[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53848-53851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25645]
[[Page 53847]]
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Part III
Department of Justice
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
_______________________________________________________________________
Evaluation Facilitation for the Tribal Youth Program; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 191 / Monday, October 4, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 53848]]
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP)-1249]
RIN 1121-ZB82
Evaluation Facilitation for the Tribal Youth Program
AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, Justice.
ACTION: Announcement of Discretionary Competitive Cooperative
Agreement.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
(OJJDP) is requesting applications for the Evaluation Facilitation for
the Tribal Youth Program. The Evaluation Facilitator will provide
direction, training, and technical assistance to local Program
Assessment Teams that will be conducting participatory evaluations of
juvenile justice projects under OJJDP's Tribal Youth Program. The
Evaluation Facilitator will also conduct an analysis of the juvenile
justice system structure and operations in each site. This analysis
will address the relationship the juvenile justice activities and
responsibilities of tribal, county, State, and Federal governmental
entities and the historical, social, and economic context in which they
exist.
DATES: Applications must be received by November 18, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Interested applicants can obtain an application kit from the
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736. The application kit is
also available at OJJDP's Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/
about.html#kit.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phelan Wyrick, Program Manager, Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 202-353-9254. [This is
not a toll-free number.]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose
The purpose of this program is to provide high quality guidance and
direction to up to five local stakeholder teams that will be conducting
evaluations of projects supported by the Tribal Youth Program. The
Evaluation Facilitator will also conduct an analysis of the structure
and operations of the juvenile justice system and tribal justice system
at each of these sites. Applications are encouraged from researchers
and evaluators who have experience conducting large-scale participatory
evaluations and/or working closely with tribal populations.
Background
The Tribal Youth Program was designed to provide federally
recognized Indian tribes 1 with support for juvenile justice
activities in one or more of the following categories:
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\1\ Federally recognized Indian tribes are those tribes listed
in the Federally Recognized Tribes List Act located in the lower 48
States and Alaska Native villages in Alaska.
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Reduce, control, and prevent crime both by and against
tribal youth.
Provide interventions for court-involved tribal youth.
Improve tribal juvenile justice systems.
Provide prevention programs focusing on alcohol and drugs.
These categories are broad, allowing applicants for the Tribal
Youth Program to customize their applications to the particular needs
of their communities. The Tribal Youth Program will fund sites for a
project period of 3 years. Funding under this program may be applied
toward starting new projects or continuing, expanding, or enhancing
existing projects. Applicants responding to this program announcement
should review the Tribal Youth Program Guidelines and Application Kit
for more detailed information. Copies of that announcement can be
obtained by calling OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-
8736 or sending an e-mail request to puborder@ncjrs.org. Fax-on-demand
service is also available through the Clearinghouse number listed above
(choose option 1, then option 2). OJJDP program announcements are also
available online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/current.html.
Site Selection Procedures for the Evaluation
Of the sites that will be selected to receive funding under the
Tribal Youth Program, up to five will be selected to participate in
this evaluation. These sites will receive supplemental funding to
support their evaluation efforts. To be eligible for this supplemental
funding, sites must receive an award under the Tribal Youth Program and
must have explicitly applied for inclusion in the evaluation as part of
their Tribal Youth Program application. The pool of eligible applicants
will then be reviewed by OJJDP and the Evaluation Facilitator selected
under this solicitation. Efforts will be made to include at least one
Alaska Native village. Criteria for selection will include:
Willingness and capacity to use multiple and varied
approaches to collect information.
Willingness to commit resources (in-kind services).
Willingness to involve key stakeholders in decisionmaking
around the evaluation.
Degree to which the evaluation activity is perceived as
being useful to the program's end users.
Potential to build an evaluation capacity within the
tribal community.
Sites will be notified if they are selected for the participatory
evaluation and will be given instructions for submitting applications
for supplemental funding after the initial Tribal Youth Program awards
have been made.
Evaluation Strategy
Research and program evaluation in Indian country have been
criticized for returning little practical information or resources to
the people who are the focus of study. Meetings and focus groups with
tribal practitioners and researchers in Indian Country have revealed a
strong interest in research and evaluation that are driven by members
of the community, respectful of tribal values and customs, and geared
toward practical application and local utilization of findings. The
need for building local research and evaluation capacity has also been
highlighted.
Under this solicitation, OJJDP will competitively award one
cooperative agreement for an Evaluation Facilitator for the
participatory evaluation of the Tribal Youth Program. The Evaluation
Facilitator's primary role is to guide the process of the participatory
evaluation and provide training and technical assistance in each of the
selected sites. The secondary role of the Evaluation Facilitator will
be to provide an analysis of the structure and operations of the
existing juvenile justice system and tribal justice system in each
site.
Facilitating the Participatory Evaluation
The participatory evaluation is designed to assess program
implementation and outcomes by forming partnerships between the
Evaluation Facilitator and local Program Assessment Teams (PAT's).
PAT's will be composed of individuals at each selected evaluation site
who have a stake in the program, such as program staff, community
residents, tribal leaders/tribal council, elders, native youth, and
parents. With the assistance of the Evaluation Facilitator, PAT's will
design and implement culturally appropriate process and outcome
evaluations of their local projects under the Tribal Youth Program. The
Evaluation Facilitator will provide
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intensive training and technical assistance to PAT's as they move
through the evaluation process. This approach is designed to build
local evaluation capacity while the evaluation remains community driven
and directed toward practical application and utility of findings.
Thus, this evaluation is designed to address concerns that have been
raised by practitioners and researchers in tribal government and
communities.
Up to five of the Tribal Youth Program sites will be selected to
participate in the evaluation and will receive supplemental funding for
evaluation in addition to their Tribal Youth Program awards. PAT's will
be formed at each of the evaluation sites. At minimum, PAT's will be
composed of one half-time coordinator and several additional volunteer
members including program stakeholders and community members, as noted
above. PAT members will not be required to have previous evaluation or
research experience. However, PAT's will make the final decisions on
such issues as the selection of evaluation questions and methods of
inquiry, and PAT members will carry out the tasks of data collection
and analysis. Throughout the process, PAT's will be responsible for
interpreting and adhering to local values and customs with regard to
data collection and information sharing. PAT's will also be responsible
for reporting their activities to the Evaluation Facilitator.
The Evaluation Facilitator will build local evaluation capacity by
providing direction, training, and technical assistance over a 3-year
project period to PAT members. The Evaluation Facilitator must be able
to respond to direct requests for guidance and training. Training
should cover areas including, but not limited to, program evaluation
design, construction of program logic models, data collection
procedures, selection and construction of data collection instruments,
data analysis techniques, and reporting. Furthermore, the Evaluation
Facilitator must be able to anticipate future and unrecognized needs
that the PAT's may have as they conduct their evaluation. Both the
Evaluation Facilitator and the PAT's will be responsible for ensuring
that the program assessment includes evaluation of both process and
outcomes and that the assessment produces results that have direct
practical implications for program development.
Training visits to each of the sites during the first year of the
project will be critical. It is likely that at least one Alaska Native
village site will be included in the evaluation, and travel should be
budgeted accordingly. Through the Tribal Youth Program, the PAT's will
have access to a computer system with Internet access and e-mail
capability. It is expected that ongoing communication will take place
with the sites and assistance will be given via e-mail, electronic file
transfer, telephone, and conventional mail.
Since programs are likely to be in early developmental and planning
phases during much of the first 12 months, evaluation activities should
focus on assembling an effective PAT, planning and implementing a
process evaluation, and planning an outcome evaluation. The Evaluation
Facilitator will be responsible for providing the necessary direction,
training and technical assistance to accomplish these tasks.
Analyzing the Existing Juvenile Justice System and Tribal Justice
System
It is the responsibility of the Evaluation Facilitator to conduct
an analysis of the existing juvenile justice system at each of the
evaluation sites. A central feature of this analysis will be the
relationships between tribal government and county, State, and Federal
entities and other tribal governments as they relate to juvenile
justice. The analysis should also include indicators of workload within
the juvenile justice system and tribal justice system; data management
procedures and capabilities; and the relationship between the juvenile
and adult criminal components of the system. Minimally, this effort
will require review of official documents and interviews with key
informants and community members. Additional data collection activities
such as field observations or case reviews are encouraged and may be
necessary.
The local project that is being supported by the Tribal Youth
Program should be examined in the context of the existing juvenile
justice system and tribal justice system. To do this, the Evaluation
Facilitator will have to become familiar with the program activities at
the sites as well as the tribal government and tribal body. This
familiarity is expected to develop through the preliminary reports from
PAT's and close interactions with site personnel through training and
technical assistance.
The written analysis of the existing juvenile justice system and
tribal justice system should include specific recommendations for
improving juvenile justice system operations at individual sites and at
other county, State, and Federal government entities that share
responsibility for handling juvenile offenders. The analytical report
should be completed in the first 12 months of the project period, and
updates must be provided in each of the subsequent budget periods.
Goals
The goals for this project are to:
Provide direction, training, and technical assistance to
local Program Assessment Teams for a participatory evaluation that
covers both the process and the outcomes of the Tribal Youth Program.
Analyze the existing juvenile justice system and tribal
justice system structure and operations at each evaluation site and
identify the location and function of the activities under the Tribal
Youth Program within the context of this system.
Analyze the relationships between tribal government and
county, State, and Federal government agencies and other tribal
governments as they relate to juvenile justice responsibilities and
operations.
Objectives
The objectives for this project are to:
Provide direction, training, and technical assistance
necessary for each Program Assessment Team to construct program models
and evaluation designs that cover both process and outcomes.
Provide direction, training, and technical assistance
necessary for each Program Assessment Team to select and carry out
procedures for data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Document the structure of the existing juvenile justice
system and tribal justice system at each site.
Document workload, data management procedures and
capabilities, and the relationship between the juvenile and adult
criminal justice systems in each site.
Document the activities of the projects at the sites that
are participating in the evaluation of the Tribal Youth Program.
Document the relationships between tribal government and
county, State, and Federal agencies as they relate to the existing
juvenile justice system.
Provide reports as indicated below.
Products
The Evaluation Facilitator will be responsible for supplying PAT's
with training materials (e.g., written guidance, sample instruments,
instructional materials), as necessary.
The Evaluation Facilitator will submit progress reports 6 months
and 11 months into the first year of the project. These reports will
include discussion of
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developments or changes in the Program Assessment Teams, training
activities to date and plans for future training, progress of local
evaluation designs, and progress of the juvenile justice system
documentation (required for the first report only).
At the conclusion of the first 12-month budget period, the
Evaluation Facilitator will submit a separate analytical report
covering the juvenile justice system in each of the evaluation sites,
the relationships between tribal and nontribal governmental entities in
this system, and the location and function of the Tribal Youth Program
activities in the context of this system. This report should be
suitable for publication as an OJJDP Bulletin.
In the second and third years of the project period, PAT's will be
responsible for providing written reports on evaluation findings
addressing both program process and outcomes. At the end of the second
year, the Evaluation Facilitator will provide a preliminary report on
progress and early findings from the process and outcome evaluations at
each of the sites. Also at this time, the Evaluation Facilitator will
provide an updated report on the analysis of the juvenile justice
system and tribal justice system at each site. At the end of the third
year, the Evaluation Facilitator will integrate the reports provided by
the PAT's into a larger document that will include a final site-by-site
analysis of the local juvenile justice system and tribal justice
system, the role of tribal government or eligible native corporations
in this system, and the development and impact of the efforts funded
under the Tribal Youth Program. This document will constitute the final
report for the Evaulation Facilitator and should include detailed
descriptions of evaluation methods and results. A less detailed version
of this report will also be created for publication in a form that is
suitable for an OJJDP Bulletin.
Eligibility Requirements
OJJDP invites applications from public and private agencies,
organizations, and institutions (including tribal colleges and
universities, pursuant to Executive order 13021) and from individuals.
Private, for-profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or
fee. Joint applications from two or more eligible applicants are
welcome; however, one applicant must be clearly indicated as the
primary applicant (for correspondence and award purposes) and the
others indicated as coapplicants.
Project Abstract
Applications must include a project abstract that summarizes the
problems to be addressed, the goals of the project, project design, and
the management and organizational capability of the applicant. The
abstract should be double-spaced and no longer than 250 words.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated and rated by a peer review panel
according to the criteria outlined below.
Problem(s) To Be Addressed (20 points)
Applicants must include in the project narrative a clear and
concise discussion of issues related to conducting research and
evaluation in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Specifically, applicants should discuss approaches to applying
evaluation methods in culturally sensitive ways for these populations.
Also, applicants should discuss current juvenile justice issues in
tribal communities within the framework of the cultural history of
these populations.
Goals and Objectives (15 points)
Applicants must define specific and measurable goals and objectives
for coordinating and implementing this project. These should be guided
by the requirements in this solicitation, but the applicant should
expand and augment them to fit with its approach to the project.
Project Design (25 points)
The application should describe in detail the overall design of the
project. The discussion should include a description of anticipated
training and technical assistance activities related to both the
process and the outcome evaluation. It is important to describe how the
applicant will work directly with the sites in providing guidance for
the evaluation process, which includes, but is not limited to,
evaluation design, the construction of program logic models, data
collection procedures, selection and construction of data collection
instruments, data analysis, and reporting. The applicant should also
describe in detail the methods to be used to document and analyze the
existing juvenile justice systems. This description should include
specification of the information and data elements that will be
collected.
The application must include a timeline that indicates when
specific tasks will be started and completed and when products will be
submitted. The timeline must be referenced as appropriate in the
narrative but should be placed in appendix A of the application.
Management and Organizational Capability (30 points)
The application must include a discussion of how the applicant will
coordinate with Program Assessment Teams and others to achieve
evaluation goals and objectives. The applicant's management structure
and staffing must be adequate and appropriate for the successful
implementation of the project. The applicant must identify responsible
individuals and key consultants, their time commitment, and major
tasks. Key staff and consultants should have significant experience in
training; group facilitation; and program evaluation, including both
process and outcome evaluations using both qualitative and quantitative
methods. They should demonstrate the ability to work effectively with
tribal populations. Staff and key consultant resumes must be attached
as part of the appendixes.
Budget (10 points)
Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete,
detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the
activities to be undertaken during the first 12 months of the project
period. Applicants should budget for travel to one cross-site cluster
meeting in addition to any other travel. A brief budget narrative
should also be included.
Format
The body of the application may not exceed 30 pages in length.
These page limits do not include the budget narrative, appendixes,
application forms, or assurances. The narrative portion of the
application must be submitted on 8\1/2\ by 11-inch paper, double spaced
on one side of the paper in a standard 12-point font. These standards
are necessary to maintain a fair and uniform standard among all
applicants. If the narrative does not conform to these standards, OJJDP
will deem the application ineligible for consideration.
Award Period
This project will be funded in the form of a cooperative agreement
with a project period of 36 months. The initial budget period for this
application is 12 months. Funding in subsequent budget periods may be
at lower levels and will depend upon grantee performance, availability
of funds, and other criteria established at the time of award.
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Award Amount
Up to $550,000 is available to the Evaluation Facilitator for the
initial 12-month budget period. Of these funds, $150,000 will be
awarded by the Evaluation Facilitator during this budget period through
contracts with the five PAT sites to support this evaluation activity,
including the provision of information and data to the Evaluation
Facilitator.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number
For this program, the CFDA number, which is required on Standard
Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, is 16.731. This form is
included in OJJDP's Application Kit, which can be obtained by calling
the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or sending an e-mail
request to puborder@ncjrs.org. The Application Kit is also available
online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/about.html#kit.
Coordination of Federal Efforts
To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in
addressing State and local needs, the U.S. Department of Justice is
requesting applicants to provide information on the following: (1)
active Federal grant awards supporting this or related efforts,
including awards from the U.S. Department of Justice; (2) any pending
applications for Federal funds for this or related efforts; and (3)
plans for coordinating any funds described in items (1) and (2) with
the funding sought by this application. For each Federal award,
applicants must include the program or project title, the Federal
grantor agency, the amount of the award, and a brief description of its
purpose.
``Related efforts'' is defined for these purposes as one of the
following:
Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed award
would supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded
with other Federal grants).
Another phase or component of the same program or project
(e.g., to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal funds or
to provide a substance abuse treatment or education component within a
criminal justice project).
Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance or
evaluation) to the program or project described in the application.
Delivery Instructions
All application packages must be mailed or delivered to the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile Justice
Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, Rockville, MD
20850; 301-519-5535. Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the
envelope, the applicant must clearly write ``Evaluation Facilitation
for the Tribal Youth Program.''
Due Date
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five
copies of the application package are received by 5 p.m. ET on November
18, 1999.
Contact
For further information, contact Phelan Wyrick, Research and
Program Development Division, 202-353-9254, or send an e-mail inquiry
to wyrickp@ojp.usdoj.gov.
Suggested Resources
Ayers, T. 1987. Stakeholders as partners in evaluation: A
stakeholder-collaborative approach. Evaluation and Program Planning
10:263-271.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. 1999. American Indians and Crime. U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice
Statistics.
Burke, B. 1998. Evaluating for a change: Reflections on
participatory methodology. New Directions in Evaluation 80:43-56.
Dugan, M. 1996. Participatory and empowerment evaluation: Lessons
learned in training and technical assistance. In Empowerment
Evaluation: Knowledge and Tools for Self-Assessment &
Accountability, edited by D. Fetterman, S. Kaftearian, and A.
Wandersman. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gaventa, J., Creed, V., and Morrissey, J. 1998. Scaling up:
Participatory monitoring and evaluation of a Federal empowerment
program. New Directions in Evaluation 80:81-94.
Assessment & Accountability, edited by D. Fetterman, S. Kaftearian,
and A. Wandersman, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gaventa, J., Creed, V., and Morrissey, J. 1998. Scaling up:
Participatory monitoring and evaluation of a Federal empowerment
program. New Directions in Evaluation 80:81-94.
Melton, A. 1995. Indigenous justice systems and tribal society.
Judicature 79:126-133.
Nielsen, M., and Silverman, R. 1996. Native Americans, Crime, and
Justice. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Pommersheim, F. 1995. Braid of feathers: American Indian law and
contemporary tribal life. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Dated: September 24, 1999.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 99-25645 Filed 10-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P
