2013 farmworker employment grant planning

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2013/TEGL_18_12_Acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                 OWI
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                            CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                        NFJP
             Washington, D.C. 20210                       DATE
                                                           March 25, 2013


ADVISORY:       TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 18-12

TO:             NATIONAL FARMWORKER JOBS PROGRAM GRANTEES

FROM:           JANE OATES /s/
                Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:        Program Year 2013 Planning Guidance and Grants Competition Waiver for
                National Farmworker Jobs Program Employment and Training Grantees

1. Purpose. To inform National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) employment and training
   grantees of the waiver of the biennial grants competition and to convey planning guidance for
   Program Year (PY) 2013.

2. References.
   • Federal Register, February 12, 2013, Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for
      Grant Applications for National Farmworker Jobs Program Grants;
   • Section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), as amended (Pub. L. 105-
      220); and
   • 20 CFR Part 669.

3. Background. WIA generally requires the Department of Labor (Department) to conduct a
   grants competition every 2 years to select entities to operate the NFJP. However, WIA
   section 167(c)(4)(B) provides authority for the Secretary to waive the grant competition once
   during a 4-year period if a recipient of such a grant has performed satisfactorily under the
   terms of the grant agreement. Pursuant to this authority, the Department has exercised the
   option to waive competition in all but the seven service areas identified in Section 4 of this
   guidance for the NFJP biennial grants competition for PY 2013. The Solicitation for Grant
   Applications (SGA) for the PY 2013 NFJP grant competition was published in the Federal
   Register on February 12, 2103.

4. Competition Waiver Eligibility. To establish an objective standard upon which to
   determine satisfactory performance for purposes of waiving the competition, the Employment
   and Training Administration (ETA) developed a baseline for acceptable performance at 80
   percent of the national goals for the program’s performance measures – entered employment,
   retention in employment, and average earnings. Specifically, any current grantee that did not
   have outcomes of at least 80 percent of the national goals for all 3 performance measures was
   determined to have not performed satisfactorily and not eligible for a waiver of the grant

 RESCISSIONS                                              EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                     June 30, 2014

   competition. This approach holds current grantees accountable for performance, while taking
   into consideration variations across states in terms of economic conditions and participant
   characteristics that may impact performance.

   Accordingly, based on the national performance goals for PY 2011, the standard for
   satisfactory performance for purposes of waiving competition is achieving an entered
   employment rate of 60.0 percent, a retention rate of 57.6 percent, and six months average
   earnings of $7,240. To apply this standard, ETA conducted a review of performance
   outcomes for PY 2011, based on the Workforce Investment Act Standardized Participant
   Record data submitted by NFJP grantees.

   Based on this standard, grantees in all service delivery areas demonstrated satisfactory
   performance, except for grantees operating in the following service delivery areas: California
   (central California covering Madera, Merced, and Stanislaus Counties), Hawaii, Indiana,
   Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. The Department notified current
   grantees operating in these service delivery areas that they have the option of competing for a
   PY 2013 NFJP grant by submitting an application in response to the SGA.

   All other NFJP grantees were found qualified for a waiver of competition for PY 2013.
   Grantees receiving a waiver are not required to submit an application for funds in response to
   the SGA, but must still submit a grant plan in accordance with this guidance in order to
   receive grant funds for PY 2013.

5. Grant Plan Requirements. To receive PY 2013 funds, those grantees that performed
   satisfactorily and met the requirement for waiver must submit a grant plan and have that plan
   approved by ETA. The grant plan must contain the following:

   A. Standard Form (SF) 424, “Application for Federal Assistance.” The SF-424 must
      clearly identify the grantee, be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a grant
      agreement, and include the grantee’s Data Universal Numbering System number.

   B. SF-424A Budget Information Form and Budget Narrative. Grantees must include a
      SF-424A and a concise narrative explanation to support the funding.

   C. Abstract. Grantees must include a one-to-two page summary description of the grant
      plan, including the grantee name, identification of the service delivery area, the program
      strategies, and grant outcomes.

   D. Grant Plan Narrative. The grant plan narrative must include the following elements:

       i. Economic and Population Analysis.
          • Describe the socio-economic characteristics of the population to be served,
             including the employment and education needs, and the barriers to employment
             facing migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs).


       •   Describe the economic conditions of the service area, including the characteristics
           of the agricultural industry.
       •   Describe the employment outlook of the service area, including the identification
           of the growth or high-demand industries or occupations that will be targeted for
           employment opportunities for MSFWs.

   ii. Program Design. Describe the program strategies to be undertaken in PY 2013 to
       provide services to MSFWs in the service area, including:
       • The strategies for providing core, intensive, and training services to participants
          and how those services will be delivered in conjunction with the American Job
          Center network (also known as the One-Stop Career Center system).
       • The related assistance services needed by MSFWs and the strategies for providing
          those services, including the manner in which related assistance will be
          coordinated with other available services in the service area.
       • The training services to be provided, including the process used to determine a
          participant’s enrollment in training services and the types of training available to
          participants.
       • The approaches to be used to effectively find and recruit eligible participants.
       • The strategies for outreach and recruitment of employers, and the job development
          and placement strategies to be used.
       • The method the grantee will use to target its services on specific segments of the
          eligible population, as appropriate.

   iii. Partnership Strategies.
        • Explain the strategies for increasing the network of organizations with which the
           grantee has partnerships in order to enhance service delivery and outreach
           activities, improve outcomes for MSFWs, and optimize the program’s resources.

   iv. Outcomes.
       • Describe the manner in which the proposed services to MSFWs will strengthen
          their ability to obtain and retain employment or stabilize their agricultural
          employment.
       • Explain how the program strategies are designed to achieve the PY 2013 national
          performance goals outlined in Section 6 of this guidance.

E. Organizational Chart. Grantees must attach an organizational chart that identifies all the
   positions that would be funded, in full or in part, by the NFJP grant award, the salary
   levels of those positions, and the expected time commitment of each position to NFJP.

F. ETA Form 9094, Program Planning Summary. Grantees must provide a Program
   Planning Summary (PPS), which depicts planned participant levels and outcomes. In
   addition to submitting as part of the grant plan, the PPS must be entered into the
   Enterprise Business Support System (EBSS) within 15 working days following approval
   of the grant plan.


   G. ETA Form 9093, Budget Information Summary. Grantees must provide a Budget
      Information Summary (BIS), which depicts the budget plan for quarterly expenditures for
      administrative and program costs, breaking out projected costs for related assistance from
      that of all other program services. Administrative costs are limited to 15 percent of the
      total grant amount. In addition to submission as part of the grant plan, the BIS must be
      entered into the EBSS within 15 working days following the Department’s approval of
      the grant plan.

6. PY 2013 Performance Goals. The NFJP national performance goals for PY 2013 are:
   • Entered employment – 80.5 percent
   • Retention in employment– 76.5 percent
   • Six Months Average earnings – $10,049

7. Formula Allocations. Once Congress passes the Fiscal Year 2013 Department of Labor
   Appropriations Act, NFJP grantees will be notified of the PY 2013 formula allocation for
   their service delivery area, and provided additional instructions if needed. In the interim,
   grantees should use their PY 2012 formula allocation as a guide in developing their grant
   plans.

8. Submission Requirements. Grantees must prepare the PY 2013 grant plan in accordance
   with the guidance above and submit the plan to ETA no later than May 3, 2013. Grant plans
   must be submitted electronically to the NFJP program e-mail address – [email protected] –
   with an electronic “cc” to the appropriate regional Federal Project Officer.

9. Inquiries. Questions regarding this planning guidance should be addressed to the
   appropriate regional Federal Project Officer.