The following Project Narrative sections are required.  To facilitate the application review and award process, clearly identify and organize each section in the order shown below as you complete the Project Narrative.  Applicants should also review Section E, Application Review Information, to ensure the narratives contain all information on which PHMSA will evaluate.

a.   Organization information and capacity. Briefly provide information about your organization.  This should include:  (1) your organization’s mission; (2) a brief overview of your organization’s structure, programs, leadership, and special expertise; and (3) your organization’s experience and capacity to manage Federal grant programs—with emphasis on managing Federal grants related to training for individuals responding to accidents and incidents involving HAZMAT.  If your application proposes to partner with another nonprofit organization, a letter of support is required with your application.

b.   Contact Information. Identify the designated project/program managers(s) who will coordinate the funded activities; include the name, position, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the individual(s).  In addition, identify the authorized representatives who will accept the awarded grant document and the individuals responsible for the submission of the required Federal Financial Reports and progress reports.

c.   Statement of need. (1) Provide a detailed needs assessment to identify the locations in which remote or volunteer emergency responders are in critical need of hazardous material training for response activities to the transportation of flammable liquids and other hazardous material, such as gases or corrosive material by rail.  And (2) briefly explain how the proposed activities will help to address the identified needs.

d.   Proposed training activities and timeline. Describe the proposed training activities for the ALERT grant.  Include a clear timeline of forecasted dates for projected events.  This section should include: (1) the type of training activities proposed; (2) the location of the activities; (3) identify any food costs; and (4) the timeframe when the activity will take place.  The timeline should include benchmarks and milestones that will assist with monitoring the project’s success.  In addition, any training curriculum or instructor development activities should be described and included in the timeline of events.

e.    Curriculum. Provide a detailed description of any training curriculum that will be used.  If you submitted a curriculum the prior year and no changes have been made to the curriculum, you must indicate that in this section.  If a curriculum will be developed during the grant’s period of performance, provide a detailed description of that curriculum along with an estimated timeline for completion.

f.  Projected outputs and objectives. Provide quantifiable and measurable outputs planned for the grant’s period of performance.  Outputs are quantitative data that describe the proposed activities.  For delivery of HAZMAT training courses, outputs should include:  (1) number and type of course(s); (2) the number of projected students trained for each course; and (3) number of contact hours for each course.  In addition, broader outcomes or goals may be provided to describe the intended impact of the proposed outputs.  This can be either quantitative or qualitative and should reflect the projected impact of the grant activity outputs.

g.  Monitoring and evaluation of training. Provide a description of monitoring efforts, internal controls, and quality assurance plans to ensure grant program success. These may include, but are not limited to, random examinations, inspections, and audits of training to maximize the cost-effectiveness and impact of the program.

Applicants should address how program activities will benefit or improve safety.  Applicants should also review Section E, Application Review information, to ensure the narratives contain all information on which PHMSA will evaluate.