1. Fiscal Year 2017 National Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreements (NCAs) Funding Opportunity Announcement HRSA Objective Review Committee Presentation

2. Agenda Overview Program Requirements Application Components
Reviewer Tips

3. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW

4. Overview (1/2)
Health centers provide access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services to the Nation’s neediest populations:
Nearly 1,400 health centers
More than 9,800 health center sites
More than 24 million patients

5. Overview (2/2)
NCAs provide national training and technical assistance (T/TA) to existing and potential health centers to improve:
Operational outcomes
Clinical outcomes
T/TA is provided both directly and through coordinated activities with other HRSA-supported T/TA providers:
Primary Care Associations (PCAs)
Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs)
Other NCAs

6. NCA Funding Purpose
NCA funding will support the provision of T/TA to health centers nationwide through:
Development and dissemination of promising practices,
Facilitation of trainings,
Coordination of T/TA activities, and
T/TA activities that address issues and trends affecting health centers and advance HRSA priorities

7. T/TA Audiences
T/TA supported by NCA funding must be made available to all existing and potential health centers:
Existing health centers: Health Center Program award recipients and look-alikes
Potential health centers: Organizations applying for or seeking information about applying for a Health Center Program award or look-alike designation
T/TA must be accessible without regard to health center award or designation status, NCA membership status, or location
Resources should be accessible to the widest health center audience possible, which may include webinars and recordings

8. Key Eligibility Information
Eligible organizations:
Include public, private, or non-profit entities that can provide T/TA nationally to existing and potential health centers
Did not apply on behalf of another organization
Will perform a substantive role in the project
Full eligibility criteria outlined in the NCA FOA
All applications have been screened for completeness and eligibility, and have been deemed substantially complete and eligible for review

9. Award Information
Approximately $18.5 million per year is available to fund up to 19 NCA award recipients
The maximum amount of NCA funding applicants were able to request is specific to the NCA type selected
NCA project period will be 3 years starting July 1, – June 30, 2020 with three one-year budget periods

10. NCA Program Requirements
Each NCA type has unique Goals and Metrics required to be addressed
Appendix B of the NCA FOA outlines the Goals and Metrics by NCA type
NCA types fall into three broad categories:
Special and Vulnerable Populations NCAs
Health Center Development Areas NCAs
National Resource Center for Health Center T/TA NCA

11. Special and Vulnerable Populations NCAs (1/2)
Provide specialized T/TA to health centers serving special populations and other vulnerable populations to:
Increase access to care
Improve health outcomes
Promote health equity

12. Special and Vulnerable Populations NCAs (2/2)
NCA types in this category include:
Special Population: Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Workers NCAs
Special Population: People Experiencing Homelessness NCAs
Special Population: Residents of Public Housing NCAs
Vulnerable Populations NCAs

13. Health Center Development Areas NCAs (1/2)
Provide developmental T/TA to health centers specific to the NCA type selected
T/TA must be designed to meaningfully advance:
Excellence in health center operations
Performance
Patient outcomes

14. Health Center Development Areas NCAs (2/2)
NCA types in this category include:
Clinical Workforce Development Pipeline NCA
Clinical Workforce Development Recruitment and Retention NCA
Capital Development and Growth NCA
Health Information Technology and Data NCA
Oral Health Care NCA
Medical-Legal Partnerships NCA

15. National Resource Center for Health Center T/TA (1/2)
Meaningfully advance health center excellence through the coordination and dissemination of T/TA on:
Leadership
Organizational development
Clinical and financial performance
Operational staff training
Practice transformation

16. National Resource Center for Health Center T/TA (2/2)
Establishes a national T/TA resource center and continuous learning system that includes contributions from and feedback for other T/TA partners
NCA type in this category is:
National Resource Center for Health Center T/TA NCA

17. Participant Response Question 1
Select the incorrect statement:
NCAs provide T/TA to existing and potential health centers nationwide.
NCAs must engage other HRSA-supported T/TA providers, particularly PCAs, HCCNs, and other NCAs, to share tools and resources, coordinate and align T/TA activities, and solicit T/TA activity needs and evaluation data.
Applicants can revise NCA goals or metrics if revisions align with demonstrated T/TA needs for the NCA development area or target audience.

18. Participant Response Question 1
Answer: C
Incorrect statement: Applicants can revise NCA Goals or Metrics if revisions align with demonstrated T/TA needs for the NCA development area or target audience.
Applicants cannot revise any of the pre-defined Goals or Metrics
Applicants must respond to the NCA Goals and Metrics as they appear in Appendix B of the NCA FOA

19. APPLICATION COMPONENTS

20. Application Components
Grants.gov and other standard application forms
Project Abstract
Project Narrative
SF-424A Budget Information Form
Budget Narrative
Attachments
Form 1A: General Information
Project Work Plan

21. Review Criteria
The Project Narrative provides a comprehensive description of the proposed NCA project
Use the Review Criteria to evaluate the information presented
Consider information provided in any part of the application that is relevant to each component
Cross-reference Project Narrative, forms, and attachments
Project Narrative sections correspond to Review Criteria: - Need (15 points) - Response (25 points) - Collaboration (15 points) - Evaluative Measures (15 points) - Resources/Capabilities (25 points) - Support Requested (5 points)

22. Budget Presentation (1/2)
SF-424A: Budget Information Form:
Shows only the Federal funding request for Years 1-3 (Years 4 and 5 should be blank)
Funding request may not exceed maximum funding amount for NCA type selected (already verified by HRSA)
Activities must be consistent with funding amounts requested
If Indirect Costs requested in Section F, the applicant must include Indirect Cost Rate agreement in Attachment 8

23. Budget Presentation (2/2)
Budget Narrative Attachment:
Applications include a line-item justification for each 12-month budget period of the 3-year project period
Years 2 and 3 should highlight changes from Year 1 or clearly indicate no substantive changes
Should be consistent with funding amount requested in SF-424 Budget Form
Applicants were directed to NOT include any non- federal sources of funding in the application

24. Attachments (1/3) Attachment 1: Staffing Plan
Presentation and justification for all personnel who will be supported in whole or in part by NCA funds
Attachment 2: Organizational Chart
Depicts the organizational structure, including key personnel, staffing, and any sub-recipients or affiliated organizations
Attachment 3: Position Description for Key Personnel
Position descriptions for key personnel supported by NCA funds (e.g., CEO, CFO, NCA Project Director)
Attachment 4: Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel
Biographical sketches for Key Personnel in Attachment 3

25. Attachments (2/3) Attachment 5: Letters of Support
Applicants required to include current dated letters of support providing evidence of current or proposed collaborations from primary formal collaborators noted in the Project Narrative Collaboration section
If unsuccessful obtaining letters, applicants were instructed to document efforts to obtain letters and explain why not obtained
Attachment 6: Summary of Contracts and Agreements (if applicable)
Summary of current or proposed NCA-related agreements (not actual agreements)
Should include names of contract/partner organizations, types of contracts/agreements, brief description of purpose, scope, timeframes and services to be provided

26. Attachments (3/3)
Attachment 7: Summary Progress Report (current NCAs only)
Presentation of the applicant’s demonstrated success and capabilities, including a summary of the accomplishments achieved during the current project period
Refers to currently funded NCA T/TA activities, evaluative measures, and goals
Attachment 8: Other Relevant Documents (if applicable)
Other documents relevant to the proposed project (e.g. survey instruments, needs assessment results)
If requesting funding for indirect costs, the indirect cost rate agreement must be provided in Attachment 8

27. Form 1A: General Information Worksheet
Section 1: Applicant Information
Section 2: NCA Type
Applicants selected the proposed NCA type from the list of pre-defined options
Section 3: Budget Information
The maximum amount of annual funding applicants could request was pre-populated based on the NCA type selected in Section 2
The total amount of funding requested in the SF-424 Budget Information Form was also pre-populated based on the NCA type selected

28. FY 2017 Project Work Plan
The Project Work Plan outlines the proposed T/TA Activities and Goal Targets for the NCA project
T/TA Activities: 4-10 major planned activities to be conducted in the first 12 months of the project period that will begin to address the Goal and lead to Goal Target attainment by the end of the 3-year project period
Goal Targets: Quantitative results to be achieved by the end of the 3- year project period (by June 30, 2020)
Baseline Data and Goals in the Project Work Plan are customized based on the NCA type selected on Form 1A
When available, Baseline Data was pre-populated
If not pre-populated, applicants were required to provide baseline data

29. Activity Audiences
For each NCA Goal, applicants were required to provide at least two T/TA activities per Activity Audience
Learning Collaborative Audience: T/TA activities engage a subset of existing and potential health centers to facilitate information exchange and support implementation of best practices
This T/TA should inform National Audience activities
National Audience: T/TA activities engage health centers, PCAs, and HCCNs across the country, and are focused on disseminating information (e.g., webinars on innovative strategies, fact sheets on promising practices)

30. NCA Goal Clarification
Special and Vulnerable Populations NCA Types: List of Goals and Metrics includes one Optional Goal
Applicants may propose an additional Optional Goal to improve health outcomes specific to the needs of the population of focus in one of these areas:
Hypertension control;
Colorectal cancer screening; or
Cervical cancer screening
National Resource Center for Health Center T/TA NCA Type: There are three separate required parts included in Goal 6: Develop a Continuous Health Center Learning System
For this Goal only, applicants were required to propose 2-4 Activities for each part instead of 4-10 Activities, with at least one Activity for each pre-defined Activity Audience

31. Participant Response Question 2
True or False: When an applicant includes information in the Project Work Plan form that addresses the Evaluative Measures Review Criteria, reviewers should note a weakness if the applicant did not repeat that same information in the Project Narrative.

32. Participant Response Question 2
Answer: False
Applicants do not have to duplicate information in multiple parts of the application
Reviewers should consider information presented in the Project Narrative, as well as information provided in application forms and other attachments, when assessing responsiveness to the review criteria

33. Reviewer Tips THANK YOU!
Provide concise strengths and weaknesses statements
Ensure there are no contradictory statements
A sample NCA summary statement is available
Base your evaluation and score only on the requirements and review criteria as stated in the FOA
During the review, HRSA program staff will be available to clarify the FOA if needed
THANK YOU!

34. National Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreements (NCAs) HRSA Grant Management Operations Budget Review Guidance

35. Budget Review Guiding Questions
1.Does the total proposed budget appear consistent with the size and scope of the project?
2. Do the proposed budget and budget justification relate logically to the narrative describing the project?
3. Are the individual line items understandable in terms of what they will pay for in the proposed project?
#1 Look at the bottom line versus the scope of the project – are they compatible? Can you accomplish the goals of the proposal with the total amount of money proposed?
#2 Are the budget and the budget justification describing the same project as the project narrative? Do they make sense for the proposed project?
#3 Do the line items logically link to the activities in the proposed project? Are they necessary or reasonable to support the project?

36. Budget Review Guiding Questions
4. Are there extraneous items of cost that do not appear necessary or reasonable in support of the proposed project?
5. Do any individual line items appear inflated (or under-funded) compared to the overall scope or individual tasks proposed?
#4 Are there any line items that do not logically link to activities outlined in the project narrative? Are there line items that do not appear necessary or reasonable to accomplish the proposed project?
#5 Are the budget line items too big or not? Too much? Too little? Use your experience.

37. Budget Review: Strengths & Weaknesses
The following measures should be used to evaluate the Support Requested criteria 1. The strength of the budget presentation, including planned service delivery and patient projections, as documented in Items 1 and 2 of the SUPPORT REQUESTED section of the Project Narrative, SF-424A, budget justification narrative, Form 1B, and Form 3, consistent with Form 1A, Form 2, and the RESPONSE section of the Project Narrative.
This provides clarity on how to determine strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to the budget. Please keep in mind that as stated in the 3 criterion on this screen, you will need to cross reference the information listed in the project narrative with the information in the budget. Also keep in mind that if the budget information is found in the application, even if is located in the project narrative section, please include that information in your budget review.

38. Budget Review: Strengths & Weaknesses
The following measures should be used to evaluate the Support Requested criteria, continued 2. How well the applicant demonstrates that the budget is realistic, and aligned and consistent with the proposed service delivery plan, number of patients to be served, and target population needs, as documented in Item 3 of the SUPPORT REQUESTED section of the Project Narrative, budget justification narrative, and SF-424A, consistent with Form 1A, Form 1B, and Form 3.

39. Budget Review: Strengths & Weaknesses
The following measures should be used to evaluate the Support Requested criteria, continued
3. The reasonableness of the total cost per patient and federal cost per patient based on the proposed NAP project, considering the information provided in Item 4 of the SUPPORT REQUESTED section of the Project Narrative, the Forms Summary Page, and the Financial Performance Measures.

40. Budget Review: Notes to HRSA
The following list is not exhaustive but are common issues that may require a note to HRSA:
Complex grants policy issues that may need more research than the GMS is able to quickly provide.
Salary %FTE may be incorrectly computed.
Expenditures may be listed in aggregate for a certain budget category, but no separate cost breakdown per item.
Expenditures are not listed under the requisite Federal line items (Salary, fringe, equipment, travel, etc.), but the information is present.
The applicant requests an amount above the maximum amount available under this funding opportunity.
There is a GMS assigned to each of your panels. Your assigned GMS may be serving on multiple panels. If you require grants assistance, please reach out to the GMS. If they are not currently present on your panel, please alert the RA, who will immediately contact your GMS for assistance.
Lastly, If there is discussion during your panel concerning budget issues, your assigned GMS may ask if clarification is needed from the grants office. Thanks and this concludes the Grants portion of this presentation.