401.21—What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate an application:

(a) Program factors. (20 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which it—

(1) Proposes measurable goals for student enrollment, completion, and placement (including placement in jobs or military specialties and in continuing education or training opportunities) that are realistic in terms of stated needs, resources, and job opportunities in each occupation for which training is to be provided;

(2) Proposes goals that take into consideration any related goals or standards developed for Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) programs (42 U.S.C. 681 et seq.) and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) (29 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) training programs operating in the area, and, where appropriate, any goals set by the State board for vocational education for the occupation and geographic area;

(3) Describes, for each occupation for which training is to be provided, how successful program completion will be determined in terms of academic and vocational competencies demonstrated by enrollees prior to completion and any academic or work credentials acquired by enrollees upon completion;

(4) Demonstrates the active commitment in the project's planning and operation by advisory committees, tribal planning offices, the JOBS program office, the JTPA program director, and potential employers such as tribal enterprises, private enterprises (on or off reservation), and other organizations;

(5) Is targeted to individuals with inadequate skills to assist those individuals in obtaining new employment; and

(6) Includes a thorough description of the approach to be used including some or all of the following components:

(i) Methods of participant selection.

(ii) Assessment and feedback of participant progress.

(iii) Coordination of vocational instruction, academic instruction, and support services such as counseling, transportation, and child care.

(iv) Curriculum and, if appropriate, approaches for providing on-the-job training experience.

(b) Need. (15 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which the project addresses specific needs, including—

(1) The job market and related needs (such as educational level) of the target population;

(2) Characteristics of that population, including an estimate of those to be served by the project;

(3) How the project will meet the needs of the target population; and

(4) A description of any ongoing and planned activities relative to those needs, including, if appropriate, how the State plan developed under 34 CFR 403.30 through 403.34 is designed to meet those needs.

(c) Plan of operation. (15 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the project, including—

(1) The establishment of objectives that are clearly related to project goals and activities and are measurable with respect to anticipated enrollments, completions, and placements;

(2) A management plan that describes the chain of command, how staff will be managed, how coordination among staff will be accomplished, and timelines for each activity; and

(3) The way the applicant intends to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective.

(d) Key personnel. (10 points) (1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project, including—

(i) The qualifications of the project director;

(ii) The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be used on the project;

(iii) The time, including justification for the time that each one of the key personnel, including the project director, will commit to the project; and

(iv) Subject to the Indian preference provisions of the Indian Self-Determination Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) that apply to grants and contracts to tribal organizations, how the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disabling condition.

(2) To determine personnel qualifications, the Secretary considers—

(i) The experience and training of key personnel in project management and in fields particularly related to the objectives of the project; and

(ii) Any other qualifications of key personnel that pertain to the quality of the project.

(e) Budget and cost effectiveness. (5 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which—

(1) The budget is adequate to support the project activities;

(2) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project and the number of participants to be served; and

(3) The budget narrative justifies the expenditures.

(f) Evaluation plan. (10 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the evaluation plan for the project, including the extent to which—

(1) The plan identifies, at a minimum, types of data to be collected and reported with respect to the academic and vocational competencies demonstrated by participants and the number and kind of academic and work credentials acquired by participants who complete the training;

(2) The plan identifies, at a minimum, types of data to be collected and reported with respect to the achievement of project goals for the enrollment, completion, and placement of participants. The data must be broken down by sex and by occupation for which the training was provided;

(3) The methods of evaluation are appropriate for the project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable; and

(4) The methods of evaluation provide periodic data that can be used by the project for ongoing program improvement.

(g) Employment opportunities. (10 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the plan for job placement of participants who complete training under this program, including—

(1) The expected employment opportunities (including any military specialties) and any additional educational or training opportunities that are related to the participants' training;

(2) Information and documentation concerning potential employers' commitment to hire participants who complete the training; and

(3) An estimate of the percentage of trainees expected to be employed (including self-employed individuals) in the field for which they were trained following completion of the training.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control No. 1830-0013)

Code of Federal Regulations

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2313(b) )