Administration for Native Americans: Availability of Financial Assistance

SUMMARY: The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) announces the

availability of fiscal year 1997 funds for information dissemination

and strategy development relating to the implementation of the tribal-

specific provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-193 (the Act). ANA plans to

fund applicants in six (6) geographic areas to develop comprehensive

TANF information dissemination and strategies designed to assist tribal

and community leaders in making informed decisions relating to

participation in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

Program. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is

responsible for the implementation of the Act, including tribal-

specific TANF provisions.

Financial assistance provided by ANA in support of projects in this

area is intended to promote information dissemination and strategy

development concerning the TANF program for the benefit of entities

designated in Pub. L. 104-193 as eligible to administer a TANF

program--federally-recognized tribes, the Metlakatla Indian Community

and the 12 Alaska Native regional non-profit corporations.

DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications is May 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Application kits, containing the necessary forms and

instructions to apply for a grant under this program announcement, may

be obtained from: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Native

Americans, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, Mail Stop HHH 348F, Washington, DC

20447, Attention: 93612-973, Telephone: (202) 690-7776.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Yatsko, Program Specialist,

Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Native

Americans, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, Mail Stop HHH 348F, Washington, D.C.

20447, tel: (202) 690-7843, fax: (202) 690-7441.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction and Purpose

This Announcement describes the availability of fiscal year 1997

financial assistance for grants to develop and disseminate consistent

program information on the legal, fiscal and administrative

requirements of the TANF Block Grant Program to federally-recognized

tribes, the Metlakatla Indian Community and the 12 Alaska Native

regional non-profit corporations.

ANA fully supports and assists tribal and Alaska Native Village

governments, Native American institutions, and local leadership in

exercising local control and decision-making over their resources.

Consistent with this policy, ANA will assist federally-recognized

tribes, the Metlakatla Indian Community and the 12 Alaska Native

regional non-profit corporations in obtaining the information necessary

to make informed decisions about exercising their options under TANF;

i.e. to administer this program and apply directly for Federal funding,

participate in TANF through the State government, form tribal

consortia, or contract for services. This will be accomplished by

funding six (6) TANF information dissemination and strategy development

grants. Eligibility for these grants extends to all tribes,

organizations and groups listed in PART II, Section D ``Eligible

Applicants''.

Funding authorization is provided under section [803(a) of the

Native American Programs Act of 1974, as amended (Public Law 93-644, 88

Stat. 2324, 42 U.S.C. 2991b).]

Proposed projects will be reviewed on a competitive basis against

the specific evaluation criteria presented in this announcement.

Applicants may submit proposals for more than one geographic area, but

it is anticipated that no single organization will be awarded a grant

for more than one region. However, should a shortage of highly ranked

organizations develop, ANA may award more than one grant to an

organization or may combine regions under one grant.

This program announcement consists of three parts:

Part I--ANA Policy and Goals

Provides general information about ANA's policies and goals as

they relate to TANF information dissemination and strategy

development grants.

Part II--TANF Information Dissemination and Strategy Development Grants

Describes the TANF Information Dissemination and Strategy

Development Grants under which ANA is requesting applications.

The following sections provide specific information to be used

to develop an application for ANA funds:

A Purpose and Availability of Funds;

B Background;

C Competitive Geographical Areas of Consideration

D Eligible Applicants;

E Grantee Share of the Project;

F Review Criteria;

G Application Due Date; and

H Contacts to Obtain Further Information

Part III--General Application Information and Guidance

Provides important information and guidance that must be taken

into account in developing an application for one or more of the six

(6) geographical areas. These geographic areas are defined in PART

II, Section C. ``Competitive Geographic Areas of Consideration''.

Part I--ANA Policy and Goals

The mission of the Administration for Native Americans is to

promote the goal of social and economic self-sufficiency for American

Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Native American

Pacific Islanders. ANA believes that the responsibility of achieving

self-sufficiency resides with the governing bodies of Indian tribes,

Alaska Native Villages and in the leadership of Native American groups.

A community's progress toward self-sufficiency is based on its efforts

to plan, organize and direct resources in a comprehensive manner

consistent with its long-range goals. ANA fully supports and assists

tribal and Alaska Native Village governments, Native American

institutions, and local leadership in exercising local control and

decision-making over their resources.

Consistent with this policy, ANA is offering federal assistance

through grant projects designed to assist federally-recognized tribes,

the Metlakatla Indian Community and the 12 Alaska Native regional non-

profit corporations to gain information relating to their options under

the TANF Block Grant Program. Information and analysis to be provided

through the six (6) ANA grants must fully address this range of

options: to administer this program and apply directly for Federal

funds; participate through State governments; form tribal consortia; or

contract for services.

ANA will provide financial assistance to successful applicants to

disseminate information about the TANF Block Grant Program in specific

geographic areas. These TANF information dissemination and strategy

development projects will last for up to one year. Applicants must

describe concrete strategies to gather, organize and disseminate

program information. Planning for the project must consider

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the maximum use of all available resources, including: initial

coordination with ACF to ensure that the TANF information to be

provided to tribes is comprehensive and current; how resources will be

directed to program information dissemination; and comprehensive

strategies for presenting the information, such as meetings, forums,

workshops, cluster sessions and on-site presentations.

An application from a federally-recognized Tribe, Alaska Native

Village or Native American organization must be from the governing body

of the Tribe or organization. ANA will not accept applications from

tribal components which are tribally-authorized divisions of a larger

tribe, unless the application includes a Tribal resolution which

clearly demonstrates the Tribe's support of the project and the Tribe's

understanding that the other applicant's project supplants the Tribe's

authority to submit an application under that specific competitive area

for the duration of the approved grant period.

Part II--TANF Information Dissemination and Strategy Development Grants

This part describes ANA's funding authority, priorities,

requirements and review criteria. The standard requirements necessary

for each application as well as the standard ANA program guidance and

technical guidance are described in Part III of this announcement.

A. Purpose and Availability of Funds

This Announcement describes the availability of fiscal year 1997

financial assistance for grants to develop and disseminate consistent

program information on the legal, fiscal and administrative

requirements of the TANF Block Grant Program to federally-recognized

tribes, the Metlakatla Indian Community and the 12 Alaska Native

regional non-profit corporations.

Approximately $ 1,200,000 of financial assistance is anticipated to

be available for TANF information dissemination and strategy

development. ANA anticipates awarding six (6) competitive grants to

provide geographic coverage for the continental United States and

Alaska.

B. Background

Recent legislation significantly changes the administration and

delivery of welfare services by enabling federally-recognized tribes,

the Metlaketla Indian Community and the 12 Alaska Native regional non-

profit corporations to receive direct Federal funding to administer

social welfare programs. Pub. L. 104-193 (the Act) authorizes tribes to

apply directly to the Department of Health and Human Services to

receive funds and administer TANF Block Grants; participate through the

state government; form tribal consortia; or to contract for services.

The TANF Block Grant Program replaces the former Aid to Families With

Dependent Children Program (AFDC), the Job Opportunity and Basic Skills

Training Program (JOBS) and the Emergency Assistance (EA) Program.

The new law represents a significant departure from the previous

welfare laws and contains many provisions of major consequence to

tribes. These provisions must be implemented in a relatively short time

to maximize the availability of Federal funds. The specific references

to tribal-specific TANF provisions are found in sections 412 and 417

(4) of the amended IV-A of the Social Security Act:

Title I of Pub.L. 104-193 amends part A of title IV of the

Social Security Act by replacing the Aid to Families with Dependent

Children (AFDC) Program, the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills

(JOBS) Program and the Emergency Assistance (EA) program with the

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program. Under the

new IV-A, open-ended funding and guaranteed individual entitlement

to public assistance has been repealed. The purpose of TANF is to

give States and federally-recognized tribes, the Metlakatla Indian

Community and the 12 Alaska Native regional non-profit corporations

the opportunity to create a system that promotes work and

responsibility and strengthens families. Flexibility is now provided

to States and Indian tribes to operate a program designed to provide

assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in

their own homes or in the homes of relatives; reduce dependency on

public benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage,

prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and

encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. The

new statute provides both challenges and opportunities to help needy

families.

The information to be disseminated through the six (6) ANA grants

will assist federally-recognized tribes, the Metlakatla Indian

Community, and the 12 Alaska Native regional non-profit corporations in

understanding and assessing their options under TANF. Such information

may include the background and statutory requirements of TANF; data

systems and other administrative requirements to conduct a TANF

program; schematics for program models and designs, including intake

processing for TANF applicants; identification of data sources on size

and composition of the TANF-eligible population; availability of TANF

funds; financial consequences and anticipated costs for tribes under

each option; requirements for forming consortia or contracting for

services; consideration of tribal-state cooperative agreements;

participation as part of a State program; and the relationship of TANF

to other social service programs.

Applications should also address the mechanisms to be used in

gathering information and assuring that all information provided to

tribes is authoritative, comprehensive and current. Proposals should be

as specific as possible in identifying how information will be

disseminated to tribes and how options will be explored. Proposals

should also clearly identify the approaches to be taken, such as

meetings, forums, cluster groups, and on-site presentations. A

recognition of the diversity of local tribal needs and capabilities

should also be fully articulated.

C. Competitive Geographical Areas of Consideration

Competitive geographical areas are approximately equivalent to the

federal regional system, with Alaska as a separate area. These

geographical divisions are designated according to the concentration of

TANF-eligible entities (federally-recognized tribes, the Metlakatla

Indian Community and the 12 Alaska Native regional non-profit

corporations) in each area. Eligible applicants for the six (6) ANA

grants (as listed in Part II, Section D, ``Eligible Applicants'') may

compete in each of the following six (6) geographical areas:

Area 1--Federal regions 1-5: CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, NY, NJ, DE, MD,

PA, AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI, VA, WV

Area 2--Federal regions 6 & 7: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX, IA, KS, MO, NE

Area 3--Federal region 8: CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY

Area 4--Federal region 9: AZ, CA, NV

Area 5--Federal region 10: ID, OR, WA

Area 6--AK

Applicants may submit one application per geographical area. An

applicant may receive only one grant, regardless of the number of

geographic areas in which it competes. Should a shortage of highly

ranked organizations develop, however, ANA may award more than one

grant to an organization or may combine regions under one grant.

D. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply under this

competitive area:

Federally recognized Indian Tribes;

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Consortia of Indian Tribes;

Incorporated non-Federally recognized Tribes;

Incorporated nonprofit multi-purpose community-based

Indian organizations;

Urban Indian Centers;

National or regional incorporated nonprofit Native

American organizations with Native American community-specific

objectives;

Alaska Native villages as defined in the Alaska Native

Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and/or nonprofit village consortia;

Incorporated nonprofit Alaska Native multi-purpose

community-based organizations;

Nonprofit Alaska Native Regional Corporations/Associations

in Alaska with village specific projects;

Nonprofit Native organizations in Alaska with village

specific projects;

Public and nonprofit private agencies serving Native

Hawaiians;

Public and nonprofit private agencies serving native

peoples from Guam, American Samoa, Palau, or the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands. (The populations served may be located on

these islands or in the United States); and

Tribally Controlled Community Colleges, Tribally

Controlled Post-Secondary Vocational Institutions, and colleges and

universities located in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Palau, or the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands which serve Native

American Pacific Islanders.

Note: Current ANA grantees are also eligible to apply under this

announcement.

Any non-profit organization submitting an application must submit

proof of its non-profit status in its application at the time of

submission. The non-profit 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.

If the applicant is other than a tribe or an Alaska Native Village

government and is proposing a project benefiting Native Americans or

Alaska Natives, or both, it must provide assurance that its duly

elected or appointed board of directors is representative of the

community to be served. An organization can conclusively establish that

it meets this requirement through a signed statement or resolution

stating that its duly elected or appointed board of directors are

either Native Americans or Native Alaskans or a copy of the

organizational charter or by-laws that clearly states that the

organization has a board drawn from members of those groups.

E. Grantee Share of the Project

Grantees must provide at least 20 percent of the total approved

cost of the project. (The total approved cost of the project is the sum

of the ACF share and the non-Federal share.) The non-Federal share may

be met by cash or in-kind contributions; although applicants are

encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions.

Therefore, a project requesting $200,000 in Federal funds must include

a match of at least $50,000 (20% total project cost).

As per 45 CFR Part 74.2, In-Kind contributions is defined as ``the

value of non-cash contributions provided by non-Federal third parties.

Third party-in kind contributions may be in the form of real property,

equipment, supplies and other expendable property, and the value of

goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to

the project or program.''

In addition it may include other Federal funding sources where its

legislation or regulations authorizes using specific types of funds for

a match and provided the source relates to the ANA project, as follows:

Indian Child Welfare funds, through the Department of

Interior;

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance funds,

through the Department of Interior and the Department of Health and

Human Services; and

Community Development Block Grant funds, through the

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

An itemized budget detailing the applicant's non-Federal share, and

its source, must be included in an application.

If an applicant plans to charge indirect costs in its ANA

application, a current copy of its Indirect Cost Agreement must be

included in the application.

A request for a waiver of the non-Federal share requirement may be

submitted in accordance with 45 CFR 1336.50(b)(3) of the Native

American Program Regulations.

Note: Applications originating from American Samoa, Guam, Palau,

or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are covered

under Section 501(d) of Public Law 95-134, as amended (48 U.S.C.

1469a) under which HHS waives any requirement for local matching

funds under $200,000 (including in-kind contributions).

F. Review Criteria

The evaluation criteria are closely related to each other and are

considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.

Points are awarded only to applications which are responsive to this

program announcement. Proposed projects will be reviewed on a

competitive basis using the following evaluation criteria:

(1) Goals and Available Resources--(10 points)

(a) The application describes the applicant's goals and strategy,

including:

How applicant's goals relate to the Tribal-specific

provisions of P.L. 104-193;

How the applicant intends to achieve these goals;

Applications must clearly explain how the project was originated,

state who the intended beneficiaries will be, and describe how the

recipients will actually benefit from the project. National Indian and

Native organizations should define their membership and describe how

the organization operates.

(b) Available resources (other than ANA and the non-Federal share)

which will assist, and be coordinated with the project are described.

These resources should be documented by letters or documents of

commitment of resources, not merely letters of support.

``Letters of support'' merely express another

organization's endorsement of a proposed project. Support letters are

not binding commitment letters or do not factually establish the

authenticity of other resources.

``Letters and other documents of commitment'' are binding

when they specifically state the nature, the amount, and conditions

under which another individual, agency or organization will support a

project funded with ANA funds.

These resources may be human, natural or financial, and may include

other Federal and non-Federal resources. (Applicant statements that

additional funding will be sought from other specific sources are not

considered a binding commitment of outside resources.)

Note: Applicants from the Native American Pacific Islands are

not required to provide a 20% match for the non-Federal share if it

is under $200,000 and may not have points reduced for this policy.

They are, however, expected to coordinate non-ANA resources for the

proposed project, as are all ANA applicants.

[[Page 14279]]

(2) Organizational Capabilities and Qualifications--(30 points)

(a) The management and administrative structure of the applicant is

explained. Evidence of the applicant's ability to manage a project of

the proposed scope is demonstrated. The application clearly shows the

successful management of projects of similar scope by the organization,

and/or by the individuals designated to manage the project.

(b) Position descriptions and/or resumes of key personnel,

including those of consultants, are presented. The position

descriptions and/or resumes relate specifically to the staff proposed

in the Approach Page and in the proposed Budget of the application.

Position descriptions very clearly describe each position and its

duties and clearly relate to the personnel staffing required to achieve

the project objectives. Resumes demonstrate that the proposed staff are

qualified to carry out the project activities. Either the position

descriptions or the resumes contain the qualifications and/or

specialized skills necessary for overall quality management of the

project. Resumes must be included if individuals have been identified

for positions in the application.

Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged to give preference to

Native Americans in hiring staff and subcontracting services under

an approved ANA grant.

(3) Project Objectives, Approach and Activities.--(30 points)

The application proposes specific project Objective Work Plans with

activities related to each specific objective.

The Objective Work Plan(s) in the application includes project

objectives and activities for the budget period and demonstrates that

each of the objectives and its activities:

identifies the basic approach to be used in collecting,

disseminating and presenting TANF information; includes initial

coordination with ACF;

includes strategies and methods for analyzing options

available to federally recognized tribes, the Metlakatla Indian

Community and the 12 Alaska Native regional non-profit corporations

regarding participating in TANF programs.

is measurable and/or quantifiable in terms of results or

outcomes;

clearly relates to the applicant's goals and strategies;

can be accomplished with the available or expected

resources during the proposed project period;

indicates when the objective, and major activities under

each objective, will be accomplished;

specifies who will conduct the activities under each

objective;

(4) Results or Benefits Expected--(15 points)

Completion of the proposed objectives will result in specific,

measurable results. The specific information provided in the narrative

and objective work plans on expected results or benefits for each

objective is the standard upon which its achievement can be evaluated

at the end of the project.

(5) Budget--(15 points)

A detailed and fully explained budget is provided for the budget

period requested which:

Justifies each line item, with a well-written

justification, in the budget categories in Section B of the Budget

Information of the application, including the applicant's non-Federal

share and its source;

Includes and justifies sufficient cost and other necessary

details to facilitate the determination of cost allowability and the

relevance of these costs to the proposed project; and

Requests funds which are appropriate and necessary for the

scope of the proposed project.

Note: (Applicants from the Native American Pacific Islands are

exempt from the $200,000 non-Federal share requirement).

Part III--General Application Information and Guidance

A. General Considerations

Non-ANA resources should be leveraged to strengthen and broaden the

impact of the proposed project in the community. Project designs should

explain how those parts of projects which ANA does not fund will be

financed through other sources. Applicants must show the relationship

of non-ANA funded activities to those objectives and activities that

are funded with ANA grant funds.

Costs of fundraising, including financial campaigns, endowment

drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses

incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions are

unallowable under a grant award. However, even though these costs are

unallowable for purposes of computing charges to Federal awards, they

must be treated as direct costs for purposes of determining indirect

cost rates and be allocated their share of the organization's indirect

costs if they represent activities which (1) include the salaries of

personnel, (2) occupy space, and (3) benefit from the organization's

indirect costs.

All projects funded by ANA must be completed by the end of the

project period. ``Completed'' means that the project ANA funded is

finished, and the desired result(s) have been attained.

B. Activities That Cannot Be Funded By ANA

The Administration for Native Americans does not fund projects that

operate indefinitely or require ANA funding on a recurring basis. The

Administration for Native Americans does not fund objectives or

activities for the core administration of an organization. ``Core

administration'' is funding for staff salaries for those functions

which support the organization as a whole, or for purposes unrelated to

the actual management or implementation of work conducted under an ANA

approved project.

However, functions and activities that are clearly project related

are eligible for grant funding. For example, the 2 management and

administrative functions necessary to carry out an ANA approved project

are not considered ``core administration'' and are, therefore, eligible

costs. Additionally, ANA will fund the salaries of approved staff for

time actually and reasonably spent to implement a funded ANA project.

Projects or activities that generally will not meet the purposes of

this announcement are discussed further in Part III, Section H, General

Guidance to Applicants, below.

C. Length of Projects

Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a one-year project and

budget period.

D. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

This program is not covered by Executive Order 12372 or 45 CFR Part

100.

E. The Application Process

1. Availability of application forms. In order to be considered for

a grant under this program announcement, an application must be

submitted on the forms supplied and in the manner prescribed by ANA.

The application kits containing the necessary forms and instructions

may be obtained from: Department of Health and Human Services,

Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Native

Americans, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, Mail Stop HHH 348F, Washington, D.C.

[[Page 14280]]

20447, Attention: 93612-973, Telephone: (202) 690-7776.

2. Application submission. One signed original, and two copies, of

the grant application, including all attachments, must be mailed on or

before the closing date to: Department of Health and Human Services,

Administration for Children and Families, Division of Discretionary

Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Mail Stop 6C-462, Washington,

D.C. 20447, Attention: William J. McCarron, ANA No. 93612-973.

Hand delivered applications are accepted between the hours of 8:00

a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, on or prior to the

established closing date at: Administration for Children and Families,

Division of Discretionary Grants, ACF Mailroom, 2nd Floor Loading Dock,

Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024.

The application (Form 424) must be signed by an individual

authorized (1) to act for the applicant tribe or organization, and (2)

to assume the applicant's obligations under the terms and conditions of

the grant award, including Native American Program statutory and

regulatory requirements.

Each eligible applicant may compete in all geographic areas.

However, it can receive a grant award in only one of the geographic

areas under this announcement. The Administration for Native Americans

will accept only one application per geographic area from any one

applicant. If an eligible applicant sends in two applications for the

same geographic area, the one with the earlier postmark will be

accepted for review unless the applicant withdraws the earlier

application.

Six (6) separate ranking lists, one for each geographic area, will

be utitilized in the decision process.

3. Application consideration. The ANA Commissioner determines the

final action to be taken on each grant application received under this

program announcement.

The following points should be taken into consideration by all

applicants:

Incomplete applications and applications that do not

conform to this announcement will not be accepted for review.

Applicants will be notified in writing of any such determination by

ANA.

Complete applications that conform to all the requirements

of this program announcement are subjected to a competitive review and

evaluation process (discussed in section F below). Independent review

panels consisting of reviewers familiar with American Indian Tribes,

Native American communities and organizations, and Pub. L. 104-193,

evaluate each application using the published criteria. As a result of

the review, a numerical score will be assigned to each application.

The Commissioner's funding decision is based on the review

panel's analysis of the application, recommendation and comments of ANA

staff, State and Federal agencies having contract and grant performance

related information, and other interested parties.

The Commissioner makes grant awards consistent with the

purpose of the Act, all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements,

this program announcement, and the availability of funds.

After the Commissioner has made decisions on all

applications, unsuccessful applicants are notified in writing within

approximately 30 days. Successful applicants are notified through an

official Financial Assistance Award (FAA) document. ANA staff cannot

respond to requests for information regarding funding decisions prior

to the official notification to the applicants. The FAA will state the

amount of Federal funds awarded, the purpose of the grant, the terms

and conditions of the grant award, the effective date of the award, the

project period, the budget period, and the amount of the non-ACF

matching share requirement.

F. The Review Process

1. Initial application review. Applications submitted by the

closing date and verified by the postmark under this program

announcement will undergo a pre-review to determine that:

The applicant is eligible in accordance with the Eligible

Applicants Section of this announcement; and

The application is signed and submitted by the deadline

explained in section I, Receipt of Applications, of this announcement.

2. Competitive review of accepted applications. Applications which

pass the pre-review will be evaluated and rated by an independent

review panel on the basis of the specific evaluation criteria listed in

Part II. These criteria are used to evaluate the quality of a proposed

project, and to determine the likelihood of its success.

3. Appeal of ineligibility. Applicants who are initially rejected

from competitive evaluation because of ineligibility, may appeal an ANA

decision of applicant ineligibility. Likewise, applicants may also

appeal an ANA decision that an applicant's proposed activities are

ineligible for funding consideration.

G. General Guidance to Applicants

The following information is provided to assist applicants in

developing a competitive application.

1. Program Guidance

The Administration for Native Americans funds projects

that demonstrate the strongest prospects for addressing the stated

purposes of this program announcement. Projects will not be funded on

the basis of need alone.

In discussing the goals, strategy, and problems being

addressed in the application, present sufficient background concerning

these issues, including TANF requirements. This material will assist

the reviewers in determining the appropriateness and potential benefits

of the proposed project.

Applicants must document the community's support for the

proposed project and explain the role of the community in the planning

process and implementation of the proposed project. For tribes, a

current signed resolution from the governing body of the tribe

supporting the project proposal stating that there has been community

involvement in the planning of this project will suffice as evidence of

community support/involvement. For all other eligible applicants, the

type of community you serve will determine the type of documentation

necessary. For example, a tribal organization may submit resolutions

supporting the project proposal from each of its members tribes, as

well as a resolution from the applicant organization.

The project application, including the Objective Work

Plans, must clearly identify in measurable terms the expected results,

benefits or outcomes of the proposed project, and the positive or

continuing impact that the project will have on the community.

Supporting documentation, including letters of support, if

available, or other testimonies from concerned interests other than the

applicant should be included to demonstrate support for the feasibility

of the project and the commitment of other resources to the proposed

project.

2. Technical Guidance

Applicants are encouraged to have someone other than the

author apply the evaluation criteria in the program announcement and

score the application prior to its submission, in order to gain a

better sense of the application's quality and potential competitiveness

in the ANA review process.

[[Page 14281]]

For purposes of developing an application, applicants

should plan for a project start date approximately 90 days after the

closing date under which the application is submitted.

For purposes of this announcement, ANA is using the Bureau

of Indian Affairs' list of Federally recognized Indian tribes which

includes nonprofit Alaska Native community entities or tribal governing

bodies (IRA or traditional councils). Other Federally recognized Indian

tribes which may not yet be included on this list (e.g., those Tribes

which have been recently recognized or restored by the United States

Congress) are also eligible to apply for ANA funds.

Eligible applicants may submit one application per

geographic area. If an eligible applicant sends in two applications for

the same geographic area, the one with the earlier postmark will be

accepted for review unless the applicant withdraws the earlier

application.

An application from a tribe, Alaska Native Village or

Native American organization must be from the governing body of the

Tribe or organization. ANA will not accept applications from tribal

components which are tribally-authorized divisions of a larger tribe,

unless the application includes a Tribal resolution which clearly

demonstrates the Tribe's support of the project and the Tribe's

understanding that the other applicant's project supplants the Tribe's

authority to submit an application for the duration of the approved

grant period.

The application's Form 424 must be signed by the

applicant's representative authorized to act with full authority on

behalf of the applicant.

The Administration for Native Americans recommends that

the pages of the application be numbered sequentially and that a table

of contents be provided. Simple tabbing of the sections of the

application is also helpful to the reviewers.

An application with an original signature and two

additional copies are required.

The Cover Page (included in the Kit) should be the first

page of an application, followed by the one-page abstract.

The Approach page (Section B of the ANA Program Narrative)

for each Objective Work Plan proposed should be of sufficient detail to

become a monthly staff guide for project responsibilities if the

applicant is funded.

Line 15a of the Form 424 must specify the Federal funds

requested for the Budget Period.

The Administration for Native Americans will critically

evaluate applications in which the acquisition of equipment is a major

component of the Federal share of the budget. ``Equipment is tangible,

non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one

year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit.'' During

negotiation, such expenditures may be deleted from the budget of an

otherwise approved application, if not fully justified by the applicant

and not deemed appropriate to the needs of the project by ANA.

Applicants are encouraged to request a legibly dated

receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service as proof of

timely mailing.

3. Projects or Activities That Generally Will Not Meet the Purposes of

This Announcement

The support of on-going social service delivery programs

or the expansion, or continuation, of existing social service delivery

programs.

Core administration functions, or other activities, which

essentially support only the applicant's on-going administrative

functions.

Project goals which are not responsive to this program

announcement.

Proposals from consortia of tribes that are not specific

with regard to support from, and roles of, member tribes.

Projects that will not be completed by the end of the

project period.

ANA will not fund the purchase of real estate (see 45 CFR

1336.50 (e)) or construction (see ACF Grants Administration Manual

Sec. 3.12).

Projects originated and designed by consultants who

provide a major role for themselves in the proposed project and are not

members of the applicant organization, tribe or village.

H. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13, the

Department is required to submit to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for review and approval any reporting and record keeping

requirements in regulations including program announcements.

Information collection through this Program Announcement, including the

program narrative statement, are approved by the OMB under control

number 0980-0204, which expires August 31, 1999.

I. Receipt of Applications

The closing date for the submission of applications is May 27,

1997. Applications postmarked after the closing date will be classified

as late.

1. Deadline

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: U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Division of

Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Mail Stop 6C-462

Washington, D.C. 20447.

Applicants are cautioned to request a legibly dated U.S.

Postal Service postmark or to obtain a legibly dated receipt from a

commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private metered

postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

Applications handcarried by applicants, applicant

couriers, or by overnight/express mail couriers shall be considered as

meeting an announced deadline if they are received on or before the

deadline date, Monday through Friday (excluding Federal holidays),

between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, at: U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Division

of Discretionary Grants, ACF Mailroom, 2nd Floor Loading Dock,

Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024.

(Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not

always deliver as agreed.)

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

The Administration for Children and Families may extend the

deadline for all applicants because of acts of God such as floods,

hurricanes, etc., widespread disruption of the mails, or when it is

anticipated that many of the applications will come from rural or

remote areas. However, if ACF does not extend the deadline for all

applicants, it may not waive or extend the deadline for any applicant.

[[Page 14282]]

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number: 93.612

Native American Programs)

Dated: March 18, 1997.

Gary N. Kimble,

Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans.

[FR Doc. 97-7522 Filed 3-24-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-P