[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35100-35102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-16396]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Limited Competitive Cooperative Agreement to Support National
Passenger Protection Program
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of limited competitive cooperative agreement to support
the National Child Passenger Safety Program.
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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
announces the availability of a FY 1995 limited competitive cooperative
agreement to support the national child passenger protection program in
the area of program development. This notice solicits applications from
national, non-profit professional organizations which have some
background in child transportation issues. The organization must be
interested in refining and implementing marketing and campaign
strategies which have been researched and developed under a previous
NHTSA contract, designed to increase child safety seat use by rural
populations. The purpose and result of this agreement will be to
increase child passenger safety restraint usage rates in selected rural
areas. This agreement is scheduled to last for eighteen (18) months.
DATES: Applications must be received at the office designated below on
or before August 18, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement
(NAD-30), ATTN: Earnestine Mitchell, 400 Seventh Street SW., Room 5301,
Washington, DC 20590. All applications submitted must include a
reference to NHTSA Limited Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program
No. DTNH22-95-H-05202. Interested applicants are advised that no
separate applications package exists beyond the contents of this
announcement.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General administrative questions may
be directed to Earnestine Mitchell, Office of Contracts and
Procurement, at (202) 366-9565. Programmatic questions relating to this
cooperative agreement should be directed to Ms. JoAnn Murianka, Highway
Safety Specialist, Room 5118 (NTS-11), 400 Seventh Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20590, at (202) 366-5198.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
NHTSA estimates that child safety seats, when used correctly, can
reduce fatalities among children less than five years of age by 71
percent. This makes child safety seats one of the single most effective
automobile safety innovations ever developed. As a result of
improvements in the design of these seats, state child passenger
protection laws and the enforcement of such laws, and public education,
the use of child restraints has increased dramatically over the past
decade.
However, child safety seats are currently saving only about half of
the lives that they could potentially save. Many children are still
travelling unrestrained, and many who are using child safety seats are
using them incorrectly. Recent surveys indicate that at least one in
four safety seats is being grossly misused, substantially reducing its
effectiveness, and as many as three out of four seats are being misused
to some extent.
Added to this gross misuse, the rural areas lag woefully behind in
the national average in the use of child safety restraints. An analyses
conducted on NHTSA's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) data
correlated with geodemographic data shows that rural areas continue to
be over-represented in child motor vehicle crash related fatalities.
The rural areas in southern California and the southern states lead the
nation in non-use of child safety restraints.
Parents receive information and guidance concerning child passenger
protection from many sources. One of the most effective sources for
this communication is through the health care community and especially
through
[[Page 35101]]
local medical and public health care professionals. Medical
professionals have unique credibility and influence with parents of
young children. The child passenger protection message benefits from
being delivered in the context of a health care activity. To many
parents, medical professionals are viewed as the ultimate authority in
child health care. In rural areas, the health care professionals are
highly respected as community advocates for the health and well-being
of children. This status enables medical professionals to increase the
awareness of child safety issues within the community. This influence
can be of great benefit to existing community efforts which promote
child passenger protection.
In the agreement, NHTSA wishes to expand upon the research
previously conducted. In a previous contract, NHTSA developed
preliminary profiles of individuals who will be the focus of this
marketing campaign. The populations targeted were young mothers in
their teens or 20's who had children under the age of 4, living in
targeted lower economic, rural areas of Jefferson County, Georgia and
Fentress County, Tennessee.
Objectives
The objectives of this agreement are:
1. To refine marketing and campaign strategies developed and focus
tested by NHTSA to specifically target young, rural, low-income mothers
such as those previously surveyed by NHTSA.
2. To implement the refined campaign strategies in the selected
rural population group.
3. To evaluate the effects of implementing these refined marketing
and educational campaign strategies on the usage rate of child
passenger safety restraints in the targeted rural populations.
4. To increase the use of child passenger restraints by the target
rural populations.
4. To increase the use of child passenger restraints by the target
rural populations.
5. To develop campaign strategies and materials which can be used
nationally to increase correct child passenger restraint use by rural
populations.
Specific Tasks
1. The contractor shall meet with the COTR within one week after
the award of the contract to review details of the contractor's
proposed work plan and schedules for this project.
2. The contractor shall review the marketing and educational
campaign strategies which have been developed thus far using
information gained from the previously surveyed target groups, with a
view towards incorporating these strategies into the campaign
implementation.
3. The contractor must provide information on how child safety
seats will be made available to the target population.
4. The contractor shall research all existing strategies that are
currently used in and around the target group area to ascertain their
effectiveness.
5. The contractor shall develop marketing and educational campaign
strategies and materials based on the study previously conducted by
NHTSA, current research, and any other method proposed by the
contractor and approved by the COTR.
6. The contractor or affiliates shall pilot test the strategies in
the rural populations identified by NHTSA. These target rural
populations shall be geographically located within the states of
California, Georgia, Tennessee or Kentucky. A detailed description of
the method(s) interaction with the public will be required by the COTR
before the pilot testing commences. Earlier research has shown that
young mothers in the selected rural areas interact on a regular basis
with community health institutions. Therefore, health care sponsored
events like Health Fairs, etc., may prove invaluable for dissemination
of information. Contingent with the submission of the test plan, the
contractor shall present the COTR a detailed method of evaluating the
effectiveness of the strategies.
7. The contractor shall identify necessary child passenger safety
technical training needed and explain how this necessary training will
be attained.
8. The contractor shall coordinate efforts with local state
highway safety offices and include a letter of support from the local
highway safety office.
9. It is imperative that the contractor make provisions in his
organization to continue the implementation of the strategies developed
after the termination of this cooperative agreement within each of the
target areas for at least 3 years. Emphasis should be placed on making
this an on-going program that is self-sufficient, possibly
institutionalizing this program into existing activities. NHTSA will be
prepared to offer suggestions that may assist the contractor to achieve
this goal. A plan of action for self-sustenance shall be provided to
NHTSA along with the final report.
10. Quarterly progress reports will be provided. The contractor
shall, upon completion of this project, present to NHTSA a detailed
report of the entire project.
Deliverables
A final list of required deliverables will be developed in
accordance with the accepted proposal prior to award. For planning
purposes, the agency anticipates that the required deliverables will
include the following:
Work Plan and Schedules............ 1 Week, 3 Weeks and 4 Weeks after
award.
Progress Reports................... Quarterly.
Final Report (Draft)............... 1 Year after award.
Plan for Self-sustenance Final 2 Months after project completion.
Report.
NHTSA Role in Activities
The NHTSA Office of Occupant Protection (OOP) will be involved in
all activities undertaken as part of this cooperative agreement program
and will:
1. Provide a project officer to participate in the planning and
management of the cooperative agreement and to coordinate activities
between the organization and OOP;
2. Make available information and technical assistance from
government sources, including a copy of the previously conducted NHTSA
study. Additional assistance shall be within resources available; and,
3. Provide liaison with other government and private agencies as
appropriate.
Evaluation Criteria and Review Process
Proposals must demonstrate that the applicant meets all eligibility
requirements listed above. Proposals will be evaluated based upon bid
price and upon the following factors which are not necessarily listed
in order of importance:
1. What the organization proposes to accomplish and the
potential of the proposed project to make a significant contribution
to national efforts to increase the correct use of child safety
restraints in rural areas.
2. The extent to which the project addresses foreseeable
barriers to gaining widespread adoption of child passenger safety
activities by the selected rural population.
3. The overall experience, capability and commitment of the
organization to facilitate involvement of its membership in the
promotion of child passenger protection in rural areas.
4. The soundness and feasibility of the proposed approach or
work plan, including the evaluation to assess program outcomes.
5. How the organization will provide the administrative
capability and staff expertise necessary to complete the proposed
project.
[[Page 35102]]
6. The proposed coordination with and use of other available
resources, including collaboration with state highway safety offices
and other existing or planned state and community child occupant
protection programs.
7. How the organization plans to continue child passenger safety
educational activities.
Upon receipt of applications by the agency, they will be screened
to assure that all eligibility requirements have been met. Applications
will be reviewed by NHTSA staff using the criteria outlined above. The
results of this review will be recommendations to the agency management
for Cooperative Agreement Award.
Support, Terms, and Conditions
Contingent on the availability of funds, satisfactory performance,
and continued demonstrated need, this cooperative agreement may be
awarded for a project period of up to eighteen months. The application
for the funding period (18 months) should address what is proposed and
can be satisfactorily accomplished during that period.
The anticipated funding level for this cooperative agreement in FY
95 is $85,000. Federal funds should be viewed as seed money to assist
organizations in the development of traffic safety initiatives. Monies
allocated in this cooperative agreement are not intended to cover all
of the costs that will be incurred in completing this project.
Applicants should demonstrate a commitment of financial and in-kind
resources to the support of this project.
The organization participating in this cooperative agreement
program may use awarded funds to support salaries of individuals
assigned to the project, the development or purchase of direct program
materials, direct program-related activities, or for travel related to
the cooperative agreement.
The award recipient will be required to submit quarterly progress
reports on a schedule to be determined after award. In addition, the
recipient will be required to submit a detailed final summary report
describing the project and its outcomes no later than two (2) months
after termination of this agreement.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to participate in this cooperative
agreement, an organization must meet the following requirements:
1. Be a private, national non-profit organization;
2. Have an established membership structure with state/local
chapters or affiliates in a broad geographic region of the country;
3. Have a membership consisting of, or works in collaboration with
health care officials;
4. Have staff knowledgeable of correct child safety use;
5. Have in place a schedule of annual regional/state conferences or
conventions and a variety of communication mechanisms that are
appropriate for motivating members and other constituents to become
involved in the promotion of child occupant protection at state and
local levels;
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the current and potential role
affiliates can play in child occupant protection efforts at the state
and local levels; and,
7. Demonstrate top level support within the organization for the
project and, where appropriate, demonstrate similar support from the
membership or local affiliates; and
8. Coordinate efforts with the State Highway Safety Office.
Application Procedures
1. All applications must be covered by a signed copy of OMB
Standard Form 424 (revised 4/88, including 424A and 424B) ``Application
for Federal Assistance'' with the required information filled in and
the certified assurances included. This form is available from the
NHTSA Office of Contracts and Procurement (NAD-30), 400 Seventh Street,
S.W., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-0607. Form 424-A deals with
budget information, and Section B identifies Budget Categories, the
available space does not permit for a level of detail which is
sufficient to provide for a useful evaluation of the proposed costs. A
supplemental sheet should be provided which presents a detailed
breakdown of the proposed costs.
2. Applications shall include a program narrative statement which
addresses the following:
A. Goals and Objectives
(i) Demonstrates the need for the assistance and states the
principle and subordinate objectives of the project. Supporting
documentation from concerned interests other than the applicant can
be used. Any relevant data based on planning studies should be
included or footnoted.
(ii) Identifies the results and benefits to be derived.
B. Approach
(i) Outlines a plan of action pertaining to the scope and detail
on how the proposed work will be accomplished. Include the reasons
for taking this approach as opposed to other approaches.
(ii) Describes any unusual features, such as design or
technological innovations and extraordinary social/community
involvement.
(iii) Provides quantitative projections of the accomplishments
to be achieved, if possible, or lists the activities in
chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and
their target dates.
(iv) Identifies the kinds of data to be collected and
maintained, and discusses the criteria to be used to evaluate the
results. Explains the methodology that will be used to determine if
the needs identified and discussed are being met and if the results
and benefits identified are being achieved.
(v) Lists each organization, corporation, consultant, or other
individual who will work on the project along with a short
description of the nature of their effort or contribution and
relevant experience.
3. Applications must be typed on one side of the page only. The
original and two copies of each application must be submitted. An
applicant may submit an additional four copies to facilitate the review
process, but there is no requirement or obligation to do so.
Terms and Conditions of the Award
Prior to award, each recipient must comply with the certification
requirements of 49 CFR part 29--Department of Transportation. During
the effective period of the cooperative agreement awarded as a result
of this notice, the agreements shall be submitted to general
administrative requirements of OMB Circular A-110 (or the ``common
rule'', if effected prior to the award), the cost principles of OMB
Circular A-21 or A-22, as applicable to the recipient, and the
provisions of 49 CFR part 29, Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension
(nonprocurement).
Issued on June 29, 1995.
James H. Hedlund,
Acting Associate Administrator, Traffic Safety Programs.
[FR Doc. 95-16396 Filed 7-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-M
