FY 2024 NTTAPs NCC Frequently Asked Questions

These are common questions and corresponding answers related to the fiscal year (FY) 2024 National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) non-competing continuation (NCC) progress report instructions. New questions will be added as necessary, so please check back for updates.

• Progress update narrative forms
• Progress update and project work plan
• Minimum required activities and learning collaboratives
• Metrics
• Attachments
• Budget

Progress update narrative forms

Should I include the Project Narrative Update as an attachment?

No, you should not include the Project Narrative Update as an attachment. Instead, you should describe your significant progress, challenges and changes that impact your overall project in the FY 2023 Project Narrative Update form directly in the Electronic Handbooks (EHBs).

Note: The recommended page count for your submission is now 25 pages. Page counts do not include any of the EHBs forms, such as the FY 2023 Project Narrative Update Form, FY 2023 Progress Update Form, and the FY 2024 PWP form.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Where should I include progress made?

Your FY 2023 Project Narrative Update form should highlight the most significant progress, challenges, and changes that have impacted, or will impact, your overall project. It should complement what you include in your FY 2023 Progress Update form.

Your FY 2023 Progress Update form should include progress and anticipated progress for each activity.

Updated: 1/23/2024

What organizations are NTTAPs required to collaborate with in their activities?

NTTAPs must collaborate with at least one other HRSA-supported training and technical assistance organizations, such as State and Regional Primary Care Associations, Health Center Controlled Networks, or other NTTAPs. Applicants must also collaborate with at least one other regional and national organizations (not including NTTAPs) that will support the proposed NTTAP.

Added: 10/24/2022

Progress update and project work plan

How do I count the number of health centers for asynchronous views on recordings that do not require evaluation, for example, post webinar recordings or podcasts?

It is up to your organization to determine how to count the asynchronous views on recordings or podcasts based on the capabilities of your website or IT infrastructure.

Updated: 1/23/2024

How do I include publications as part of my FY 2023 Progress Update?

If your proposed activity includes a publication, include it in the T/TA engagement progress number and describe it in the narrative fields.

Updated: 1/23/2024

How should participants of learning collaborative sessions be counted for the T/TA Participant Target - Progress Number?

If an attendee has participated in one or more learning collaborative sessions, they should be counted as one participant towards the T/TA Participant Target — Progress Number. This is because consecutive sessions are a continuation of a single learning event.

However, if the same attendee participated in multiple learning collaboratives, they should be counted as a participant for each collaborative, i.e., as two participants towards the T/TA Participant Target-Progress Number total.

Multiple attendees from the same health center are counted individually for the participant target, however they are counted as one organization for meeting the minimum of 10 unique health center organizations.

Updated: 1/23/2024

How can I report on activities that are conducted over multiple budget periods?

In the FY 2023 Progress Update form, you will report progress on activities that are conducted within one or multiple budget periods by using the Activity Progress Update and Anticipated Activity Progress Update fields.

Activities that span multiple budget periods may have a start or end date that is not within the budget period you’re reporting on. That is, activities that span multiple budget periods can be reflected by entering a start date that occurs in the previous or current budget period, and an end date that occurs in the current or future budget period.

Updated: 1/23/2024

How do applicants address the Advancing Health Center Excellence Framework performance domains?

The Advancing Health Center Excellence performance domains (performance domains) aim to spur innovation and performance improvement and help health centers assess their performance across seven key domain areas. NTTAPs collectively create opportunities for health centers to improve across all seven performance domains.

In your FY 2023 Progress Update form, include any progress made towards improving health center performance in any of the performance domains. In your FY 2024 PWP form, highlight how your activities will improve health center performance in any of the performance domains.

Information about the performance domains can be found in the Advancing Health Center Excellence Presentation Slides (PDF - 2 MB).

Updated: 1/23/2024

Can I change the emerging issue focus during the period of performance?

Yes, the Emerging Issue Objective may be adjusted at the beginning of each budget year, based on health center needs. If you change the issue, it should be captured in the FY 2023 Project Narrative Update form, and the FY 2024 PWP form.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Will there be flexibility in updating the original numbers in the PWP, if there is a change in the emerging issue?

No. If you change the emerging issue, the objective level targets will remain the same.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Can NTTAPs work with Primary Care Associations to offer training directly to health centers in individual states or regions?

The work of NTTAPs should reach the widest possible audience of health centers. When there is a rationale for programming that targets a select group of health centers – either by state, region, or any other factor – the expectation is that any resources developed as part of that activity be shared widely through the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse.

Updated: 1/23/2024

How do I document collaborative work related to the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse and the National T/TA Needs Assessment?

The work that you do to support these collective efforts can be counted as activities in your PWP. Activities that contribute towards the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse should be included under Objective 1: Access to Comprehensive Care. Activities which support the National T/TA Needs Assessment should be included under Objective 2: Emerging Issues.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Minimum required activities and learning collaboratives

Are we required to have the same number of activities for each objective in budget period 2 as we had in budget period 1?

You must meet the required activity minimums, including the 2-activity minimum for each objective. However, if you included activities in budget period 1 for an objective that were beyond the required minimum, you do not need to maintain that number of activities in budget period 2.

Note: The number of total required activities and learning collaboratives vary by base funding level as detailed in Table 4: Activity Requirement by Funding Level of the FY 2024 NTTAPs NCC Progress Report Instructions. 

Added: 1/23/2024

Can a learning collaborative be included in more than one budget period? 

The minimum expectation for a learning collaborative is four sessions in each budget period. Once this requirement is met, you can restart or continue the learning collaborative in the next year with four additional sessions. It would not meet the requirement to have two sessions of a learning collaborative in one budget period and the remaining two sessions in a subsequent budget period.

Added: 1/23/2024

Can you clarify the roles of the lead and the co-lead of a learning collaborative?

One NTTAP must be designated as the lead on each learning collaborative. That organization has the primary responsibility to enroll participants, lead the development of content, facilitate the sessions, post any tools and resources on their website, and evaluate the usefulness. Other NTTAPs can collaborate by contributing content and otherwise supporting the effort based on their area of expertise. For collaborating partners, participation should be included in the project work plan as a national audience activity rather than a learning collaborative.

Added: 10/24/2022

Can I change which objectives have learning collaboratives? 

Yes, you may change which objectives have learning collaborative activities in your FY 2024 PWP. Changes should reflect the current needs of health centers as identified through needs assessment.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Are learning collaboratives included within the minimum number of activities?

Yes, learning collaboratives are considered activities and are included in the minimum number of required activities.

Added: 9/26/2022

Can multiple NTTAPs supporting the same learning collaborative include the activity in each of our respective PWPs?

Yes, you may include joint learning collaboratives in your PWP. If you are the NTTAP leading the learning collaborative, designate the activity as “Learning Collaborative” in the Activity Audience field. If you are a collaborator, designate the activity as “National Audience” in the Activity Audience field and provide details about the collaboration in the Activity Description field in your PWP. While co-leading or participating in learning collaboratives will count as an activity, it will not count towards the minimum number of required learning collaboratives as indicated in Table 4: Activity Requirement by Funding Level of the FY 2024 NTTAP NCC progress report instructions.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Can a learning collaborative include the minimum 10 health centers from a single state or region, or must it include health centers from across the country?

Training should be made available to the widest possible health center audience nationwide, but there is no requirement that participants in a specific learning collaborative must represent any geographical location.

Added: 9/26/2022

Is it required to record learning collaborative sessions so that content can be shared through the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse?

NTTAPs are not required to record each learning collaborative session. However, all other tools or resources developed to support learning collaboratives should be widely shared through the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse.

Updated: 1/23/2024

How do activities get counted towards the minimum number of activities for my funding tier?

Activities must be in progress in order to count towards the minimum number. In the project work plan, the start date must be within the previous or current budget period. And the end date must be within the current or a future budget period. In order to count towards the minimum number of required activities in the budget period, the activity should not have been completed in the previous budget period.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Can I propose more than the required minimum number of activities or learning collaboratives?

Yes. You may elect to conduct additional activities to support achievement of each objective. The EHBs will allow for a maximum of 12 activities per objective. 

Updated: 1/23/2024

Can I have more than one learning collaborative support one objective?

Yes. You may conduct multiple learning collaboratives to support a single objective. Learning collaboratives are considered activities and are included in the minimum of two and maximum of 12 activities for each objective.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Metrics

How should we count the number of health centers that received T/TA?

For objective measures that ask you to report in the “Current Number” field the number of health centers that received T/TA, you should include the total number of health centers that received T/TA between July 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. How you count health centers will vary on your individual scenario, and you must use the same method that you used to create your objective target.

Below are three examples of how you would calculate your “Current Number”. 

• Scenario 1: 3 staff from ABC Health Center attends webinar 1 in September and 6 other staff from ABC Health center attend webinar 2 in October = 2 health centers as part of your “Current Number” totals. In the “Objective Impact Narrative Progress” field of the FY 2023 Progress Update form, describe how you calculate the “Current Number” total.
• Scenario 2: There is a total of 10 health centers participating in the learning collaborative. Staff from 5 of the learning collaborative health center cohort also attended a webinar = 15 health centers received T/TA for the objective.
• Scenario 3: 1 staff from ABC Health Center attends conference session 1 in budget period 1 and they attend conference session 2 in budget period 3 = 2 health centers as part of your “Current Number” totals.

Added: 1/29/2024

How will health centers be counted for the objective metrics which are outlined in the Appendix?

For all metrics which include the counting of health centers, multiple sites of the same health center should be counted as one organization.

Updated: 1/23/2024

For the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse Objective for the National T/TA Center, the number of health centers who access resources can only be measured if a login requirement is created. Would it be acceptable to measure how many times resources are accessed instead?

If the number of health centers that access resources cannot be counted without requiring a login into the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse, tracking the number of times that a resource has been accessed from its source is an acceptable measurement. This should be documented in the baseline data source field within the project work plan.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Has HRSA established the standard measures to evaluate success? 

Yes, all NTTAPs received email correspondence in September 2023, which included guidance for Participant Rating of Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Usefulness measure and Learning Collaborative Behavior Change measure.

Use the following language for the Participant Rating of T/TA Usefulness measure: 

On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident are you that you will be able to apply information from this Training & Technical Assistance activity at your health center/organization?

(5) Extremely confident
(4) Very confident
(3) Moderately confident
(2) Somewhat confident 
(1) Not at all confident

Use the following language for the Learning Collaborative Behavior Change measure:

To what extent has anyone in your organization implemented any strategies from this [Name of Learning Collaborative]?

(5) Fully implemented one or more strategies
(4) Actively implementing one or more strategies
(3) Making plans to implement strategies
(2) Considering implementing strategies
(1) Not considering implementing strategies at this time

Note: Through the evaluation plan you provided in your competitive application and/or in coordination with other T/TA providers, you may collect and report other evaluation measures, but the results of the two questions above will be collected for all NTTAPs and are required to be reported as part of your non-competing continuation progress report and final report.

Updated: 1/29/2024

Are new Uniform Data System (UDS) data prepopulated for objectives that use this data source?

UDS data will not be prepopulated. If UDS measures are referenced in the objective and objective target, you must enter the most current UDS data available in your FY 2023 Progress Update form.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Attachments

Do I need to include biographical sketches for key staff on the Key Contacts/Principal form and as an attachment?

Currently, including biographical sketches for your key staff or principals is optional on this form. However, if the biographical sketches and/or key staff have changed since you submitted your competitive application, then you must include them as Attachment 4: Biographical Sketches for Key Staff in the appendices section of the EHBs.

Updated: 1/23/2024

When is a letter of support required?

You should include a letter of support if one of the following scenarios is applicable: 

1. You entered into a new partnership since your last application submission. 
2. The support provided by an existing partner has changed since your last application submission.

You do not need to submit a new letter of support from previously existing partners if their support has not changed. 

If you cannot obtain a letter of agreement, you must include documentation of your efforts/requests to obtain the letters and any additional explanatory information. 

Updated: 1/23/2024

Are Letters of Agreement included in the recommended 25-page count, and is there a specific format applicants must use for them?

Yes. The letters are included in your page count; however, each letter does not have to take a whole page. You may use any format which clearly references their specific partnership and coordinated activities in support of the proposed NTTAP project. For example, you may save space by using any combination of template letters and corresponding signature pages which clearly document all the required elements listed in Attachment 5: Letter(s) of Agreement of the FY 2024 NTTAP NCC progress report instructions.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Does HRSA expect contractual arrangements between applicants to support collaborative activities?

While contractual agreements (and the resulting flow of funds among NTTAPs) are allowed under this cooperative agreement, these agreements are not considered to be required collaborations or collaborative activities for the purposes of this NOFO. The NTTAP contracting with another NTTAP to complete work would enter the activity in their PWP and list the contract and contracted NTTAP in their Attachment 6: Summary of Contracts and Agreements. The NTTAP that is being contracted to complete the work must not enter the activity on the PWP or describe the contractual agreement in their progress report.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Budget

Does the federal executive salary limitation apply to NTTAP funding?

Yes. NTTAP funding may not be used to pay the salary of an individual at a rate in excess of Federal Executive Level II. For FY 2024, the level is $221,900, and it is updated periodically. In subsequent years of your period of performance, check Salaries & Wages (opm.gov) for more information and the current salary limitation. The link to “Rates of Pay for the Executive Schedule” has the most current rate.

Updated: 1/23/2024

Can I use the NTTAP budget for travel?

Staff travel is permitted for meetings with other NTTAPs and T/TA providers, other collaborating organizations, and to health centers and relevant conferences if it supports accomplishing activities on the project work plan. 

Updated: 1/23/2024

Can I include on my PWP activities supported in part, but not completely, by NTTAP funding?

Activities that will be partially supported by NTTAP funding should be included in your project work plan. However, only the NTTAP funds used to support those activities should be documented in your SF-424A Budget Information Form and your FY 2024 Budget Narrative. 

Updated: 1/23/2024