25490 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices

2. Financial status report, no more

than 90 days after the end of the budget

period; and

3. Final financial and performance

reports, no more than 90 days after the

end of the project period.

Send all reports to: Joanne Wojcik,

Grants Management Specialist, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and

Grants Office, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), Room

300, 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., M/

S E–13, Atlanta, GA 30305–2209.

The following additional

requirements are applicable to this

program. For a complete description of

each, see Attachment I (in the

application kit).

AR98–1—Human Subjects

Requirements

AR98–2—Requirements for Inclusion of

Women and Racial and Ethnic

Minorities in Research

AR98–3—Animal Subjects

Requirements

AR98–10—Smoke-Free Workplace

Requirements

AR98–11—Healthy People 2000

AR98–12—Lobbying Restrictions

H. Authority and Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance Number

This program is authorized under the

Public Health Service Act, section

301(a) (42 U.S.C. 241(a)), as amended

and the Federal Mine Safety and Health

Act of 1977, section 501 (30 U.S.C. 951)

as amended. The Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance number is 93.262.

I. Where To Obtain Additional

Information

Please refer to Program

Announcement 98056 when you request

information. For a complete program

description, information on application

procedures, an application package, and

business management technical

assistance, contact: Joanne Wojcik,

Grants Management Specialist, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and

Grants Office, Announcement 98056,

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), Room 300, 255 East

Paces Ferry Road, NE., M/S E–13,

Atlanta, GA 30305–2209, telephone

(404) 842–6535, Email address:

jcw6@cdc.gov.

For program technical assistance,

contact: Roy M. Fleming, Sc.D.,

Research Grants Program, National

Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road,

NE., Building 1, Room 3053, M/S D–30,

Atlanta, GA 30333, Telephone: (404)

639–3343, FAX: (404) 639–4616,

Internet: rmf2@cdc.gov.

To receive additional written

information and to request an

application kit, call 1–888–GRANTS4

(1–888 472–6874). You will be asked to

leave your name and address and will

be instructed to identify the

Announcement number of interest.

Also, this and other CDC

Announcements can be found on the

CDC homepage on the Internet,(http://

www.cdc.gov) under the ‘‘Funding’’

section, as well as on the NIOSH

homepage (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh

under ‘‘Extramural Program.’’ For your

convenience, you may be able to

retrieve a copy of the PHS Form 398

from (http://www.nih.gov/grants/

funding/phs398/phs398.html).

Please Refer to Announcement

Number 98056 when Requesting

Information and Submitting an

Application.

Dated: May 1, 1998.

Diane D. Porter,

Acting Director, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 98–12212 Filed 5–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–19–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and

Families

[Program Announcement No. OCSE 98SIP–

1]

Child Support Enforcement

Demonstration and Special Projects—

Special Improvement Projects

AGENCY: Office of Child Support

Enforcement, ACF, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The OCSE invites eligible

applicants to submit competitive grant

applications for special improvement

projects which further the national child

support mission, vision, and goals as

outlined in the CSE Strategic Plan with

Outcome Measures for Fiscal Years

1995–1999. A copy of the CSE Strategic

Plan may be obtain upon request (See

ADDRESSES of this announcement).

Applications will be screened and

evaluated as indicated in this program

announcement. Awards will be

contingent on the outcome of the

competition and the availability of

funds.

DATES: The closing date for submission

of applications is July 7, 1998. See Part

IV of this announcement for more

information on submitting applications.

ADDRESSES: Application kits containing

the necessary forms and instructions to

apply for a grant under this program

announcement and the CSE Strategic

Plan are available from: Administration

for Children and Families, Office of

Child Support Enforcement, Office of

Automation and Special Projects, 370

L’Enfant Promenade, SW, 4th Floor,

West Wing, Washington, DC 20447,

Attention: Jay Adams, (202) 401–9240,

ljadams@ACF.DHHS.GOV, or (202) 401–

5539 (FAX).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Administration for Children and

Families (ACF), OCSE, Susan A.

Greenblatt at (202) 401–4849, for

specific program concerns regarding the

announcement.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

program announcement consists of four

parts:

Part I: Background—program purpose,

program objectives, legislative authority,

funding availability, and CFDA Number.

Part II: Project and Applicant Eligibility—

project priorities, project considerations,

eligible applicants, and project and budget

periods.

Part III: The Review Process—

intergovernmental review, initial ACF

screening, evaluation criteria and

competitive review, and funding

reconsideration.

Part IV: The Application—application

materials, application development, and

application submission.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13)

Public reporting burden for this

collection of information is estimated to

average 20 hours per response,

including the time for reviewing

instructions, gathering and maintaining

the data needed, and reviewing the

collection of information.

The following information collections

within this Program Announcement are

approved under the following currently

valid OMB control numbers: 424 (0348–

0043); 424A (0348–0044); 424B (0348–

0040); Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

(0348–0046); Uniform Project

Description (0970–0139 Expiration date

10/31/00).

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information

unless it displays a currently valid OMB

control number.

Part I. Background

A. Program Purpose and Objectives

To fund a number of special

improvement projects which further the

national child support mission, vision

and goals as outlined in the Office of

Child Support Enforcement Plan (1995–

1999). Thus, proposed projects should

further the accomplishment of national
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices 25491

goals: i.e. all children to have parentage

established; all children in IV–D cases

to have financial and medical support

orders; and all children to receive

financial and medical support.

Specifically, we are looking for grants

which will further OCSE’s FY 1998

priorities to increase collections,

support orders and paternities.

The OCSE is committed to helping

States make measurable program

improvements that will enhance the

lives of children.

Special improvement projects

undertaken for this announcement

should be in furtherance of efforts under

the Government Performance and

Results Act (i.e. designing a

performance based program), the goals

of the national child support strategic

plan stated above and advancing the

requirements of the Personal

Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).

B. Legislative Authority

Section 452(j), 42 U.S.C. 652(j) of the

Social Security Act provides Federal

funds for technical assistance,

information dissemination and training

of Federal and State staff, research and

demonstration programs and special

projects of regional or national

significance relating to the operation of

State child support enforcement

programs.

C. Availability of Funds

Approximately $1.3 million is

available for FY 1998. In order to fund

a wide variety of projects, we plan to

fund small to medium projects (e.g.,

$30,000—$150,000); however, we will

consider higher amounts if the merit

and benefits of the project are

exceptional. All grant awards are subject

to the availability of appropriated funds.

A non-Federal match is not required.

D. CFDA Number:

93.601—Child Support Enforcement

Demonstrations and Special Projects.

Part II. Applicant and Project Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for these special

improvement project grants are State

(including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the

Virgin Islands) Human Services

Umbrella agencies, other State agencies

(including State IV–D agencies), Tribes

and Tribal Organizations, local public

agencies (including IV–D agencies),

nonprofit organizations, and consortia

of State and/or local public agencies.

The Federal OCSE will provide the State

CSE agency the opportunity to comment

on the merit of local CSE agency

applications before final award. Given

that the purpose of these projects is to

improve child support enforcement

programs, it is critical that applicants

have the cooperation of IV–D agencies

to operate these projects.

Preferences will be given to

applicants representing CSE agencies

and applicant organizations which have

cooperative agreements with CSE

agencies. All applications developed

jointly by more than one agency

organization must identify a single lead

organization as the official applicant.

The lead organization will be the

recipient of the grant award.

Participating agencies and organizations

can be included as co-participants,

subgrantees, or subcontractors with

their written authorization.

B. Project Priorities

Eligible applicants should describe

how the special improvement project

will:

• Improve the effectiveness of Federal

programs by promoting a new focus on

results, service quality, management/

organizational innovations, or public

satisfaction;

• Significantly further national OCSE

priorities as outlined in the OCSE

Strategic Plan (1995–1999), i.e., all

children to have parentage established;

all children in IV–D cases to have

financial and medical orders; and all

children to receive financial and

medical support;

• Improve effectiveness of the child

support program by achieving project

outcomes/results that further national

goals and are transferable to other

states/entities;

• Build on existing partnership

agreements between State Child Support

agencies and Federal Regional Offices or

cooperative agreements between State

Child Support agencies and Tribes.

C. Project Considerations

In order to successfully compete

under this announcement, the

applicants should:

• Provide a description of the project

and how it will change/impact the

current operations of the Child Support

Enforcement Program in the area(s)

affected by this grant project;

• Provide a detailed description of

what program improvement/innovations

will be addressed. This should include

an assessment of the current situation

and how this project will address a

problem area(s) and improve program

results. Within the context of program

improvement, applicants shall provide

information on the extent of the

problem and the environment in which

they operate, e.g., number of cases

affected, specific locality affected; and

impact analysis, e.g., who/what is

affected by the problem and impact on

performance. Under this announcement,

an applicant may undertake initiatives

to improve performance in a wide

variety of areas. We are looking for

projects which will increase program

effectiveness and achieve measurable

results in child support enforcement

collections, orders established and

paternities acknowledged;

• Identify necessary qualifications for

any consultants or contractors who

would be used;

• Provide a detailed budget for the

project. The staff required, equipment

and facilities that would be leased or

purchased, a detailed explanation of

costs needed to accomplish all major

project tasks. Grant funds cannot be

used for capital improvements or the

purchase of land or buildings;

• Explain why this project’s resource

requirements cannot be met by the state/

local agency’s regular program operating

budget;

• Provide a management and staffing

plan for the project undertaken under

this announcement. The plan should

outline the goals/objectives and tasks to

be accomplished by the project. Project

methodology should logically outline

the goals and tasks to be accomplished;

• Provide for an assessment strategy

for determining overall project

effectiveness relating to proposed

outcomes/results. We are asking for: (a)

Criteria against which a project’s

success can be measured, (b) a

mechanism to make that assessment,

and (c) clearly documented results. See

Part III, The Review Process, (C.

Competitive Review and Evaluation

Criteria (3) Criterion III: Project

Effectiveness) of this announcement for

more information on an assessment

strategy for determining overall project

effectiveness relating to proposed

outcomes/results.

D. Project and Budget Periods

Generally, project and budget periods

for these projects will be up to 17

months. However, OCSE will consider

projects up to 36 months, if unique

circumstances warrant.

If OCSE approves a project for a time

period longer than 17 months, OCSE

will provide funding in discrete 12-

month increments, or ‘‘budget periods.’’

Funding beyond the first 12-month

budget period is not guaranteed. Rather,

future funding will depend on the

grantee’s satisfactory performance and

the availability of future appropriations.
25492 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices

Part III: The Review Process

A. Intergovernmental Review

This program is covered under

Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs,’’ and 45 CFR part 100,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of

Department of Health and Human

Services Programs and Activities.’’

Under the Order, States may design

their own processes for reviewing and

commenting on proposed Federal

assistance under covered programs.

Note: State/Territory Participation in the

Intergovernmental Review Process does not

Signify Applicant Eligibilty for Financial

Assistance Under a Program. A Potential

Applicant Must Meet the Eligibility

Requirements of the Program for Which it is

Applying Prior to Submitting an Application

to its Single Point of Contact (SPOC), if

Applicable, or to ACF.

As of May 15, 1997, the following

jurisdictions have elected not to

participate in the Executive Order

process. Applicants from these

jurisdictions or for projects

administered by federally-recognized

Indian Tribes need take no action in

regard to E.O. 12372: Alabama, Alaska,

American Samoa, Colorado,

Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas,

Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota,

Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio,

Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South

Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia,

Washington.

Although the jurisdictions listed

above no longer participate in the

process, entities which have met the

eligibility criteria of the program may

still apply for a grant even if a State,

Territory, Commonwealth, etc. does not

have a SPOC. All remaining

jurisdictions participate in the

Executive Order process and have

established SPOCs.

Applicants from participating

jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs

as soon as possible to alert them of the

prospective applications and receive

instructions. Applicants must submit

any required material to the SPOCs as

soon as possible so that the program

office can obtain and review SPOC

comments as part of the award process.

The applicant must indicate the date of

this submittal (or the date of contact if

no submittal is required) on the

Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45

CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days

from the application deadline to

comment on proposed new or

competing continuation awards.

SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate

the submission of routine endorsements

as official recommendations.

Additionally, SPOCs are requested to

clearly differentiate between mere

advisory comments and those official

State process recommendations which

may trigger the ‘‘accommodate or

explain’’ rule.

When comments are submitted

directly to ACF, they should be

addressed to: Department of Health and

Human Services, Administration for

Children and Families, Division of

Discretionary Grants and Audit

Resolution, 370 L’Enfant Promenade,

S.W, Mail Stop 6C–462, Washington,

D.C. 20447. A list of the Single Points

of Contact for each State and Territory

is included with the application

materials for this program

announcement.

B. Initial ACF Screening

Each application submitted under this

program announcement will undergo a

pre-review to determine that (1) the

application was received by the closing

date and submitted in accordance with

the instructions in this announcement

and (2) the applicant is eligible for

funding.

C. Competitive Review and Evaluation

Criteria

Applications which pass the initial

ACF screening will be evaluated and

rated by an independent review panel

on the basis of specific evaluation

criteria. The evaluation criteria were

designed to assess the quality of a

proposed project, and to determine the

likelihood of its success. The evaluation

criteria are closely related and are

considered as a whole in judging the

overall quality of an application. Points

are awarded only to applications which

are responsive to the evaluation criteria

within the context of this program

announcement. Proposed projects will

be reviewed using the following

evaluation criteria:

(1) Criterion I: Understanding and

Analysis of the Problem (Maximum 25

points)

The application should demonstrate a

thorough understanding and analysis of

the problem(s) being addressed in the

project and the importance of

addressing these in improving the

effectiveness of the child support

program. Applicants should include a

discussion of the child support program

as it currently operates including its

strengths and weaknesses regarding the

area(s) addressed by the project. The

applicant should describe how the

project will address these problem(s)

through implementation of changes,

enhancements and innovative efforts.

(2) Criterion II: Project Plan and Project

Staffing (Maximum: 30 points)

A well thought-out and practical

management and staffing plan is

mandatory. The application should

include a detailed management plan

that includes time-lines and detailed

budgetary information. The main

concern in this criterion is that the

applicant should demonstrate a clear

idea of the project’s goals, objectives,

and tasks to be accomplished. The plan

to accomplish the goals and tasks

should be set forth in a logical

framework. The plan should identify

what tasks are required of any

contractors.

Staff to be committed to the project

(including supervisory and management

staff) at the state and/or local levels

must be identified by their role in the

project along with their qualifications

and areas of particular expertise. In

addition, for any technical expertise

obtained through a contract or subgrant,

the desired technical expertise and

skills of proposed positions should be

specified in detail. The applicant should

demonstrate that the staff positions

needed to operate the project are filled

or will be filled in a reasonable time.

(3) Criterion III: Project Effectiveness

(Maximum: 30 points)

The applicant should identify the

specific goals and objectives of the

project; describe the cost effective

methods which will be used to achieve

these goals; the specific results/products

that will be achieved; and how the

success of this project has broader

application in furthering national child

support initiatives and/or providing

solutions that could be adapted by other

states/jurisdictions. A discussion of data

availability and outcome measures to be

used should be included. Describe the

collection and reporting system to be

used.

(4) Criterion IV: Reasonable Costs

(Maximum 10 points)

The project costs are reasonable in

relation to the identified tasks. All

agency and other resources (i.e., state,

community, other programs—TANF/

Head Start) that will be committed to

the project should be given in detail.

(5) Criterion V: Preferences (Maximum 5

points)

Preference will be given to those grant

applicants representing IV–D agencies

and applicant organizations who have

cooperative agreements with IV–D

agencies.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices 25493

1 In addition to persons who meet all

requirements of 45 CFR 400.43, ‘‘Requirements for

documentation of refugee status’’, eligibility for

refugee social services also includes: (1) Cuban and

Haitian entrants, under section 501 of the Refugee

Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96–422;

(2) certain Amerasians from Vietnam who are

admitted to the U.S. as immigrants under section

584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing,

and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1988, as

included in the FY 1988 Continuing Resolution

(Pub. L. 100–202); and certain Amerasians from

Vietnam, including U.S. citizens, under title II of

the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and

Related Programs Appropriations Acts, 1989 (Pub.

L. 100–461), 1990 (Pub. L. 101–167), and 1991 (Pub.

L. 101–513). For convenience, the term ‘‘refugee’’ is

Continued

D. Funding Reconsideration

After Federal funds are exhausted for

this grant competition, applications

which have been independently

reviewed and ranked but have no final

disposition (neither approved nor

disapproved for funding) may again be

considered for funding. Reconsideration

may occur at any time funds become

available within twelve (12) months

following ranking. ACF does not select

from multiple ranking lists for a

program. Therefore, should a new

competition be scheduled and

applications remain ranked without

final disposition, applicants are

informed of their opportunity to reapply

for the new competition, to the extent

practical.

Part IV. The Application

A. Application Development

In order to be considered for a grant

under this program announcement, an

application must be submitted on the

forms supplied and in the manner

prescribed by ACF. Application

materials including forms and

instructions are available from the

contact named under the ADDRESSES

section in the preamble of this

announcement. The length of the

application, including the application

forms and all attachments, should not

exceed 20 pages. A page is a single-side

of an 81⁄2 × 11′′ sheet of plain white

paper. The narrative should be typed

double-spaced on a single-side of an

81⁄2′′ × 11′′ plain white paper, with 1’’

margins on all sides. Applicants are

requested not to send pamphlets, maps,

brochures or other printed material

along with their application as these are

difficult to photocopy. These materials,

if submitted, will not be included in the

review process. Each page of the

application will be counted to

determine the total length.

B. Application Submission

1. Mailed applications postmarked

after the closing date will be classified

as late and will not be considered in the

competition.

2. Deadline. Mailed applications shall

be considered as meeting an announced

deadline if they are either received on

or before the deadline date or sent on or

before the deadline date and received by

ACF in time for the independent review

to: U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, Administration for

Children and Families, Division of

Discretionary Grants, Attention: Lois

Hodge, 370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW,

Mail Stop 6C–462, Washington, DC

20447. Applicants must ensure that a

legibly dated U.S. Postal Service

postmark or a legibly dated, machineproduced postmark of a commercial

mail service is affixed to the envelope/

package containing the application(s).

To be acceptable as proof of timely

mailing, a postmark from a commercial

mail service must include the logo/

emblem of the commercial mail service

company and must reflect the date the

package was received by the commercial

mail service company from the

applicant. Private metered postmarks

shall not be acceptable as proof of

timely mailing. (Applicants are

cautioned that express/overnight mail

services do not always deliver as

agreed.)

Applications handcarried by

applicants, applicant couriers, or by

other representatives of the applicant

will be considered as meeting an

announced deadline if they are received

on or before the deadline date, between

the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST,

at the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, Administration for

Children and Families, Division of

Discretionary Grants, ACF Mailroom,

2nd Floor (near loading dock),

Aerospace Building, 901 D Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20024, between

Monday and Friday (excluding Federal

holidays). The address must appear on

the envelope/package containing the

application with the note ‘‘Attention:

Lois Hodge’’. ACF cannot accommodate

transmission of applications by fax or

through other electronic media.

Therefore, applications transmitted to

ACF electronically will not be accepted

regardless of date or time of submission

and time of receipt.

3. Late applications. Applications

which do not meet the criteria above are

considered late applications. ACF shall

notify each late applicant that its

application will not be considered in

the current competition.

4. Extension of deadlines. ACF may

extend an application deadline when

circumstances such as acts of God

(floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or when

there are widespread disruptions of the

mail service, or in other rare cases.

Determinations to extend or waive

deadline requirements rest with ACF’s

Chief Grants Management Officer.

Dated: May 4, 1998.

David Gray Ross,

Commissioner, Office of Child Support

Enforcement.

[FR Doc. 98–12215 Filed 5–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and

Families

Notice of Availability of Funding for

Alternative Projects for the Provision

of Comprehensive Refugee

Resettlement Services, Including

Interim Financial Assistance, Social

Services and Case Management for

Newly Arriving Refugees

AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement,

ACF, DHHS.

ACTION: Request for applications for

alternative projects for the provision of

comprehensive refugee resettlement

services, including interim financial

assistance, social services and case

management for newly arriving

refugees.

SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee

Resettlement (ORR), Administration for

Children and Families (ACF) announces

that competing applications will be

accepted for new grants pursuant to the

Director’s discretionary authority under

section 412(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration

and Nationality Act (INA) and pursuant

to the Secretary’s authority under

section 412(e)(7) of the INA for

alternative projects, as amended by

section 311 of the Refugee Act of 1980

(Pub. L. 96–212), 8 U.S.C. 1522(c); 8

U.S.C. 1522(e)(7); section 501(a) of the

Refugee Education Assistance Act of

1980 (Pub. L. 96–422), 8 U.S.C. 1522

note, insofar as it incorporates by

reference with respect to Cuban and

Haitian entrants the authorities

pertaining to assistance for refugees

established by section 412(c) of the INA,

as cited above; and the Refugee

Assistance Extension Act of 1986 (Pub.

L. 99–605).

This announcement offers applicants

the opportunity to implement

alternative projects to test the feasibility

of providing comprehensive

resettlement services to newly arriving

refugees 1 under a public/private-sector