7 CFR Appendix Exhibit B to Subpart K of Part 1944 - Exhibit B to Subpart K of Part 1944—Administrative Instructions for State Offices Regarding Their Responsibilities in the Administration of the Technical and Supervisory Assistance Grant Program
A. The State Office will maintain for distribution to potential applicants, upon request, a supply of preapplication packets consisting of:
1. SF 424.1.
2. Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103–354 400–1, “Equal Opportunity Agreement.”
3. Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103–354 400–4, “Assurance Agreement.”
4. Environmental review documentation in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970.
5. Subpart K of part 1944 of this chapter.
B. The State Office should inform all potential applicants, at the time they pick up forms, that:
1. The preapplication must be submitted to the District Office serving the area in which the applicant proposes to operate the Technical and Supervisory Assistance (TSA) program.
2. The State Office will refer all requests for assistance in completing the preapplication to the appropriate District Office.
C. Beyond the responsibilities of the State Office in the selection of grantees and the administration of the program, and as stated in § 1944.502 of this subpart, the TSA program provides an opportunity for the State Director to give priority to applicants serving the rural areas of greatest need as well as use the program cooperatively with other Federal and State agencies in addressing the housing needs of the residents of a proposed TSA service area. Therefore, the State Office should be prepared, before receipt of preapplications, to advise the District Directors, potential applicants and other Federal and State agencies which part(s) of the State has the greatest need for the TSA program. The State Director should identify target areas in a similar manner to the process used by the Administrator pursuant to § 1944.525 of this subpart. Proposals which are clearly inappropriate and do not meet the basic priorities of § 1944.529 (a) of this subpart should not be encouraged due to the complexity of the preapplication submission.
D. In addition to the instructions of § 1944.526 of this subpart, the State Office should follow the procedures outlined below:
1. Review preapplications for completeness and adequacy and make assessments required by § 1944.526(c)(1) of this subpart.
2. Request clarifications from the District Office if necessary.
3. Evaluate the proposals in light of § 1944.529 of this subpart and select the proposal(s) which best meets the priorities established under the project selection criteria in § 1944.529 (a), (b) and (c) of this subpart.
4. The State Office must provide written comments to be attached to the preapplication(s) justifying the selection(s) and addressing the items in § 1944.529 of this subpart.
5. The State Office will forward the original SF 424.1 and accompanying documents of the selected preapplication(s) as quickly as possible to the National Office, Attention: Special Authorities Division, Multi-Family Housing. In no case should the State Office forward their selected TSA preapplication(s) later than thirty (30) days after the closing date for receipt of preapplications.
6. Preapplications not selected by the State Office will be returned to the applicants through the appropriate District Offices with notice of appeal rights.
7. In accordance with § 1944.525 of this subpart, State Offices will be advised of the number of preapplications to be submitted from each state to the National Office.
E. Sections 1944.531 and 1944.533 of this subpart detail the responsibilities of the State Office after tentative selection or concurrence of the TSA grantees by the National Office. Those preapplicants not selected will be promptly notified and their preapplication returned with notice of appeal rights. Form AD–622, “Notice of Preapplication Review Action,” will be mailed from the State Office to the applicants. District Offices will receive a copy from the State Office.
F. After execution of the grant agreement, the State Office will work closely with the District Office and the grantee to obtain additional resources from other Federal and State agencies to meet the needs of the TSA service area. The State Office should closely review the quarterly project performance reports and assist the District Director, as appropriate, in resolving any problems or taking advantage of favorable funding or program opportunities.