PKG00263121-instructions.docx

Office of National Drug Control Policy Executive Office of the President 1800 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20503

FY 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Drug-Free Communities Support Program – National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (NCI) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DFCNCI-2020

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No: 95.003 Release Date: August XX, 2020

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Executive Office of the President, is seeking applications from any national non-profit organization that represents, provides technical assistance and training to, and has special expertise and broad, national-level experience in community anti-drug coalitions under section 1032 of the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 (21 U.S.C. 1532).

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 25, 2020.

Eligibility

ONDCP encourages applications from national nonprofit institution/organization. Applicants must have special expertise and broad, national-level experience in community anti-drug coalitions under section 1032 of the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 (21 U.S.C. 1532).

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must register in, and submit applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find Federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to register and submit an application at www.Grants.gov.

Applicants that experience technical difficulties during this process should call Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays. Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. ONDCP encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline.

In addition, ONDCP urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time 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. Further, ONDCP strongly encourages all prospective applicants to sign up for Grants.gov email notifications regarding this announcement. If this announcement is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up with Grants.gov for updates will be automatically notified.

Contact Information

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via email to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, applicants may contact Helen Hernandez, Office of National Drug Control Policy, by email at DFC@ONDCP.EOP.GOV or by phone at 202-395-6665.

Drug-Free Communities Support Program – National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (NCI)

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Overview The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) coordinates a government-wide public health and safety approach to reduce drug use and its consequences in the United States.

Preventing drug use before it starts is a fundamental element of the DFC program. Findings from the 2020 DFC National Evaluation indicate that from first to most recent report, youth in DFC communities reported decreases in using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and (illicit) prescription drugs in the past 30-days. The following are summary findings from the DFC 2020 National Evaluation Annual Report:

Middle School findings:

· prevalence of alcohol use by middle school youth declined by 25%;

· prevalence of tobacco use by middle school youth declined by 36%;

· prevalence of marijuana use by middle school youth declined by 15%; and

· prevalence of (illicit) prescription drug use by middle school youth declined by 7% from the first to the most recent data reports across all DFC coalitions ever funded.

High School findings:

· prevalence of alcohol use by high school youth declined by 20%;

· prevalence of tobacco use by high school youth declined by 32%;

· prevalence of marijuana use by high school youth declined by 6%; and

· prevalence of (illicit) prescription drug use by high school youth declined by 26%.

ONDCP would like to enhance the efforts of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program by engaging youth to become involved in coalition work and become substance use prevention leaders within their communities.

DFC-funded community coalitions are required to work with various sectors of their community to identify local drug problems and implement comprehensive strategies to create community-level change. The contributions of community coalitions constitute a critical part of the nation’s drug prevention infrastructure. DFC-funded community coalitions are a catalyst for creating local change where drug problems manifest.

ONDCP expects to award one grant award under the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (NCI), for a four-year period, beginning October 1, 2020. The award will support the primary goals of the NCI, which are to: 1) Increase the percentage of community coalitions across the United States that are effective in their work; and 2) Strengthen technical assistance and training to community coalitions throughout the United States and territories. The successful non-Federal entity (NFE) receiving the award must provide education, training, and technical assistance for coalition leaders and community teams, with an emphasis on the development of coalitions serving communities of greatest risk, including but not limited to, tribal populations, rural communities, non-English speaking populations, youth coalitions, and other geographically underserved areas.

The NCI will also increase the percentage of coalitions that adopt and implement the core competencies of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) and will include dissemination of evaluation tools, mechanisms, and measures to better assess and document coalition performance. This will help bridge the gap between research and practice by translating knowledge from research into practical application information. Also, the desired result is to engage youth to become involved in coalition work and become substance use prevention leaders within their communities.

Additionally, the successful NFE receiving the award is expected focus on activities to translate key substance use prevention science into practice. The NCI shall train community coalitions on: data driven practices; implementing strategies and activities that are effective and backed by evidence-based research; environmental prevention strategies; evaluation tools and measures to better assess coalition performance measures; and prepare coalitions for leveraging local resources to sustain their local efforts.

The NCI will assist coalitions in implementing, operating, and sustaining effective local-level community anti-drug strategies that result in a reduction of youth substance use at a community-level. The NCI will use resources from multiple agencies located throughout federal, state, local governments, prevention research entities, and universities to bring the best available knowledge, information, research, and technology to local community coalitions working to prevent drug misuse among youth.

As an expectation, the NCI requires the identification of key personnel. Key personnel are staff members who must be part of the project regardless of whether or not they receive a salary or compensation from the project. These staff members must make a substantial contribution to the execution of the project. The key personnel for this program will be the Program Director/Deputy Director, Evaluator, Training/Technical Assistance Manager, and Marketing Director.

At a minimum, required activities under the NCI include:

· Provide drug use prevention education, training, and technical assistance to coalition leaders and community teams, with emphasis on emerging drug trends.

· Assist coalitions with the development and implementation of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) planning model. The SPF is a five-step, data-driven process that includes the following: 1) Needs Assessment, 2) Capacity Building, 3) Strategic Planning, 4) Implementation, and 5) Evaluation. Included in all five steps are cultural competency and sustainability.

· Assist coalitions with the selection and implementation of appropriate evidence-based prevention strategies.

· Disseminate substance use related research findings to the substance use prevention field in real time to bridge the gap between research and practice by translating knowledge from research into practical application.

· Collaborate with ONDCP staff, contractors, and programs in the development and implementation of the activities funded by the NCI.

· Provide annual core competency training to enhance skillsets and remain current on the implementation of a community substance use prevention coalition

· Schedule and organize Drug-Free Communities Support Program partners’ meetings with ONDCP. The focus of the action-oriented meetings will be to discuss progress of the NCI and gain input and feedback on ways to further assist substance use prevention coalitions.

· Provide semi-annual (February and August), and ad hoc reports to ONDCP.

· Comply with the terms and conditions of the NCI grant.

Authorizing Statutes and Governing Regulations Applicable to this Funding Opportunity:

ONDCP is soliciting applications to award a competitive grant in the amount of $2,500,000.

This grant is authorized by the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, 21 U.S.C. § 1521 note, 21 U.S.C. § 1702(a)(6) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-93. The SUPPORT Act authorized a 4-year competitive grant for the continuation of the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-93, appropriated $2,500,000 to fund this grant consistent with § 4 of Public Law 107-82 as amended by § 8204 of Public Law 115-271. See 21 U.S.C. § 1521 note.

The organization that receives this grant shall continue the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (NCI) to:

1. provide education, training, and technical assistance for coalition leaders and community teams, with emphasis on the development of coalitions serving communities of greatest risk, including but not limited to, tribal populations, rural communities, non-English speaking populations, youth coalitions, and other geographically underserved areas;

2. develop and disseminate evaluation tools, mechanisms, and measures to better assess and document coalition performance measures and outcomes; and

3. bridge the gap between research and practice by translating knowledge from research into practical information.

The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards are applicable to the government and applicants, grant applications, and grant awards to non-Federal entities. See 2 CFR Part 200 et seq., as adopted in full by ONDCP via 2 CFR Part 3603 et seq.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must register in, and submit applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find Federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to register and submit an application at www.Grants.gov.

Applicants that experience technical difficulties during this process should call Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays. Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. ONDCP encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline.

In addition, ONDCP urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time 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. Further, ONDCP strongly encourages all prospective applicants to sign up for Grants.gov email notifications regarding this announcement. If this announcement is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up with Grants.gov for updates will be automatically notified.

DEADLINE

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due and in receipt of a successful validation message submitted in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 25, 2020.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

ONDCP expects to award one Federal competitive grant under the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute, for a four-year period, beginning October 1, 2020. All applications and awards are subject to such additional requirements expressed in governing law. See, 2 CFR Part 200, et seq.

Estimated Amount and Length of Award:

Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, recipient progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of the required data and reports, and compliance with all grant award Terms and Conditions. Failure to comply with the Terms and Conditions of the award may result in suspension or termination of the award.

C. ELIGIBILITY

ONDCP encourages applications from any national nonprofit organization that represents, provides technical assistance and training to, and has special expertise and broad, national-level experience in community anti-drug coalitions under section 1032 of the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 (21 U.S.C. 1532). See Subsection “(b) Eligible Organizations” in 21 U.S.C. 1521 Note. The non-Federal entity must provide proof of non-profit status and its exemption from income tax under Title 26, section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. See also Definitions, 21 U.S.C. 1701(13).

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Application Content:

1. Proof of Eligibility: ONDCP encourages applications from national nonprofit organizations with expert knowledge and extensive experience in community mobilizing using the Strategic Prevention Framework.

2. Program Narrative: The narrative must respond to the announcement and each of the criteria outlined in the section titled ‘Program Narrative & Specific Selection Criteria’. The program narrative should be double-spaced, using standard 12-point font, with 1-inch margins and should not exceed 25 pages. Please number pages in the following manner: “1 of 25,” “2 of 25,” etc.

3. Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative: Applicant must provide an itemized budget for the first grant project period. Applicant must submit budget worksheets and budget narrative in one file. At a minimum, the following categories need to be addressed: Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Overtime, Travel, Facilities, Services, Equipment, Supplies, and Other Costs. The budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense listed in the worksheet. Proposed budgets are expected to be complete, reasonable and allowable, cost-effective, and necessary for project activities. The narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond with the information and figures provided in the budget detail worksheet. The narrative should explain how costs were calculated and how they are relevant to the completion of the proposed project. Note: A minimum of 80 percent of funds must go towards the direct delivery of training and technical assistance services to community anti-drug coalitions at the local, regional, and national levels.

4. Performance Measures: The awardee will be required to provide to ONDCP semi-annual progress reports (February and August) on all required performance areas. Please refer to section titled ‘Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy’ for more information.

5. What an Application Must Include: Applicants should anticipate that if they fail to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of their application; and should a decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of diverse conditions that preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds pending satisfaction of the conditions. Moreover, applicants should anticipate that applications that are determined to be nonresponsive to the announcement, or that do not include the application elements that ONDCP considers to be critical, will not proceed to peer review nor receive further consideration. The following items are considered crucial areas of the application: Eligibility, Technical Expertise and Experience, Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative.

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and related information. This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review. (In completing the SF-424, applicants are to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19, indicating that the “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)

Each applicant is required to (i) Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by ONDCP. ONDCP will not make an award until an applicant has fully complied with all applicable SAM and DUNS requirements; and if the applicant has not so fully complied by the time ONDCP is ready to make award, ONDCP may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive the award and use that determination as a basis for making award to another applicant.

6. Submission Dates and Times: Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due and in receipt of a successful validation message submitted in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 25, 2020.

Funding Restrictions:

· Cost Sharing and Match Requirements: This announcement does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and ONDCP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit.

· Pre-Agreement Cost Approvals: ONDCP does not typically approve pre-agreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the prior written approval of ONDCP for all such costs. However, all such costs prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of an applicant. Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before being awarded a Federal grant. Should there be extenuating circumstances that appear to be appropriate for ONDCP’s consideration as pre-agreement costs, the applicant should contact the point of contact listed in the title page of this announcement for details on the requirements for submitting a written request for approval.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Merit Criteria: The merit of each application will be based on review of the following, with respect to scores, as addressed:

A. Initial Evaluation Criteria

Applications will not be further considered that fail to demonstrate the organization’s expert knowledge and extensive experience in providing education, training and technical assistance for coalition leaders and community teams, with an emphasis on the development of coalitions serving communities of greatest risk, including but not limited to, tribal populations, rural communities, non-English speaking populations, youth coalitions, and other geographically underserved areas. Applicant must have proven experience in disseminating evaluation tools, mechanisms, and measures to better assess and document coalition performance measures and outcomes and bridge the gap between research and practice by translating knowledge from research into practical application.

B. Program Narrative & Application Deliverables

Logic Model (10 points of 100): The applicant should submit a NCI Logic Model to address the purpose and goals of the NCI. The applicant may submit the NCI in a format that is conducive to them. Applicants should consider including essential elements such as: Aim, Strategies, Activities, Benchmarks, and Outcomes (short term, intermediate, and long-term).

Proposed Approach and Implementation Plan (50 points of 100): The applicant will be scored on the strength of the proposed approach and implementation plan. The response must include the five areas described below.

1. Provide a one-year training and technical assistance plan for how the applicant intends to meet the purpose and goals of the NCI for (DFC and non DFC-funded community coalitions). The one-year training and technical assistance plan must provide details of all necessary activities (i.e., webinars, factsheets, templates, and materials) that will be supported through the approved budget. The plan will be used by ONDCP to monitor the implementation of the activities and used to assess progress towards meeting program goals. The applicant may submit the one-year training and technical assistance plan in a format that is conducive to them, however, at a minimum, the following essential elements must be included: Strategy, Activity, Objective, and Completion date. Additional elements are strongly encouraged (i.e., length of training, curricula used, how training will be delivered, population(s) of focus, and estimated number of people served).

In addition, state the unduplicated number of individuals your organization proposes to serve during the project period (one-year).

2. Describe how the one-year training and technical assistance plan provided above will address topics for both new and existing community coalitions with a range of experiences (i.e., DFC-funded coalitions in Years 1-10, Strategic Prevention Framework, substance use prevention core competencies).

3. Describe how the applicant will incorporate the most current substance use prevention research, practices, policies, and strategies into the training and technical assistance provided to coalition teams and members. Furthermore, how will the applicant bridge the gap between science and practice?

4. Describe how your organization will tailor and deliver your services to meet the needs of the diverse types of community anti-drug coalitions (i.e., tribal populations, rural communities, non-English speaking populations, etc.).

5. Describe a high-level training plan for how the applicant intends to meet the purpose and goals of the NCI for (DFC and non DFC-funded community coalitions) for subsequent years of the project. Applicant should identify how the work to be provided will reach populations and/or communities of greatest risk, including but not limited to, tribal populations, rural communities, non-English speaking populations, youth coalitions, and other geographically underserved areas. Note: ONDCP encourages applicants to be innovative in meeting the goals of the NCI.

Capabilities and Competencies to Implement the Approach (10 points of 100): Describe how the applicant has expert knowledge, adequate and appropriate organizational infrastructure, and extensive experience in providing education, training, and technical assistance for coalition leaders and community teams on substance use issues. Applicant must provide an organizational chart with a notation of where work will reside and resumes for all key staff funded by the NCI.

Budget and Budget Narrative (10 points of 100): Provide a proposed budget and budget narrative that is reasonable and allowable, cost-effective, and necessary for project activities. ONDCP may enter into negotiations where the budget and the budget narrative fail to demonstrate price reasonableness and/or price realism. Note: A minimum of 80 percent of funds must go towards the direct delivery of training and technical assistance services to community anti-drug coalitions at the local, regional, and national levels. The Budget and Budget Narrative do not count toward the 25 Program Narrative page limit.

Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy (20 points of 100): The Applicant should develop a thorough Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy to effectively track the implementation of strategies and activities (process evaluation) and determine progress on achieving the period of performance outcomes (outcome evaluation) detailed in the Logic Model and/or one-year training plan. Applicants are encouraged to consider an evaluation and performance strategy that includes process and outcome evaluation questions (samples questions outlined below); discusses details on how the data will be shared with ONDCP; and discusses how adjustments based on evaluation results will be made to activities for improvement of the NCI.

Sample Process Evaluation Questions:

1. To what extent has the recipient developed resources for substance use prevention coalitions (DFC-funded and non DFC-funded)?

2. To what extent has the recipient developed and conducted trainings for substance use prevention coalitions?

3. To what extent has the recipient provided technical assistance for substance use prevention coalitions (DFC-funded and non DFC-funded)?

4. To what extent has the recipient shared information on new and emerging drug trends with substance use prevention coalitions (DFC-funded and non DFC-funded)?

Sample Outcome Evaluation Questions:

1. To what extent have DFC-funded and non DFC-funded coalitions increased their understanding and ability to identify youth substance use prevention efforts based on the best available evidence?

2. To what extent have DFC-funded and non DFC-funded coalitions increased their ability to demonstrate the impact of their youth substance use prevention programs?

3. To what extent have DFC-funded and non DFC-funded coalitions increased their ability to increase capacity to translate program efforts and evaluation findings for key stakeholders?

ONDCP will review applications against the established evaluation criteria and make an award to the responsive applicant determined to offer the best value to ONDCP and the President’s National Drug Control Program.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

ONDCP will review the risk posed by applicants using publicly available information in the OMB-designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM prior to making a Federal award.

A Notice of Federal Award, signed by the ONDCP Chief of Staff, will be issued and is the authorizing document for the successful awardee to begin performance.

Semi-annual progress reports are required to be submitted the last Friday of August and February of each year. Progress report criteria will be outlined in the Terms and Conditions of award.

In addition, an annual continuation application is required to be submitted 30 days prior to end of the Fiscal Year. The annual continuation application criteria will be outlined in the Terms and Conditions of award.

Federal Financial Reports (FFR) are required to be submitted quarterly and within 90 days after the grant is closed out. Program income must be accounted for and reported on the FFR. Awardees must electronically submit FFR using the Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center (PSC). Completion of the Domestic Banking Direct Deposit Form (SF-1199), available at www.pms.psc.gov.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: All applicants must complete this information. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying activities are to provide the detailed information requested on the form, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL). Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities are to enter “N/A” in the text boxes for Item 10 (“a. Name and Address of Lobbying Registrant” and “b. Individuals Performing Services”).

DATA COLLECTION AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

To monitor progress toward meeting the goals of the NCI, award recipients are required to collect and report certain data. At a minimum, recipient must document their ability to collect and report the following required data.

· The number of coalitions that received training or technical assistance.

· The number of coalitions serving populations and/or communities of greatest risk, including but not limited to, tribal populations, rural communities, non-English speaking populations, youth coalitions, and other geographically underserved areas that received training and technical assistance from NCI.

· The number of coalitions who received training and technical assistance from the NCI broken out by: Drug-Free Communities Support Program, Drug-Free Communities Mentoring, and Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Grant to Address Local Drug Crisis (CARA) recipients; and other coalitions funded by Federal, state, and local funding sources.

FINANCIAL MANGEMENT AND SYSTEM OF INTERNAL CONTROLS

If selected for funding, the non-Federal entity (NFE) must:

(a) Establish and maintain effective internal controls over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the NFE 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 the 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 NFE’s compliance with statute, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards.

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

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