Technical Assistance and Evaluation of the Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration

Modified forecast to reflect language in the NOFO. - The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) forecast provides information for eligible candidates interested in submitting applications for the Technical Assistance and Evaluation of the Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration (NextGen TA/Eval). This will be a cooperative agreement to a single state or tribal child support agency to manage an evaluation of the demonstration for grant recipients approved under the forecasted companion Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration, HHS-2024-ACF-OCSE-FD-0015. The recipient may partner with an independent third-party evaluator (i.e., a university or research firm). This cooperative agreement will have a 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods.Required activities will include:Implementation tracking and evaluationOutcome tracking and evaluationProviding programmatic and evaluation technical assistance to demonstration grant recipients, including leading a monthly learning community webinar and in-person meetings each year of the five-year project periodImplementing and managing a management information system for the systematic collection of program services and short-term outcomes for grant recipients under the companion NOFODisseminating technical assistance materials, completed evaluation reports, and other lessons learned to a national audience, including presenting at national or state conferences. This may include offering technical assistance and support to non-grant recipient child support programs who want to start and/or strengthen their own child support-led employment services program.Applicants for this grant may also apply under the companion NOFO, but it is not a requirement for application or selection under this announcement. A successful applicant under this NOFO may also be selected as a successful applicant under the companion NOFO, but one award is not related to the other. The recipient of this award will select a third-party organization to conduct the evaluation and will maintain impartiality regarding the evaluation of all project sites.OCSE forecasts the awardee may receive up to $8,057,059 over the 5-year project period. The annual award ceiling for years 1-2 is $3,587,353. The annual award ceiling for years 3-5 is $294,118. The award floor is the same as the ceiling and average cost.