Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
To provide individual employability development assistance and related assistance for those individuals, including their dependents, who are primarily employed in agricultural labor that is characterized by chronic unemployment and underemployment.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
Under Section 167, eligible seasonal farmworkers and their dependents may be offered core services (including initial assessment, One-Stop Center services, job placement and eligibility determination) intensive services developed under a case management system (such as objective assessment, individual employment planning, basic education, allowance payments, dropout assistance, and work experience) training services (such as classroom training that is occupationally specific and on the job training) and related assistance (such as emergency assistance and other supportive services that allow a farmworker to stay employed or continue his or her participation in program activities).
Who is eligible to apply...
(1) Public agencies and units of government (State and local); and (2) private nonprofit institutions/organizations authorized by their charters or articles of incorporation to operate employment and training programs.
Credentials/Documentation
Applicants must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the problems of seasonal farmworkers and the capacity to respond to their needs, a familiarity with the local agricultural industry, and the administrative capacity to administer workforce investment programs, including their capacity to be an effective One Stop system partner.
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
Grants for for operating NFJP programs are awarded under a biennial competitive process. Applications are solicited, normally for each state's service area, through a notice published in the Federal Register that requires interested applicants to describe their 1)understanding of the problems of eligible MSFWs, 2) familiarity with the areas where they propose to operate and 3) capacity to administer workforce investment activities for MSFWs that include provision for related assistance that MSFWs may require. Applicants may be required under the solicitation to provide their proposed plan to operate NFJP services in the areas where they propose to operate. A separate program is funded to serve the geographic area of each state, except as follows: more than one applicant may be selected to serve areas within California and some service areas comprise the geography of two adjoining states. The next anticipated competition will be for Program Years 2005-2006. (A provision for waiver of competition for a maximum four year period may be exercised by the Department).
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
Competing applications will be rated according to criteria included in the Solicitation for Grant Application. Awards are made directly to eligible applicants by the Employment and Training Administration.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters for application deadlines.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
30 to 90 days.
Preapplication Coordination
The standard preapplication forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance if the State has selected the program for review.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
Petition for reconsideration of nonselection as a potential grantee may be made to an Administrative Law Judge within 21 days of notification of the Department's decision.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
Grants may be renewed without further competition for a third and fourth year provided performance for the first two years has been satisfactory.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
The ultimate beneficiaries are low income individuals and their dependents who have, during any consecutive 12 month period in the 24 months preceding their application for enrollment, been primarily employed in agricultural labor that is characterized by chronic unemployment or underemployment due to the seasonal or migratory nature of the work. Individuals must also be legally available for work and males must not have violated the Selective Service Act registration requirement.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Formula Grants
Allocations of money to States or their subdivisions in accordance with distribution formulas prescribed by law or administrative regulation, for activities of a continuing nature not confined to a specific project.
Project Grants
The funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects. Project grants can include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Grants may range between $100,000 and $7,000,000. The average is not calculated.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
The NFJP provides financial assistance through grants to qualifying organizations. The program operates on a program year (PY) basis, beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30. National funding level: PY 03 $72,213,541; no funding was requested in the President's budget for PY 04 or FY 05.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
16-0174-0-1-504.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
Projects assist farmworkers complete educational goals and learn specific job skills in order to acquire the qualifications employers require for occupations offering permanent full-time employment. This is accomplished through a case management- driven system that uses customer choice to guide the farmworker customer in the development of a strategy for acquiring the job skills and related education that are needed to qualify for the higher skilled job, and consequently the opportunity for earning a better livelihood. Projects also assist farmworkers seeking to remain in farmwork by providing emergency assistance and other supportive services that promote their continued participation in the agricultural workforce.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
In Program Year (PY) 2002, an estimated 36,000 farmworkers received job training and supportive services. Of those who were provided intensive and job training services(15,000), 84% were placed in jobs with an average annual wage gain of $4,208 above the level earned prior to participation in the NFJP. Under the competition for the Program Year 2003 beginning July 1, 2003, there were 64 applications from which 53 grants were awarded. (The most recent prior competition was for the 1999 PY.)
Criteria for selecting proposals...
Selection criteria are described in the Solicitation for Grant Application published in the Federal Register whenever there is a competition for grant awards. (Also, see paragraph number 92 above.).
Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Awards initially apply for one or two years, with the option of a subsequent two-year renewal if performance is satisfactory and a national competition is not held.
Formula and Matching Requirements
The program has no statutory formula. The Department has developed a formula for funding of the National Farmworker Jobs Program that provides the best available estimate of the relative distribution among the States of the nation's eligible seasonal farmworkers. The formula relies primarily on data from the Census of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Workers Survey. This program has no matching requirements.
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
Post assistance requirements...
Reports
Grantee recipients are required to provide quarterly program and financial status reports and quarterly reporting of individual participant information. Program performance is calculated from quarterly reporting of individual participant information.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
Programs are subject to financial and compliance audits conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards shall have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
Records
Grantees are required to maintain complete accounting, personnel, and individual participant records in accordance with OMB Circulars A-102 and A-110. Participant records must support eligibility and the need for services provided.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
Workforce Investment Act of 1998; Title I, Subtitle D, Section 167; Public Law 105-220.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
20 CFR 669.