RAP Proposal Narrative Template.docx

United States Department of Agriculture

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

Instructions: The following proposal narrative must be submitted using the following template. Complete each component below. Narratives must be single-spaced, using Times New Roman 12pt size font, with 1" margins.

Person Submitting Proposal:

Date:

Contact Information: (Phone/Email)

Organization Name:

Organization Full Address:

Organization Point of Contact:

(If different than above)

Contact Information: (Phone/Email)

For organizations with interest to serve as a national level Cooperator, select one or more options:

☐ National Forest System ☐ State and Private Forestry ☐ Research and Development ☐ Business Operations

☐ Rocky Mountain Region – Region 2 ☐ Southwestern Region – Region 3 ☐ Intermountain Region - Region 4 ☐ Pacific Southwest Region – Region 5 ☐ Pacific Northwest Region – Region 6 ☐ Southern Region – Region 8 ☐ Eastern Region – Region 9 ☐ Alaska Region – Region 10

Active System for Award Management (SAM) Registration Number:

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number:

STATEMENT OF INTEREST:

In 250 words or less, provide a summary statement to describe your organization’s interest to become a national level or regional level cooperator organization (Cooperator) for the U. S. Forest Service Resource Assistants Program. Describe why your organization would like to participate as a cooperator and how your organization would enhance FS capacity to deliver RAP outcomes. Provide an accompanying visual flow chart that clearly identifies how your organization will work to meet the RAP standards and components described below.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Successful applications will clearly articulate responses to the following components:

Component 1: Organizational Mission, Culture, Values (Up to 1,000 words) Describe your organization’s mission, core values, goals, and organizational structure and alignment with the goals and values of the Forest Service. At minimum, ensure the following questions are considered in your response:

Component 2: Diverse Recruitment and Outreach Model (Up to 1,000 words) Describe your organization’s knowledge and ability to competitively recruit diverse populations for conservation positions in natural and cultural resources. In your response, provide a description of your organization’s intended national or regional outreach strategy and recruitment model. At minimum, ensure the following questions are considered in your response:

What platforms or venues will your organization develop or use to conduct outreach and recruitment within a geographic service area?

What marketing strategies are used by your organization to share information regarding opportunities and outcomes?

What makes your recruitment and outreach model effective and responsive to diversity objectives and ability to recruit high quality candidates?

What is innovative and/or unique regarding your organization’s recruitment and outreach model?

How does your organization build and maintain relationships with diverse groups and embrace approaches to diversity and inclusion?

Does your organization engage others (i.e., subrecipients, contractors, and/or consultants) to implement recruitment and outreach objectives? If so, describe the role and level of engagement?

Component 3: Programmatic and Administrative Oversight (Up to 1,000 words) Describe your organization’s ability to meet program requirements such as providing customer service; project monitoring and evaluation; timely and comprehensive reporting and tracking; and, administrative oversight requirements such as maintaining comprehensive participant files, paying stipends, coordinating travel and training logistics, providing access to health care coverage and, other support as appropriate. At minimum, ensure the following questions are considered in your response:

What is your organization’s process and general timeline for prescreening applications to determine the most competitive candidates for selection by the Forest Service?

What policies and systems does your organization have in place for the management and execution of administrative oversight, including onboarding to your organization, training, and others?

What is your organization’s experience coordinating travel and training logistics for individuals?

What is your organization’s policy and established protocol to ensure that individuals report safety incidents/accidents, work experience concerns, etc.?

What are your organization’s monitoring and evaluation processes, and procedures for continuous improvement?

What status will be applied to resource assistants when engaged by your organization, for example employee, volunteer, or contractor? Explain how your organization considers participants for purposes of living allowance and tax reporting.

What processes does your organization use to educate participants regarding taxes and other financial requirements?

What current and/or future staff will be designated by your organization to support programmatic and administrative oversight? What specific tasks will be performed by each role?

Does your organization engage others (i.e., subrecipients, contractors, and/or consultants) to implement programmatic and administrative oversight? If so, describe the role and level of engagement?

Component 4: Prior Experience and Accomplishments (Up to 1,000 words) Describe your organization’s prior experience, outcomes, and accomplishments working with land management agencies on workforce development and conservation. In your response, describe your organization’s outcomes of successful recruitment and outreach for diverse participants in similar work positions for the past five years, including data related to ethnic and other demographics; a list of previous business partners; and, a brief scope of work for projects regarding the recruitment and placement of emerging professionals in workforce development opportunities. At minimum, ensure the following questions are considered in your response:

What previous experience does your organization have delivering workforce development programs for the Federal government?

What is your organization’s past work experience with the Forest Service, other land management/conservation agencies, and/or other federal or state government entities to implement natural and cultural resource conservation projects that accomplish essential work on public lands and provide workforce development opportunities for emerging professionals?

What is your experience recruiting interns or recent graduates, especially in occupations specific to conservation, land management, natural and cultural resources disciplines?

What outcomes has your organization achieved relative to successful recruitment and outreach for diverse participants in similar work positions for the past five years? Include demographics and other data.

Component 5: Community of Practice (CoP) (Up to 500 words) Describe your organization’s prior experience working with robust, collaborative teams and your willingness to work within the RAP CoP to facilitate learning, innovation and continuous improvement with other partners, resource assistants, and Forest Service staff. The CoP will be led and hosted by the Forest Service. Cooperators are expected to actively engage the CoP through attending meetings, sharing information, and facilitating certain trainings for their participants, among other actions. In your response, describe how your organization will work to augment outcomes for the entire group and how your organization will help to increase the public’s knowledge of the importance of volunteerism and service on public lands through conservation stewardship. At minimum, ensure the following questions are considered in your response:

What is your organization’s interest and willingness to participate in the RAP CoP?

How can your organization help resource assistants to develop leadership, critical thinking and strategic communication skills as outcomes of the RAP?

What professional development and safety training does your organization provide to participants engaged in similar arrangements?

What experience does your organization have with networking, attending conferences and other training events?

What experience does your organization have with innovation and modern technology?

Component 6: Estimated Budget and Costs (Up to 500 words) Provide a detailed budget narrative and table with approximated total costs for engaging a resource assistant in a 26-week fulltime experience. In your response, provide a brief justification and itemization of estimated costs for program support, administrative support, other flexible benefits, indirect rate, and any other costs (i.e., fringe benefits, federal income tax, FICA) that will be charged to the Forest Service. See Table 1 in the RFI for more information. In addition, respondents must provide a copy of your organization’s status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service and documentation of your organization’s official indirect cost rate. At minimum, ensure the following questions are considered in your response:

How does your organization utilize proper financial controls and generally accepted accounting principles?

What is your organization’s justification for estimated program and support costs to engage a resource assistant for a minimum 26 weeks?

Component 7: Optional Information As part of a proposal, respondents may submit up to two (2) letters of support from prior business partners, funders, or others who can speak to your organization’s experience managing workforce development outreach, recruitment, and ideally natural and cultural resource management. These letters are optional and do not increase scoring or consideration of an organization’s proposal submission. Letters must be no more than one page, single-spaced, and 12pt font.

Please do not attach unsolicited documentation to the proposal as it will be removed and destroyed.

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