Department of the Interior Grant for Groundwork USA Bridgeport Weir Farm

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 P13AS00091
Project Title Groundworks USA Bridgeport
Recipient Groundworks USA
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Jack Dillon
Total Anticipated Award Amount $32,000.00
Cost Share $8,595
New Award or Continuation? This is a Task Agreement under Cooperative Agreement P09AC00401
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award until July 5, 2014
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award until July 5, 2014
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1g
CFDA # and Title 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs ¿ Resources of the National Park System
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (4) Unique Qualifications,
(2) Continuation
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow, 303-987-6718, june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

The objective of this task agreement is to hold a program involving cooperative efforts in cultural and natural resource conservation for training underserved youth from the Bridgeport, Groundwork group, in the principles and practices of garden rehabilitation, 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, and cultural awareness

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

Groundworks USA ¿ Bridgeport agrees to
1. Help plan, organize and implement the NPS ¿ Groundwork Bridgeport (GWB) training program in the deferred maintenance tasks mentioned.
2. Provide a GWB Youth Work Crew consisting of a Youth Leader and a work crew of twelve 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. Provide In-kind contributions including life skills, art instruction, and skills training and team development.
6. Prepare and submit quarterly narrative and financial reports which document work progress and accomplishments.
7. Prepare and submit to NPS a final summary narrative and financial report.

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:

The NPS will:

1. Provide funding to GWB for the following:
a. Transportation expenses
b. Compensation for Youth Leader
c. Insurance costs
d. Indirect costs at 10 percent.

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, trail repair, dry stone wall construction and repair, invasive plant management, and field edge restoration.

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:

(4) UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS

Single Source Justification Description:

Groundwork USA was chosen for its shared environmental mission, its track record of working with Weir Farm National Historic Site for six previous seasons, its diverse work force and its ability to help train and teach the next generation in conservation and preservation.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

16 U.S.C. §1g authorizes the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements that involve the transfer of NPS appropriated funds to state, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out National Park Service programs.
This section provides broad authority for NPS to enter into cooperative agreements with most recipients for a public purpose. Although broad, this authority must be read in conjunction with the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 and other authorities that prescribe whether a particular relationship should be a procurement contract or a cooperative agreement. Thus, in making this determination, one must always consider whether the principal purpose of the work is to acquire goods and/or services for NPS¿s direct benefit in furtherance of its mission or for a public purpose.