National Park Service Grant: Youth Engagement at the World Parks Congress

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 P14AS00295
Project Title Youth Engagement at the World Parks Congress
Recipient Colorado State University
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Scott Denning
Total Anticipated Award Amount $51,071
Cost Share none
New Award or Continuation? Continuation of Cooperative Agreement P14AC00728
Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award until 12/30/2015
Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award until 12/30/2015
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 USC 1(g) 16 USC 1a-2(j) 16 USC 5933
CFDA # and Title 15.945 Cooperative Research & Training Programs ¿ Resources of NPS CESU¿s
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited 2 Continuation
NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Parks Congress 2014 is a once-in-a-decade landmark global forum on protected areas. The Congress will share knowledge and innovation, setting the agenda for protected areas conservation for the decade to come. Building on the theme “Parks, People, Planet: Inspiring Solutions”, it will present, discuss and create original approaches for conservation and development, helping to address the gap in the conservation and sustainable development agenda. The NPS will play an important leadership role in the 2014 Congress as lead of the Responding to Climate Change stream, one of eight focus areas that will be featured at the Congress, in collaboration with the Mexican National Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia (CSIRO).

The Responding to Climate Change Stream will assemble tools for enabling the role of protected areas as ¿natural solutions¿ in helping communities to mitigate, adapt to, and communicate about the impacts of climate change to protected area resources and the communities that depend on them. It includes new knowledge and case studies in the field of ecosystem-based management and emphasizes the critical role of education and effective communication.

Delivery of the Responding to Climate Change Stream at the World Parks Congress

The NPS will partner with CSU to facilitate the effective delivery of the WPC stream, which will include identifying and coordinating speakers and moderators for plenary sessions, thirty-six 90-minute concurrent sessions, eight side events, and numerous other activities. The range of session topics will include vulnerability assessments, monitoring, forecasts and modelling, adaptation planning and implementation, roles of cultural heritage and climate change, climate literacy, and communication, and tools for climate change interpretation.

CSU will commit the expertise and time of the Principal Investigator (PI), to contribute to the organization and delivery of panel discussions, workshops, side events, capacity building, and training. The PI has extensive experience in the field of climate change science and education and has conducted numerous workshops and events. He will lead a small team to support the NPS in ensuring topics delivered to the sessions represent current scientific understanding and will personally provide training on science literacy and effective communication.

In addition, CSU will coordinate the services of staff to support logistics, reporting on session outcomes, and communication with WPC participants. Case studies and approaches presented during the Congress and captured by the CSU team will be delivered as a Best Practices Guidelines manual for climate change adaptation that will be launched at the Congress in consultation form and finalized in June 2015 as part of the IUCN Best Practices Guidelines series.
RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. Provide expertise, time, and effort by the PI to review session structure, conduct science literacy training, and facilitate dialog on the use of climate science information for resource management and decision making.
2. Participate in two (2) face-to-face planning meetings to take place in August or September and October 2014.
3. The PI will attend the Congress from November 10-20, 2014.
4. Provide for the travel and services of two (2) assistants at the Congress.
5. Provide for the travel and services of one Logistical Support person.

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. The NPS will organize two (2) face-to-face planning meetings to take place in August or September and October 2014.
2. NPS will organize the Responding to Climate Change Stream of the World Parks Congress, including coordination of stream sessions, workshops, side events, and related activities.

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 (P14AC01586) under Cooperative Agreement (P14AC00728) in the amount of $51,071 with a period of performance from date of award until 12/30/2015.

“This proposed project between Colorado State University and NPS is authorized to go through the Rocky Mountains CESU at the negotiated overhead rate of 17.5% because it passes the test of substantial involvement by the NPS, public purpose and consistency with the mission of the CESU Network”. Also, on the SF 424 forms that the partner sponsored programs office fills out for each project, requires a CFDA number – 15.945, which is the number associated with the CFDA Title: COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS – RESOURCES OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (CESU).

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.

16 U.S.C. §1a-2(j) Cooperative research and training programs authorizes the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements with public or private educational institutions, states, and their political subdivisions, for the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs concerning the resources of the national park system. Pursuant to such agreements, the cooperator may accept from or make available to the NPS technical and support staff, financial assistance for mutually agreed upon research projects, supplies and equipment, facilities, and administrative services relating to cooperative research units as the Secretary deems appropriate (research projects subject to Federal Acquisition Regulation excluded).
Modified 5/31/05 ¿ Agreement Handbook Memorandum Number 2

16 U.S.C. §5933 Cooperative agreements. The Secretary is authorized and directed to enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, including but not limited to land grant schools, in partnership with other Federal and State agencies, to establish cooperative study units to conduct multi-disciplinary research and develop integrated information products on the resources of the National Park System, or the larger region of which parks are a part.