SMART FY19 NSOPW FINAL 508 addendum 04082019.pdf

Addendum for the Solicitation:

SMART FY 2019 Maintenance and Operation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website

April 8, 2019: Contact information.

The SMART Office has updated the points of contact for this solicitation. For assistance with any requirements of this solicitation, contact Amy Staubs at 202- 307-5762 or Amy.Staubs@ojp.usdoj.gov or Kisha Green at 202-616-3573 or Kisha.W.Green@ojp.usdoj.gov from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

mailto:Amy.Staubs@ojp.usdoj.gov mailto:Kisha.W.Green@ojp.usdoj.gov

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

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) is seeking applications for funding under the SMART Office FY 2019 Maintenance and Operation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW). This program furthers the Department’s mission by providing the public immediate access to sex offender registration data from public sex offender registries operated by states, territories, the District of Columbia and certain federally recognized Indian tribes.

SMART FY 2019 Maintenance and Operation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public

Website

Applications Due: April 15, 2019

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to nonprofit and/or for-profit organizations that have demonstrated significant experience in providing website development, hosting and management; web services; service-oriented architecture; distributed information sharing systems; service to criminal justice-related users, law enforcement data and maintaining security protocols; and specialized training and technical assistance to the states, tribes and territories participating in Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) information sharing.

The SMART Office welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one eligible entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees). 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, including subrecipients. Under this solicitation, only one application by any particular applicant entity will be considered. An entity may, however, be subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one application.

Any proposed subawards must be approved by the SMART Office. The SMART Office may consider administration priorities, among other factors in determining whether to approve any such subaward.

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

https://www.usdoj.gov/ https://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ http://www.smart.gov/ http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/smart

Funding Opportunity Number: SMART-2019-14906

Any recipient (or subrecipient) of an OJP award must forgo any profit or management fee.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on April 15, 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.

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, 606-545-5035, at support@grants.gov or at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for 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 SMART Office 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 section.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact Amy Staubs at 202-307- 5762 or Amy.Staubs@ojp.usdoj.gov or Kisha Green at 202-616-3573 or Kisha.W.Green@ojp.usdoj.gov.

Grants.gov number assigned to this solicitation: SMART-2019-14906

Release date: February 13, 2019 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Grants-govInfo.htm mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:Amy.Staubs@ojp.usdoj.gov mailto:Kisha.W.Green@ojp.usdoj.gov

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 Matching 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

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

SMART FY 2019 Maintenance and Operation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public

Website

CFDA # 16.750

A. Program Description

Overview The Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) assists jurisdictions with developing and enhancing programs designed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) of the Adam Walsh Act (34 U.S.C.

§ 20901, Title I et seq.). The Adam Walsh Act is designed to protect children and adults from sexual exploitation and violent crime, prevent child abuse and child pornography, promote internet safety and honor the memory of Adam Walsh and other crime victims. The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov) is a critical component of SORNA’s scheme to provide a comprehensive national sex offender registration and notification system to notify and protect the public from sex offenders.

NSOPW enables law enforcement and the public to search existing state, territory and tribal sex offender registries for public sex offender data. With a single query from any internet-connected device, NSOPW searches state, territory and tribal public sex offender registries to deliver matches.

Statutory Authority: Any awards under this solicitation will be funded under the statutory authority provided by a full-year Department of Justice appropriations act for FY 2019. As of the writing of this solicitation, the Department of Justice continues to operate under a short-term “continuing resolution”; no full-year appropriation for the Department has been enacted for FY 2019.

Program-Specific Information The Office of Justice Programs has supported NSOPW since 2005. In FY 2008, the SMART Office assumed management responsibility for this program as NSOPW is closely aligned with SMART’s mission and jurisdictions’ participation (including states, eligible Indian tribes, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories) is required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.

Since 2008, Congress has specifically appropriated funds for NSOPW.

NSOPW links to all state, territory, District of Columbia and tribal public sex offender registries, and allows nationwide searches for registered sex offenders with one query rather than searching jurisdiction by jurisdiction. In 2005, NSOPW.gov launched with the participation of just 21 states and the District of Columbia. Since its inception, NSOPW has been heavily queried by the public and has had over 100 million user sessions and over 1.9 billion page views. At present, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and 151 tribes participate in NSOPW. Through NSOPW, SMART has provided a web-based sex offender registry system free of charge to all Indian tribes that have elected to implement

SORNA and three of the five principal U.S. territories (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa), which allows for participation in NSOPW as required by SORNA.

In addition to maintenance and operation of NSOPW, this award supports enhancements of the SORNA Exchange Portal (a secure information-sharing system for SORNA jurisdictions as required under SORNA). This internet-based system provides a venue to streamline communication and coordination among jurisdictions' sex offender registry officials. The grant also supports two other components: the Tribe and Territory Sex Offender Registry System (TTSORS) and the Sex Offender Registry Tool (SORT). TTSORS assists tribes and territories with implementing SORNA: It serves a dual purpose as it functions as the administrative registry system and as the public sex offender registry website for jurisdictions. SORT provides state, District of Columbia and territory registration agencies with their own customizable administrative registry system and public sex offender registry website. It is designed to enhance information-sharing capabilities and maximize efficiency and cost effectiveness of registry system setup and ongoing maintenance.

Goals, Objectives and Deliverables With this solicitation, the SMART Office seeks applications for funding to include the following project activities designed to —

• Support all hosting, maintenance and operation of NSOPW, including hosting a backup site at a separate location. The grantee must comply with all U.S. Department of Justice security requirements.

• Maintain and operate a secure communication system via the SORNA Exchange Portal between SORNA jurisdiction registry personnel and federal law enforcement for the purpose of sharing information about individual offenders and other registry-related matters. Features include the ability to send and receive email, upload and transfer files, and a discussion platform with chat capabilities.

• Ensure that NSOPW remains in full compliance with applicable provisions of SORNA and complies with any subsequent legislation that impacts its operation.

• Assist jurisdictions with the implementation of web services used to share data through

NSOPW.

• Make changes to NSOPW within 24 hours of a request as part of the maintenance portion of the project.

• Provide statistics to SMART on the use of NSOPW and the SORNA Exchange Portal on a monthly basis and have the capability to provide specific and requested information within 24 hours’ notice.

• Provide auditing and monitoring tools to SORNA registration jurisdictions and to the SMART Office, and participate in auditing and monitoring activities as requested by the SMART Office.

• Provide continuous monitoring of all connections to NSOPW and remedy any malfunctions within a 24-hour period.

• Answer questions sent to the NSOPW “Webmaster” from the general public, SORNA jurisdictions and as directed through the SMART Office within 24 hours. On average, NSOPW receives three to five inquiries a day, ranging in complexity and length of response. The technical responses shall be based on the ability to re-create the situation as described in the correspondence. The procedural and policy responses shall be based on communication with the individual jurisdiction or agency involved in the query.

• Maintain and operate TTSORS to assist tribes and territories with implementing SORNA registry system requirements. TTSORS serves two purposes: to function as an administrative registry system and as the public sex offender registry website for jurisdictions. Jurisdictions that use TTSORS have the ability to collect all offender information required by SORNA, provide community notifications, and provide public sex offender searching through their website and the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).

• Develop and maintain an automated function in TTSORS and SORT that submits data to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR), as well as the capability to query NSOR.

• Develop and implement enhancements to TTSORS that complement the workflow of the Tribal Access Program (TAP) workstation, enable integration with third-party software utilized by TAP and reduce duplicate entries by registration personnel.

• Assist states, the District of Columbia and territories with customizing and implementing

SORT. This includes providing guidance on integrating SORT into a jurisdiction’s existing registry system, which may have associated or ancillary costs that can include data migration, customization and integration into existing systems and tools.

• Develop and implement system enhancements to NSOPW, the SORNA Exchange

Portal, TTSORS and SORT necessary to remain current with new and emerging technologies.

• Provide training and technical assistance to states, the District of Columbia, territories and tribes related to participation in NSOPW, the SORNA Exchange Portal, TTSORS and SORT.

• Develop and maintain the capability to allow verified users access to the SORNA

Exchange Portal as a service on the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) with a single sign-on, as well as additional products as directed by the SMART Office (e.g., TTSORS).

• Maintain and update the NSOPW mobile applications on Android and iOS.

• Actively work with all jurisdictions to allow searching by geographic coordinates, modifying searching capabilities as improvements become available.

• Participate in SMART national trainings and conferences, providing attendees with individual and group session support.

• Monitor, maintain and update, in consultation with the SMART Office, NSOPW’s social media channels to include relevant content on sexual assault prevention and related safety tips.

• In consultation with the SMART Office, maintain and update the About, FAQs and Education and Prevention sections of NSOPW, as needed.

• Work with the SMART Office (as needed) to modify the project scope during the project period to address emerging needs that impact the operation of NSOPW, the SORNA Exchange Portal, TTSORS and SORT.

• Consult with the SMART Office for guidance and input on website content, design and functionality and technical assistance tools such as brochures and publications, as well as written materials such as fact sheets and training materials and provide logistical support.

• Demonstrate cultural competence in working with Indian Country, which includes understanding the rich diversity of tribal people and significance of self-determination and sovereignty when working with tribal jurisdictions.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of information sharing between SORNA jurisdictions about sex offenders and the need for continued improvement in this area through the continued development or refinement of tools such as the SORNA Exchange Portal. The applicant must have experience in facilitating an advisory working group dedicated to criminal justice data sharing.

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 policy making and program development in criminal justice, juvenile justice and crime victim services. OJP is committed to the following:

• 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.

OJP’s CrimeSolutions.gov is one resource 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 the Office of Justice Programs may conduct or support an evaluation of the programs and activities funded under this 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

The SMART Office expects to make up to one award of up to $1 million. The SMART Office expects to make an award for a 36-month period of performance, to begin on October 1, 2019.

The SMART Office 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 The SMART Office expects to make any award under this solicitation in the form of a cooperative agreement, which is a type of award that provides for OJP to have substantial involvement in carrying out award activities. See Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements, under Section F. Federal Award Administration Information, for a brief discussion of what may constitute substantial federal involvement.

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through entities1) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements2 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

1 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.

2 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://www.crimesolutions.gov/ 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.

(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. (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 Matching 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 https://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/ https://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/ https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf page of this 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 on Costs Requiring Prior Approval in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide 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 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.3 The 2019 salary table for SES employees is available on the Office of Personnel Management website. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with non-federal funds. (Non-federal 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. 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.

3 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://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/19Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/19Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx https://www.ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm https://www.ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm

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.

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 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, or that OJP determines does not include the application elements that the SMART Office has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review, nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, the SMART Office has designated the following application elements as critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet and requested funding amount.

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 pre-applications, 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).

https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/CivilRightsRequirements.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm

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 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) 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

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

3. Program Narrative The program narrative should respond to the solicitation and present a detailed description of the purpose, scope, goals and objectives of the proposed project. The program narrative should be double-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (Times New Roman is preferred) with 1-inch margins, and should not exceed 25 pages. Please number pages “1 of 25,” “2 of 25,” etc. Submissions that do not adhere to the format will be deemed ineligible. Information required under the “Budget and Budget Narrative” and “Other Attachments” sections will not count toward the program narrative page count.

If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, the SMART Office may consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions.

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative:4

a. Description of the Issue Applicant must describe the models used by states, territories and tribes to operate their sex offender public websites/registries. In particular, applicants must discuss existing challenges and/or complexities unique to these websites/registries, including how they are managed and how they interface with NSOPW. Discussion should highlight the issues associated with working with governmental entities in the areas of law enforcement and public information sharing, public policy and technical support and a thorough understanding of the information-sharing requirements of SORNA.

b. Project Design and Implementation Applicant must detail how the project will operate during the funding period and describe the strategy that will be used to implement the proposed project. This section should illustrate what activities are proposed for the project and describe how the strategy will support the goals and objectives. Applicant must outline how the proposed project will continue to manage, host and operate NSOPW, the SORNA Exchange Portal and TTSORS during all phases of the project period from initial grant receipt to closeout so that there is seamless continuation of operation and project activities. This section must also address efforts to be undertaken with participating jurisdictions (individual connections) to ensure continuity of operations and connection maintenance requirements and should include related national administrative and operational/enterprise-level efforts.

c. Capabilities and Competencies Applicant must describe the management structure and staffing of the project and include information that describes the roles and responsibility of key organizational and functional components and personnel. This section must describe the experience and capability of the applicant and any contractors that will be used to implement the project, and should highlight any previous experience implementing projects of similar design and magnitude. Discussion must demonstrate the applicant’s competence and experience in working with state, territory and tribal government agencies, particularly sex offender registries and law enforcement information technology projects, as well as experience in supporting national and complex information-sharing efforts. The management and organizational structure described should match the staff needs necessary to accomplish the tasks outlined in the project work plan. Position descriptions and résumés for key positions and personnel must be submitted as an attachment.

d. Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation’s Performance Measures The SMART Office does not require applicants to submit performance measures data with the application. Performance measures are included as an alert that SMART will require successful applicants to submit specific data as part of their reporting requirements. For the application, the applicant should indicate an understanding of these requirements and discuss how the applicant will gather the required data, if the applicant receives funding.

4 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.

OJP will require each successful applicant to submit regular performance data that demonstrate the results of the work carried out under the award (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 for an overview of performance measurement activities at OJP.

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.

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.

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.

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 https://www.ojp.gov/performance https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/EvidenceResearchEvaluationRequirements.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/EvidenceResearchEvaluationRequirements.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Forms/BudgetDetailWorksheet.htm

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.

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.

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 project activities).

An applicant should demonstrate in its budget narrative how it will maximize cost effectiveness of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For example, a budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are necessary, or how technology and collaboration with outside organizations could be used to reduce costs, without compromising quality.

The budget narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond clearly with the information and figures provided in the Budget Detail Worksheet. The narrative should explain how the applicant estimated and calculated all costs, and how those costs are necessary to the completion of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification purposes, but need not be in a spreadsheet format. As with the Budget Detail Worksheet, the budget narrative should describe costs by year.

c. Information on Proposed Subawards (if any), as well as on Proposed Procurement

Contracts (if any) Applicants for OJP awards typically may propose to make subawards. Applicants also may propose to enter into procurement contracts under the award.

Whether an action — for federal grants administrative purposes — is a subaward or procurement contract is a critical distinction as significantly different rules apply to subawards and procurement contracts. If a recipient enters into an agreement that is a subaward of an OJP award, specific rules apply — many of which are set by federal statutes and DOJ regulations; others by award conditions. These rules place particular responsibilities on an OJP recipient for any subawards the OJP recipient may make. The rules determine much of what the written subaward agreement itself must require or https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm provide. The rules also determine much of what an OJP recipient must do both before and after it makes a subaward. If a recipient enters into an agreement that is a procurement contract under an OJP award, a substantially different set of federal rules applies.

OJP has developed the following guidance documents to help clarify the differences between subawards and procurement contracts under an OJP award and outline the compliance and reporting requirements for each. This information can be accessed online at Subawards and Procurement Contracts Under OJP Awards.

• Subawards under OJP Awards and Procurement Contracts under Awards: A Toolkit for OJP Recipients.

• Checklist to Determine Subrecipient or Contractor Classification.

• Sole Source Justification Fact Sheet and Sole Source Review Checklist.

In general, the central question is the relationship between what the third-party will do under its agreement with the recipient and what the recipient has committed (to OJP) to do under its award to further a public purpose (e.g., services the recipient will provide, products it will develop or modify, research or evaluation it will conduct). If a third party will provide some of the services the recipient has committed (to OJP) to provide, will develop or modify all or part of a product the recipient has committed (to OJP) to develop or modify, or will conduct part of the research or evaluation the recipient has committed (to OJP) to conduct, OJP will consider the agreement with the third party a subaward for purposes of federal grants administrative requirements.

This will be true even if the recipient, for internal or other non-federal purposes, labels or treats its agreement as a procurement, a contract, or a procurement contract. Neither the title nor the structure of an agreement determines whether the agreement — for purposes of federal grants administrative requirements — is a subaward or is instead a procurement contract under an award. The substance of the relationship should be given greater consideration than the form of agreement between the recipient and the outside entity.

1. Information on proposed subawards

A recipient of an OJP award may not make subawards ("subgrants") unless the recipient has specific federal authorization to do so. Unless an applicable statute or DOJ regulation specifically authorizes (or requires) subawards, a recipient must have authorization from OJP before it may make a subaward.

A particular subaward may be authorized by OJP because the recipient included a sufficiently detailed description and justification of the proposed subaward in the Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, and Budget Narrative as approved by OJP. If, however, a particular subaward is not authorized by federal statute or regulation, and is not approved by OJP, the recipient will be required, post-award, to request and obtain written authorization from OJP before it may make the subaward.

If an applicant proposes to make one or more subawards to carry out the federal award and program, the applicant should (1) identify (if known) the proposed subrecipient(s),

(2) describe in detail what each subrecipient will do to carry out the federal award and federal program, and (3) provide a justification for the subaward(s), with details on https://ojp.gov/training/subawards-procurement.htm http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwNzE3Ljc1OTkyNjAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDcxNy43NTk5MjYwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDc5NDk3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9Jm12aWQ9JmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&101&&&https://ojp.gov/training/pdfs/Subaward-Procure-Toolkit-D.pdf http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwNzE3Ljc1OTkyNjAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDcxNy43NTk5MjYwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDc5NDk3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9Jm12aWQ9JmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&101&&&https://ojp.gov/training/pdfs/Subaward-Procure-Toolkit-D.pdf http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwNzE3Ljc1OTkyNjAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDcxNy43NTk5MjYwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDc5NDk3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9Jm12aWQ9JmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&102&&&https://ojp.gov/training/pdfs/Subrecipient-Procure-cklist-B.pdf http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwNzE3Ljc1OTkyNjAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDcxNy43NTk5MjYwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDc5NDk3JmVtYWlsaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9bHVjeS5tdW5nbGVAb2pwLnVzZG9qLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9Jm12aWQ9JmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&103&&&https://ojp.gov/training/pdfs/Sole-Source-FactSheet-C.pdf pertinent matters such as special qualifications and areas of expertise.