RPSA Violence Prevention Training, Technical Assistance and Support (RVP-TTAS) (25-444-80-2771-01) Technical Assistance, Appendices, Questions and Answers

We are extending the due date for the 2771 and 2772 TTAS NOFOs to Friday, September 6th at noon. The deadline for Questions regarding the NOFO will be extended through Friday, August 30th and answers will be posted by close of business on Tuesday, September 3rd.

RPSA Violence Prevention Training, Technical Assistance & Support (RVP-TTAS) Technical Assistance Session

RPSA Violence Prevention Training, Technical Assistance & Support (RVP-TTAS) Support Appendices:

RPSA Violence Prevention Training, Technical Assistance & Support (RVP-TTAS) Questions and Answers:

Date:  August 7, 2024

  1. Question: We are unclear which sub-items must begin on a new page. Is it each main section (b. Capacity, c. Need, etc.) or each sub-section (b.1.Overview, b.2.Experience, etc.
    Answer:
    It is each main section. (b. Capacity; c. Need, d. Equity and Racial Justice, e. Quality; f. budget narrative).
  2. Question: Should the questions be included in our narrative?
    Answer:
    Include the section letter and section title only.

August 21, 2024:

  1. Question: Regarding the budget narrative, can you clarify: Should an organization decide to apply to serve Chicago and Greater Illinois--would the proposed staffing patterns for each need to look different or could the organization propose the same set of staff for both?
    Answer:
    Performing the guaranteed deliverables of the grant should be considered when addressing staffing at any geographically location. Each geographic location could require unique staffing to carry out all grant deliverables and performance reporting.
  2. Question: How do I access the attachments from the internet?
    Answer:
    Once on the website, RPSA Violence Prevention Training, Technical Assistance and Support (RVP-TTAS) (25-444-80-2771-01) Technical Assistance, Appendices, Questions and Answers right "Click" on the attachment and download the item to the desktop. Open the desktop file.

August 23, 2024:

  1. Question: The NOFO has very specific experience requirements for eligibility. If an agency is newly established but the leadership staff past experience meets the requirements would that count as the agency's years of experience, or should the leadership staff consider applying as an individual?
    Answer:
     The entity applying for the grant must record the number of years the entity has been providing services.
  2. Question: The link to the Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance is not working.
    Answer:
      Thank you for the information. The link issue has been resolved.
  3. Question:  Are we to select one of the following areas to provide the training and technical assistance or all 3? If the answer is one, will the budget specified be earmarked for that one area? Appendix Violence Prevention Services; Appendix RPSA Chicago Convener; Appendix Violence Prevention Coordinating Council (VPCC).   
    Answer:
      Successful applicants will provide training and technical assistance to RPSA grantees in all three programs; Violence Prevention Service Providers, Conveners and Coordinating Councils.
  4. Question:  I need clarification on what is being requested in the Cost to Provide area. If the grant is for $1,160,000, isn't it inclusive and cover the costs of all training and technical assistance sessions that are proposed?
    Answer:
      For each TTA or Support service/activity, please calculate an estimated cost related to that service/activity. It should include allocated staff time, allocated travel expenses and supplies, consultant costs, etc. The entire budget should be inclusive of the costs of all the individual TTA or Support service/activities plus indirect costs.
  5. Question:  Is the Implementation timeline an attachment form?
    Answer:
      The implementation timeline is not a DHS form or appendix; the timeline should be created by the applicant.
  6. Question:  When is the application due?
    Answer:
      Due to technical difficulties with some of the appendices and the Uniform Grant Application, the application due date has been extended to Friday, September 6, 2024 at noon. Questions regarding the NOFO will be accepted through Friday, August 30th and answers will be posted by close of business on Tuesday, September 3rd. 

September 3, 2024:

  1. Question: Capacity(B) section - under Collaboration it states, "Describe how program will implement the collaborative activities outlined in Section A.4 D: Required Services. This reference doesn't quite make sense to me. When I review the NOFO, Collaboration is listed on page 4, Section A.5c. Can you clarify where we can find the collaborative activities?
    Answer:
    Section A.4d under the Evaluation and Technical Assistance: RPSA training and technical assistance providers agree to collaborate with the RPSA Evaluation and Technical Assistance provider (currently the University of Chicago (UIC)), including but not limited to collaboration on the evidence-based, evidence-informed, and best practices to reduce firearm violence. Also included is collective collaboration with IDHS and the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC): to develop a training needs assessment; to develop a training evaluation form which will completed by participants after each training session; to coordinate training schedules and calendars; to develop an organizational technical assistance needs assessment; and to develop a technical assistance evaluation form to assess the effectiveness of the technical assistance.
  2. Question: The NOFO states: Failure to provide an application in the format detailed throughout this section will result in the loss of points. Could IDHS please elaborate on how much of the original question/prompt prospective grantees need to include in the application? For example- is it sufficient to have bold headers such as Capacity and then subheadings such as 'overview, experience, fiscal capacity, etc. Or do we need to include the entire subsequent questions/text after the initial section header?
    Answer:
    Yes. it is sufficient.
  3. Question: The recently added UGA form lists the type of submission as a change/corrected application instead of an application and the type of application as a revision instead of new. Please advise.
    Answer:
    The form was listed correctly as an Application, the Type was listed as a Continuation. That has been updated to New and the form is now correct.
  4. Question: The Budget Narrative is worth 10 points and is part of the Program Narrative. If we include an extensive narrative in the budgets entered into the CSA, can we reference that narrative and direct grant reviewers to that section without providing a Budget Narrative in the program narrative?
    Answer:
    No. Detail must be included in the budget narrative that is part of the required application narrative that is scored. You may only reference other portions of the narrative and the CSA budget is not part of the narrative.
  5. Question: If awarded these grants, what is the maximum number of organizations a TTA provider has to serve, and how is this calculated?
    Answer:
    This is not dictated in the NOFO. In fact you are asked to tell us how many organizations you have the capacity to serve based on your application request. From the NOFO in the program impact section: "State the number of RPSA grantees the applicant has the capacity to serve under this proposed plan. Provide rationale for this number. "
  6. Question: What is the time frame expected to work with each organization, three months, six months, twelve months, etc., and how many hours per month?
    Answer:
    The NOFO did not specify number of hours per month per organization. It is expected that TA be provided through the grant period and be sufficient to meet the identified needs of the organization and the intention:
    Technical assistance is intended to build grantee capacity to provide effective services and to effectively manage all aspects of the grant program (data collection, reporting, performance measure tracking, quality assurance, staff training and support, program expense tracking and management etc.).
    Technical assistance plans will be flexible to ensure organizations' needs are met throughout the year. Technical assistance should be prepared for both multi-agency technical assistance such as learning communities as well as individual agency specific technical assistance which should be provided both virtual and on-site follow-up visits with provider staff. These visits may inform performance improvement plans where necessary if issues are identified regarding on-going program development, implementation, performance measurement, data collection and tracking and grant management.
  7. Question: I'm requesting the application packet for the RPSA Violence Prevention Training, Technical Assistance and support grant 25-444-80-2771.
    Answer:
    All materials can be found at IDHS: RPSA Violence Prevention Training, Technical Assistance and Support (RVP-TTAS) (25-444-80-2771-01) Technical Assistance, Appendices, Questions and Answers (state.il.us)
  8. Question: We are currently a Convener for this Program. We are currently completing proposals for this NOFO as well as the Youth Development Training, Technical Assistance and Support NOFO. I am uncertain, due to language within the proposal if we are able to compete for both of these NOFO simultaneously. Please let me know asap whether we can be funded for both of these.
    Answer:
    The language in Sec A.4 does not exclude from eligibility Convener grantees. An organization may be funded for both Training & Technical Assistance grants and Convener grants.