Project Safe Neighborhoods: Community Engagement and Media Outreach Technical Assistance Program, FY 2004

About OJP

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice, was created in l984 to provide federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist crime victims. OJP carries out this mission by forming partnerships with other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as national and community-based organizations. OJP is dedicated to comprehensive approaches that empower communities to address crime, break the cycle of substance abuse and crime, combat family violence, address youth crime, hold offenders accountable, protect and support crime victims, enhance law enforcement initiatives, and support advancements in adjudication. OJP also works to reduce crime in Indian Country, enhance technology's use within the criminal and juvenile justice systems, and support state and local efforts through technical assistance and training.

About BJA

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, supports innovative programs that strengthen the nation's criminal justice system. Its primary mission is to provide leadership and a range of assistance to local criminal justice strategies to make America's communities safer. BJA accomplishes this mission by providing funding, training, technical assistance, and information to state and community criminal justice programs and by emphasizing the coordination of federal, state, and local efforts. BJA's specific goals are to help communities reduce and prevent crime, violence, and drug abuse and to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system.

About Project Safe Neighborhoods

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide network designed to create safer neighborhoods by reducing gun violence and gun crime and sustaining that reduction. The program's effectiveness is based on the cooperation of local, state, and federal agencies in a unified offensive led by the U.S. Attorney (USA) in each of the 94 federal judicial districts. Each USA is responsible for establishing a collaborative PSN task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement and other community members to implement PSN initiatives within the USA's district. Through the PSN task force, each USA will implement the five core elements of PSN—partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach, and accountability—in a manner that addresses the specific gun-crime problems in that district. Details on the five elements can be found on the PSN web site. BJA's PSN funding is divided into several grant programs: Media Outreach and Community Engagement, Research Partner/Crime Analyst, Reducing Community Gun Violence Program, Project Sentry, Project ChildSafe, and individual district awards.

Under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 Community Engagement and Media Outreach Program, BJA awarded grants to one recipient in each federal judicial district. The goals of this program are (1) to aggressively promote the message that all firearm-related violent crime will be met with strict enforcement and swift and certain punishment, (2) to encourage citizens to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement to address firearm-related violent crime within their jurisdictions, and (3) to promote gun safety at the local level.

Community engagement activities under these grants include working with citizens to develop a gun violence reduction strategy for the district, including appropriate crime prevention strategies that involve community members. The community can be a critical resource for offering positive alternatives to offenders who take the violence reduction message seriously, but need help turning their lives around.

Media outreach activities include producing and distributing literature, conducting mail campaigns, sponsoring local workshops, and creating related advertising messages. Advertising messages include public service announcements (PSAs), educational literature, crime prevention toolkits, billboard advertisements, press releases, and news articles. These media partners will work with the local PSN task forces to identify local stakeholders, leverage the support of potential partners, identify resources, and engage members of the community in the PSN initiative.

In September 2003, the release of a PSA called "Mothers" to approximately 1,900 media outlets launched a national media campaign. The PSA sought to engage potential criminal offenders, families, and communities by portraying the consequences of gun crime for illegal gun users and crime's effects on users' families. Prior to the release of the national campaign, each media partner received copies of several PSAs developed by local PSN programs that it could use as examples for its own specific initiative. Some examples are on the PSN web site.

About the PSN Community Engagement and Media Outreach Technical Assistance Program

Through the FY 2004 PSN Community Engagement and Media Outreach Technical Assistance Program, BJA will fund specialized support to the 94 PSN task forces. Technical assistance (TA) will be provided through a combination of onsite and office-based TA and training, and the development and the dissemination of resource materials. Funding under this competitive grant announcement includes money allocated to the program in FY 2003.

The goal of the Community Engagement TA Program is to work with PSN task forces to define and implement a comprehensive community engagement strategy, of which the media campaign is one component. Community engagement is the thread that runs through all five elements of PSN program implementation—from the strategic planning stage of program development, when the specific law enforcement focus of the program is determined and essential partnerships are identified, through partnership creation, training plan development, community outreach and media activities, and the accountability tasks of program evaluation and reporting. Community involvement, understanding, and support are essential to the success of the PSN program.

Some PSN teams are still developing their district's gun violence reduction strategy. In a number of instances, the PSN initiative is building on or coordinating previously developed antiviolence programs, and a number of districts are considering the appropriateness of focusing on firearms cases that involve domestic violence and juvenile gangs. Therefore, the community engagement TA provider will need to spend a significant amount of time supporting the development and implementation of community engagement strategies that will shape each of the initiatives undertaken by the PSN task force partners. The TA provider also will need to build bridges with other OJP community-based programs, such as community policing and prosecution, Weed and Seed, and Safe and Drug Free Communities, to help PSN task forces leverage existing resources.

A central concern of the community engagement process is the definition of community. This definition varies from district to district, and one important aspect of the TA provider's work is to assist in developing it. Identifying the audience helps identify the messages a PSN task force wants to send, as well as the best mechanisms for reaching a particular group. Communicating with the citizens in a target area is not the same as communicating with the general public. Community outreach is usually more intensive and requires more participation from the intended recipients of the message.

BJA envisions that the community engagement TA provider will improve district community outreach efforts in three areas: general communication to broaden the concept of outreach and ensure awareness of PSN; local communication to engage the community in developing the PSN strategy, initiating and maintaining a dialogue with the PSN task force, and crafting culturally appropriate goals and messages for PSN in the district; and communication designed to promote the participation of law-abiding citizens and foster deterrence among potential criminals, as well as coordinated and direct support for developing community capacity to provide offenders with positive support.

The TA provider will work with the district teams to seek information that supports enforcement strategies, reduces negative factors that make the community attractive to crime, and builds positive alternatives and resources for people who no longer want to engage in violence. Finally, the provider selected will work with BJA, the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Firearms Enforcement Assistance Team (FEAT), Michigan State University, and other PSN TA providers to build the capacity of district teams to appropriately share data with the public.

The goal of the Media Outreach TA Program is to assist PSN task forces with the development of a media strategy that complements other elements of the districts' gun violence reduction initiative. The program emphasizes the media campaign as a means, not an end, for community outreach efforts. Once a PSN task force defines its community, the proper messages need to be molded and the ideal delivery vehicles identified. The various audiences could include potential perpetrators of gun violence, family members who might influence the perpetrator, law enforcement officials involved in an aspect of PSN, or government officials and members of the public who provide support for local PSN programming. Variation among audiences selected by PSN task forces is to be expected, based on the composition of the PSN task force, local violent crime issues, and resources available in the community. The development of these messages also needs to be coordinated with the community outreach strategies.

The media outreach TA provider should be able to advise PSN task forces and media partners on securing media interest in local PSN activities through effective packaging of stories and regular communication; leveraging air time for PSAs and getting ad firms to donate their time to the effort; determining what message best reaches the community and which venues best communicate the message (TV, buses, billboards, and so forth); presenting the PSN task force as a true partnership and crediting all participants for their efforts; handling negative media coverage; leveraging creative media such as web site creation and maintenance groups, op-ed outlets, local cable shows, and talk radio; and understanding DOJ expectations regarding accurate and nonoffensive targeted messages.

The objectives of the PSN Community Engagement and Media Outreach TA Program are to:

• Identify, document, and educate practitioners about promising and proven practices.

• Provide technical assistance onsite or via telephone or e-mail.

• Coordinate peer-to-peer consultation.

• Manage long-distance meetings (e.g., teleconferencing and focus groups).

• Develop and conduct training, including curriculum development (for the community engagement program only).

• Develop publications, fact sheets, resource guides, multimedia products, and other materials (content and production).

• Schedule, conduct, and facilitate conferences, workshops, seminars, trainings, focus groups, and meetings.

• Provide logistical and travel support for planning meetings and local onsite technical assistance.

• Provide general program documentation.

BJA seeks grantees with the capacity to plan for, manage, and meet deliverables under this program. This capacity should include:

• A technical assistance triage process that describes how service requests will be received, assessed, and addressed.

• A plan to build and offer more substantive services (e.g., documentation of practices, written materials, training materials, and reports of analyses conducted).

• A plan for managing all support-related activities (including logistical support for meetings and onsite technical assistance).

• A plan that uses proven evaluation methods to evaluate the service delivery process and to implement changes based on the evaluation (including a plan to evaluate each instance of technical assistance).

• An overall management plan for handling the duties associated with this award (i.e., documentation of efforts and expenditures).

BJA and FEAT staff will work closely with grantees to develop an approval process for local technical assistance requests.

Eligibility

For-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations, faith-based and community organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals with demonstrated experience in providing or procuring the appropriate range of technical assistance on a national level, as defined under the previous section, are eligible to apply. For-profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or fees for services. Joint applications from consortia with an identified primary applicant and coapplicants are eligible. When coapplicants are identified, letters of support from each coapplicant must be included.

Amount and Length of Awards

Two cooperative agreements will be awarded through the competitive solicitation process—one for community engagement and one for media outreach. Requests for funding under the Community Engagement Technical Assistance Program may not exceed $1 million. Requests for funding under the Media Outreach Technical Assistance Program may not exceed $500,000. Applicants can apply for both awards; however, a separate application must be submitted for each. The award period for each cooperative agreement will be 24 months.

Review Process

All applications will be peer reviewed. BJA staff members will make recommendations, based on peer review results and other considerations, to the BJA Director, who will make final award recommendations to the Assistant Attorney General for OJP. See specific formatting requirements under How To Apply.

Funding decisions will be made on the basis of several criteria, including the merit and fundamental strengths of the application. Consideration may also be given for other factors including, but not limited to, geographic and regional balance. Applications that meet all eligibility requirements will be evaluated according to the selection criteria. Peer reviewers' recommendations are advisory only. The final award decision is made by the Assistant Attorney General. BJA will negotiate specific terms of the awards with the selected applicants.

How To Apply

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this solicitation is 16.609, titled "Community Prosecution and Project Safe Neighborhoods."

OJP requires that funding applications be submitted through the OJP Grants Management System (GMS). If you experience difficulties at any point in this process, please call the GMS Help Desk at 1–888–549–9901. Applications submitted via GMS must be in one of the following formats: Microsoft Word (*.doc), PDF (*.pdf), or text (*.txt).

Step 1: Sign On

• If you already have a GMS user ID, proceed to GMS sign in. You will not be considered registered for the solicitation until you have signed on to GMS and entered the appropriate solicitation, even if your organization already has a user ID. To do so, please proceed to step 2.

• If you do not have a GMS user ID, select "New User? Register Here." Complete all of the required information and click "Create Account" at the bottom of the page. Note your user ID and password, which are case sensitive. Within 2 business days, BJA will send an e-mail confirmation to newly registered applicants that their user ID and password have been approved and they are eligible to submit an application.

• Beginning October 1, 2003, a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number must be included in every application for a new award or renewal of an award. The DUNS number will be required whether an applicant is submitting an application through OJP's Grants Management System or using the governmentwide electronic portal. An application will not be considered complete until the applicant has provided a valid DUNS number. Individuals who would personally receive a grant or cooperative agreement from the federal government are exempt from this requirement.

Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps necessary to obtain one as soon as possible. Applicants can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1–800–333–0505.

Step 2: Select and Register for the Program

• After you have logged onto the system using your user ID and password, click on "Funding Opportunities."

• Select the "Bureau of Justice Assistance" from the drop-down list and click "Search." This will narrow the list of solicitations within the Office of Justice Programs to those in BJA.

• Find "PSN Community Engagement and Media Outreach Technical Assistance Program" and click "Apply Online."

• Confirm that your organization is eligible to apply for this program by reading the text on the screen. If eligible, proceed by clicking "Continue."

Step 3: Complete the Overview Information

• Select the type of application you are submitting by choosing "Application Non-Construction" in the "Type of Submission" section.

• Select "New" in the drop-down box for "Type of Application."

• If your state has a review and comment process under Executive Order 12372, select "Yes" and enter the date you made this application available under that review or "N/A" because this program has not been selected by your state for such a review. If your state does not have such a process, then select "No. Program Not Covered by E.O. 12372."

• Click "Save and Continue."

Step 4: Complete the Applicant Information

• Answer "Yes" or "No" to the question about whether your organization is delinquent on any federal debt.

• Check the information on the rest of this page, which will prepopulate based on the information you submitted during the registration process, for accuracy and relevance. Make any needed changes.

• Click "Save and Continue."

Step 5: Complete the Project Information

• Provide a title that describes your project.

• List the geographic areas to be affected by the project.

• Enter a start date of May 1, 2004 and an end date of April 30, 2006.

• Select all of the congressional districts that are affected by this application. To select multiple districts, hold down the CTRL key while making your selections.

• Enter the amount of the grant for which your organization is applying (no more than $1 million for community engagement and no more than $500,000 for media outreach) on the federal line under "Estimated Funding."

• Click "Save and Continue."

Step 6: Upload Attachments

You will be asked to upload three attachments to the online application system. (See Attachments for detailed instructions.)

1. The Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1).

2. The Program Narrative (Attachment #2).

3. Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3).

• Click "Attach" to upload these documents. A new window will open. Click "Browse" and find the file you want to upload, then click "Upload Your Document." A window that says "File Upload Successful" should appear. Next to the upload list, the notation should change to "Attachment OK." Repeat these steps for all three uploads.

Note: Depending on the size of the attachment and the speed of your Internet connection, this process can take several hours. The system will shut down promptly at the deadline. Any incomplete application will not be accepted and no exceptions will be granted. Please plan accordingly.

• Click on "Tips for Successful Upload" if you encounter any difficulties uploading your file. This document will explain the usual problems with uploading files and will help you through them.

• Click "Save and Continue."

Step 7: Complete the Assurances and Certifications

• You must accept both the assurances document and the certifications document. To do this, click on the links marked "Assurances" and "Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements."

• Read both documents. At the bottom of each one, click "Accept."

• Enter the correct personal information for the person submitting the application after you have accepted both documents.

• Click the box at the bottom of the page to certify that the person submitting the application is authorized to accept these assurances and certifications.

• Click "Save and Continue."

Step 8: Review the SF-424

By answering the questions contained in GMS, you have completed the Standard Form 424 and other forms required to apply for grant funding. Take a moment to review the SF-424 to ensure that it is accurate.

• Make changes to any portion of the application by clicking that section along the left side of the screen. Be sure to click "Save and Continue" after making any changes.

• Click "Continue" when you are sure that the information is accurate.

Step 9: Submit the Application

• A list of application components will appear on the screen. It should say "Complete" before each component. If it says "Incomplete," click on the word and it will take you back to the unfinished section. An explanation of what is missing will be at the top of that screen.

• Read below the list of components for language indicating that your user ID has not been approved. Even if you have a complete application, you will be unable to submit it until BJA has approved your user ID. BJA will approve your user ID within 2 business days after you begin your application.

Note: If the applicant notifies BJA in advance of the deadline of its inability to submit an application electronically and demonstrates that it has made reasonable efforts to comply with the requirement to submit its application electronically, BJA may, at its discretion, allow submission of the application in a paper version via overnight express only. (General mail delivery is still delayed by heightened security screenings in the D.C. area.) The applicant must continue its efforts to submit an application electronically. An application approved for submission in hard copy/paper version will be accepted only if it is postmarked no later than the date of the application deadline and is sent to the address listed in the Additional Information section.

Attachments

Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachment #1)

The applicant must provide a budget that (1) is complete, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the proposed activities, (2) shows the cost calculations that demonstrate how the applicant arrived at the total amount requested, and (3) provides a brief supporting budget narrative that links costs with project implementation. Please note that the budget should indicate the amount of any indirect donations to be contributed to the program.

Applicants must submit the budget worksheet and a budget narrative in one file. The worksheet provides the detailed computation for each budget item (often in spreadsheet format). The narrative justifies or explains each budget item and relates it to project activities.

• Budget Worksheet. The budget worksheet must list the cost of each budget item and show how the cost was calculated. For example, costs for personnel should show the annual salary rate and the percentage of time devoted to the project for each employee to be paid through grant funds. Note: Total costs specified in the budget detail worksheet must match the total amount requested.

• Budget Narrative. The budget narrative should closely follow the content of the budget worksheet and justify all proposed costs. For example, the narrative should explain how fringe benefits were calculated, how travel costs were estimated, why particular items of equipment or supplies must be purchased, and how overhead or indirect costs (if applicable) were calculated. The budget narrative should justify the specific items listed in the budget worksheet (particularly supplies, travel, and equipment) and demonstrate that all costs are reasonable.

Use the sample budget detail worksheet as a guide in the preparation of the budget worksheet and budget narrative.

Applicants must set aside appropriate travel-related funds for key staff to attend the 3-day PSN national conference tentatively scheduled for June 2004, and three 1-day PSN technical assistance partner meetings in Washington, D.C.

Program Narrative (Attachment #2)

The program narrative must be double spaced, using a standard 12-point font (Times New Roman preferred) with 1-inch margins, and must not exceed 20 pages. (Please number pages "1 of 20," "2 of 20," and so forth.) The program narrative must respond to the selection criteria.

Please note: Applicants must specify the program (community engagement or media outreach) for which they are applying in both the file attachment name and at the top of the first page of the narrative.

Project Abstract
The project abstract should not exceed 200 words. It should briefly describe the project's purpose, goals, and objectives; summarize the activities that will be implemented to achieve the proposed goals and objectives; and describe the infrastructure needed to manage the proposed activities.

Project Design and Strategy
The project design and strategy narrative must illustrate what is proposed and how the applicant intends to do it. It should discuss the program's concept, identify the program's target populations and target areas, and explain how the strategy will meet the identified objectives. This section must be very detailed, and it must describe specifically how the project will operate during the funding cycle. This section must also include a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the project, including what will be measured, who will measure it, and how the evaluation findings will be used.

The project design and strategy should provide sufficient detail to demonstrate the specific nature of the technical assistance to be provided, the need for the assistance, and the resources to be used in providing it. The proposed technical assistance protocols and triage process must be outlined, including the timeframes for responding to TA requests. Applicants should clearly describe how supporting deliverables (e.g., training materials) will be provided. This section must address the quantitative and qualitative measures (see Performance Measures) that will indicate progress in meeting the goals of the technical assistance project.

Note for Community Engagement Applicants: Selected applicants will work with BJA and FEAT to identify and develop new training modules that focus on the elements necessary to formulate comprehensive community engagement strategies. A number of the federal and local task force partners have little experience coordinating both community engagement and media outreach, particularly across large geographic areas. One of the major responsibilities of the selected provider will be to address the variety of needs identified in the 94 federal districts. As the office charged with coordinating PSN in each district, the U.S. Attorney's Office will seek assistance on behalf of the PSN task forces. A priority for the TA provider will be to develop practitioner-oriented self-help and self-assessment tools. These tools will enable PSN task forces to define the community they want to reach, assess the inclusiveness of the proposed outreach activities, define the various messages sent (i.e., prevention-oriented, law enforcement-oriented, "lever pulling," and so forth), and help the community better understand the complex nature of gun violence and the dynamics of federal, state, and local agency involvement.

Other key issues on which the TA provider should be able to advise PSN task forces and community engagement partners include:

• Defining the role of the community and implementing activities that are appropriate to that role. Such activities include mobilizing communities as partners and building on existing community and public safety partnerships.

• Getting the community actively involved with the initiative in a culturally appropriate manner. This would include providing guidance on when the community should be consulted and how it should be involved (i.e., inclusion of community members in PSN working groups, appropriate use of the public hearing process, and so forth).

• Recruiting and supervising volunteers.

• Interpreting national PSN campaign messages and finding innovative ways to reach the community with the appropriate locally crafted PSN message, and identifying a multifaceted approach to message delivery through events such as neighborhood watch meetings, messengers such as school resource officers, and other mechanisms to communicate the prevention message.

• Providing input on nonprofit fiscal guidelines for local PSN task forces that want, within the ethical constraints, to perpetuate community engagement and media outreach activities after the federal grants end.

Note for Media Outreach Applicants: The media outreach TA provider's focus will be assisting PSN task forces with strategically planning and promoting messages that support gun safety and inform the community that firearm-related crime will be met with strict enforcement and swift punishment. Key in this effort will be teaching PSN task force members how to work with target audiences to achieve these goals. In addition to networking and traditional telephone and e-mail TA, written materials should be provided. Applicants must fully describe how they intend to implement a nationwide plan to help districts with varied local media messages.

The goal of changing the public's attitudes and behavior regarding gun crime and violence is essential to the development of a PSN media campaign. One or more constituent groups may be addressed in the campaign, and great care should be taken to avoid offending message recipients. These groups must be identified and defined at the beginning of the campaign. This will help determine if traditional or nontraditional media channels will be used to promote each message. Both broad and specific knowledge of PSN can be promoted in urban and rural areas. In addition to the "hard time for gun crimes" message, PSN task forces may want to consider helping the community understand the goals and law enforcement techniques of the PSN program, its potential community benefits, and the complex federal, state, and local interagency dynamics and extensive resources devoted to PSN. The media campaign should be a means, not an end, to community outreach efforts.

Management and Organizational Capability
Applicants must discuss how the TA project will be managed and staffed. This section must describe the experience and ability of the applicant organization and any intended contractors or consultants to effectively implement and manage both this effort and federal funding.

Applicants must demonstrate their ability to provide the technical assistance and training needed. Applicants also must demonstrate an ability to successfully complete the elements required to enhance each PSN task force's ability to change the attitudes and behaviors of the public regarding gun crime and violence. This section should provide information about the skills and management oversight necessary to succeed in this endeavor, with particular focus on the organization's ability to establish firm deadlines that provide ample time for coordination with all involved agencies. The organization should demonstrate its ability to be proactive in meeting its obligations and communicating with DOJ partners about progress and related issues. A willingness to work with PSN task forces, media partners, and research partners must be evident.

Timely and accurate reports should be submitted, and the applicant should demonstrate its ability to follow through on commitments with limited oversight. Adequate staffing (to include the minimum percentage of time to be spent on the grant) and the ability to work in collaboration with several different entities must be demonstrated. This section also should describe the organization's current involvement with PSN and other BJA initiatives. A final project report will be required at the end of the funding period to demonstrate the applicant's level of success in assisting PSN task forces with their media campaign and to document the effective practices and challenges encountered.

Other Program Attachments (Attachment #3)

This file must include the following materials:

• A project timeline and task plan identifying each project goal, related objective, activity, expected completion date, and responsible person or organization.

• Résumés for all key personnel, as well as job descriptions that outline the roles and responsibilities of all key positions that are currently vacant.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated and rated by a peer review panel according to the criteria outlined below.

1. Project Design and Strategy (45 points)
   This section must describe how the applicant's organization will provide technical assistance through the following:

   • Training and Technical Assistance (TTA). The project design and strategy section must illustrate what applicants will do and how they intend to do it. Applicants must provide a project design that is innovative, viable, and within their ability to carry out. Applicants must indicate how project objectives and work requirements will be achieved and must describe a cohesive and well-thought-out plan for transferring knowledge to the field about community engagement and media outreach. This should include a description of how the applicant will both properly establish and maintain contact with PSN task forces and media partners and assist in identifying and prioritizing the districts' needs. Applicants should include a project timeline and task plan.

   • Protocols. Applicants must describe the TTA protocols and triage process that they will use. This includes addressing how applicants plan to develop practitioner-oriented self-help and self-assessment tools for the field. These tools are intended to help the PSN task forces identify the community to be reached, assess the inclusiveness of the proposed outreach activities, define the various messages being sent, and help the community to better understand the complex nature of gun violence and the dynamics of involving federal, state, and local agencies to combat it.

   • Evaluation. Applicants must describe the qualitative and quantitative measures that will indicate progress toward completing the assigned tasks. Applicants also must include a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of activities under the cooperative agreement. This plan must explain what will be measured, who will measure it, and how the evaluation findings will be used. Applicants must also describe how their organization will collect data to document the qualitative and quantitative measures defined above and how it will assess its services. The strategy for eliciting feedback should be described. Applicants must address the performance measures.

   • Deliverables. Applicants must describe how the deliverables will support the proposal and how they will be accomplished.

   • Response Time. Applicants must describe how services will be delivered in a short timeframe.

2. Management and Organizational Capability (40 points)
   Applicants must describe the skills and experience of staff in their organization and how they can accomplish the aforementioned tasks. Points will be awarded based on the following criteria:

   • Substantive experience in media outreach or community engagement, as appropriate.

   • Ability to assess substantive aspects of requests for service and develop technical assistance plans to meet those needs.

   • Experience providing technical assistance.

   • Experience developing and conducting training (including curriculum development).

   • Ability to manage technical assistance requests, including assessments, technical assistance strategies, provision of services, and documentation of services provided.

   • Experience and ability of project staff (provide résumés of key staff).

   • Technical capability (including meeting software, teleconferencing, and conference support equipment).

   • Management of workload, to include an identified process for prioritizing TTA needs among PSN task forces.

   • List of established partners or consultants.

   • Capacity to offer technical assistance in partnership with other practitioners in the field (i.e., peer-to-peer partnerships).

   • Ability to maintain continuous and coordinated contacts with PSN task forces and FEAT members to identify and disseminate information on issues of common concern and noteworthy activities of individual programs.

   • Ability to develop strategies that assess and enhance the ability of PSN coordinators and criminal justice agency partners to actively involve all segments of the local community in the PSN program, with particular attention paid to culturally diverse populations.

3. Budget (15 points)
   Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the proposed activities. Applicants must set aside appropriate travel-related funds for key staff to attend the 3-day PSN national conference tentatively scheduled for June 2004, and three 1-day PSN technical assistance partner meetings in Washington, D.C.

Performance Measures

To ensure compliance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), Public Law 103-62, grantees are required to collect and report data that measure the program's results. All applicants are required to address the outcome and process measures listed below. In addition to incorporating this information into their submission's narrative, applicants are required to address the type of information they will collect, who will collect it, the methods they will use, and how they will report the information. Grantees are also expected to provide interim data in their annual progress reports and to submit the results of their project as part of their final progress report.

Performance will be measured by the following outcomes:

• Requests for services, including the number, frequency, and types of services requested and the recipients of the services.

• Responses to requests, including the percentage of requests filled, average response time, type of services provided, duration of service delivery, number of participants, and any products or deliverables.

• Number of training and technical assistance recipients who have successfully defined and implemented a comprehensive strategy to engage the community in the local PSN efforts.

• Number of training and technical assistance recipients who have developed and implemented a media strategy that is coordinated with the district's gun violence reduction and community engagement initiative.

Submission Deadline

All applicants must register for this program by February 10, 2004, even if they have previously applied for or received funding under this program or any OJP program. Within 2 business days, BJA will send an e-mail confirmation to registered applicants that their user ID and password have been approved for this program, and that they are eligible to submit an application. Applications for this program are due by 5 p. m. e.t. on February 13, 2004. Faxed or mailed applications or supplemental materials will not be accepted, except as described under How To Apply.

Other Requirements

Civil Rights Compliance

All recipients of federal grant funds must comply with nondiscrimination requirements contained in federal laws. If a court or administrative agency makes a finding of discrimination against a recipient of funds on grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or age after a due process hearing, the recipient must forward a copy of the finding to the Office for Civil Rights of the Office of Justice Programs.

Limited English Proficiency

National origin discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of limited English proficiency (LEP). To ensure compliance with Title VI and the Safe Streets Act, recipients are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that LEP persons have meaningful access to their programs. Meaningful access may entail providing language assistance services, including oral and written translation when necessary. The U.S. Department of Justice has issued guidance for grantees to assist them in complying with Title VI requirements. The guidance document can be accessed on the internet at www.lep.gov, by contacting OJP's Office for Civil Rights at 202–307–0690, or by writing to the following address:

Office for Civil Rights
Office of Justice Programs
U.S. Department of Justice
810 Seventh Street NW., Eighth Floor
Washington, DC 20531

Faith-Based and Community Organizations

It is OJP policy that faith-based and community organizations that statutorily qualify as eligible applicants under OJP programs are invited and encouraged to apply for assistance awards. Faith-based and community organizations will be considered for awards on the same basis as any other eligible applicants and, if they receive assistance awards, will be treated on an equal basis with all other grantees in the administration of such awards. No eligible applicant or grantee will be discriminated against on the basis of its religious character or affiliation, religious name, or the religious composition of its board of directors or persons working in the organization.

Anti-Lobbying Act

The Anti-Lobbying Act (18 U.S.C. § 1913) recently was amended to expand significantly restrictions on the use of appropriated funding for lobbying. This expansion also makes the anti-lobbying restrictions enforceable via large civil penalties, with civil fines between $10,000 and $100,000 for each individual occurrence of lobbying activity. These restrictions are in addition to the anti-lobbying and lobbying disclosure restrictions imposed by 31 U.S.C. § 1352.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently in the process of amending the OMB cost circulars and the common rule (codified at 28 C.F.R. Part 69 for Department of Justice grantees) to reflect these modifications. However, in the interest of full disclosure, all applicants must understand that no federally appropriated funding made available under this grant program may be used, either directly or indirectly, to support the enactment, repeal, modification, or adoption of any law, regulation, or policy, at any level of government, without the express approval by OJP. Any violation of this prohibition is subject to a minimum $10,000 fine for each occurrence. This prohibition applies to all activity, even if currently allowed within the parameters of the existing OMB circulars.

Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection

U.S. Department of Justice regulations (28 C.F.R. Part 22) require applicants for BJA funding to submit a Privacy Certificate as a condition of approval of any grant application or contract proposal that contains a research or statistical component under which personally identifiable information will be collected. In addition to the regulations in Part 22, regulations concerning protection of human subjects are set forth in 28 C.F.R. Part 46. In general, 28 C.F.R. Part 46 requires that all research involving human subjects conducted or supported by a federal department or agency be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board before funds are expended for that research.

General information regarding Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection can be found on the National Institute of Justice web site. Sample formats of the Privacy Certificate, Transfer Agreement, and Single Project Assurance for submission to BJA can be found on the OJP web site.

Additional Information

For general information about BJA programs, training, and technical assistance, contact the BJA Clearinghouse at 1-800-851-3420 or visit the BJA home page.

For specific information about this solicitation, contact Todd Brighton, BJA Policy Office, at 202-616-3879 or brightot@ojp.usdoj.gov.

The OJP Financial Guide, which contains information on allowable costs, methods of payment, audit requirements, accounting systems, and financial records, is available online. This document governs the administration of funds by all successful applicants and their contractors.