Department of the Interior National Park Service Grant for Groundwork USA Bridgeport

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service�s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement P15AS00160
Project Title Cooperative learning program at Weir Farm NHS � Groundwork Bridgeport
Recipient Groundwork USA
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Shubhada Kambli
Total Anticipated Award Amount $60,989.50
Cost Share $15,221.00
New Award or Continuation? Continuation of Cooperative Agreement P15AC00034
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award until 12/31/2015
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award until 12/31/2015
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 54 USC 101702(a)
CFDA # and Title 15.931 Youth Conservation Activities
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

Cooperative Agreement Number P15AC00034 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and Groundwork USA for the purpose of bringing about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well-being. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Cooperative Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement.

The objective of this task agreement with Groundwork-Bridgeport (GWB) is to hold a program involving cooperative efforts in cultural and natural resource conservation for training underserved youth from the Bridgeport area, in the principles and practices of garden rehabilitation. Additional fieldwork will be performed in the areas of trail repair, dry stone wall construction and repair, invasive plant management, and field edge restoration. Classroom instruction and demonstrations of the techniques involved will be given, followed by ample hands-on time for the students to practice what they are learning.

The program will promote and stimulate public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding and appreciation of natural and cultural resources through the involvement of youth and young adults in care and enhancement of public resources. In addition each week classroom time will be spent focused on exploration of career opportunities in the National Park Service, environmental awareness and conservation, fine art, and cultural awareness.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. Coordinate, plan, organize and implement the NPS � Groundwork Bridgeport (GWB) training program in garden maintenance and rehabilitation and other deferred maintenance tasks.
2. Provide a GWB Youth Work Crew consisting of a Youth Leader and a work crew of 11 students. The Youth Leader will manage the work crew to insure they are prepared to participate in the NPS led training activities, by being on-time, wearing proper dress, acting respectfully, listening, paying attention and following directions of NPS. The Youth Leader will follow the direction of the NPS staff in all NPS led training activities and help convey those directions to the youth as needed. The Youth Leader will be responsible for maintaining discipline and managing any personnel issues that arise with the GWB youth.
3. Provide GWB youth with instruction, demonstration, and hands-on experience with garden, stone wall, trail, invasive plant and field edge deferred maintenance tasks.
4. Provide transportation for GWB youth and Youth Leader to and from work sites at Weir Farm NHS.
5. In-kind contributions including life skills, art instruction, and skills training and team development.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part the National Park Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, the National Park Service will be responsible for the following:

1. Provide funding to GWB for the following:
a. Transportation expenses
b. Compensation for Youth Leader and youth participants
c. Insurance costs
d. Indirect costs @22%.
2. Educate GWB youth about career opportunities in the NPS, environmental awareness and conservation, and cultural awareness, including art history, American Impressionist painting, and the artist J. Alden Weir and his contemporaries.
3. Assist GWB youth in acquiring knowledge and skill in the principles and practices of garden maintenance and rehabilitation. Additional training in trail repair, dry stone wall construction and repair, invasive plant management, and field edge restoration will be provided as time allows.

C. Schedule

Work on this project will progress according to the following anticipated schedule:

June, 2015 Develop program of field days and classroom training in coordination with GWB Program Leader and Crew Supervisor

June, 2015 Purchase supplies and tools and schedule NPS staff for career enhancement presentations

July, 2015 Fieldwork at Weir Farm National Historic Site

September, 2015 Provide summary documentation to NER Agreements

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS
Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.
In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Unsolicited Proposal � The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;
(2) Continuation � The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;
(3) Legislative intent � The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress� intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;
(4) Unique Qualifications � The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;
(5) Emergencies � Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.

The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

(2) CONTINUATION

SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DESCRIPTION:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD
This is a Task Agreement (P15AC00894) under Cooperative Agreement (P15AC00034) in the amount of $60,989.50 with a period of performance from date of award until 12/31/2015.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

54 USC �101702(a) Cooperative Agreements, Transfer of Service Appropriated Funds

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service�s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement P15AS00160
Project Title Cooperative learning program at Weir Farm NHS � Groundwork Bridgeport
Recipient Groundwork USA
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Shubhada Kambli
Total Anticipated Award Amount $60,989.50
Cost Share $15,221.00
New Award or Continuation? Continuation of Cooperative Agreement P15AC00034
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award until 12/31/2015
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award until 12/31/2015
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 54 USC 101702(a)
CFDA # and Title 15.931 Youth Conservation Activities
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

Cooperative Agreement Number P15AC00034 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and Groundwork USA for the purpose of bringing about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well-being. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Cooperative Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement.

The objective of this task agreement with Groundwork-Bridgeport (GWB) is to hold a program involving cooperative efforts in cultural and natural resource conservation for training underserved youth from the Bridgeport area, in the principles and practices of garden rehabilitation. Additional fieldwork will be performed in the areas of trail repair, dry stone wall construction and repair, invasive plant management, and field edge restoration. Classroom instruction and demonstrations of the techniques involved will be given, followed by ample hands-on time for the students to practice what they are learning.

The program will promote and stimulate public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding and appreciation of natural and cultural resources through the involvement of youth and young adults in care and enhancement of public resources. In addition each week classroom time will be spent focused on exploration of career opportunities in the National Park Service, environmental awareness and conservation, fine art, and cultural awareness.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. Coordinate, plan, organize and implement the NPS � Groundwork Bridgeport (GWB) training program in garden maintenance and rehabilitation and other deferred maintenance tasks.
2. Provide a GWB Youth Work Crew consisting of a Youth Leader and a work crew of 11 students. The Youth Leader will manage the work crew to insure they are prepared to participate in the NPS led training activities, by being on-time, wearing proper dress, acting respectfully, listening, paying attention and following directions of NPS. The Youth Leader will follow the direction of the NPS staff in all NPS led training activities and help convey those directions to the youth as needed. The Youth Leader will be responsible for maintaining discipline and managing any personnel issues that arise with the GWB youth.
3. Provide GWB youth with instruction, demonstration, and hands-on experience with garden, stone wall, trail, invasive plant and field edge deferred maintenance tasks.
4. Provide transportation for GWB youth and Youth Leader to and from work sites at Weir Farm NHS.
5. In-kind contributions including life skills, art instruction, and skills training and team development.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part the National Park Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, the National Park Service will be responsible for the following:

1. Provide funding to GWB for the following:
a. Transportation expenses
b. Compensation for Youth Leader and youth participants
c. Insurance costs
d. Indirect costs @22%.
2. Educate GWB youth about career opportunities in the NPS, environmental awareness and conservation, and cultural awareness, including art history, American Impressionist painting, and the artist J. Alden Weir and his contemporaries.
3. Assist GWB youth in acquiring knowledge and skill in the principles and practices of garden maintenance and rehabilitation. Additional training in trail repair, dry stone wall construction and repair, invasive plant management, and field edge restoration will be provided as time allows.

C. Schedule

Work on this project will progress according to the following anticipated schedule:

June, 2015 Develop program of field days and classroom training in coordination with GWB Program Leader and Crew Supervisor

June, 2015 Purchase supplies and tools and schedule NPS staff for career enhancement presentations

July, 2015 Fieldwork at Weir Farm National Historic Site

September, 2015 Provide summary documentation to NER Agreements

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS
Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.
In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Unsolicited Proposal � The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;
(2) Continuation � The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;
(3) Legislative intent � The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress� intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;
(4) Unique Qualifications � The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;
(5) Emergencies � Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.

The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

(2) CONTINUATION

SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DESCRIPTION:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD
This is a Task Agreement (P15AC00894) under Cooperative Agreement (P15AC00034) in the amount of $60,989.50 with a period of performance from date of award until 12/31/2015.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

54 USC �101702(a) Cooperative Agreements, Transfer of Service Appropriated Funds