99-16281. Program Announcement CFDA #93.576: Refugee Resettlement Program; Community and Family Strengthening  

  • [Federal Register Volume 64, Number 123 (Monday, June 28, 1999)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 34662-34667]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 99-16281]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS)
    
    Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
    
    
    Program Announcement CFDA #93.576: Refugee Resettlement Program; 
    Community and Family Strengthening
    
    AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, DHHS
    
    ACTION: Notice of Availability of FY 1999 discretionary social service 
    funds for refugee \1\ community and family strengthening and 
    integration.
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        \1\ In addition to persons who meet all requirements of 45 CFR 
    400.43, eligibility for refugee social services also includes: (1) 
    Cuban and Haitian entrants, under section 501 of the Refugee 
    Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. No. 96-422); (2) certain 
    Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the U.S. as immigrants 
    under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and 
    Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1988, as included in the FY 
    1988 Continuing Resolution (Pub. L. No. 100-202); and (3) certain 
    Amerasians from Vietnam, including U.S. citizens, under title II of 
    the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 
    Appropriations Act, 1989 (Pub. L. No. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. No. 
    101-167) and 1991 (Pub. L. No. 101-513). For convenience, the term 
    ``refugee'' is used in this notice to encompass all such eligible 
    persons unless the specific context indicates otherwise.
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    SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement invites eligible entities 
    to submit competitive grant applications for community and family 
    strengthening and integration services. Applications will be screened 
    and evaluated based on criteria as indicated in this program 
    announcement and the availability of funds.
    
    CLOSING DATE: For submission of applications is July 27, 1999. For more 
    application information, see Part IV of this announcement.
    
    ANNOUNCEMENT AVAILABILITY: This announcement is published on the ORR 
    website at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/orr/.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Mary Portz, Program Manager, ACF/
    ORR Division of Community Resettlement, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, 6th 
    Floor, Washington, DC 20447 telephone (202) 401-1196, or e-mail: 
    aportz@acf.dhhs.gov.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This announcement consists of four parts: 
    Part I. Background--Legislative Authority, Funding Availability, 
    Purpose and Objectives; Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility--
    Eligible Applicants, Project Period; Part III. The Review Process--
    Intergovernmental Review, Initial ACF Screening, Competitive Review, 
    Review Criteria;
    
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    and, Part IV. The Application--Application Development, Guidelines for 
    Preparing a Project Description, Application Submission, Regulations 
    and Reporting.
        Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
    estimated to average four hours per response, including the time for 
    reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and 
    reviewing the collection of information. The following information 
    collections are included in the program announcement: OMB Approval No. 
    0970-0139, ACF UNIFORM PROJECT DESCRIPTION (UPD), which expires 10/31/
    2000, and OMB Approval No. 0970-0036, ORR Quarterly Performance Report 
    (QPR). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
    required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays 
    a currently valid OMB control number.
    
    Part I. Background
    
    Legislative Authority:
    
        Section 412(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 
    U.S.C. 1522, authorizes the Director of ORR ``to make grants to, and 
    enter into contracts with, public or private nonprofit agencies for 
    projects specifically designed--* * *(iii) to provide where specific 
    needs have been shown and recognized by the Director,* * * social 
    services, educational and other services.'' Projects funded through ORR 
    discretionary programs are not restricted to serving refugees who have 
    arrived within the last five years.
    
    Funding Availability
    
        ORR expects to award $3 million in FY 1999 discretionary social 
    service funds through approximately 15 grants ranging in amounts from 
    $150,000 to $350,000.
        The Director may award more or less than the funds described in the 
    announcement. Applicants may be required to reduce the scope of 
    selected projects based on the amount of the approved grant award.
    
    Purpose and Objectives
    
        This program announcement governs the availability of and award 
    procedures for the FY 1999 Community and Family Strengthening and 
    Integration (CFSI) Program and provides an opportunity for States and 
    nonprofit organizations to request funding for activities which 
    supplement and complement employment-related services by strengthening 
    refugee families and communities and by enhancing their integration 
    into mainstream society.
    
    Cultural and Linguistic Compatibility
    
        In all cases, regardless of the nature of the organization proposed 
    to provide services or conduct activities funded under this 
    announcement, the services/activities should be conducted by staff 
    linguistically and culturally compatible with the refugee families or 
    communities to be served. In addition, the applicant must describe how 
    proposed providers will have access to the families and to the 
    community to be served.
        Project planners must consult with representatives of the target 
    population. For example, a project designed to assist refugee single 
    mothers needs to be designed in consultation with them.
        Furthermore, if interpreters are proposed in the first budget 
    period, applicants must demonstrate how these staff will be used in 
    subsequent years of the project, and whether they will be trained to 
    assume an integral role in the project, such as to become service 
    providers.
        Applicants and all private partners should provide evidence that 
    their governing bodies, boards of directors, or advisory bodies are 
    representative of the refugee communities being served, and have both 
    male and female representation.
    Cost-sharing
        This announcement is intended to encourage service planners and 
    providers to address the various unmet needs of refugee families and 
    communities relative to existing services, the capacity of the service-
    providing network, and ultimately the community's capacity to continue 
    the activity without additional ORR resources beyond the three-year 
    project period of this announcement. Long-range viability may depend 
    on: Linkages to activities funded by other sources, the availability of 
    expertise in the community, the likelihood of tangible results, the 
    relatedness of proposed activities to existing activities, and the 
    willingness of the community to participate actively in assuring the 
    success of the project including volunteer commitment.
        Because funding under this program announcement is limited, 
    applicants are urged to plan for the use of these funds together with 
    other Federal, State, and private funds available to assist the target 
    populations and to carry out similar programs and activities. To this 
    end, successful applicants will propose and commit to a minimum cost-
    sharing (cash or in-kind) of ten percent of the initial budget period 
    (first year) costs. In subsequent continuation applications, the 
    grantee will be asked to document receipt of non-ORR funds from other 
    sources. The requirement will be not less than 25 percent of the full 
    budget for the second year award and not less than 40 percent for the 
    third year. For example, if the original budget is $150,000, the 
    federal share for that year may be $135,000 (90%). In the second year, 
    the federal award might be $112,500, and the grantee would be required 
    to provide, at a minimum, cost-sharing of $37,500, or 25 percent of the 
    full budget, in cash or in-kind support. Only in unusual circumstances 
    will the Director of ORR entertain a request from the grantee to reduce 
    or waive the cost-sharing requirement.
    Allowable Activities
        ORR will consider applications for services which an applicant 
    justifies, based on an analysis of service needs and available 
    resources to address the social and economic problems and integration 
    needs of refugee families and of the refugee community. It should be 
    clear what is the goal or expected outcome of the activity, how it 
    responds to the particular needs of families in that community or to a 
    broader need of the community of families, who is committed to do what 
    in order to accomplish this goal, and how the proposed activity fits 
    into the existing network of services.
        The specific services proposed may be as diverse as the refugee 
    populations and the resettlement communities themselves. Proposed 
    activities and services should be planned in conjunction with existing 
    service providers and should supplement and complement their services. 
    Special attention should be placed on enhancing refugee access to 
    services available to all citizens, such as those for the elderly, 
    youth or special needs populations.
        Some examples of allowable activities:
    
    Integration Into U.S. Communities
    
        Activities designed to inform the refugee community about issues 
    essential to effective participation in the new society.
        Assistance to parents in connecting with the school system and 
    other local community organizations.
        Continuing education programs for U.S.-recognized recertification 
    or skill-building.
        Classes in parenting skills, including information about U.S. 
    cultural and legal issues, e.g., corporal punishment, generational 
    conflict, and child abuse.
        Providing immigration-related services, e.g., adjustment of status,
    
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    family reunification, and naturalization, through Board of Immigration 
    Appeals (BIA) accredited agencies.
        Facilitating assimilation of refugee groups through skill-building 
    workshops or technical assistance services.
        Information and community involvement that will ensure that 
    refugees are accurately counted in the Year 2000 Census.
    
    Mentoring Programs and Peer Support
    
        Pairing participant individuals or families with community 
    volunteers. Programs should target refugees who are past the initial 
    resettlement phase, and mentoring should target needs they identify.
        Assisting subgroups to form a common bond for resolution of peer-
    specific problems. The purposes are to solve individual, family, and 
    community problems with the support of peers and to solve common 
    problems through group action.
        Promoting pride and self-confidence in personal identity.
    
    Specialized English Language Training
    
        Specialized classes for groups outside the regular classes, e.g., 
    homebound women, or elderly. Use of volunteers is encouraged. 
    Accessibility of site and time is important.
    
    Combating Violence in Families
    
        Information and training against domestic violence, child abuse, 
    sexual harassment and coercion, roles of men and women in U.S. culture, 
    and techniques for protection.
        Linkages to mainstream service providers to ensure access to 
    culturally appropriate services.
        Training and/or bilingual staff for women's shelters.
    
    Crime Prevention/Victimization
    
        Activities designed to improve relations between refugees and the 
    law enforcement communities: (a) Public service officers or community 
    liaisons; (b) neighborhood storefronts and/or watch programs; (c) gang 
    prevention programs; (d) cross cultural training for the law 
    enforcement community (police departments, court system, mediation or 
    dispute management centers).
    
        Note: Law enforcement activities, such as hiring sworn police 
    officers (except those who are public service officers or community 
    liaison officers), fingerprinting, incarceration, etc., are outside 
    the scope of allowable services under the Refugee Act and will not 
    be considered for funding. Other unallowable activities are those 
    limited to, or principally focused on, parole counseling, court 
    advocacy, and child protection services.
    
    Refugee Community Centers and Organizing
    
        Operating community centers for the delivery of services to refugee 
    individuals and families. Centers may also be used for recreation, 
    information and referral services, childcare, community gatherings, and 
    documentation and analysis of refugee success stories and best 
    practices in successful integration. (Costs related to construction or 
    renovation will not be considered, and costs for food or beverages are 
    not allowable).
        Communities may be organized for housing or consumer cooperatives, 
    for youth activities, for services to elderly refugees, for volunteer 
    mentoring services, and for crime prevention.
        The above are only examples of services. They are not intended to 
    limit potential applicants in community planning. They are listed and 
    generically described without regard to the population to be served. It 
    will be necessary in the application to describe more specifically the 
    target population. For example, one activity might appropriately be 
    designed to serve only homebound women. Another might be designed for 
    teenagers and their parents; another for elderly. Some might be 
    targeted for all members of the family. Applications should correlate a 
    planned activity with specific target audiences and discuss the 
    relationship between the proposed activities and the target population.
    Non-Allowable Activities
        Funds will not be awarded to applicants who propose to engage in 
    activities which are designed primarily to promote the preservation of 
    cultural heritage or which have an international or political 
    objective. ORR encourages refugee community efforts to preserve 
    cultural heritage, but believes communities should support these 
    activities with alternative funding.
    
    Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility
    
    Eligible Applicants
    
        Public and private nonprofit organizations, including current CFS 
    grantees whose projects end on September 30, 1999, are eligible to 
    apply for ORR grants.
        Any nonprofit organization submitting an application must submit 
    proof of its nonprofit status in its application at the time of 
    submission. The nonprofit agency can accomplish this by providing a 
    copy of the applicant's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) 
    most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in Section 
    501(c)(3) of the IRS code or by providing a copy of the currently valid 
    IRS tax exemption certificate, or by providing a copy of the articles 
    of incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation 
    or association is domiciled.
    Coalitions
        Refugee programs and local organizations, which have not already 
    done so, are encouraged to build coalitions for the purpose of 
    providing services funded under this announcement. The activities 
    funded by these grants are intended to serve as a catalyst to bring the 
    community together to address the economic and social problems of 
    refugee families and the refugee community. The goal in all cases 
    should be to build and strengthen the community's capacity to serve its 
    members in improving the quality of life and standard of living for 
    refugee families.
        ORR strongly encourages single applications from partnerships or 
    consortia of three or more eligible organizations. Applicants must 
    demonstrate that wherever potential partners for collaboration exist, 
    the applicant, at a minimum, has planned the proposed activities in 
    collaboration with these potential partners. Partners may be in the 
    refugee services provider community of organizations and institutions, 
    or in mainstream services organizations, e.g., adult basic education 
    providers, child care coalitions, or women's shelters. Collaboration 
    may also include the Mayor's office, school parent-teacher groups, 
    local police departments, and other mainstream community service 
    organizations. All applicants should demonstrate existing refugee 
    community support for their agency and their proposed project. If the 
    applicant is located in an area where no other organizations work with 
    refugees, and a coalition with other organizations is not possible, the 
    applicant should demonstrate how the proposed services will be 
    effectively provided by a single agency.
        The process of coalition-building is key to strengthening 
    cooperation and coordination among the local service providers, 
    community leaders, Mutual Assistance Associations, voluntary agencies, 
    churches, and other public and private organizations involved in 
    refugee resettlement or community service. ORR intends that this 
    process will be part of local efforts to build strategic partnerships 
    among these groups to expand their capacity to serve the social and 
    economic needs of refugees and to give support and direction to ethnic 
    communities facing problems in economic independence
    
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    and social adjustment. In this context, ORR is defining partnership as 
    a formal negotiated arrangement among organizations that provides for a 
    substantive collaborative role for each of the partners in the planning 
    and conduct of the project. Applications which represent a coalition of 
    providers should include a signed partnership agreement stating a 
    commitment or an intent to commit or receive resources from the 
    prospective partner(s) contingent upon receipt of ORR funds. The 
    agreement should state how the partnership arrangement relates to the 
    objectives of the project. The applicant should also include: 
    Supporting documentation identifying the resources, experience, and 
    expertise of the partner(s); evidence that the partner(s) has been 
    involved in the planning of the project; and a discussion of the role 
    of the partner(s) in the implementation and conduct of the project.
    
    Project Period
    
        This announcement invites applications for project periods up to 
    three years. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a one-year 
    budget period, although project periods may be for three years. 
    Applications for subsequent year continuation grants funded under these 
    awards will be entertained on a noncompetitive basis, subject to: 
    availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a 
    determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of 
    the Government.
    
    Part III: The Review Process
    
    Intergovernmental Review
    
        This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, 
    ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR Part 100, 
    ``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services 
    Programs and Activities.'' Under the Order, States may design their own 
    processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance 
    under covered programs.
    
        Note: State/territory participation in the intergovernmental 
    review process does not signify applicant eligibility for financial 
    assistance under A program. A potential applicant must meet the 
    eligibility requirements of the program for which it is applying 
    prior to submitting an application to its single point of contact 
    (SPOC), if applicable, or to ACF.
    
    As of November 20, 1998, the following jurisdictions have elected not 
    to participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from these 
    jurisdictions or for projects administered by federally-recognized 
    Indian Tribes need take no action in regard to E.O. 12372: Alabama, 
    Alaska, American Samoa, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Hawaii, Idaho, 
    Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, 
    Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, 
    Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
        Although the jurisdictions listed above no longer participate in 
    the process, entities which have met the eligibility criteria of the 
    program may still apply for a grant even if a State, Territory, 
    Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC. All remaining jurisdictions 
    participate in the Executive Order process and have established SPOCs. 
    Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs 
    as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and 
    receive instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to 
    the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and 
    review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The applicant must 
    submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the 
    date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is 
    required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), 
    a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed 
    new or competing continuation awards.
        SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine 
    endorsements as official recommendations. Further, SPOCs are requested 
    to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and those 
    official State process recommendations which may trigger the 
    ``accommodate or explain'' rule.
        When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be 
    addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration 
    for Children and Families, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, 
    SW, Sixth Floor East, Washington, DC 20447. A list of the Single Points 
    of Contact for each State and Territory is included with this program 
    announcement.
    
    Initial ACF Screening
    
        Each application submitted under this program announcement will 
    undergo a pre-review to determine that (1) the application was received 
    by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the instructions 
    in this announcement and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding.
    
    Competitive Review and Review Criteria
    
        Applications which pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated 
    and rated by an independent review panel.
        The review criteria are closely related and are considered as a 
    whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Points are 
    awarded only to applications which are responsive to the criteria 
    within the context of this program announcement. Applicants are 
    encouraged to organize their narrative accordingly. Proposed projects 
    will be reviewed based on the following criteria.
    1. Objectives and Need for Assistance (25 points)
        Profile of refugee community and target population by geographic 
    area or ethnic group of the refugee community to be served, including 
    numbers, ethnicity, welfare utilization pattern, number of refugee 
    families in the community, family characteristics, and an assessment of 
    attitudes of the refugees and the general community toward each other. 
    Clarity of description and soundness of rationale for selection of 
    targeted community or population.
        Adequacy and quality of data provided and quality of the analysis 
    of data provided in the application with special regard to ethnic 
    group, refugee families, women, or youth. Clarity and comprehensiveness 
    of needs identification and problem statement and of the description of 
    the local context in which grant activities are proposed. 
    Comprehensiveness of description of existing services and community 
    network and explanation of how the proposed services complement what is 
    already in place. Evidence of consultation with target population.
    2. Approach and Results Expected (30 points)
        Soundness of strategy and program design for meeting identified 
    needs. Identification of projected performance outcomes and proposed 
    milestones measuring progress, as appropriate to the services proposed 
    by the end of the first budget period and over the entire requested 
    project period. (ORR encourages applicants, to the extent possible, to 
    develop innovative quantifiable measures related to the desired service 
    impact for purposes of monitoring and project assessment.)
        The tangibility of the outcomes proposed and the potential for 
    achieving the outcomes within the grant's project period. The potential 
    of the project to have a positive impact on the quality of the lives of 
    refugee families and communities (1) by improving refugees'
    
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    abilities: To access services, to provide mutual assistance, and to 
    demand or create services where they are not already available; and (2) 
    by instituting changes among service providers to make them more 
    accessible to refugees.
        Adequate detail in the description of linkages with other providers 
    and roles of collaborating agencies in project implementation.
        Extent to which the need described is expected to be met and to 
    which the services will be augmented, supplemented, or integrated with 
    existing services.
    3. Applicant/Coalition Capability (25 points)
        Validity and reasonableness of the proposed coalition arrangement 
    to perform the proposed activities. Commitment of coalition partners in 
    implementing the activities as demonstrated by letters or the terms of 
    the signed agreement among participants. (Where potential coalition 
    partners are documented to be unavailable, the applicant will not be 
    penalized under this criteria. However, the applicant should describe 
    any consultation efforts undertaken and consultation with the refugee 
    community.)
        Experience of the applicant coalition in performing the proposed 
    services. Adequacy of gender balance and constituent representatives of 
    board members of participant organizations or of the proposed project's 
    advisory board. Adequacy of assurance that proposed services will be 
    delivered by staff linguistically and culturally appropriate to the 
    target population.
        Qualifications of the individual organization staff and any 
    volunteers. Detailed description of the administrative and management 
    features of the project including a plan for fiscal and programmatic 
    management of each activity, proposed start-up times, ongoing 
    timelines, major milestones or benchmarks, a component/project 
    organization chart, and a staffing chart. A description of information 
    collection (participant and outcome data) and monitoring proposed.
    4. Budget And Financial Management (20 points)
        Reasonableness of budget and narrative justification in relation to 
    the proposed activities and anticipated results.
        Adequacy of proposed monitoring and information collection. 
    Realistic plan for the continuation of services with a phase-out of ORR 
    grant funding over the multi-year project period. Extent to which the 
    application makes provision for cost-sharing (i.e. leveraging ORR funds 
    with non-Federal funds or in-kind support) to maintain the full budget 
    during the overall project. If available, the value of such leveraged 
    funds or in-kind support and any preliminary commitments.
        The extent to which the award is projected to be augmented or 
    supplemented by other funding during and beyond (i.e. in the second and 
    any subsequent year of) the grant period, or can be integrated into 
    other existing service systems.
    
    Part IV. The Application
    
    Application Development
    
         In order to be considered for a grant under this program 
    announcement, an original application and two copies must be submitted 
    on the Standard Form 424 and in the manner prescribed by ACF. 
    Applicants are encouraged to limit project descriptions to 15 pages 
    (typewritten, double-spaced on standard, letter-size paper) plus no 
    more than 20 pages of appended material. These limitations should be 
    considered as a maximum, and not necessarily a goal to be achieved. 
    Applicants are advised to use standard (12 point) font size for the 
    application narrative. Standard Federal application forms and 
    instructions are available from the contact named in the preamble of 
    this announcement.
    
    Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description
    
        The project description provides a major means by which an 
    application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications 
    for available assistance. The project description should be concise and 
    complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are 
    being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can 
    present information clearly and succinctly.
        Applicants are encouraged to provide information on their 
    organizational structure, staff, related experience, and other 
    information considered to be relevant. Awarding offices use this and 
    other information to determine whether the applicant has the capability 
    and resources necessary to carry out the proposed project. It is 
    important, therefore, that this information be included in the 
    application. However, in the narrative the applicant must distinguish 
    between resources directly related to the proposed project from those 
    that will not be used in support of the specific project for which 
    funds are requested.
    General Instructions
        Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. ACF is 
    particularly interested in specific factual information and statements 
    of measurable goals in quantitative terms. Project descriptions are 
    evaluated on the basis of substance, not length. Extensive exhibits are 
    not required. (Supporting information concerning activities that will 
    not be directly funded by the grant or information that does not 
    directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity 
    should be placed in an appendix.) Pages should be numbered and a table 
    of contents should be included for easy reference.
    Budget and Budget Justification
        Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget 
    object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed 
    calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, 
    and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to 
    be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the 
    funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
        Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the 
    categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, 
    and allocability of the proposed costs. Program income from activities 
    funded under this program may be added to the funds committed to the 
    project (if any income is expected to be generated from this project).
    Non-competing Continuations
        For subsequent budget periods within the three-year project period, 
    a full project description will not be required unless requested in 
    writing by the Director of ORR, an ACF Program Official.
    Supplemental Applications
        For a supplemental assistance request, explain the reason for the 
    request and justify the need for additional funding. Provide a budget 
    and budget justification only for those costs for which additional 
    funds are requested.
    
    Application Submission
    
        1. Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced 
    deadline if they are either received on or before the deadline date or 
    sent on or before the deadline date and received by ACF in time for the 
    independent review to: DHHS, ACF, Office of Refugee Resettlement, 
    Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant 
    Promenade, SW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20447.
    
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        Applicants must ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 
    postmark or a legibly dated, machine-produced postmark of a commercial 
    mail service is affixed to the envelope/package containing the 
    application(s). To be acceptable as proof of timely mailing, a postmark 
    from a commercial mail service must include the logo/emblem of the 
    commercial mail service company and must reflect the date the package 
    was received by the commercial mail service company from the applicant. 
    Private metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely 
    mailing. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services 
    do not always reflect the date of mailing on the package or deliver as 
    agreed.)
        Applications hand-carried by applicants, couriers, or by other 
    representatives of the applicant shall be considered as meeting an 
    announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date, 
    between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST, at the Department of 
    Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 
    Office of Refugee Resettlement, ACF Mailroom, 2nd Floor (near loading 
    dock), Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024, 
    between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The address 
    must appear on the envelope/package containing the application with the 
    note ``Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer.''
        ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or 
    through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to 
    ACF electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of 
    submission and time of receipt.
        2. Late applications. Applications which do not meet the criteria 
    above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late 
    applicant that its application will not be considered in the current 
    competition.
        3. Extension of deadlines. ACF may extend an application deadline 
    when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) 
    occur, or when there is widespread disruption of the mail service, or 
    in other rare cases. Determinations to extend or waive deadline 
    requirements rest with ACF's Chief Grants Management Officer.
    
    Regulations and Reporting
    
        Applicable HHS regulations can be found in 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
        Grantees under this program announcement will be required to 
    provide semi-annual program performance reports on the ORR Quarterly 
    Performance Report (QPR--OMB Approval No. 0970-0036) including 
    appropriate reports on Schedule C. Grantees will submit semi-annual 
    financial reports using the Financial Status Report form (SF-269). A 
    Final Financial and Program Report shall be due 90 days after the end 
    of the Grant Project Period (i.e. only after the final budget period).
    
        Dated: June 22, 1999.
    Lavinia Limon,
    Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement.
    [FR Doc. 99-16281 Filed 6-25-99; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4184-01-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
06/28/1999
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of Availability of FY 1999 discretionary social service funds for refugee \1\ community and family strengthening and integration.
Document Number:
99-16281
Dates:
For submission of applications is July 27, 1999. For more application information, see Part IV of this announcement.
Pages:
34662-34667 (6 pages)
PDF File:
99-16281.pdf