Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2000 / Notices 6241

of the performance partners will be

invited to become charter members of

the larger BEST Network.

The BEST Network will connect

communities across the country to

demonstrate model ways to encourage

lifelong learning. The overall initiative

also seeks to minimize administrative

barriers to problem solving and help

communities maximize currently

available federal resources.

This is the first step toward creating

a national network of communities

working together and sharing best

practices to help more adults get 21st

century skills and find more

opportunities for lifelong learning. The

network will help communities

collaborate with each other, across

sectors and with the federal partners to:

• Increase the number of Americans

with 21st century skills and help them

find high-skill, high-wage jobs;

• Close the Skills Gap;

• Promote lifelong learning;

• Address barriers at the federal,

state, and local level—in ways allowable

under current law—to increase the

flexibility and effectiveness of

resources;

• Obtain technical support and

facilitate access to best practices

employed in various communities; and

• Share lessons with other

communities.

What Are The Benefits To

Communities? This is not a grant

program and includes no new Federal

funds. To help community, State and

local partners, Federal partners will:

• Participate in the formation of a

national ‘‘community of practice’’ that

shares best practices and works together

to solve problems and get results.

• Assign a federal ‘‘champion’’ to

each performance partner to help

communities navigate the hallways of

inter-governmental programs, policies,

and federal resources across

government;

• Help create solid management

systems that focus on meaningful

outcomes for learners;

• Provide increased access to federal

data and geographic information related

to 21st century skills, jobs and work

trends; and

• Facilitate consolidated reporting

and increased flexibility in

administration—within existing legal

requirements—for communities that use

Federal funds from different

government departments and agree to

public measures of outcomes and

results.

The larger BEST Network will:

• Connect communities and relevant

agencies with peers working on similar

issues;

• Share lessons learned;

• Give national recognition to

innovative communities for their

effective strategies and results;

• Link to other, related federal

initiatives; and

• Help communities and local

agencies measure results and obtain

expert advice in devising strategies for

collecting, analyzing, and using data to

achieve results.

Who Can Apply To Be a Local

Partner? Expressions of Interest can be

submitted by the head of a communitybased partnership, local government,

network of local governments, state or

local workforce development agency, or

network of state or local agencies or

organizations. Where state funds or

agencies are involved or where federal

funds flow through the state, there must

be clear evidence of state partnership.

How Does My Community Express

Interest in the BEST Network? Potential

partners should submit a brief

Expression of Interest. To minimize any

burden, submissions should be under

ten pages in length. Communities are

encouraged to use existing plans and

documents wherever possible.

Selection Criteria: A cross-agency

team will select local partners based on:

• Existence of a partnership that

crosses sectors such as business, labor,

education and government.

• A community-wide plan for adult

learning and skill development that has

clear, objective, measurable goals.

• Effective leadership and

participation of key stakeholders such

as community, business, labor, and

educational leaders; federal, state, and

local officials; faith community

representatives; and others.

• Readiness and commitment of

partners to work together, cut red tape,

coordinate operations, use current

funding more effectively, and achieve

better results.

• Potential impact of proposed

performance partnership on closing the

skills gap in the local community, as

demonstrated by a focus on one or more

of the five broad recommendations in

the report Skills for a New Century: A

Blueprint for Lifelong Learning;

• Balance in terms of geography,

demographic characteristics, and areas

of focus.

The BEST Network will be supported

by the Lifelong Learning Inter-Agency

Strategy Group that includes

representatives of the U.S. Departments

of Labor, Education, and Commerce,

facilitated by the Vice President’s

National Partnership for Reinventing

Government.

Expressions of Interest: Expressions of

Interest in partnerships must be

received by close of business on

February 25, 2000. They may be

submitted by mail, fax or electronically

to: BEST Communities, National

Partnership for Reinventing

Government, Suite 200, 750 17th Street

NW, Washington, DC 20007, Fax: (202)

632–0390, or e:mail at BEST@npr.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Lynn S. Kahn, (202) 694–0038,

lynn.kahn@npr.gov; or Meshell Jones,

(202) 694–0122; meshell.jones@npr.gov.

Dated: January 20, 2000.

Lynn S. Kahn,

Team Leader.

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Special Emphasis Panel in Advanced

Networking and Infrastructure

Research; Notice of Meeting

In accordance with the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463, as amended), the National Science

Foundation announces the following

meeting.

Name: Special Emphasis Panel in

Advanced Networking and Infrastructure

Research (#1207).

Date/Time: February 22 and 23, 2000; 8:30

AM–5:00 PM.

Place: Room 1120, National Science

Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington,

VA 22230.

Type of Meeting: Closed.

Contact Persons: Darleen Fisher and Karen

Sollins, Division of Advanced Networking

Infrastructure Research, Room 1175, National

Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd.,

Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: (703) 306–

1950.

Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and

recommendations concerning proposals

submitted to NSF for financial support.

Agenda: To review and evaluate proposals

submitted to the Networking Research

Program as part of the selection process for

awards.

Reason for Closing: The proposals being

reviewed include information of a

proprietary or confidential nature, including

technical information; financial data, such as

salaries; and personal information

concerning individuals associated with the

proposals. These matters are exempt under 5

U.S.C. 552b(c), (4) and (6) of the Government

in the Sunshine Act.

Dated: February 1, 2000.

Karen J. York,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–2743 Filed 2–7–00; 8:45 am]

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