Supplemental FAQ for FY 2019-2019 Community Compass TA NOFA 02042019.pdf

Supplemental FAQ Update for FY2018-2019 Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program NOFA as of February 1, 2019

This is a supplemental Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document based on questions submitted by prospective applicants to the Community Compass email address

(CommunityCompass@hud.gov) since the release of the HUD’s FY18-19 Community Compass

Technical Assistance NOFA (FR-6200-N-06) on December 17, 2018. These FAQs are meant to clarify elements of the NOFA and reflect HUD’s intent and specific requirements of each applicant choosing to respond to the NOFA. HUD hopes that this additional information proves helpful to potential applicants as they respond to the different elements of the NOFA. Where applicable, the corresponding NOFA page for the topic that is addressed is annotated in the right margin; however, in some cases the inquiry is more generic in nature, and there is no corresponding NOFA page.

Question Response

NOFA

Page No.

General NOFA Questions

NOFA Deadline Extension: Will the

NOFA deadline of February 14, 2019, be extended due to the government shut-down, and if so, to when?

Due to the government shutdown that began on

December 22, 2018, HUD has extended the application due date to 11:59:59 pm Eastern time on March 14, 2019. The NOFA text and all other application requirements remain the same.

General: I’m seeking NOFA guidance on the best match in CPD’s programs for my organization, such as, AHAR.

HUD can only share what is publicly available, such as the NOFA, related documents, FAQs, and webinars. This is a TA and capacity-building model that asks awardees under the program to provide support via the stated eligible activities

(needs assessment, direct TA, etc.) to a variety of

HUD grantees (PHAs, states, cities, TDHEs, etc.). The NOFA speaks to how to present an application as a team and what is needed for formal agreements.

Instructions: Where is the application instructions file? I’m having trouble opening the instructions file, and therefore I’m unable to start the application process.

The application process consists of reading the

NOFA and completing the required forms (both mandatory and optional) following HUD’s guidance. There is no separate Application

Instructions file for this NOFA on Grants.gov.

You can find the NOFA and necessary forms in the “Related Documents” and “Package” tabs on the Grants Opportunity page. While there is no specific Instructions file on Grants.gov, the

NOFA contains detailed instructions starting on page 22. Please pardon the confusing language on this.

General: What does a TA Provider do? How do you become one? Do they work independently?

A HUD Technical Assistance (TA) Provider can provide an array of support and assistance to

HUD grantees and subgrantees, including such activities as conducting needs assessments, holding financial management trainings, or assisting with the creation of a strategic plan. TA equips HUD’s customers with the knowledge, skills, tools, capacity, and systems to implement

HUD programs and policies, so the range of possible TA provided by a TA Provider is vast.

To become a TA Provider, an eligible applicant must apply for funding through the Community

Compass NOFA. TA Providers do not work independently; instead, they work under the demand response system, with high involvement of HUD staff. Under the demand-response system, HUD, its customers, and/or its partners identify TA and capacity building needs; HUD then tasks a TA Provider to provide support and assistance to address those needs. The TA

Provider works closely with HUD staff to provide the TA to the HUD grantee or subgrantee.

General: Could you please provide additional information on NOFA requirements?

The Community Compass NOFA (FR-6200-N-

06) is a funding opportunity in which an applicant competes to receive funds to become a Technical

Assistance (TA) Provider to HUD grantees and subgrantees, such as Public Housing Authorities.

This NOFA does not provide funding for specific projects identified by applicants; instead, NOFA applicants compete to receive funds to become

TA Providers.

Under the Community Compass Program, HUD, its customers, and/or its partners identify TA and capacity building needs within its grantees and subgrantees, and HUD then tasks a TA Provider to provide support and assistance to address those needs. A HUD TA Provider may be tasked to provide an array of support and assistance to

HUD grantees and subgrantees, including such activities as conducting needs assessments, holding financial management trainings, or assisting with the creation of a strategic plan. TA equips HUD’s customers with the knowledge, skills, tools, capacity, and systems to implement

HUD programs and policies, so the range of possible Technical Assistance topics provided by a TA Provider is vast. For more information on the NOFA requirements, relevant programs and topics, and how to apply, please review the documents available on the Grant Opportunity page on Grants.gov.

General: How long does it take to put together a NOFA application?

The length of time to complete a NOFA application varies widely between applicants, but it is a pretty substantial time commitment. We encourage you to read the NOFA and supporting documents closely to determine whether you have sufficient time and staff capacity to complete an application.

General: Can this Community

Compass grant be used to purchase and restore homes to HUD standards?

Funds awarded through the Community Compass

NOFA (FR-6200-N-06) cannot be used to purchase and restore homes to HUD standards.

NOFA applicants are not applying for funding for a specific project of their own; instead, the

Community Compass NOFA awards funds for applicants to become HUD TA Providers. As TA

Providers, they will provide support, training, and assistance to HUD grantees and subgrantees.

General:

IV.B. Form HUD-50070 (3/98)

Please confirm this is the most recent and acceptable version to accompany the NOFA response. Please indicate where applicants can locate the most recent HUD-50070 available.

Yes, the form dated 3/98 is the latest version of

Form HUD-50070. The form is available at the following link:

https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/50070.PDF

General:

DUNS No.: Can applicants provide the numbers for their subcontractors

This NOFA does not request DUNS numbers for consultants or subcontractors. While the sample

Excel template includes a column for this information for each individual, it is not required

31, Excel

Template https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/50070.PDF prior to engaging them in work, if awarded CC funds, or must the DUNS numbers of all subcontractors be provided in their CC FY18-19 application? As not every subcontractor is used on CC grants due to the projects HUD assigns, collecting additional information that isn’t used can prove onerous.

at the time of application for consultants or subcontractors. At the time of application, a

DUNS number is only required of the applicant organization, See Section IV.C.

General: How do applicants complete HUD Form 2880 Disclosure

NOFA Workspace IV.B.I if the grant award will issue multiple requests for

TA to support multiple locations, nationwide? Please provide guidance and clarification to complete HUD

Form 2880 for TA’s with multiple locations.

At the time of application, applicants must complete one HUD 2880 for each funding source requested with the application, irrespective of the funding year. This means, if an applicant is applying for funding from 2018 Departmental TA source and the 2019 PHA Receivership source, then the applicant must complete and include with its application two HUD 2880 forms (one for each funding source).

Each part of the form shall be completed using the instructions that accompany the form along with the following additional, program-specific instructions:

General Applicant Information and Part 1: the applicant shall complete based on the total assistance requested, as noted on the SF 424.

Other Government Assistance

Requested/Expected Sources and Use of Funds:

for each funding source requested with the TA application, the applicant shall disclose other government funding sources that may be received for similar work. This information may not be fully known at the time of application. But the applicant is expected to update the information during the award performance period and after

TA assignments are issued by HUD.

Interested Parties: the applicant shall disclose the financial interest of all persons, developers, contractors, and consultants, by funding source requested with the TA application. Again, this information may not be fully known at the time of application. But the applicant is expected to update the information during the award performance period and after TA assignments are issued by HUD.

Format and Form: In the sample

Excel template, 2018-2019

Community Compass

AppSumTemplate, the ‘Experience’ tab requests information regarding years of experience for various programs/topics. In the ‘Additional’ section, there is a column that states

“Bilingual.” Are you requesting that we include a “yes” or “no” input

(instead of a numeric value) and answer in the affirmative if an individual is bilingual?

If an individual has completed the courses and/or is bilingual, please indicate so by entering a zero in the relevant cell and adding further detail in the

“Qualifications Narrative” column. If the individual does not have the qualifications, please leave the relevant cell blank.

Excel

Template

Format and Form: Would HUD reconsider the ban on graphics, photos, and textboxes?

No, applicants are not allowed to include graphics, photographs, textboxes, or pictures in their narrative responses, but they can use tables and graphs to help organize information.

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Format and Form.: Is it acceptable for fonts in headers and footers to be smaller than 12-point? Is it acceptable for fonts in tables to be smaller than

12-point?

No. As stated in the NOFA, your narrative responses to the Rating Factors must use 12-point font.

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Organizational and Programmatic

Costs: Can our organization cover organizational and programmatic costs associated with our work, including salaries and supplies, through these

NOFA funds?

The Community Compass Technical Assistance

Program works under the demand-response system (see the definition of “Demand-Response

System” in Section I.A.4. of the NOFA), and applicants should not rely on program funding to cover organizational salaries and supplies.

Community Compass funding can be used to cover organizational and programmatic costs associated with the delivery of TA, including compensation at HUD-approved wage rates.

HUD will determine whether compensation is reasonable and customary for the skill set provided and the areas being served. For additional information, please review the

“Funding Restrictions” section of the NOFA

(Section IV.F.).

Eligible Activities: Would an application be eligible for funding if it focused on carrying out the study, design, implementation, and start-up of a TA model, as well as a strategy of assistance to young people?

The Community Compass NOFA (FR-6200-N-

06) does not provide funding for specific projects identified by applicants. Instead, NOFA applicants compete to receive funds to become

HUD Technical Assistance (TA) Providers; as

TA Providers, they will provide technical assistance and support to HUD grantees and subgrantees. Under the Community Compass

Program, HUD, its customers, and/or its partners identify TA and capacity building needs, and

HUD then tasks a TA Provider to provide support and assistance to address those needs.

Eligible Activities: Can Community

Compass funds be used for

Coordinator services for a Housing

Authority?

Community Compass funds cannot be used to pay for staff salaries at a Housing Authority, and the

NOFA is not a means of requesting Technical

Assistance for a particular HUD grantee.

Eligible Activities, Equipment

Purchases: Can the NOFA pay for

Powerbikes, Tasers, or Segways?

The Community Compass NOFA funds cannot be used by a Police Department to pay for items like

Powerbikes, Tasers, or Segways. The NOFA is a funding opportunity in which an applicant competes to receive funds to become a HUD

Technical Assistance (TA) Provider to HUD grantees and subgrantees, such as Public Housing

Authorities. If an applicant is awarded funds under this NOFA, the applicant will be eligible to receive TA assignments from HUD. As an example, if a PHA needs in-depth assistance to put together an Action Plan to manage disaster recovery funds, HUD would assign a HUD TA

Provider to assist the PHA with developing the

Plan.

Eligible Activities: Why are

NAHASDA Formula and Neg Reg, Data Lab, AHAR, and LIHTC data collection not eligible activities for FY

2019?

These services are not included as eligible activities for FY 2019 because they will be procured through a contract instead of through the

NOFA.

Salary requirements: Please provide guidance as it now seems the rate is limited to $78.85 per hour/$164,200 per year (without loading). In prior

Community Compass NOFAs staff were able to provide rates up to $175

(without approval). Are we going to have to reduce staff/consultant rates on existing awards or is this being misinterpreted?

This is an annual compensation restriction for base salary only, does not include benefits. This is an effort to disclose and codify policies early in the NOFA process, but this is not a new requirement—former HUD appropriations language and HUD General Sections previously included this same restriction and it has been part of past Community Compass practices and procedures. The Technical Assistance Division will continue to determine reasonableness of hourly rates through its Wage Rate Review process. The annual restriction does not determine the hourly rate TAD will approve for an individual, but the annual salary restriction inherently limits the number of reimbursable hours allowed annually for an individual under the Community Compass Program. TAD may approve hourly rates in excess of the calculated hourly rate for a salary of $164,200/year;

however, it will not pay more than $164,200 annually to an individual under the Community

Compass Program.

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NOFA 3 I.A.1.b. Under the TA

Focus Areas Table--Please identify all activities that are in addition to

OpFund processing and property management operations. Please clarify what HUD is including in the Public

Housing Operating Fund Program?

For more information on PIH programs, including the Operating Fund, please visit the following websites:

• Public Housing:

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/pu blic_indian_housing/programs/ph

• Operating Fund:

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/pu blic_indian_housing/programs/ph/am

• PIH One-Stop Tool:

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/pu blic_indian_housing/post

Verify this is the correct citation:

On Page 44 of 54, the third bullet in the ‘Monitoring and Oversight

Protocols’ section, there is reference to

“Administrative, National, and

Department Policy Requirements for

HUD recipients in Section IV.B. of

Yes, the correct reference is Section VI.B, not

Section IV.B. Thank you for catching this error.

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/ph https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/ph https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/ph/am https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/ph/am https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/post https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/post this NOFA”. We believe that this citation should reference Section VI.B.

rather than Section IV.B. Please confirm that our understanding is correct.

Agreements with Consultants: Does

HUD require the applicant to execute formalized agreements with consultants prior to the award announcements? If so, must the applicant submit proof of these agreements as part of the overall proposal?

Yes, HUD requires an applicant to have executed formalized agreements with consultants and contractors at the time of application submission.

Although the formal agreements are not required to be submitted as part of your NOFA application, if selected for funding, potential awardees may be required to furnish documentation as part of the administrative process.

National Homeless Data Analysis

Project (NHDAP):

1. Will all NHDAP activities except for AHAR and Data

Lab be funded in both FY 2018 and FY 2019?

2. Are MOUs only required for the Data Lab work, or for all

NHDAP TA?

1. Yes, AHAR and Data Lab will be funded through this NOFA with only FY 2018 funds (not FY 2019 funds), but all other activities listed in the NHDAP definition can be funded with both FY 2018 and FY

2019 funding.

2. The MOUs are only required for Data Lab work.

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Administrative and Coordination

Costs: At the top of page 22, the first full bullet indicates that successful applicants may be required to obtain the necessary facilities to deliver TA to HUD customers under the TA award. Is TA delivery considered a component of the administrative and coordination cost limits? If not, how should costs associated with TA delivery be identified?

No, TA Delivery is a separate component from

Administrative and Coordination costs. Under this Program, activities associated with the delivery of TA (e.g. product development, event space, AV, etc.) are not considered a component of the administrative and coordination cost limits.

Please see the “Eligible Activities” section of the

NOFA for a description of Administrative activities.

Rating Factor Questions

Rating Factor 1.A.: Under

“Breadth,” the NOFA states that knowledge will be measured by the number of offices. Although ONAP

No, ONAP and Public Housing both fall within the PIH Office.

38-39 and Public Housing are in the same

Office (PIH), will they be considered two different offices for the purposes of this NOFA?

Rating Factor 1.A.: Is there a threshold for breadth/depth for Rating

Factor 1.A.?

As stated in the NOFA, the breadth and depth of your knowledge will be measured by the number of HUD Offices (including Cross-Office) included in your response, with a higher rating for more offices covered.

38-39

Rating Factors 1.A. and 1.B.: Does an applicant have to provide separate responses for McKinney-Vento, RAD, and CDBG-DR since those are listed multiple times in the Program table?

Each topic area can be addressed in a single response.

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Rating Factor 2: Can an engagement be "completed" by phase?

Engagements can be considered completed by phase. 44-46

Rating Factor 1.B.: Are there minimum experience requirements for

NHDAP outside of the Data Lab minimum requirements?

The only minimum experience requirements are those included in the NOFA, so there are no minimum NHDAP requirements if you are not pursuing Data Lab activities.

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Rating Factor 1.A.: The NOFA instructions the applicant to "Describe

TA needs within each program based on gaps that currently exist, and/or needs related to NHDAP activities." Is this a typo? Should it say TA activities? If not, what is it referring to?

This sentence in the NOFA contains two separate ideas: (1) Applicant should describe TA needs based on gaps currently existing in each program, and (2) If applicable, the applicant should describe needs related to NHDAP activities. It has been determined that NHDAP activities are broader than traditional TA, which is why the two descriptions are separate. The intent is to make clear the narrative response should address these points to the extent the applicant has interest in both.

Rating Factors 1.A. and 1.B.: If an applicant does not include a narrative response on a particular HUD Office or Program Area in Rating Factor 1.A.

or 1.B., is the applicant still eligible to receive funding for this Office or

Program Area?

An applicant is still eligible to receive funding for a HUD Office or Program Area even if the applicant’s RF1a or RF1b responses do not include that HUD Office or Program area. 38-43

Rating Factor 1.B.: Does information on the Minimum Experience

Requirements have to be included in the narrative for Rating Factor 1.b., or can the information be included only

Yes, an applicant must include information on the

Minimum Experience Requires in its RF1b narrative. It can also include it in its List of Staff, Subcontractors, and Consultants.

40-42 in the “List of Staff, Subcontractors and Consultants Qualifications and

Experience” in the sample Excel template?

Rating Factor 1.A.: Are we correct that in Factor 1.A. it is not necessary to indicate how we have the program knowledge, but by describing key programmatic issues and TA needs for a specific program, our knowledge is therefore displayed? Or do you want us to indicate how we can to identify the programmatic issues and/or TA needs, e.g. “we have noted from our work with x, y and z CDBG grantees, we have noted that issue A is problematic because it causes x problems in properly implementing the program”?

In Rating Factor 1.a., an applicant should describe common issues facing the program, TA needs within each program, and applicable laws, regulations, rules, requirements, and policies. As stated in the NOFA, you must tell us what you know. The applicant has the discretion to provide this information in whatever format they choose.

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Rating Factor 1.B.: Should an applicant include all relevant certifications and/or degrees for all staff mentioned or just some sample references? And is “qualifications” something beyond their experience with various grantees and programs, or is it specific to training?

An applicant’s narrative response is limited to 50 pages total for the three rating factors, and an applicant must determine how best to use the pages allowed. Qualifications may range beyond an applicant’s experience with grantees and programs, if an applicant believes those qualifications are relevant. The sample Excel template is a suitable place to include a more exhaustive list of qualifications.

Rating Factor 1.B.: The NOFA instructs applicants to include website links if their narrative response includes tools and products that are available to view online. Does this pertain to TA products that are on the

HUD Exchange or just those outside of the Exchange?

It pertains to the TA products on all websites, including the HUD Exchange.

Rating Factor 1: Can you confirm that Rating Factor 1 will be used to consider what funding source(s) are awarded to an applicant (provided that their entire application scores high enough to be funded)?

HUD will review each application in its entirety and consider all eligible information submitted, including all data in Rating Factors 1-3.

Rating Factor 2: The NOFA says that relevant program office teams will evaluate this factor. If our Factor 2 response does not include a completed project for each category of

Departmental TA for which we are requesting funding, are we likely to be awarded less funding for those categories not covered by our Factor 2 response? In other words, is it advisable for applicants to include at least one project in Factor 2 that relates to each category of

Departmental TA for which they are requesting funding?

Rating Factor 2 focuses on the skills needed to successfully plan and execute a TA engagement or another relevant activity. These skills apply across different HUD programs, and funding decisions will take this into consideration.

Rating Factor 1.B., “Program-

Specific Minimum Experience” table: Do you want applicants to list all the individuals on the team that meet the minimum experience requirement, or for instances in which

“”at least one individual” is required should applicants just share the name of at least one? Do you want the information in tabular format (like in the NOFA), or is any format agreeable?

An applicant’s narrative response is limited to 50 pages total for the three rating factors, and an applicant must determine how best to use the pages allowed. The sample Excel template is a suitable place to include a complete list of all qualified individuals.

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Rating Factor 2, Excel Template: In the “Summary” worksheet of the sample Excel template, the “Select

HUD Office Associated with Rating

Factor 2” includes drop-down boxes which allow only one HUD

Program/Cross-Cutting Topic. What should an applicant do if an engagement narrative involves more

In the “Summary” worksheet of the sample Excel template, an applicant should select the program that was the primary focus of the engagement.

Within the applicant’s Rating Factor 2 narrative response, the engagement description must begin with a heading that includes the HUD Office or

Offices addressed.

than one HUD program within a HUD

Office?

Sample Excel Template Questions

Where can I find the sample Excel templates on Grants.gov?

The sample Excel templates can be found in the

“Related Documents” section of the NOFA announcement on Grants.gov. The file name is

“2018-2019 Community

Compass_AppSumTemplate.xlsx.” Once you open the Excel workbook, you will see the three templates as separate worksheets.

Grants.gov

Should the three items in the template

(application summary, capacity/interest chart, and staff/consultant/contractor list) be submitted as one file using the template format, or should they be separated into three distinct files and submitted separately?

If using the sample Excel template, an applicant should submit the three worksheets as a single file.

Can an applicant add systems (e.g., IDIS) to the Excel template?

Since the template is only a sample, an applicant may create a different document (with the systems included) to submit the information required by the NOFA. Additionally, an applicant may use its Rating Factor narrative responses or the “Qualifications Narrative” in the sample

Excel file to highlight additional qualifications, such as experience related to systems.

In the “Experience” worksheet of the

Excel template, can an applicant list an individual's work location, instead of their organization location?

Yes, an applicant may list an individual’s work location instead of their organization’s location.

Excel template

In the “Experience” worksheet of the

Excel template, should an applicant enter "0" for an individual that has 9 months or less of experience?

An applicant should enter “0” if an individual has

9 months or less of experience, as well as if the individual has no experience.

template

In the Experience worksheet, the sample Excel template is set up to collect only the number of years of experience within each of the program or cross-cutting topics. There are two items, however, where a response other than years of experience seems appropriate:

• Completed Administration and

Rental Housing Compliance

Certification courses

• Bilingual

What information should we put in for these items?

If an individual has completed the courses and/or is bilingual, please indicate so by entering a zero in the relevant cell and adding further detail in the

“Qualifications Narrative” column. If the individual does not have the qualifications, please leave the relevant cell blank.

template

In the Experience worksheet, where should an applicant indicate an individual’s total years of experience, and where should an applicant indicate an individual’s recent experience as required in the table on page 28 of the

NOFA?

An applicant should include the total years of experience in program section of the worksheet

(i.e., in the Housing Trust Fund column) and include years of recent experience in the

“Qualifications Narrative” column.

Excel template, NOFA pages 28-