# Presentation: 795846

## PSIC ProgramOverview

## PSIC Background

- The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 established a $1 billion grant program for public safety interoperability communications
- The Call Home Act of 2006 required all funding to be awarded by September 30, 2007
- The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 expanded the allowable costs and established a strategic reserve fund.
- NTIA partnered with DHS (NPD) to Administerthe Grants
- Total of $968 million in funding is available for grant awards

## Program Timelines

**July 18****	****PSIC Grant Guidance Released**
**August 16 ****	****Revised Grant Guidance Announced**
**August 22****	****PSIC Applications Due – Submission to ****	****	****	****Grants.gov**
**September 30****	****Grants Awarded ****	****	****Preliminary Statewide Plans Due (Optional)**
**Sept-Nov****	****ICTAP PSIC Technical Assistance (limited)**
**September 24****	****IJ Workshop Dallas, Texas****September 26 ****	****IJ Workshop Denver, Colorado****September 28****	****IJ Workshop Newark, New Jersey****October 1****	****IJ Workshop Los Angeles, California**
**December 3****	****Investment Justification Due****	****	****Statewide Plans Due **** **

## PSIC Funding Goals

- The PSIC Grant Program will assist public safety agencies in the planning and coordination with, acquisition of, deployment of, or training for the use of interoperable communications equipment, software and systems that:
*Utilize reallocated public safety spectrum for radio communications;*
*Enable interoperability with communications systems that can utilize reallocated public safety spectrum for communication;*
*Otherwise improve or advance the interoperability of public safety communications systems that utilize other public safety spectrum bands.*
- Proposed solutions must achieve meaningful and measurable improvements to interoperability and fill interoperability gaps identified in the Statewide Plans.

## PSIC Funding Priorities

**Technology **
- Adopt advanced technological solutions
- Improve spectrum efficiency
- Use cost-effective measures
**All-Hazards Mitigation**
- Improve communications in areas at high-risk for natural disasters
- Improve interoperability efforts in urban and metropolitan areas at high-risk for threats         of terrorism
- Pre-position or secure interoperable communications in advance for immediate deployment in an emergency or major disaster

## Limitation of Project Scope

- Proposals need to address solutions that include multiple agencies and multiple jurisdictions
- PSIC will not fund:
*Single-Agency Projects*.  PSIC **will not** support projects whose emphasis is on the internal communications needs of a single agency, even if an agency has a considerable number of offices or use in different cities or regions of the State/Territory.  Investments should include multiple agencies and/or multiple disciplines.
*Single-Jurisdiction Projects*.  PSIC **will not** support an interoperability project that only serves a single jurisdiction. Investment Justifications should be multi-jurisdictional and/or regional in scope.

## Key Features of PSIC

**Period of Performance**:**  **The project period begins on October 1, 2007 and ends on September 30, 2010
**Statewide Planning**:**  **Up to 5 percent of the total funds allocated to a State or territory will be reimbursed for costs incurred related to incorporating the PSIC criteria into Statewide Communications Interoperability Plans (Statewide Plan)
**Technical Review**:**  **Remaining funds (95 percent) will be contingent upon submission, technical review, and approval of a Statewide Plan and Investment Justification

## Key Features of PSIC

**Match**: PSIC includes a statutory requirement of not-less-than 20 percent match for the total project costs associated with the acquisition, deployment, and management and administration (M&A) categories
**Pass-through Requirement**: To be eligible to receive PSIC funding assistance from an SAA, a public safety agency must be a State, local, or tribal government entity or authorized nongovernmental organization
**Strategic Technology Reserve (STR):**  States and Territories are required to establish and implement a STR to pre-position or secure interoperable communications in advance for immediate deployment in an emergency situation or major disaster

## Funding Flow

**1 The State or Territory may retain some or all of the pass-through for expenditures made on behalf of the pass-through local entities. This may occur only if requested in writing by the pass-through recipients.  In this case, **_**a written Memorandum of Understanding between the State/Territory and local recipient must be submitted with the IJ**_**. **

## Strategic Technology Reserve

**A total of $75 million for STR Funding has been divided by a presumptive funding amount proportionate to the State or Territories total allocation.  **
**The STR must be capable of re-establishing communications when existing critical infrastructure is damaged or destroyed in an emergency or a major disaster. **
**States and Territories should submit an Investment reflecting a project that includes at least the presumptive funding amount to establish and implement an STR. **

## Applicants are required to provide, from non-federal  sources, not less than 20 percent of the costs of acquiring and deploying the interoperable communications systems funded under this program. 

Match can be met by in-kind and cash from non-federal sources of funding

Planning, coordination, and training costs do not require a match

For acquisition and deployment activities, for every $4 of federal share towards acquisition and deployment, the grantee must match with at least $1 of non-federal share through cash and/or in-kind source.

Match must be DEMONSTRATED and DOCUMENTED

- Match can be met by in-kind and cash from non-federal sources of funding
- Planning, coordination, and training costs do not require a match
- For acquisition and deployment activities, for every $4 of federal share towards acquisition and deployment, the grantee must match with at least $1 of non-federal share through cash and/or in-kind source.
- Match must be _DEMONSTRATED_ and _DOCUMENTED_

**Matching Requirements**

## Matching Examples

**Matching Examples**

| EXAMPLE 2 |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   | PSIC Federal Funds Requested | Non-Federal Matching Fund Amount | Total Investment |
| Acquisition | $800,000  | $200,000  | $1,000,000  |
| Deployment | $200,000  | $50,000  | $250,000  |
| Training | $50,000  | $0  | $50,000  |
| Planning | $50,000  | $0  | $50,000  |
| Total | $1,100,000  | $250,000  | $1,350,000  |

| EXAMPLE 1 |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   | PSIC Federal Funds Requested | Non-Federal Matching Fund Amount | Total Investment |
| Acquisition | $400,000  | $100,000  | $500,000  |
| Deployment | $400,000  | $100,000  | $500,000  |
| Training | $0  | $0  | $0  |
| Planning | $0  | $0  | $0  |
| Total | $800,000  | $200,000  | $1,000,000  |

## The non-federal matching sources
Must be allowable costs in the overall PSIC Grant Program
Must be a cost related to acquisition, deployment, and/or management and administration of the interoperability project

Examples of matches
Officer Jones normally works 100% of the time patrolling the streets.  If the officer is reassigned to 50% of the time patrolling and 50% of the time implementing the PSIC grant project, half of the salaries and benefits costs associated with Officer Jones would be an eligible in-kind matching source.   Applicant must DEMONSTRATE and DOCUMENT the time, salary, and benefits of the Officer Jones.
A donation of land is provided to the State to build a tower.  Document the fair market value of the contribution (what would you pay if it wasn’t donated?)  DOCUMENT the donor, date and location of donation, description of item/service, and estimated value.  

- The non-federal matching sources
- Must be allowable costs in the overall PSIC Grant Program
- Must be a cost related to acquisition, deployment, and/or management and administration of the interoperability project
- Examples of matches
- Officer Jones normally works 100% of the time patrolling the streets.  If the officer is reassigned to 50% of the time patrolling and 50% of the time implementing the PSIC grant project, half of the salaries and benefits costs associated with Officer Jones would be an eligible in-kind matching source.   Applicant must** **_**DEMONSTRATE**_ and _**DOCUMENT**_ the time, salary, and benefits of the Officer Jones.
- A donation of land is provided to the State to build a tower.  Document the fair market value of the contribution (what would you pay if it wasn’t donated?)  _**DOCUMENT**_ the donor, date and location of donation, description of item/service, and estimated value.

**Matching Details**

## Statewide Plans & PSIC

**Statewide Plans are due December 3, 2007**
**Statewide Plans must incorporate the four PSIC criteria**:
- Description of how public safety agencies will plan and** **coordinate, acquire, deploy and train on interoperable communications equipment, software and systems that (1) utilize reallocated public safety – the public safety spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band, (2) enable interoperability communications systems that can utilize reallocated public safety spectrum for radio communications, or (3) otherwise improve or advance the interoperability of public safety communications systems that utilize other public safety spectrum bands;
- Description of how a strategic technology reserve will be established and implemented to pre-position or secure interoperable communications in advance for immediate deployment in an emergency or major disaster;
- Description of how local and tribal government entities’ interoperable communications needs have been included in the planning process and how their needs are being addressed, if applicable and
- Description of how nongovernmental organizations’ interoperable communications needs have been included in the planning process and how their needs are being addressed, if applicable

## Investment Justification

- Investment Justification is due December 3, 2003
- An Investment Justification template was released that provides the format to submit proposed initiatives for the PSIC funding
- All States and Territories will be required to develop and submit an Investment Justification to request      PSIC funding
- Investments should include State, local, tribal agency, and nongovernmental projects
- States and Territories will be allowed to submit 10  Investment Justifications, including one for the Strategic Technology Reserve (STR)

## Investment Justification Elements

- The Investment Justification Template will ask for the following project information/metrics:

## Staff and Peer IJ Review Process

- The IJ Review Process is in the final stages of development
- The Statewide Plans and IJs will be reviewed together in a peer review setting
- NTIA and DHS staff will also review IJs
- Based on peer and staff recommendations, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce will release funding for approved IJs