To be approved for funding, all requests for Guaranteed Political Subdivision Subfunds must be submitted through the grant management system (GMS). 

GPS User Guide

 

Budget Narrative: A budget narrative explains and justifies the projected costs attributed to each line item or category within the budget and ties the budget to the proposed deliverables and statement of work. The narrative should clarify the connection between the anticipated expenses and the proposed project's implementation plan. The budget narrative must be concrete and specific, provide a justification for the basis of each proposed cost, and an explanation for how that cost was calculated. Examples to consider when justifying the basis of your estimates can be ongoing activities, market rates, quotations received from vendors, or historical records. The narrative must demonstrate that costs are allowable. Costs must be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the project 

Implementation Plan: An implementation plan describes the necessary steps for the execution of the project. Implementation plans break down the implementation process by defining the timeline, the teams and the resources needed. It also outlines how the project will be executed, monitored and completed. An implementation is a showing the necessary steps to reach the goals and deliverables within a specified timeframe and budget.

Process measure: A process measure is a measure that focuses on steps that should be followed to achieve goals of project. The process, when executed well, will increase the probability of achieving a desired outcome. 

Outcome measure: The measures chosen to assess the impact of the interventions. Outcome measures determine and evaluate results of an action, or program and their comparison with the intended or projected results.

Authorization Letter: A copy of the written authorization from the governing body of the political subdivision granting explicit approval for the request must be uploaded into the GMS.

 

I. Technical Proposal

To be considered for award, all proposals seeking funds from the Discretionary Subfund must include, at a minimum, the following information. Please restate each of the items listed below and provide responses immediately thereafter.

 

A. Statement of Need

• Provide information that documents the impact of opioids within the proposed service area. Include qualitative and quantitative data. Identify the source of all data. (Data can be placed in tables/charts, with explanations to follow.)

• Clearly identify the geographic area and/or communities that the request for funds will impact, including the population of the proposed service area, the poverty level of the service area.

• Describe any existing efforts (either provided by your organization or others in the community) and provide an explanation of how this new effort will not be duplicative or will substantially expand existing efforts.

• Please provide a description of any existing funding or resources that you have been awarded, including dollar amounts, that are being leveraged to support the proposed program.

• Has the Applicant applied to other grants for the same project? If so, which grants?

• Is the Applicant also seeking funds from a County or Political Subdivision’s Guaranteed Political Subdivision fund? If so, has the request been granted, from which County/political subdivision and for what amount?

• Discuss any other special needs relative to opioid use, abuse, opioid related crime, or unique abatement needs or strategies.

 

B. Plan to Implement Selected Strategy/Strategies

• Identify the Approved Abatement Strategy that will be implemented, a description of how the identified strategy will be implemented and how the Applicant will address the need identified through data in the Statement of Need section through a series of SMART Goals. Smart goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound.

• What are the goals and measurable objectives for the use of the funds?

• Goals should align with the statement of need that is described. Goals should be only one sentence.
• Objectives are logical sequential steps to achieving a goal. Well-written objectives help set program priorities and targets for progress and accountability.

• Describe the Performance Measurement plan to evaluate the goals and objectives including data collection techniques and tools, and the timeline for data collection. Be sure to include the approved abatement strategy the Applicant is working toward achieving in the Performance Measurement plan.

• Does your plan include a partnership for implementation or is it cooperative in nature? For example, one or more subdivisions and/or non-government partners are applying jointly to address regional concerns. If so, please describe the partnerships including the role the partners will play to ensure successful strategy implementation.

• Also, include “Letters of Commitment” from any key partnerships involved in implementation strategies. This should be included as an appendix and will not be included in the page count. (Memorandum of Agreements/Understanding will be expected at the time of any award and must be forwarded to the SCORF Board within 30 days of award).

• Provide a description of any potential barriers to implementation and how you plan to overcome the barriers.

• Provide a month-by-month timeline for strategy implementation to include the key activities that will be implemented per strategy.

 

II. Qualifications and Experience

• Provide a detailed description of the Applicant/organization’s background and history.

• If the Applicant/organization has a governing Board, please list all members of the Board.

• Provide a description of the experience the Applicant/organization has with similar projects/proposals and providing services to the population(s) of focus for this application, if applicable.

• List the key person or people responsible for implementation of the strategies and provide a description of their experience and role/responsibility about the proposal.

• Provide a statement as to whether the Applicant/organization’s employees, agents, independent contractors, or subcontractors have been convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled nolo contendere to any crime other than minor traffic violations; and if so, an explanation providing relevant details.

• Provide a statement as to whether, in the last ten (10) years, the Applicant/organization, any officers, directors or entities or individuals owning more than twenty percent (20%) of the offering entity, has filed or had filed against it any bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, whether voluntary or involuntary, or undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors; and if so, an explanation providing relevant details.

• Describe the Applicant/organization’s experience and skill working with private, state and/or federal grants, data collection and performance measurement.

 

III. Budget

• Provide a budget describing how the Applicant proposes to use the SCORF Funds. The budget should be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities). o Personnel, Contractual, Supplies, Training, and Other, if applicable are the budget categories. “Other” may include up to 5% Administrative Cost. Any “Indirect Cost” must be detailed for the entities own audit purposes.

 

IV. Budget Narrative

• Provide a narrative justifying all expenses for each budget category. The budget narrative should generally demonstrate how the Applicant will maximize cost effectiveness of fund expenditures and demonstrate cost effectiveness in relation to the objectives of the project.

In addition to ensuring that the request is for an Approved Abatement Strategy, the following non-exhaustive general criteria shall be weighed by the Board in considering and approving grants upon application to the Discretionary Fund:

1. Whether the requesting entity was a South Carolina Bellwether Plaintiff;

2. Whether the requesting entity was a Litigating Subdivision or other litigant;

3. The cooperative and regional nature of a proposal (whether one or more subdivisions and/or non-government partners are applying jointly to address regional concerns);

4. The poverty level of the subdivision at issue;

5. The extent of direct payments received by municipalities within a County; and

6. Any other special needs described in the application relative to opioid use, abuse, opioid related crime, or unique abatement needs or strategies.

 

DISCRETIONARY SUBFUND – CONTINUATION APPLICATION

I. Technical Proposal

To be considered for continuation award, all proposals seeking funds from the Discretionary Subfund must include, at a minimum, the following information. Please restate each of the items listed below and provide responses immediately thereafter.

i. Provide information that documents the impact of opioids within the proposed service area. Include qualitative and quantitative data. Identify the source of all data. (Data can be placed in tables/charts, with explanations to follow.)

ii. Clearly identify the geographic area and/or communities that the request for funds will impact, including the population of the proposed service area, the poverty level of the service area.

iii. Describe any existing efforts (either provided by your organization or others in the community) and provide an explanation of how continuing this effort will not be duplicative or will substantially expand existing efforts.

iv. Identify the Approved Abatement Strategy implemented and a description of how the identified strategy will continue to be implemented.

v. Provide description and explanation of changes, if any, made during this project period affecting the following:

       i. Goals and objectives;

       ii. Projected timeline for project implementation; and

       iii. Approach and strategies proposed in the initially approved and funded application.

vi. Report on progress relative to approved objectives, including progress on evaluation activities.

vii. Describe the plan to evaluate the goals and objectives including data collection techniques and tools, and the timeline for data collection for continuing the project.

viii. What are the goals and measurable objectives for the continued use of the funds?

       a. Goals should align previous award. Goals should be only one sentence.

       b. Objectives are logical sequential steps to achieving a goal. Well-written objectives help set program priorities and targets for progress and accountability.

ix. Summary of key program accomplishments to date and project progress.

x. Description of difficulties/problems encountered in achieving planned goals and objectives including:

       a. Barriers to accomplishment; and

       b. Actions to overcome difficulties.

xi. Report on milestones anticipated with the new funding request.

xii. Please provide a sustainability plan for the project beyond the length of the award.

xiii. Does your plan include a partnership for implementation or is it cooperative in nature? For example, one or more subdivisions and/or non-government partners are applying jointly to address regional concerns. If so, please describe the partnerships including the role the partners will play to ensure successful strategy implementation.

 

II. Qualifications and Experience

• Provide any changes during project period in key personnel on the project that are responsible for implementation of the strategies and provide a description of their experience and role/responsibility about the proposal

• If the Applicant/organization has a governing Board, please list any changes to members of the Board during project period.

• Provide a statement as to whether the Applicant/organization’s employees, agents, independent contractors, or subcontractors have been convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled nolo contendere to any crime other than minor traffic violations; and if so, an explanation providing relevant details.

• Provide a statement as to whether, in the last ten (10) years, the Applicant/organization, any officers, directors or entities or individuals owning more than twenty percent (20%) of the offering entity, has filed or had filed against it any bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, whether voluntary or involuntary, or undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors; and if so, an explanation providing relevant details.

 

III. Budget

• Provide a budget describing how the Applicant proposes to use the SCORF Funds. The budget should be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities). o Personnel, Contractual, Supplies, Training, and Other, if applicable are the budget categories. “Other” may include up to 5% Administrative Cost. Any “Indirect Cost” must be detailed for the entities own audit purposes.

 

IV. Budget Narrative

• Provide a narrative justifying all expenses for each budget category. The budget narrative should generally demonstrate how the Applicant will maximize cost effectiveness of fund expenditures and demonstrate cost effectiveness in relation to the objectives of the project.

• Please provide a description of any existing funding or resources that you have been awarded, including dollar amounts, that are being leveraged to support the program.

• Has the Applicant applied to other grants for the same project? If so, which grants?

• Is the Applicant also seeking funds from a County or Political Subdivision’s Guaranteed Political Subdivision fund? If so, has the request been granted, from which County/political subdivision and for what amount?

 

In addition to ensuring that the request is for an Approved Abatement Strategy, the following non-exhaustive general criteria shall be weighed by the Board in considering and approving grants upon application to the Discretionary Fund:

1. Whether the requesting entity was a South Carolina Bellwether Plaintiff;

2. Whether the requesting entity was a Litigating Subdivision or other litigant;

3. The cooperative and regional nature of a proposal (whether one or more subdivisions and/or non-government partners are applying jointly to address regional concerns);

4.The poverty level of the subdivision at issue;

5. The extent of direct payments received by municipalities within a County; and

6. Any other special needs described in the application relative to opioid use, abuse, opioid related crime, or unique abatement needs or strategies.