Reviewers will review and rate each application using the following criteria. The relative weights of each criterion
        are identified in parentheses.

          1.Project Purpose (20%)

            Each application should describe a clearly defined project that focuses on underserved communities. In this
            criterion, reviewers will judge each application on (1) the overall design of the project and (2) the degree to
            which it provides opportunities for underserved communities.

            In assessing the project design, reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant clearly: defines the
            problem(s) within the community to be served and describes its severity; proposes creative and practical
            means of addressing the community's problem(s) employing digital network technologies; and identifies
            anticipated outcomes and that are both realistic and measurable. Reviewers will also assess the degree to
            which an applicant convincingly links the three major elements–problem(s), solution(s), and outcome(s).

            Reviewers will assess the degree to which the project targets underserved communities and populations, and
            the degree to which the proposed project will address the circumstances and challenges (such as poverty,
            low literacy, disabilities, high unemployment, low educational achievement, high crime rate, poor health
            status, etc.) they face.

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          2.Innovation (20%)

            Reviewers will assess innovation by examining both the technology to be used and the application of
            technology in a particular setting, to serve a particular population, or to solve a particular problem. TOP
            defines innovation broadly. For example, projects that involve imaginative partnerships, the introduction of
            new business processes designed to offer more effective services, untested strategies for overcoming access
            barriers, or new techniques that transform inter-organizational relationships can all be considered innovative.
            TOP encourages applicants to experiment with leading edge technologies. It is, however, the creativity
            behind the application of the technology to meet community needs that ultimately determines the level of
            innovation.

            Using their experience in their respective fields, reviewers will examine each project in a national context and
            evaluate (1) how an application compares with, complements, and improves on the existing base of
            knowledge and project practices and (2) what insight(s) the proposed project could add to what is known
            about using digital network technology as a solution to problems in its particular field.

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          3.Diffusion Potential (20%)

            The innovations and approaches to be demonstrated in any proposed project should contain the potential to
            be diffused broadly throughout the country. NTIA expects that each awarded project will serve as a model
            for other communities to follow.

            To assess this potential for diffusion, reviewers will consider four factors:

              a.the degree to which the problem identified by the applicant is common to many communities;

              b.the relative advantage of the project's innovations over established approaches to addressing the
                specified problems;

              c.the ease of replication and adaptation, based on considerations such as cost and complexity; and

              d.the applicant's plans and budget resources dedicated to disseminate actively the knowledge gained from
                the project's successes and failures.

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          4.Project Feasibility (15%)

            In assessing the feasibility of each application, reviewers will focus on six issues: the technical approach, the
            qualifications of the project staff, the proposed budget, the implementation schedule, plans for protecting
            privacy, and the applicant's plan for sustaining the project beyond the grant period.

              a.In assessing technical approach, reviewers will examine the degree to which the proposed system
                would work and operate with other systems; technological alternatives that have been considered;
                designs for system maintenance and periodic upgrades; and plans project expansion. Applicants are
                expected to make use of existing infrastructure and commercially available telecommunications
                services, unless extraordinary circumstances require the construction of new network facilities.

              b.In assessing the qualifications of the project team, reviewers will assess the applicant and its partners to
                determine if they have the resources, expertise, and experience necessary to undertake, evaluate, and
                complete the project and disseminate results within the proposed period.

              c.Reviewers will analyze the budget in terms of clarity and cost-effectiveness. The proposed budget
                should be appropriate to the tasks proposed and sufficiently detailed so that reviewers can easily
                understand the relationship of items in the budget to the project narrative.

              d.Reviewers also will assess the degree to which the implementation process is comprehensive,
                reasonable, and can be completed in the proposed time frame.

              e.Reviewers will evaluate the applicant's plans to safeguard the privacy of the project's end users and
                others affected by the project.

              f.Finally, reviewers will examine the applicant's strategies to sustain the project after the completion of
                the grant.

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          5.Community Involvement (15%)

            Each application will be rated on the overall level and breadth of community involvement in the development
            and implementation of the proposed project. Reviewers will:

              a.analyze the applicant's partnerships to ensure that they include linkages among unaffiliated
                organizations (from the public, non-profit, or private sectors) as an ongoing and integral part of project
                planning and implementation. TOP considers partners to be organizations that supply cash or in-kind
                resources and/or play an active role in the planning and implementation of the project;

              b.examine the steps the applicant has taken to include and sustain the involvement of a variety of
                community stakeholders. Reviewers will look for evidence of demand, from the community, the end
                users, and the potential beneficiaries, for the services proposed by the project; and

              c.consider the degree of attention paid to the needs, skills, working conditions, and living environments
                of the targeted end users. Reviewers will consider the extent to which applicants involve representatives
                from a broad range of potential users in both the design and implementation of the project and consider
                the varying degrees of abilities of all end users, including individuals with disabilities. Reviewers will
                also assess the degree to which the project addresses barriers which limit a community's or a group's
                access to digital network technologies. Finally, reviewers will assess the applicant's plans for training
                end users and upgrading their skills.

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          6.Evaluation (10%)

            Each application will be rated on its proposed plans for evaluating the project. Reviewers will assess the
            extent to which the applicant's research or evaluation design: (1) provides for continuous feedback for
            project planning, implementation, review and revision; (2) addresses the problems, solutions, and anticipated
            outcomes described in the project purpose and yields valid and reliable findings; (3) captures lessons learned
            and sufficient descriptive data so that others may easily adapt and replicate the project; and (4) meets TOP's
            requirements for an independent evaluation as described in the "Reporting Requirements" section of Notice.

            Reviewers will examine:

              a.the research design and methodology;

              b.evaluation questions, data collection, and data analysis plans;

              c.the qualifications of any staff or external evaluators working on the evaluation; and

              d.the allocation of resources for implementing the evaluation and reporting project findings.