PKG00253543-instructions.pdf

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

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance

Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Assistance Initiative FY 2019 Competitive Grant Solicitation

CFDA: #16.843

Grants.gov Solicitation Number: BJA-2019-16313

Solicitation Release Date: August 5, 2019

Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. eastern time on October 4, 2019

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding under the Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Assistance Initiative to improve technology and resources to the Gulf State law enforcement agencies to increase information sharing on both a local and regional basis. This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting local, and tribal law enforcement for by implementing technology for the greater safety for law enforcement and the people they serve and the protection of life and safety of law enforcement personnel.

This solicitation incorporates the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide by reference. It provides guidance to applicants on how to prepare and submit applications for funding to OJP.

If this solicitation expressly modifies any provision in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide, the applicant is to follow the guidelines in this solicitation as to that provision.

Eligibility (Who may apply): Eligible applicants are limited to local government entities, including local law enforcement entities, and tribal law enforcement agencies, or governmental non-law enforcement agencies acting as their fiscal agents, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior) or tribal consortia consisting of two or more federally recognized Indian tribes (including tribal consortia operated as nonprofit organizations) acting as fiscal agent for one or more tribal law enforcement agencies. In addition, applicants are limited to the Gulf States of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Applications must focus on information and intelligence sharing, law enforcement technology, interaction with fusion centers, responding to crimes and suspicious activities in local communities, or the development of technology to reduce violent crime.

All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee.

BJA will consider 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 http://www.justice.gov/ http://www.ojp.gov/ https://www.bja.gov/ https://www.bja.gov/ https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm

BJA-2019-16313

subrecipients (subgrantees). BJA will not fund separate applications from different agencies within the same jurisdiction under this solicitation (i.e., a law enforcement agency and a prosecutor agency within the same jurisdiction). In these cases, BJA encourages the agencies to form task force partnerships and submit one application for the entire jurisdiction. The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the entire project. 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. For additional information on subawards, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

BJA may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2019 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.

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 contact identified below 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 (Grants.gov) section in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

For assistance with any unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond an applicant’s control that prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline, or any other requirement of this solicitation, contact the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Response Center:

toll-free at 800–851–3420; via TTY at 301–240–6310 (hearing impaired only); email grants@ncjrs.gov; fax to 301–240–5830; or web chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp. The NCJRS Response Center hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

eastern time on the solicitation close date.

Post-Award Legal Requirements Notice If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the OJP-approved application, the recipient must comply with all award conditions and all applicable requirements of federal statutes and regulations, including applicable requirements referred to in the assurances and certifications executed in connection with award acceptance. OJP strongly encourages applicants to review information on post-award legal requirements and common OJP award conditions prior to submitting an application.

For additional information on these legal requirements, see the Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements section in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm mailto:grants@ncjrs.gov https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp

Deadline Details 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 on October 4, 2019.

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.

An applicant must use the Add Attachment button to attach a file to its application. Do not click the paperclip icon to attach files. This action will not attach the files to the application. After adding an attachment, select the View Attachment button to confirm you attached the correct file. To remove the file, select the Delete Attachment button.

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

For additional information, see the How to Apply (Grants.gov) section in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Grants-govInfo.htm

Contents A. Program Description

Overview

Program-Specific Information 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 Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award 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 (Grants.gov)

E. Application Review Information

Review Criteria Review Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements Information Technology (IT) Security Clauses General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) H. Other Information

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and U.S.C. 552a) Provide Feedback to OJP Appendix A: Performance Measures Appendix B Application Checklist

GULF STATES REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE

CFDA #16.843

A. Program Description

Overview The BJA Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Assistance Initiative is an innovative new program that seeks to provide resources and technology to law enforcement jurisdictions within the five Gulf States (Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to assist with information and intelligence sharing to reduce crime and illegal drug trafficking.

Statutory Authority: Any awards under this solicitation will be made under the authority provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, Public Law No. 116-6, 133 Stat. 13, 119.

Program-Specific Information BJA seeks to fund local law enforcement projects submitted from agencies within the above-identified five Gulf States which are focused on the gathering, analysis, and dissemination of information critical to investigating, reporting, and responding to crimes and suspicious activity in communities. This initiative is expected to enhance information and intelligence sharing between local law enforcement and fusion centers, including federal and state agencies and effectively aid communities in achieving a reduction in crime. This technology initiative is focused on leveraging local and regional law enforcement partnerships and enabling a secure method for the sharing of sensitive law enforcement information and resources. BJA seeks to fund innovative, model projects that have the potential to serve as models for other law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

This initiative can be accomplished through various structures, including fusion centers, task forces, or centers of excellence. It will invest in projects which promote and support the exchange of information, investigate techniques, and best practices with the ultimate goal of reducing crime and improving officer safety in these communities. All grantees will be expected to submit a written report on the use of the grant funds, lessons learned, and how such an initiative could be utilized by other law enforcement agencies nationwide

The applicant must describe how its request and implementation will be reported to BJA on a bi-annual basis.

Objectives and Deliverables Applicants should outline in their proposals a strategic and comprehensive process to achieve the objectives and generate the deliverables that are described below:

Objective: Identify that the project is in one of the above-mentioned Gulf States and how it will improve law enforcement technology, information, and intelligence sharing.

Deliverable: Articulate how technology requested for a proposed project will improve the technology of the requesting jurisdiction and reduce crime. The annual crime statistics and project implementation report will be submitted bi-annually in BJA’s Grant Management System (GMS).

Objective: Improve information and intelligence sharing with adjacent jurisdictions throughout the Gulf States.

Deliverable: Improve/enhance suspicious activity reporting, analytical products, interactions with real-time-crime-center (RTCC) or intelligence centers, fusion centers, and other law enforcement sharing systems including the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) and FBI’s Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP).

Deliverable: Improved communications, cooperation, collaboration, and information sharing, including sharing data on current crime trends, analysis of intelligence, and information/intelligence-sharing methods surrounding crime trends and issues that may be unique to the Gulf States.

Objective: Improved law enforcement components and increased participation in this project.

Deliverables: Document existing resources currently available to the jurisdiction(s) within the application area and how they are strategically aligned to support this new initiative.

These resources should assist with information sharing and encourage agency interactions in solving crimes. The successful applicant must also document all successful participation projects for possible replication and/or case study.

Objective: Ensure technology is responsibly deployed and maintained properly.

Deliverable: Policies and procedures regarding information sharing, technology and analysis are developed with regard to local, federal and state laws to protect and secure data and the privacy of individuals.

The Objectives and Deliverables are directly related to the performance measures that demonstrate the results of the work completed, as discussed under What an Application Should Include.

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. For additional information and resources on evidence-based programs or practices, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities Applicants should note that OJP may conduct or support an evaluation of the programs and activities funded under this solicitation. For additional information, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide section titled Information Regarding Potential Evaluation of Programs and Activities.

B. Federal Award Information

Maximum number of awards BJA expects to make 18 awards

Estimated maximum dollar amount for each award $150,000 https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm

Total amount estimated to be awarded under this solicitation $2,700,000

Period of performance start date December 1, 2019

Period of performance duration 24 months

BJA may, in certain cases, provide additional funding in future years to awards made under this solicitation, through continuation awards. In making decisions regarding continuation awards, OJP will consider, among other factors, the availability of appropriations, when the program or project was last competed, OJP’s strategic priorities, and OJP’s assessment of both the management of the award (for example, timeliness and quality of progress reports) and the progress of the work funded under the award.

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 BJA expects to make any award under this solicitation in the form of a grant. See the Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for important statutes, regulations, and award conditions that apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants (and cooperative agreements).

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through entities) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements1 as set out at 2 C.F.R.

200.303, comply with standards for financial and program management. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information.

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.

Pre-agreement Costs (also known as Pre-award Costs) Pre-agreement 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 pre-agreement 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 pre-agreement costs, the applicant may contact the point of contact listed on the title page of the solicitation for the requirements concerning written requests for approval. If approved in advance by OJP, award funds may be used for pre-agreement costs, consistent with the recipient’s approved budget and applicable cost principles. See the section titled Costs

1 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.

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm

Requiring Prior Approval in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide (Post-award Requirements) at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm for more information.

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver For applicants seeking the waiver, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information.

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. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information.

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable) See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on costs associated with language assistance that may be allowable.

C. Eligibility Information For eligibility information, see 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 For this solicitation, BJA has designated the following application elements as critical: Program Abstract, Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet (including the Budget Narrative), Timelines, and copies of any memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements for agencies working as part of the task force partnership described on page 2.

See the Application Elements and Formatting Instructions section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on, among other things, what happens to an application that does not contain all of the specified elements or that is nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation.

1. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form (SF)-424)

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and related information. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on completing the SF-424.

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 an abstract that summarizes the proposed project in 400 words or fewer. Project abstracts should be:

• Written for a general public audience.

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• 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.

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

3. Program Narrative

The program narrative must respond to the Review Criteria in the order given. Applications are peer reviewed and scored on answers to the Review Criteria.

The program narrative should be double-spaced, using standard 12-point font (Times New Roman is preferred) with 1-inch margins, and should not exceed 10 pages. Number pages “1 of 10,” “2 of 10,” etc. If the program narrative fails to comply with these length restrictions, BJA may consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions.

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

a. Description of the Project/Initiative and the Issues To Be Addressed

b. Project/Initiative Design and Implementation

c. Capabilities and Competencies

d. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s 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. The performance data directly relate to the objectives and deliverables identified under "Objectives and Deliverables" in Section A. Program Description.

Applicants should visit OJP’s performance measurement page at www.ojp.gov/performance for an overview of performance measurement activities at

OJP.

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.

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.

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

Post-award recipients will be required to submit performance metric data semiannually through BJA’s online Training and Technical Assistance Reporting Portal. More information on reporting requirements can be found at:

https://www.bjatraining.org/working-with-nttac/providers.

https://www.ojp.gov/performance https://www.bjatraining.org/working-with-nttac/providers

Note on Project Evaluations An applicant that proposes to use award funds through this solicitation to conduct project evaluations should follow the guidance under Note on Project Evaluations in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

4. Budget Information and Associated Documentation

See the Budget Preparation and Submission Information section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for details on the Budget Detail Worksheet, and on budget information and associated documentation, such as information on proposed subawards, proposed procurement contracts under awards, and preagreement costs.

5. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

See the Budget Preparation and Submission Information section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information.

6. Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable)

An application in response to this solicitation may require inclusion of information related to a tribal authorizing resolution. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on tribal authorizing resolutions.

The following two paragraphs in this solicitation expressly modify the “Tribal Authorizing Resolution” provisions in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. An applicant is to follow the guidance in these two paragraphs instead of the guidance stated under the “Tribal Authorizing Resolution” heading in the Guide.

An application in response to the solicitation may require inclusion of information related to a tribal authorizing resolution. A tribe, tribal organization, or third party that proposes to provide direct services or assistance to residents on tribal lands should include in its application a resolution, letter, affidavit, or other documentation, as appropriate, that demonstrates (as a legal matter) that the applicant has the requisite authorization from the tribe(s) to implement the proposed project on tribal lands. In those instances when an organization or consortium of tribes applies for an award on behalf of a tribe or multiple specific tribes, the application should include appropriate legal documentation, as described above, from all tribes that would receive services or assistance under the award.

A consortium of tribes for which existing consortium bylaws allow action without support from all tribes in the consortium (i.e., without an authorizing resolution or comparable legal documentation from each tribal governing body) may submit, instead, a copy of its consortium bylaws with the application.

An applicant unable to submit an application that includes a fully executed (i.e., signed) copy of legal appropriate documentation, as described above, consistent with the applicable tribe’s governance structure, should submit an unsigned, draft version of such legal documentation as part of its application (except for cases in which, with respect to a tribal consortium applicant, consortium bylaws allow action without the support of all consortium member tribes). If selected for funding, OJP will make use of and access to https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm award funds contingent on receipt of the fully executed legal documentation.

7. Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including applicant disclosure of high-risk status)

Every OJP applicant (other than an individual applying in his or her personal capacity) is required to download, complete, and submit the OJP Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (Questionnaire) at https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf as part of its application.

See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information and submission instructions for this Questionnaire.

8. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Each applicant must complete and submit this information. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information and submission instructions for this disclosure.

9. Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications

Each applicant is required to disclose whether it has (or is proposed as a subrecipient under) any pending applications for federally funded grants or cooperative agreements that

(1) include requests for funding to support the same project being proposed in the application under this solicitation and (2) would cover any identical cost items outlined in the budget submitted to OJP as part of the application under this solicitation. For additional information on the submission requirements for this disclosure, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

10. Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High Risk Grantees2 (if applicable)

An applicant that is designated as a DOJ High Risk Grantee is to submit, as a separate attachment to its application, information that OJP will use, among other pertinent information, to determine whether it will consider or select the application for an award under this solicitation. The file should be named “DOJ High Risk Grantee Applicant Disclosure and Justification.” (See, also, “Review Process,” below, under Section E. Application Review Information, for a brief discussion of how such information may considered in the application review process.) See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information and submission instructions for this disclosure.

11. Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity

If an application proposes research (including research and development) and/or evaluation, the applicant must demonstrate research/evaluation independence and integrity, including appropriate safeguards, before it may receive award funds. For additional information regarding demonstrating research/evaluation independence and integrity, including appropriate safeguards, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

2 A “DOJ High Risk Grantee” is a recipient that has received a DOJ High-Risk designation based on a documented history of unsatisfactory performance, financial instability, management system or other internal control deficiencies, or noncompliance with award terms and conditions on prior awards, or that is otherwise not responsible.

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12. Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation

An applicant that is a nonprofit organization may be required to make certain disclosures relating to the processes it uses to determine the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees.

Under certain circumstances, a nonprofit organization that provides unreasonably high compensation to certain persons may subject both the organization’s managers and those who receive the compensation to additional federal taxes. A rebuttable presumption of the reasonableness of a nonprofit organization’s compensation arrangements, however, may be available if the nonprofit organization satisfied certain rules set out in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations with regard to its compensation decisions.

Each applicant nonprofit organization must state at the time of its application (question 9c in the "OJP Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire" located at https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf and mentioned earlier) whether or not the applicant entity believes (or asserts) that it currently satisfies the requirements of 26 C.F.R. 53.4958-6 (which relate to establishing or invoking a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness of compensation of certain individuals and entities).

A nonprofit organization that states in the questionnaire that it believes (or asserts) that it has satisfied the requirements of 26 C.F.R. 53.4958-6 must then disclose, in an attachment to its application (titled "Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation"), the process used by the applicant nonprofit organization to determine the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees (together, "covered persons").

At a minimum, the disclosure must describe in pertinent detail: (1) the composition of the body that reviews and approves compensation arrangements for covered persons; (2) the methods and practices used by the applicant nonprofit organization to ensure that no individual with a conflict of interest participates as a member of the body that reviews and approves a compensation arrangement for a covered person; (3) the appropriate data as to comparability of compensation that are obtained in advance and relied upon by the body that reviews and approves compensation arrangements for covered persons; and (4) the written or electronic records that the applicant organization maintains as concurrent documentation of the decisions with respect to compensation of covered persons made by the body that reviews and approves such compensation arrangements, including records of deliberations and of the basis for decisions.

For purposes of the required disclosure, the following terms and phrases have the meanings set out by the IRS for use in connection with 26 C.F.R. 53.4958-6: officers, directors, trustees, key employees, compensation, conflict of interest, and appropriate data as to comparability, adequate documentation, and concurrent documentation.

Applicant nonprofit organizations should note that following receipt of an appropriate request, OJP may be authorized or required by law to make information submitted to satisfy this requirement available for public inspection. Also, a recipient may be required to make a supplemental disclosure promptly after the award in certain circumstances (e.g., changes in the way the organization determines compensation).

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf

13. Additional Attachments

a. Letter Affirming Assurances and Relevant Legislation, Memorandum of Understanding, or Inter-Local Agreement (if applicable) Applicants must attach a letter addressed to the BJA Director affirming the required assurances required under this grant program and signed by the chief executive of the applying agency.

b. Timeline Include a comprehensive timeline that identifies milestones, numerically listed deliverables, and who is responsible for each activity (provide title and agency).

c. Letters of Support Any letters of support must be part of the application package; no independent letters will be accepted after the application has been submitted.

How To Apply (Grants.gov) Applicants must register in and submit applications through Grants.gov, a primary source to find federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find information on how to apply in response to this solicitation in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

Registration and Submission Steps

Applicants will need the following identifying information when searching for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov.

1. CFDA #16.843 Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Assistance Initiative

2. Funding opportunity #BJA-2019-16313

For information on each registration and submission step, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

E. Application Review Information Review Criteria Applications that meet basic minimum requirements will be evaluated by peer reviewers using the following review criteria.

1. Description of the Project/Initiative and the Issues To Be Addressed (10 percent)

Identify how the proposed project/initiative will improve information and intelligence sharing, investigation of crimes, and the possible reduction of local and violent crimes..

2. Project/Initiative Design and Implementation (30 percent) Fully describe how the project/initiative will assist this jurisdiction(s) with increased information and intelligence sharing and improve cooperation and collaboration in dealing with crime trends and issues in this region.

3. Capabilities and Competencies (25 percent) Fully describe the applicant’s capabilities to implement the proposed project/initiative and the competencies of the staff assigned to the project. Identify personnel who are critical to the project’s successful implementation and discuss their roles, responsibilities, and https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/Grant-App-Resource-Guide.htm qualifications. Discuss the organizational capabilities or competencies that will directly impact the ability to successfully implement the proposed project.

4. Impact/Outcomes – Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance Measures (15 percent) Explain how this project’s effectiveness will be demonstrated. Describe how performance measure data will be collected, who will collect and report the data, how the data will be stored, and how they will be assessed to measure the impact of the proposed project/initiative. Describe how your program’s performance data will be shared with BJA and the agencies in the field.

5. Budget (20 percent) Provide a proposed budget for the entire project period that is complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities). Budget narratives should demonstrate generally how applicants will maximize cost effectiveness of grant expenditures. Budget narratives should demonstrate cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the objectives of the project.3

Note: The funds awarded under this solicitation may not be used for land acquisition or construction projects, and may not be used to provide any security enhancements or any equipment to any nongovernmental entity that is not engaged in law enforcement or law enforcement support, criminal or juvenile justice, or delinquency prevention.

Review Process OJP is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for making awards. BJA reviews an application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, understandable, measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with the solicitation requirements. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on the application review process for this solicitation.

If OJP anticipates that an award will exceed $250,000 in federal funds, OJP also must review and consider any information about the applicant that appears in the nonpublic segment of the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, FAPIIS).

Important note on FAPIIS: An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any information about itself that currently appears in FAPIIS and was entered by a federal awarding agency. OJP will consider any such comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in FAPIIS, in its assessment of the risk posed by the applicant.

Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, all final award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General, who may take into account not only peer review ratings and BJA recommendations, but also other factors as indicated in this section.

3 Generally speaking, a reasonable cost is a cost that, in its nature or amount, does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the costs.

F. Federal Award Administration Information Federal Award Notices See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on award notifications and instructions.

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements OJP strongly encourages prospective applicants to review information on post-award legal requirements and common OJP award conditions prior to submitting an application. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on administrative, national policy, and other legal requirements.

Information Technology (IT) Security Clauses An application in response to this solicitation may require inclusion of information related to information technology security. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on information technology security.

General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements In addition to the deliverables described in Section A. Program Description, any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be required to submit certain reports and data.

Required reports. Recipients typically must submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual progress reports, final financial and progress reports, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in accordance with the Part 200 Uniform Requirements or specific award conditions. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent. (In appropriate cases, OJP may require additional reports.)

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) For OJP contact(s), see page 2.

For contact information for Grants.gov, see page 2.

H. Other Information Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and U.S.C. 552a) All applications submitted to OJP (including all attachments to applications) are subject to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and to the Privacy Act. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on DOJ and OJP processes with regard to application information requested pursuant to FOIA.

Provide Feedback to OJP To assist OJP in improving its application and award processes, OJP encourages applicants to provide feedback on this solicitation, the application submission process, and/or the application review process. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for information on providing solicitation feedback to OJP.

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Appendix A: Performance Measures Objectives Performance Measure(s) Data Grantee Provides

Identify and promote information-sharing technology solutions that will help local and regional law enforcement agencies to respond to, prevent, investigate, and/or prosecute crimes and suspicious activity in the Gulf States.

Number of technology solutions implemented (by purpose)

Report one time only unless the data-sharing technology you plan to implement changes:

List the type of technology being implemented as a result of this grant program. Report each technology solution separately.

Provide a description of how the technology functions will be used.

Explain how this technology will benefit the organization or program.

What general purpose does the technology serve? Choose from the following:

A. Monitoring/surveillance B. Crime analysis C. Forensics/investigations D. Case management/ evidence tracking E. Information sharing F. Improving decision-making G. Data analysis H. Automating administrative processes I. Communications systems/hotlines J. Other

Reported Quarterly:

What is the current status of deploying the technology that is being implemented as a result of the grant?

A. Not yet started B. In progress C. Delayed D. Completed E. Not applicable

During the last reporting period, please describe any progress you made or barriers you encountered related to deployment or use of technology as you intended.

Improve information and intelligence sharing with adjacent jurisdictions throughout the Gulf States.

Percentage of grantees that increased the number of partners that are actively engaged in the initiative when compared to the beginning of the grant period

Percentage of grantees that newly gained access to local, state, or federal databases as planned resulting from this initiative

Percentage of grantees that achieved new formal partnership agreements or MOUs

Percentage of grantees that achieved new data-sharing agreements with local, state, or federal partners

Reported at the beginning of grant activity (one time only):

Number of distinct agency partners actively engaged in the grant initiative through formal partnership agreements or MOUs

Number of data-sharing agreements with local, state, or federal partners

Number of local, state, or federal databases this program plans to gain access to as a result of this initiative

During the reporting period:

Number of NEW formal partnership agreements or MOUs

Number of NEW data-sharing agreements with local, state, or federal partners

Number of local, state, or federal databases where NEW access was granted to as a result of this initiative

To be reported prior to the closeout of the award (one time only):

Number of distinct agency partners actively engaged in the grant initiative through formal partnership agreements or MOUs

Number of data-sharing agreements with local, state, or federal partners.

Develop and implement policies and practices around the use of the information-sharing or other technology solution improves decision-making in the Gulf States region.

Number of agencies with new or revised policy and/or procedural documents

Number of agency partners with standard operating procedures incorporating the use of the new information-sharing technology solution

Leverage the information-sharing technology solution and data-sharing partnerships to reduce targeted crimes in local jurisdictions.

Percentage of suspicious activity reports/tips/incidents resulting in an investigation resulting from this grant initiative

Number of investigations resulting in an arrest resulting from this grant initiative

Percent decrease in the number of targeted crimes that occurred in the target area when compared to the baseline

During the reporting period:

Number of tips or leads generated resulting from this grant initiative

Of those, number of tip or leads resulting in further investigation resulting

Of those, number of investigations that lead to an arrest

Reported at the beginning of grant activity (one time only):

Baseline statistical data reflecting number of incidents of the specific targeted crime (by type) reported in the target area

To be reported prior to the closeout of the award (one time only):

Number of incidents of the specific targeted crime (by type) reported in the target area

Appendix B Application Checklist

FY 2019 Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Assistance Initiative

This application checklist has been created as an aid in developing an application.

What an Applicant Should Do:

Prior to Registering in Grants.gov:

_____ Acquire a DUNS Number (see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) _____ Acquire or renew registration with SAM (see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide

To Register with Grants.gov:

_____ Acquire AOR and Grants.gov username/password (see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) _____ Acquire AOR confirmation from the E-Biz POC (see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

To Find Funding Opportunity:

_____ Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov (see page 1) _____ Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package (see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) _____ Sign up for Grants.gov email notifications (optional) (see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide) _____ Read Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov _____ Read OJP policy and guidance on conference approval, planning, and reporting available at ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm (see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

After Application Submission, Receive Grants.gov Email Notifications That:

_____ (1) Application has been received _____ (2) Application has either been successfully validated or rejected with errors

(see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide)

If No Grants.gov Receipt, and Validation or Error Notifications are Received:

_____ Contact NCJRS regarding experiencing technical difficulties (see page 2)

Overview of Post-Award Legal Requirements:

_____ Review the "Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2019 Awards" in the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm.

Scope Requirement:

_____ The federal amount requested is within the allowable limit of $3,000,000.

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Eligibility Requirement:

See title page.

What an Application Should Include:

� Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 8) � Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) (see page 10) � Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable) (see page 10) � Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (see page 11) � Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (see page 11) � Applicant Disclosure of Pending Applications (see page 11) � Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High Risk Grantees (if applicable, see page 11)

Additional Attachments

� Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity (see page 11) � Letter Affirming Assurances and Relevant Legislation, and Memorandum of Understanding or Inter-Local Agreement (if applicable) (see page 13) � Disclosure of Process related to Executive Compensation (see page 12) � Request and Justification for Employee Compensation; Waiver (if applicable, see page 8)

The following items are critical application elements required to meet the basic minimum requirements.