[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 76 (Friday, April 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19972-19980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7497]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Workforce Investment Act--Migrants and Seasonal Farmworkers 
Program Solicitation for Grant Applications--National Farmworker Jobs 
Program for Program Year 2007

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training 
Administration.

ACTION: New. Initial announcement of a Program Year (PY) 2007 grant 
competition for operating the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) 
under section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29 
U.S.C. 2912.

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    Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA-PY 06-04.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.264.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (the Department or DOL), 
Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Workforce 
Investment (OWI), Division of Adult Services (DAS), announces a grant 
competition for operating the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), 
under section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29 
U.S.C. 2912. All applicants for grant funds should read this notice in 
its entirety. Under WIA section 167 (a) the Secretary must award grants 
or contracts on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the 
purposes of carrying out the activities authorized under section 167. 
Under this solicitation, DAS anticipates that approximately 
$74,302,000, allotted among state service areas, will be available for 
grant awards for the NFJP.

DATES: Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under 
this announcement is May 29, 2007. Applications must be received at the 
address below no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be directed to the U.S. Department 
of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal 
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Room N-4673, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Other submission options are 
discussed in Section IV of this solicitation.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training 
Administration, Office of Workforce Investment (OWI), Division of Adult 
Services (DAS) is requesting grant applications for operating the 
National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) in accordance with section 167 
of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29 U.S.C. 2912. The NFJP 
is designed to serve economically disadvantaged persons who primarily 
depend on employment in agricultural labor performed within the United 
States, including Puerto Rico, and who experience chronic unemployment 
or underemployment. Qualifying participants are typically those persons 
employed on a seasonal or part-time basis in the unskilled and semi-
skilled manual labor occupations in crop and animal production. Through 
training and other workforce development services, the program is 
intended to assist eligible migrants and seasonal farmworkers and their 
families to prepare for jobs likely to provide stable, year-round 
employment both within and outside agriculture.
    The economic transformation brought about by advances in technology 
and information has ushered in the globalization era; in turn, this has 
caused the U.S. economy to put in place strategic and structural 
changes that allow businesses to adapt quickly to different business 
conditions. For workers, globalization has meant an increased emphasis 
on their ability to retool their skill requirements in response to new 
business needs. Agricultural employers and farmworkers face substantial 
challenges in adapting to the new, global economy. Increasingly, 
globalization has caused U.S. agricultural employers, particularly 
those smaller agricultural entities in rural areas, to face worker 
shortages and decreased markets for their products. Farmworkers and 
other agricultural laborers have found increasingly tighter employment 
markets, due in part to technological advances in harvesting a variety 
of crops, and the increased use of foreign agricultural workers by U.S. 
agricultural entities. In response to these developments, ETA has 
pursued, for the last five years, a strategy to assist agricultural 
employers and farmworkers alike by emphasizing greater access to the 
full spectrum of services available from locally-operated One-Stop 
Career Centers, not just services funded through the WIA Section 167 
program (NFJP). This strategy is intended to continue the workforce 
system's movement towards integrated service delivery that is 
responsive to the demands of the labor market.
    At the same time, ETA recognizes that while global competition is a 
national challenge, the effects are largely seen at the local/regional 
level, where localities and regions strive to develop innovative 
solutions to restart or reshape their economies. In an effort to assist 
such regional economies in accomplishing their goals for economic 
transformation, and to expand employment and advancement opportunities 
for American workers, ETA launched the Workforce Innovation in Regional 
Economic Development (WIRED) initiative in February 2006. The WIRED 
framework brings together all the key players in a region to leverage 
their collective public and private sector assets and resources in 
order to devise strategies that focus on infrastructure, investment, 
and talent development that will optimize innovation and successful 
regional transformation. The role of the workforce investment system 
under the WIRED framework is to focus on talent development strategies 
that provide new opportunities for American workers and catalyzes new 
job growth and regional economic competitiveness. Applicants are 
strongly encouraged to visit http://www.doleta.gov/WIRED for additional 
information on the WIRED initiative.
    ETA believes that the NFJP can benefit from principles established 
under WIRED, particularly talent development strategies, and a 
continued commitment to an integration strategy established in previous 
years. Therefore, the PY 2007 SGA contains elements of both; i.e., it 
requires applicants responding to this SGA to design their programs 
around priorities that

[[Page 19973]]

continue to support the system's progress towards fully integrated 
services, as well as beginning the movement of the NFJP activities into 
the WIRED framework.
    To that end, the following priorities are required to be addressed 
in all applications:

Expansion of Employment Opportunities for Farmworkers Through Specific 
Targeting of Employers and Occupations in High Growth Industries--
Building a Demand-Driven System

    The PY 2007 SGA builds upon the requirement initiated in the last 
NFJP grants competition that applicants establish an annual goal to 
increase the number of employers with whom they do business, to 
describe the strategies that demonstrate that continued expansion, as 
well as to ensure that such strategies result in enhanced employment 
opportunities for farmworkers. Applicants are required to provide an 
analysis of the industries currently in the regions where farmworkers 
work and live, particularly high growth industries; the occupations in 
those industries for which farmworkers could be trained; the outreach 
strategies to be used to ensure that opportunities are created for 
farmworkers to access those occupations; and an analysis of the 
farmworker labor pool in the area. Applicants must describe the 
challenges to be addressed in preparing farmworkers for these 
employment opportunities, including ``mapping'' the educational 
resources available in the requested service area that can be accessed 
to prepare farmworkers for these and other employment opportunities.
    An analysis of the economic conditions in those areas/regions; how 
the conditions influence the availability of jobs in high growth 
industries; and how those economic conditions influence the influx of 
new industries to the state must be included. In addition, applicants 
are required to identify successful micro-enterprise and other 
entrepreneurial opportunities and practices for migrants and seasonal 
farmworkers, describe the strategies to be developed and implemented to 
lead the NFJP towards farmworker talent development through these 
entrepreneurial opportunities, and discuss how employers and other key 
players in the state will be involved in the development of these 
opportunities.

A Balanced Program of Activities--Continued Progress Towards Enhanced 
Integration Through the One-Stop System With Improved Service Delivery 
and Increased Efficiencies

    Integrated service delivery remains essential to a demand-driven 
workforce system that effectively serves businesses and individuals. 
The workforce system must operate as a seamless system functionally 
organized around service delivery rather than as an array of separate 
programs with separate processes. The objective is for ``customers'' to 
be seen as customers of the workforce investment system, not a 
particular program. This goal is particularly important when focusing 
on targeted populations such as migrants and seasonal farmworkers. 
Better integration and delivery of services within the One-Stop system, 
of which the NFJP is a required partner, can significantly increase the 
number of farmworkers who receive high quality workforce investment 
services that lead to improved employment and earnings. It also leads 
to optimum use of limited resources by all the partners in the 
workforce system on behalf of their farmworker customers.
    Critical to this goal is an applicant's strategy for balancing the 
mix of activities and services to be offered to farmworkers. Related 
assistance services (such as emergency assistance, supportive services, 
English as a Second Language, or other services intended to assist 
farmworkers to enter training or retain their employment) are an 
important component in the menu of services provided to farmworkers. 
However, the central focus of the NFJP remains employment and training 
services that lead to higher skilled and higher paid employment for 
farmworkers, either within or outside agriculture. Part of that focus 
must be to provide for career guidance, lifelong learning 
opportunities, and other educational approaches appropriate to the 
population to be served, such as apprenticeships and post-secondary 
education, that serves the applicant's talent development strategy and 
helps to leverage resources from other strategic partners in the 
system. Applicants must describe how their intended mix of program 
services, including appropriate educational activities, reflects the 
central importance of employment and training services that leverage 
economic outcomes for farmworkers. In addition, applicants are required 
to describe the strategic planning and operational steps they will 
undertake to have a significant, consistent impact on services 
integration.
    The NFJP is subject to the requirements found at WIA section 167 
and the Department's regulations at 20 CFR part 669. This program is 
also subject to the requirements of 29 CFR parts 93 (New Restrictions 
on Lobbying), 96 (Audit Requirements), and 98 (Debarment, Suspension, 
and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements), the non-discrimination 
regulations implementing WIA Section 188 at 29 CFR part 37, as well as 
DOL's Equal Treatment regulations, found at 29 CFR part 2, Subpart D. 
Applicants should be familiar with these requirements and consult the 
WIA regulations at 20 CFR parts 660 through 671 in developing their 
grant proposals. Should the regulations at part 669 of WIA conflict 
with regulations elsewhere in 20 CFR, the regulations at part 669 will 
control. In addition, this program is subject to the provisions of the 
``Jobs for Veterans Act,'' Public Law 107-288, which provides priority 
of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt 
of employment, training, and placement services in any job training 
program directly funded, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of 
Labor. In circumstances where a NFJP grant recipient must choose 
between two equally qualified candidates for training, one of whom is a 
veteran, the Jobs for Veterans Act requires that NFJP grant recipients 
give the veteran priority of service by admitting him or her into the 
program. Please note that, to obtain priority of service, a veteran 
must first meet the program's eligibility requirements. ETA Training 
and Employment Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03 (September 16, 2003) provides 
guidance on the scope of the Jobs for Veterans Act and its effect on 
current employment and training programs. TEGL No. 5-03, along with 
additional guidance, is available at the ``Jobs for Veterans Priority 
of Service'' Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/programs/vets.
    The NFJP is subject to the common performance measures for job 
training and employment programs established by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). Guidance on the common performance 
measures can be found in ETA's TEGL No. 17-05 (February 17, 2006), 
available at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2195.
    Applications submitted in response to this SGA are required to 
include estimates of expected performance against these common 
performance measures. The common performance measures are: Entered 
Employment, Employment Retention, and Average Earnings. To assist 
applicants with their estimates, the current goals (PY 2006)

[[Page 19974]]

for the three measures are: Entered Employment--85%; Employment 
Retention--80%; and Average Earnings--$7,500.
    Applicants are required to describe their reporting system that 
allows for the data collection necessary to report results against the 
common measures. The NFJP began data collection for the common measures 
on July 1, 2005.

II. Award Information

    The type of assistance instrument to be used for the NFJP is the 
grant. Grants awarded through this solicitation will be for a two-year 
period, as prescribed in WIA Section 167. Please be advised that the 
$74,302,000 provides funding for the NFJP for PY 2007 only (July 1, 
2007 through June 30, 2008). Therefore, second year funding will be 
dependent on the availability of funding through the FY 2008 
appropriations process.
    The amount available nationally for the NFJP state service area 
allotments is $74,302,000. State allocations are established through a 
formula process, and are published in a separate Federal Register 
Notice. Please refer to our Web site (http://www.doleta.gov/MSFW/pdf/allocationtable.pdf) for a list of individual state allocations.
    For purposes of this SGA, applications are solicited for a single 
NFJP operation per state, to serve the migrant and seasonal farmworkers 
of each state and Puerto Rico, with the following exceptions:
    <bullet> Connecticut and Rhode Island are a combined state service 
area;
    <bullet> Delaware and Maryland are a combined state service area;
    <bullet> Applications for the combined state service areas 
mentioned above must address the two states as a single geographic 
area, but the proposed service delivery plan for the combined state 
area must show that consideration has been given to the entire 
population of migrant and seasonal farmworkers working or residing 
within the combined geographic area;
    <bullet> Between 4 and 6 applications will be selected to operate 
the NFJP program in the agricultural counties in California; and
    <bullet> No application will be accepted to provide services in 
Alaska due to the state's small relative share of seasonal agricultural 
employment.
    Please be advised that in the event that no grant application is 
received for a state, or all applications received are considered not 
fundable by the Grant Officer after the panel review and scoring 
process, or a grant agreement is not successfully negotiated with a 
selected applicant, the Department will offer the Governor of that 
state an opportunity to submit an application, if that state has not 
applied (i.e., if no state agency in that state applied for a grant in 
this competition). If the Governor does not accept this offer within 15 
days after being notified, or the Department finds the Governor's 
application not fundable, the Department reserves the right to 
designate another organization to operate the NFJP in that state. In 
cases where the state agency was an applicant, and all applications are 
found not fundable or are not successfully negotiated, the Department 
reserves the right to designate another organization to operate the 
NFJP in that state.

    Note: Selection of an organization as a grantee does not 
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before 
the actual grant is awarded, the Department may enter into 
negotiations about such items as program components, staffing and 
funding levels, and administrative systems in place to support grant 
implementation. If the negotiations do not result in a mutually 
acceptable submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to 
terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the application.

III. Eligibility Information

    Eligible Applicants--Applicants need not be a current or prior WIA 
Section 167 grantee to establish eligibility to be awarded a grant 
under this solicitation. State agencies, Local Workforce Investment 
Boards (LWIBs), faith-based and community organizations, institutions 
of higher learning, and other entities capable of delivering services 
on a statewide basis are all examples of organizations eligible to 
apply for WIA Section 167 grants. WIA Section 167(b) describes entities 
eligible to receive a grant as those that have:

--An understanding of the problems of eligible migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers, including their dependents;
--A familiarity with the geographical area to be served; and
--A demonstrated capacity to effectively administer a diversified 
program of workforce investment activities for eligible migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers.

    Additionally, to be responsive to the requirements of this 
solicitation, applicants must demonstrate how the strategies contained 
in their applications will support the priorities described in Section 
I of this solicitation, i.e., expansion of employment opportunities for 
farmworkers through specific targeting of employers and occupations in 
high growth industries--building a demand-driven system; and a balanced 
program of activities--continued progress towards enhanced integration 
through the One-Stop system with improved service delivery and 
increased efficiencies.
    Applicants must demonstrate how they will work with the State 
Workforce Investment Board (State Board) or Local Workforce Investment 
Boards (LWIBs), One-Stop operators in the service area(s), or other key 
institutions in the region to assure an integrated service delivery 
approach to farmworkers through the local One-Stop system and within 
the WIRED framework. This may include strategic planning and 
operational steps taken by the applicant and the State Board, LWIBs, or 
other partners likely to have a significant impact on services 
integration in the context of a regional economy.
    If the applicant is a state, a LWIB or a One-Stop operator applying 
on behalf of the LWIB, the application must instead demonstrate how 
efforts have been will be undertaken to integrate services provided by 
all One-Stop partners. In addition, the application must also 
demonstrate efforts to enhance the workforce services provided to 
farmworkers, the expected outcomes for those services, and the ``next 
steps'' to be undertaken to continue to improve on any past integration 
efforts.
    Cost Sharing or Matching--The WIA section 167 program does not 
require grantees to share costs or provide matching funds.
    Other Eligibility Criteria--In accordance with 29 CFR Part 98, 
entities that are debarred or suspended shall be excluded from Federal 
financial assistance and are ineligible to receive a WIA Section 167 
grant. Prior to awarding a grant, the Department will conduct a 
responsibility review of each potential grantee through available 
records. The responsibility review relies on examining available 
records to determine if an applicant has a satisfactory history of 
accounting for Federal funds and property. The responsibility review is 
independent of the competitive process. Applicants failing to meet the 
standards of the responsibility review may be disqualified for 
selection as grantees, irrespective of their standing in the 
competition. Any applicant that is not selected as a result of the 
responsibility review will be advised of their appeal rights. The 
responsibility tests that will be applied are those found in the WIA 
regulations (20 CFR 667.170).
    Legal rules pertaining to inherently religious activities by 
organizations that receive Federal financial assistance--The government 
is generally prohibited from providing direct financial assistance for 
inherently religious

[[Page 19975]]

activities. Please note that, in this context, the term direct 
financial assistance means financial assistance that is provided 
directly by a government entity or an intermediary organization, as 
opposed to financial assistance that an organization receives as the 
result of the genuine and independent private choice of a beneficiary. 
These grants may not be used for religious instruction, worship, 
prayer, proselytizing, or other inherently religious activities. 
Neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor disfavor 
religion must be employed in the selection of grant recipients and sub-
recipients. DOL's Equal Treatment regulations are found at 29 CFR part 
2, Subpart D.

IV. Application and Submission Information

Address To Request Application Package

    This SGA includes all information and forms needed to apply for 
this funding opportunity. If additional copies of forms are needed, 
they can be found at www.doleta.gov/msfw, www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm, 
or at the Federal Register Web site, http://www.gpoaccess.gov.

Content and Form of Application Submission

    An application must include two (2) separate and distinct parts: 
Part I--a cost proposal, and Part II--a technical proposal. 
Applications that fail to adhere to the instructions in this section 
will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered. Part I, the 
Cost Proposal, must include the following items:
    <bullet> A cover letter, an original plus two (2) copies of the 
proposal, and an ink-signed original SF 424, ``Application for Federal 
Assistance'' must be submitted. Since October 12, 2003, all applicants 
for federal grant and funding opportunities are required to have a Dun 
and Bradstreet (DUNS) number (see OMB Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 
68 FR 38402; June 27, 2003). Applicants must supply their DUNS number 
in item <greek-i>8 of the new SF-424 issued by OMB (Rev. 10/2005). The 
DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely 
identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there 
is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access this Web site: http://www.dunandbradstreet.com. You can also call 1-866-705-5711.
    <bullet> The Standard Form (SF) 424-A. In preparing the budget 
form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to 
support the request. The budget narrative should break down the budget 
and discuss precisely how administrative costs support the project 
goals.
    <bullet> EEO Survey. Applicants are required to submit OMB Survey 
No. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants, 
which can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm.
    Part II is the Technical Proposal, which demonstrates the 
applicant's capabilities to plan and implement the grant project in 
accordance with the provisions of this solicitation.
    The Technical Proposal must be limited to 40 numbered pages, 
double-spaced, single-sided, in 12-point text font and one-inch 
margins. Any pages over the 40-page limit will not be reviewed. Letters 
of support and any required attachments will not be subject to the page 
limitations, nor will they be included in the materials provided to the 
panel for review of the proposal. If any attachments are included, 
please label each accordingly and specify the content of the 
attachment.
    No cost data or reference to prices should be included in the 
Technical Proposal. Instead, applicants should provide a two-page 
abstract summarizing the proposed project and applicant profile 
information, including the applicant's name, the project title, and the 
funding level requested. The two-page abstract is not included in the 
40 page limit. Applications that do not meet these requirements will 
not be considered.

Submission Dates and Times

    The closing date for receipt of applications under this 
announcement is May 29, 2007. Applications must be received at the 
address below no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the closing date 
Applications may be submitted at the addresses indicated below by mail 
or electronically via www.Grants.gov. Applications sent by e-mail, 
telegram, or facsimile (fax) will not be accepted. Applications that do 
not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be honored. 
No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in 
this notice will be granted. Mailed applications must be addressed to 
the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 
Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Reference 
SGA/DFA PY 04-06, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4673,Washington, 
DC 20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington, 
DC area may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-
delivered proposals will be received at the above address.
    As mentioned earlier, applicants may also apply online at http://www.grants.gov. Any application received after the deadline will not be 
accepted. For applicants submitting electronic applications via 
Grants.gov, it is strongly recommended that you immediately initiate 
and complete the ``Get Started'' steps to register with Grants.gov at 
http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted. These steps will probably take 
multiple days to complete, which should be factored into plans for 
electronic applications submission in order to avoid facing unexpected 
delays that could result in the rejection of an application. Also, it 
is recommended that applicants experiencing problems with electronic 
submissions submit their proposals by overnight mail until the 
electronic issues are resolved.

Late Applications

    Any application received after the closing date and time specified 
for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be 
considered, unless it is received before awards are made and (a) it was 
sent by the U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail no later 
than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of 
applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th 
of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) it 
was sent via professional overnight delivery service or submitted on 
Grants.gov to the addressee not later than one working day prior to the 
date specified for receipt of applications. The term ``working days'' 
excludes weekends and Federal holidays. ``Postmarked'' means a printed, 
stamped, or otherwise placed impression that is readily identifiable, 
without further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date 
of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.

Intergovernmental Review

    Executive Order No. 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs,'' and the implementing regulations at 29 CFR part 17 are 
applicable to this program. Under these requirements, an applicant must 
provide a copy of the funding proposal for comment to the states that 
have established a consultation process under the Executive Order. 
Applications must be submitted to the state's Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC), no later than the deadline for submission of the application to 
the Department. For states that have not established a consultative 
process under E.O. 12372,

[[Page 19976]]

but have a State Workforce Investment Board (State Board), the State 
Board will be the SPOC. For WIA implementation purposes, this 
consultative process fulfills the requirement of WIA Section 167(e) 
concerning consultation with Governors and Local Workforce Investment 
Boards (LWIB). To strengthen the implementation of E.O. 12372, the 
Department establishes the following timeframe for the treatment of 
comments from the state's SPOC on WIA Section 167 applications: (1) The 
SPOC must submit comments, if any, to the Department and to the 
applicant, no later than 30 days after the deadline date for the 
submission of applications; (2) the applicant's response to the SPOC 
comments, if any, must be submitted to the Department no later than 15 
days after the postmarked date of the comments from the SPOC; (3) the 
Department will notify the SPOC (with copy to the applicant) of its 
decision regarding the SPOC comments and applicant response; and (4) 
the Department will implement that decision within 10 days after it has 
notified the SPOC.
    The names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

Funding and Other Restrictions

    Grantees are limited to 15 percent of the grant for administrative 
costs (see definition of administrative costs at 20 CFR part 667.220.) 
Administrative costs limits higher than 15 percent of the grant will 
not be approved.

Indirect Cost Rate

    An indirect cost rate is required when an organization operates 
under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted 
or not. Organizations must use the indirect cost rate supplied by the 
cognizant Federal agency. If an organization requires a new indirect 
cost rate or has a pending indirect cost rate, the Grant Officer will 
award a billing rate for 90 days until a provisional rate can be 
issued.

Allowable Costs

    The Department shall determine what constitutes allowable costs in 
accordance with the following Federal cost principles, as applicable: 
OMB Circular A-87, State and Local Governments; OMB Circular A-21, 
Educational Institutions; OMB Circular A-122, Nonprofit Organizations; 
and 48 CFR part 31, Profit-Making Commercial Firms.

Other Submission Requirements

    All other material required to be submitted is identified in the 
various sections of this solicitation.

V. Application Review Information Criteria

    The following review criteria, totaling a maximum of 100 points, 
apply to all applications:

Economic Analysis of the Area: Understanding the Problems of the 
Eligible Migrants and Seasonal Farmworkers in the State Service Area--
15 Points

    To fully understand the problems encountered by migrants and 
seasonal farmworkers as they seek enhanced employment opportunities 
requires a full understanding and analysis of the economy in the state 
service area, its industries and the employment opportunities they 
present for farmworkers, and the outreach strategies necessary to 
secure those opportunities for farmworkers; i.e., building a demand 
driven system (as described in the priorities listed in Section I). 
Therefore, applicants must provide an analysis of the economy 
(agricultural and non-agricultural) in the geographic area they propose 
to serve, the employment outlook for the area, including the number of 
employers with whom they currently work, and a plan for outreach to and 
recruitment of new employers. A description of the expected job 
opportunities for migrants and seasonal farmworkers from these new 
employers, and how economic conditions and employer hiring needs affect 
the employment prospects of eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers 
must also be provided.
    This section must also include a detailed description of the state/
regional labor market, both agricultural and non-agricultural, the 
economic conditions expected during the course of the program year, 
with emphasis on the specific economic challenges of regional 
agricultural economies, and the hiring implications those economic 
conditions pose for the employers in the region/area. In addition, this 
section must include a discussion of the industries that are declining 
in the service area/region as well as those industries targeted for 
growth and expansion that hold the potential for improved employment 
and earnings for farmworkers. Applicants should also discuss the 
strategies to be used in securing those opportunities for farmworkers.
    Applicants must also describe the socio-economic characteristics 
and problems faced by eligible farmworkers, and their dependents, in 
the proposed service area/region. To do so, applicants must describe 
the implications that economic conditions and challenges in the region, 
the labor market outlook, and the analysis of potential high growth 
occupations hold for the workforce strategies proposed through this 
solicitation. Applicants should also include a ``mapping'' of the 
educational resources available in the area that can be assist 
farmworkers in accessing employment in the high-growth industries 
identified by the applicant. Scoring on this factor will be based on 
how well the applicant demonstrates its understanding of the local/
regional economy and how these economic conditions help to define the 
challenges to be met, and the problems to overcome, in improving 
farmworkers' employment and earnings. Scoring will also be based on how 
well the proposal demonstrates the nexus between economic conditions, 
the characteristics of the eligible farmworkers, the educational 
resources, and the workforce investment needs of the population to be 
served. The review and evaluation of this factor will also look at the 
strategies developed for outreach to and recruitment of new employers 
that can provide improved job placement opportunities, both within and 
outside agriculture, for the farmworkers to be served. The proposal 
should clearly describe the links between the economic analysis 
conducted for this application and the applicant's assessment of the 
number of new employers to be recruited, including a description of how 
this will result in improved employment opportunities for farmworkers 
in higher-skilled, higher-paid occupations.

Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration: Familiarity With the Proposed 
Service Area--25 Points

    To achieve the goal of integrating services for farmworkers through 
the One-Stop system and begin moving the NFJP towards the WIRED 
framework, and so ensure that integration assists in driving innovation 
and economic transformation in the requested service area, the 
applicant must have a clear understanding of the workforce investment 
and economic development services in the area, the network of social, 
educational, and health services available to help meet the diverse 
needs of the eligible farmworkers, and strategic partnerships in place 
to ensure the collaboration necessary to develop workforce solutions 
that connect farmworkers served through the

[[Page 19977]]

program with employment opportunities.
    This section must include a description of the agencies and 
strategic partners in the requested service area, including faith-based 
and community organizations, and the applicant's experience in 
collaborating with these organizations in a service delivery strategy 
for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. It should also include a 
description of the services available through local service 
organizations, including faith-based and community organizations, and 
the applicant's strategy to mobilize those organizations to provide 
comprehensive services to farmworkers while optimizing the use of 
limited NFJP resources, particularly supportive or related assistance 
services.
    If the applicant is not a state, a LWIB, or a One-Stop operator, it 
must describe its prior experience, if any, and demonstrated 
effectiveness in working with the One-Stop system in the requested 
service area to provide services to farmworkers. Include a description 
of the applicant's collaborative efforts to date to integrate services 
to farmworkers across all partners in the One-Stop system, and the 
steps to be taken to establish a significant, consistent impact on 
services integration.
    These steps may include, but are not limited to:
    <bullet> Participation in local/state activities to develop the 
modification to the State Strategic Plans for Title I of the WIA and 
the Wagner-Peyser Act for years three and four of the current five-year 
planning cycle;
    <bullet> Participation in activities that connect workforce 
investment and education with economic development planning;
    <bullet> Participation in activities that help the State Board or 
LWIB to get more agricultural employers involved in the workforce 
investment system;
    <bullet> Setting co-enrollment targets (between the NFJP and the 
WIA formula funded programs) that represent a substantial increase in 
services to farmworkers;
    <bullet> Creating better pathways to both basic and post-secondary 
education, specifically with community colleges;
    <bullet> Entering into and implementing agreements with the State 
Board or the LWIBs and One-Stop operators to significantly increase 
outreach to farmworkers, and to significantly increase the number of 
One-Stop staff who are cross-trained in NFJP/adult and dislocated 
workers services and requirements.
    Applicants must describe their experience with developing or 
improving existing working relationships between partners in the One-
Stop system, and how that experience will be translated into improved 
services integration for eligible farmworkers.
    If the applicant is a state, a LWIB, or a One-Stop operator, this 
section should include a detailed description of the efforts to date to 
integrate services for farmworkers through the One-Stop system, the 
success of those efforts, and the operational steps to be undertaken to 
institutionalize services integration, instead of the information 
requested above.
    Scoring on this factor will be based how the information requested 
above represents evidence of the applicant's knowledge of and working 
relationship with the network of workforce investment and related 
services in the requested service area, including the One-Stop system, 
and the services offered by social, educational, faith-based, 
community, and health organizations that are available to assist 
farmworkers. Scoring will also be based on the applicant's 
effectiveness and success with causing these organizations to direct 
their resources towards addressing the needs of farmworkers in the 
requested service area in ways that maximize the availability of 
limited NFJP resources while increasing the services provided to 
farmworkers through the One-Stop and/or other service agencies.
    If the applicant is a state, a LWIB or a One-Stop operator, scoring 
will be based on the success of efforts to integrate services to 
farmworkers through the One-Stop system and its partners, or the 
demonstrated potential for increased services to farmworkers, instead 
of on the factors listed above. Any success to date in enrolling and 
serving farmworkers in WIA formula-funded programs must be included.

Administrative Capacity--20 Points

    Applicants must demonstrate that they have adequate and sustainable 
management information, performance management, case management, 
accounting, and program and fiscal reporting systems in place to ensure 
program and fiscal integrity. Because the NFJP has eligibility 
requirements for participation in the program, the applicant must also 
describe the eligibility determination and verification system in place 
that will allow for correct eligibility determinations and minimize 
enrollment of ineligible participants. Additionally, all ETA-funded job 
training programs, including the NFJP, are implementing a data 
validation initiative intended to ensure that the data collected and 
reported to ETA is accurate. An applicant's participant and reporting 
system must be able to implement data validation procedures, as 
described in TEGL 3-03, 3-03 change 1, and 3-03 change 2 (OMB clearance 
issued August 31, 2004).
    Applicants must describe their systems in support of program 
integrity, such as management information, performance management, and 
program participation (including individual participant records), 
needed for quarterly reporting and performance accountability and 
management, and to establish and maintain a client-centered case 
management system. Applicants are reminded that the NFJP is subject to 
OMB's common measures for job training and employment (Entered 
Employment, Employment Retention, and Average Earnings, described 
earlier in this solicitation); therefore, the data collection and 
reporting system, as well as its link to performance management and 
accountability, must be described in detail. Fiscal integrity is a 
critical component of operating any federally-funded program. The 
applicant must describe a system that is sufficient to prepare 
financial reports and to trace funds to adequate levels of expenditures 
to ensure lawful spending. The system must have the capacity to track 
spending by program, to ensure that, for those organizations with 
funding from more than one federal program, expenditures are posted 
against the appropriate program. The system must also be able to track 
program income generated through activities funded by the NFJP funding, 
and show the link between program income and those additional 
participants and/or services funded through program income.
    Applicants must also describe their capacity to manage the 
supportive services, also described as related assistance services, and 
to account for expenditures related to these services.
    The NFJP is required to use electronic reporting via the Internet. 
Applicants must describe their capacity to provide the equipment, 
access, and staff qualified to perform on-line reporting. The applicant 
must also demonstrate its capacity to provide case management as well 
as the electronic tools to be utilized (Personal Computer, software, 
Internet access, and e-mail accounts) to implement a client-centered, 
case management system.
    Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence of effective 
systems for performance accountability and management, program and 
fiscal

[[Page 19978]]

reporting, case management, eligibility determination and verification, 
as well as the ability to report electronically through the Internet.

Integrated Service Delivery Strategies: Proposed Plan of Services--40 
Points

    As mentioned in the priorities listed in Section I, integrated 
service delivery remains essential to a demand-driven workforce system 
that effectively serves businesses and individuals; it can 
significantly increase the number of farmworkers who receive quality 
services that lead to improved employment and earnings. Critical to 
this element is a strategy for balancing the mix of services and 
activities offered to farmworkers. A balanced mix emphasizes employment 
and training activities, recognizes the importance of related 
assistance services, and includes service delivery strategies that 
focus on appropriate educational approaches, such as remediation, 
career guidance, GED leading to apprenticeships, and other approaches 
appropriate to the population to be served.
    Therefore, the proposed service plan should describe in detail the 
major program activities planned for the state service area in PY 2007, 
given the mix of services mentioned above. The proposal should include 
a description of how these program activities will support the 
priorities identified in Section I of this solicitation: Expansion of 
employment opportunities for farmworkers through specific targeting of 
employers and occupations in high growth industries--building a demand-
driven system; and a balanced program of activities--continued progress 
towards enhanced integration through the One-Stop system with improved 
service delivery and increased efficiencies.
    The proposal should describe the applicant's vision, strategy, 
goals and objectives that guide the proposed plan of service and the 
results expected from implementing the proposed plan. It should include 
a description of how this service plan will strengthen migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers' ability to obtain or retain employment, to access 
appropriate educational opportunities (remediation, career guidance, 
apprenticeships), or access employment opportunities in high-growth 
occupations. It should also describe any micro-enterprise or other 
entrepreneurial activities to be pursued, if appropriate; and 
activities to upgrade farmworkers' employment opportunities within 
agriculture, if they so choose. The services described should be 
directly connected to the basic and occupational skills sets needed for 
the talent development of farmworkers in the area's economy. The plan 
should provide clear evidence that the service plan expands the 
workforce and related services available to farmworkers due to a closer 
integration and specific collaboration between the NFJP service 
strategy and the local workforce investment service plan, new or 
stronger partnerships with faith-based and community organizations, and 
new partnerships with key entities involved in regional economic 
transformation, as appropriate. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 
include service delivery strategies that will provide farmworkers with 
career pathways both within and outside agricultural employment; i.e., 
remediation leading to post secondary education or credentialing (if 
appropriate); high school diplomas or GED, leading to apprenticeship 
opportunities, if applicable; and/or industry-accepted certifications.
    Applicants should describe their strategy for providing related 
assistance services to farmworkers (see definition at 20 CFR 669.110). 
Applicants are reminded that the NFJP is intended to be a job training 
program, whose purpose is to assist eligible migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers and their families prepare for jobs that provide stable, 
year-round employment, both within and outside agriculture. Related 
assistance services include supportive services that assist eligible 
migrant and seasonal farmworkers to retain employment or enter into or 
remain in training. While no limitation is placed on the numbers of 
participants receiving related assistance services only, applicants are 
expected to describe in full how they will continue to increase the 
number of participants receiving employment and training services.
    If the applicant is a state, a LWIB or a One-Stop operator, the 
application must demonstrate how the service strategy achieves 
integration of services by all partners in the One-Stop system, and how 
this integration results in enhanced and improved workforce investment 
services to farmworkers, within a state service area and/or regional 
economy.
    The program plan of service section must include descriptions of:
    <bullet> The state service area covered by the plan. If the 
proposal is for less than the entire agricultural area of the state (as 
could be the case in California, for example) the plan must identify 
the geographic area where services will be provided and an explanation 
supporting the geographic area selected.
    <bullet> An estimate of the number of migrant and seasonal 
farmworker, broken out by category, to be provided training services. 
An estimate should be included of the number of migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers, broken out by category, who will be provided related 
assistance services only.
    <bullet> The strategies for conducting participant outreach and 
recruitment, including the involvement, where applicable, of faith-
based and community organizations in those strategies, as well as other 
One-Stop partner programs.
    <bullet> The proposed client-centered case management system, 
including the staff's responsibilities for managing the system, the 
staff development opportunities available to enhance their skills in 
case management, and the capacity to increase community resources 
available for case management through joint alliances and/or endeavors, 
such as through faith-based or community organizations, or through the 
One-Stop system.
    <bullet> The core services to be delivered, and how those services 
will be delivered in collaboration with the One-Stop system. Include a 
description of the eligibility determination system and how the 
applicant determines service priorities.
    <bullet> The intensive services proposed, the strategy for 
providing them, and the collaboration with the One-Stop system in the 
provision of these services (see definition of intensive services at 
WIA Section 134(d)(3) and 20 CFR 669.370). Please note that the NFJP 
regulations at 20 CFR 669.380 provide that the delivery of intensive 
and training services should flow from an objective assessment process 
that includes an Individual Employment Plan. The proposal must describe 
the strategy for doing this, as well as the organization's capacity to 
appropriately address an individual's needs as identified through the 
objective assessment. Intensive services are described in WIA 
134(d)(3)(C) and 20 CFR 669.370.
    <bullet> If work experience is to be offered as an activity, the 
process by which the determination to use it is based, and the strategy 
for measuring its success as a program activity. (See 20 CFR 669.370 
(b)(i) and (b)(ii)(B) for additional information on work experience 
activities.)
    <bullet> The training services to be provided to eligible 
farmworkers, including the process used to determine a participant's 
enrollment in training services, and the process used when the 
determination is made not to place a participant in training. (See 20 
CFR 669.410 for a description of, training services.) In addition, the 
proposal should describe the strategy to be used

[[Page 19979]]

to promote co-enrollment of participants in the WIA formula funded 
programs.
    <bullet> The related assistance services, including supportive 
services, needed by migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their 
dependents, and the strategy for providing those services, including 
the agencies or organizations with whom the applicant will collaborate 
and/or coordinate these services. The proposal should provide separate 
descriptions for those farmworkers receiving supportive services and 
also intensive and/or training services, and those farmworkers for whom 
related assistance services will be the only services provided. It 
should also include a description of the process used to determine the 
need for related assistance services, the differences in the 
determination process, if any, among migrant and seasonal farmworker 
groups, and the rationale for the differences.
    <bullet> The proposal should describe the applicant's strategy for 
balancing related assistance services with the need to increase 
employment and training services.
    <bullet> The proposal should describe the educational approaches to 
be used, including remediation, GED attainment, GED leading to 
apprenticeships, career guidance and other pathways leading to 
credentialing or post secondary opportunities, if applicable, to assist 
the participant in obtaining the occupational skills that lead to 
employment in high-growth occupations or to higher paying employment 
within the agricultural industry.
    <bullet> A description of the strategies to be used to achieve 
performance results with respect to job placement, employment 
retention, and average earnings (i.e., the common measures).
    <bullet> A description of the strategies to address how job 
placement opportunities will be pursued among the employers in the 
service area, including how job placement opportunities from new 
employers will be secured, as well as opportunities in high growth 
industries/occupations.
    <bullet> The process by which the applicant will conduct follow-up 
services for those who are placed in jobs or engaged in entrepreneurial 
activities.
    Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence that the applicant 
has used the information provided in the first three rating criteria, 
described above, to develop a service strategy and a plan of service 
that leads to measurable impact on improving the employment and 
earnings of farmworkers. It will also be based on evidence that the 
plan of service contains a balanced program of activities, and a 
rationale for the proposed services, as well as evidence that the 
service plan encompasses resources and program activities available 
from other One-Stop partners and/or the local services agencies, 
including faith-based and community organizations.
    The evaluation of this factor will also assess whether the service 
strategy and service plan presented by the applicant reflect a 
knowledge of the local workforce investment plan and proposes services 
that complement that plan in a way that increases employment 
opportunities for farmworkers.
    If the applicant is a state, a LWIB or a One-Stop operator, the 
evaluation of this factor will also assess opportunities for 
integrating services through the One-Stop system and its partner 
programs to improve the workforce and related services received by 
farmworkers. Special emphasis will be placed on the success achieved in 
enrolling and serving farmworkers through WIA formula-funded programs.

Review and Selection Process

    A review panel will rate each proposal according to the criteria 
scoring factors specified in this solicitation. Panel reviews are 
critical to the selection of grantees but are advisory in nature, and 
their recommendations are not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant 
Officer, in selecting potential grantees, may consider any information 
that comes to his or her attention, including past performance under a 
previous grant and information from the program office, and will make 
the final selection determination based on what best meets the needs of 
eligible migrants and seasonal farmworkers in the area to be served. 
The Grant Officer may consider factors such as panel findings, 
geographic presence of the applicants, proposed areas to be served, and 
other pertinent factors.
    The Grant Officer's determination for award under this SGA is 
final. The Grant Officer may elect to make awards either with or 
without discussions and negotiations with the applicant. In situations 
without discussions, an award will be based on the applicant's 
signature on the SF-424, which constitutes a binding offer.
    Applications rated by the review panel with a score of less than 80 
points will not be recommended for an award. In areas where there are 
no applications with a score of 80 or above, the process for selecting 
another potential grantee, described in Section II, will be 
implemented.

VI. Award Administration Information

Award Notices

    The Grant Officer will notify applicants, in writing, if they are 
selected as potential grantees. The notification will invite each 
potential grantee to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the 
grant as applicable, will establish a reasonable time and place for the 
negotiations, and will indicate the specific state service area and 
amount of funds to be allocated under the grant. FY 2007 funds will be 
awarded for the period July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.
    An applicant that is not selected as a potential grantee or whose 
application has been denied in part or in whole by the Department will 
be notified in writing by the Grant Officer and advised of all appeal 
rights. The notification will outline the deficiencies as noted by the 
review panel and offer an opportunity for a debriefing. The written 
notification by the Grant Officer constitutes a final decision, for the 
purposes of 20 CFR 667.800.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    There are no additional administrative or national policy 
requirements.

Reporting

    An applicant's proposal becomes the annual grant plan after a grant 
award is made, with additional information as appropriate and requested 
by the funding agency. WIA Section 167 grantees will be required to 
submit reports on financial expenditures, program participation, and 
participant outcomes on a quarterly basis. Grantees will also have to 
submit planned financial expenditures and planned program participation 
forms at the beginning of the program year. Grantees must report 
electronically, but may be asked to submit reports in paper form on 
occasion. As reflected earlier in this solicitation, this program is 
subject to the common measures of performance. Grantees will be 
required to provide the data necessary to collect information for 
reporting performance results against the common measures.

VII. Agency Contacts

    Questions related to this solicitation may be directed to Ms. Mamie 
Williams, Grants Management Specialist, phone 202-693-3341; fax: 202-
693-2879 (this is not a toll free number). Please include a contact 
name, fax and telephone number.
    This announcement is also being made available on the ETA Web site 
at

[[Page 19980]]

http://doleta.gov/sga/sga.cfm and http://www.grants.gov.

    Signed at Washington, DC this 16th day of April, 2007.
James W. Stockton,
Grant Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-7497 Filed 4-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P