oppOJJDP-2018-13704-cfda16.726-instructions..pdf

OMB No. 1121-0329 Approval Expires 11/30/2020

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is seeking applications for funding under the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex Trafficking. This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting efforts to provide mentoring services for children and youth who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking. This program aligns with the administration’s priorities of preventing further victimization through mentoring, support services, and community awareness activities.

OJJDP FY 2018 Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex

Trafficking Applications Due: May 15, 2018

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to states (including territories), units of local government,1 federally recognized tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit)2 and for-profit organizations (including tribal for-profit organizations), and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee.

Eligible applicants that propose to provide direct services to youth must not include youth who are age 18 or older in the population they will serve.

1 A “unit of local government” means—

(a) Any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a state.

(b) Any law enforcement district or judicial enforcement district that—

(i) Is established under applicable state law, and

(ii) Has the authority to, in a manner independent of other state entities, establish a budget and impose taxes.

(c) For the purposes of assistance eligibility, any agency of the government of the District of Columbia or the federal government that performs law enforcement functions in and for—

(i) The District of Columbia, or

(ii) Any Trust Territory of the United States.

2 See https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/OrganizationalRequirements.htm for additional information on demonstrating nonprofit status.

https://www.usdoj.gov/ https://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ https://www.ojjdp.gov/ https://www.ojjdp.gov/ https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/OrganizationalRequirements.htm

OJJDP-2018-13704

OJJDP welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees).3 The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the entire program. Under this solicitation, only one application by any particular applicant entity will be considered. An entity may, however, be proposed as a subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one application.

OJJDP may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2018 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and the availability of appropriations.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time (ET) on May 15, 2018.

To be considered timely, an application must be submitted by the application deadline using Grants.gov, and the applicant must have received a validation message from Grants.gov that indicates successful and timely submission. OJP urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time for the applicant to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

OJP encourages all applicants to read this Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov.

For additional information, see How to Apply in Section D. Application and Submission Information.

Contact Information

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800–518–4726 or 606–545–5035, at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html, or at support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Response Center (Response Center) at grants@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline to request approval to submit its application after the deadline. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How To Apply section.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the Response Center by telephone at 800–851–3420 or TTY: 301–240–6310 (hearing impaired only), by email at grants@ncjrs.gov, or by web chat. Response Center hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3 For additional information on subawards, see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application and Submission Information.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Grants-govInfo.htm https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:grants@ncjrs.gov mailto:grants@ncjrs.gov https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp

ET, Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on the solicitation close date. General information on applying for OJJDP awards can be found at https://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html. Answers to frequently asked questions that may assist applicants are posted at https://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2018/FAQ/MentoringCYCST.pdf.

Grants.gov number assigned to this solicitation: OJJDP-2018-13704

Release date: March 16, 2018 https://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html https://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2018/FAQ/MentoringCYCST.pdf

Contents A. Program Description

Overview

Program-Specific Information

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices

Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities

B. Federal Award Information

Type of Award

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Budget Information

Cost Sharing or Match Requirement

Preagreement Costs (also known as Preaward Costs)

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable)

C. Eligibility Information

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

How To Apply

E. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

Review Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements

General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

H. Other Information

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a)

Provide Feedback to OJP

Appendix A: Performance Measures Table

Appendix B: Application Checklist

OJJDP FY 2018 Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex

Trafficking (CFDA #16.726 and 16.543)

A. Program Description

Overview

The purpose of this program is to enhance the capacity of applicant organizations to respond to the needs of children and youth who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE)/domestic sex trafficking (DST). This program supports the efforts of eligible applicant organizations to increase the availability of direct support services for children and youth who are victims of CSE/DST and to develop or enhance their mentoring capacity and facilitate outreach efforts. For the purposes of this solicitation, OJJDP defines children and youth as anyone younger than age 18. Under this initiative, OJJDP expects successful applicants to provide mentoring and other needed support services to these youth, to develop or enhance mentoring service models and mentor training based on best practices to focus on the needs of youth who are at risk for or are victims of CSE/DST, and develop or update strategies to recruit and maintain mentors to serve these youth.

Statutory Authority: Any awards under this solicitation will be made under the statutory authority provided by a full-year DOJ appropriations act for FY 2018. As of the writing of this solicitation, DOJ continues to operate under a short-term “continuing resolution”; no full-year appropriation for the Department has been enacted for FY 2018.

Program-Specific Information

For the purposes of this solicitation, OJJDP defines commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) as a range of crimes and activities involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a child/youth for the financial benefit of any person or in exchange for anything of value (including monetary and nonmonetary benefits) given or received by any person. Examples of crimes and acts that constitute CSEC include:

• Child sex trafficking/prostitution of children.

• Child sex tourism involving commercial sexual activity.

• Commercial production of child pornography.

• Online transmission of live video of a child engaged in sexual activity in exchange for anything of value.

CSEC also includes situations where a child/youth engages in sexual activity in exchange for anything of value, which includes nonmonetary things such as food, shelter, drugs, or protection from any person. Depending on the specific circumstances, CSEC may also occur in the context of Internet-based marriage brokering, early marriage, and children/youth performing in sexual venues. It should be noted that CSEC is not legally defined by federal statute or case law. However, several federal criminal provisions can be applied to conduct that falls within this definition of CSEC, including 18 U.S.C. §§ 1591, 2251, and 2423(c).

Children and youth who are victims of CSE/DST have a complicated constellation of risk factors, vulnerabilities, service needs, and challenges.4 Children and youth who experience CSE/DST are sexually, physically, and mentally abused; and are often socially isolated, afraid, and ashamed. They can become overwhelmed and revictimized when engaging with the juvenile justice system or when serving as witnesses in criminal cases against their exploiters. They often feel that returning to the streets is their only option. As such, it is critical to provide comprehensive support services and interventions that address the varied needs of these children and youth and to use evidence-based practices.

Mentoring as a practice has an overall positive impact on youth.5 6 7 Research has shown that mentoring can improve self-esteem, academic achievement, and peer relationships and reduce drug use, aggression, depressive symptoms, and delinquent acts.8 9 10 However, it is estimated in one survey that more than one in three young people never had an adult mentor of any kind while they were growing up.11 Research also demonstrates that the size of the effect can vary and there are certain moderators, or features, of the mentoring program that tend to be associated with better outcomes for youth, such as length and quality of the relationship, and what types of training the program provides to mentors. Efforts that build or enhance mentoring programs focused on providing at-risk children and youth with access to high-quality mentoring and appropriate support services can empower girls and boys to exit the commercial sex industry and move past any possible involvement in the justice system and their experiences with victimization to develop their full potential.

The OJJDP-funded Institute of Medicine report Confronting Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States provided the following findings and conclusions on service provision to children and youth who are victims and survivors of CSE/DST in Part II:

Current and Emerging Strategies, Chapter 6: Victim and Support Services:

• Finding 6-1: These children are in need of services.

4 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Confronting Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

5 DuBois, D.L., Portillos, N., Rhodes, J.E., Silverthorn, N., and Valentine, J.C. 2011. “How Effective Are Mentoring Programs for Youth? A Systematic Assessment of the Evidence.” Psychological Science in the Public Interest 12(2):57–91.

6 Tolan, P., Henry, D., Schoeny, M., Bass, A., Lovegrove, P., and Nichols, E. 2013. “Mentoring Interventions to Affect Juvenile Delinquency and Associated Problems: A Systematic Review.” Campbell Systematic Reviews 2013:10. Available at http://campbellcollaboration.org/lib/project/48/.

7 Defined as meeting the rigor criteria outlined on CrimeSolutions.gov:

https://www.crimesolutions.gov/about_practicereview.aspx.

8 DuBois et al. (2011).

9 Tolan et al. (2013).

10 Herrera, C., DuBois, D., and Grossmann, J.B. 2013. The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles. New York, NY: A Public/Private Ventures project distributed by MDRC.

11 Bruce, M., and Bridgeland, J. 2014. The Mentoring Effect: Young People’s Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring. Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises with Hart Research Associates for MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. Available at http://www.mentoring.org/mentoringeffect.

http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2013/Confronting-Commercial-Sexual-Exploitation-and-Sex-Trafficking-of-Minors-in-the-United-States.aspx http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2013/Confronting-Commercial-Sexual-Exploitation-and-Sex-Trafficking-of-Minors-in-the-United-States.aspx http://www.mentoring.org/mentoringeffect

• Finding 6-5: Services and resources are scarce; when available, these services are unevenly spread geographically. In addition, service providers vary in their ability to provide specialized care for these victims and survivors.

• Finding 6-7: Few service providers address the needs of boys who are victims of CSE/DST.

In response to these findings and conclusions, this initiative supports direct services, including mentoring and other support services, and targeted training for professionals working with these youth. Furthermore, funding to continue and/or develop these mentoring sites will contribute to the list of available practices and strategies that can be evaluated and replicated, if determined to be effective, and will be reviewed by the OJJDP National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC) Research Board and highlighted on the NMRC website.

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

The goal of this initiative is for program sites to identify and provide direct support services and to develop or enhance mentoring service models based on best practices to focus on the needs of youth who are at risk for or are victims of CSE/DST.

Specific objectives include:

• Develop, expand, or enhance access to comprehensive supportive direct services for youth who are at risk for or are victims of CSE/DST. These youth have service needs that extend beyond traditional mentoring, including but not limited to intensive case management, court advocacy, appropriate shelter, safety planning, mental health treatment, medical care, dental care, substance abuse treatment, acquiring identification or benefits, specialized educational services/GED, job training, employment assistance, transportation, victim advocacy, and other support services, such as accompanying the victim during his or her participation in a criminal prosecution against the offender, when appropriate. Program models should include a plan for how these additional supportive services will be provided to the targeted youth in an individualized manner. While mentoring services are at the core of the program design, applicants should develop a plan for how these additional supportive services will be provided to targeted youth in a timely manner. Beyond using program funds to support some of these services, applicants are encouraged to enhance existing community collaboratives and partnerships, where feasible, to provide these supportive services.

• Develop or enhance mentor service models for youth who are at risk for or are victims of CSE/DST. Qualified mentor programs involve structured relationships between an adult (counselor, case manager, trained volunteer, and/or survivor) and the youth mentee in one-on-one and/or group sessions. These sessions may include both structured and informal activities that relate to social competence, life skills, victim support, job skill development, mental health, substance abuse, and other related subjects. Applicants are encouraged to visit the OJJDP National Mentoring Resource Center website to determine how to integrate the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring into their program model.

• Implement or enhance efforts to identify youth who are at risk for or are victims of

CSE/DST. This may include street outreach efforts, partnerships with organizations that serve the youth community, and/or collaboration with key stakeholders in the community.

http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/

• Implement or enhance baseline training for mentors and provide ongoing development and support after the initial training is complete. Initial orientation trainings must include specific information about youth who are at risk for or are victims of CSE/DST. However, training must go beyond a “one-shot model” to provide for the continuous development and support of mentors to help them enhance their knowledge and abilities while they build relationships with their mentees, respond to their needs, and support their healing.

OJJDP also funds a dedicated training and technical assistance provider for this initiative. Program sites are expected to work closely with this provider when developing and implementing any training.

In addition to addressing the specific goals and objectives listed for this solicitation, applicants may include public awareness activities as part of their projects and should discuss how their strategies will raise awareness of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking of youth. Funds budgeted for these activities may not exceed 10 percent of the total budget.

The Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables are directly related to the performance measures that demonstrate the results of the work completed, as discussed in Section D. Application and Submission Information, under Program Narrative.

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices

OJP strongly emphasizes the use of data and evidence in policymaking and program development in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. OJP is committed to:

• Improving the quantity and quality of evidence OJP generates.

• Integrating evidence into program, practice, and policy decisions within OJP and the field.

• Improving the translation of evidence into practice.

OJP considers programs and practices to be evidence-based when their effectiveness has been demonstrated by causal evidence, generally obtained through one or more outcome evaluations. Causal evidence documents a relationship between an activity or intervention (including technology) and its intended outcome, including measuring the direction and size of a change, and the extent to which a change may be attributed to the activity or intervention.

Causal evidence depends on the use of scientific methods to rule out, to the extent possible, alternative explanations for the documented change. The strength of causal evidence, based on the factors described above, will influence the degree to which OJP considers a program or practice to be evidence-based.

The OJP CrimeSolutions.gov website and the OJJDP Model Programs Guide website are two resources that applicants may use to find information about evidence-based programs in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.

Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities

The Department of Justice has prioritized the use of evidence-based programming and deems it critical to continue to build and expand the evidence informing criminal and juvenile justice programs to reach the highest level of rigor possible. Therefore, applicants should note that OJP may conduct or support an evaluation of the programs and activities funded under this https://www.crimesolutions.gov/ http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg solicitation. Recipients and subrecipients will be expected to cooperate with program-related assessments or evaluation efforts, including through the collection and provision of information or data requested by OJP (or its designee) for the assessment or evaluation of any activities and/or outcomes of those activities funded under this solicitation. The information or data requested may be in addition to any other financial or performance data already required under this program.

B. Federal Award Information

OJJDP expects to make up to three awards of up to $450,000 each, with an estimated total amount awarded of up to $1,350,000. OJJDP expects to make awards for a 36-month period of performance, to begin on October 1, 2018.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Type of Award

OJJDP expects to make any award under this solicitation in the form of a grant. See Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements, under Section F. Federal Award Administration Information, for a brief discussion of important statutes, regulations, and award conditions that apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants.

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through entities12) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements13 as set out at 2 C.F.R.

200.303:

(a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

(b) Comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards.

(c) Evaluate and monitor [the recipient’s (and any subrecipient’s)] compliance with statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of Federal awards.

12 For purposes of this solicitation, the phrase “pass-through entity” includes any recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward ("subgrant”) to a subrecipient (subgrantee) to carry out part of the funded award or program.

Additional information on proposed subawards is listed under What an Application Should Include, Section D of this solicitation.

13 The "Part 200 Uniform Requirements” means the DOJ regulation at 2 C.F.R. Part 2800, which adopts (with certain modifications) the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including noncompliance identified in audit findings.

(e) Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity designates as sensitive or [the recipient (or any subrecipient)] considers sensitive consistent with applicable Federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality.

To help ensure that applicants understand the applicable administrative requirements and cost principles, OJP encourages prospective applicants to enroll, at no charge, in the DOJ Grants Financial Management Online Training, available at https://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/. (This training is required for all OJP award recipients.)

Also, applicants should be aware that OJP collects information from applicants on their financial management and systems of internal controls (among other information), which is used to make award decisions. Under Section D. Application and Submission Information, applicants may access and review a questionnaire – the OJP Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire – that OJP requires all applicants (other than an individual applying in his/her personal capacity) to download, complete, and submit as part of the application.

Budget Information

Cost Sharing or Match Requirement This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit.

For additional information on cost sharing and match, see the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.3b.htm.

Preagreement Costs (also known as Preaward Costs) Preagreement costs are costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of the Federal award.

OJP does not typically approve preagreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the prior written approval of OJP for all such costs. All such costs incurred prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant. Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting federal funding for those costs. Should there be extenuating circumstances that make it appropriate for OJP to consider approving preagreement costs, the applicant may contact the point of contact listed on the title page of this solicitation for the requirements concerning written requests for approval. If approved in advance by OJP, award funds may be used for preagreement costs, consistent with the recipient’s approved budget and applicable cost principles. See the section on Costs Requiring Prior Approval in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm for more information.

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver With respect to any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, a recipient may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any employee of the recipient at a rate that exceeds 110 percent of the maximum annual salary https://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/ https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.3b.htm https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm payable to a member of the federal government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year.14 The 2018 salary table for SES employees is available on the Office of Personnel Management website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with nonfederal funds. Nonfederal funds used for any such additional compensation will not be considered matching funds, where match requirements apply. If only a portion of an employee's time is charged to an OJP award, the maximum allowable compensation is equal to the percentage of time worked times the maximum salary limitation.

The Assistant Attorney General for OJP may exercise discretion to waive, on an individual basis, this limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award. An applicant that requests a waiver should include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of its application.

An applicant that does not submit a waiver request and justification with its application should anticipate that OJP will require the applicant to adjust and resubmit the budget.

The justification should address—in the context of the work the individual would do under the award—the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of a service the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the proposed program or project, and a statement that explains whether and how the individual’s salary under the award would be commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with his/her qualifications and expertise, and for the work he/she would do under the award.

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs OJP strongly encourages every applicant that proposes to use award funds for any conference-, meeting-, or training-related activity (or similar event) to review carefully—before submitting an application—the OJP and DOJ policy and guidance on approval, planning, and reporting of such events, available at https://www.ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm. OJP policy and guidance (1) encourage minimization of conference, meeting, and training costs; (2) require prior written approval (which may affect project timelines) of most conference, meeting, and training costs for cooperative agreement recipients, as well as some conference, meeting, and training costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, which include a general prohibition of all food and beverage costs.

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable) If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to individuals, the costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those services or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. Reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation services, where appropriate.

For additional information, see the "Civil Rights Compliance" section under “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm.

14 OJP does not apply this limitation on the use of award funds to the nonprofit organizations listed in Appendix VIII to 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx https://www.ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm

C. Eligibility Information

For eligibility information, see the title page.

For information on cost sharing or match requirements, see Section B. Federal Award Information.

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

This section describes in detail what an application should include. An applicant should anticipate that if it fails to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of its application; and, should a decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of award conditions that preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds until the recipient satisfies the conditions and OJP makes the funds available.

Moreover, an applicant should anticipate that an application that OJP determines is nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, including the funding limit, or that OJP determines does not include the application elements that OJJDP has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, OJJDP has designated the following application elements as critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, and Budget Narrative.

NOTE: OJP has combined the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative in a single document collectively referred to as the Budget Detail Worksheet. See “Budget Information and Associated Documentation” below for more information about the Budget Detail Worksheet and where it can be accessed.

OJP strongly recommends that applicants use appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., “Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet,” “Timelines,” “Memoranda of Understanding,” “Résumés”) for all attachments. Also, OJP recommends that applicants include résumés in a single file.

Please review the “Note on File Names and File Types” under How To Apply to be sure applications are submitted in permitted formats.

1. Information To Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications, applications, and related information. Grants.gov and the OJP Grants Management System (GMS) take information from the applicant’s profile to populate the fields on this form. When selecting "type of applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit entity, select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small Business" (as applicable).

To avoid processing delays, an applicant must include an accurate legal name on its SF-

424. On the SF-424, current OJP award recipients, when completing the field for “Legal Name” (box 8a), should use the same legal name that appears on the prior year award document (which is also the legal name stored in OJP’s financial system). Also, current recipients should enter the Employer Identification Number (EIN) in box 8b exactly as it appears on the prior year award document. An applicant with a current, active award(s) must ensure that its GMS profile is current. If the profile is not current, the applicant should submit a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) updating the information on its GMS profile prior to applying under this solicitation.

A new applicant entity should enter its official legal name in box 8a, its address in box 8d, its EIN in box 8b, and its Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in box 8c of the SF-424. A new applicant entity should attach official legal documents to its application (e.g., articles of incorporation, 501(c)(3) status documentation, organizational letterhead, etc.) to confirm the legal name, address, and EIN entered into the SF-424. OJP will use the System for Award Management (SAM) to confirm the legal name and DUNS number entered in the SF-424; therefore, an applicant should ensure that the information entered in the SF-424 matches its current registration in SAM. See the How to Apply section for more information on SAM and DUNS numbers.

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation ("funding opportunity") is not subject to Executive Order 12372. (In completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer question 19 by selecting the response that the “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)

2. Project Abstract

Applications should include a high-quality project abstract that summarizes the proposed project in 400 words or less. Project abstracts should be—

• Written for a general public audience.

• Submitted as a separate attachment with “Project Abstract” as part of its file name.

• Single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (such as Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins.

The abstract should briefly describe the project’s purpose, the population to be served, and the activities that the applicant will implement to achieve the project’s goals and objectives.

The abstract should describe how the applicant will measure progress toward these goals.

The abstract should indicate whether the applicant will use any portion of the project budget to conduct research, as described in Note on Project Evaluations on page 15.

As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the page limit for the program narrative.

3. Program Narrative

Applicants must submit a program narrative that presents a detailed description of the purpose, goals, objectives, strategies, design, and management of the proposed program.

The program narrative should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins, not exceeding 30 pages of 8½ by 11 inches, and use a standard 12-point font, preferably Times New Roman.

Pages should be numbered “1 of 30,” etc. The tables, charts, pictures, etc., including all captions, legends, keys, subtext, etc., may be single-spaced and will count in the 30-page limit. Material required under the Budget and Budget Narrative and Additional Attachments sections will not count toward the program narrative page count. Applicants may provide bibliographical references as a separate attachment that will not count toward the 30-page program narrative limit. If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html restrictions, OJJDP may consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions.

The program narrative should address the following selection criteria: (1) description of the issue; (2) goals, objectives, and performance measures; (3) program design and implementation; and (4) capabilities/competencies. The applicant should clearly delineate the connections between and among each of these sections. For example, the applicant should derive the goals and objectives directly from the problems to be addressed. Similarly, the project design section should clearly explain how the program’s structure and activities will accomplish the goals and objectives identified in the previous section.

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative:15

a. Description of the Issue. Applicants should briefly describe the nature and scope of the problem that the program will address (e.g., commercial sexual exploitation/domestic sex trafficking of children and youth). The applicant should use data to provide evidence that the problem exists, demonstrate the size and scope of the problem, and document the effects of the problem on the target population and the larger community. Any data or research referenced in the narrative should include information about the source of the data and/or a citation. Applicants should describe the target population and any previous or current attempts to address the problem. Applicants should detail the obstacles communities face in identifying and providing effective service delivery strategies to the target population, and should address the unique challenges associated with serving children and youth who are victims of CSE/DST. Applicants should also describe the target population for training.

Applicants should describe any research or evaluation studies that relate to the problem and contribute to their understanding of its causes and potential solutions. While OJJDP expects applicants to review the research literature for relevant studies, they should also explore whether unpublished local sources of research or evaluation data are available.

b. Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures. Applicants should describe the goals of the proposed program and identify its objectives. When formulating the program’s goals and objectives, applicants should be cognizant of the performance measures that OJJDP will require successful applicants to provide.

Goals. Applicants should describe the program’s intent to change, reduce, or eliminate the problem noted in the previous section and outline the project’s goals.

Program Objectives. Applicants should explain how the program will accomplish its goals. Objectives are specific, quantifiable statements of the project’s desired results.

They should be clearly linked to the problem identified in the preceding section and measurable. (Examples of measurable objectives include the following: number of youth to be served, number of mentors to be recruited and trained, reduce the likelihood of further CSE/DST victimization, and increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for mentoring participants.)

Performance Measures. OJP will require each successful applicant to submit regular performance data that demonstrate the results of the work carried out under the award

15 For information on subawards (including the details on proposed subawards that should be included in the application), see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application and Submission Information.

(see “General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements” in Section F. Federal Award Administration Information). The performance data directly relate to the goals, objectives, and deliverables identified under "Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables" in Section A. Program Description.

Applicants should visit OJP’s performance measurement page at www.ojp.gov/performance to view the specific reporting requirements for this grant program.

Performance measures for this solicitation are listed in Appendix A: Performance Measures Table.

The application should demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the performance data reporting requirements for this grant program and detail how the applicant will gather the required data should it receive funding.

Please note that applicants are not required to submit performance data with the application. Performance measures information is included as an alert that successful applicants will be required to submit performance data as part of the reporting requirements under an award.

OJJDP will require award recipients to submit semiannual performance metrics of relevant data through the Data Reporting Tool.

Note on Project Evaluations An applicant that proposes to use award funds through this solicitation to conduct project evaluations should be aware that certain project evaluations (such as systematic investigations designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge) may constitute “research” for purposes of applicable DOJ human subjects protection regulations. However, project evaluations that are intended only to generate internal improvements to a program or service, or are conducted only to meet OJP’s performance measure data reporting requirements, likely do not constitute “research.”

Each applicant should provide sufficient information for OJP to determine whether the particular project it proposes would either intentionally or unintentionally collect and/or use information in such a way that it meets the DOJ definition of research that appears at 28 C.F.R. Part 46 (“Protection of Human Subjects”).

Research, for purposes of human subjects protection for OJP-funded programs, is defined as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” 28 C.F.R.

46.102(d).

For additional information on determining whether a proposed activity would constitute research for purposes of human subjects protection, applicants should consult the decision tree in the “Research and the protection of human subjects” section of the “Requirements related to Research” webpage of the "Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards," available through the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/index.htm.

https://www.ojp.gov/performance https://www.ojjdp-dctat.org/ https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/EvidenceResearchEvaluationRequirements.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/index.htm

Every prospective applicant whose application may propose a research or statistical component also should review the “Data Privacy and Confidentiality Requirements” section on that webpage.

c. Project Design and Implementation. Applicants should detail how the project will operate throughout the funding period and describe the strategies that they will use to achieve the goals and objectives identified in the previous section. Applicants should describe how they will complete the deliverables stated in the Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables section on pages 7–8. OJJDP encourages applicants to select evidence-based practices for their programs.

This section should also include details regarding any leveraged resources (cash or in-kind) from local sources to support the project and discuss plans for sustainability beyond the grant period.

Logic Model. Applicants should include a logic model that graphically illustrates how the performance measures are related to the project’s problems, goals, objectives, and design. See sample logic models here. Applicants should submit the logic model as a separate attachment, as stipulated in Additional Attachments, page 22.

Timeline. Applicants should submit a realistic timeline or milestone chart that indicates major tasks associated with the goals and objectives of the project, assigns responsibility for each, and plots completion of each task by month or quarter for the duration of the award, using “Year 1,” “Month 1,” “Quarter 1,” etc., not calendar dates (see “Sample Project Timelines” here).

Applicants should submit the timeline as a separate attachment, as stipulated in Additional Attachments, page 22. On receipt of an award, the recipient may revise the timeline, based on training and technical assistance that OJJDP will provide.

d. Capabilities and Competencies. This section should describe the experience and capability of the applicant organization and any contractors or subgrantees that the applicant will use to implement and manage this effort and its associated federal funding, highlighting any previous experience implementing projects of similar design or magnitude. Applicants should highlight their experience/capability/capacity to manage subawards, including details on their system for fiscal accountability. Management and staffing patterns should be clearly connected to the project design described in the previous section. Applicants should describe the roles and responsibilities of project staff and explain the program’s organizational structure and operations. Applicants should include a copy of an organizational chart showing how the organization operates, including who manages the finances; how the organization manages subawards, if there are any; and the management of the project proposed for funding.

Letters of Support/Memoranda of Understanding. If submitting a joint application, as described under Eligibility, page 1, applicants should provide signed and dated letters of support or memoranda of understanding for all key partners that include the following:

• Expression of support for the program and a statement of willingness to participate and collaborate with it.

https://www.ojjdp.gov/grantees/pm/logic_models.html https://www.ojjdp.gov/grantees/timelines.html

• Description of the partner’s current role and responsibilities in the planning process and expected responsibilities when the program is operational.

• Estimate of the percentage of time that the partner will devote to the planning and operation of the project.

Letters of support may be addressed to the OJJDP Administrator. Only letters of support that are submitted by the due date and with the full application will be considered during the review process.

4. Budget and Associated Documentation

The Budget Detail Worksheet and the Budget Narrative are now combined in a single document collectively referred to as the Budget Detail Worksheet. The Budget Detail Worksheet is a user-friendly, fillable, Microsoft Excel-based document designed to calculate totals. Additionally, the Excel workbook contains worksheets for multiple budget years that can be completed as necessary. All applicants should use the Excel version when completing the proposed budget in an application, except in cases where the applicant does not have access to Microsoft Excel or experiences technical difficulties. If an applicant does not have access to Microsoft Excel or experiences technical difficulties with the Excel version, then the applicant should use the 508-compliant accessible Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) version.

Both versions of the Budget Detail Worksheet can be accessed at https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Forms/BudgetDetailWorksheet.htm.

a. Budget Detail Worksheet

The Budget Detail Worksheet should provide the detailed computation for each budget line item, listing the total cost of each and showing how it was calculated by the applicant. For example, costs for personnel should show the annual salary rate and the percentage of time devoted to the project for each employee paid with grant funds. The Budget Detail Worksheet should present a complete itemization of all proposed costs.

For questions pertaining to budget and examples of allowable and unallowable costs, see the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm.

b. Budget Narrative

The budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense listed in the Budget Detail Worksheet. OJP expects proposed budgets to be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for…