FY 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement for Cultural Orientation Technical Assistance Program
Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-PRMUSRAP-15-002-050062
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.510 – U.S. Reception and Placement Program
Announcement issuance date: Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Proposal submission deadline: Friday, November 21, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
**ADVISORY: All applicants must submit proposals through the website Grants.gov NOT through GrantsSolutions.gov. Please note that if you apply on the GrantSolutions.gov site, your application will be disqualified. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise.**
Proposed Program Start Dates: January 1, 2015
Eligible Applicants: In order to be considered for participation in the program, applicants must:
A. Demonstrate knowledge and experience in cultural orientation curriculum and materials development; in educational program implementation and evaluation; in assessment of student learning and understanding; in basic ESL curriculum and materials development; and in adult teaching and learning methodology;
B. Demonstrate experience working in a refugee context or with other migrant populations in the United States; and
C. Demonstrate financial stability and provide documentation of at least three full years of operation in a 501(c)(3) non-profit status.
Duration of Activity:
Program plans from 12 to 36 months will be considered. Applicants may submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed 36 months from the proposed start date. Actual awards will not exceed 12 months in duration, and activities and budgets submitted in year one can be revised/updated each year. Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities.
Reports and Reporting Requirements:
- Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement.
- Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement. A final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement.
Sample Attachment Formats:
Sample formats of the following documents are available on Grants.gov. The Excel documents are included in a single Excel workbook.
Budget Summary and Detail, CY 2015 (Excel Document)
Staff Summary, CY 2015 (Word Document)
I. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Cultural Orientation (CO) Technical Assistance Program is managed by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State (hereinafter referred to as the “Bureau”). The purpose of the CO Technical Assistance Program is to strengthen linkages between overseas CO programs for refugees approved for admission to the United States and reception and placement (R&P) activities conducted upon their arrival.
Overseas CO addresses (at a minimum) the following topics essential to processing, travel, and resettlement:
Pre-Departure Processing
Travel
Role of the Resettlement Agency
Housing
Health
Cultural Adjustment
Rights and Responsibilities
Employment
Education
Learning English
Money Management
Community Services
Transportation
This program serves to complement the Reception and Placement Program, the purpose of which is to promote the effective resettlement of all persons who are admitted to the United States under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, including assisting refugees to achieve economic self-sufficiency through employment as quickly as possible.
Domestic CO is conducted within the first 30 to 90 days after arrival in the United States, and addresses (at a minimum) the following topics:
Role of the Resettlement Agency
Refugee Status
English
Public Assistance
U.S. Laws
Your New Community
Employment
Health
Budgeting and Personal Finance
Housing
Hygiene
Safety
Cultural Adjustment
Education
Transportation
II. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The Bureau has established the following CO Technical Assistance Program objectives and activities for 2015:
A. To strengthen linkages between overseas CO programs and R&P activities:
1. Develop, maintain and manage a CO website and listserv;
2. Provide technical support to the CO working group;
3. On request, conduct presentations regarding CO at national and/or regional refugee resettlement-related conferences;
4. If requested by the Bureau, provide technical assistance to overseas and/or domestic CO programs regarding the evaluation of CO program activities, and the assessment of student learning and understanding, as appropriate;
5. Facilitate overseas and domestic CO trainer exchanges; and
6. If requested by the Bureau, provide coordination and/or facilitation of special forums or workshops.
B. To provide information and materials to overseas CO programs and to domestic refugee service providers:
1. Compile fact sheets and other documents to be posted on the CO website;
2. Identify, locate, and distribute specific materials requested by overseas CO programs;
3. Ensure that all CO materials are available online, as possible and practicable, in accessible and flexible electronic format(s);
4. When requested, handle bulk distribution of hardcopy Bureau-produced materials to overseas CO providers and domestic R&P affiliates in order to supplement electronic materials;
5. Produce new translations of and updated content for the Welcome to the United States guidebooks, videos, and DVDs as directed by the Bureau;
6. Reproduce hardcopies, and maintain and store an adequate inventory of the Welcome to the United States guidebooks, videos, and DVDs as necessary to supplement electronically-available materials at the request of the Bureau, overseas CO providers, and domestic R&P affiliates.
C. To provide support and technical assistance to overseas and domestic CO programs on request;
D. To provide feedback to overseas CO programs as needed with input from the CO Working Group and guidance from the Bureau;
E. To provide other technical assistance requested by the Bureau, subject to availability of funds and adequate staffing levels to perform assigned tasks.
III. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
The Bureau intends to award one Cooperative Agreement in CY 2015 to a well-qualified non-profit organization with the required technical expertise in CO program activities. This will include agencies that have demonstrated satisfactory performance under previous agreements with the Bureau and/or agencies that meet the selection criteria described below and have demonstrated the capacity to provide required services. Applicants should understand that receipt of prior funding for the CO Technical Assistance Program is not a pre-condition for and does not guarantee continued funding in CY 2015.
In order to be considered for an award, applicants must:
A. Demonstrate knowledge and experience in CO curriculum and materials development; in educational program implementation and evaluation; in assessment of student learning and understanding; in basic ESL curriculum and materials development; and in adult teaching and learning methodology;
B. Demonstrate experience working in a refugee context or with other migrant populations in the United States; and
C. Demonstrate financial stability and provide documentation of at least three full years of operation in a 501(c)(3) non-profit status.
Failure to satisfy any of the three required qualifications above will preclude further consideration for participation in the program.
IV. FUNDING PROCEDURES
The Bureau will enter into one Cooperative Agreement for an initial period beginning January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2015, subject to the availability of funds. Through the Cooperative Agreement, the Bureau will provide full financial support to the selected organization, based on the proposal submitted in response to this request. This financial support may be renewable for up to two additional years based upon budget submissions on an annual basis, as long as there remains a need for the program and the organization conducting the program provides satisfactory service, and subject to the availability of funds. At the end of three years, if the need for the program continues, the Bureau will re-compete the project, and the recipient of this award may participate in that process.
V. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS
PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the below-referenced proposal evaluation criteria in the context of available funding. The panel will evaluate the proposals to determine whether and to what extent the organization’s capacity to provide technical assistance in CO will meet the Bureau’s goals and objectives for the technical assistance program. Proposals that are incomplete or that do not include all attachments required may not be considered as responsive.
PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets and will inform applicants of the panel’s decision to recommend or not recommend funding proposed activities. PRM will follow up with formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management.
The panel will evaluate eligible proposals according to the following ranking factors (100 points possible):
1. Proposed plan of work, including access to language translation services; experience and capacity to develop CO training materials and curricula; experience and capacity to evaluate CO program activities; expertise to assess student learning and understanding; experience and capacity to conduct trainings; experience and capacity to integrate ESL into CO curricula; ability to manage an international list serve and maintain a website; expertise to create new resources; and ability to store and distribute materials. (30 points)
2. Documented organizational capacity to manage and administer a CO technical assistance program, including demonstrated knowledge, experience, and fiscal responsibility. (25 points)
3. Documented capacity to manage activities in accordance with established program requirements and performance standards, including accountability for outcomes. (25 points)
4. Detailed and cost-effective budget and demonstrated fiscal responsibility. (20 points)
The panel will present its recommendations to the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, who will make the final award determinations.
VI. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND FORMAT
It is the intention of the Bureau to enter into Cooperative Agreements effective January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. Agencies should report all data in terms of the calendar year unless the instructions for an appendix or attachment specify another time period.
Proposal Format:
Applicants should adhere to the following guidelines when preparing proposals:
All documents in the proposal should be submitted electronically on 8.5 inch by 11 inch pages with one-inch margins.
All documents in the proposal must be in 12-point Times New Roman font.
All pages of the proposal must be numbered. Page numbers should restart at “page 1” for each separate file/attachment (Excel or Word Document) that is submitted. Applicants must adhere to page limitations as described in the detailed instructions below.
Sections within each narrative should be sequential as directed in the detailed instructions below.
Required Forms and Information and Sample Formats:
Required Forms (Instructions accompany each form in the electronic Grant Application Package):
1. OMB Standard Form 424 (Version 02) — Application for Federal Assistance
2. OMB Standard Form 424 A — Budget Information – Non Construction Programs
3. OMB Standard Form 424 B — Assurances – Non Construction Programs
Other Required Information (Instructions are detailed below):
A. Project Narrative
B. Budget
C. Budget Narrative
D. Organization and Program Key Staff
E. Codes of Conduct on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse
F. Current U.S.G. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA)
G. If the organization has not received funding from PRM prior to the U.S.G. fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. government by providing copies of the following: 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) non-profit tax status under IRS 501 (c)(3), 3) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, and 4) Employer ID number (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification
Sample Attachment Formats: Sample formats of the following documents are available on Grants.gov. Applicants are strongly urged to use these suggested formats. Submissions prepared in alternate formats will be considered as long as all required information is provided.
Budget Summary and Detail, 2015 (Excel Document)
Organization and Program Key Staff (Word Document)
Codes of Conduct: PRM strongly supports the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s (IASC) Plan of Action to protect beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance from sexual exploitation and abuse. PRM partners must have Codes of Conduct consistent with the IASC’s six core principles signed and implemented within their organizations. Applicants must include codes of conduct as an attachment to the proposal application. (IASC’s core principles document can be found at: http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/pageloader.aspx?page=content-products-products&sel=14)
PRM further encourages NGO partners to develop clearly articulated policies to both respond to and prevent this type of abuse.
A. Project Narrative
The Project Narrative must contain the following sections and should adhere to the requirements listed:
The Project Narrative should be subtitled and numbered to correspond with the required information sections below. If any individual section of information is not applicable, that fact should be specifically stated.
Each portion of the narrative should not exceed the number of pages indicated in the corresponding parentheses below.
Note that page numbers should be sequential for the entirety of the Project Narrative and should not restart with each section of required information.
Submit the Project Narrative as an attachment by selecting the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” in the Grant Application Package.
Organizational Structure (Maximum 2 pages)
Each organization should describe its organizational structure, including the number of staff assigned to the CO Technical Assistance Program and how it will manage CO Technical Assistance Program activities.
Project Management and Implementation (Maximum 8 pages)
Organizational Capacity and History
All organizations should include a narrative describing the history and development of the organization; its background in CO or similar activities and its experience in developing CO or similar materials, particularly as pertains to refugee populations; and its experience and capacity to provide technical assistance related to the provision of CO or similar topics. Organizations must be sure to include a detailed organizational staffing plan that describes the CO Technical Assistance management function that each individual will perform.
PRM strongly encourages addressing the needs of potentially vulnerable and underserved groups among beneficiary populations (women; children; older persons; the sick; persons with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals and other minorities) and can demonstrate what steps have been taken to meet the needs of these vulnerable groups effectively. NOTE: PRM partners must now include a gender analysis in the project narrative. This analysis should briefly analyze (1) what common gender challenges refugees face in the resettlement process; (2) what common gender challenges refugee resettlement agencies face; and (3) how proposed CO Technical Assistance program activities might mitigate potential challenges gender dynamics pose to the R&P program. A gender analysis is a requirement prior to PRM making a final funding award.
Proposals should also include evidence of at least three years of operation in a non-profit 501(c)(3) status.
Training Capacity
Organizations must describe their experience, ability, and capacity to provide training and CO technical assistance in:
Presenting at meetings, public fora, conferences, and workshops;
Conducting workshops and training on teaching methodology, curriculum development, and assessment and evaluation of CO;
Facilitating the exchange of best practices among programs;
Facilitating international travel for staff exchange programs.
Technical Expertise in Development of Resource Materials
Organizations must illustrate their experience and describe their ability to:
Administer the CO electronic discussion list;
Distribute materials to overseas and domestic CO service providers and R&P agencies and store existing CO materials prior to distribution in both electronic format as well as hardcopy;
Develop an online repository for CO resources and maintain the CO website;
Develop background papers or fact sheets on refugee populations, as determined in collaboration with the Bureau;
Provide translations of the Welcome to the United States refugee orientation set, which includes the book, the VHS, and the DVD; and
Update trainer support materials to accompany the Welcome to the United States orientation video, including the Trainers Guide.
Plan of Work
All proposals should contain a detailed plan of work, including a timeline for activities and projected outcomes. It is recommended that objectives and activities be submitted in SMART format.
B. Budget
The sample budget format enclosed includes columns reflecting the Bureau (federal) and other (non-federal) funding sources as well as the total funding need. The budget summary requires each applicant to provide a breakdown of sources of any non-federal funding and the amounts. This breakdown should correspond to the amount of non-federal funding included in the budget.
The following provides guidance for the preparation of budget submissions using the sample Excel format provided. Please note that in the sample summary format some basic program information is requested in addition to the summary budget figures (on two separate tabs in the sample Excel workbook). Note that budget information is required by quarter, and agencies should provide real quarterly budgets, factoring in activities such as trainings and events.
The 2015 Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP) for the Cultural Orientation Technical Assistance Program includes the requirement that each proposing organization submit a line item budget for calendar year 2015 costs by quarter, following the instructions below.
Personnel and Fringe Benefits
This section of the budget should list individuals whose responsibility is to provide technical assistance in CO, or to conduct CO-related activities as specified in the full announcement. Costs should include salaries and benefits of full-time and part-time program and administrative personnel associated with providing or supervising the provision of CO technical assistance. Provide salary and Full-time Equivalent (FTE) for each individual. Fringe benefits should be provided as a single line item, representing total cost for all CO staff listed. Personnel whose costs are included in an agency’s overhead base may not be included here.
If an employee works 100% of the time on the CO Technical Assistance Program, that employee should be listed as 1.0 FTE. If an employee works less than 100% of the time on the CO Technical Assistance Program, the FTE and funding level for the employee should be prorated appropriately. Organizations are reminded that any employee charged directly to the CO Technical Assistance Program must complete time sheets demonstrating that the claimed amount of time was actually devoted to working on the CO Technical Assistance Program versus other responsibilities.
Travel
This section of the budget should include travel costs related to the CO Technical Assistance Program for the purposes of conducting trainings, presenting at national and/or regional conferences, and participation at other relevant Bureau meetings such as the CO Working Group. Provide a brief description of the travel in the comments section (for example, number of trips for what purpose at a cost of $xx per trip). Provide details regarding proposed expenditures for conference travel. Travel costs listed should include local taxi fares, POV mileage, airfares, and per diem (when required for overnight trips). For each trip, include departure and arrival cities, number of travelers, and duration of trip/number of days.
Equipment/Furniture
This section of the budget should include equipment costs directly attributable to the CO Technical Assistance Program. Provide separate estimates for expendable and nonexpendable equipment and furnishings, with explanation in the comments section.
Office Supplies
This section of the budget should include supply costs directly attributable to the CO Technical Assistance Program. Items listed in this section would include (as examples) stationery, copier paper, envelopes, paper clips, pens, pencils, file folders, or other small items generally used within one (1) year or less.
Professional Fees
This section of the budget should include contractual costs directly attributable to the CO Technical Assistance Program. Provide the information according to appropriate category (e.g. computer or program consultants, services of certified public accountants whose work is directly related to CO). Applicants are reminded that contracts not dedicated entirely to the CO Technical Assistance Program may not be charged to the program.
Space/Utilities
This section of the budget should include space and utilities costs directly attributable to the CO Technical Assistance Program. Provide estimated costs for such items as rental or lease of office space, telephone service, postage and courier service, electricity, heat, water, and custodial and maintenance services – all for the appropriate share of the agency’s costs in these categories devoted to the CO Technical Assistance Program.
Other
This section of the budget should include costs directly attributable to the CO Technical Assistance Program not covered by any of the previous categories. Such costs must be individually itemized and explained. Some examples of costs that might appear in this section include subscriptions, briefing and orientation materials, and conference registrations.
Overhead
This section should include only those charges resulting from the application of a Government (U.S.G) approved indirect cost rate to recover an appropriate portion of an organization’s indirect costs. Organizations with an approved negotiated indirect cost rate should submit via PDF attachment a copy of the most recent approved U.S.G. negotiated indirect cost rate agreement to support the rate reflected in this category. Organizations are reminded that headquarters costs not dedicated entirely to the CO Technical Assistance Program may not be charged to the program.
C. Budget Narrative (Maximum 4 pages)
The Budget Narrative should describe in full detail each of the above mentioned items included in the Budget for calendar year 2015. The Budget Narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe each item, correspond with the information and figures provided on the Excel budget format, be easy to follow and understand, demonstrate cost reasonableness and that calculations are mathematically correct, and comply with guidelines and limitations.
D. CO Program Staff
Applicants should submit information on proposed CO Technical Assistance Program staff and other involved staff, including their proposed responsibilities, using the sample format that is provided. List on this attachment all staff members working on the CO Technical Assistance Program, including the hours per week each will spend performing CO Technical Assistance Program tasks, and a description of the duties performed.
VII. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov (not via GrantSolutions.gov). If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “New to PRM Funding” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher. Applicants may also refer to the “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements (http://test.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html).
Please note the following highlights:
Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov which can take weeks and sometimes months. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.
Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.
If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk, received a case number, and had a service request opened to research the problem, should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances can be found at: https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/Documents/Listofoverseascertsandassurances.pdf.
VIII. PRM POINT OF CONTACT:
Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.
PRM Program Officer: Kiera Berdinner at BerdinnerKR@state.gov or 202-453-9259.
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Source: Dept. Of State – Releases
Collected Department Releases: FY 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement for Cultural Orientation Technical Assistance Program
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