HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-MINC-0232 5_15_2017.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Center for Integrated Programs

National Center for Benefits Outreach & Enrollment

HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-MINC-0232

Application Due Date: 07/20/2017

National Center for Benefits Outreach & Enrollment

HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-MINC-0232

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: National Center for Benefits Outreach &

Enrollment Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2017-ACL-CIP-MINC-0232 Primary CFDA Number: 93.071 Due Date For Letter of Intent: 05/25/2017 Due Date for Applications: 07/20/2017 Date for Informational Conference Call: 05/23/2017

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 This competitive funding opportunity will be for one (1) cooperative agreement to fund the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE) which provides technical assistance to States, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), and other community service providers who provide outreach and benefits enrollment assistance for Federal and state programs.

The NCBOE was establish in 2006 when Congress amended the Older Americans Act with language directing AoA (now part of ACL) to work with an experienced entity to:

Maintain and update web-based decision support and enrollment tools and integrated, person-centered systems designed to inform older individuals about the full range of benefits for which they are eligible;

Utilize cost-effective strategies to find older individuals with greatest economic need and enroll the individuals in the programs for with they are qualified;

Create and support efforts for ADRCs, and other public and private state and community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations and coalitions and disability organizations and coalitions, to serve as benefit enrollment centers for the programs;

Develop and maintain an information clearinghouse on best practices and cost-effective methods for finding and enrolling older individuals with greatest economic need; and

Provide in collaboration with related Federal agency partners administering the Federal programs, training and technical assistance on effective outreach, screening, enrollment https://www.grants.gov and follow-up strategies

The NCBOE grantee is expected to coordinate efforts to inform older Americans and beneficiaries with disabilities about the benefits available under Federal and state programs, with an emphasis on providing information on programs to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for their Medicare coverage, specifically the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and Medicare Savings Programs (MSP). The NCBOE will also serve as a technical assistance resource center for state grantees who receive funding established under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). This MIPPA state funding is directed to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), AAAs, and ADRCs to provide outreach and enrollment assistance to Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and assets. The NCBOE will be awarded as a single cooperative agreement with a federal share of up to $11,000,000 per year for a total project period of up to three (3) years contingent upon availability of federal funds.

The informational call is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Please call:

202-774-2300; passcode: 993 219 599

I. Funding Opportunity Description History In recognition of the underutilization of federal and state benefit programs, Congress amended the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 2006 with language directing AoA (now part of ACL) to provide technical assistance to States, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and community service organizations who provide outreach and benefits enrollment assistance for Federal and state programs.

Further, in reauthorizing the OAA, Congress directed ACL to work with an experienced entity to establish a National Center on Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE) to:

Maintain and update web-based decision support and enrollment tools and integrated, person-centered systems designed to inform older individuals about the full range of benefits for which the individuals may be eligible under Federal and state programs;

Utilize cost-effective strategies to find older individuals with greatest economic need and enroll the individuals in the programs for which they are qualified;

Create and support efforts for ADRCs, and other public and private state and community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations and coalitions, disability organizations and coalitions to serve as benefits enrollment centers for the programs;

Develop and maintain an information clearinghouse on best practices and cost-effective methods for finding and enrolling older individuals with greatest economic need in the programs for which the individuals are eligible; and

Provide, in collaboration with related Federal agency partners administering the Federal programs, training and technical assistance on effective outreach, screening, enrollment, and follow-up strategies.

The NCBOE grantee is expected to coordinate efforts to inform older Americans and beneficiaries with disabilities about the benefits they qualify for under Federal and state programs. The program’s emphasis is on providing information on programs to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for their Medicare coverage, specifically the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and Medicare Savings Programs (MSP). The NCBOE will also serve as a technical assistance resource center for state grantees who receive funding established under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA).

With this funding opportunity the NCBOE will coordinate efforts to inform older Americans and people with disabilities about the benefits available under Federal and state programs filling an important role by providing valuable support to both state and community level partners involved in these direct service activities. The NCBOE will also focus on providing information on the Low Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Program benefits which are central to the activities undertaken by the State MIPPA grantees. In so doing the NCBOE will serve as a technical assistance resource center for the MIPPA state grantees and NCBOE funded locally-based Benefit Enrollment Centers.

NCBOE Priority Objectives and Activities:

Provide Public Web-Based Decision Support and Enrollment Tools As established with the original NCBOE authorizing statute, the NCBOE grantee is expected to develop, maintain, and update web-based decision support and enrollment tools and integrated, person-centered systems designed to inform older adults and individuals with disabilities about the full range of benefits for which the individuals may be eligible under Federal and state programs. Applicants to this funding opportunity should provide plans to create and/or provide easy to use publicly available web-based decision support tools that will:

Provide eligibility screening and enrollment assistance for Federal and state funded programs;

Provide information about the full range of benefits available to individuals using these web-based decision support tools;

Provide a way for consumers to receive additional information and/or personalized one-on-one enrollment assistance through local partner programs (such as SHIPs,AAAs, ADRCs, and BECs) when requested;

Provide a way for the public to locate and access local assistance; and Provide a means for local partner agency such as SHIPs, AAAs, ADRCs, and BECs to enhance their benefits eligibility screening and enrollment assistance work helping them reach and assist beneficiaries in more efficient ways.

Applicants should provide a clear timeline for the development and implementation of these web-based tools. To encourage the broad use of these tools, the applicant should provide plans to conduct training and provide technical assistance to state MIPPA grantees, Benefits Enrollment Centers, other state and Federal partners, and the general public.

Establish Benefit Enrollment Centers A central component of the NCBOE is the creation and support of local Benefit Enrollment Centers (BECs) which provide direct service though the provision of benefits information and enrollment assistance to the public at the local level. The focus of the BECs should be on assisting lower income older adults, individuals with disabilities, and Medicare beneficiaries with federal and state programs to assist with things such as housing costs, food assistance, and programs to help them pay for their Medicare costs. The BECs should work with the SHIPs in their local areas to collaborate on efforts and avoid duplication. The applicant will be responsible for:

Establishing a detailed plan to compete, manage, and support a network of locally-based BEC sub-grantees;

Providing training and technical assistance to BECs to ensure that they are capable of providing skilled, one-on-one consumer assistance, as well as outreach and application assistance to eligible beneficiaries;

Developing a plan for nationwide coverage that identifies national, state and community-level collaborations, especially involving SHIPs, AAAs, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), other disability organizations, and ADRCs;

Ensuring that the collaborative efforts mentioned above enhance the outreach and enrollment efforts conducted by all parties while avoiding duplication (for example, collaborations with SHIP could have the BEC focusing on education of housing and food assistance benefits while the SHIP focuses on the Medicare benefits available);

Developing a plan to track and report to ACL the work done by the BECs including the number of outreach events and enrollment assistance conducted;

Creating a plan to monitor the BECs on a regular basis to determine effectiveness, best practices, challenges, and other technical assistance needs in a timely manner; and

Providing regular updates to ACL on performance and challenges of the BECs.

As part of the application, the applicant should provide extensive details on how they plan to:

Ensure this national network will target hard to reach populations;

Compete and/or award the sub-grants; and Track the results of the sub-grantees to ensure that the applicant can report on the work that the sub-grantees complete.

Provide MIPPA Program Information and Technical Support Applicants should provide plans to address, in conjunction with ACL, inquiries from state MIPPA grantees for information, guidance, or technical assistance in a timely manner. In addition, applicants must provide a strategy for ensuring the NCBOE remains abreast of current developments in Medicare, healthcare trends, and related beneficiary issues, as well as a plan to ensure these developments are shared with the MIPPA network.

Successful applicant plans should:

Ensure responsive, integrated support of the MIPPA program that promotes and enhances the efficiency of grantee operations and the quality of MIPPA results;

Provide a streamlined and seamless gateway for MIPPA project grantees to access needed resources, information and technical support via an NCBOE website, publications, and other innovative and effective communications strategies;

Develop and implement training to enhance MIPPA efforts to perform key MIPPA program functions, including easily replicable and proven effective methods of conducting Medicare outreach, counseling, and education to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers; and

Detail specific NCBOE approaches, roles and activities to enhance team member training support including soliciting input from state grantees, disseminating materials developed, conducting webinar trainings and coordinating updates of the program, as needed.

Outreach and Enrollment Support to MIPPA Grantees Applicants should develop plans, materials, products, and other items intended to assist MIPPA state grantees and local Benefit Enrollment Centers with utilizing cost-effective strategies to find Medicare beneficiaries with greatest economic need and enroll the individuals in the programs for which they are qualified. This includes working with ACL to provide technical assistance to MIPPA grantees to:

• Expand MIPPA services in each state to achieve statewide coverage;

• Find and reach Medicare beneficiaries with greatest economic need to assist them with benefits and enrollment assistance; and

• Aid with the dissemination of best practices and resources for outreach and application assistance.

Applicants should develop plans and coordinate efforts to inform grantees about benefits available under Federal and state programs. This includes the provision of training and technical assistance, in collaboration with ACL, CMS, the National SHIP Technical Assistance Center, and other partners, on effective outreach, screening, enrollment and follow-up strategies.

Develop and Maintain a Web-Based Information Clearinghouse Another key function of the NCBOE is the development and maintenance of a web-based information clearinghouse and library on best practices and cost-effective methods for finding and enrolling older individuals with greatest economic need in the programs for which the individuals are eligible. Applicants should outline how they will fulfill this function along with clear plans to publish, advertise, or otherwise make publicly visible the web-based information clearinghouse for wide distribution and use. This includes the provision of training and technical assistance regarding the content and use of the web-based information to state MIPPA grantees, Benefits Enrollment Centers, and other state and Federal partners.

Collaborate with ACL Resource Centers The Administration for Community Living funds a number of resource and technical assistance centers focused on a variety of specialized topics and programs. Examples include the Senior

Medicare Patrol National Resource Center, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program Technical Assistance Center, and the National Center on Elder Abuse. While each resource center has its own mission, focus, and target population, it is important for each to work together on collaborative efforts that are mutually beneficial to support the work being done by all. This allows each to benefit from the subject matter experts found within each group throughout the network. Successful applicants to this funding opportunity should provide a plan to work collaboratively with the other ACL resource centers to help enhance the capacity of all.

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for grants under this program announcement is contained in the 2006 Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act- Section 202 and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 – Section 119, Public Law (PL) 110-275 as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Affordable Care Act), reauthorized by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA), the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA).

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $11,000,000 Expected Number of Awards: 1 Award Ceiling: $11,000,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $0 Per Budget Period Length of Project Period: 36-month project with three 12-month budget periods

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

This award will be a new cooperative agreement. ACL will be substantially involved in the NCBOE project activities. The terms and conditions of the agreement will be included in the Notice of Award (NOA), which is subject to modification by either party as listed below. The terms and conditions for this cooperative agreement are as follows:

Grantee Responsibilities As proposed in the approved application, the grantee agrees to carry out the objectives and activities of this funding opportunity. The grantee will ensure that the NCBOE will collaborate closely with State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP), Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), and other community based organizations to ensure more complete and cost-effective enrollment of seniors and individuals with disabilities in the full array of state and Federal benefits for which they are eligible, with particular emphasis on Medicare Part D, Low Income Subsidies, and Medicare Savings Programs.

The grantee also agrees to:

Collaborate with ACL in the modification and execution of the work plan, initially within 45 days of the award.

Coordinate and consult with the ACL Project Officer frequently on NCBOE meetings, events, and projects impacting the administration and/or service delivery of project activities.

Fulfill all of the requirements of the grant initiative as detailed in this funding announcement, specifically:

o Provide public web-based decision support and enrollment tools;

o Establish Benefit Enrollment Centers o Provide MIPPA program information and technical support;

o Provide outreach and enrollment support to MIPPA grantees;

o Develop and maintain a web-based information clearinghouse; and o Collaborate with ACL Resource Centers.

Work with ACL to provide data and information on the work conducted by the NCBOE and the Benefit Enrollment Centers which will be funded through this grant.

Work with the ACL Project Officer to evaluate performance results reported quarterly and jointly develop strategies to address those areas requiring improvement.

Develop and implement a plan to measure the overall impact of the project and whether it met the Priority Objectives as outlined above. In addition, the grantee should proactively work through the life of the grant to improve performance and effectiveness.

Share information with ACL, the MIPPA network, national, state, and local partner organizations, and other entities as appropriate.

Provide data collected from tools created or supported by this funding to ACL on a regular basis.

The grantee further agrees that:

Activities under this initiative will not duplicate activities funded under other resources Information collected from tools created or supported by this funding will not be used for commercial purposes The organization will include the express acknowledgment on all MIPPA public information materials, "This project was supported, in part by grant number ########, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy." (HHS Grants Policy Statement: http://www.hhs.gov/grants /grants/grants-policies-regulations/index.html).

ACL Responsibilities ACL will carry out the following activities for the cooperative agreement as listed below:

ACL Project Officer will perform the day-to-day Federal responsibilities of managing the grant initiative and will work with the grantee to ensure that the necessary requirements for the grant are met.

Assist the grantee project leadership in understanding the policy concerns and/or priorities of ACL by conducting periodic briefings and by carrying out ongoing consultations.

http://www.hhs.gov/grants/grants/grant http://www.hhs.gov/grants/grants/grant

Work cooperatively with the grantee to clarify the programmatic and budgetary issues to be addressed by the project. If issues are identified, work with the grantee to revise the project work plan, detailing expectations for major activities and products during the 36 month grant.

Review and provide technical assistance on grantee work products.

Provide consultation to the grantee in identifying emerging issues as they relate to the goals and objectives of this grant program.

Work with the grantee on the development and implementation of evaluation and quality assurance systems to ensure that performance is measured and continuous improvement occurs.

Attend and participate in major project events as appropriate.

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 as long as it stays within the original confines of the proposed project description. Major changes may affect the integrity of the competitive review process. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the execution of an award notice. When an award is issued the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference unless ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral admendments.

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 as long as it stays within the original confines of the proposed project description. Major changes may affect the integrity of the competitive review process. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the execution of an award notice. When an award is issued the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference unless ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments.

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.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: No

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

Application Responsiveness Criteria

Applications that do not meet the responsiveness criteria listed below will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed.

The successful applicant will be an organization that meets the following criteria:

Demonstrated expertise in the implementation of a web-based decision support and enrollment tool that is publicly available to older adults, individuals with disabilities, Medicare beneficiaries, their caregivers and the professionals who serve them.

Demonstrated experience in working with state aging agencies, state health and public health agencies, community health provider organizations, and community-level aging service provider organizations, including SHIPs, AAAs and ADRCs.

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 http://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 ½” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 11, 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 counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

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 application deadline.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from http://www.grants.gov.

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 with http://www.grants .gov, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with http://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Eastern Time.

http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov?subject=Support

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.

Additionally, all first-tiersubaward 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 1-866-705-5711 or by accessing the D&B website: 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 requirements described in this Program Announcement.

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

Isaac C. Long Center for Integrated Programs Phone Number: (202) 795-7315 E-mail: isaac.long@acl.hhs.gov http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:isaac.long@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Due Date for Letter of Intent: 05/25/2017 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 Isaac C. long Office of Healthcare Information and Counseling Email:Isaac.long@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 ten to twenty pages; twenty 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.

Summary/Abstract Problem Statement Goal(s) and Objective(s) Proposed Intervention Target Populations and Organizations Outcomes Project Management Evaluation Dissemination

Organizational Capability

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/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, economic or political 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 acceptable 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.

The applicant should describe methods for forming and articulating lessons learned and sharing outreach materials developed with MIPPA state grantees, the Benefit Enrollment Centers, and

ACL.

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 three (3) 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 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 202-205-0414 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: 07/20/2017 Date for Informational Conference Call: 05/23/2017 You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the http://www.grants.gov 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.

To submit 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 "Agency Contacts" 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 number 11-43, has raised http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov 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 (EO 13589) and Delivering Efficient, Effective and Accountable Government (EO 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:

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

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

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

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).

6. Other Submission Requirements The optional letters of intent should be emailed to isaac.long@acl.hhs.gov.

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:

a. Project Relevance & Current Need - (5 points);

b. Approach - (50 points);

c. Budget – (10 points);

d. Project Impact - (15 points); and

e. Organizational Capacity - (20 points).

Project Impact Maximum Points:15

Are the expected project benefits/results clear, realistic, and consistent with the objectives and purpose of the project? Does the project include a clear plan for dissemination of information to the state MIPPA grantees, BECs, the public, and ACL?

(5 points)

Are the anticipated outcomes of the proposed project likely to be achieved and will they significantly benefit the state MIPPA grantees, BECs, and the populations that they serve? Are the proposed outcomes quantifiable and measurable, consistent with the definition of a project outcome contained in “Project Work Plan? Does the plan include the qualitative and/or quantitative methods necessary to reliably measure outcomes? (7 points)

Does the project evaluation reflect a thoughtful and well-designed approach that will be able to successfully measure whether or not the project has achieved its proposed outcome(s)? (3 points)

Organizational Capacity Maximum Points:20

Does the applicant organization clearly identify their capacity for carrying out the proposed project? Have they clearly identified a plan to ensure they have the capacity to provide substantial subject matter expertise and technical assistance to state MIPPA grantees and BECs? (10 points)

Do the proposed project director(s), key staff and consultants 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)

Project Relevance & Current Need Maximum Points:5

Does the proposed project clearly and adequately identify the relevance of the priority areas, as described in this Funding Announcement, in relation to current program needs?

Does the application adequately and appropriately describe and document the key areas to be addressed in providing technical assistance, support, materials and other items needed to meet the program needs?

Is the proposed project justified in terms of the most recent, relevant, and available information and knowledge?

Approach Maximum Points:50

Does the applicant provide plans to create and/or provide publicly available web-based decision support tools that meet the requirements listed in this Funding Announcement?

Has the applicant provided a clear timeframe for the development and implementation for these web-based tools including identification of any potential barriers to roll-out?

Has the applicant provided a comprehensive training and technical assistance plan to encourage broad use of the tools by state MIPPA grantees, Benefit Enrollment Centers, other state and Federal partners, and the general public? (10 points)

Does the applicant provide clear and detailed plans on how they will establish Benefit Enrollment Centers (BECs) in accordance with the requirements listed this Funding Announcement? Have they included specifics on how they will compete, manage, and support a network of locally-based BEC sub-grantees including the development of a comprehensive plan to track, monitor, and report to ACL on the work completed? (10 points)

Does the applicant provide a clear plan to provide technical assistance, training and information to state MIPPA grantees to enhance their overall efficiency and effectiveness? Does the applicant provide plans to address, in conjunction with ACL, inquiries from state MIPPA grantees for information, guidance, or technical assistance in a timely manner? Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to support the MIPPA grantees management needs through the development of training materials and curriculum?(10 points)

Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to develop plans, materials, products, and other items intended to assist MIPPA state grantees and BECs with utilizing cost-effective strategies to find older adults, individuals with disabilities, and Medicare beneficiaries with greatest economic need and enroll these individuals in the programs for which they are qualified? Does the applicant provide plans for the provision of training and technical assistance on effective outreach, screening, enrollment, and follow-up strategies? Is there a plan to provide expert information and access to resources that assist the above mentioned network in obtaining and/or maintaining competency in the areas of Medicare, the Low Income Subsidy, Medicare Savings Program, and other state and Federal benefits? (10 points)

Is the project work plan clear and comprehensive? Does it include sensible and feasible timeframes for the accomplishment of tasks presented?