Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 26, 2000 / Notices 24507

submit a document (or portion thereof)

to the Commission in confidence must

request confidential treatment unless

the information has already been

granted such treatment during the

proceedings. All such requests should

be directed to the Secretary of the

Commission and must include a full

statement of the reasons why the

Commission should grant such

treatment. See section 201.6 of the

Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure, 19 CFR 201.6. Documents for

which confidential treatment by the

Commission is sought will be treated

accordingly. All nonconfidential written

submissions will be available for public

inspection at the Office of the Secretary.

This action is taken under the

authority of section 337 of the Tariff Act

of 1930, 19 U.S.C. 1337, and sections

210.45–210.51 of the Commission’s

Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR

210.45–210.51.

Copies of the public version of the ID,

and all other nonconfidential

documents filed in connection with this

investigation, are or will be available for

inspection during official business

hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the

Office of the Secretary, U.S.

International Trade Commission, 500 E

Street SW, Washington, DC 20436,

telephone 202–205–2000.

By order of the Commission.

Issued: April 20, 2000.

Donna R. Koehnke,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–10426 Filed 4–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections

Solicitation for a Cooperative

Agreement—Technical Assistance in

Institution Mission Change

AGENCY: National Institute of

Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative

Agreement.

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice

(DOJ), National Institute of Corrections

(NIC) announces the availability of

funds in FY 2000 for a cooperative

agreement to provide Technical

Assistance to state correctional agencies

in addressing the change of mission in

a state prison(s).

Background

With the unprecedented growth of

offender populations, the changing

profile of the offenders (increasing

numbers of aging, violent juveniles

sentenced as adults, women, mentally

ill, etc.), and the inability of many

jurisdictions to keep pace with

construction of appropriate facilities,

many correctional systems have been

required to change all or a portion of the

original mission of existing institutions.

This has often resulted in substantial

changes in levels of staffing, shifting

roles and responsibilities, facility

renovation that has changed the nature

of staff/inmate contact and delivery of

service, reassignment of staff, and

increased training needs. In some

instances, dramatic mission change has

occurred as, for example, prisons for

men have become women’s prisons,

juvenile facilities have become adult, or

mental health facilities have become

standard prisons. In other instances,

with the movement of lower custody

inmates to other states or to private

contract facilities, the percentage of

violent or difficult inmates has

increased and impacted the mission of

the facility. In addition, as prison

systems have expanded and some

institutions have become more crowded

without corresponding increases in

funding and, in many instances,

reduction of resources, a former mission

has become obsolete without a planned

or intentional change of mission.

In FY99 the National Institute of

Corrections (NIC) sponsored a

cooperative agreement for the study of

institution mission change. The

experience of eleven (11) institutions

whose core mission had been changed

was examined. Through observation,

interviews, and other strategies

designed to gain understanding of the

change process, the central elements of

successful organizational change in the

institutional context were identified.

The methodology, processes, and

strategies for successful management of

mission change were studied and the

lessons learned, both positive and

negative, were documented. The impact

of organizational change on correctional

staff, the resulting role confusion or

disparity, and strategies for minimizing

negative staff effects were specifically

examined.

A report documenting the relevant

data and findings was prepared and

materials were developed that will

assist in planning and implementing

mission change. These materials include

facilitation guides to assist

administrators in establishment of

executive parameters governing

decision-making, strategic planning

guides related to mission change,

project management software, and

materials to assist in presenting

supervisor and staff workshops to

enhance understanding of change, the

change process, and the agency/

institution plan.

In a collaborative venture with the

NIC Prisons Division, the recipient of

the FY2000 Cooperative Agreement will

provide Technical Assistance to a

minimum of 5 state correctional

agencies/institutions in addressing

mission change. This may include

agencies/institutions who are

experiencing difficulties because of

mission change that occurred in the

recent past, those who are planning or

preparing to implement mission change,

or other change scenarios that are

consistent with the objectives of this

project. The agencies receiving

assistance may include those who

participated in the FT1999 project or

others expressing a need and interest.

The project awardee and NIC will

develop an announcement of the award

in which requests for assistance are

solicited. A questionnaire will be

included with the announcement that

will gather basic information concerning

the nature of the need in the agencies/

institutions applying for the assistance.

The awardee and NIC will jointly select

participant agencies based on factors

including, but not limited to, the nature

of the need identified, representation of

types of mission change, region of the

country, size of the jurisdiction/

institution, and other factors identified

by applicants for this cooperative

agreement. The Technical Assistance

will be fully documented including, at

minimum, a description of the problem

or need, documentation of the awardee’s

on-site assessment, strategies employed

in providing assistance, and an outcome

evaluation and narrative.

A total of $152,000 is reserved for this

project which will support one

cooperative agreement for a 12 month

period. The recipient of the award will

be selected through a competitive

solicitation process. Dick Franklin is the

designated NIC project manager.

Project Scope

The goals of this cooperative

agreement include the following:

• In selecting participant agencies/

institutions, explore the background of

the request for Technical Assistance to

determine, at minimum, the nature of

the issue/problem to be addressed,

feasibility of Technical Assistance as a

vehicle to address the issue/problem,

probable strategies and resources

required for successful intervention, and

the level of impact successful

intervention will have in the agency/

institution.

• Determine the level of commitment

of the staff who are essential to

successful intervention and their ability

24508 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 26, 2000 / Notices

and willingness to be full partners in the

effort to provide assistance.

• Upon selection of an agency/

institution for participation, in-depth

assessment of the environment and

operation to achieve understanding of

the issue/problem, whether the desired

change is a reasonable objective, and

other issues critical in assessment of the

feasibility of intervention.

• Identify forces and stakeholders,

including community and other external

influences, that impact upon the

acceptance and adjustment to change by

the organization, institutional

operations and programs, and staff.

• Identify probable strategies of

interface and develop strategies for

intervention that has the acceptance and

full support of the agency and

institution leadership and shows

promise of successful assistance/

intervention.

• Develop a summary report of the

assistance provided that will provide

correctional administrators with

insights in addressing issues/problems

of change or in planning and

implementing mission change. The

summary report will consist of an

expanded case study of each of the

participating sites.

• Develop a summary of the project

consisting of lessons learned and

guidelines for the management of

mission change.

• Assess outcomes and the impact of

the project relative to its stated intent

and the needs of the field.

Specific Requirements

The successful applicant will propose

a project approach that will ensure

accomplishment of each of the stated

goals of this project. At minimum, the

following requirements will be met in

pursuit of the stated goals:

• Review of the FY 1999 Management

of Institution Mission Change project

deliverables.

• Identification of relevant literature

and other information that will

illuminate the subject area and

contribute to understanding of the key

issues of promising approaches to

change in the institution environment.

• Formation of a conceptual

framework reflecting awareness of the

issues in change in an institution

environment and project staff

possessing the requisite skills and

knowledge essential to the success of

the project.

• Coordination with the NIC project

director at critical points in project

development and as necessary to ensure

clarity and accomplishment of goals and

a satisfactory outcome.

Additional, specific requirements

related to the training package are as

follows:

Following review in draft form by the

project coordinator, the summary report

must be professionally edited and

submitted in camera-ready hard copy

and 3.5′′ computer disk or zip drive disk

using WordPerfect 7.0 or higher

software for use with IBM compatible

computers with Windows operating

systems.

It will be the responsibility of the

award recipient to secure written

approval to use any copyrighted

materials or photographs and to provide

the original approval with the

documents.

Authority: Public Law 93–415.

Funds Available

The award will be limited to a

maximum of $152,000 (direct and

indirect costs) and project activity must

be completed within 12 months of the

date of award. Funds may not be used

for construction, or to acquire or build

real property. This project will be a

collaborative venture with the NIC

Prisons Division.

Application Requirements

Applicants must prepare a proposal

that defines their plan for meeting the

goals and requirements of this project.

They are expected to define the

conceptual framework most appropriate

and relevant and the methodology to

used in pursuing the project goals. In

addition, they will identify a project

staff in which all of the requisite skills

are represented and who have made a

commitment of time to the project. The

conceptual framework of the proposal

will demonstrate the applicants

understanding of the management of

change in the institution context and,

though subject to further definition

based on the nature of the requests for

assistance, will demonstrate the

applicants vision of the completed

project.

Funding for this project has been

established at $152,000. The applicant

must provide a budget and budget

narrative that clearly identifies the

allocation of funds for achievement of

the goals of the cooperative agreement.

The rationale for the expenditures must

be provided in the budget narrative

unless patently obvious in the proposal.

Deadline for Receipt of Applications

Applications must be received by 4:00

p.m., EDT, on Friday, May 26, 2000.

They should be addressed to: Director,

National Institute of Corrections, 320

First Street, NW, Room 5007,

Washington, DC 20534. Hand delivered

applications should be brought to 500

First Street, NW, Washington, DC

20534. The front desk will call Bobbi

Tinsley at (202) 307–3106, extension 0

for pickup.

ADDRESSES AND FURTHER INFORMATION:

Request for the applicant kit, should be

directed to Judy Evens, Cooperative

Agreement Control Office, National

Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street,

N. W., Room 5007, Washington, D. C.

20534 or by calling 800–995–6423, ext.

159, 202–307–3106, ext. 159, or email:

jevens@bop.gov. A copy of this

announcement and application forms

may also be obtained through the NIC

web site: http//www.nic.org (click on

‘‘What’s New’’ and ‘‘Cooperative

Agreements’’). All technical and/or

programmatic questions concerning this

announcement should be directed to

Dick Franklin at the above address or by

calling 800–995–6423 or 202–307–1300,

ext. 145, or by E-mail via

rfranklin@bop.gov.

Project Completion

The award recipient will be

responsible to submit all required

reports and corrections or revisions of

materials in a timely manner. The

project period is 12 months from the

date of the award and the project will

not be deemed to have been completed

until a final draft is accepted by the

project coordinator.

Eligible Applicants

An eligible applicant is any state or

general unit of local government, public

or private, educational institutional,

organization, team, or individual with

the requisite skills to successfully meet

the outcome objectives of the project.

Review Considerations

Applications received under this

announcement will be subjected to an

NIC 3 to 5 member Peer Review Process.

It is anticipated that the award will be

made within 60–90 days following the

application due date.

Number of Awards: One (1).

NIC Application Number: 00P05 This

number should appear as a reference

line in your cover letter and also in box

11 of Standard Form 424.

Executive Order 12372

This program is subject to the

provision of Executive Order 12372.

Executive Order 12372 allows States the

option of setting up a system for

reviewing applications from within

their States for assistance under certain

Federal programs. Applicants (other

than Federally-recognized Indian tribal

governments) should contact their State

Single Point of Contact (SPOC), a list of

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 26, 2000 / Notices 24509

which is included in the application kit,

along with further instructions on

proposed projects serving more than one

State.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number: 16.603

Dated: April 20, 2000.

Morris L. Thigpen,

Director, National Institute of Corrections.

[FR Doc. 00–10327 Filed 4–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–36–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden

conducts a preclearance consultation

program to provide the general public

and Federal agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden (time and

financial resources) is minimized,

collection instruments are clearly

understood, and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed. Currently, the Office

of the Chief Financial Officer is

soliciting comments concerning the

proposed extension of Department of

Labor regulations implementing various

provisions of the Debt Collection Act of

1982, including Disclosure of

Information to Credit Reporting

Agencies; Administrative Offset;

Interest, Penalties and Administrative

Costs.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted to the office listed in the

addressee section below on or before

June 26, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be

submitted in writing to Mark Wolkow,

Department of Labor, Office of the Chief

Financial Officer, Room S–4502 Frances

Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave.

NW, Washington, D.C. 20210; via fax to

202–219–4975; or via email to wolkowmark@dol.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Wolkow, Division of Policy and

Internal Control at 202–219–8184 x127,

or via email at wolkow-mark@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Debt Collection Act of 1982 and

the Federal Claims Collection

Standards, as implemented in the

Department by 29 CFR Part 20, require

Federal agencies to afford debtors the

opportunity to exercise certain rights

before the agency reports a debt to a

credit bureau or makes an

administrative offset. In the exercise of

these rights, the debtor may be asked to

provide a written explanation of the

basis for disputing the amount or

existence of a debt alleged owed the

agency. A debtor may also be required

to provide asset, income, liability, or

other information necessary for the

agency to determine the debtor’s ability

to repay the debt, including any interest,

penalties and administrative costs

assessed.

Information provided by the debtor

will be evaluated by the agency official

responsible for collection of the debt in

order to reconsider his/her initial

decision with regard to the existence or

amount of the debt. Information

concerning the debtor’s assets, income,

liabilities, etc., will be used by the

agency official responsible for collection

of the debt to determine whether the

agency’s action with regard to

administrative offset or the assessment

of interest, administrative costs or

penalties would create undue financial

hardship for the debtor, or to determine

whether the agency should accept the

debtor’s proposed repayment schedule.

If a debtor disputes or asks for

reconsideration of the agency’s

determination concerning the debt, the

debtor will be required to provide the

information or documentation necessary

to state his/her case. Presumably, the

agency’s initial determination would

not change without the submission of

new information.

Information concerning the debtor’s

assets, income, liabilities, etc., would

typically not be available to the agency

unless submitted by the debtor.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

The Department of Labor is

particularly interested in comments

which:

• Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

• Evaluate the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

• Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., EA permitting electronic

submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

Failure of the agency to request the

information described would either

violate the debtor’s rights under the

Debt Collection Act of 1982 or limit the

agency’s ability to collect outstanding

debts.

If a debtor wishes to appeal an agency

action based on undue financial

hardship, he/she may be asked to

submit information on his/her assets,

income, liabilities, or other information

considered necessary by the agency

official for evaluating the appeal. Use of

the information will be explained to the

debtor when it is requested; consent to

use the information for the specified

purpose will be implied from the

debtor’s submission of the information.

IV. Type of Review: Extension without

change.

V. Agency: Office of the Chief

Financial Officer.

VI. Title: Disclosure of Information to

Credit Reporting Agencies;

Administrative Offset; Interest penalties

and Administrative Costs.

VII. OMB Number: 1225–0030.

VIII. Affected Public: Individuals or

households; businesses or other forprofit; not-for-profit institutions; small

business or organizations; farms;

Federal employees.

IX. Cite/Reference/Form/etc: It is

estimated that 10% of the individuals

and organizations indebted to the

Department will contest the proposed

collection action and will request an

administrative review and/or appeal an

action based on undue financial

hardship. In some cases the debtor will

make one request, but not the other.

However, in most cases, it is expected

that the debtor will request both

actions—first, administrative review of

the determination of indebtedness, and

second, relief because of undue

financial hardship.

Annual burden was estimated based

on a review of debtor responses to

similar requests for information. Debtors

typically respond in 1–2 page letters,

supplemented by copies of documents.

Letters are most often typewritten.

Annual burden is based on a 13⁄4 hour

time allotment to prepare and type a