency which will have responsibility for this project) is organized, the nature and scope of its work, and/or the capabilities it possesses. It should also include the organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after federal financial assistance has ended.

This description should cover capabilities of the applicant agency not included in the program narrative, such as any current or previous relevant experience and/or the record of the project team in preparing cogent and useful reports, publications, and other products. If appropriate, include an organization chart showing the relationship of the project to the current organization.

Please attach short vitae for key project staff only. Neither vitas nor an organizational chart will count towards the narrative page limit. Also include information about any contractual organization(s) that will have a significant role(s) in implementing project and achieving project goals.

Budget Narrative/Justification The Budget Narrative/Justification can be provided using the format included in the document, “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format.” Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to this document, which provides an example of the level of detail sought. A combined multi-year Budget Narrative/Justification, as well as a detailed Budget Narrative/Justification for each year of potential grant funding, is required.

Work Plan

The Project Work Plan should reflect and be consistent with the Project Narrative and Budget and should cover all two (2) years of the project period. It should include a statement of the project’s overall goal, anticipated outcome(s), key objectives, and the major tasks/action steps that will be pursued to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task/action step, the work plan should identify timeframes involved (including start- and end-dates), and the lead person responsible for completing the task. Please use the “Project Work Plan - Sample Template” format as a reference and resource, if desired.

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

Include confirmation of the commitments to the project (should it be funded) made by key collaborating organizations and agencies in this part of the application. Any organization that is specifically named to have a significant role in carrying out the project should be considered an essential collaborator. For applications submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov, signed letters of commitment should be scanned and included as attachments.

3. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications: 07/12/2017 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3- 5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with http://www.grants.gov.

Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only.)

If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, please contact the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice and provide a written explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. ACL will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note: We will not consider your application for further review if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from http://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an http://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the cut off date.

Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) will automatically send applicants a tracking number and date of receipt verification electronically once the application has been successfully received and validated in http://www.grants.gov.

4. Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity announcement is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."

5. Funding Restrictions The following activities are not fundable:

Construction and/or major rehabilitation of buildings Basic research (e.g. scientific or medical experiments) Continuation of existing projects without expansion or new and innovative approaches http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

Note: A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has raised considerable concerns about grantees and contractors charging the Federal Government for additional meals outside of the standard allowance for travel subsistence known as per diem expenses. Executive Orders on Promoting Efficient Spending (E.O. 13589) and Delivering Efficient, Effective and Accountable Government (E.O. 13576) have been issued and instruct federal agencies to promote efficient spending. Therefore, if meals are to be charged in your proposal, applicants should understand such costs must meet the following criteria outlined in the Executive Orders and HHS Grants Policy Statement:

Meals are generally unallowable except for the following:

o For subjects and patients under study (usually a research program);

o Where specifically approved as part of the project or program activity, e.g., in programs providing children’s services (e.g., Head Start);

o When an organization customarily provides meals to employees working beyond the normal workday, as a part of a formal compensation arrangement;

o As part of a per diem or subsistence allowance provided in conjunction with allowable travel; and

Under a conference grant, when meals are a necessary and integral part of a conference, provided that meal costs are not duplicated in participants’ per diem or subsistence allowances.

(Note: conference grant means the sole purpose of the award is to hold a conference).

Pre-award costs are not allowable.

6. Other Submission Requirements Letters of intent should be emailed to melvenia.wright@acl.hhs.gov by the deadline.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria Applicants must document all of their source material. If any text, language, and/or materials are from another source, the applicant must make it clear the material is being quoted and where the text comes from. The applicant must also cite any sources when they obtain numbers, ideas, or other material that is not their own. If the applicant fails to comply with this requirement, regardless of the severity or frequency of the plagiarism, the reviewers shall reduce their scores accordingly even to the degree of issuing no points at all.

Applications are scored by assigning a maximum of 100 points across five criteria:

Project Relevance & Current Need – 15 points

Approach – 35 points

Budget – 20 points

Project Impact – 10 points mailto:melvenia.wright@acl.hhs.gov

Organizational Capacity - 20 points

Project Relevance & Current Need Maximum Points:15

1. Clearly identify the barriers to voting for individuals with disabilities that substantiates the need for this project, including the specific needs of the P&A systems for T/TA. In doing so, uses relevant and current data, including that collected through planning studies and/or focus groups with P&As and individuals with disabilities. (5 points)

2. Shows a direct relationship between the needs identified based on research and/or planning studies, feedback from P&As and individuals with disabilities, and the goals and goal-related activities. Maps or other graphic aids may be included. (5 points)

3. Provides a conceptual framework for collaboration efforts contextualized in a range of strategies that will be used to conduct discussions with the P&As. (3 points)

4. Supporting documentation such as letters of support from P&As and people with disabilities are included. (2 points)

Approach Maximum Points:35

1. Clearly outlines an overall 24-month T/TA plan of action relating to supporting P&A systems in their efforts to improve voting access for individuals with disabilities that includes projected measurable and attainable goals describing the scope and detail of how the proposed activities will be accomplished. Discuss how the project will build capacity of the P&As to address voting issues. (10 points)

2. Identifies innovative design and methods, including the strategies for maintaining connections to the P&As and individuals with disabilities (including blindness). The projects may include data collection instruments, reports, and a dissemination plan. (10 points)

3. Provides quantitative projections of the accomplishments to be achieved by the T/TA efforts to support P&As in improving voting access for people with disabilities (including blindness), a chronological order of approach with target dates, and a timeline depicting how and when the project will support P&As with their voting efforts. (5 points)

4. Identifies for each technical assistance provider engaged, a plan outlining the roles and responsibilities tied to specific on-going or planned activities. Also identify and delineate the applicant's role and involvement in coordinated activities of the T/TA efforts to the P&As. (5 points)

5. Provides adequate time to accomplish its strategy. Identifies significant project risks and assumptions that will hinder the project's progress if not accomplished. Includes a contingency plan with viable alternate actions that will allow the project to maintain progress in case a challenge is encountered. (5 points)

Budget Maximum Points:20

1. All Federal funds align with what is detailed in the project approach. The applicant discusses and justifies the costs of the proposed project as being reasonable and programmatically justified in view of the activities to be conducted and the anticipated results and benefits. (10 points)

2. The applicant describes the fiscal controls and accounting procedures that will be used to ensure prudent use, proper disbursement, and accurate accounting of funds received under this funding opportunity announcement. (10 points)

Note: Applicants have the option of omitting the Social Security Numbers and specific salary rates of the proposed project personnel from the two copies submitted with the original applications to ACL. For purposes of the outside review process, applicants may elect to summarize salary information on the copies of their application. All necessary salary information must, however, appear on the signed original application for ACL.

Project Impact Maximum Points:10

1. Describes the methodology that will be used to determine the basis for developing performance measures and evaluating the extent to which the goals and objectives have been achieved. Describes how this will be implemented. Methodology includes sound justification of its use. (5 points)

2. With respect to the conduct of the project, the application defines the procedures to be employed to determine whether the project is being conducted in a manner consistent with the project plan presented and discusses the impact of the project's various activities on the project's effectiveness. This could include an internal process, including the frequency for tracking program performance using internal data to make periodic program adjustments that will improve performance. (5 points)

Organizational Capacity Maximum Points:20

1. Describes prior experience in conducting T/TA relating to voting and individuals with disabilities, prior experience in working with P&A systems, and capacity of the organization to conduct the activities of the grant, including how the T/TA will be managed and conducted. (5 points)

2. Describes the role of the P&As and individuals with disabilities in the proposed project and organization. (5 points)

3. Includes biographical sketches of key staff, showing that the applicant organization and its staff have sufficient experience to successfully complete the proposed project, and includes individuals with experience in P&A activity implementation, the voting subject area, and the disability community. Each biographical sketch includes work in the disabilities field, with P&A systems, or in T/TA. A job description for each key person appointed or to be appointed is provided. The applicant must identify the person/position who will serve as the point of contact for this project. The proposed project director and key staff possess sufficient relevant knowledge and experience, and capabilities to implement and manage a project of this size, scope, and complexity effectively. The role, responsibilities, and time commitments of each proposed project staff position are clearly designed and appropriate to the successful implementation of the project. (5 points)

4. Details method for recruitment and retention of key staff. This could include what has been done in the past or what will be utilized in the future. An organizational chart indicating roles outline in the application is included. (5 points)

2. Review and Selection Process

As required by 2 CFR Part 200 of the Uniform Guidance, effective January 1, 2016, ACL is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), https://www.fapiis.gov before making any award in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $150,000) over the period of performance. An applicant may review and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency has previously entered into FAPIIS. ACL will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR Section 200.205 Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants (https:// www.ecfr.gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8).

An independent review panel of at least three individuals will evaluate applications that pass the screening and meet the responsiveness criteria if applicable. These reviewers are experts in their field, and are drawn from academic institutions, non-profit organizations, state and local governments, and federal government agencies. Based on the Application Review Criteria as outlined under section V.1, the reviewers will comment on and score the applications, focusing their comments and scoring decisions on the identified criteria.

Final award decisions will be made by the Administrator, ACL. In making these decisions, the Administrator will take into consideration: recommendations of the review panel; reviews for programmatic and grants management compliance; the reasonableness of the estimated cost to the government considering the available funding and anticipated results; and the likelihood that the proposed project will result in the benefits expected.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices Successful applicants will receive an electronic Notice of Award. The Notice of Award is the authorizing document from the U.S. Administration for Community Living authorizing official, Office of Grants Management, and the ACL Office of Budget and Finance. Acceptance of this award is signified by the drawdown of funds from the Payment Management System.

Unsuccessful applicants are generally notified within 30 days of the final funding decision and will receive a disapproval letter via e-mail or U.S. mail. Unless indicated otherwise in this announcement, unsuccessful applications will not be retained by the agency and will be destroyed.

https://www.fapiis.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements The award is subject to HHS Administrative Requirements, which can be found in 45 CFR Part 75 and the Standard Terms and Conditions, included in the Notice of Award as well as implemented through the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

A standard term and condition of award will be included in the final notice of award; all applicants will be subject to a term and condition that applies the terms of 48 CFR section 3.908 to the award and requires the grantees inform their employee in writing of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712 in the predominant native language of the workforce.

3. Reporting Effective March 1, 2011, ACL requires the submission of the SF-425 (Federal Financial Report). The reporting cycle will be reflected in the Notice of Award. The ACL program progress report is due semi-annually from the start date of the award and is due within 30 days of the reporting period end date. The final progress report and SF-425 reports are due 90 days after the end of the project period.

Grantees are required to complete the federal cash transactions portion of the SF-425 within the Payment Managements System as identified in their award documents for the calendar quarters ending 3/31, 6/30, 9/30, and 12/31 through the life of their award. In addition, the fully completed SF-425 will be required as denoted in the Notice of Award terms and conditions.

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting The Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires data entry at the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (http://www.FSRS.gov) for all sub-awards and sub-contracts issued for $25,000 or more as well as addressing executive compensation for both grantee and sub-award organizations.

For further guidance please follow this link to access ACL’s Terms and Conditions: https://www.acl.gov/grants/managing-grant#

VII. Agency Contacts

Project Officer Melvenia Wright U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities E-mail: Melvenia.Wright@acl.hhs.gov

Grants Management Specialist LaDeva Harris http://www.fsrs.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/managing-grant

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Office of Grants Management (OGM) E-mail: LaDeva.Harris@acl.hhs.gov

VIII. Other Information

1. Application Elements

• SF 424, required – Application for Federal Assistance (See “Instructions for Completing Required Forms” for assistance).

• SF 424A, required – Budget Information. (See Appendix for instructions).

• Separate Budget Narrative/Justification, required (See “Budget Narrative/Justification - Sample Format” for examples and “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Template.”) NOTE: Applicants requesting funding for multi-year grant projects are REQUIRED to provide a Narrative/Justification for each year of potential grant funding, as well as a combined multi-year detailed Budget Narrative/Justification.

• SF 424B – Assurance, required. Note: Be sure to complete this form according to instructions and have it signed and dated by the authorized representative (see item 18d on the SF 424).

• Lobbying Certification, required.

• Proof of non-profit status, if applicable

• Copy of the applicant’s most recent indirect cost agreement or cost allocation plan, if requesting indirect costs. If any sub-contractors or sub-grantees are requesting indirect costs, copies of their indirect cost agreements must also be included with the application.

• Project Narrative with Work Plan, required (See “Project Work Plan – Sample Template” for a formatting suggestions).

• Organizational Capability Statement and Vitae for Key Project Personnel.

• Letters of Commitment from Key Partners, if applicable.

2. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13) An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The project description and Budget Narrative/Justification is approved under OMB control number 0985-0018. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and reviewing the collection information.

Instructions for Completing Required Forms This section provides step-by-step instructions for completing the four (4) standard Federal forms required as part of your grant application, including special instructions for completing Standard Budget Forms 424 and 424A. Standard Forms 424 and 424A are used for a wide mailto:LaDeva.Harris@acl.hhs.gov variety of Federal grant programs, and Federal agencies have the discretion to require some or all of the information on these forms. ACL does not require all the information on these Standard Forms. Accordingly, please use the instructions below in lieu of the standard instructions attached to SF 424 and 424A to complete these forms.

a. Standard Form 424

1. Type of Submission: (REQUIRED): Select one type of submission in accordance with agency instructions.

Preapplication Application Changed/Corrected Application – If ACL requests, check if this submission is to change or correct a previously submitted application.

2. Type of Application: (REQUIRED) Select one type of application in accordance with agency instructions.

New Continuation Revision

3. Date Received: Leave this field blank.

4. Applicant Identifier: Leave this field blank

5a Federal Entity Identifier: Leave this field blank

5b. Federal Award Identifier: For new applications leave blank. For a continuation or revision to an existing award, enter the previously assigned Federal award (grant) number.

6. Date Received by State: Leave this field blank.

7. State Application Identifier: Leave this field blank.

8. Applicant Information: Enter the following in accordance with agency instructions:

a. Legal Name: (REQUIRED): Enter the name that the organization has registered with the System for Award Management (SAM), formally the Central Contractor Registry. Information on registering with SAM may be obtained by visiting the Grants.gov website (https://www.grants.gov) or by going directly to the SAM website (www.sam.gov).

b. Employer/Taxpayer Number (EIN/TIN): (REQUIRED): Enter the Employer or Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN or TIN) as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, we encourage the organization to include the correct suffix used to identify your organization in order to properly align access to the Payment Management System.

c. Organizational DUNS: (REQUIRED) Enter the organization’s DUNS or DUNS+4 number received from Dun and Bradstreet. Information on obtaining a DUNS number may be obtained by visiting the Grants.gov website (https://www.grants.gov). Your DUNS number can be verified at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/.

d. Address: (REQUIRED) Enter the complete address including the county.

e. Organizational Unit: Enter the name of the primary organizational unit (and department or division, if applicable) that will undertake the project.

f. Name and contact information of person to be contacted on matters involving this application: Enter the name (First and last name required), organizational affiliation (if affiliated with an organization other than the applicant organization), telephone number (Required), fax number, and email address (Required) of the person to contact on matters related to this application.

9. Type of Applicant: (REQUIRED) Select the applicant organization “type” from the following drop down list.

A. State Government B. County Government C. City or Township Government D. Special District Government E. Regional Organization F. U.S. Territory or Possession G. Independent School District H. Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education I. Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized) J. Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized) K. Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization L. Public/Indian Housing Authority M. Nonprofit with 501C3 IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education) N. Nonprofit without 501C3 IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education) O. Private Institution of Higher Education P. Individual Q. For- Profit Organization (Other than Small Business) R. Small Business S. Hispanic-serving Institution T. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) U. Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) V. Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions W. Non-domestic (non-US) Entity X. Other (specify)

10. Name of Federal Agency: (REQUIRED) Enter U.S. Administration for Community Living

11. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number/Title: The CFDA number can be found on page one of the Program Announcement.

12. Funding Opportunity Number/Title: (REQUIRED) The Funding Opportunity Number and title of the opportunity can be found on page one of the Program Announcement.

13. Competition Identification Number/Title: Leave this field blank.

14. Areas Affected by Project: List the largest political entity affected (cities, counties, state etc.)

15. Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: (REQUIRED) Enter a brief descriptive title of https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ the project (This is not a narrative description).

16. Congressional Districts Of: (REQUIRED) 16a. Enter the applicant’s Congressional District, and 16b. Enter all district(s) affected by the program or project. Enter in the format: 2 characters State Abbreviation – 3 characters District Number, e.g., CA-005 for California 5th district, CA-012 for California 12th district, NC-103 for North Carolina’s 103rd district. If all congressional districts in a state are affected, enter “all” for the district number, e.g., MD-all for all congressional districts in Maryland. If nationwide, i.e. all districts within all states are affected, enter US-all. See the below website to find your congressional district:

https://www.house.gov/

17. Proposed Project Start and End Dates: (REQUIRED) Enter the proposed start date and final end date of the project. If you are applying for a multi-year grant, such as a 3 year grant project, the final project end date will be 3 years after the proposed start date. In general, all start dates on the SF424 should be the 1st of the month and the end date of the last day of the month of the final year, for example 7/01/2014 to 6/30/2017. The Grants Officer can alter the start and end date at their discretion.

18. Estimated Funding: (REQUIRED) If requesting multi-year funding, enter the full amount requested from the Federal Government in line item 18.a., as a multi-year total. For example and illustrative purposes only, if year one is $100,000, year two is $100,000, and year three is $100,000, then the full amount of federal funds requested would be reflected as $300,000. The amount of matching funds is denoted by lines b. through f.