National Park Service Grant to OAH for Underground Railroad Preservation & Research

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 P13AS00102
Project Title 2013 Network to Freedom Underground Railroad projects
Recipient Organization of American Historians
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Aidan Smith
Total Anticipated Award Amount $120,740.00
Cost Share None
New Award or Continuation? Task Agreement under Cooperative Agreement H2261100002
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of Award until March 1, 2014
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of Award until March 1, 2014
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1g
CFDA # and Title 15.946 Cultural Resources Management
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation
(4) Unique Qualifications
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

Cooperative Agreement Number H2261100002 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, (NPS), and Organization of American Historians (OAH) for the purpose of promoting the greater public and private understanding of American history for their mutual benefit and for the people of the United States as well as for future generations, so that they can enjoy the historic resources of the NPS. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Cooperative Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement.

This task agreement is entered into in order to support preservation and related research projects of Network to Freedom member sites, programs, and facilities. Through this task agreement, OAH will become a key partner and provider of scholarly and logistical support to the 2013 competitive project identification, administration and monitoring by facilitating involvement of and collaboration of academic scholars with grass roots researchers, site stewards, and community advocates.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

OAH agrees to:
1. Participate on the project selection committee, and as such work with NPS in developing the competition parameters, developing the call for proposals, reviewing and ranking submissions and creating project agreements with successful entries.

Work with NPS to identify NTF members eligible for participation in the project based on the parameters developed.

2. Work with NPS in order to administer project agreements and funds to successful applicants, which could include non-profit organizations, state or local governments, NPS units, other Federal agencies, and other private individuals and the scholars working with them.

3. Publicize the projects to OAH members and its network of historians and scholarly communities, and cover the program in OAH publications and its website, in order to enlist the participation of OAH members in the projects, as appropriate and disseminate information on efforts to preserve and commemorate the history of the Underground Railroad.

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 Network to Freedom will be intensively involved in creating the competition parameters, developing the call for proposals, reviewing and ranking the projects, and creating project agreements. The NPS Network to Freedom will monitor the funded projects as they are conducted and provide technical assistance to the project managers.

1. Participate on the project selection committee, and as such work with OAH in developing the competition parameters, developing the call for proposals, reviewing and ranking submissions and creating project agreements with successful entries.

2. Work with OAH to identify NTF members eligible for participation in the project based on the parameters developed.

3. Work with OAH in order to monitor selected and admitted projects and provide technical assistance and expertise to non-profit organizations, state or local governments, NPS units, other Federal agencies, and private individuals selected and the scholars working with them.

4. Post information about the call for proposals and selected projects on the Network to Freedom website and publicize the project within NPS communities as appropriate and disseminate information on efforts to preserve and commemorate the history of the Underground Railroad within NPS and related NPS sites.

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 AND (4) UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS

Single Source Justification Description:

The OAH is the only organization that has been formally identified to undertake this specific work (PL 105-203 Network to Freedom Act). OAH is the largest professional society dedicated to the research, promotion, and presentation of American History.

Independent scholars or Cultural Resource firms are not able to deliver the scholarly services uniquely provided by the OAH including: access to multiple scholars in multiple historical disciplines across field and period: joint supervision of project and familiarity with NPS historical standard to ensure the highest quality control; outside peer review only available though the OAH and its qualified members; and an ongoing relationship between sites, stewards, and resources in service of a shared mission not available through a traditional contract.

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.