[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3932-3935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1180]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Local Government
ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) announces a competitive
grants program for nonprofit organizations in support of projects on
the theme of LOCAL GOVERNMENT for audiences in the following
geographical areas: Sub-saharan Africa; American Republics; East Asia
(Peoples Republic of China); and Western Europe (Italy). USIA
particularly is seeking projects which link American institutions and
specialists with partners overseas. New and creative approaches to the
issue of local government will be especially welcome. Proposals which
request USIA funding of less than $135,000 and which include
significant cost sharing will be deemed more competitive.
Interested applicants are urged to read the complete Federal
Register announcement before addressing inquiring to the Office or
submitting their proposals.
After the deadline for submitting proposals, USIA officers may not
discuss this competition in any way with applicants until final
decisions are made.
Announcement name and number: All communications concerning this
announcement should refer to the Local Government Grant Program,
announcement number E/P-95-41. Please refer to title and number in all
correspondence or telephone calls to USIA.
DATES: Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on March 3, 1995.
Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked on
March 3, 1995, but received at a later date. It is the responsibility
of each grant applicant to ensure that proposals are received by the
above deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested organizations/institutions must contact the Office of
Citizen Exchanges, E/P, Room 216, United States Information Agency, 301
Fourth Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone (202) 619-5326, fax
(2020 260-0437 to request detailed application packets, which include
award criteria, all application forms, and guidelines for preparing
proposals, including specific criteria for preparation of the proposal
budget. Please direct inquiries on programmatic matters to the USIA
Officer identified under each geographic heading.
ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the
Proposal Submission Instructions and send only complete applications
to: U.S. Information Agency, REF: E/P-95-41 Local Government Grant
Competition, Grants Management Division (E/XE), 301 Fourth Street, SW.,
Room 336, Washington, DC 20547.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the legislation authorizing the
Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including but not limited to race, gender, religion,
geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical challenges.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this
principle.
Overview
The Office of Citizen Exchanges works with U.S. private sector non-
profit organizations on cooperative international group projects that
introduce American and foreign participants to each others' social,
economic, and political structures; and international interests.
Guidelines
Applicants should carefully note the following restrictions and
recommendations for proposals in specific geographical areas:
Africa
The Role of Local Government in a Democracy
Proposals are initiated to conduct a program for 3-4 countries in
one subregion of Africa (southern, eastern, central, or western) which
would promote effective governmental administration and planning at the
grassroots level. Issues to be addressed might include local-national
government relations, fundraising and budgeting at the local level,
methods for assessing local needs and resources, public-private
partnerships for local planning and development, services at local
level (e.g., water, health, refuse disposal, zoning, community
planning, etc) and administrative skills. Participants would include
local government administrators and policy makers (e.g., managers,
mayors, local council representatives) and persons who liaise between
localities and national governments. The program should include at
least two phases, one of which would bring Africans to the U.S. and the
other of which would send U.S. counterparts to participating
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African countries. Inquiries should be directed to Program Specialist
Stephen Taylor, (202) 619-5319, Internet [email protected]
American Republics
Good Governance in the Americas
USIA is interested in proposals for programs which will foster
effective administration in local and regional municipal governments.
Programs might examine and seek to improve relationships among local
executive, legislative, and judicial elements, or they might address
the knowledge and skills necessary to administer one or more of these
branches of local government. Program topics might include one or more
of the following: judicial administration, budget development,
financial management and oversight, professionalization of the civil
service (e.g., the use of city managers), tax policies and mechanisms,
election practices, management of municipal services, privatization of
government property, consumer protection, business regulation (as
opposed to control), licensing, and environmental protection. Inquiries
should be directed to Program Specialist Laverne Johnson, (202) 619-
5326, Internet [email protected]
Western Europe
Italian Local Government
USIA is interested in proposals with a focus on regional
governments in Italy. The exchange would have three phases. In Phase 1
a team from the American grantee institution would visit five cities in
Italy (Rome, Palermo, Naples, Bologna, and Milan) to select, in
conjunction with the USIS post, participants in a U.S. study tour. In
Phase 2, fifteen participants, three from each city, would travel to
the U.S. for a two-week study tour focussing on regional government and
separation of powers between federal and state governments. In Phase 3,
American participants selected from the interlocutors that the groups
met during Phase 2 would return to Italy and conduct short (one-day)
seminars in each of the five cities. Inquiries should be directed to
Program Specialist Christina Miner, (202) 619-5319, Internet
[email protected]
East Asia
Chinese Federalism Project
Proposals are invited to conduct a project for Chinese provincial
and municipal legislators to observe how U.S. state governments
function and how the Federal government and state governments interact.
Chinese Local Elected Officials Project
Proposals are invited to conduct a project to bring Chinese
Ministry of Civil Affairs officials from the provincial level to the
U.S. to observe how U.S. local officials are chosen, what their powers
are, how they respond to the needs of their constituencies, and what
happens when they are not sufficiently responsive to their
constituencies' needs.
Inquiries should be directed to Program Specialist Elroy Carlson,
(202) 619-5326, Internet [email protected]
Program Parameters
The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages the
coordination of activities with respected universities, professional
associations, and major cultural institutions in the U.S. and abroad,
but particularly in the U.S. Projects should be intellectual and
cultural, not technical. Vocational training (an occupation other than
one requiring a baccalaureate or higher academic degree; i.e., clerical
work, auto maintenance, etc. and other occupations requiring less than
two years of higher education) and technical training (special and
practical knowledge of a mechanical or a scientific subject which
enhances mechanical, narrowly scientific, or semi-skilled capabilities)
are ineligible for support. In addition, scholarship programs are
ineligible for support.
The Office does not support proposals limited to conferences or
seminars (i.e., one- to fourteen-day programs with plenary sessions,
main speakers, panels, and a passive audience). It will support
conferences only insofar as they are part of a larger project in
duration and scope which is receiving USIA funding from this
competition. USIA-supported projects may include internships; study
tours; short-term, non-technical training; and extended, intensive
workshops taking place in the United States or overseas. The themes
addressed in exchange programs must be of long-term importance rather
than focused exclusively on current events or short-term issues. In
every case, a substantial rationale must be presented as part of the
proposal, one that clearly indicates the distinctive and important
contribution of the overall project, including where applicable the
expected yield of any associated conference. No funding is available
exclusively to send U.S. citizens to conferences or conference-type
seminars overseas; neither is funding available for bringing foreign
nationals to conferences or to routine professional association
meetings in the United States. Projects that duplicate what is
routinely carried out by private sector and/or public sector operations
will not be considered. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly
recommends that applicants consult with host country USIS posts, prior
to submitting proposals.
Selection of Participants
All grant proposals should clearly describe the types of persons
who will participate in the program as well as the process by which
participants will be selected. It is recommended that programs in
support of U.S. internships include letters tentatively committing host
institutions to support the internships. In the selection of foreign
participants, USIA and USIS posts retain the right to nominate all
participants and to accept or deny participants recommended by grantee
institutions. However, grantee institutions are often asked by USIA to
suggest names of potential participants. The grantee institution will
also provide the names of American participants and brief (two pages)
biographical data on each American participant to the Office of Citizen
Exchanges for information purposes. Priority will be given to foreign
participants who have not previously travelled to the United States.
Additional Guidance
The Office of Citizen Exchanges offers the following additional
guidance to prospective applicants:
1. The Office of Citizen Exchanges encourages project proposals
involving more than one country. Pertinent rationale which links
countries in multi-country projects should be included in the
submission. Single-country projects that are clearly defined and
possess the potential for creating and strengthening continuing
linkages between foreign and U.S. institutions are also welcome.
2. Proposals for bilateral programs are subject to review and
comment by the USIS post in the relevant country, and pre-selected
participants will also be subject to USIS post review.
3. Bilateral programs should clearly identify the counterpart
organization and provide evidence of the organization's participation.
4. The Office of Citizen Exchanges will consider proposals for
activities which take place exclusively in other countries when USIS
posts are consulted in the design of the proposed program and in the
choice of the most suitable venues for such programs.
[[Page 3934]]
5. Office of Citizen Exchanges grants are not given to support
projects whose focus is limited to technical or vocational subjects, or
for research projects, for publications funding, for student and/or
teacher/faculty exchanges, for supports and/or sports related programs.
Nor does this office provide scholarships or support for long-term (a
semester or more) academic studies.
Funding
Proposals which request USIA funding of less than $135,000 and
which include significant cost sharing will be deemed more competitive.
Organizations with less than fours of successful experience in managing
international exchange programs are limited to $60,000. Applicants are
invited to provide both an all-inclusive budget as well as separate
sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity in
order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding. While an all-inclusive
budget must be provided with each proposal, separate component budgets
are optional. Since USIA grant assistance constitutes only a portion of
total project funding, proposals should list and provide evidence of
other anticipated sources of financial and in-kind support. Cost
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs.
The Recipient must maintain written records to support all
allowable costs which are claimed as being its contribution to cost
participation, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government.
Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value
of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB
Circular A-110, Attachment E-Cost Sharing and Matching and should be
described in the proposal.
Eligible Costs
The following project costs are eligible for consideration for
funding:
1. International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs;
ground transportation costs.
2. Per Diem. For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of
using a flat $140/day for program participants or the published U.S.
Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. For activities
outside the U.S., the published Federal per diem rates must be used.
NOTE: U.S. escorting staff must use the published Federal per diem
rates, not the flat rate.
3. Interpreters. If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are
provided by the U.S. State Department Language Services Division.
Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided for every
four visitors who need interpretation. USIA grants do not pay for
foreign interpreters to accompany delegations from their home country.
Grant proposal budgets should contain a flat $140/day per diem for each
Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-home air
transportation of $400 per interpreter plus any U.S. travel expenses
during the program. Salary expenses are covered centrally and should
not be part of an applicant's proposed budget.
4. Book and cultural allowance. Participants are entitled to and
escorts are reimbursed a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per
person, plus a participant book allowance of $50. U.S. staff do not get
these benefits.
5. Consultants. May be used to provide specialized expertise or to
make presentations. Daily honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per
day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the
written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor
should be included in the proposal.
6. Room rental, which generally should not exceed $250 per day.
7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase,
develop, and translate materials for participants.
8. One working meal per project. Per capita costs may not exceed
$5-8 for a lunch and $14-20 for a dinner; excluding room rental. The
number of invited guests may not exceed participants by more than a
factor of two to one.
9. A return travel allowance of $70 for each participant which is
to be used for incidental expenditures incurred during international
travel.
10. In most cases, USIA-funded delegates will be covered under the
terms of a USIA-sponsored health insurance policy where the premium is
paid by USIA directly to the insurance company. For additional
information on insurance coverage, contact the E/P program officer.
11. Other costs necessary for the effective administration of the
program, including salaries for grant organization employees, benefits,
and other direct and indirect costs per detailed instructions in the
Proposal Submission Instructions. Please refer to these Instructions
for complete budget guidelines.
Review Process
USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them
for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they
do not fully adhere to the guidelines established herein and in the
Proposal Submission Instructions. Eligible proposals will be forwarded
to panels of USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals
will also be reviewed by the budget and contract offices, as well the
USIA geographic regional office and the USIS post overseas, where
appropriate. Proposals may also be reviewed by the USIA's Office of
General Counsel or by other Agency elements. Funding decisions are at
the discretion of the USIA Associate Director for Educational and
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for grant awards resides
with USIA's contracting officer.
Review Criteria
USIA will consider proposals based on their conformance with the
objectives and considerations already stated in this RFP, as well as
the following criteria:
1. Quality of Program Idea
Proposals should exhibit originally, substance, precision, and
relevance to the Agency mission.
2. Program Planning
Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substance
undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to
the program overview and guidelines described above.
3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives
Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposal
should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program
objectives and plan.
4. Multiplier Effect
Proposed programs should strengthen long-term mutual understanding,
including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term
institutional and individual linkages.
5. Value to U.S.--Partner Country Relations
Proposed projects should receive positive assessments by USIA's
geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need, potential
impact, and significance in the partner.
6. Institutional Capacity
Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate
and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goal.
7. Institution Reputation/Ability
Proposal should demonstrate an institutional record of successful
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exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full
compliance with all reporting requirements for past Agency grants as
determined by USIA's Office of Contracts. The Agency will consider the
past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of
new applicants.
8. Follow-on Activities
Proposal should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity
(without USIA support) which ensures that USIA supported programs are
not isolated events.
9. Evaluation Plan
Proposals should provide a plan for a thorough and objective
evaluation of the program/project by the grantee institution.
10. Cost-Effectiveness
The overhead and administrative components of the proposal,
including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible.
All other items should be necessary and appropriate.
11. Cost-Sharing
Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector
support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.
12. Support of Diversity
Proposal should demonstrate the recipients' commitment to promoting
the awareness and understanding of diversity throughout the program.
This can be accomplished through documentation (such as a written
statement or account) summarizing past and/or on-going activities and
efforts that further the principle of diversity within both their
organization and their activities.
Notice
The Office of Citizen Exchanges reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase the grant award. The terms and conditions published
in the Request for Proposals (RFP) are binding and may not be modified
by any USIA representative. Explanatory information provided by USIA
that contradicts published language will not be binding. Issuance of
the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the
Government. Final awards cannot be made until funds have been fully
appropriated by the Congress, allocated and committed through internal
USIA procedures.
Notification
All applicants will be notified of the results of the review
process on or about April 28, 1995. Awarded grants will be subject to
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Dated: January 11, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-1180 Filed 1-18-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
