State Grants Training Phase 2 Printable Version

State Grants Training – Phase 2
Printable Version

Introduction
This is the Second Phase of State Grants Training. Before you begin this phase, you need to complete Phase 1.

This second phase consists of four learning modules with a practice quiz at the end of each module. Once you have completed the modules and the practice quizzes, you will be asked to take the Final Assessment.

Video Script
Hello, I’m Christine Olyer, your host for the State Grants Training, Phase 2 distance learning course.

During this phase, you will gain knowledge of the basic requirements for a State Plan of Services to Veterans, Common Measures, particularly the outcome measures for Veterans, and Negotiating Performance Goals.

As was the case in Phase 1, this course is self-paced and consists of text, videos, interactive assignments and quizzes. There are also hyperlinks located throughout the course that will lead you to more detailed information on the particular subject area.

Thank you for your participation in this course and for all you do in providing service to our veterans. So let’s get started…

Module 1

Objectives: Once you have completed this module, you will understand the basic requirements of a State Plan of Services to Veterans (and the optional WIOA Combined Plans which may incorporate JVSG among partner programs) to include:

· Mandatory and optional targeted categories of Veterans
Role, assignment and integration requirements for DVOP specialists, LVER staff and approved Consolidated DVOP/LVER staff

· Components of an Incentive Award Plan

· Requirements for a JVSG application:

o Executive Transmittal

o Program Narrative (State Plan)

o Annual Budget Forecast

· Application, Review, and Grant Award Timeline

In addition, you will understand how to evaluate the State Plan for responsiveness to other important requirements like:

·  How the state provides employment, training, and placement services to Veterans and other eligible persons;

·  How the state provides and monitors priority of service to Veterans and other eligible persons; and,

·  How the state leverages other resources to better serve Veterans.

You will also be able to complete a thorough and accurate analysis of forecast spending, to include Incentive Award funding, and make recommendations to both the State Agency and the Regional/National Office regarding approval or disapproval of each part of the fiscal plan.

Application Process
The JVSG application process begins with the issuance of the Jobs for Veterans State Grantsplanning and application instructions, which are generally issued for a multi-year grant period. VETS distributes a Veterans’ Program Letter, or VPL, that provides links to the instructions for responding to the JVSG funding guidance.

The VPL serves as notification to potential grantees that they must submit a State Plan for Services to Veterans, commonly referred to as the State Plan, and an Annual Budget Plan for the first fiscal year of funding.

For the last multi-year grant period, state agencies could access application instructions via the VETS homepage and the Federal government’s grant site: grants.gov.

The posted planning and application instructions describe what the State Plan must contain for the state agency to receive JVSG funding. They also provide guidance on what is needed for the Annual Budget Plan, which forecasts the state’s spending by program and by quarter for the initial (first) fiscal year of funding.

As such, the planning and application instructions are the primary instrument used to convey the Agency’s priorities, objectives, and goals for the JVSG to state agencies. As an example, the instructions may transmit VETS’ priorities for targeting certain categories of veterans.

Documents are needed for the 5-year State Plan, Annual Funding Modification Request and Interim Modification Requests:

Required Documents

The Transmittal Memorandum must be signed by a person authorized to enter into an agreement with the USDOL. Under normal circumstances, governors delegate this signature authority to the person who manages the grantee agency, such as the State Agency Administrator, Director, or Commissioner.

This person may further designate his or her signature authority. If the Transmittal Memorandum is signed by a person given signature authority by the governor, it must contain a statement that the signatory is authorized to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor.

If it is signed by someone else, a delegation of signature authority must be provided.

The Transmittal Memorandum cannot be signed “for” another person unless the name of the person who signed can easily be discerned and a signature delegation for that person is provided.

The State Plan(Narrative)

The JVSG is a multi-year formula program grant. Annual funding for each state is determined by a formula that was described in Phase I, Module 3. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(c) (2) (A) applications for JVSG funding will include:

A plan that describes the manner in which the state shall furnish employment, training, and placement services, including a description of:

• DVOP and LVER duties and responsibilities

• Integration strategies

• Incentive award plans

In accordance with VETS policy, the State Plan must also include:

· Any special populations of veterans to be served;

· For each DVOP, LVER and/or approved consolidated DVOP/LVER staff, the date on which the employee is so assigned;

· Whether or not each DVOP specialist, LVER or consolidated DVOP/LVER staff has (within 18 months of assignment) satisfactorily completed the associated specialized training provided by NVTI; and

· Additional information the ASVET may require.

In general, the State Plan is a narrative description of the populations of veterans for which the state will target services, how priority of service for veterans and other eligible persons is provided and performance goals for the state agency and for grant-funded staff. Grantees are expected to develop goals and strategies that are consistent with USDOL goals defined under Common Measures for veterans’ employment, retention, and wages.

The State Plan also details the challenges faced by veterans in the State and by the state agency and how those challenges will be addressed.

States are required to describe Incentive Award Plans in the State Plan. To be approved, Incentive Award Plans must describe:

• The objectives of the Incentive Award Plan;

• Eligible recipients of the awards;

• Selection criteria for the awards;

• The awards themselves;

• The timeline that will be used to select recipients, make awards and report the use of Incentive Award funds; and

• The means for disbursement.

States prohibited from providing incentive awards to employees or offices must indicate in state plans or transmittal memoranda why they cannot provide incentive awards.

The Department of Labor will not award JVSG funding to a state that fails to accept the required assurances and certifications contained in the JVSG planning and application instructions.

The state agency is required to submit a new Assurances and Certifications Signature Page at the beginning of every five-year grant cycle to acknowledge that acceptance. Thereafter, it is required only if the state agency administering the JVSG changes, even if the change is in name only.

This Signature Page is not a delegation of signature authority nor is it required when there is a change in designated signature authority.

The Annual Budget Plan
The Annual Budget Plan should demonstrate how the state will attribute allocated funding between the DVOP, LVER and consolidated DVOP/LVER staff/activities, how many full-time equivalent (FTE) positions will be funded in each program, and how the allocation will be distributed during the fiscal year.

The following forms are required for the Annual Budget Plan:

● SF 424–M, Application for Federal Assistance

● VETS 401, Budget Information Summary

● VETS 501, Staffing Directory

Grantees may also be required to submit Indirect Cost documentation from the Division of Cost Determination as part of their Annual Budget Plan.

The Annual Budget Plan demonstrates the planned use of allocated funding by identifying:

· The number of half-time and full-time DVOP and LVER positions and requested/approved full-time consolidated DVOP/LVER staff the allocation will support;

· How the allocation will be divided between the DVOP, LVER, and if applicable consolidated DVOP/LVER staff; and

· Whether or not Incentive Award funding is requested.

The Standard For (SF) 424-M, Application for Federal Assistance is the form designated by OMB to request “mandatory” grant funding like the JVSG. VETS requires states to use the VETS 401, JVSG Budget Information Summary to forecast separate grant activity costs that are not detailed on the SF 424-M.

The SF 424-M must be completed in accordance with the instructions provided with the form. It must be signed by a proper signatory as previously described for the Transmittal Memorandum.

The VETS 401, Budget Information Summary demonstrates how the grantee plans to divide its grant allocation between JVSG funded activities and how much of the total funding is needed each FFY quarter. Cost estimates for each activity within the single JVSG funding stream are broken out as either Direct or Indirect. Direct costs are listed by object class category in accordance with instructions provided to complete the form.

The VETS 501, Staffing Directory contains information on grant-funded staff who charge their time to the JVSG. The information included on the staffing directory are things like primary duty location, assignment as a DVOP specialist, LVER or full-time consolidated DVOP/LVER staff, whether each is assigned half-time or full-time, and so on.

This form is approved for VETS’ use by the Office of Management and Budget, or OMB. When properly completed by the state agency, it contains all of the information VETS needs for monitoring and reporting, including information relevant to the provision of mandatory specialized training for grant-funded staff by NVTI.

The VETS 501, Staffing Directory contains all staffing information needed by VETS for monitoring and reporting. When completed properly, the Staffing Directory submitted for the first year of funding identifies:

• All locations where full- and half-time DVOP specialists, LVER staff and approved consolidated DVOP/LVER full-time staff are assigned as a primary duty location, to include central and sub-state offices, by office name and address;

• All staff, whether funded in whole or in part by the grant, by name, position (full or half-time DVOP, LVER or consolidated full-time DVOP/LVER staff), and type of appointment (half-time or full-time);

• Dates of appointment to current position (DVOP, LVER or consolidated DVOP/LVER staff);

· Dates that required core training at the National Veterans’ Training Institute was last completed; and,

• All vacancies and all positions filled by non-Veterans for more than six months.

Note: States may have only one JVSG funded staff person authorized to serve in a Program Management/Oversight role. The role must be annotated on the VETS 501 Staffing Directory. A second person can also serve, but states must submit a waiver, which must be approved by VETS National Office.

The VETS 401, Budget Information form demonstrates how the grantee plans to divide its grant allocation between DVOP, LVER and consolidated DVOP/LVER activities, and incentive awards. These cost estimates will be broken out as either direct or indirect. The form also allows the grantee to designate how much of the total funding is needed for each program each Federal fiscal quarter.

Direct costs are listed by object class category in accordance with the instructions provided to complete the form.

Direct Costs

Direct costs are those that can be identified specifically with a particular final cost objective.

In the JVSG, direct costs are those that can be directly related to individual DVOP specialist, LVER or and approved Consolidated DVOP/LVER staff. The Object Class Categories associated with direct costs are Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Supplies, Equipment, and Other.Direct costs may include:

· Program related staff training;

· Performance Awards and Incentives in accordance with the State Plan; and

· All other direct costs not clearly covered by the other direct object class categories.

Equipment costs are those costs forecast to purchase non-expendable personal property that has a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit cost of $5,000 or more.

A description and justification for equipment purchases must be included in the Transmittal Memorandum.

The object class category “Supplies” is used to forecast costs for consumable supplies and materials to be used during the grant year including but not limited to computers/laptops and other electrical/electronic equipment with a per-unit cost of less than $5,000.

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs are incurred for common or joint objectives that cannot be readily identified with a particular grant, contract or other activity of the organization.

Based on the cost principles established in title 2 Part 200 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(2 CFR 200), states support the indirect costs that they incur by submitting an Indirect Cost Rate proposal or a Cost Allocation Plan to the Division of Cost Determination for negotiation and approval.

State agencies use a variety of “bases” to forecast and report indirect charges, e.g. salaries or wages plus fringe benefit costs, total direct costs etc.

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