HomeMy WebLinkAbout20220425.tiffMariah Higgins
From: Karla Ford
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2022 11:32 AM
To: CTB
Cc: Don Warden; Bruce Barker; Ryan Rose
Subject: FW: Your Grant Application BJA GRANT13386153
Attachments: GRANT13386153.pdf
FYI....
Karla Ford X
Office Manager, Board of Weld County Commissioners
1150 O Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, Colorado 80632
:: 970.336-7204 :: kford@weldgov.com :: www.weld.gov.com ::
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From: Review, OJPPeer <OJPPeerReview@usdoj.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2022 11:19 AM
To: BOCC <BOCC@co.weld.co.us>
Cc: Sonja Kohlgraf <skohlgraf@weldgov.com>; Chris D'Ovidio <cdovidio@weldgov.com>; Jeffries, Timothy (OJP)
<Timothy.Jeffries@usdoj.gov>
Subject: Your Grant Application BJA GRANT13386153
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U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Washington, D.C. 20531
January 19, 2022
Steve Moreno
WELD, COUNTY OF
1150 O STREET
GREELEY, CO
JustGrants Number: GRANT13386153
Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
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Dear Steve Moreno:
The Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) would like to thank you for your
recent grant application in response to BJA's FY 2021 solicitation, Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and
Substance Abuse Site -based Program: Category 1. Although your application received careful consideration,
we regret to inform you that it was not selected for funding.
Of the 142 applications that were received under this solicitation, 87 were selected for funding based on
feedback from peer reviewers and other considerations, such as achieving geographic diversity, strategic
priorities, past performance, and available funding.
A panel of up to three independent peer reviewers evaluated each application and noted strengths and
weaknesses based on the selection criteria identified in the solicitation. In an effort to assist your organization in
applying for future funding, enclosed please find a summary of the peer review comments for your application.
These comments are shared with you to help you improve future applications and to assist in identifying
potential programmatic gaps identified by the subject -matter expert peer reviewers.
You may notice occasional duplicative or even potentially contradictory comments, which are a result of similar
or differing opinions of the reviewers on the panel. BJA does not require peer reviewers to agree with others on
the panel who may have a differing view. All OJP funding decisions are final, and reviewer comments
expressed in the summary are those of the individual reviewers.
We thank you for your interest in BJA's funding opportunities and submitting an application for the
Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site -based Program: Category 1. We encourage
you to visit BJA's website at www.bja.gov for future funding, training, and technical assistance opportunities.
In addition, BJA offers resources and guidance on submitting applications through BJA's Grant Writing and
Management Academy, which is available at: https://www.bja.gov/gwma/index.html. If you have any
questions, please contact the OJP Response Center at 1-800-851-3420 or via e-mail at
responsecenter(ancjrs.gov.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Griffith
Acting Deputy Director for Policy
Bureau of Justice Assistance
2
Bureau of Justice Assistance
BJA FY 21 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site -based Program:
Category 1
WELD, COUNTY OF
GRANT13386153
Description of the Issue
Strengths
• The Weld County Sheriffs Office, located in Greeley, Colorado, is inferred as the
applicant agency, although it is not expressly stated. Demographics related to population
are included. The application is submitted as Category 1, Subcategory 1B.
• The applicant provides a brief description.
• The applicant identifies the agency and service region. The applicant addresses the
impact of the opioid crisis at the state level as well as the number of law enforcement in
need of naloxone. The applicant identifies as Subcategory 1 B.
Weaknesses
Minimal information is included to support the impact of opioids, stimulants, and other
illicit drugs within the proposed service area. The applicant would strengthen the
application by providing more data and statistics to represent the true impact on the
proposed service area. The applicant does not provide sufficient information regarding
specific challenges motivating their interest to apply for this grant. The applicant does not
address the inability to fund the proposed program without federal assistance or describe
existing funding resources that can be leveraged to support the proposed program.
• The applicant does not provide data to support greater need, as naloxone is currently
funded for their patrol officers in another relationship.
Project Design and Implementation
Strengths
• The applicant provides a justification for the amount requested in response to the
solicitation.
• The applicant seeks to arm law enforcement with naloxone, which is allowable under this
solicitation. The applicant briefly describes the deliverables and the frequency with which
naloxone has been needed in the past.
GRANT13386153 Page 1 of 4
Bureau of Justice Assistance
BJA FY 21 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site -based Program:
Category 1
Weaknesses
• The applicant is requesting a small portion of the total available award, specifically for
purchasing naloxone for their detention and patrol divisions. The applicant includes a few
short sentences about overdoses and location of drugs without providing adequate
background as requested by the solicitation, to include deliverables, potential barriers,
and sufficient explanation as to the actual project design and implementation.
• The applicant addresses one area, with limited explanation.
• The applicant does not demonstrate need, as naloxone has only been needed one time in
their detention center, but they are requesting 100 boxes for those law enforcement.
While the project is small, this section is still lacking detail.
Capabilities and Competencies
Strengths
• The applicant expresses that they will accommodate and support the work of a program
evaluator.
• The applicant identifies a suitable project coordinator, which is appropriate given the
small scale of the project. The applicant expresses willingness to work with an evaluator.
Weaknesses
• The management structure is not clearly outlined sufficiently to respond to the
solicitation. Other than stating that a project coordinator will oversee the naloxone
ordering, payment, and distribution of the drug and the reporting on the grant, there is no
information as to the plan of the process.
• While a small project likely does not need a robust staff, the one -paragraph description is
not an adequate explanation.
• It is unclear if the "project coordinator" has experience in grant reporting requirements of
this scale and nature.
Plan for Collecting the Data Required for this Solicitation's Performance
Measures
GRANT13386153 Page 2 of 4
Bureau of Justice Assistance
BJA FY 21 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site -based Program:
Category I
Strengths
• The applicant describes no barriers, which appears appropriate given the type and scale of
a small project. The applicant will track naloxone doses.
Weaknesses
• There is no plan included for collecting the data required for the solicitation's
performance measures.
• There is only one proposed indicator for outcomes tracking.
• The application could benefit from tracking the impact of the widespread availability of
naloxone or investigate other uses (leave behind kits).
Budget
Strengths
• The budget is small (less than $9,000) and is supported by a narrative.
Weaknesses
The budget's only line item is for supplies. The budget does not include mandatory travel
for grantee annual conferences.
• The budget does not meet the travel requirements.
• The budget is missing the required travel. The applicant should justify the number of
doses (100), because this is significantly less than the number of detention officers (244)
but also significantly more than has been used in the past (1 naloxone per year).
Summary
Strengths
• The proposal identifies the applicant, some demographics, and the subcategory of the
application.
GRANT13386153 Page 3 of 4
Bureau of Justice Assistance
BJA FY 21 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site -based Program:
Category 1
• Naloxone in jails is a great cause.
• The application is complete and seeks to arm the applicant's officers with naloxone.
Weaknesses
Minimal information is included to support the impact of the problem on the proposed
service area. The applicant would strengthen the application by providing additional
relevant data and statistics to represent the true impact, the challenges motivating their
interest in the grant, their inability to form the proposed program without federal
assistance in current funds, and resources that can be leveraged to support the proposed
program. The management structure is not clearly outlined or sufficient to respond to the
solicitation other than stating that a project coordinator oversee the ordering, payment,
and distribution of the MAT selected. There is no information as to the planning process.
The budget appears inadequate for the solicitation, as does the plan for collecting the data
required for the solicitation's performance measures.
• This application falls significantly short in detail, responsiveness to the RFP budget
requirements, and scope of the project is small in comparison in the RFP.
The applicant should explore other uses of naloxone doses (leave behind kits) in order to
maximize effectiveness. The applicant is seeking a small project but may or may not be
able to meet solicitation requirements in terms of grant reporting or Bureau of Justice
Assistance meeting travel. Performance metrics should be evaluated beyond the number
of doses ordered and handed out as the community needs to understand impact of this
change.
GRANT13386153 Page 4 of 4
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