Bridging the Opportunity Gap Initiativecommcorp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FY-18-RFP... · 2017-05-11 · Bridging the Opportunity Gap Initiative BOG FY18 Request for Proposals

© 2012 Commonwealth Corporation 1

Bridging the Opportunity Gap

Initiative

BOG FY18 Request for Proposals Bidders Webinar

May 11, 2017 10am-12pm


Welcome and Introductions

Danielle Niedzwiecki: Program Manger,

Commonwealth Corporation

[email protected]

413.584.3627 ext. 6803


Housekeeping

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• Conference call number (for audio portion

of the webinar): 1-888-265-4641

Conference Code: 2846443383

• Location of documents (www.commcorp.org)


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Objectives

• To provide an overview of the purpose of the BOG initiative and the program elements;

• To inform potential grantees of the funding levels and competitiveness of the funding process;

• To review both the program design, and proposal requirements;

• To clarify the relationship between DYS Directors of Community Services and the grantee;

• To answer questions that potential grantees have about BOG.


Purpose and Overview

• Target group: youth committed to DYS in the re-entry phase.

• Structured opportunities that help youth gain employability skills and develop pro-social behaviors, personal and social awareness, leadership, advocacy and life skills through high-quality programming

• Focus on innovative techniques from youth serving agencies that deliver a positive youth development approach.


• All funding is on a cost reimbursement basis from: – Year Round: 9/1/2017 – 6/30/2018

• Funding levels

– 15-20 grants between $25,000 - $90,000

• Competitive Procurement

Funding levels and Competiveness


Eligible Youth

Youth: Grant funds must be targeted specifically to youth committed to the

care of DYS. Approximate age range is 14- 22 years old.

Youth Engaged in Services (YES): Youth who have aged-out of DYS (age

18 or 21) must have signed a voluntary YES agreement with DYS to be

eligible for services under this grant. If a youth is going to age-out prior

program’s end date, the grantee program coordinator should confirm with

DYS staff that an Assent of Ward agreement has been signed.

Pre-Work Documentation: Program staff must collect all relevant

documentation (i.e., birth certificate, SSN, etc.) for prospective program

participants and complete I-9 form in compliance with the Department of

Homeland Security I-9 mandate, and obtain work permits for youth ages

14-17. The work permit applications can be found on the www.mass.gov

website. All supporting documentation must be completed on or before the

orientation day or before youth attend career readiness training. More

information on the I-9 form, and other program tools, can be found in the

BOG Grantee Handbook available at www.commcorp.org.


Overview of Submission ProcessRequest for Proposals Released May 5, 2017

Webinar Session for Grantees May 11, 2017

Submit application to DYS for review and signatures June 2, 2017

Responses (Applications) Due June 9, 2017

Applicants Notified of Grant Award August 1, 2017

Anticipated Contract Start Date September 1, 2017

Contract End Date June 30, 2018

Questions about the DYS Bridging the Opportunity Gap Request for

Proposals will be accepted via email from May 5th through May 18th, 2017

by noon, and responded to within 3 days. Q & A will also be posted at

www.commcorp.org.

Questions should be directed to: Danielle Niedzwiecki, Program Manager

at [email protected].


How to Approach This Work

Working in conjunction with DYS community staff, CommCorp seeks grantees that are motivated, enthusiastic about working with at-risk youth; also seek culturally relevant/responsive staff as many of our youth are youth of color.

We seek to work with organizations that use a Positive Youth Development Model that is asset-based, and supports the development of following factors for young people:

A stable sense of identity

Belief in their own abilities

Positive and supportive relationships with adults

Sense of control over future outcomes


BOG Program Elements

Career Readiness Training

Field Experiences

Soft Skill Development


BOG Tiered Approach

Career readiness training – writing a resume, cover letter

and thank you letter.

Job shadow experiences

Mini-subsidized employment opportunities in different

settings

Community engagement days

Volunteer days

BOG Tier Two:

Career Exploration

Career interest inventories

Personality assessments

BOG orientation

Guest speakers

Workplace tours

Field trips to colleges, training programs, etc.

Career fairs

Researching jobs in the area

Learning about employment resources in the community

Career center visits

Career presentations

BOG Tier One:

Career Awareness

Career readiness training

In-depth goal planning

Longer-term subsidized employment based on career

interest

Internships/apprenticeships

Certification training

BOG Tier Three:

Immersion for Career Preparation

Unsubsidized employment

Up to 6 months of post-employment support: check-ins with

youth and employers

Leadership activities to support other youth in program

BOG Tier Four:Immersion through Retention


BOG Work Readiness Skills

• Perseverance • Communication

• Optimism • Confidence

• Self-Control • Discipline

• Tolerance • Critical Thinking

• Collaboration


Tier 1





During tier 2 each youth must have a portfolio (in hard copy and

electronic format) that includes:

A resume;

One cover letter;

One sample thank you note;

Two reference letters (preferably from employers and

program staff);

A completed job application;

And a sample employment e-mail inquiry.

OPTIONAL: Copies of certifications and/or training certificates

youth obtain as a result of programming

Youth Career Portfolio


Field Exploration Opportunities

• Job Shadows

• Volunteer Days

• Community Engagement Days

• Career Fairs

• Mini-Subsidized Employment (< 60 hours)




Past Program Certifications

2

2

4

10

17

27

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Drivers Education

ServSafe

Automotive Technician

Customer Service

CPR, First Aid

OSHA



Soft-Skill Benchmarks

Tier 1: Benchmarks

75% attendance

75% punctuality

75% engagement

75% professionalism

Tier 2: Benchmarks

85% attendance

85% punctuality

85% engagement

85% professionalism

Tier 3: Benchmarks

90% attendance

90% punctuality

90% engagement

90% professionalism


Please note that proposals will be stamped with time and date of

receipt

Late proposals will not be considered

All proposals must consist of 3 Parts

Part 1: Project Narrative

Part 2: Signature Page

Part 3: Budget and Budget Narrative

Proposal Requirements


Lead Applicant

Program Operations and Administration

Staffing and Facilities

Program Design

Coordination with DYS

Recruitment and Retention Strategy

BOG Project Narrative


All proposals must utilize the attached

forms, and provide detailed information

about each line item in the budget narrative.

Please see the RFP for a complete list of

both allowable and non-allowable expenses.

Budget and Budget Narratives


FY18 RFP Process

May 5 Request for Proposals Released (CommCorp website)

May 11 Webinar Session for Grantees

Jun 2 Submit draft to DYS for review and signatures

Jun 9 Responses (applications) due to CommCorp

Submit proposals online athttps://commcorp.tfaforms.net/328707

Aug 1 Applicants Notified of Grant Award

Sep 1 Anticipated Contract Start Date

6/30/2018 Contract End Date


FY18 RFP Submission

What to submit?• Narrative• Budget• Signature Sheet

Where to submit?• Use the CommCorp BOG grantee portal –

https://commcorp.tfaforms.net/328707Be aware of electronic grant processing for FY18

• Grant execution (signature) via e-mail• Grantee portal to find contract attachments


Expectations for Grant Administration

– Program staff who will have contact with any DYS youth are required to adhere to all applicable DYS policies and procedures including, for example, those regarding safety and security, codes of conduct, dress codes, confidentiality, reporting of incidents, and photographs of DYS youth. The full range of current DYS policies is accessible on-line at http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/laws-regs/dys/policies/chapter-01-department-policies.htm and should be reviewed by grantee so that its staff will be in full compliance with all guidelines and requirements;

•– Funded organization’s should review organization commercial

insurance policy to ensure that BOG youth participants are covered for any loss or harm that may happen as a result of BOG related program activities;


Expectations for Grant Administration

– regular monthly submission of cash requests during the program;

– regular submission of total enrollment numbers, goals and services on a weekly basis in the BOG database;

– timely contract closeout at the end of the season–submission of final invoices;

– accurate reporting of employer match – full contact information to be reported in database for all employment sites;


Selection Process

Review and assessment will be based on the following:

Proposals that are submitted before the deadline, fully complete

and contain all required attachments (threshold criteria)

Applications that reflect a creative, collaborative, and community-

centered approach to meeting the career readiness, vocational

and employability needs of eligible youth and reflect strong

collaboration and engagement by DYS regional and district office

staff

The quality and extent to which the project plan states goals and

objectives that are measurable and attainable; the quality and

clarity of the proposed project design

The degree to which the applicant organizations can demonstrate

a successful track record working with youth and in particular

youth in DYS custody


Selection Process (cont.)

The number of youth who will be directly served through grant activities and who will gain specific job related certifications or competencies as a result of program activities

The degree of support services that will assure the success of participating youth to complete all program activities and be prepared for employment or continued vocational training experiences

A final selection of proposals that provide a geographic balance in DYS regions across the Commonwealth as well as addressing the population areas that host the largest number of DYS clients

For previous BOG grantees the review will also consider the degree to which the applicant successfully met all of the previous requirements under this grant, including retention of youth in programs, successful program outcomes, compliance with fiscal, program, and reporting requirements


What does success look like for BOG Youth?

Program Inputs:

What do youth achieve during BOG?

• Career Readiness Curriculum

• Pre-employment Activities

• Vocational Training

• Entrepreneurship Training

• Arts Training

• Mentorship

• Subsidized Employment

• Portfolio

• HiSET Services

Short-Term Outcomes:

What do youth take away from BOG?

• Examples:

• Certifications

• Network connecting them to jobs

• Good work habits

• Lower community supervision level

• Ability to set goals and make realistic plans to achieve them

• Make progress in grade level, HiSET, &/or college

Long-Term Outcomes:

What do we hope for youth in the future?

• No adult recidivism

• Attainment of certificates or degrees

• Successful employment

• Personal and family self-sufficiency

• Positive connections to their communities


How CommCorp ensures success:

We meet youth where they are and build on

their strength

Design programs that meet the regional

workforce demand

Hold youth and the BOG programs to high

standard


Data Collection

Please note that CommCorp collects data, and monitors

programs from multiple perspectives and sources

including but not limited to:

the web-based database for BOG;

surveys, for youth, staff and employers;

fiscal monitoring; and

information gathered at technical assistance meetings,

etc.


Relationship with DYS & CEP Partners

Successful BOG programs require consistent contact with DYS and other CEP partners including but not limited to:

Directors of Community Service, District Managers, Caseworkers, Resource Development Specialists, Site support Specialists, and Technical Assistance contact person from CommCorp.

Contact with DYS should occur at a minimum on a bi-weekly basis in the form of meetings, conference calls, and sharing of program logs and notes that include information about the name and location of vocational or employment supervisors and attendance.


Sample Resources

BOG Grantee Handbook

Empower Your Future BOG Career Readiness

Curriculum Guide

Community Resource Guides


Next Steps:

Deciding if a BOG Program is a Match

Contact DYS Directors of Community

Services (please see page 15 of RFP)

Please email [email protected]

or visit the CommCorp website

http://commcorp.org/available-funding/ to

access the BOG Grantee Handbook to

support program development, and access

more information about the logistics of

delivering BOG programming.


Reminder

• Submit application to DYS for review and

signatures by June 2, 2017


Instructions for RFP

Submissions

• Submission Deadline: Proposals (with all

three components in Microsoft Word and Excel

format, not PDF) are due on June 9, 2017 by 4:00

p.m.

• Submission Process: Proposals must be submitted

through Commonwealth Corporation’s BOG portal, at

https://commcorp.tfaforms.net/328707.

https://commcorp.tfaforms.net/328707.

• Applicants will be asked to enter certain information about the applicant organization and key personnel who are affiliated with the proposal. ttps://commcorp.tfaforms.net/328707

https://commcorp.tfaforms.net/328707

https://commcorp.tfaforms.net/328707


Submission Process Continued

• Part 1: Project Narrative: Proposals must include a brief written narrative of no more than ten (10) pages of double-spaced text. Clearly marked headings. Submit it in Microsoft Word format (not PDF). Use the following naming convention: OrganizationName_FY18BOG_Narrative.doc.



• Part 2: Signature Page: Applicants must submit a separate signature page, using the template provided, that contains the signature of the applicant’s executive director, and the DYS Director of Community Services and local DYS District Manager. Scan original signatures and submit it using the appropriate button on the BOG portal website using either JPEG or PDF format.



• Part 3: Budget (3A) and Budget Narrative(3B): Applicants must submit a detailed budget request using the provided forms. Upload your budget using the appropriate button on the BOG portal website. Submit it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet format (not PDF). Use the following naming convention: OrganizationName_FY18BOG_Budget.xls.


Q & A

Questions from the chat board will now be

answered.

Thanks for your participation!

Documents

Bridging the Opportunity Gap Initiativecommcorp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FY-18-RFP... · 2017-05-11 · Bridging the Opportunity Gap Initiative BOG FY18 Request for Proposals