HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-DNTC-0233 mod 6_7_17.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Center for Integrated Programs

Strengthening Coordinated Transportation Systems for People with Disabilities and Older

Adults

HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-DNTC-0233

Application Due Date: 07/31/2017

Strengthening Coordinated Transportation Systems for People with Disabilities and Older

Adults

HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-DNTC-0233

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: Center for Integrated Programs Funding Opportunity Title: Strengthening Coordinated

Transportation Systems for People with Disabilities and Older Adults

Announcement Type: Modification Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-DNTC-0233 Primary CFDA Number: 93.631 Due Date For Letter of Intent: 06/20/2017 Due Date for Applications: 07/31/2017 Date for Informational Conference Call: 06/16/2017

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.

Executive Summary The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is making this funding opportunity available to build upon work previously done to strengthen coordinated transportation planning and systems for persons with disabilities and older adults. The successful applicant will continue to promote and expand the engagement of a national peer-to-peer network, further support the work of communities through the design and implementation of small grant demonstration programs, strengthen and refine evaluation and continuous improvement processes, and expand dissemination activities. The goal of this 5-year cooperative agreement is to build upon proven models and approaches that can be used by states and communities to involve people with disabilities and older adults in the design and implementation of coordinated transportation systems that successfully make those systems responsive to the needs of these populations.

ACL will award one grant to a domestic public or private non-profit entity, which includes state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education, for no more than $1 million per year for a five-year project, with one-year budget periods, subject to the availability of funds. The award will be made in the form of a cooperative agreement because ACL will be substantially involved.

I. Funding Opportunity Description In 2012, ACL in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) launched a "Research and Demonstration Program to Improve Coordinated Transportation Systems for https://www.grants.gov

People with Disabilities and Older Adults". The purpose of this program was to identify proven models and approaches that can be used by states and communities across the country to empower people with disabilities and older adults to be actively involved in the design and implementation of coordinated transportation systems that successfully make those systems responsive to the needs of these populations.

This highly successful program yielded an environmental scan, 25 community demonstration programs, resulting in increased access to transportation for people with disabilities and older adults and a Transit Planning 4 All website that includes resources to support planning efforts.

The community demonstration programs produced experienced mentors, resources and tools that communities and organizations can use to adopt inclusive planning. For example, one such resource that was developed was a tool that became known as the “ladders of inclusive planning”. This tool can be used by organizations to determine the degree to which they include people with disabilities and older adults in the development of the services they provide.

The Research and Demonstration Program to Improve Coordinated Transportation Systems for People with Disabilities and Older Adults has produced a solid foundation upon which to build.

It also revealed the need to further develop inclusive planning practices and coordinated transportation services in ways that ensure the voices of consumers are informing the development and delivery of the transportation services they need and use to fully engage in community life. Through this funding opportunity, ACL and FTA seek to continue this work.

The goal of this five-year project is to foster further advancements in capacities of states and communities to conduct inclusive transportation planning for older adults and persons with disabilities. The successful applicant will propose approaches that build on earlier successes in this arena, while focusing on the priority areas identified as essential for ensuring maximum inclusion of relevant partners, including consumers, in the planning process.

Applicants should thoroughly describe the current status of inclusive transportation planning in the U.S. and clearly articulate how proposed approaches will further advance such activities.

Within this context, applicants should propose approaches for addressing the following priority areas over the course of this five-year project:

Advance Community-Based Demonstration Programs Central to the goal of strengthening coordinated transportation systems for persons with disabilities and older adults is providing support to communities to carry out this work in structured and meaningful ways. Previously, a small demonstration sub-grant program was implemented to better understand and test the replication of proven best practices and new models and approaches to involving people with disabilities and older adults in the planning, development and implementation of coordinated transportation systems that were most responsive to the needs of these populations. This activity proved to be highly successful as it has resulted in measurable increases in the involvement of seniors and persons with disabilities in planning processes and the creation of new strategies for improving service delivery to target populations.

Within the framework of a new small demonstration sub-grant program to communities, applicants should describe their plans to further advance the policy and practice of inclusive transportation planning. The successful applicant will propose approaches for supporting communities in the further advancement of inclusive planning. Applicants should consider the http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=3381&z=122 importance of the following key elements, and describe how they (and others they may deem necessary) will be addressed within this priority area:

Maximized consumer input and engagement: People with disabilities, older adults and caregivers who do not drive are dependent on transportation systems and programs to engage in community living including working, attending school/college, shopping, participating in social engagements, keeping health care appointments, and other activities. Central to the goal of this project is the maximum inclusion of persons with disabilities, older adults and to the extent practical, their family caregivers in all aspects of planning activities at the local, state or Federal levels. Applicants should fully describe how they will expand upon earlier best practices and test new approaches to obtaining consumer input and incorporating it into inclusive planning, thereby maximizing the role consumers and family members will have in the small grants programs.

Expanded Partnerships: Successful strategies for inclusive planning are those that consider the broadest possible policy and program context within which such activities will occur. To that end, applicants should describe how they will support the inclusion of the broadest possible range of relevant partners while expanding the systems necessary to support and ensure inclusive planning.

Technical assistance (TA) and Support Inclusive planning is a multi-layered and complex process. It is essential for the right partners to be in place and for the work to be targeted and goal specific. Previous work in this area demonstrated the importance of proactive and targeted technical support that met sub-grantees where they were based on their planning capacities. Applicants should carefully describe their proposed approaches for supporting sub-grantees as well as the broader field in their efforts to engage in inclusive planning. Applicants should consider the broadest range of technical assistance possible, including (but not limited to) the formation of knowledge networks/communities of practice; learning institutes; in-person and virtual trainings and technical support; written and web-based training materials; group trainings and facilitated discussions; webinars; conference calls; and other TA approaches known to be of benefit to projects of this type and scope.

Information Dissemination Previous work in this area helped to significantly advanced the field’s understanding of what constitutes transportation that is inclusive of, and responsive to, the needs and preferences of older adults and persons with disabilities. ACL fully expects that this project will have similar impact on the field and will yield further advancements in both knowledge and practice of inclusive planning. Additionally, while the support that will be made available to communities through the demonstration grant program may be limited, the knowledge gained from this project will have the potential to be applied more broadly than to only those communities who participate.

Applicants should clearly articulate their plans for disseminating the findings from project activities and how those findings can be applied more broadly. To that end, applicants should clearly describe their plans for outreach and marketing of project findings and lessons learned to intended audiences and/or consumers, especially key stakeholder organizations at the national, state, regional and local levels, so that the information can be used by others to successfully involve greater segments of the population in the planning, design and implementation of coordinated transportation systems.

Performance Measurement and Project Evaluation Essential to the ongoing implementation of any human services program is the need to understand its impact and success. To accomplish this, sound performance measurement and evaluation strategies will be necessary in order to ensure that both the community-based projects as well as the larger national effort are meeting intended goals and outcomes. The successful applicant will include a description of the approach(es) they will use to continually measure performance and monitor progress towards achieving project outcomes. Project evaluation should be designed so as to document lessons learned (both positive and negative) that will be useful to ACL and FTA as well as to the broader human services field, transportation planners and providers, consumers and advocates, and other relevant stakeholders, as identified.

Sustainability Through this funding opportunity, ACL expects to realize tangible, measurable and sustainable advancements in inclusive planning practices at the Federal, state and community levels.

Applications will be evaluated, in part, on the extent to which a plan for the project’s sustainability beyond the period of Federal funding is articulated and appears feasible.

Applicants are encouraged to consider and propose a range of potential approaches for ensuring sustainability of project efforts once Federal funding has ended.

Statutory Authority The statutory authority to make grants is found in Title I, Subtitle E, Section 162 of The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-402).

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $1,000,000 Expected Number of Awards: 1 Award Ceiling: $1,000,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $500,000 Per Budget Period Length of Project Period: 60-month project with five 12-month budget periods

ACL plans to fund one new cooperative agreement under this initiative for a five-year project period. The project will be funded at a Federal share of up to $1,000,000 for the first 12-month budget period, with years two through five, contingent upon the availability of federal funds.

ACL reserves the right to fund the project at an amount that is less than the Federal share requested in the application.

Award type: New Cooperative Agreement As a new Cooperative Agreement, the ACL will have substantial involvement in the activities of the funded project. The successful applicant will receive a Notice of Award which makes the Terms and Conditions of the Cooperative Agreement below effective immediately upon award notification and drawdown of funds from the payment management system.

ACL will carry out the following activities for the cooperative agreement:

Host an in person or teleconference meeting with the grantee within two weeks of award to discuss project activities and work plan modifications;

Collaborate fully with the grantee in the development, modification, and execution of the work plan;

Provide technical support to the grantee related to the activities of the grant including project design, implementation, and performance measurement as necessary;

Review and provide technical advice on work products; Provide consultation in identifying emerging issues; and

Attend and participate in major project events as appropriate and feasible.

The grantee will execute the following responsibilities of the cooperative agreement: Attend an in person or teleconference meeting within two weeks of project award;

Collaborate with the ACL in the development, modification, and execution of their work plan and in the implementation of all aspects of their Research and Demonstration Program;

Work with National Organizations that ACL identifies to be important to the success of this project;

Evaluate the impact of overall project activities and have systems in place to ensure continuous quality improvement;

Provide ACL with the opportunity to provide technical advice on activities and review work products; and

Fulfill all of the requirements of the grant as specified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Under this announcement the grantee will develop a work plan for each year of the project and following award will collaborate with the ACL on finalizing the work plan. Within 45 days of the award, the grantee will agree upon and adhere to a work plan that details expectations for major activities, products, and reports during the current budget period. The work plan will include a detailed timetable with tangible milestones. In addition, the work plan will contain project and activity implementation plans, including potential sub grantees/subcontractors, staff assignments, and other areas that require ACL consultation.

Once a cooperative agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend it or the work plan may be made by ACL or the awardee at any time. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the mutual agreement of both parties, except where ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulations or statute to make unilateral amendments. When an award is issued the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education. Priority will be given to national public, national private non-profit agencies, national organizations including national faith and community based organizations (FBOs and CBOs), and national Indian tribal organizations.

For the purposes of this competition, national organizations are defined as those entities established with headquarters and administration for an organized group of bodies (local chapters, affiliates, faith and community-based and tribal organizations) dedicated to improving transportation services for a major, nationwide segment of the older adult and persons with disabilities population.

Applicants must demonstrate that they have demonstrated experience and a proven track record in promoting coordinated transportation systems that respond to the needs of people with disabilities and older adults as well as demonstrated experience in partnering with key national stakeholder groups that are involved in the provision of services and information to these target populations. Only one application per agency/organization will be accepted.

Applications that do not meet the responsiveness criteria outlined in Section III.3 below will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed. The successful applicant will be an organization that meets the criteria listed below. Applicants must conform to the following elements:

1. Applicants must meet the criteria for national organizations as defined above.

2. Applicants must have demonstrated experience in promoting the development of coordinated transportation systems that respond to the needs of people with disabilities and older adults.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: Yes There are two types of match: 1) non-federal cash and 2) non-federal in-kind. In general, costs borne by the applicant and cash contributions of any and all third parties involved in the project, including sub-grantees, contractors and consultants, are considered matching funds.

Volunteered time and use of facilities to hold meetings or conduct project activities may be considered in-kind (third-party) donations.

Budgetary funds provided from the applicant agency’s budget for costs associated with the project are an example of a non-federal cash match. ACL encourages you to not exceed the minimum match requirement. Applications with a match greater than the minimum required will not receive additional consideration under the review. Match is one of the responsiveness criteria as noted in Section III, 3 Application Responsiveness Criteria.

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.

1. Is a national organization as defined in III.1 above;

2. Demonstrates national experience supporting coordinated transportation providers in their efforts to enhance state, regional or local coordinated transportation systems for people with disabilities and older adults; and

3. Any proposed contractors or sub-grantees possess experience in formulating and managing demonstration projects at the community level.

4. Has included the required match in the budget and a description of the match in the budget narrative.

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” 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 20 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 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 https://www.grants.gov/ counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-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 https://www.grants.gov.

Please note: ACL is requiring applications for all announcements be submitted electronically through https://www.grants.gov. The Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://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 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.

The agency is prohibited from making an award until an applicant has complied with these requirements. At the time an award is ready to be made, if the intended recipient has not complied with these requirements, the agency:

o May determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award; and o May use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

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.

Note: Failure to submit the correct 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 https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://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/

(OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive sub awards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Be registered 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.

An award cannot be made until the applicant has complied with these requirements. At the time an award is ready to be made, if the intended recipient has not complied with these requirements, the OPDIV/STAFFDIV:

May determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award; and

May use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Additionally, all first-tier sub award recipients must have a DUNS number at the time the sub award 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 accessing the D&B web site: http ://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/.

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

Your application must comply with any page limitation requirements described in this Program Announcement.

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

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Jesse Moore Phone Number: (202) 795-7578 E-mail: jesse.moore@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:jesse.moore@acl.hhs.gov

Letter of Intent

Due Date for Letter of Intent: 06/20/2017 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. Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Jesse Moore Email: jesse.moore@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8 ½” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 11, 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 15 to 20 pages; 20 pages is the maximum length allowed.

Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 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 20-page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

The sample components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the 20 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 or not 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 - no more than 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 people with disabilities, their families and caregivers and 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 disadvantaged populations, including 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 ACL network; new knowledge that can contribute to the field of community living; 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; 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 or not 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 capacity statement and vitae for key project personnel. The organizational capacity 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 capacities it possesses. It should also include the organization’s capacity to sustain some or all project activities after Federal financial assistance has ended.

This description should cover capacities 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 vitae 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 the 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. The Budget Narrative/Justification should include a description of the match that will be provided.

Work Plan

The Project Work Plan should reflect and be consistent with the Project Narrative and Budget and should cover all five (5) 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 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 http://www.grants.gov, signed letters of commitment should be scanned and included as attachments. Applicants unable to scan the signed letters of commitment may FAX them to the ACL Office of Grants Management at 202-205-8037 by the application submission deadline. In your FAX, be sure to include the funding opportunity number and your agency name.

3. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications: 07/31/2017 Date for Informational Conference Call: 06/16/2017 Dial in: 1-517-623-4156 or toll free 1-888-455-0046 at 11am Eastern Time Participant Passcode: 1768054

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.

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

Note: A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has raised considerable concerns about grantees and contractors charging the Federal government for additional meals http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ 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 un-allowable 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., Headstart);

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 o 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)

6. Other Submission Requirements Letters of intent should be emailed to: jesse.moore@acl.hhs.gov

Jesse Moore Administration for Community Living 330 C Street SW 1135A Washington, DC 20201

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 – 5 points

Approach – 60 points

Budget – 10 points

Project Impact – 5 points

Organizational Capacity -20 points

Project Relevance & Current Need Maximum Points:5 Does the proposed project clearly and adequately describe the current state of the field and the need and rationale for the proposed Community-Based Demonstration Program in a way that demonstrates a command of the policy, program and management issues, challenges and opportunities associated with the proposed Program? Does the application adequately and appropriately describe and document the key problem(s)/condition(s) relevant to the applicant’s purpose/need? Is the proposed project justified in terms of the most recent, relevant, and available information and knowledge? (5 points)

Approach Maximum Points:60 Advance Community-Based Demonstration Programs Does the applicant provide a solid rational for how they will strengthen coordinated transportation systems for person with disabilities and older adults? Is there evidence that persons with disabilities and older adults were involved in the development of the application?

Does the applicant include persons with disabilities and older adults in the overall design and implementation of the proposed project? Does the applicant propose/describe their plans to advance the small grants demonstration program over the duration of this project? Does the applicant describe how they will incorporate the priority areas into the project? Does the applicant successfully address their systems approach by providing strategies that support the development and expansion of systems needed? Does the applicant fully describe how they will expand upon earlier best practices and test new approaches to inclusive planning? Does the applicant propose approaches that will provide expert technical assistance and support to the sub-grantees in an effort to engage inclusive planning? Does the applicant adequately address how they will identify and involve experts, professionals, and consumers with experience on projects and systems involving people with disabilities and older adults in the overall project?

(25 points) Information Dissemination Does the applicant address ways to continue to successfully impact knowledge and the practice of inclusive planning? Does the applicant provide plans to address the dissemination of findings from project activities and how they can be applied broadly? Does the applicant clearly describe their plans for outreach and marketing? Does the applicant have experience in disseminating information and lesson learned to coordinated transportation systems and providers interested in making their systems responsive to the needs of people with disabilities and older adults? (10 points) Performance Measurement and Project Evaluation Does the applicant adequately address performance measurement and evaluation strategies to meet intended goals and outcomes? Did the applicant clearly provide the approach(es) they will take to ensure the community-based project and national efforts are meeting intended goals and outcomes? Is a project evaluation identified to capture lessons learned? Does the applicant describe the method(s), techniques and tools that will be used to continually track and measure the applicant’s progress and success in achieving the goal and objectives of the proposed community-based demonstration program? (10 points) Sustainability Does the applicant propose sustainment efforts of their program after federal funding has ended? Are proposed plans for sustaining the project post-funding likely to succeed? (10 points) Work Plan/Management Is the project’s work plan clear, comprehensive and inclusive of all years of the project? Does the work plan include sensible and feasible timeframes for the accomplishment of tasks to be performed? Does the work plan objectives and tasks as presented link directly to stated goals?

Are the roles and responsibilities of project staff and other key partners clearly defined and linked to specific objectives and tasks? Is the proposed work plan likely to produce desired outcomes? (5 points)

Budget Maximum Points:10 Is the budget justified with respect to the adequacy and reasonableness of resources requested?

Is the time commitment of the proposed director and other key project personnel sufficient to assure proper direction, management and timely completion of the project? (3 points) Are budget line items clearly delineated and consistent with work plan objectives? Has a multiyear budget covering the entire proposed project period been included as well as a budget covering each individual year? Does the budget and narrative provide sufficient detail on the proposed number of grants and level of funding that will be used for the Small Grants Program? Does the budget narrative include the required match? (7 points)

Project Impact Maximum Points:5 Are the anticipated outcomes of the proposed project likely to be achieved and will they significantly affect the design and implementation of coordinated transportation systems in ways that will benefit people with disabilities and older adults? (5 points)

Organizational Capacity Maximum Points:20 Does the applicant organization have the demonstrated experience in working with coordinated transportation systems and helping them to improve their operations, including their ability to serve and be responsive to people with disabilities and older adults? Does the applicant organization have demonstrated experience in administering community demonstration programs? Does the applicant clearly identify their capacity for carrying out the proposed project and evaluation? Does the applicant describe a coherent and well-developed overall approach to implementing and managing the proposed Research and Demonstration Project in a way that will successfully achieve the Program’s stated goal(s) and objectives? (10 points) Do the proposed project director(s), key staff, consultants and contract organizations have the background, experience, and other qualifications required to carry out their designated roles?

Are letters from participating organizations included, as appropriate, and do they express the clear commitment and areas of responsibility of those organizations, consistent with the work plan description of their intended roles and contributions? (10 points)

2. Review and Selection Process

As required by 2…