2023 Strategic Planning Program

Notice of Funding Availability
2

2023 Strategic Planning Program: Notice of Funding Availability

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is publishing this notice of funding availability

(NOFA) to provide guidelines and requirements for the 2023 Strategic Planning

Program.

• Proposals Due: Accepted on a rolling basis

DRA will accept and review applications until funds are expended.

Funding for this program has been made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure

Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, PL 117-58) signed by President Biden.

For questions about the program, please email strategy@dra.gov.
3

Table of Contents

I. DRA Overview ........................................................... 4

II. Program Overview ...................................................... 4

A. Program Objectives

B. Program Priorities

III. Eligibility Information ...................................................... 6

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Eligible Use

C. Ineligible Use

IV. Application Information .................................................. 7

A. Application Content

B. Review Process

C. Selection Process

V. Technical Assistance ...................................................... 10

VI. Award Information .......................................................... 10

VII. Cost-Sharing Information ....................................,............ 10

VIII. Reporting ................................................................. 11

IX. Administrative Program Requirements ................................. 11

X. Appendix ...................................................................... 22

A. Distressed Communities

B. Persistent Poverty

C. Underserved Communities
4

I. DRA Overview

DRA was established by Congress in 2000 as a formal framework for joint

Federal-State collaboration to serve the eight-state Mississippi River Delta and

Alabama Black Belt regions. DRA promotes economic growth and opportunity by

investing in critical and human infrastructure projects in economically distressed

communities. DRA’s investment priorities include transportation infrastructure, other

basic public infrastructure like water and sewer, small business development with an

emphasis on entrepreneurship, and job training. DRA invests in these areas through

grant programs and strategic partnerships that are open to local units of government,

tribal entities, non-profits, and public institutions of higher learning. DRA evaluates t

impact of these investments by gauging four basic metrics:

• Jobs Created

• Jobs Retained

• Individuals Trained

• Families Affect

The eight states that comprise DRA’s region include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

II. Program Overview

Many communities across the eight-state Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black

Belt regions lack the capacity and resources to strategically plan. Strategic planning is

a collaborative process that involves actors from multiple sectors that plan, implement,

and evaluate projects that address immediate needs and the overall progression of a

community. Unforeseen events like the COVID-19 pandemic illustrate the importance of

communities being able to respond to and mitigate challenges. DRA’s Strategic

Planning Program will award funds across the region to help communities identify and

develop strategic plans to address issues such as infrastructure, industry growth,

workforce pipelines, and small business development. Through planning, communities

are in a better position to seek and secure resources from DRA, other federal agencies,

state, and philanthropic sources. DRA’s intent is to give communities access to

planning resources that will lead to more solution-based outcomes and greater

economic resilience.
5

A. Program Objectives

The overall goal of the Strategic Planning Program is to provide economically

distressed, isolated areas of distress, and persistent poverty communities in the

Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions with the resources necessary

to develop plans that will help alleviate prolonged issues and guide economic growth.

The following objectives were developed to specify desired program outcomes:

• To help revitalize local and regional economies by providing economically distressed

communities across the region access to planning resources that aid

problem-solving.

• To enhance the resilience of underserved communities experiencing social and

economic vulnerability such as high poverty rates, aging infrastructure, and economic

downturns.

• To establish partnerships that reflect the collaborative nature of planning a

problem-solving.

B. Program Priorities

Applicants are strongly encouraged to reflect the following priorities in their proposal

DRA will place special consideration on proposals that reflect these prioritie

• Proposals that demonstrate goals that will improve economic development in

economically distressed, isolated areas of distress, or persistent poverty

communities, such as plans that address job training, improving infrastructure like

water and sewer, and other catalysts for growth.

• Proposals that incorporate input from community members and underserved groups.

For example, focus groups or community meetings that measure community

challenges and needs. (Please reference DRA’s Equity Action Plan or the Appendix to

learn more about underserved groups.)

• Proposals that demonstrate local or regional collaboration. For example, a local

government applying with an institution of higher education or a multi-county/parish

proposal that addresses regional economic development.

• Proposals that demonstrate alignment with DRA’s Regional Development Plan IV.

DRA will prioritize planning activities that demonstrate a regional approach, engage

historically underserved communities, and are anticipated to improve or strengthen

economic development in DRA communities.
6

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible to apply for funds through the Strategic Planning

Program. The program is designed to assist public entities in developing and

implementing plans. Private entities are not eligible applicants.

• Local Units of Government

• Federally Recognized Tribes

• Public Authorities and Associations

• Non-profit Organizations (business incubators and other non-profits of

workforce development services and programs)

• Local Development Districts (LDDs will be required to apply alongside a member

government)

• Metropolitan Planning Organizations

• Institutions of Higher Education

Applicants will have to reside in one of the 252 counties and parishes in DRA’s service

area.

B. Eligible Use

Applicants that are awarded funds through the Strategic Planning Program will be

allowed to conduct plans including, but not limited to, the following: comprehensive

economic development plans master plans, capital improvement plans, workforce

development plans, preliminary engineering reports, transportation plans, broadband

deployment plans, feasibility studies, and utility rate studies.

C. Ineligible Use

Funds will not be allowed for use towards any project activities not related directly to

planning. The hiring of a contractor by a local unit of government or other entities will

be permitted, but the contractor will be required to work solely on the recipient’s

planning priorities.
7

IV. Application Information

Applications for the Strategic Planning Program are available at Strategic Planning

Program - Delta Regional Authority (dra.gov). For any applicants that experience

connectivity issues, please call 601-431-2122.

A. Application Content

The following sections will have to be filled out by all applicants for your application 

be considered complete by DRA.

1. Applicant Information:

Applicants will be required to list information such as location. The applicant’s

service area must overlap with DRA’s service area. Multiple applicants can also

submit a joint application. Examples include cross-state or multi-jurisdictional

strategic planning projects.

2. Project Information:

Applicants are required to describe the type of strategic plan they are proposing,

planning goals, and planning objectives. Applicants are also required to describe

the communities that will be impacted by their strategic plan, community

engagement practices that will be deployed to encourage public input, and

partners involved in the planning process. Examples of community engagement

practices include community town hall meetings, focus groups, and surveys.

Partners can include any local or regional entity that can help the applicant

devise and execute planning goals and activities.

3. Program Objectives:

Applicants are required to describe project outcomes. DRA will grade the

applicant’s desired project outcomes based on their alignment with DRA’s

program objectives.

4. Work Plan:
8

Applicants will be required to describe the tasks necessary to complete the

project including key personnel assigned, time period for completion, and

deliverables.

5. Budget:

Applicants are required to list each budget item. Budgetary items should align

with the proposed project and the work plan.

6. Budget Narrative:

Applicants are required to complete a Budget Narrative. The Budget Narrative

must provide a description of costs associated with each budget item. Each

category should include the total estimated costs for the period of performance.

The Budget Narrative should also include each section described below (as

applicable to the applicant’s proposed project):

a. Leveraged Resources: The Budget Narrative should include a section

describing any leveraged resources provided to support grant activities.

Leveraged resources are all resources, both cash and in-kind, in excess

of this award.

b. Personnel: List all staff positions by title (both current and propose

including the roles and responsibilities. For each position give the annual

salary, the percentage of time devoted to the project, and the amount of

each position’s salary funded by the grant.

c. Fringe Benefits: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentag

that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FIC

retirement, etc.

d. Travel: For grantee staff only, specify the purpose, number of s

traveling, mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and

out-of-state trips, and other estimated costs for each type of travel.

e. Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that

has an estimated acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit (or if your

capitalization level is less than $5,000, use your capitalization level) and a

useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR 200.1 for the definition 

Equipment). List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Items with

a unit cost of less than $5,000 are supplies, not “equipment.” In general,

we do not permit the purchase of equipment during the last funded year

of the grant.

f. Identify the cost of supplies (e.g., general office supplies, desk/chai

laptops/printers, other specialty items) in the detailed budget per
9

category. Except for general office supplies, list the item, quantity, 

the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property

other than “equipment.”

g. Contractual: Under the Contractual line item, delineate contracts and

subawards separately. Contracts are defined according to 2 CFR 200.1 

a legal instrument by which a non-federal entity purchases property or

services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal

award. A subaward, defined by 2 CFR 200.1 means an award provided 

a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out

part of a federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not

include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a

beneficiary of a federal progra

h. For each proposed contract and subaward, specify the purpose and

activities to be provided, and the estimated cost.

i. Other: Provide clear and specific detail, including costs, for each item 

that we can determine whether the costs are necessary, reasonable, and

allocable. List items, such as stipends or incentives, not covered

elsewhere.

B. Review Process

After applications are submitted, they will undergo a validation process. Any

application that is incomplete or deemed ineligible will be rejected. Once applications

are validated, they will be reviewed using the criteria in the following section.

Criterion Points

Applicant Information

I. Acknowledgements

II. Applicant/Co-Applicant Name

III.Project Service Area

Project Information Total: 30

I. Type of Plan 0

II. Project Description 15

III. Plan Rationale 10

IV. Planning Collaboration 5
10

Program Objectives Total: 30

I. Description of the Desired Project Outcomes

Work Plan Total: 30

I. Description of the Project Deliverables

II. Description of the Project Timeline

Budget Total: 5

Budget Narrative Total: 5

C. Selection Process

After review, DRA staff will make recommendations to the Federal Co-Chairman (FCC

The FCC will make the final determination on which applications will be selected f

awards.

V. Technical Assistance

DRA will offer technical assistance to applicants and grant recipients. Technic

assistance will be in the form of workshops, webinars, and one-on-one virtual off

hours. DRA will provide technical assistance to any unsuccessful applicant that would

like guidance on strengthening future applications. For technical assistance, please

email strategy@dra.gov or call 601-431-2122.

VI. Award Information

DRA will award approximately $3 million through this program for FY 2023. Funding

was provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs

Act, PL 117-58). Awards will range from $25,000 - $150,000. Grantees will be required

to sign a participation agreement. The period of performance is up to 24 months.

VII. Cost-Sharing Information

There will be no match associated with this program.
11

VIII. Reporting

Grant recipients will be required to report annually during the period of performance.

Reports will cover the initial stages of your planning activities and implementation.

DRA will provide grantees with a questionnaire to report progress. The first report wi

be due exactly 12 months after the date of the award. For grantees still working on

planning activities, the second report will be due once planning activities have been

completed or exactly 24 months after the date of the award.

IX. Administrative Program Requirements

All grantees will be subject to all applicable federal laws and regulations, including the

OMB Uniform Guidance, and the terms and conditions of the award. The grant(s)

awarded under this RFP will be subject to the following administrative standards and

provisions.

I. Non-Profit Organizations, Educational Institutions, For-profit entities and St

Local, and Indian Tribal Governments–2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative

Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards)

II. All recipients must comply with the applicable provisions of the Workforce

Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Public Law No. 113-328, 128 Stat. 1425

(codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 3101 et. seq.) and the applicable provisions 

the regulations at 20 CFR Part 675 et. seq. Note that 20 CFR Part 683

(Administrative Provisions) allows unsuccessful applicants to file administrati

appeals.

III. All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29

CFR Part 94 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial

Assistance)), 2 CFR Part 180 (OMB Guidance to Agencies on Government-wide

Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement)), and, where applicable, 2 CFR Part

200 (Audit Requirements).

IV. All entities must comply with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IILA) and

the Build America, Buy America Act (the Act), Pub. L. No. 117-58, §§ 70901-52, as

well as the Executive Memorandum M-22-11, dated April 18, 2022, Initial

Implementation Guidance on Application of Buy America Preference in Federal

Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure.

The Act requires the following Buy America preference:
12

1. All iron and steel used in the project are produced in the United States. This means

all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application

of coatings, occurred in the United States.

2. All manufactured products used in the project are produced in the United States.

This means the manufactured product was manufactured in the United States, and

the cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced,

or manufactured in the United States is greater than 55 percent of the total cost of

all components of the manufactured product, unless another standard for

determining the minimum amount of domestic content of the manufactured product

has been established under applicable law or regulation.

3. All construction materials are manufactured in the United States. This means that

all manufacturing processes for the construction material occurred in the United

States.

Pursuant to Section 70914(c) of the Act, DRA may waive the application of a Buy

America preference under an infrastructure program in any case in which the FCC of

DRA finds tha

1. applying the domestic content procurement preference would be inconsistent with

the public interest (a “public interest waiver”);

2. types of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials are not

produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or

a satisfactory quality (a “nonavailability waiver”); or

3. the inclusion of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials

produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more

than 25 percent (an “unreasonable cost waiver”).

Before applying a Buy America preference to a covered program that will affect Trib

Communities, DRA will follow the consultation policies established through Executive

Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments, and

consistent with policies set forth in the Presidential Memorandum of January 26, 2021,

on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-Nation Relationships.

I. Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving

Federal Financial Assistance.

II. Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal

Financial Assistance from the DRA pursuant to the Age Discrimination Act of 1975,
13

as amended. The Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of age by recipients of

Federal financial assistance and in federally assisted programs or activities, b

permits the use of certain age distinctions and factors other than age that meet the

requirements of the Act and this part

III. Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities

Receiving Federal Financial Assistance pursuant to Title IX of the Education

Amendments of 1972, as amended (except sections 904 and 906 of those

Amendments) (20 U.S.C. 1681, 1682, 1683, 1685, 1686, 1687, 1688), which is

designed to eliminate (with certain exceptions) discrimination on the basis of sex in

any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, whether 

not such program or activity is offered or sponsored by an educational institution 

defined in these Title IX regulation

IV. Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

V. Labor Standards for the Registration of Apprenticeship Programs, and Equal

Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training, as applicable.

VI. DRA will follow the procedures outlined in the agency’s Freedom of Information Act

(FOIA) policy. If DRA receives a FOIA request for your application, the procedures in

DRA’s FOIA policies for responding to requests for commercial/business

information submitted to the government will be followed, as well as all FOIA

exemptions and procedures. See generally 5 U.S.C. § 552

VII. DRA programs are covered programs under the Biden Administration’s Justice40

Initiative. As part of Justice40, DRA will identify the benefits of covered program

determine how covered programs distribute benefits, and calculate and report 

reaching the 40-percent goal of the Initiative. Benefits include direct and indire

investments (and program outcomes) that positively impact disadvantaged

communities. Therefore, all entities must comply with reporting, data collection,

and evaluation involved with the Justice40 Initiative.

A. Other Legal Requirements

I. Religious Activities

DRA notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb,

applies to all federal law and its implementation. If an applicant organization is a

faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it
14

may be entitled to receive federal financial assistance under this grant solicitation a

maintain that hiring practice. Religious organizations are eligible on the same basis as

any other organization, to seek DRA support or participate in DRA programs for which

they are otherwise eligible.

II. Lobbying

Lobbying or Fundraising the U.S. Government with Federal Funds In accordance with

Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-65) (2 U.S.C. §

1611), non-profit entities incorporated under Internal Revenue Service Code secti

501(c)(4) that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive federal funds and

grants. No activity, including awareness-raising and advocacy activities, may include

fundraising for, or lobbying of, U.S. federal, state, or local governments (see 2 CFR

200.450for more information).

III. Transparency Act Requirements

You must ensure that you have the necessary processes and systems in place to

comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and

Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by the Government Funding

Transparency Act of 2008, Pub. Law 110-252, Title VI, Chap. 2, Sec. 6202), as follows.

1. Except for those excepted from the Transparency Act under sub-paragraphs 1, 2,

and 3 below, you must ensure that you have the necessary processes and systems

in place to comply with the subaward and executive total compensation reporting

requirements of the Transparency Act, should you receive funding.

2. Upon award, you will receive detailed information on the reporting requirements of

the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part 170, Appendix A, which can be

found at https://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22705.pdf.

The following types of awards are not subject to the Federal Funding Accountability

and Transparency Act.

1. Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive federal awards as natural

persons (e.g., unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or she m

own or operate in his or her name);

2. Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than

$300,000 in the entities' previous tax year; and

3. Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classified informatio

IV. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information (PI
15

Applicants submitting applications in response to this RFP must recognize that

confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the Del

Regional Authority and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the

prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting

application, you are assuring that all data exchanges conducted through or during the

course of performance of this grant will be conducted in a manner consistent with

applicable federal law and TEGL 39-11 (issued June 28, 2012). All such activity

conducted by recipient(s) will be performed in a manner consistent with applicable

state and federal laws.

By submitting a grant application, you agree to take all necessary steps to protect such

confidentiality by complying with the following provisions that are applicable 

governing the handling of confidential information: You must ensure that PII a

sensitive data developed, obtained, or otherwise associated with DRA funded grants is

securely transmitted.

I. To ensure that such PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, all PII and other

sensitive data transmitted via e-mail or stored on CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, etc.,

must be encrypted using a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2

compliant and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) validated

cryptographic module. You must not e-mail unencrypted sensitive PII to any entity,

including DRA or contractors.

II. You must take the steps necessary to ensure the privacy of all PII obtained from

participants and/or other individuals and to protect such information from

unauthorized disclosure. You must maintain such PII in accordance with the DRA

standards for information security and any updates to such standards we provide

to you. Grantees who wish to obtain more information on data security should

contact their Federal Project Offic

III. You must ensure that any PII used during the performance of your grant has been

obtained in conformity with applicable federal and state laws governing the

confidentiality of informatio

IV. You further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through your DRA grant must be

stored in an area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized persons at all

times and the data will be processed using recipient-issued equipment, managed

information technology (IT) services, and designated locations approved by DRA.

Accessing, processing, and storing of DRA grant PII data on personally owned

equipment, at off-site locations, (e.g., employee’s home), and non-recipie
16

managed IT services, (e.g., Yahoo mail), is strictly prohibited unless approved by

DRA.

V. Your employees and other personnel who will have access to sensitive /

confidential / Proprietary / private data must be advised of the confidential na

of the information, the safeguards required to protect the information, and that

there are civil and criminal sanctions for noncompliance with such safeguards that

are contained in federal and state laws.

VI. You must have policies and procedures in place under which your employees and

other personnel, before being granted access to PII, acknowledge their

understanding of the confidential nature of the data and the safeguards with whi

they must complying their handling of such data, as well as the fact that they may

be liable to civil and criminal sanctions for improper disclosure.

VII. You must not extract information from data supplied by DRA for any purpose not

stated in the grant agreement.

VIII. Access to any PII created by the DRA grant must be restricted to only those

employees of the grant recipient who need it in their official capacity to perf

duties in connection with the scope of work in the grant agreement.

IX. All PII data must be processed in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of t

records/ documents and is designed to prevent unauthorized persons from

retrieving such records by computer, remote terminal, or any other means. Data

may be downloaded to, or maintained on, mobile or portable devices only if the

data are encrypted using NIST validated software products based on FIPS 140-2

encryption. In addition, wage data may be accessed only from secure locations.

X. PII data obtained by the recipient through a request from DRA must not be

disclosed to anyone but the individual requestor, except as permitted by the Grant

Officer or by court ord

VIII. You must permit DRA to make onsite inspections during regular business hours

for the purpose of conducting audits and/or conducting other investigations to

assure that you are complying with the confidentiality requirements describ

above. In accordance with this responsibility, you must make records applicable to

this Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection,

review, and/or audit.

IX. You must retain data received from DRA only for the period of time required to use

it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable federal records
17

retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, you agree that all data will be destroyed,

including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic dat

• Record Retention

You must follow federal guidelines on record retention, which require that you maintain

all records pertaining to grant activities for a period of at least three years from the date

of submission of the final expenditure report. See 2 CFR 200.333-.337 for mo

specific information, including information about the start of the record retention peri

for awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, and when the records must be

retained for more than three years.

• Use of Contracts and Subawards

You must abide by the following definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, a

subrecipient.

Contract: Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-federal entity (defined as

state or local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), non-prof

organization, for-profit entity, foreign public entity, or a foreign organization that carri

out a federal award as a recipient or subrecipient) purchases property or services

needed to carry out the project or program under a federal award. The term as used in

this RFP does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-federal entity considers it

a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a feder

award or subaward (see definition of Subaward below

Contractor: Contractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined above 

Contract.

Subaward: Subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity (defined as

non-federal entity that provides a subaward to a subrecipient to carry out part of a

federal program) to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a federal

award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a

contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a federal program.

subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an

agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.

Subrecipient: Subrecipient means a non-federal entity that receives a subaward from a

pass-through entity to carry out part of a federal program, but does not include an

individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A subrecipient may also be a recipie

of other federal awards directly from a federal awarding agency.
18

You must follow the provisions at 2 CFR 200.330-.332 regarding subrecipient

monitoring and management. Also see 2 CFR 200.308(c)(6) regarding prior approval

requirements for subawards. When awarding subawards, you are required to comply

with provisions on government-wide suspension and debarment found at 2 CFR Part

180 and codified at 2 CFR Part 299

• Closeout of Grant Award

Any entity that receives an award under this Announcement must close its grant with

DRA at the end of the final year of the gran

B. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions

Except as specifically provided in this RFP, our acceptance of an application and 

award of federal funds to sponsor any programs(s) does not provide a waiver of any

grant requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB Uniform Guidance

requires that an entity’s procurement procedures ensure that all procurement

transactions are conducted, as much as practical, to provide full and open competition.

If an application identifies a specific entity to provide goods or services, the a

does not provide the justification or basis to sole-source the procurement (i.e., avo

competition).

C. Special Program Requirements

DRA Evaluation

As a condition of grant award, grantees are required to participate in an evaluation, if

undertaken by DRA. The evaluation may include an implementation assessment across

grantees, an impact and/or outcomes analysis of all or selected sites within or across

grantees, and a benefit/cost analysis or assessment of return on investmen

Conducting an impact analysis could involve random assignment (which involves

random assignment of eligible participants into a treatment group that would receive

program services or enhanced program services, or into control group(s) that would

receive no program services or program services that are not enhanced). We may

require applicants to collect data elements to aid the evaluation. As a part of the

evaluation, as a condition of award, grantees must agree to:

(1) make records available to the evaluation contractor on participants, employers, and

funding;
19

(2) provide access to program operating personnel, participants, and operational and

financial records, and any other relevant documents to calculate program costs a

benefits; a

(3) in the case of an impact analysis, facilitate the assignment by lottery of participants

to program services, including the possible increased recruitment of potential

participants; and

(4) follow evaluation procedures as specified by the evaluation contractor under t

direction

of DRA.

Performance Goals

Please note that applicants will be held to outcomes provided, and failure to meet

those outcomes may result in technical assistance or other intervention by DRA, and

may also have a significant impact on decisions about future grants with DR

D. Definitio

Construction materials

Construction materials includes an article, material, or supply – other than an item of

primarily iron or steel; a manufactured product; cement and cementitious materials;

aggregates such as stone, sand, or gravel; or aggregate binding agents or additives –

that is or consists primarily of:

• non-ferrous metals;

• plastic and polymer-based products (including polyvinylchloride, composite

building materials, and polymers used in fiber optic cables

• glass (including optic glass);

• lumber; or

• drywall.

Domestic content procurement preference means all iron and steel used in the project

are produced in the United States; the manufactured products used in the project are

produced in the United States; or the construction materials used in the project are

produced in the United States.

Infrastructure:

Infrastructure includes, a minimum, the structure, facilities, and equipment for, in the

United States (1) roads, highways, and bridges; (2) public transportation; (3) dams,
20

ports, harbors, and other maritime systems; (4) intercity passenger and freight

railroads; (5) freight and intermodal facilities; (6) airports; (7) water systems; including

drinking water and wastewater systems; (8) electrical transmission facilities and

systems; (9) utilities; (10) broadband infrastructure; and (11) buildings and real property.

Infrastructure includes facilities that generate, transport, and distribute energy.

Project:

Project means the construction alteration, maintenance, or repair of infrastructure in the

United States.

X. Appendix

A. Distressed Communities

DRA defines, pursuant to its statute, 7 USC 2009aa-5, a distressed community as

county, parish, or an isolated area of distress located in non-distressed counties or

parishes which are “the most severely and persistently distressed and underdeveloped

and have high rates of poverty or unemployment.” This definition is applicable to all 

DRA’s covered programs. A complete list of economically distressed counties and

parishes and isolated areas of distress in non-distressed counties and parishes can be

found here.

B. Persistent Poverty

DRA applies the USDA Economic Research Service’s definition of persistent poverty 

identify persistent poverty counties and parishes across the region. Persistent poverty

counties and parishes are counties and parishes that have experienced a poverty rate

of 20% or greater for at least 30 years.

There are 109 persistent poverty counties and parishes across DRA’s eight-state

region:

State County/Parish

AL Barbour County

AL Bullock County

AL Butler County

AL Choctaw

County
21

AL Clarke County

AL Conecuh

County

AL Dallas County

AL Escambia

County

AL Greene County

AL Hale County

AL

Lowndes

County

AL Macon County

AL Marengo

County

AL Monroe County

ALPerry County

ALPickens County

AL Sumter County

ALWilcox County

AR Bradley County

AR Chicot County

AR Crittenden

County

AR Desha County

AR Je

ffers

County

ARLee County

AR Mississippi

County

AR Monroe County

AR Phillips County

ARPoinsett County

AR

St.Francis

County
22

AR Searcy County

AR

Woodru

County

IL Alexander

County

IL Jackson County

ILPulaski County

KYFulton County

LA AcadiaParish

LAAvoyellesParish

LA BienvilleParish

LA

Catahoula Parish

LA ClaiborneParish

LA Concordia Parish

LA East

Carroll

Parish

LA East

Feliciana

Parish

LA

Evangeline Parish

LAFranklinParish

LA LincolnParish

LA MadisonParish

LA Morehouse Parish

LA Natchitoches Parish

LA OrleansParish

LA OuachitaParish

LA Red RiverParish

LA RichlandParish
23

LA

St. Helena Parish

LA

St. Landry

Parish

LA

Tangipahoa Parish

LATensasParish

LA

Washington Parish

LA

WestCarroll

Parish

LAWinnParish

MS Adams County

MS Amite County

MSAttala County

MS Benton County

MS Bolivar County

MS Claiborne

County

MS Coahoma

County

MS Copiah County

MS Covington

County

MSFranklin County

MS Grenada County

MS Holmes County

MS Humphreys

County

MS Issaquena

County

MS Jasper County

MS Je

ffers

County

MS Je

fferson Dav

County
24

MS Lafayett

e

County

MSLefle County

MS Marion County

MS Marshall County

MS Montgomer

y

County

MSPanola County

MSPike County

MS Quitman County

MS Sharkey County

MS Simpson

County

MS Sun

flow

County

MS

Tallahatchie

County

MSTunica County

MSWalthall County

MS

Washington

County

MS

Wilkinson

County

MS

Yalobusha

County

MSYazoo County

MOCarter County

MO Dunklin County

MO Mississippi

County

MO New Madrid

County

MO Oregon County

MO

Pemiscot

County
25

MO Reynolds

County

MO Ripley County

MO Shannon

County

MO Texas County

MO Washington

County

MO Wayne County

MO Wright County

TN Lake County

C. Underserved Communities

DRA applies the definition of underserved communities used in Executive Ord

13985, titled “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities

Through the Federal Government.” This E.O. defines underserved communities a

“populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities,

that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of

economic, social, and civic life...” The E.O. lists individuals that belong to

underserved communities as, “Black, Latino, and indigenous and Native American

persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of colo

members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer

(LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and

persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality