Notice of Funds Available (RFP) Print New Application

Specifications

Purpose

This funding will support efforts to provide training and capacity building activities for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and families who want to engage in supported decision making.

Schedule of Events

This Request for Proposals will be governed by the following schedule:
• NoFA Posted in DD Suite- February 1, 2022

Applicants conference:
• Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM via Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86760143306?pwd=OFhMSWR6VWJUSnBzcHl5Z0prYm1xUT09
Meeting ID: 867 6014 3306 , Passcode: 241612

The Applicants Conference requires registration, use the link below to complete the registration process.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcempqjgpGtJ3LOTNaAp90EGgv9vGzSJW

• Applications Due – March 1, 2022
• Staff Application Review - March 1, 2022- March 18, 2022
• Grants Selection Committee Review - March 21, 2022 – April 6, 2022
• Council Approval – April 15, 2022
• Award Recipients Announced – April 19, 2022
• Contract Negotiations and Signed Contracts – April 19,2022 – May 20, 2022
• Start Date/Work Begins – May 1, 2022 or June 1, 2022

Restrictions on Communication

All questions about this NoFA must be submitted in the following format:
Organization/Individual Name
1. Question
Citation of relevant section of the NoFA
2. Question
Citation of relevant section of the NoFA
Questions must be directed in writing to the Operations & Contracts Director (OCD) Lisa Eaves at: lisa.eaves@gcdd.ga.gov
Questions must include the company name and the referenced NoFA section.
From the issue date of this NoFA until a contractor is selected and the selection is announced, Applicants are not allowed to communicate for any reason with any State staff except through the OCD, or during the Applicants' conference, or as provided by existing work agreement(s). The State reserves the right to reject the proposal of any Applicant violating this provision. All questions concerning this NoFA must be submitted in writing by email to lisa.eaves@gcdd.ga.gov. Only written questions will be accepted. No response other than written will be binding upon the State.

The DD Council

The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is one of 56 entities of its type in the United States and territories that report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration for Community Living. It is authorized under Public Law 106-402, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act Amendments of 2000.

The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) makes funds available to fulfill its mission in accordance with its Five-Year Strategic Plan (pdf file) and in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Through its funding, GCDD works to increase the capacities and resources of public and private nonprofit entities and others to develop a comprehensive community system that responds to the choices, capabilities and needs of persons with developmental disabilities and their families. The purpose of GCDD grants is to expand best practices and contribute to system-wide changes that support the rights of people with developmental disabilities and their full inclusion as community members. Recipients of GCDD grants are expected to be ongoing partners in bringing about positive change.
Our activities are governed by a 27-member board, appointed by the Governor and comprised of at least 60 percent individuals with developmental disabilities and family members. Other members include policymakers that represent various federally mandated partners and state agencies and organizations having a vested interested in persons with developmental disabilities.

GCDD is charged with creating systems change for people with developmental disabilities and their families by increasing opportunities for independence, inclusion, integration, productivity, and self-determination. Activities include public policy research and analysis, project demonstrations, education and training, advocacy, and public information. The GCDD is a quasi-state agency, attached to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) for administrative purposes.

Scope of Work- Request For Proposals

GCDD aims to position people with intellectual/developmental disabilities as experts on issues that impact their lives by amplifying the influence of Georgia self-advocacy organizations and initiatives, supporting both cross-disability coalitions and leadership development programs for and by people who have intellectual/developmental disabilities.
By 2027 GCDD will increase the number of advocates with intellectual/developmental disabilities who either conduct and/or participate in leadership trainings on issues that impact their lives for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, cross disability entities and non-disability specific.
This funding will support efforts to provide training and capacity building activities for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and families who want to engage in supported decision making.
GCDD believes that every adult has the right to make life decisions, to direct his/her life and to be treated with dignity, as an autonomous adult. All adults need and get advice and counsel when making different life decisions. Many options, other than guardianship, are available to provide counsel, guidance and assistance with making decisions. Person Centered Planning and Self-Determination require that adults with disabilities are respected and honored to make life decisions with the support and counsel they need and to remain as independent and autonomous as possible.
Project Background
In 2018, the Georgia Advocacy Office, the federally funded Protection and Advocacy Program in Georgia, and CPR partnered on a Supported Decision-Making pilot and project hybrid that had a particular focus on looking at the issue of how the model could work for people without many “natural supports” or pre-existing relationships from which to identify supporters. The goals of the pilot project were to: (1) uphold the legal capacity of people with disabilities; (2) disseminate knowledge of Supported Decision-Making to stakeholders; (3) develop Supported Decision-Making arrangements using relationships developed through a Citizen Advocacy program; and (4) prevent and overturn guardianships in favor of Supported Decision-Making.

Possible activities for the next phase of Georgia’s SDM work could include:
• The continuance of attempts to end or prevent guardianships and replace these with SDM and other supports as substitute protective measures of a less restrictive kind.
• Reaching out to an even more diverse set of people currently under guardianship who represent challenges not yet faced in previous rights restoration initiatives.
• Creating an archive of evidence for why guardianships have been used too liberally in the past as well as why less restrictive alternatives are both beneficial and practical.
• Critically appraising the relative impacts of varying educational outreach on SDM
• Coordinating with other organizations in Georgia and elsewhere, with a long-term interest in the matter of what most fundamentally changes people’s outlook in favor of SDM and what has less impact.

Performance Measures - *all targets negotiable.
CR03 - Members of the general public estimated to have been reached by Council public education, awareness and media initiatives.
IFA.1.1 - The number of people with developmental disabilities who participated in Council supported activities designed to increase their knowledge of how to take part in decisions that affect their lives, the lives of others, and/or systems.
Target: 50

IFA.1.2 - The number of family members who participated in Council supported activities designed to increase their knowledge of how to take part in decisions that affect the family, the lives of others, and/or systems.
Target: 50

SC.1.4 - The number of people trained or educated through Council systemic change initiatives.
Target: 200
Dem-Gen-DD - Gender of persons with DD
Male Target: 0Female Target: 0Other Target: 0

Dem-Gen-FM - Gender of family members
Male Target: 0Female Target: 0Other Target: 0

Dem-Geo-DD - Location of persons with DD
Urban Target: 0Rural Target: 0

Dem-Geo-FM - Location of family members
Urban Target: 0Rural Target: 0

Dem-Race-DD - Race/Ethnicity of persons with DD
White, alone Target: 0Black/African American Target: 0Asian alone Target: 0Native American/Alaska Target: 0Hispanic/Latino Target: 0Native Hawaiian/Pacific Target: 0Two or More Races Target: 0Race unknown Target: 0Some other race Target: 0

Dem-Race-FM - Race/Ethnicity of family members
White, alone Target: 0Black/African American Target: 0Asian alone Target: 0Native American/Alaska Target: 0Hispanic/Latino Target: 0Native Hawaiian/Pacific Target: 0Two or More Races Target: 0Race unknown Target: 0Some other race Target: 0

IFA.2.1A - After participation in Council supported activities, the number of people with developmental disabilities who responded to follow up inquiries about increasing their advocacy.
Target: 50

IFA.2.1B - The number of people with developmental disabilities that responded to follow up inquiries who reported increasing their advocacy as a result of Council work.
Target: 50

IFA.2.2A - After participation in Council supported activities, the number of family members who responded to follow up inquiries about increasing their advocacy.
Target: 50

IFA.2.2B - The number of family members that responded to follow up inquiries who reported increasing their advocacy as a result of Council work.
Target: 50

IFA.2.3FAM - Of the total in IFA 2.2B, the number of Family members who responded that they are 'better able to say what they want, etc.'
Target: 50

IFA.2.3IND - Of the total in IFA 2.1B, the number of PWDD who responded that they are 'better able to say what they want, etc.'
Target: 50

IFA.3.1A - The number of people with developmental disabilities who completed the satisfaction question on the participant surveys.
Target: 50

IFA.3.1B - The number of people with developmental disabilities satisfied with a project activity.
Target: 50

IFA.3.2A - The number of family members who completed the satisfaction question on the participant surveys.
Target: 50

IFA.3.2B - The number of family members satisfied with a project activity.
Target: 5
Requirements
• At least 3 years’ experience with the Supported Decision-Making model
• Capacity to work and partner across the state.
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in all facets of work.

Application Submission & Evaluation

The Applicant must submit a complete application in DD Suite which includes a Project Outline, a Project Work Plan and a Project Budget.

Applications must be submitted online via https://www.ddsuite.org, prior to the published deadline. No hard copies will be accepted. Applicants must have or create a DD Suite user account and an organization account in order to submit an application. Go to https://www.ddsuite.org and click on "HELP TAB" for detailed instructions on creating DD Suite user and organization accounts. (See complete application process and Guide to DD Suite attached)

Additional Submission Requirements:
1) Upload of copy of the Federal W-9 (attached to this NoFA)
2) Please upload at least 1 sample of work which demonstrates your ability to complete this project successfully.
3) Please provide at least two professional references who can attest to your abilities and experience.
4) Copies of any professional certifications relevant to supported decision making. (Upload as an attachment in DD Suite)


Each proposal should be prepared simply and economically, avoiding the use of elaborate promotional materials (unless materials have been requested) beyond those sufficient to provide a complete presentation. If supplemental materials are a necessary part of the proposal, the Applicant should reference these materials in the technical proposal, identifying the document(s) and citing the appropriate section and page(s) to be reviewed.
Any proposal received after the due date and time will not be evaluated.

Evaluation Process

The evaluation of proposals received on or before the due date and time will be conducted in the following phases. Any proposal received after the due date and time will not be evaluated.

Administrative Review

The Operations & Contracts Director will screen each proposal. The screening will consist of:
(1) determining if the Applicant meets the grant eligibility and submission requirements
(2) the budget is within the funding limits and includes the required match (if applicable);
(3) the application is complete and all sections in DD Suite have responses; and
(4) the required W-9 form and additional submissions requests are attached (i.e. references, work samples, and resumes, etc.)


DD Suite will issue an automatic reply acknowledging receipt of your proposal immediately after successful submission.

There will be no debriefing for applicants who are not selected. All applicants who respond to this NOFA will be notified of the outcome of their application (awarded, application modifications requested, or denied) by email through DD Suite.

Proposal Evaluation

The GCDD Chairperson will appoint a selection committee and may consider individuals other than Council member or advisory members. No one may evaluate proposals in which there is, or there is an appearance of, a conflict of interest. They will recuse themselves from all parts of the grant evaluation and award process.

The Selection Committee may meet twice within 30 days of proposal due date. Before the first meeting, staff will send proposals and the Solicitation Evaluation Form. The first meeting may be either in person or virtual and members will review, rank, and narrow down proposals to the top 2 or 3 for consideration as finalist. Staff will collect and file all completed Solicitation Evaluation Forms.

Using the Solicitation Evaluation Form, members will identify the most critical factors contributing to the value or success of the proposed solutions to the issues identified. Among the criteria used are the following:

1. Does the outline clearly state goals and major activities?
2. Is applicant qualified or experienced to complete the goals and activities?
3. Does the application satisfactorily describe the impact of activities of the project will have on people with developmental disabilities?
4. Is each required goal and outcome addressed? Are the goals and outcomes satisfactory?
5. Does the application adequately describe who will be responsible for each activity and a timeframe for completion?
6. Is the proposed budget consistent with the goals and activities identified in the project?
7. Does the budget justification for each item include how amounts were determined?
8. Does the evaluation plan satisfactorily describe both process and outcomes evaluation approaches?

The criteria are scored by each member of the selection team and a proposal is eligible to receive a maximum of 1000 points. Each criteria is rated either Exceptional (receives full points), Acceptable (receives half points), Not Acceptable (Receives no points). For example, if the criterion Organizational Ability has a maximum points value of 75. An Exceptional Rating gets 75 points, Acceptable gets 37.5 and Not Acceptable gets 0. If there is more than one proposal, only those that have a score of at least 700 (70% ) will have their applications forwarded to the Council’s Grants Selection Committee.

Oral Presentations/Interviews

GCDD reserves the right to conduct site visits or to invite Applicants to present their proposals between March 21, 2022 – April 6, 2022 at 2 Peachtree Street, 26th Floor, Suite 246, Atlanta GA 30303 or by video conference (Zoom) virtually during this time.

Financial (Cost) Proposal Evaluation
The Successful Applicant will submit a proposed budget for this initiative. The Financial Proposal will provide a 25% match (standard rate in-kind funds) or 10% match (standard poverty rate in-kind funds) to augment the federal grant. The match may be in the form of matching dollars, and/or in-kind costs, on an annual basis. Match funds must be documented by reporting In-Kind costs for each reporting period. In exceptional cases a match is not required and will be listed as $0.00 on the NoFA.

What kind of things can be considered in-kind match?
Your in-kind match may include expenses that are:
• allowable under federal guidelines and GCDD policies;
• necessary for your project;
• not paid by federal funds (ours or those of another agency); and
• not already being used as match for another federal grant.
Some examples include office space, utilities, volunteer time (including members of your Project Advisory Committee), printing costs, consultants (if not paid through the grant), or staff not paid for through the grant.
Applicant should provide a detailed annual plan explaining how it will generate the required match and how much, i.e., the percentage that will be provided. The plan must show in detail what will be done, how it will be done, and what specific commitment the Applicant is willing to make as a match.

NOFA Policies

Rejection of Proposals/Cancellation of NoFA

The State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any irregularity or informality in a proposal, and to accept or reject any item or combination of items; when to do so would be to the advantage of the State. It is also within the right of the State to reject proposals that do not contain all the elements and information requested in this document. The State reserves the right to cancel this NoFA at any time. The State will not be liable for any cost/losses incurred by the Applicants throughout this process.

NoFA Amendments

The State reserves the right to amend this NoFA prior to the proposal due date. All amendments and additional information will be posted to http://ddsuite.org Applicants are encouraged to check this website frequently.

Proposal Withdrawal

A submitted proposal may be withdrawn prior to the due date by a written request to the Operations and Contracts Director. A request to withdraw a proposal must be signed by an authorized individual.

Cost for Preparing Proposals

The cost for developing the proposal is the sole responsibility of the Applicant. The State will not provide reimbursement for such costs.



Conflict of Interest

If an Applicant has any existing client relationship that involves the State of Georgia, the Applicant must disclose each relationship.


Reciprocal Preference Law OCGA 50-5-60(b)

For the purposes of evaluation only, Applicants resident in the State of Georgia will be granted the same preference over Applicants resident in another State in the same manner, on the same basis, and to the same extent that preference is granted in awarding bids for the same goods or services by such other State Applicants resident therein over Applicants resident in the State of Georgia. NOTE: For the purposes of this law, the definition of a resident Applicant is one who maintains a place of business with at least one employee inside the State of Georgia. A post office box address will not satisfy this requirement.

ADA Guidelines

The State of Georgia adheres to the guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Applicants should contact the Operations and Contracts Director at least 48 hours in advance if they require special arrangements when attending the Applicant's Conference. The Georgia Relay Center at 1-800-255-0056 (TDD Only) or 1-800-255-0135 (Voice) will relay messages, in strict confidence, for the speech and hearing impaired.