14 Ill. Adm. Code 830.90
Grant Award Selection
Section 830.90 Grant Award Selection
Grants will be awarded by DCEO to grantees following a merit
review by an evaluation committee designated by DCEO and pursuant to GATA
requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.350). DCEO will award one grant for each
facility identified by DOC (see Section 830.40(b)) and set forth in the
applicable NOFO. All applications will be sorted by each correctional facility
location proposed for services. The highest scoring applications per facility
will be prioritized for funding. The final grant awards will be negotiated by
DCEO based on the applications' alignment with the requirements of the Program.
The purpose of negotiations will be to arrive at acceptable grant terms,
including budgetary and scope of work provisions, at which time the final
decision to make a grant award will be made. In evaluating applications, DCEO
will consider the criteria listed below:
a) Whether
the applicant meets the eligibility criteria (Section 830.40).
b) The
applicant team's qualifications and capacity, including:
1) The
applicant team's history working with incarcerated people or justice-impacted
people;
2) The
applicant team's experience providing workforce training, certification, job
readiness, and skill development, especially to justice-impacted people;
3) The
applicant team's experience providing transition and follow-up services to help
people, especially returning residents, gain and retain jobs;
4) The
applicant team's knowledge and experience within the clean energy industry,
including relationships with clean energy employers and qualifications to teach
the Curriculum Framework;
5) The
applicant team's capacity to provide Program elements in the correctional
facility and follow-up services in identified economic development regions as
evidenced through the staffing plan; and
6) The
Program Administrator's capabilities and experience related to program
development, financial management, cultural and language competency, working
with committed and justice-involved persons, working with clean energy
employers, awareness of clean energy trends, and workforce development best
practices.
c) The
applicant's documentation of need, including:
1) The
quality of the plan to address barriers that returning residents face inside
correctional facilities and upon release;
2) The
quality of the plan to address the challenges and concerns that employers face
when hiring returning residents; and
3) The
expected impact of the project on returning residents and communities impacted
by incarceration.
d) The
quality of the applicant's proposed project plan, including:
1) The plan to provide
recruitment, intake, and enrollment services;
2) The plan to deliver
training, with clear integration of the Curriculum
Framework,
including the bridge program and job-specific training;
3) The
plan to provide supportive services (student support services, transition
services, and wrap-around support services) to participants before and after
release, in coordination with other CEJA programs;
4) The
plan to help participants transition to employment in the clean energy industry
and provide credible, relevant partnership agreements with employers for job
placement and work-based learning opportunities;
5) The
plan to create a program culture that incorporates the core values of
diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equity in program design, recruitment,
support services, training and transition services; and
6) The
plan to track program outcomes, assess the program and use this information to
improve program delivery.
e) The
cost-effectiveness of the applicant's proposed program, including:
1) The
thoroughness, reasonableness and necessity of the applicant's proposed program
costs in relation to the planned activities and projected outcomes; and
2) The
applicant's ability to leverage existing programs, services and partnerships to
improve cost-effectiveness, return on investment, and long-term sustainability
of the program.