Regional Rulemaking TrainingNovember 15, 2005 – Boise, ID

Rulemaking Training

The Intended Audience:AmeriCorps State and National grantees and

subgrantees

Desired Outcome: Participants will understand the implications of the

new AmeriCorps Rule in terms of the development of their 2006-2007 grant applications and the

operation of their programs.

Rulemaking Training

Agenda:

CNCS Staff Presentation on AmeriCorps RuleCriteria and Selection Process

SustainabilityMatching Requirements

Match and In-kind DocumentationMember Activities

Performance Measures and EvaluationLUNCH

Aligning Performance MeasuresSmall Group Discussions:

Rural RecruitmentImplementing the RuleClosing & Evaluation

Why rulemaking?

The new AmeriCorps rule has four main goals:

1. Make the AmeriCorps program stronger;

2. Better leverage federal dollars;

3. Increase AmeriCorps’ stability and predictability; and

4. Position AmeriCorps for continued growth.

When does the rule take effect?

2005 1. Member Service Activities

2. Tutoring

3. Match

4. State Commission Operation of National Service Programs

2006**Operational at the beginning of a new program grant cycle

5. Performance Measures

6. Evaluation

7. Selection Criteria

What resources are available?

CNCS Website http://www.americorps.gov/about/ac/rulemaking.asp

New AmeriCorps Rule (PDF) Side-by-Side Comparison of New Rule With Current

Requirements (PDF) Summary of New Rule (PDF) Frequently Asked Questions (To Be Continually

Updated)

State Commission Staff

National Program Staff

CNCS AmeriCorps State and National Program Staff

Rulemaking Resources Online

Grant Selection Criteria and

Process

Grant Selection Criteria(Operational 2006)

Previous CurrentProgram Design (60%)

Needs and Services Activities (20%)

Member Development (20%)

Strengthening Communities (20%)

Organizational Capacity (25%)

Budget/Cost Effectiveness (15%)

Program Design (50%)

Rationale and Approach (10%)

Member Outputs and Outcomes (20%)

Community Outputs and Outcomes (20%)

Organizational Capability (25%)

Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25%)

Cost Effectiveness (15%)

Budget Adequacy (10%)

Program Design

• Rationale and Approach• Member outputs and outcomes• Community outputs and outcomes

Definitions

ENROLLMENT RATE = Total slots filled/total slots awarded

RETENTION RATE = Total members exiting with an education

award/total slots filled

Standards for Enrollment and Retention

This year, we consider 90% to be a reasonable rate of enrollment and retention. If your enrollment and retention figures are below these levels, provide an explanation and describe your plans for improvement.

NOTES:Many programs not yet meeting these rates are nevertheless

performing well in their individual circumstances.

Retention may vary among effective programs depending on the target populations for those programs. 

However, in order to leverage our limited program dollars, we expect our programs to strive toward improving their rates of enrollment and retention.

Organizational Capability

• Sound structure• Sound record of accomplishment• Securing community support that recurs,

expands in scope, increase in amount, or is more diverse

• May consider:– Age and rate of growth– Resource base of community

Outside Information (Operational 2006)

Corporation may consider outside information to clarify or verify proposal information including:

• Websites• Corporation system of records• Publicly-available information

AmeriCorps Program Portfolio

The Corporation will seek to insure its portfolio includes:

• Meaningful representation of proposals representing one or more selection preferences; and

• Programmatically, demographically, and geographically diverse programs including:

- Innovative programs and

- projects in rural, high poverty and economically distressed areas.

New Programs

Up to 15% of non-continuation competitive funds targeted annually for new programs.

– Definition of “new”: organizations that have not received any AmeriCorps funding – including formula funding – for at least the past five years.

– This definition aligns with the regulations’ definition of new organizations for the match scale.

Old Narratives Screen

New Narratives Screen

Cost Effectiveness of Programs

Cost effectiveness is based on:– Cost per MSY (Member Service Year)– Other indicators including:

• Extent of diverse non-Federal resources• Extent to which you are increasing program share• Extent to which you are proposing broader reach

and deeper impact

Cost Per Member Service Year (MSY) (Effective 2006)

Cost per MSY for Individual Programs• Budgeted grant costs divided by MSYs awarded

(excluding child care and education award)• $12,600 for 2006

Average Cost per MSY for State Commissions• Budgeted grant costs for all programs in portfolio

divided by the total number of MSYs, including EAP, (excluding child care, education awards, and commission administrative grants)

• CNCS will review maximum average cost per MSY annually

Budget Adequacy?

Budget adequacy is based on:– Program age, or the extent to which you bring in new

sites– Location in a resource poor community (rural, remote,

high poverty, scarcity of corporate or philanthropic resources)

– Location in a high cost economically distressed community

– Whether your costs are higher because you are focused on difficult to reach populations, or achieving greater program impact

Sustainability

What is sustainability?

“The Corporation agrees that sustainability includes many elements beyond cost, and has modified rule language in several places to bring greater emphasis on multiple and diverse measures of sustainability.”

Examples of Sustainability Strategies

Partnerships

Local support

Program quality

Cost structure

Leveraged resources

Match Requirements(Effective 9/6/2005)

Programs must match a minimum of: 15% of member support (non-Federal cash) (Same) 33% of operational costs (cash or in-kind) (Same)

In years 4 -10, match increases incrementally to 50% With waiver - alternative match increases to 35%

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Minimum Member Support 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15%

Minimum Operating Costs 33% 33% 33% 33% 33% 33% 33%

Min Overall Share 26% 30% 34% 38% 42% 46% 50%

Min Overall Share (Alternative) N/A N/A N/A 29% 31% 33% 35%

What Year Are We In?

If you are in this program year in 2005…

then, for your 2006 application, you must match at this year level.

1 2

2 3

3 + 4

Waivers of Match Requirements

The Corporation will consider 2 types of waivers:

1. Waiver of the Regulatory Match requirements (maximum 50% match) to use the Alternative Match table (maximum 35% match) (§ 2521.60)

2. Waiver of any matching requirement in whole or in part (§ 2521.70), also sometimes called a “Statutory waiver”

Waiver of the Regulatory Match Requirements (§ 2521.60)Waiver of the Regulatory Match Requirements

(maximum 50% match) to use the Alternative Match table (maximum 35% match)

• Only existing programs

• Request must be made with continuation request for following year’s new grant period (i.e. one year in advance)

• Must be unable to meet primary match requirements

• Rural or severely economically distressed community

• Describe history of fundraising and current plans

• If rural, see US Dept of Agriculture Beale Codes, if severely economically distressed community see economic data. Information on both is in Appendix L of 2006 AmeriCorps Application Instructions

Alternative Match Waiver

Deadline: November 7, 2005

Questions to be answered:– Program name– Grant Number– County and state of legal applicant address– Justification for requesting alternative match

Waiver of Any Matching Requirement in Whole or in Part

(§ 2521.70)

Waiver of any matching requirement in whole or in part (§ 2521.70), also called a “Statutory Waiver”

• Very unusual and rarely done.

• Corporation must determine that a waiver would be equitable because of a lack of available financial resources at the local level.

MatchIf you previously

were aAnd then, within 5 years, apply as a

Your status for purposes of match

will be

National parent, State competitive, orState formula program.

National parent, State competitive, or State formula program.

Existing grantee (match at the level you would have matched the year following your last grant year).

National subgrantee or site, State competitive subgrantee or site, or State formula subgrantee or site.

National parent, State competitive, or State formula program.

New grantee (begin match at year 1).

Any other Corporation grantee ....

National parent, State competitive, or State formula program.

New grantee (begin match at year 1).

Member Activities

Member Service Activities(Effective 9/6/2005)

Maintains current activities

Adds:• No more than 10% of term of service for

fundraising• Volunteer recruitment or support required

unless Corporation waiver

New WBRS Screen Member Time Log

Susan Allison

AmeriCorps Program

Volunteer Recruitment and Support Waiver

Requirement to Recruit or Support Volunteers (§. 2520.35)

• Some component of your program must involve recruiting or supporting volunteers (broadly interpreted)

• Must request waiver in Narrative and Executive Summary of Application

• Must state specific reasons why this requirement would require a fundamental alteration of the program structure

Applying for Volunteer Leveraging Waiver

Volunteer Leveraging Waiver

Tutoring (Effective 9/6/2005)

Requirements apply to any program with primary goal of increasing academic achievement in reading or other core subjects through planned, consistent, one-to-one or small-group sessions.Articulate appropriate criteria for selecting and qualifying tutors, including high school diploma or equivalent (cross-age tutors exempt); or passing effective proficiency test. Tutoring Curriculum must be high-quality and research-based, consistent with the instructional program of the LEA or state standards.Include appropriate member supervision by individuals with tutoring expertise.Pre- and in-service tutor training required.Identify strategies/tools to assess student progress and measure student outcomes.

Performance Measurement and

Evaluation

Performance Measures(Operational 2006)

At least one set of aligned measures that relate to program’s primary activity (or area of significant activity)

• One output• One intermediate outcome• One end outcome

Corrective action plans if unable to meet PMs

After period of correction, Corporation may take action including suspending or terminating a grant if the program fails to meet its PMs

Performance Measures Entry

Performance Measures Entry

Performance Measures Entry

Corrective Action Plans

Must be in writing and include:– Factors impacting your performance– Actions you will take to get back on track to

achieve your performance measures– Timeframe

Must be submitted within 30 days of determining that you are not on track to meet your performance measures

Evaluation: What and When(Operational 2006)

State competitive or national AmeriCorps grantees with average annual grant of $500,000 or more are required to have an independent evaluation

State competitive or national AmeriCorps grantees with average annual grant of less than $500,000 and EAP grantees are required to perform an internal evaluation

State formula grantee must conduct an evaluation, as required by their state commission

In first competitive recompete application - provide summary of evaluation plan

In second competitive recompete application - provide completed evaluation

Evaluation(Operational 2006)

Evaluation must cover at least 1 year

More in-depth, rigorous effort to measure impact

Uses scientifically-based research methods to compare observed program outcomes with what have happened in the absence of the program

Compares outcomes of individuals receiving service with similar individuals not receiving a service or participating in a program

Internal versus Independent Evaluation

• Internal Evaluation – An evaluation performed “in house without the use of an independent external evaluator”

• Independent Evaluation – An evaluation conducted by an independent person(s) external to the program/organization.

For More Information

• Contact your Commission or National Program Representative

• Check the CNCS website frequently for updates to FAQs and other materials

Afternoon Options

1:30 – 3:00 pm

Aligning Performance Measures

(Project STAR)

3:00 – 4:00 pm

Small Group Discussion (choose one)• Rural Recruitment• Taking the Rule Back Home (Implementation

Strategies)

4:00– 4:15 Closing