FY 2009 Reception and Placement Program

Funding Opportunity Announcement:

I. Background and Purpose
II. Program Objectives
III. Eligible Applicants
IV. Funding Procedures
V. Proposal Evaluation Process
VI. Refugee Caseload Assignment
VII. Proposal Requirements and Format
____________________________________

Proposal Submission Instructions

Required Forms and Information:
including sample attachment formats for:National Management Budget, FY 2009; Affiliate/Sub-office Abstract;
FY 2009 Proposed Consolidated Placement Plan; Three-year Affiliate Monitoring Plan; and R&P Headquarters Staff

A. Project Narrative
B. Budget (National Management Budget FY 2009)
C. Budget Narrative (Maximum 4 pages)
D. Affiliate and Sub-Office Abstracts
E. FY 2009 Proposed Consolidated Placement Plan
F. Three-Year Affiliate Monitoring Plan
G. R&P Headquarters Staff
Contact Information

Funding Opportunity Announcement

I. Background and Purpose

The Reception and Placement (R&P) Program for the initial resettlement of refugees in the United States is managed by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State (hereinafter referred to as the "Bureau"). The purpose of the R&P program is to promote the successful resettlement of all persons who are admitted to the United States under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. To accomplish this goal, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) recognizes the desirability for public or private non-profit organizations to provide R&P services and to assist refugees to achieve economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. The program goals and objectives set forth in this announcement have been established in accordance with these statutory provisions. The goals of the R&P Program administered by the Bureau are:

1. to ensure the ability to promptly receive into the United States all refugees approved for admission under applicable provisions of the INA;
2. to ensure that all refugees approved for admission to the United States are provided with sponsorship and resettlement services appropriate to their personal circumstances;
3. to maintain an appropriate national capacity for the resettlement of refugees, in accordance with admissions ceilings determined annually by the President after consultation with the Congress; and,
4. to assist refugees in achieving economic self-sufficiency in coordination with other refugee services and assistance programs authorized by the INA that enable refugees to be successfully resettled.

The Bureau's purpose in entering into Cooperative Agreements to carry out its R&P Program is to partner its resettlement efforts with non-governmental organizations and to provide partial financial support to non-profit organizations that have experience in refugee resettlement. Participating organizations are expected to combine such financial assistance with existing and projected private resources for the provision of reception, placement and initial resettlement services for refugees admitted to the United States during the period October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Placement plans requested in this announcement will cover the full fiscal year.

II. Program Objectives

The Bureau has established the following R&P Program objectives for FY 2009:

1. to ensure that language-appropriate R&P core services are made available to refugees through nationwide networks of affiliated offices;
2. to promote the placement of all refugee cases in areas conducive to the attainment of economic self-sufficiency;
3. to promote refugee placement through agencies that maximize the use of private resources and programs;
4. to promote effective resettlement through community involvement including coordination with ethnic and other community-based organizations and through consultation and coordination with state and local public agencies involved in assisting refugees;
5. to ensure that each refugee receives the following R&P core services according to standards included in the Operational Guidance within the appropriate time frame, and that provision of such services is well documented:
   1. Sponsorship assurance;
   2. Pre-arrival resettlement planning;
   3. Reception;
   4. Basic needs support for at least 30 days, including the provision of: decent, safe, and sanitary housing; essential furnishings; appropriate food and food allowances; necessary clothing and other basic necessities;
   5. At least one home visit, other than the initial housing orientation visit, within the first 30 days by affiliate staff, co-sponsor or other designated representative and a second home visit to permanent housing if the refugee moves from temporary housing within the first 90-days;
   6. Case management, including counseling, adjustment, and referral services throughout the 90-day R&P period;
   7. Community orientation;
   8. Referral to physical and mental health services;
   9. Referral to employment services; and
   10. Referral to appropriate education and training programs;
6. to maintain the capability and flexibility to resettle new caseloads including refugees with special needs and to shift program and staff resources to reflect changing refugee populations; and
7. to ensure effective monitoring of local affiliates performing R&P services in accordance with the R&P Operational Guidance and other program requirements.

III. Eligible Applicants

The Bureau intends to award a limited number of Cooperative Agreements in FY 2009 to well-qualified non-profit organizations able to offer a range of services in multiple geographic regions of the United States. This will include agencies that have demonstrated satisfactory performance under previous agreements with the Bureau and/or agencies that meet the selection criteria described below and have demonstrated the capacity to provide required services. Applicants should understand that participation in the FY 2008 R&P Program is not a pre-condition for and does not guarantee continued participation in FY 2009.

In order to be considered for participation in the program, applicants must:

1. be well-established social service providers with demonstrated case management expertise and experience managing a network of offices that provide reception and placement or similar services to refugees or other migrant populations in the United States;
2. have been in operation for at least three full years in 501(c)(3) non-profit status; and
3. document the availability of private financial resources to contribute to the program.

Failure to satisfy any of the three required qualifications above will preclude further consideration for participation in the program.

IV. Funding Procedures

Under current funding procedures, each agency with which the Bureau enters into a Cooperative Agreement is paid a grant of $850 for each refugee it sponsors who arrives in the United States during the period of the Agreement and is verified to have been placed and assisted by the agency. The grant is intended to supplement the private resources available to the agency and may be used only at the local affiliate level and only for the direct benefit of refugees and for the delivery of services to refugees in accordance with program requirements as described in the Cooperative Agreement, Guidelines, and Operational Guidance. In addition, the Bureau will fund national R&P Program management costs according to separately negotiated and approved budgets based on the agency’s sponsorship capacity. Applicants should contact the Bureau’s Office of Refugee Admissions for guidance and information regarding the limits on national management budgets.

V. Proposal Evaluation Process

The Bureau will establish a panel to evaluate each agency's proposal and may request revisions before agreements are finalized. The panel will evaluate the proposals to determine whether and to what extent the agency's plan for refugee placement, case management, utilization of resources and network oversight meet the R&P Program's goals and objectives. Particular attention will be given to how the agency’s proposal contributes to a national network with the capacity to resettle 70,000 regionally allocated refugees and 12,000 eligible recipients of Special Immigrant visas (SIVs), during FY 2009. This is a figure to use for planning. No FY 2009 Presidential Determination or funding appropriations have yet been made. Proposals that are incomplete and/or fail to respond to all required elements of this program announcement will not be validated by the Grants.gov system. In the event that an applicant’s proposal is not validated, the applicant must revise and resubmit the proposal. Applicants should be aware that revisions and submissions must be completed prior to the closing date and time. Also note that if the Bureau requests revisions or amendments to the proposal post-submission, these documents will become part of the Cooperative Agreement.

The panel will evaluate eligible proposals according to the following ranking factors (100 points possible):

1. Documented headquarters organizational capacity to manage a multi-regional affiliate network; demonstrated coordination and established relationships between headquarters and affiliates; demonstrated accountability for performance outcomes. (25 points)
2. Proposed placement plan which is well-supported by documented local office capacity to provide quality, language-appropriate case management for arriving refugees of diverse backgrounds and which reflects the organization’s ability to shift program and staff resources in response to changing refugee populations. Evidence of coordination with community-based organizations and state and local public agencies providing service to refugees. Evidence of community support for the local resettlement offices and for the refugee program. (30 points)
3. Documented headquarters capacity to monitor and train affiliate offices in accordance with established program requirements and performance standards. (20 points)
4. Documented capacity to contribute significant private resources to the R&P Program at both headquarters and local levels. Detailed and cost-effective headquarters budget within cap. (25 points)

The panel will present its recommendations to the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, who will make the final award determinations.

VI. Refugee Caseload Assignment

Cases will be assigned to each participating agency through a process administered on behalf of the Bureau by the Refugee Processing Center (RPC), 1401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22209. The number of refugees assigned to an agency will be determined by the Bureau, in accordance with the needs of the Admissions Program, taking into account established ceilings, placement recommendations of state and local officials, the applicants’ demonstrated capacity to implement its proposed placement plan, and past performance.

The annual ceiling for refugee admissions is established by the President following consultations with the Congress. As mentioned above, although the FY 2009 appropriation and ceiling have not yet been determined, agencies should base placement plans on the admission of 70,000 refugees and 12,000 eligible recipients of SIVs according to a regional breakdown similar to that established for FY 2008 (Note: Should the consultations and appropriation processes result in ceilings that are different, the Bureau will work with all participating agencies, as necessary, to develop a revised plan.). The SIV cases requesting refugee resettlement services will be allocated to the agencies in the manner of refugee cases. As SIVs will be resettled as “free” cases, they will be allocated according to the percentages in effect for refugee allocations.

New applicants should provide a reasonable estimate of the agency’s placement capacity for new refugee arrivals.

VII. Proposal Requirements and Format

It is the intention of the Bureau to enter into Cooperative Agreements effective October 1, 2008, which will remain in effect through September 30, 2009. Agencies should report all data in terms of the federal fiscal year (i.e., October 1 through September 30) unless the instructions for the appendix or attachment specify another time period.

Each agency requesting consideration for participation in the R&P program through a Cooperative Agreement with the Bureau must submit all information requested in the Proposal Submission Instructions.

PROPOSAL DUE DATES

Proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m. EDT, Wednesday July 23, 2008.

Applicants should adhere to the following guidelines when preparing proposals:

• All documents in the proposal should be submitted electronically on 8.5 inch by 11 inch pages with one-inch margins.
• All documents in the proposal must be in 12-point Times New Roman font.
• All pages of the proposal must be numbered. Page numbers should restart at “page 1” for each separate file/attachment (Excel or Word Document) that is submitted. Applicants must adhere to page limitations as described in the Proposal Submission Instructions.
• Sections within each narrative should be sequential as directed in the Proposal Submission Instructions.

  The Bureau prefers that applicants submit via Grants.gov. In extreme circumstances, the Bureau has the discretion to accept proposals via e-mail or in hardcopy. The Bureau will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis.

  Applicants who are unable to submit via Grants.gov due to technical difficulties should contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov at least one week prior to deadline to secure a trouble ticket. Applicants may then contact the specific PRM point of contact identified in the respective funding opportunity announcement in order to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.

  Once submitted, Grants.gov will send applicants via e-mail a notice of receipt of proposal documents. If correctly and completely submitted, an additional notification “validating” receipt or rejecting (with errors noted) of the proposal will be e-mailed to the applicant. Once received by the Bureau, an applicant will receive a final notification of receipt by the Agency from Grants.gov. An applicant who has not received Grants.gov validation within 48 hours of submitting the proposal should immediately notify the Admissions Office at 202-663-1051.

  ---

  Proposal Submission Instructions

  The Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (hereinafter referred to as the "Bureau") welcomes the submission of proposals for the FY 2009 Reception and Placement (R&P) Program for the initial resettlement of refugees in the United States , overseen by the Bureau. The purpose of the R&P Program is to promote the effective resettlement of all persons who are admitted to the United States under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. To accomplish this goal, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) recognizes the desirability for public or private non-profit organizations to provide initial reception and placement services and to assist refugees to achieve economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

  The Bureau's purpose in entering into Cooperative Agreements as part of its R&P Program is to provide partial financial support to non-profit organizations that have experience in refugee resettlement. Participating organizations are expected to combine such financial assistance with existing and projected private resources for the provision of placement and initial resettlement services for refugees admitted to the United States during the period October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009.

  The Bureau prefers that applicants submit via Grants.gov. In extreme circumstances, the Bureau has the discretion to accept proposals via e-mail or in hardcopy. The Bureau will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, July 23, 2008 .

  Applicants should adhere to the following guidelines when preparing proposals:

  • All documents in the proposal should be submitted electronically on 8.5 inch by 11 inch pages with one-inch margins.
  • All documents in the proposal must be in 12-point Times New Roman font.
  • All pages of the proposal must be numbered. Page numbers should restart at “page 1” for each separate file/attachment (Excel or Word Document) that is submitted. Applicants must adhere to page limitations as described in the detailed instructions below.
  • Sections within each narrative should be sequential as directed in the detailed instructions below.

  Applicants who are unable to submit via Grants.gov due to technical difficulties should contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov at least one week prior to deadline to secure a trouble ticket. Applicants may then contact the specific PRM point of contact identified in the respective funding opportunity announcement in order to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.

  Once submitted, Grants.gov will send applicants via e-mail a notice of receipt of proposal documents. If correctly and completely submitted, an additional notification “validating” receipt or rejecting (with errors noted) of the proposal will be e-mailed to the applicant. Once received by the Bureau, an applicant will receive a final notification of receipt by the Agency from Grants.gov. An applicant who has not received Grants.gov validation within 48 hours of submitting the proposal should immediately notify the Admissions Office at 202-663-1051.

  Required Information

  Required Forms (Instructions accompany each form in the electronic Grant Application Package):

  1. OMB Standard Form 424 (Version 02)-- Application for Federal Assistance
  2. OMB Standard Form 424 A -- Budget Information - Non Construction Programs
  3. OMB Standard Form 424 B -- Assurances - Non Construction Programs

  Other Required Information (Instructions are detailed below):

  1. Project Narrative
  2. Budget (National Management Budget)
  3. Budget Narrative
  4. Affiliate/Sub-office Abstract
  5. FY 2009 Proposed Consolidated Placement Plan
  6. Three-year Affiliate Monitoring Plan
  7. R&P Headquarters Staff
  8. Letters of Support for New Sites, if applicable
  9. Letters of Support for Out-of-State Placement Exceptions, if applicable
  10. Current U.S.G. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
  11. If the organization has not previously received funding from PRM prior to the U.S.G. fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) non-profit tax status under IRS 501 (c)(3), 3) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, and 4) Employer ID number (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification. If your organization has never applied for PRM funding before and is not registered with the government-wide Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and/or does not have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number you will need to get a DUNS number and then register with CCR before you can submit a proposal to Grants.gov. The CCR and DUNS registration process can take some time so we recommend you start as early as possible.

  Sample Attachment Formats:

  Sample formats of the following documents are available as online attachments to these instructions. Please note that the format used in each of these samples is suggested, not mandatory. There will not be a penalty for submissions in alternate formats, provided all required information is provided.

  • National Management Budget, FY 2009;
  • Affiliate/Sub-office Abstract;
  • FY 2009 Proposed Consolidated Placement Plan
  • Three-year Affiliate Monitoring Plan
  • R&P Headquarters Staff

  A. PROJECT NARRATIVE

  Each agency interested in entering into a Cooperative Agreement with the Bureau for FY 2009 must submit a Project Narrative containing the information specified below. Each section I – V of the Project Narrative should be subtitled and numbered to correspond with the required information sections below. If any individual section of information is not applicable, that fact should be specifically stated. Each portion of the narrative should not exceed the number of pages indicated in the corresponding parentheses below. Please note that page numbers should be sequential for the entirety of the Project Narrative and should not restart with each section of required information. Submit the Project Narrative as an attachment by selecting the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” in the Grant Application Package.

  I. Organizational Structure (Maximum 2 pages)

  Each agency should describe its organizational structure, including the number of headquarters staff assigned to the R&P Program and how headquarters is organized to manage the resettlement network. The agency should describe the network that will provide R&P services, including the number of regional offices, affiliates, and sub-offices; the overall management of this structure and coordination that occurs; and its relationships with affiliates and sub-offices. Include information regarding any recent changes in management, operations, or policies.

  III. Network Management and Oversight (Maximum 4 pages)

  • Affiliate Network and Placement Procedures

  All proposals should contain a description of how new refugee groups and refugees with special needs (e.g., victims of torture, women-headed households, Class A medical cases) will be accommodated within the proposed network.

  Applicants with existing programs should include a narrative description of plans to adjust affiliate network capacity in accordance with current resettlement projections for FY 2009. Applicants with existing programs should cite their FY 2007 network-aggregate 90-day employment statistic for all employable adults and 180-day employment statistic for free-case employable adults. Applicants should also include network-aggregate out-migration data for FY 2007.

  Please ensure the narrative notes all affiliate and sub-office sites opened and closed during FY 2008 and proposed new sites and sites planned for closure in FY 2009. Applicants planning to close existing sites should provide a projected timeline for ceasing activities and the intended process for managing the sites' existing and projected caseloads. Please note that the Bureau must approve the agency's plan for service delivery to refugee caseloads remaining at the location. Additional information may be requested.

  For all applicants, the Bureau will consider requests to open new sites only if accompanied by letters of support from appropriate state refugee coordinators. Letters of support should be submitted in PDF format as additional attachments in Grants.gov. All applicants should provide a rationale for new sites including the number of proposed refugee placements at each location and describe how the proposed affiliate's program reflects agency coordination with appropriate local and state officials and other refugee service providers. Please ensure that an abstract is provided for each proposed affiliate. Additional information may be requested.

  The radius for placement by affiliates is restricted to 100 miles within the same state for family reunion cases and 50 miles within the same state for free cases. If a participating agency proposes to place family reunion cases outside the 100-mile in-state radius, please provide rationale and a list of such sites. If a participating agency proposes to place family reunion cases in a different state (regardless of distance) than that in which their affiliate is located, the agency must submit in PDF a letter of support from the state refugee coordinator of the state of intended placement. Placement of free cases beyond the 50-mile in-state restriction is not permitted.

  • Network Oversight and Training

  The agency should identify headquarters staff members who perform on-site affiliate monitoring functions and provide a description of monitoring practices and procedures. Provide a brief description of network training events and topics related to R&P conducted during FY 2008 and planned for FY 2009, including the purpose of each training and the desired outcome(s). Include a brief description of agency fraud prevention strategies and activities.

  III CURRENT LOAN COLLECTION PARTICIPANTS ONLY (Maximum 1 page)

  Each agency participating in the actual collection of refugee transportation loans should describe how its collection system and procedures enable it to comply with the responsibilities set forth in the Cooperative Agreement and those set forth in its separate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The description should address each of the Cooperative Agreement and IOM MOU responsibilities and how each one is met or not met by the system. Should a responsibility not yet be met by the collection system, please provide specific information on proposed changes and when such changes will be implemented to fully meet the requirements. For example, does the system include appropriate procedures to successfully trace addresses? Are social security numbers recorded in the loan collection files? Are past due loan notes transferred to IOM in accordance with the steps set forth in Annex II of the IOM contract? Confirm the number of full and part-time staff devoted to the loan collection effort during the current year and the number expected to be devoted under a new agreement.

  Note: Only existing participants may be assigned loans for collection; should new R&P agencies be identified and funded as a result of this announcement, they should not assume that their future number of assigned refugees will be sufficient to operate an individual loan collection program .

  IV. UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE MINOR (URM) FOSTER CARE APPLICANTS ONLY (Maximum 1 page)

  If an agency is currently participating in the placement of unaccompanied minor children into foster care and wishes to continue these placements in FY 2009, the proposal should describe headquarters procedures for placing and assuring such cases during FY 2009 and list participating affiliates. Agencies should also provide appropriate Affiliate Abstracts for each foster care site.

  V. NEW APPLICANTS ONLY (Maximum 3 pages)

  Please provide all information required above as well as:

  A narrative describing the history and development of the organization, its background in social service activities, particularly with refugee clients, and experience with and capacity to sponsor refugees of various ethnic backgrounds. Specifically, new applicants should address how their agency envisions providing language-appropriate services to arriving refugees throughout its proposed network.

  A detailed headquarters staffing plan that describes the R&P Program management function each individual will perform.

  Evidence of at least three years of operation in a non-profit 501(c)(3) status.

  Letters of support from other refugee service providers in the proposed location and copies of recent evaluations of other federal or state-funded programs may be requested by the Bureau as evidence of capacity to provide required services.

  B. BUDGET (National Management Budget FY 2009)

  The R&P Program represents a long-standing public-private partnership, and is funded from a combination of public and private resources. The sample budget format enclosed includes columns reflecting the Bureau (federal) and other (non-federal) funding sources as well as the total funding need. The budget summary requires each agency to provide a breakdown of sources of non-federal funding and the amounts. This breakdown should correspond to the amount of non-federal funding included in the budget.

  The following provides guidance for the preparation of the national headquarters budget submissions using the sample Excel format provided. Please note that in the sample summary format some basic program information is requested in addition to the summary budget figures (on two separate tabs in the sample Excel workbook). Note that budget information is required by quarter, and agencies should provide real quarterly budgets, factoring in special events such as annual conferences or training.

  The FY 2009 Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP) for the Reception and Placement (R&P) Program includes the requirement that each proposing agency submit a line item budget for FY 2009 national headquarters costs by quarter. The total budget amount should fall within a cap provided by the Bureau. Applicants should contact the Admissions Office at 202-663-1052 to receive information regarding national budget caps.

  Applicants should submit a detailed budget of proposed FY 2009 national management costs, by quarter, following the instructions below.

  Personnel and Fringe Benefits

  This section of the budget should list individuals whose responsibility is to provide or assist in the provision of authorized R&P core services. Costs should include salaries and benefits of full-time and part-time program and administrative personnel associated with providing or supervising the provision of R&P core services. Provide salary and Full-time Equivalent (FTE) for each individual. Fringe benefits should be provided as a single line item, representing total cost for all R&P staff listed. Personnel whose costs are included in an agency's overhead base may not be included here.

  If an employee works 100% of the time on the R&P program, that employee should be listed as 1.0 FTE. If an employee works less than 100% of the time on the R&P program, the FTE and funding level for the employee should be prorated appropriately. Agencies are reminded that any employee charged directly to the R&P program must complete time sheets demonstrating that the claimed amount of time was actually devoted to working on the R&P Program versus other responsibilities.

  Travel

  This section of the budget should include travel costs related to the R&P Program for the purposes of attending allocations meetings, travel to affiliate offices to conduct R&P monitoring or training, and attending national R&P conferences and relevant Bureau meetings. Relevant Bureau meetings are convened by the Bureau, and may include, but are not limited to, R&P Program meetings, workshops, and Regional, Minors, Allocations, and Cultural Orientation Working Groups. Travel costs for agency advisory committee meetings and/or RCUSA meetings should not be included. No international travel costs may be included in this budget. Provide a brief description of the travel in the comments section (for example, number of trips for what purpose at a cost of $xx per trip). For each trip, include departure and arrival cities, number of travelers, and duration of trip/number of days. Provide details regarding proposed expenditures for conference travel. Travel costs listed should include local taxi fares, POV mileage, airfares, and per diem (when required for overnight trips).

  Equipment/Furniture

  This section of the budget should include equipment costs directly attributable to the R&P Program. Provide separate estimates for expendable and nonexpendable equipment and furnishings, with explanation in the comments section.

  Office Supplies

  This section of the budget should include supply costs directly attributable to the R&P Program. Items listed in this section would include (as examples) stationery, copier paper, envelopes, paper clips, pens, pencils, file folders, or other small items generally used within one (1) year or less.

  Professional Fees

  This section of the budget should include contractual costs directly attributable to the R&P Program. Provide the information according to appropriate category (computer or program consultants, services of certified public accountants whose work is directly related to R&P). Agencies are reminded that contracts not dedicated entirely to the R&P Program may not be charged to the program.

  Space/Utilities

  This section of the budget should include space and utilities costs directly attributable to the R&P Program. Provide estimated costs for such items as rental or lease of office space, telephone service, postage and courier service, electricity, heat, water, and custodial and maintenance services – all for the appropriate share of the agency's costs in these categories devoted to the R&P Program.

  Other

  This section of the budget should include costs directly attributable to the R&P Program not covered by any of the previous categories. Such costs must be individually itemized and explained. Some examples of costs that might appear in this section include subscriptions, briefing and orientation materials, and conference registrations.

  Overhead

  This section should include only those charges resulting from the application of a U.S. Government (U.S.G) approved indirect cost rate to recover an appropriate portion of an agency's indirect costs . Agencies with an approved negotiated indirect cost rate should submit via PDF attachment a copy of the most recent approved U.S.G. negotiated indirect cost rate agreement to support the rate reflected in this category.

  Agencies are reminded that headquarters costs not dedicated entirely to the R&P Program may not be charged to the program.

  C. BUDGET NARRATIVE (Maximum 4 pages)

  The Budget Narrative should describe in full detail each of the above mentioned items included in the National Management Budget for FY 2009. The Budget Narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe each item, correspond with the information and figures provided on the Excel budget format, be easy to follow and understand, demonstrate cost reasonableness and that calculations are mathematically correct, and comply with guidelines and limitations.

  D. AFFILIATE AND SUB-OFFICE ABSTRACTS

  Applicants must submit an abstract for each affiliate office and sub-office, existing or proposed, in order for them to be eligible for consideration for participation in FY 2009. The affiliate and sub-office abstracts should be similar to the sample format which is provided as a Word attachment. New applicants and/or new sites need not complete sections that request information from FY 2007 and FY 2008.

  Each affiliate or sub-office abstract should present information pertaining only to activities of that specific office; it should not include data related to activities corresponding to partner agencies (at joint sites), sub-offices, or administering affiliates. Abstracts representing jointly operated affiliates must contain information in all fields regarding only the sponsoring agency's activities; it should not reflect a combination of partner agencies' information.

  Agencies with refugee foster care programs should submit an abstract for each URM site, clearly labeling the R&P Program "URM" and including information related solely to URM resettlement.

  For submission with the R&P proposal, abstracts for individual affiliate and sub-office sites are to be arranged in alphabetical order, first by state (not by abbreviation), then by city within each state where the office is located. NOTE: For all documents and attachments, affiliates and sub-offices should be arranged in this order. All offices should be identified by location (State, City) and PRM code (e.g. FLXXX01). For all Washington , D.C. locations, please use “ Washington ” for the city, and “ District of Columbia ” for the state.

  Please interfile the abstracts as a single electronic document in this fashion.

  • Each sequential abstract should begin on a new page.
  • Each affiliate and sub-office abstract is limited to 3 pages.
  • If a sub-office is located in a different state than its administering affiliate, the Sub-office Abstract should be positioned by state rather than with its administering affiliate.

  Abstract Completion Instructions

  Successful applicants will be required to submit additional affiliate and sub-office contact information during the post-award process. Agencies will be required to inform the Bureau throughout the year of any address or leadership changes.

  National Agency: The name of the national voluntary agency.

  Office State : The state in which the affiliate is located.

  Office City : The city in which the affiliate is located.

  Affiliate Name: The name of the office where resettlement services are provided.

  Address: The street address of the office where R&P services are provided and files maintained.

  Affiliate Code: For existing affiliates and sub-offices, enter the PRM affiliate code assigned by the Refugee Processing Center .

  180-Day Employment Outcome (Free cases): The agency must provide FY 2007 180-day employment outcomes for all free case refugee arrivals for each site that resettles free case refugees.

  180-Day Employment Outcome (All cases): Agencies that track employment outcomes for all employable refugees at 180 days are invited to provide that information for FY 2007 on the Abstract, as appropriate. Outcomes for all refugees are useful to the Bureau in determining appropriate free case placement levels in some locations.

  180-Day Out-migration Outcome (Free cases): The agency must provide FY 2007 180-day out-migration outcomes for all free case refugee arrivals for each site that resettles free case refugees.

  Joint Sites: If the office operates as a joint site, provide the acronym of the other R&P agency or agencies that co-manage the office. Please consult with the co-managing agency or agencies to ensure that caseload and FTE statistics are well-coordinated and not double-counted. Information on Abstracts for jointly-operated affiliates must reflect only the sponsoring agency's activities; it should not represent a combination of partner agencies' information.

  Sub offices/Administering Offices: The Abstract should clearly indicate whether the office is an administering or sub-office and identify management relationships with administering or sub-offices. The Bureau defines a sub-office as an office, operating under management supervision of an affiliate office, that provides R&P services and stores client case files during the initial resettlement period.

  Affiliate Staff: Staff information should be expressed in full-time equivalents (FTE). A full-time equivalent is determined by adding the number of hours each person devotes to R&P activities each week and dividing by 40. Thus, if four people each devote five hours per week to R&P, the resulting FTE is 0.5. Please provide information on FY 2008 and FY 2009.

  R&P Staff Paid by R&P Funds (FTE) : The number of FTEs working on R&P who are paid from R&P funds (calculated according to example above).

  R&P Staff Paid by Other Funds (FTE) : The number of FTEs working on R&P who are paid from other (normally private) funding sources.

  Caseload Statistics: Provide statistics for free and family cases according to the following instructions.

  FY 2008 (projected): If the affiliate was a participant in the FY 2008 R&P program, please provide the total number of actual arrivals projected for the entirety of the fiscal year. Note: the number projected is not necessarily the number proposed last year. Include SIVs in the NE/SA numbers and describe in question #7 below.

  FY 2009 (proposed): The affiliate's proposed arrivals based on a projection of family reunion cases and its capacity to resettle free cases. Include SIVs in the NE/SA numbers and describe in question #7 below.

  FY 2008 Average Monthly Rent: Provide the average monthly rent for one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments obtained for refugees in FY 2008.

  FY 2008 Average Hourly Starting Wage: Provide the average starting hourly wage earned by refugees resettled by the affiliate in FY 2008.

  Narrative: The narrative portion of the abstract should include answers to the following questions. Please number each response. The questions below do not need to be repeated in your response.

  1. Provide a brief history of the local resettlement agency, including how long it has been a participant in the R&P Program, traditional caseload, and any recent changes in leadership or program.
  2. Describe and enumerate below the private resources developed by the affiliate in FY 2008 and proposed for FY 2009 to support the R&P Program. Information on Abstracts for jointly-operated affiliates must reflect only the sponsoring agency's activities; it should not represent a combination of partner agencies' information. Include only those resources to be used for R&P activities. If the per capita cash contribution is below $100, and/or if the per capita in-kind contribution is below $200, please explain how you meet the R&P basic needs of clients. Describe resources available to meet unplanned emergency or critical needs of refugees.
     

     R&P Contributions Only
     Type of Donor	FY 2008 Estimated Cash	FY 2008 Estimated In-kind Value	FY 2009 Projected Cash	FY 2009 Projected In-kind Value
     Foundations/Corporations
     Faith-based/Community-based Organizations
     Fees for Service
     Individuals
     Volunteer Hours/Miles
     TOTALS
     TOTALS PER CAPITA

  3. For existing or proposed free case sites, briefly describe why the community is a good location for resettling free case refugees. Include an assessment of availability of appropriate housing, public transportation, and employment opportunities.
  4. List other resettlement and integration services available at this site and in this community.
  5. Describe the date and content of consultative discussions undertaken by the affiliate with State and local officials in preparing this proposal. For new sites, include evidence of informing local affiliates and other service providers of your plans.
  6. Describe how the affiliate will meet the language capacity needs of the caseload proposed for FY 2009.
  7. If the affiliate expects to resettle refugee groups from new regions, please provide an assessment of the affiliate's capacity for resettling the anticipated new ethnicities.
  8. If official co-sponsors are involved in R&P services, provide the number of co-sponsors, who they are, and how many cases they assisted in FY 2008. Information on Abstracts for jointly-operated affiliates must reflect only the sponsoring agency's activities; it should not represent a combination of partner agencies' information. Please limit your response to official co-sponsorships only.
  9. For existing sites with employment outcomes below 75% at 180 days for employable free-case refugees, please explain reasons for and describe action taken or planned to improve employment outcomes. Provide the most recent statistics on employment outcomes for free-case refugees for FY 2008.
  10. For existing sites with free-case out-migration rates greater than 15% at 180 days, describe the nationalities, case type, cause of the out-migration (if known), and what strategies have been implemented to reduce future out-migration. Please be specific.
  11. For agencies that also hold contracts with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide foster care services to URM children : Answer questions 1-7 above in reference to the URM foster care program. Do not answer questions 8-10. Instead, briefly describe how foster care families are selected, trained, and supported.

  E. FY 2009 PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED PLACEMENT PLAN

  Applicants are asked to submit a proposed consolidated placement plan for FY 2009 that describes each affiliate or sub-office's proposed arrivals based on a projection of family reunion cases and its capacity to resettle free cases. Applicants are urged to submit the proposed placement plan as a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet similar to that of the sample format provided as an attachment to these instructions. Affiliate and sub-office names are to be arranged in alphabetical order, first by state (not by abbreviation), then by city within each state where the office is located. NOTE: For all documents and attachments, affiliates and sub-offices should be arranged in this order. All offices should be identified by location (State, City) and PRM code (e.g. FLXXX01). For all Washington , D.C. locations, please use “ Washington ” for the city, and “ District of Columbia ” for the state.

  The affiliate and sub-office cities on the placement plan must match the office location cities on the abstracts. Placement plans should include separate columns for each city and state. Each currently existing site must also be identified by its PRM affiliate code number. Foster care sites should be listed separately.

  F. THREE-YEAR AFFILIATE MONITORING PLAN

  Applicants are asked to p rovide their three-year onsite affiliate monitoring plan, beginning with sites monitored in FY 2008 (including those proposed for the remainder of the fiscal year) and continuing through FY 2010. Applicants are encouraged to submit the three-year onsite monitoring plan as a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet similar to that of the sample provided.

  • When submitting this information, the agency should list all affiliates and sub-offices. Sites should be listed by state and city in alphabetical order (one city per line).
  • Affiliate codes are those assigned by the PRM Refugee Processing Center .
  • Please include all sites, including those which resettle fewer than 25 refugees per year. Sites with fewer than 25 refugees expected in FY 2008 need not be scheduled for upcoming monitoring on the plan. Rather, please note “fewer than 25 refugees” (see sample format). The Bureau recognizes that this monitoring plan is subject to change.
  • Only note official, on-site R&P monitoring visits on your plan. This may include scheduled monitoring visits, visits resulting from a change in affiliate director, or special circumstances that warrant an otherwise out-of-sequence visit. Please do not include visits for the sole purpose of technical assistance and/or training.
  • Agencies should not include foster care sites.

  G. R&P HEADQUARTERS STAFF

  Applicants should submit information on R&P headquarters staff and their proposed responsibilities following the sample format which is provided. List on this attachment all headquarters staff members working on R&P, the hours per week each spends performing R&P duties and a description of the R&P duties performed.

  If you have any general questions about the proposal submission, please contact:

  Ashley Marcus
  202-663-1051
  marcusab@state.gov

  Office of Admissions
  Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
  U.S. Department of State
  2401 E Street, NW, Suite L505
  Washington , DC 20522