53010 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 

Former name New name 

United States Courthouse, Seventh and 

East Jackson Street, 

Brownsville, TX 

78520.

Reynaldo G. Garza 

and Filemon B. 

Vela United States 

Courthouse, Seventh and East 

Jackson Street, 

(aka 600 E. Harrison Street), 

Brownsville, TX 

78520. 

4. Who should we contact for further 

information regarding redesignation of 

these Federal Buildings? General 

Services Administration, Public 

Buildings Service (P),Attn: Anthony E. 

Costa, 1800 F Street, N.W., Washington, 

DC 20405, telephone number: (202) 

501–1100, e-mail at 

anthony.costa@gsa.gov. 

[FR Doc. 05–17596 Filed 9–2–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–23–S 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Announcement of Availability of Funds 

for a Cooperative Agreement To 

Improve and Sustain the Leadership 

and Management Capacity and To 

Improve Operations and Delivery of 

Quality Health Care Within the Rabia 

Balkhi Women’s Hospital 

AGENCY: Department of Health and 

Human Services, Office of the Secretary, 

Office of Public Health and Science, 

Office of Global Health Affairs. 

Announcement Type: Cooperative 

Agreement—FY 2005 Initial 

Announcement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: OGHA 

05–018. 

OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance: TBD, In Process. 

Authority: Section 103(a)(1); Section 

103(a)(7) of Public Law 107–327; Public 

Health Service Act, Section 307. 

SUMMARY: The Office of Global Health 

Affairs (OGHA) announces that an 

estimated $1.5 million in fiscal year 

(FY) 2005 funds are available for one (1) 

cooperative agreement to strengthen 

leadership, healthcare administration 

and facility management and to improve 

operations and improve health care 

delivery at Rabia Balkhi Women’s 

Hospital (RBH) in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

This effort is a joint undertaking by the 

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) and the Afghanistan 

Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). The 

goal of this project is to create equitable 

and high quality care at Rabia Balkhi 

Women’s Hospital by developing 

effective leadership and management 

and improving operations. The funding 

will provide essential material resources 

within budgetary limitations for patient 

care, operations, facility management 

and for grant activities related to 

leadership and management 

development at RBH. A Memorandum 

of Understanding (MOU) between the 

grantee and the Afghan MOPH will 

detail the differentiated responsibilities 

of the awardee toward RBH and the 

conditions under which the MOPH will 

transfer operational and logistical 

authority and responsibility for 

management and operations of RBH to 

the awardee. Alongside this support, 

through a separate, ongoing cooperative 

agreement, HHS is currently providing 

support for staff development and 

continuing education at RBH, and the 

Department of Defense is providing 

approximately $1.4M in infrastructure 

upgrades. This new cooperative 

agreement is not anticipated to involve 

training of the clinical staff at RBH, but 

should include limited training and 

capacity-building of administrative or 

executive management staff. 

HHS, in partnership with other 

relevant United States Government 

(USG) agencies anticipates involvement 

in the development, administration and 

oversight of this hospital management 

improvement program. The program 

will be approved initially for a threeyear period. It is estimated that 

approximately $1.5 million (including 

indirect costs) will be available in the 

first year. Funding for the cooperative 

agreement in subsequent years is 

contingent upon the availability of 

funds. 

DATES: Application Availability: 

September 6, 2005. Optional Letter of 

Intent due by 5 p.m. e.t. September 13, 

2005. 

Application due by 5 p.m. e.t.: 

September 21, 2005. 

Award date: September 30, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Application kits may be 

requested from, and applications 

submitted to: Ms. Karen Campbell, 

Director, Office of Grants Management, 

Office of Public Health and Science 

(OPHS), HHS, 1101 Wootton Parkway, 

Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of the Agreement 

Afghanistan has one of the highest 

maternal mortality rates (MMR) in the 

world with a rate of 1,600 maternal 

deaths per 100,000 live births. In 

Badakhshan Province, the MMR is 

6,500, the highest maternal mortality 

rate ever reported globally. Preventable 

complications related to childbirth 

cause more than 85 percent of deaths 

among women of childbearing age in 

Afghanistan. An estimated one in four 

children dies before reaching their fifth 

birthday. 

The government of Afghanistan has 

established the improvement in women 

and child health as one of its highest 

priorities. Hospital management within 

Afghanistan is of great concern to the 

MOPH and the international donor 

community. Competent hospital and 

clinic administration is critical to the 

efficient and effective provision of 

health care, particularly in resourceconstrained environments. Afghanistan 

is recovering from more than twenty 

years of civil unrest and war. This 

period has taken its toll on the quality 

of the entire spectrum of health care 

delivery, public health and health 

professional education. 

The public hospitals in Afghanistan, 

including those that provide critical 

care to women and children, face 

overwhelming problems in the areas of 

staffing, training, equipment, supplies 

and pharmaceuticals. One area of 

increasing concern is hospital 

leadership and management. Without 

effective and efficient administration, 

investments in the problem areas will 

have little probability of success. 

Without functioning hospital support 

services, such as patient record-keeping, 

human resources, financial 

management, housekeeping, laundry, 

physical plant and grounds 

maintenance, security and many other 

departments that allow a hospital to 

function well, the physicians, nurses 

and other clinical staff are not able to 

provide quality care. 

Rabia Balkhi Hospital was one of the 

referral hospitals for women under the 

Taliban and was declared the only 

women’s hospital in 1997. It is located 

adjacent to a major bazaar in District 2 

of Kabul and consists of a large twostory building and two ancillary 

buildings within a courtyard. It has a 

theoretical in-patient capacity of 212 to 

250 beds of which 80 to 100 are 

designated for Gynecology and 

Obstetrics. Approximately 25 to 30 

deliveries occur each day and 

approximately 7,500 to 11,000 babies 

are delivered there each year. The 

hospital sees approximately 300 to 400 

out patients daily. It is a referral 

hospital with no formal relations with 

other maternity departments or 

pediatric hospitals. Its main partner for 

sick newborns is Indira Gandhi 

Children’s Hospital, also in Kabul. 

A study of hospitals in Afghanistan by 

the Embassy of France (2002) indicated 

there were 95 physicians and 100 

paramedics at RBH while MOPH data 

(2002) stated there were 265 health care 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 53011 

workers at RBH of which 110 were 

doctors and 120 other workers. 

Medicins du Monde (2002) reported 110 

doctors, 75 nurses, 100 workers and 8 

administrative staff. Both French 

Mission data and MOPH data indicate 

approximately a 1.00 total staff to bed 

ratio at RBH. 

MOPH leadership has approached the 

U.S. Government with a request for 

assistance to augment their capacity to 

develop policy and implement best 

practices in hospital management and 

operations. HHS and its partners are 

committed to working with the MOPH 

and Ministry of Finance (MOF) to 

address these problems. 

The United States Government is 

currently engaged in numerous 

cooperative efforts with other countries, 

NGOs, donor and implementing 

organizations to assist the MOPH 

improve the health status of Afghan 

people. Former HHS Secretary Tommy 

G. Thompson signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding (MOU) with the 

Afghanistan Minister of Health (MOH) 

on October 9, 2002, pledging the 

support of American citizens to help in 

these efforts. In early 2003, HHS entered 

into collaboration with the MOPH to 

improve the maternal and child health 

services available within Afghanistan. 

One of the long-term goals of this HHSMOPH collaboration is to develop an 

Afghan-appropriate OB/GYN graduate 

medical education program in Kabul 

that reflects Afghan culture within the 

context of evidence-based obstetrical 

and gynecological medical practice and 

meets appropriate international 

standards. 

As a first step, HHS funded a clinical 

knowledge and skills refresher training 

program at RBH in April 2003. The 

intent of this refresher training has been 

to update the knowledge and skills of 

the current RBH attending physicians 

and other professional staff. HHS is 

providing focused, short-term training 

to the RBH staff to improve their basic 

knowledge levels and to update the 

clinical skills needed to respond to the 

critical needs of the high-risk patient 

community accessing care at this 

facility. Additionally, HHS, through 

HHS/Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), provides expert 

technical guidance and advisory 

consultation for the continued 

development and implementation of a 

facility-based Health Management 

System (HMIS), Surveillance, Quality 

Assurance and Hospital Infection 

Program (HIPP) at RBH. Simultaneously, 

the Department of Defense (DoD) is 

providing critical infrastructural 

improvements to the physical plant. 

In 2004, HHS provided funding to 

continue the RBH training program 

through a $2.2 million cooperative 

agreement with the implementing NGO, 

International Medical Corps (IMC). The 

cooperative agreement between IMC 

will continue to support the provision 

of staff development and refresher 

training for clinical staff, including 

physicians, nurse midwives and 

ancillary health care workers and is 

working toward the development of a 

Residency program for Obstetrics and 

Gynecology. 

Throughout 2004 it became 

increasingly clear to various USG 

representatives that ongoing significant 

investments in Kabul hospitals were 

unsustainable without improved 

hospital management. Discussions with 

MOPH leadership, including the 

Minister of Health, led to a request for 

USG assistance in improving health 

facility management in general 

throughout Afghanistan, and in 

particular in Kabul Maternal-Child 

Hospitals (to which the USG had 

already been providing significant 

assistance). At the request of the MOPH, 

the USG agreed to facilitate and sponsor 

an international health facility 

management summit in Kabul, under 

the leadership of the MOPH, to raise 

awareness of and seek assistance in 

health facility management issues. 

Around this time, the Ministry was 

also beginning to explore unique 

solutions to the complex challenge of 

improving management at tertiary/ 

national hospitals. To this end, the 

Ministry entered into non-profit, publicprivate partnerships with Cure 

International to manage Darulaman 

hospital and Loma Linda University to 

manage Wazir Akhbar Khan hospital. 

Through Formal Memoranda of 

Understanding, the MOPH agreed to 

transfer significant authority and 

autonomy to these organizations to 

manage these hospitals utilizing current 

best practices, thus overtaking some of 

the entrenched bureaucratic and 

political hurdles to hospital 

management reform. Another novel 

component of the agreements was that 

the Ministry would continue to provide 

baseline funding and staffing to these 

hospitals, which Loma Linda and Cure 

are free to augment with other sources 

of funding, including sliding-scale feefor-service proceeds—provided that 

indigent persons still receive care free of 

charge. USG representatives and MOPH 

counterparts began to view this 

approach as holding promise for 

improving management and operations 

of Kabul Maternal-Child Hospitals. 

Discussions led to the notional concept 

of a non-profit, public-private Kabul 

maternal-child hospital consortium, 

with a common Board of Directors, but 

with each hospital managed by a private 

sector partner in a fashion similar to the 

arrangements with Cure and Loma 

Linda. 

This Cooperative Agreement is 

intended to complement and build upon 

the work of the MOPH Hospital 

Management Task Force and its efforts 

to implement the Essential Package of 

Hospital Services (EPHS) and the 

recommendations of the Joint USG/ 

MOPH health facility management 

planning team as outlined above. 

Implementation and adherence to 

recognized evidence based healthcare 

and facility management standards will 

be essential elements of successful 

proposals. 

The primary role of the award 

recipient of this cooperative agreement 

will be to implement and support 

effective leadership and management 

and improve operations and health care 

delivery in RBH, while building the 

Afghan capacity to assume these 

functions in the future. 

It is anticipated that multiple sources 

of significant revenue, in addition to 

this cooperative agreement, will be 

available for leveraging in 

accomplishment of the objectives. These 

include: 

• Current MOPH operating expenses, 

supplies, and staff for RBH will 

continue to be provided. 

• DoD is contributing $1.4M to 

infrastructure upgrades at RBH. 

• The awardee will be given the 

authority (similar to Cure and Loma 

Linda) to establish a sliding-scale, feefor-service revenue enhancement 

program. 

• With professional management in 

place, it is likely that international 

donors will be willing to make 

additional donations or in-kind 

contributions to improve health care 

delivery at RBH; the Afghan and U.S. 

governments will continue to solicit 

such additional assistance. 

The grantee will be expected to 

optimally leverage these funding 

streams, in addition to the grant funds, 

to accomplish grant objectives. 

This cooperative agreement is not 

anticipated to involve training of the 

clinical staff at RBH, but should include 

limited training of administrative or 

executive management staff. Upon 

award, the award recipient will develop 

and implement a formal three-year work 

plan. This plan is expected to include 

all of the below mentioned activities 

with timelines for completion and 

designated responsible agents. 

Measurable goals, objectives, and 

53012 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 

outcomes are expected to be integrated 

into the workplan: 

• Provide a mission statement, 

including projected scope of service, 

definition of the catchment area, bed 

capacity and projected length of stay. 

Æ Including a plan to draw down 

specialty services at RBH to focus on 

Obstetric and Gynecologic care 

• Develop an assessment of all 

available equipment with the status of 

functionality; identification of the 

extent and estimated cost for repair/ 

rehabilitation and a plan for 

maintenance and regular inventory 

inspection and control. 

• Develop an annual operational and 

personnel budget. 

Æ Including a plan to identify, 

optimize, consolidate and effectively 

utilize all available funding sources for 

RBH. 

• Listing and justification, including 

cost for procurement, of essential 

equipment, supplies and 

pharmaceuticals. 

• Describe a method for elimination 

of waste and abuse of equipment and 

supplies and development of a hospital 

security system. 

• Description of all support services 

including transportation and ambulance 

service with staffing details and a three 

year plan for future technical 

development of services. 

• Description of a Hospital 

Management Board, Hospital Buying/ 

Purchasing Committee and a Hospital 

Community Board to include 

membership qualifications, terms of 

reference and the identification of 

methods to increase community input 

into the overall oversight of the 

hospitals responsibilities. 

• Description of the salary scale plus 

merit for performance, which yields, 

increased efficiency payment system for 

the providers 

• Design for job descriptions/ 

performance appraisals for all 

personnel.process 

• Coordinate educational efforts to 

support the management training with 

the presently funded IMC and CDC 

Plans for clinical education and 

training. Include a discipline specific 

needs assessment, training plan with 

objectives using a variety of teaching 

methodologies; evaluation measures and 

include i timelines for competency skill 

assessment and testing. 

• Create a plan for executive and 

management training which may consist 

of planned exercises, mentoring by 

international experts and facilitation by 

peer networking. All efforts must 

compliment MOPH efforts and reflect 

Institute of Health Sciences training 

standards. 

• Building upon the current referral 

system with Basic Health Centers, refine 

the referral processes between all 

appropriate health care facilities to 

ensure a seamless delivery system. 

Build in a method to ensure 

accountability and lay the foundation 

for a system-wide integrated continuum 

of care. 

• Plan for incorporation of the HHS/ 

CDC-developed Health Management 

Information system, including patient 

record-keeping. 

• Plan to improve and modernize 

information and communication 

technology capabilities—appropriate to 

the Afghan environment. 

• Plan for incorporating and 

implementing evidence-based standards 

of care and best practices, including 

quality assurance and quality 

improvement programs. 

• Plan for development and 

implementation of case management. 

• Plan for internal monitoring and 

evaluation to include clinical and 

management processes, output and 

outcome indicators. 

• Plan to identify services which 

would more efficiently be shared with 

other Kabul maternal-child hospitals, 

such as laboratory, advanced imaging, 

etc. * * * 

• Plan to identify services which 

would be more efficiently privatized, 

such as laundry, cleaning, security, 

etc. * * * 

• Plan to cooperate with and facilitate 

development of the non-profit, publicprivate Kabul maternal-child hospital 

Consortium, of which RBH will be a key 

component. 

Finally, the award recipient will 

monitor and report progress quarterly 

and conduct a comprehensive 

evaluation of all required elements and 

conditions, including outcome measures 

for effectiveness and efficiency. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

OGHA/OS/HHS provides policy and 

staffing support to the Secretary and 

other HHS leaders in the area of global 

health, and provides policy advice, 

leadership and coordination of 

international health matters across HHS, 

including leadership on major 

crosscutting global health initiatives and 

the Department’s relationships with 

multilateral organizations. 

Through this cooperative agreement, 

HHS will collaborate in an advisory 

capacity with the award recipient, 

especially during the development and 

implementation of a mutually agreedupon work plan. HHS will actively 

participate in periodic progress reviews 

and a final evaluation of the program. 

Obligations of OGHA/OS/HHS: 

1. Assurance of the services of 

appropriately experienced HHS or other 

subject matter experts from other 

relevant agencies to participate in the 

planning, development, 

implementation, and evaluation of all 

phases of this project. 

2. Assistance in establishing and 

maintaining USG, MOPH, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) 

contracts and agreements necessary to 

carry out the program. 

II. Award Information 

The administrative and funding 

instrument to be used for this program 

will be the cooperative agreement in 

which HHS scientific and program 

involvement with the grantee is 

anticipated during the performance of 

the maximum funding level of up to 

$1.5 million (including indirect costs) is 

available for the initial 12-month budget 

period. Two successive 12-month 

periods may be funded during the life 

of this agreement. Continuation of this 

project from one budget period to the 

next and level of funding are subject to 

satisfactory performance, availability of 

funds, and program priorities. 

Although this program is provided for 

in the financial plans of the OGHA, 

awards pursuant to this notice are 

contingent upon the availability of 

funds for this purpose. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Applications may be submitted by 

non-profit entities with offices in the 

United States and partner country or 

incorporated and headquartered in the 

United States with offices in the United 

States. Additionally, organizations or 

consortiums of organizations, including 

faith-based and community based 

organizations, that have collective 

experience with accepting donated 

medical technology, upgrading drug 

formularies, training health care 

providers, local and international 

transportation, and other logistics are 

encouraged to apply for a grant under 

this announcement. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

Cost sharing, matching funds, and 

cost participation is not a requirement 

of this agreement. 

3. Other—(If Applicable): N/A 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package 

This Cooperative Agreement project 

uses the Application Form OPHS–1, 

Revised 8/2004, which is enclosed in 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 53013 

your application packet. This generic 

form is used by many different programs 

funded through the Public Health 

Service (PHS). Some parts of it are not 

required; other sections need to be filled 

out in a fashion specific to the program. 

Instructions for filling out OPHS–1, 

Revised 8/2004 will be included in the 

application packet. These forms may 

also be obtained from the following sites 

by: Downloading from https:// 

egrants.osophs.dhhs.gov and clicking on 

Grant Announcements or http:// 

www.grants.gov/ or by writing to Ms. 

Karen Campbell, Director, Office of 

Grants Management, OPHS, HHS Tower 

Building, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 

550, Rockville, MD 20852; or contact the 

Office of Grants Management at (240) 

453–8822. Please specify the OGHA 

program(s) for which you are requesting 

an application kit. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

Application Materials 

A separate budget page is required for 

the budget year requested. A line item 

budget (SF 424A) with coinciding 

justification to support each of the 

budget years must be submitted with the 

proposal. These forms will represent the 

full project period of Federal assistance 

requested. Proposals submitted without 

a budget and justification for each 

budget year requested in the application 

may not be favorably considered for 

funding. Specific instructions for 

submitting a detailed budget for this 

application will be included in the 

application packet. If additional 

information and/or clarification are 

required, please contact the OPHS 

Office of Grants Management identified 

in Section VII of this announcement. 

All applications must be accompanied 

by a Project Abstract submitted on 3.5 

inch floppy disk. The abstract must be 

typed, single-spaced, and not exceed 2 

pages. Reviewers and staff will refer 

frequently to the information contained 

in the abstract, and therefore it should 

contain substantive information about 

the proposed projects in summary form. 

A list of suggested keywords and a 

format sheet for your use in preparing 

the abstract will be included in the 

application packet. 

All grant applications must be 

accompanied by a Project Narrative. In 

addition to the instructions provided in 

OPHS–1 (Rev 8/2004) for project 

narrative, the specific guidelines for the 

project narrative are provided in the 

program guidelines. Format 

requirements are the same as for the 

Project Abstract Section; margins should 

be 1 inch at the top and 1 inch at the 

bottom and both sides; and typeset must 

be no smaller than 12 cpi and not 

reduced. Biographical sketches should 

be either typed on the appropriate form 

or plain paper and should not exceed 

two pages, with publications listed 

being limited only to those that are 

directly relevant to this project. 

Application Format Requirements 

If applying on paper, the entire 

application may not exceed 80 pages in 

length, including the abstract, project 

and budget narratives, face page, 

attachments, any appendices and letters 

of commitment and support. Pages must 

be numbered consecutively. 

Applications submitted electronically 

that exceed 80 pages when printed will 

be deemed non-compliant. All noncompliant applications will be returned 

to the applicant without further 

consideration. 

a. Number of Copies 

Please submit one (1) original and two 

(2) unbound copies of the application. 

Please do not bind or staple the 

application. Application must be single 

sided. 

b. Font 

Please use an easily readable serif 

typeface, such as Times Roman, Courier, 

or CG Times. The text and table portions 

of the application must be submitted in 

not less than 12 point and 1.0 line 

spacing. Applications not adhering to 12 

point font requirements may be 

returned. 

c. Paper Size and Margins 

For scanning purposes, please submit 

the application on 81⁄2′′ x 11′′ white 

paper. Margins must be at least one (1) 

inch at the top, bottom, left and right of 

the paper. Please left-align text. 

d. Numbering 

Please number the pages of the 

application sequentially from page 1 

(face page) to the end of the application, 

including charts, figures, tables, and 

appendices. 

e. Names 

Please include the name of the 

applicant on each page. 

f. Section Headings 

Please put all section headings flush 

left in bold type. 

Application Format: Applications for 

funding must consist of the following 

documents in the following order: 

i. Application Face Page 

Public Health Service (PHS) 

Application Form OPHS–1, provided 

with the application package. Prepare 

this page according to instructions 

provided in the form itself. 

DUNS Number 

All applicant organizations are 

required to have a Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number in 

order to apply for a grant from the 

Federal Government. The DUNS 

number is a unique nine-character 

identification number provided by the 

commercial company, Dun and 

Bradstreet. There is no charge to obtain 

a DUNS number. Information about 

obtaining a DUNS number can be found 

at https://www.dnb.com/product/ 

eupdate/requestOptions.html or call 1– 

866–705–5711. Please include the 

DUNS number next to the OMB 

Approval Number on the application 

face page. Applications will not be 

reviewed without a DUNS number. 

Additionally, the applicant 

organization will be required to register 

with the Federal Government’s Central 

Contractor Registry (CCR) in order to do 

electronic business with the Federal 

Government. Information about 

registering with the CCR can be found 

at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/ccr.htm. 

Finally, applicants applying 

electronically through Grants.gov are 

required to register with the Credential 

Provider for Grants.gov. Information 

about this requirement is available at 

http://www.grants.gov/ 

CredentialProvider. 

Applicants applying electronically 

through the OPHS E-Grants System are 

required to register with the provider. 

Information about this requirement is 

available at https:// 

egrants.osophs.dhhs.gov. 

ii. Table of Contents 

Provide a Table of Contents for the 

remainder of the application (including 

appendices), with page numbers. 

iii. Application Checklist 

Application Form OPHS–1, provided 

with the application package. 

iv. Budget 

Application Form OPHS–1, provided 

with the application package. 

v. Budget Justification 

The amount of financial support 

(direct and indirect costs) that an 

applicant is requesting from the Federal 

granting agency for the first year is to be 

entered on the Face Sheet of 

Application Form PHS 5161–1, Line 

15a. Each application should include 

funds for electronic mail capability 

unless access by Internet is already 

available. The amount of financial 

support (direct and indirect costs) 

entered on the SF 424 is the amount an 

applicant is requesting from the Federal 

granting agency for the project year. 

Please note that if indirect costs are 

requested, the applicant must submit a 

copy of the latest negotiated rate 

53014 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 

agreement. The indirect costs rate refers 

to the Other Sponsored Program/ 

Activities rate and to neither the 

research rate, nor the education/training 

program rate. Those applicants without 

an established indirect cost rate for 

sponsored programs will be held at 26% 

of total direct costs except, in cases 

where there is no established rate, 

applicants may only request 10% of 

salaries and wages. However, if an 

applicant’s established rate for other 

sponsored programs exceeds 26%, but 

would be advantageous to the 

government, the OGHA/HHS may honor 

that indirect rate cost. 

Personnel Costs: Personnel costs 

should be explained by listing each staff 

member who will be supported from 

funds, name (if possible), position title, 

percent full time equivalency, annual 

salary, and the exact amount requested. 

Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are those 

costs incurred for common or joint 

objectives which cannot be readily 

identified but are necessary to the 

operations of the organization, e.g., the 

cost of operating and maintaining 

facilities, depreciation, and 

administrative salaries. For institutions 

subject to OMB Circular A–21, the term 

‘‘facilities and administration’’ is used 

to denote indirect costs. If the applicant 

does not have an indirect cost rate, you 

may obtain one by visiting the Division 

of Cost Allocation Web site: http:// 

rates.psc.gov. 

Fringe Benefits: List the components 

that comprise the fringe benefit rate, for 

example health insurance, taxes, 

unemployment insurance, life 

insurance, retirement plan, tuition 

reimbursement. The fringe benefits 

should be directly proportional to that 

portion of personnel costs that are 

allocated for the project. 

Travel: List travel costs according to 

local and long distance travel. For local 

travel, the mileage rate, number of 

miles, reason for travel and staff 

member/consumers completing the 

travel should be outlined. The budget 

should also reflect the travel expenses 

associated with participating in 

meetings and other proposed trainings 

or workshops. 

Equipment: List equipment costs and 

provide justification for the need of the 

equipment to carry out the program’s 

goals. Extensive justification and a 

detailed status of current equipment 

must be provided when requesting 

funds for the purchase of computers and 

furniture items. 

Supplies: List the items that the 

project will use. In this category, 

separate office supplies from medical 

and educational purchases. Office 

supplies could include paper, pencils, 

and the like; medical supplies are 

syringes, blood tubes, plastic gloves, 

etc., and educational supplies may be 

pamphlets and educational videotapes. 

Remember, they must be listed 

separately. 

Subcontracts: To the extent possible, 

all subcontract budgets and 

justifications should be standardized, 

and contract budgets should be 

presented by using the same object class 

categories contained in the Standard 

Form 424A. Provide a clear explanation 

as to the purpose of each contract, how 

the costs were estimated, and the 

specific contract deliverables. 

Other: Put all costs that do not fit into 

any other category into this category and 

provide an explanation of each cost in 

this category. In some cases, grantee 

rent, utilities and insurance fall under 

this category if they are not included in 

an approved indirect cost rate.) 

vi. Staffing Plan and Personnel 

Requirements 

Applicants must present a staffing 

plan and provide a justification for the 

plan that includes education and 

experience qualifications and rationale 

for the amount of time being requested 

for each staff position. Position 

descriptions that include the roles, 

responsibilities, and qualifications of 

proposed project staff must be included 

in Appendix XX. Copies of biographical 

sketches for any key employed 

personnel that will be assigned to work 

on the proposed project must be 

included in Appendix XX. 

vii. Project Abstract 

Provide a summary of the application. 

Because the abstract is often distributed 

to provide information to the public and 

Congress, please prepare this so that it 

is clear, accurate, concise, and without 

reference to other parts of the 

application. It must include a brief 

description of the proposed grant 

project including the needs to be 

addressed, the proposed services, and 

the population group(s) to be served. 

Please place the following at the top 

of the abstract: 

• Project Title 

• Applicant Name 

• Address 

• Contact Phone Numbers (Voice, Fax) 

• E-Mail Address 

• Web Site Address, if applicable 

The project abstract must be singlespaced and limited to two pages in 

length. 

vii. Program Narrative 

This section provides a 

comprehensive framework and 

description of all aspects of the 

proposed program. It should be 

succinct, self-explanatory and well 

organized so that reviewers can 

understand the proposed project. 

Use the following section headers for 

the Narrative: 

• Introduction: This section should 

briefly describe the purpose of the 

proposed project. 

• Work Plan: Describe the activities 

or steps that will be used to achieve 

each of the activities proposed in the 

methodology section. Use a time line 

that includes each activity and 

identifies responsible staff. 

• Resolution of Challenges: Discuss 

challenges that are likely to be 

encountered in designing and 

implementing the activities described in 

the Work Plan, and approaches that will 

be used to resolve such challenges. 

• Evaluation and Technical support 

Capacity: Describe current experience, 

skills, and knowledge, including 

individuals on staff, materials 

published, and previous work of a 

similar nature. 

• Organizational Information: Provide 

information on the applicant agency’s 

current mission and structure, scope of 

current activities, and an organizational 

chart, and describe how these all 

contribute to the ability of the 

organization to conduct the program 

requirements and meet program 

expectations. 

iii. Appendices 

Please provide the following items to 

complete the content of the application. 

Please note that these are 

supplementary in nature, and are not 

intended to be a continuation of the 

project narrative. Be sure each appendix 

is clearly labeled. 

(1) Appendix A: Tables, Charts, etc.—

To give further details about the 

proposal. 

(2) Appendix B: Job Descriptions for 

Key Personnel—Keep each to one page 

in length as much as is possible. Item 6 

in the Program Narrative section of the 

PHS 5161–1 Form provides some 

guidance on items to include in a job 

description. 

(3) Appendix C: Biographical 

Sketches of Key Personnel—Include 

biographical sketches for persons 

occupying the key positions described 

in Appendix B, not to exceed two pages 

in length. In the event that a 

biographical sketch is included for an 

identified individual who is not yet 

hired, please include a letter of 

commitment from that person with the 

biographical sketch. 

(4) Appendix D: Letters of Agreement 

and/or Description(s) of Proposed/ 

Existing Contracts (project specific)—

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 53015 

Provide any documents that describe 

working relationships between the 

applicant agency and other agencies and 

programs cited in the proposal. 

Documents that confirm actual or 

pending contractual agreements should 

clearly describe the roles of the 

subcontractors and any deliverable 

Letters of agreements must be dated. 

(5) Appendix E: Project 

Organizational Chart—Provide a onepage figure that depicts the 

organizational structure of the project, 

including subcontractors and other 

significant collaborators. 

(6) Appendix F: Other Relevant 

Documents—Include here any other 

documents that are relevant to the 

application, including letters of 

supports. Letters of support must be 

dated. 

3. Submission Dates and Times 

Notification of Intent To Apply 

A letter of intent is not required. 

However, if a letter of intent is 

submitted, the letter should identify the 

applicant organization and its intent to 

apply, and briefly describe the proposal 

to be submitted. Receipt of Letters of 

Intent will not be acknowledged. 

This letter should be sent by 

September 13, 2005, by mail or fax to: 

Department of Health and Human 

Services, Office of the Secretary, Office 

of Global Health Affairs, 5600 Fishers 

Lane, Suite 18–101, Rockville, MD 

20857, Facsimile Number: 301–443–

2820. 

Application Submission: The OPHS 

provides multiple mechanisms for 

submission of applications as described 

in the following sections. 

Electronic Submission: The OPHS 

electronic grants management system, 

eGrants, provides for applications to be 

submitted electronically. While 

applications are accepted in hard copy, 

the use of the electronic application 

submissions capabilities provided by 

the eGrants system is encouraged. 

Information about this system is 

available on the Office of Population 

Affairs Web site at http:// 

opa.osophs.dhhs.gov, or may be 

requested from the OPHS Office of 

Grants Management at 240–453–8822. 

Applications sent via any other means 

of electronic communication, including 

facsimile or electronic mail, outside of 

the OPHS eGrants system will not be 

accepted for review. 

The body of the application and 

required forms can be submitted using 

the e-Grants system. In addition to 

electronically submitted materials, 

applicants are required to provide a 

hard copy of the application face page 

(Standard Form 424 [Revised 07/03]) 

with the original signature of an 

individual authorized to act for the 

applicant agency or organization and to 

assume for the organization the 

obligations imposed by the terms and 

conditions of the grant award. The 

application is not considered complete 

until both the electronic application and 

the hard copy of the face page with the 

original signature are received. 

Electronic grant application 

submissions must be submitted no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern time on the deadline 

date specified in the DATES section of 

the announcement. All required hard 

copy original signatures and mail-in 

items must be received by the OPHS 

Office of Grants Management no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern time on the next 

business day after the deadline date 

specified in the DATES section of the 

announcement. 

Applications will not be considered 

valid until all electronic application 

components, hard copy original 

signatures, and mail-in items are 

received by the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management according to the deadlines 

specified above. Any application 

submitted electronically after 5 p.m. 

eastern time on the deadline date 

specified in the DATES section of the 

announcement will be considered late 

and will be deemed ineligible. Failure of 

the applicant to submit all required hard 

copy original signatures to the OPHS 

Office of Grants Management by 5 p.m. 

eastern time on the next business day 

after the deadline date specified in the 

DATES section of the announcement will 

result in the electronic application being 

deemed ineligible. 

Upon completion of a successful 

electronic application submission, the 

eGrants system will provide the 

applicant with a confirmation page 

indicating the date and time (eastern 

time) of the electronic application 

submission. This confirmation page will 

also provide the receipt status of all 

indicated signatures and items to be 

mailed to the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management. As items are received by 

the OPHS Office of Grants Management, 

the electronic application status will be 

updated to reflect the receipt of mail-in 

items. It is recommended that the 

applicant monitor the status of their 

application to ensure that all signatures 

and mail-in items are received. 

Applicants are encouraged to initiate 

electronic applications early in the 

application development process, and to 

submit early on the due date or before. 

This will aid in addressing any 

problems with submission prior to the 

application deadline. 

Mailed Hard Copy Applications: 

Applications submitted in hard copy 

must include an original and two copies 

of the application. The original 

application must be signed by an 

individual authorized to act for the 

applicant agency or organization and to 

assume for the organization the 

obligations imposed by the terms and 

conditions of the grant award. 

Mailed applications will be 

considered as meeting the deadline if 

they are received by the OPHS Office of 

Grants Management on or before 5 p.m. 

eastern time on the deadline date 

specified in the DATES section of the 

announcement. The application 

deadline date requirement specified in 

this announcement supercedes the 

instructions in the OPHS–1. 

Applications that do not meet the 

deadline will be returned to the 

applicant unread. 

Hand-Delivered Applications: Handdelivered applications must be received 

by the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management, 1101 Wootten Parkway, 

Suite 550, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, 

no later than 5 p.m. eastern time on the 

deadline date specified in the DATES

section of the announcement. Handdelivered applications must include an 

original and two copies of the 

application. The original application 

must be signed by an individual 

authorized to act for the applicant 

agency or organization and to assume 

for the organization the obligations 

imposed by the terms and conditions of 

the grant award. 

Applications will be screened upon 

receipt. Those that are judged to be 

incomplete or arrive after the deadline 

will be returned without review or 

comment. Applications that exceed the 

requested amount may also be returned 

without review or comment. Applicants 

that are judged to be in compliance will 

be notified by the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management. Accepted applications 

will be reviewed for technical merit in 

accordance with DHHS policies. 

Applications should be submitted to: 

Director, Office of Grants Management, 

OPHS, HHS, 1101 Wootten Parkway, 

Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852. 

Technical assistance on budget and 

business aspects of the application may 

be obtained from the Office of Grants 

Management, OPHS, HHS, 1101 

Wootten Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, 

MD 20852, telephone: (240) 453–8822. 

4. Intergovernmental Review 

This program is not subject to the 

review requirements of Executive Order 

12372, Intergovernmental Review of 

Federal Programs. 

53016 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 

5. Funding Restrictions 

Allowability, allocability, 

reasonableness, and necessity of direct 

and indirect costs that may be charged 

are outlined in the following 

documents: OMB–21 (Institutes of 

Higher Education); OMB Circular A–122 

(Nonprofit Organizations) and 45 CFR 

part 74, appendix E (Hospitals). Copies 

of these circulars can be found on the 

Internet at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ 

omb. 

6. Other Submission Requirements: N/A 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria 

Applications will be screened by 

OGHA staff for completeness and for 

responsiveness to the program guidance. 

Applicants should pay strict attention 

addressing these criteria, as they are the 

basis upon which their applications will 

be judged. Those applications judged to 

be non-responsive or incomplete will be 

returned to the applicant without 

review. 

Applications that are complete and 

responsive to the guidance will be 

evaluated for scientific and technical 

merit by an appropriate peer review 

group specifically convened for this 

solicitation and in accordance with HHS 

policies and procedures. As part of the 

initial merit review, all applications will 

receive a written critique. All 

applications recommended for approval 

will be discussed fully by the ad hoc 

peer review group and assigned a 

priority score for funding. Eligible 

applications will be assessed according 

the following criteria: 

(1) Technical Approach (40 points): 

• The applicant’s presentation of a 

sound and practical technical approach 

for executing the requirements with 

adequate explanation, substantiation 

and justification for methods for 

handling the projected needs of the 

partner institution. 

• The successful applicant must 

demonstrate a clear understanding of 

the scope and objectives of the 

cooperative agreement, recognition of 

potential difficulties that may arise in 

performing the work required, 

presentation of adequate solutions, and 

understanding of the close coordination 

necessary between the OGHA/HHS, 

Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health, 

U.S. Agency for International 

Development, and other organizations, 

such as the World Health Organization 

and United Nations Children’s Fund. 

• Applicants must submit a strategic 

plan that outlines the schedule of 

activities and expected products of the 

Group’s work with benchmarks at 

months six, 12. The strategic plan 

should specifically address the expected 

progress of the Quality of Care program. 

(4) Personnel Qualifications and 

Experience (20 points): 

• Project Leadership—For the 

technical and administrative leadership 

of the project requirements, successful 

applicants must demonstrate 

documented training, expertise, relevant 

experiences, leadership/management 

skills, and availability of a suitable 

overall project manager and 

surrounding management structure to 

successfully plan and manage the 

project. Successful applicant will 

provide documented history of 

leadership in the establishment and 

management of training programs that 

involve training of health care 

professionals in countries other than the 

United States. Expertise in maternal and 

child health care and services including 

documented training, expertise, relevant 

experience, leadership skills, and 

maternal and child health specific 

medical expertise. Documented 

managerial ability to achieve delivery or 

performance requirements as 

demonstrated by the proposed use of 

management and other personnel 

resources and to successfully manage 

the project, including subcontractor 

and/or consultant efforts, if applicable, 

as evidence by the management plan 

and demonstrated by previous relevant 

experience. 

• Partner Institutions and other 

Personnel—Applicants should provide 

documented evidence of availability, 

training, qualifications, expertise, 

relevant experience, education and 

competence of the scientific, clinical, 

analytical, technical and administrative 

staff and any other proposed personnel 

(including partner institutions, 

subcontractors and consultants), to 

perform the requirements of the work 

activities as evidenced by resumes, 

endorsements and explanations of 

previous efforts. 

• Staffing Plan—Applicants should 

submit a staffing plan for the conduct of 

the project, including the 

appropriateness of the time commitment 

of all staff and partner institutions, the 

clarity and appropriateness of assigned 

roles, lines of authority. Applicants 

should also provide an organizational 

chart for each partner institution named 

in the application showing relationships 

among the key personnel. 

• Administrative and Organizational 

Framework—Adequacy of the 

administrative and organizational 

framework, with lines of authority and 

responsibility clearly demonstrated, and 

adequacy of the project plan, with 

proposed time schedule for achieving 

objectives and maintaining quality 

control over the implementation and 

operation of the project. Adequacy of 

back-up staffing and the evidence that 

they will be able to function as a team. 

The framework should identify the 

institution that will assume legal and 

financial responsibility and 

accountability for the use and 

disposition of funds awarded on the 

basis of this RFA. 

(5) Experience and Capabilities of the 

Organization (30 Points): 

• Applicants should submit 

documented relevant experience of the 

organization in managing projects of 

similar complexity and scope of the 

activities. 

• Clarity and appropriateness of lines 

of communication and authority for 

coordination and management of the 

project. Adequacy and feasibility of 

plans to ensure successful coordination 

of a multiple-partner collaboration. 

• Documented experience recruiting 

qualified medical personnel for projects 

of similar complexity and scope of 

activities. 

(4) Facilities and Resources (10 

Points): 

Documented availability and 

adequacy of facilities, equipment and 

resources necessary to carry out the 

activities specified under Program 

Requirements. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

Applications will be reviewed in 

competition with other submitted 

applications, by a panel of peer 

reviewers. Each of the above criteria 

will be addressed and considered by the 

reviewers in assigning the overall score. 

Final award will be made by the Deputy 

Director, Asia and Pacific Division of 

the Office Global Health Affairs on the 

basis of score, program relevance and, 

availability of funds. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices 

OGHA/HHS does not release 

information about individual 

applications during the review process 

until final funding decisions have been 

made. When these decisions have been 

made, applicants will be notified by 

letter regarding the outcome of their 

applications. The official document 

notifying an applicant that an 

application has been approved and 

funded is the Notice of Award, which 

specifies to the awardee the amount of 

money awarded, the purpose of the 

agreement, the terms and conditions of 

the agreement, and the amount of 

funding, if any, to be contributed by the 

awardee to the project costs. 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 53017 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

The regulations set out at 45 CFR 

parts 74 and 92 are the Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS) rules 

and requirements that govern the 

administration of grants. Part 74 is 

applicable to all recipients except those 

covered by part 92, which governs 

awards to state and local governments. 

Applicants funded under this 

announcement must be aware of and 

comply with these regulations. The CFR 

volume that includes parts 74 and 92 

may be downloaded from http:// 

www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/ 

waisidx_03/45cfrv1_03.html. 

Reporting: Each party to this 

Cooperative Agreement has agreed to 

undertake the following obligations: 

The applicant (recipient) agrees to: 

a. Provide a budget for the acquisition 

and installation of the necessary 

equipment to complete the HHS Project, 

using the provided HHS Guidelines on 

Medical Equipment Donation; 

b. Facilitate the acquisition, 

refurbishment and calibration of the 

necessary equipment at a reduced cost; 

c. Prepare the necessary items for 

shipping including preparation of 

shipping documents for entry into 

partner country; 

d. Provide manuals for the donated 

equipment which can be translated into 

the primary language, at a sixth grade 

reading level and contain illustrations. 

Manuals must include content on the 

proper storage, cleaning and care and 

repair of the equipment; 

e. Ensure that the training method or 

module includes essential content 

regarding the adherence to established 

infection control principles; 

f. Provide technical training and 

examination of proficiency by the user 

on agreed upon technologies and 

supplied equipment; 

g. Ensure that training is provided by 

a certified trainer at a time closely 

coordinated with the delivery of the 

equipment or materials; and, 

h. Accompany the equipment and 

supplies for the purpose of overseeing 

the distribution, installation, and 

training in partner institution. 

HHS agrees to: 

a. Identify the funds necessary for the 

acceptance of the necessary equipment 

in keeping with the approved budget; 

and, 

b. Identify the funds or transportation 

necessary for the shipping of goods to 

partner country. 

All projects are required to have an 

evaluation plan, consistent with the 

scope of the proposed project and 

funding level that conforms to the 

project’s stated goals and objectives. The 

evaluation plan should include both a 

process evaluation to track the 

implementation of project activities and 

an outcome evaluation to measure 

changes in knowledge and skills that 

can be attributed to the project. Project 

funds may be used to support 

evaluation activities. 

In addition to conducting their own 

evaluation of their projects, successful 

applicants must be prepared to 

participate in an external evaluation, to 

be supported by OGHA/HHS and 

conducted by an independent entity, to 

assess efficiency and effectiveness for 

the project funded under this 

announcement. 

Within 30 days following the end of 

each of quarter, submit a performance 

report no more than ten pages in length 

must be submitted to OGHA/HHS. A 

sample monthly performance report will 

be provided at the time of notification 

of award. At a minimum, monthly 

performance reports should include: 

• Concise summary of the most 

significant achievements and problems 

encountered during the reporting 

period, e.g. number of training courses 

held and number of trainees. 

• A comparison of work progress 

with objectives established for the 

quarter using the grantee’s 

implementation schedule, and where 

such objectives were not met, a 

statement of why they were not met. 

• Specific action(s) that the grantee 

would like the OGHA/HHS to undertake 

to alleviate a problem. 

• Other pertinent information that 

will permit monitoring and overview of 

project operations. 

• A quarterly financial report 

describing the current financial status of 

the funds used under this award. The 

awardee and OGHA will agree at the 

time of award for the format of this 

portion of the report. 

Within 90 days following the end of 

the project period a final report 

containing information and data of 

interest to the Department of Health and 

Human Services, Congress, and other 

countries must be submitted to OGHA/ 

HHS. The specifics as to the format and 

content of the final report and the 

summary will be sent to successful 

applicants. At minimum, the report 

should contain: 

• A summary of the major activities 

supported under the agreement and the 

major accomplishments resulting from 

activities to improve mortality in 

partner country. 

• An analysis of the project based on 

the problem(s) described in the 

application and needs assessments, 

performed prior to or during the project 

period, including a description of the 

specific objectives stated in the grant 

application and the accomplishments 

and failures resulting from activities 

during the grant period. 

Quarterly performance reports and the 

final report may be submitted to: Ms. 

Karen Campbell, Director, Office of 

Grants Management, OPHS, HHS, 1101 

Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, 

MD 20852, phone (240) 453–8822. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For assistance on administrative and 

budgetary requirements, please contact: 

Ms. Karen Campbell, Director, Office of 

Grants Management, OPHS, HHS, 1101 

Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, 

MD 20852, phone (240) 453–8822. 

For assistance with questions 

regarding program requirements, please 

contact: Dr. Amar Bhat, Asia-Pacific 

Division, Office of Global Health Affairs, 

Office of the Secretary, Department of 

Health and Human Services, 5600 

Fishers Lane, Suite 18–101, Rockville, 

MD 20857. Phone Number: 301–443–

1410. 

VIII. Tips for Writing a Strong 

Application 

Include DUNS Number. You must 

include a DUNS Number to have your 

application reviewed. Applications will 

not be reviewed without a DUNS 

number. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1–

866–705–5711. Please include the 

DUNS number next to the OMB 

Approval Number on the application 

face page. 

Keep your audience in mind. 

Reviewers will use only the information 

contained in the application to assess 

the application. Be sure the application 

and responses to the program 

requirements and expectations are 

complete and clearly written. Do not 

assume that reviewers are familiar with 

the applicant organization. Keep the 

review criteria in mind when writing 

the application. 

Start preparing the application early. 

Allow plenty of time to gather required 

information from various sources. 

Follow the instructions in this 

guidance carefully. Place all information 

in the order requested in the guidance. 

If the information is not placed in the 

requested order, you may receive a 

lower score. 

Be brief, concise, and clear. Make 

your points understandable. Provide 

accurate and honest information, 

including candid accounts of problems 

and realistic plans to address them. If 

any required information or data is 

omitted, explain why. Make sure the 

53018 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2005 / Notices 

information provided in each table, 

chart, attachment, etc., is consistent 

with the proposal narrative and 

information in other tables. 

Be organized and logical. Many 

applications fail to receive a high score 

because the reviewers cannot follow the 

thought process of the applicant or 

because parts of the application do not 

fit together. 

Be careful in the use of appendices. 

Do not use the appendices for 

information that is required in the body 

of the application. Be sure to crossreference all tables and attachments 

located in the appendices to the 

appropriate text in the application. 

Carefully proofread the application. 

Misspellings and grammatical errors 

will impede reviewers in understanding 

the application. Be sure pages are 

numbered (including appendices) and 

that page limits are followed. Limit the 

use of abbreviations and acronyms, and 

define each one at its first use and 

periodically throughout application. 

Dated: August 26, 2005. 

Mary Lou Valdez, 

Deputy Director for Policy, Office of Global 

Health Affairs. 

Cristina V. Beato, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Health, Office 

of Public Health and Science. 

[FR Doc. 05–17590 Filed 9–2–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4150–38–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality, HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

intention of the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) to reinstate the information 

collection project: ‘‘AHRQ–HRSA 

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, 

Nuclear and Explosive (All Hazards) 

Preparedness Questionnaire for 

Healthcare Facilities for 2004 (CBRNE)’’. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 

3506(C)(2)(A), AHRQ invites the public 

to comment on this proposed 

information collection. 

AHRQ obtained a six-month 

emergency collection approval for the 

first wave of this information collection. 

This reinstatement of the previous 

clearance approval coves the second 

wave of the same survey. The 

respondents will be queried as to their 

progress in achieving the preparedness 

goals reported in the first wave. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by November 7, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments for the 

proposed information collection should 

be submitted to: Cynthia D. McMichael, 

Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, 540 

Gaither Road, Room #5022, Rockville, 

MD 20850. 

Copies of the proposed collection 

plans, data collection instruments, and 

specific details on the estimated burden 

can obtained from the AHRQ Reports 

Clearance Officer. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Cynthia D. McMichael, AHRQ Reports 

Clearance Officer, (301) 427–1651. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project 

‘‘AHRQ–HRSA Chemical, Biological, 

Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive 

(All Hazards) Preparedness 

Questionnaire for Healthcare Facilities 

for 2004 (CBRNE)’’

The Preparedness Questionnaire is an 

inventory of the U.S. hospitals which 

received support for preparedness 

activities under the HRSA National 

Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness 

Program. This survey instrument is 

being designed for use by preparedness 

planners to measure local or regional 

hospital levels of preparedness for a 

chemical, biological, radiological, 

nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) event. 

One point of contact is designated in 

each hospital to provide information on 

a range of topics that have been deemed 

essential by a panel of nationallyrecognized experts on issues related to 

hospital preparedness for a CBRNE, i.e., 

an all hazards event. 

These topics include facility planning 

and administration; training and 

education; communication and 

notification; patient capacity; staffing 

and support; isolation and 

decontaminations; supplies, 

pharmaceuticals and laboratory support; 

and surveillance. 

The inventory, which was 

administered in 2004/2005 and will be 

again in 2006, will provide national, 

state, and regional levels of 

preparedness by type of hospital, as 

well as estimates of bed capacity and 

emergency increase (surge) capacity. 

This information will be used to 

ascertain the progress of the previously 

queried hospitals in attaining their 

preparedness goals. 

In addition to determination the 

capacity of the survey instrument to 

actually collect information needed for 

local and regional planning, it should 

also be useful for national planning, 

program planning, setting priority areas 

in addressing current and future needs, 

as well as ensuring that scarce resources 

are being used in a way that achieves 

the most impact in preparedness. 

Data Confidentiality Provisions 

The data will be collected by an 

independent consulting firm under 

terms of its contract. The identifiable 

information about institutions will be 

kept confidential in accordance with 42 

USC 299c–3(c). AHRQ and HRSA will 

receive only state-level summary data, 

and not individual hospital responses. 

Method of Collection 

The preparedness questionnaire will 

be administered electronically to each 

hospital via electronic mail. The 

estimated burden is as follows: 

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden 

Number of 

questionnaire 

recipients 

Estimated burden/respondent 

Total hours 

of burden 

1479 .............. 60 minutes .... 1479 

The estimate burden is based on the 

completion of a paper version of the 

questionnaire by a pilot hospital. The 

more efficient data collection effort 

enabled by the electronic format has 

been taken into account in this estimate. 

The annualized cost to all potential 

respondents is estimated at $51,528 

Total ($34.84/hr [average staff time] × 1 

hr. × 1479 respondents). Percentage of 

capital costs, operating costs or 

maintenance costs are negligible. 

A stratified random sample by state 

will be used in this second wave survey. 

This second wave (resurvey) is utilizing 

statistical methods based on baseline 

data in developing a sampling scheme. 

Request for Comments 

In accordance with the above cited 

Paperwork Reduction Act legislation, 

comments on the AHRQ’s and HRSA’s 

information collection are requested 

with regard to any of the following: (a) 

Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of functions of AHRQ and 

HRSA, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden (including hours and 

costs) of the proposed collection of 

information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d)