Questions and Answers for Preschool Development Grant B-5 (PDG B-5) Program Performance Evaluation (PPE) Plan

Questions and Answers re:  RFA # 005-PDG-2019

TITLE:                          Preschool Development Grant B-5 (PDG B-5) Program Performance Evaluation (PPE) Plan

FUNDING AGENCY:     NC DHHS/Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE)

ISSUE DATE:                July 10, 2019

DCDEE received the following questions about this RFA by the July 17, 2019 deadline.  Responses are below.

Q1 – There was a request for the application package to be emailed.

Response:  There was an incorrect reference in the RFA package to the application forms being attached in an email.  The application forms were actually posted as links with the RFA announcement on DCDEE’s website.  DCDEE will respond by emailing the requested forms as well as referencing where they are linked on the website.

Q2 – There was a request for more information or link to the application for grant.  The requestor is planning for a new child care program.

Response:  DCDEE’s application for the Preschool Development Grant B-5 can be found here.  The grant is for strengthening and aligning the early care and education system rather than for providing direct services to children.  More details about this grant can be found here.

Q3 – There was a request for the Application Checklist, Application Face Sheet, Line Item Budget, and FTE Sheet to be emailed.

Response:  There was an incorrect reference in the RFA package to the application forms being attached in an email.  The application forms were actually posted as links with the RFA announcement on DCDEE’s website.  DCDEE will respond by emailing the requested forms as well as referencing where they are linked on the website.

Q4 – On page 1 of the RFA, you note that there will be a future formative evaluation of the PDG B-5 project.  Will the formative evaluation be procured through an open RFA process?  If so, would receiving this current contract disqualify an organization from bidding on the formative evaluation?

Response:  DCDEE plans to apply for continuation funding for this grant.  If funded, DCDEE plans to issue a future RFA for the formative evaluation that will be based on the evaluation plan developed.  The entity that receives a contract for work described in this current RFA may also apply for the future RFA for the formative evaluation.

Q5 - Did the State of North Carolina collaborate with an evaluation entity to develop its PDG B-5 grant application?  If so, will you please identify that entity?

Response:  DCDEE’s PDG B-5 grant application was developed internally by a team of early childhood education partners who collaborated on the NC Early Childhood Action Plan.  The team included representatives from the Governor’s Office, DHHS, DCDEE, DPI, the NC Partnership for Children, and the NC Early Childhood Foundation.  In addition, staff from Child Trends was involved in general development of the grant application but recused themselves from the evaluation component.