1. Application Webinar: Regional Training Coordination
January 2015

2. Introduction
In October 2014, the US Department of Education awarded 25 states, including Colorado, the School Emergency Management grant (SEM).
With this grant, the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado School Safety Resource Center are partnering to provide training to schools and districts in developing and implementing high-quality, school emergency operations plans (EOPs). 2

3. Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC)
In 2008, Colorado legislation established the Colorado School Safety Resource Center in the Department of Public Safety to “assist schools in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and crisis situations and to foster positive learning environments.”
The CSSRC supports schools and local agencies in the five missions of school safety preparedness: prevention, mitigation, protection, response, and recovery.
CSSRC will provide the training for the Colorado Regional Training project. 3

4. Purpose
The objectives of the Colorado School Emergency Management Regional Training project are two-fold:
To improve the way Colorado engages schools and districts in creating and updating high-quality emergency operation plans.
To expand the local capacity of the project’s target population, which includes rural schools and districts, charter schools and non-public schools, through coordinated regional trainings on emergency operation planning (EOP). 4

5. Training Overview
The Colorado School Safety Resource Center will provide high-quality trainings to create high-quality emergency operation plans.
School Safety Teams will participate in a series of trainings.
These teams will consist of 3 to 5 members depending upon district/school size and available personnel. Teams may consist of an administrator, school security personnel, mental health professional, front office worker, maintenance staff, nurse or teacher.
Additional community first responders may also be members of the team beyond the district personnel listed above. 5

6. Training Overview
Training Series Design: Two series of Three All-Day Sessions
At the first session, school safety teams will develop their goals and objectives to address all threats and hazards identified as high risks to create a high-quality EOP. Teams may choose to address medium risks.  
The second session will initiate the development of the high-quality plans. High-quality EOPs will need to include the following components: The Basic Plan, Plan Content and Functional Annexes to address planning before, during and after an emergency.
The third session, in collaboration with the site partners, will be to facilitate the implementation of the schools’ EOPs by conducting tabletop exercises. 6

7. Available Funds & Award Range
This a one-time funding opportunity that will be awarded on a competitive basis to providers for the period of February 2015 to March 2016.
The state’s SEM grant includes $378,00 to establish contracts for the coordination and management of regional trainings.
It is projected that a maximum of seven contracts will be awarded.
The amount of the contract request should not exceed $54,000 per region. 7

8. Eligible Applicants
Local and regional government agencies are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible applicants:
Local and county government agencies (including, but not limited to, workforce centers, and municipal agencies)
Local education agencies (school districts/BOCES)
Institutes of higher education (2-year and 4-year public universities) 8

9. Qualifications Experience in working with school and districts.
Experience in managing training programs.
Ability to coordinate two series of training, with each series consisting of three separate training sessions.
Ability to recruit approximately 20 teams of participants from rural, charter and private schools.
Letters of References: Three letters of reference from education and local partners that address the applicant’s qualification to establish a regional training network and coordinate training. 9

10. Expectations and Deliverables
Applicants will be responsible to establish regional training networks and provide coordination of EOP trainings. Coordination includes:
Outreach and Marketing
Managing Training Budgets
Organizing delivery of training with the Colorado School Safety Resource Center
Evaluation of training
Addressing barriers that impede attendance of trainings
Please Note: Funds must be expended by March 31, 2016 10

11. Expectations and Allowable Use of Funds
Regional event planning to host two series of three emergency operation plans (EOP) trainings. Planning activities include: coordinating logistics with area educational agencies and the CSSRC trainers, scheduling training dates, recruitment, marketing and registration.
Allowable Use of Funds
Staffing, database management, the cost of space, miscellaneous supplies for participants, allowable “working lunch” costs and equipment rental as applicable. It is estimated that 10 teams representing school districts, charter schools and non-public schools will attend each series.
Estimated Cost: $12,000 ($6,000 x 2 training series). 11

12. Expectations and Allowable Use of Funds
Manage and provide reimbursement to participants and school teams for allowable expenses associated with attendance at an EOP training services.
Allowable Use of Funds
It is estimated that the cost to manage the reimbursement will be $2,000, based on accounting costs. It is estimated that the average, allowable reimbursement costs per participant will be $500. It is projected that 60 people per region will require reimbursement assistance to participate (60 people x $500). The reimbursement cost may include mileage, lodging, per diem as applicable, educator/staff substitution, and stipends as allowable.
Estimated cost: $32,000 12

13. Expectations and Allowable Use of Funds
Evaluation of Training
Allowable Use of Funds
Assess the EOP training services utilizing the evaluations prepared by the Colorado School Safety Resource Center, tracking information on the barriers to training attendance, tracking successful recruitment and marketing activities, tracking of GPRA measures related to training including online workshops required by the U.S. Department of Education for participants, database management and preparing reports.
Estimated cost: $10,000 13

14. Evaluation and Reporting for CDE
The required performance measures and outcomes of the project are the following:
GPRA: The number of LEAs with high-quality emergency operations plans at the start of the project compared to the number of LEAs with high-quality EOPs at the end of the project.
CDE will have increased its capacity to engage schools and districts in participating in training for school emergency management by developing a state Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) training engagement model.
Increase the knowledge of Colorado school personnel in best practices for emergency preparedness targeting rural schools and non-public LEAs.
LEAs test their EOPs with local emergency managers and first responders utilizing tabletop drills and create a drill calendar. 14

15. Evaluation and Reporting for CSSRC
Each member of the district/school EOP team participating in the training will need to have taken FEMA online courses 100, 362 and 700 for schools and have certificates of proof as a pre- requisite.
Each district/school will be responsible for sending personnel to each of the three trainings and completing the pre/post assessments at the trainings as well as the worksheets assigned and participate in the final tabletop exercises.
Each district/school will complete a high-quality EOP by the third training session and submit this to the Colorado Department of Education. 15

16. Review Process This is a competitive process –
Applicants must score at least 55 points out of the 88 points possible to be approved for funding.
Applications that score below 55 points may be asked to submit revisions that would bring the application up to a fundable level.
All application decisions are final. 16

17. Award Process
This funding opportunity is a competitive process. There is no guarantee that submitting a proposal will result in funding or funding at the requested level. All award decisions are final.
Applications will be reviewed by CDE staff to ensure they contain all required components. Selection will be made of the responsible vendor whose acceptable response is determined to be the most advantageous to CDE, at CDE’s sole discretion, cost/price being the primary consideration. 17

18. Award Process
Additionally, at CDE’s option, Providers submitting a proposal may be required, during the evaluation of this solicitation, to make a formal presentation to and/or attend a meeting to discuss their proposal/work experience with members of the CDE evaluation team.
Applicants will be notified of final award status by February 24, 2015. 18

19. Submission Process and Deadline
The electronic copy of the proposal and electronic budget is due on Tuesday, February by 4:00 p.m. and must be submitted to:
The electronic version should include all required components of the proposal as one document. Please attach the electronic budget workbook as a separate document. Faxes will not be accepted. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.
Application materials and budget are available for download on the CDE Website at: 19

20. Scoring Rubric
The Scoring Rubric serves as the instructions and guidance for the required elements of the written narrative of the proposal/application. 20

21. Section A: Needs Assessment
Inadequat e
(information not provided)
Minimal
(requires additional clarification)
Adequate
(clear and complete)
Excellent
(concise and thoroughly developed)
1) Provide a clear and thorough description of the proposed region for the training project. Provide information on the geographic area that includes population size, number of schools, community resources and description of needs related to community safety and well-being. 1 5 7
2) Provide a clear and thorough description of the strengths and challenges in developing a regional training network to increase emergency operation planning in the proposed region. Indicate how the proposed project will build on strengths and mitigate barriers to school personnel attending school emergency management trainings.
Reviewer Comments:
TOTAL POINTS
/14

22. Section B: Proposed Project Description
Inadequate
(information not provided)
Minimal
(requires additional clarification )
Adequate
(clear and complete)
Excellent
(concise and thoroughly developed)
Project Management: Describe your plan to provide coordination and project management of the program. Address experience and expertise in managing training programs and describe the proposed approach and address following:
Oversight (Governance and fiscal management of the project)
Monitoring (Tracking timeline and ensuring deliverables are produced on time)
Implementation (recruitment of target population, coordination of training, securing training venues…)
Resource allocation (budget management and reimbursement of participants for allowable expenses)
Evaluation approach and methods. 1 5 7

23. 2) Deliverables: Provide a detailed timeline to implement the major deliverables, clearly describing the activities being proposed and the intended outcome to be reached. Applicant may attach a GANTT chart. Be sure to include:
Major deliverables (e.g. Outreach, marketing, scheduling two series of trainings, coordination of training logistics, addressing barriers to attendance, coordination of training delivery, management of reimbursements to participants and evaluation.)
Description of deliverables;
Anticipated timeline, including dates, for implementation of each deliverable; and
Person responsible for each major deliverable. 4 7 10

24. 3) Objectives/Outcomes: Provide clear and measureable objectives for the program. Objectives should include desired benefit, process outcomes and/or performance improvement measures. To receive maximum points, must include the number of teams and participants to attend each training series. 1 5 7
Evaluation: Provide a clear and focused description of the evaluation process to track progress on measurable objectives. Specify methods to collect information, frequency of collection and who will be designated to coordinate data tracking and analysis.
To receive maximum points address: tracking performance indicator data – see Attachment B. 4 10
Reviewer Comments:
TOTAL POINTS
/34

25. Section C: Sustainability
Inadequate
(information not provided)
Minimal
(requires additional clarification)
Adequate
(clear and complete)
Excellent
(concise and thoroughly developed)
1) Provide a clear and thorough description of the sustainability plan including key elements and components necessary to manage, sustain, and expand a regional training infrastructure beyond the project period. 4 7 10
2) Describe your preferred methods for knowledge transfer of the school emergency management training model to ensure that regional leadership and CDE can support it after the project period.
Reviewer Comments:
TOTAL POINTS
/20

26. Section D: Budget Narrative & Electronic Budget Form
Inadequate
(information not provided)
Minimal
(requires additional clarification)
Adequat e (clear and complete)
Excellent
(concise and thoroughly developed)
Provide a detailed budget and budget narrative that is outlined in the Overview section (page 3) and tied to the Proposed Project Description (Section B) deliverables. All expenditures contained in the electronic budget must be described in the budget narrative and connected to project purpose and activities 4 7 10
Reviewer Comments:
TOTAL POINTS
/10