Memorandum
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration

This memorandum formally requests solicitations for FY'09 FHWA funding from ARRA funds for both existing/expanded and new OJT/SS projects. Our earlier request for completion of a one-page matrix was designed to give our office a sense as to the kind and scale of proposals likely to be submitted through the formal SOW submission process. Please note above the different due dates per type of project.

A two-step process will be used to distribute ARRA funds. The first step will be to fund existing/expanding projects with a portion of ARRA funds ($6-8 million). In the interest of allocating project funds as soon as possible to assist the federal government in meeting the objectives of ARRA, SOWs submitted for existing/expanded projects will be reviewed and selections made by FHWA Headquarters Office of Civil Rights (HCR) staff.

The second step involves distributing the remaining ARRA funds ($12-14 million) for new projects and those projects not selected for funding in the first step. States do not have to resubmit their SOWs for consideration in the second step unless they want to modify their SOW. SOWs submitted for new starts projects and those projects not funded in the first step, will be reviewed by a panel consisting of an equal number of OJT ISS experts from both the Division Offices as well as the State Transportation Agencies (STAs); this is the same process that was used for the past several years. Accordingly, projects funded by ARRA will be made within a shorter timeframe than in previous years.

We strongly encourage each STA to consult the OJT/SS Handbook for guidance on how to structure its SOW submission. Please note that ARRA funds are not eligible for costs incurred prior to the date of obligation. In addition, along with submitting a SOW for existing/expanded projects, STAs must submit their latest Accomplishment Report for such projects, and complete the Summary of Training and Employment Data Form (please see Attachments A & B). Each State report will assist us in determining the merits of a proposal.

Recently, reporting requirements and forms for collecting data on ARRA projects were distributed to all Division Offices. However, these requirements do not fully apply to the OJT/SS projects. We will likely receive further instructions from the Office of Management and Budget over the next few weeks regarding the reporting requirements for OJT/SS projects. Although there may be some changes in the requirements and forms for discretionary programs such as the OJT/SS program, we advise you to review these requirements and forms to get some idea as to the kind of information that may be required, as well as the required format in which to submit the information. We will send this additional ARRA reporting information, if applicable, to all Division Offices as soon as we receive it.

At a later date, we will send you a request for SOWs for FY'09 funding from non-ARRA, i.e., STP funds. These SOWs will be reviewed by a panel, as was the case for the past two years. Decisions about this funding will be made in late summer, again, as was the case for the past two years. For all projects not funded in the first two steps, we will automatically consider funding for them during this final round. Again there is no need for States to resubmit their applications unless they desire to make changes to their SOW.

Please submit SOWs and Accomplishment Reports (if applicable) via email to:
Zakiah Latif-Lynch, OJT/SS Program Manager, with a copy to Hoodo Mohamed, Program Analyst, at zakiah.latif-lynch@dot.gov; and hoodo.mohamed@dot.gov. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Ms. Latif-Lynch or Ms. Mohamed at (202)366-1585 or (202)366-6306, respectively.