[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3938-3942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1181]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Role of Business Associations in a Democratic Political System
ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the United States
Information Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs announces
an open competition for an assistance award. Public or private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation
501(c)(3) may apply to develop a two-way exchange project to assist
Ghanaian business and professional associations enhance their
institutional capabilities,
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enabling them to more effectively promote the interests of private
enterprise in Ghana. The project should provide U.S.-based activities
for approximately 8-10 members of Ghanaian associations. The project
also should provide in-country workshops or consultancies to assist the
participating organizations implement strategies to enhance their
organizational structure and advocacy activities. The project should
establish linkages between Ghanaian and U.S. business associations to
promote dialogue on issues of common concern. The program should begin
in summer/fall 1996. Consultation with the U.S. Information Service
(USIS) post in Accra, Ghana, in the development of the project proposal
is encouraged.
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development
of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United
States and the other countries of the world.''
Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA projects and
programs are subject to the availability of funds.
Announcement name and number: All communications with USIA
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and
reference number E/P-95-45.
DATES: Deadline for proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m., Washington, D.C. time on Friday, March
17, 1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked on March 17, 1995, but received at a later date. It is the
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received
by the above deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Africa/Near East/South Asia Division of the Office of Citizen
Exchanges, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 220,
Washington, D.C. 20547, tel. 202-619-5319, fax 202-619-4350, Internet
address [email protected], to request a Solicitation Package, which
includes more detailed award criteria; all application forms; and
guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for
preparation of the proposal budget. Please specify USIA Program Officer
Stephen Taylor on all inquiries and correspondence. Interested
applicants should read the complete Federal Register announcement
before addressing inquiries to the Office of Citizen Exchanges or
submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, the
Office of Citizen Exchanges may not discuss this competition in any way
with applicants until the Bureau proposal review process has been
completed.
ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instructions provided in the
Solicitation Package and send fully completed applications. Send the
original and 14 copies to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-95-45,
Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, D.C. 20547.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing
legislation, 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,
socioeconomic status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly
encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle.
Overview
Background: The government of Ghana has initiated policies
liberalizing its economy and gradually has produced a climate more
hospitable to the emergence and development of private sector
associations. Entrepreneurs are free to form virtually any type of
business association in pursuit of their interests. Historically, there
have been three dominant associations--the Association of Ghana
Industries (AGI); the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce (GNCC); and
the Ghana Employers Association (GEA). These organizations developed
during a period when Ghana maintained an essentially protected economy.
AGI represented highly protected manufacturers. GNCC primarily
represented the trading sector and GEA represented a mix of
entrepreneurs from various sectors.
During the mid-1980s, the government of Ghana began to liberalize
and open up the economy. New policies helped spur the formation of
several producer associations representing exporters. Among about
fifteen such organizations, five are particularly active: The Ghana
Association of Women Entrepreneurs, the Ghana Federation of Business
and Professional Women, the Horticultural Association of Ghana, the
Association of Seafood Exporters and the Association of Assorted
Foodstuffs. In addition to these groups, two important umbrella
organizations have emerged over the course of the past two years. The
Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters lobbies Ghana's
executive and legislative branches of government. The Private
Enterprise Foundation is an umbrella group representing all private
sector organizations. It also lobbies government and has organized
forums for business leaders. Many of these organizations likely will
gain strength and influence.
Program Overview: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) proposes
development of a two-way exchange project designed to assist Ghanaian
business associations develop strategies to increase their voice in the
formulation of public policy affecting business growth and economic
development. Participants would observe how the American business
community promotes business interests, contributes to public debates
and interacts with legislative bodies, federal agencies and community
groups. This two-way exchange also would make available U.S.
specialists to conduct in-country activities for Ghanaian business
associations. The project should be designed to establish linkages
between U.S. and Ghanaian counterpart organizations. The program should
begin in summer/fall 1995.
Project Objectives
The project should be designed to:
--Examine the potential role of professional business associations in
the context of a democratic political system. Using the U.S. experience
as a model, the program would demonstrate how such groups promote their
interests while operating within established social and legal norms.
--Examine strategies to contribute to public debate over the direction
of business development.
--Analyze the organizational structure, financing resources and
planning strategies of U.S. business groups and relevant political
action committees.
--Examine networking and public relations strategies. Activities would
help identify those areas of public concern most effectively addressed
by business groups and develop
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strategies appropriate to Ghanaian society that would address these
concerns.
--Demonstrate the role of business associations in promoting ethical
business practices. The program would analyze the concept of corporate
responsibility and examine the activities of corporate internal
consumer affairs units in addressing consumer needs.
--Analyze the role of government in promoting business ethics and
stimulating business development.
--Establish linkages between Ghanaian and U.S. institutions to open a
dialogue on key business issues affected by the evolving economic and
political liberalization underway in Ghana.
Participants
The project should be designed for 8-10 leading members of Ghanaian
business and professional organizations. USIS personnel in Ghana will
select the participants from among the organizations named in the
Background section above. Recommendations from the grantee institution
are also welcome. For program activities in Ghana, the grantee
institution will select the American presenters in consultation with
USIA.
USIS offices will facilitate the issuance of visas for the Ghanaian
participants and can help with the distribution of program-related
materials in Ghana.
Programmatic Considerations
USIA will give careful consideration to proposals which
demonstrate:
(1) in-depth, substantive knowledge of the structure, functions and
activities of American business and professional organizations;
(2) first-hand connections with a variety of American organizations
that represent business and professional interests in the formulation
of public policy and the direction of private enterprise development;
(3) the capacity to organize and manage international exchange
programs, including the handling of pre-departure arrangements,
orientation activities, monitoring and problem-solving involved in such
programs.
USIA is especially interested in multi-phase programs in which the
phases build on one another and lay the groundwork for new and long-
term relationships between American and African professionals.
Proposals which are overly ambitious and those which are very general
in nature will not be competitive. The Office of Citizen Exchanges does
not award grants to support projects whose focus is limited to
technical matters, or to support scholarly research projects,
development of publications for dissemination in the United States,
individual student exchanges, film festivals and exhibits. The Office
of Citizen Exchange does not provide scholarships or support for long-
term (one semester or more) academic studies. Competitions sponsored by
other Bureau offices also are announced in the Federal Register and may
have different application requirements as well as different
objectives.
Program Suggestions
The proposed project should include at least one phase for Ghanaian
participants in the United States and at least one phase for American
specialists in Ghana. Programming elements might include in-country
workshops or seminars led by American experts, specialized
consultancies developed for Ghanaian organizations, a study tour in the
United States for selected Ghanaian participants and U.S.-based
professional attachments for Ghanaians. A planning visit overseas by
the American organizer also could be considered if crucial to
successful development and implementation of the program.
The project should include formats which maximize interaction
between the Ghanaian participants and the program presenters.
Participants should observe the full range of activities on the part of
business and professional organizations. They should observe the
interaction of such groups with public and private sector officials
involved in formulating and implementing policies that affect private
enterprise, such as business owners, trade unionists, legislators,
federal regulators, local government officials and educators. The
program design should provide adequate time for participants to meet
individually with American professionals who have similar interests and
specializations. While not required, the presenters' familiarity with
private enterprise development in Ghana is desirable.
Program Responsibilities
The grantee institution's responsibilities include: selecting
presenters, themes and topics for discussion; organizing a coherent
progression of activities; providing any support materials; providing
all travel arrangements, lodging and other logistical arrangements for
the visiting Ghanaian participants and the U.S. presenters who travel
to Ghana; and overseeing the project on a daily basis to achieve
maximum program effectiveness. The grantee institution is responsible
for coordinating plans and project implementation with E/P, USIS
officers in Ghana, and Ghanaian collaborating institutions.
At the start of each phase, the grantee institution will conduct an
orientation session and, at the conclusion, conduct participant
evaluations. The institution will submit a report at the conclusion of
each program phase, including a final program report summarizing the
entire project and resulting organizational links. The institution must
also submit a final financial report. To prepare the participants for
their U.S. experience, E/P encourages the grantee organization to
forward a set of preliminary materials which might include an
introduction to the U.S. system of government, American notions of free
enterprise, the practices of U.S. business and professional
organizations and other background information about the project. E/P
will ask the Ghanaian participants to prepare brief outlines describing
their own particular interests in these areas. The grantee institution
should brief the American presenters on the Ghanaian participants'
backgrounds, interests and concerns.
Other Program Considerations
Consultation with USIS officers in Ghana in the development of the
project proposal is encouraged. Letters of commitment from
participating U.S. and Ghanaian institutions and individuals would
enhance a proposal.
USIA also encourages the development of specialized written
materials to enhance this professional development program. USIA is
interested in organizations' ideas on how to ``reuse'' specialized
materials by providing them to universities, libraries or other
institutions for use by a larger audience. If not already available,
glossaries of specialized terms might be developed. However, please
note that, according to current USIA regulations, materials developed
with USIA funds may not be distributed in the United States.
The grantee institution should maximize cost-sharing in all
elements of the project and seek to stimulate U.S. private sector
support, including from foundations and corporations.
All participants will be covered under the terms of a USIA-
sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is paid by USIA directly
to the insurance company.
Funding
Competition of USIA funding support is keen. Selection of a grantee
institution is based on the substantive
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nature of the program proposal; the applicant's professional capability
to carry the program through to a successful conclusion; and cost
effectiveness, including in-kind contributions and the ability to keep
overhead costs at a minimum. USIA will consider funding up to
approximately $100,000, but grants awarded to eligible organizations
with less than four years of experience in conducting international
exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget for the
entire program based on the specific guidance in the Solicitation
Package. Applicants must provide a summary budget as well as a break-
down reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget.
For further clarification, applicants may provide optional, separate
sub-budgets for each program phase or activity in order to facilitate
USIA decisions on funding. USIA will consider funding the following
costs:
1. International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs
(e.g., airport fees); ground transportation costs.
2. Per diem: For foreign participants during activities in the
United States, organizations have the option of using a flat rate of
$140/day or the published Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) per diem
rates for individual American cities.
Note: U.S. institutional staff must use the published FTR per
diem rates, not the flat rate. For activities overseas, standard
Federal Travel Regulations per diem rates must be used.
3. Escort-interpreters: Interpretation for U.S.-based programs is
provided by the State Department's Language Services Division.
Typically, delegations ranging from 8-12 participants require two
simultaneous interpreters and one escort officer. Grant proposal
budgets should contain a flat $140/day per diem rate for each State
Department escort/interpreter, as well as home-program-home air fare of
$400 per interpreter and any U.S. travel expenses during the program
itself. Salary expenses are covered centrally and are not part of the
applicant's budget proposal. USIA grants do not pay for foreign
interpreters to accompany delegations during travel to or from their
home country. Interpreters are not available for U.S.-based internship
activities.
4. Book and cultural allowances: Participants are entitled to a
one-time book allowance of $50 plus a cultural allowance of $150 per
person during programs taking place in the United States. U.S. staff do
not receive these benefits. Escort interpreters are reimbursed for
actual cultural expenses up to $150.00.
5. Consultants: Consultants may be used to provide specialized
expertise or to make presentations. Honoraria generally should not
exceed $250/day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in
which case the written contract(s) should be included in the proposal.
6. Materials development: Proposals may contain costs to purchase,
develop and translate materials for participants. USIA reserves the
rights to these materials for future use.
7. Room rentals, which generally should not exceed $250/day.
8. One working meal per project, for which per capita costs may not
exceed $5-$8 for a lunch or $14-$20 for a dinner. The number of invited
guests may not exceed the number of participants by more than a factor
of two to one.
9. Return travel allowance: $70 for each participants which is to
be used for incidental expenditures incurred during international
travel.
10. 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
application package.
E/P encourages cost-sharing, which maybe in the form of allowable
direct or indirect costs. E/P would be especially interested in
proposals which demonstrate a program vision which goes well beyond
that which can be supported by the requested USIA grant and which would
try to use a USIA grant to leverage additional funding from other
sources to support elements of the broader program plan.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
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 stated herein and in the
Solicitation Package. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of
USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will be
reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as the USIA Office of
African Affairs and the USIA post overseas, where appropriate.
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the 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 the USIA grants
officer.
Review Criteria
Technicially eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Institutional Reputation and Ability
Applicant institutions should demonstrate their potential for
excellence in program design and implementation and/or provide
documentation of successful programs. If an applicant is a previous
USIA grant recipient, responsible fiscal management and full compliance
with all reporting requirements for past Agency grants as determined by
USIA's Office of Contracts will be considered. Relevant substantive
evaluations of previous projects may also be considered in this
assessment.
2. Project Personnel
The Thematic and logistical expertise of project personnel should
be relevant to the proposed program. Resumes or C.V.s should be
summaries which are relevant to the specific proposal and no longer
than two pages each.
3. Program Planning
A detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate
substantive rigor and logistical capacity.
4. Thematic Expertise
Proposal should demonstrate the organization's expertise in the
subject area which promises an effective sharing of information.
5. Support of Diversity
Proposals should demonstrate the recipient's commitment to
promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity.
6. Cross-Cultural Sensitivity and Area Expertise
Evidence should be provided of sensitivity to historical,
linguistic, religious, and other cross-cultural factors, as well as
relevant knowledge of the target geographic area/country.
7. Ability To Achieve Program Objectives
Objectives should be realistic and feasible. The proposal should
clearly demonstrate how the grantee institution will meet program
objectives.
8. Multiplier Effect
Proposed programs should strengthen long-term mutual understanding
and
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contribute to maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-
term institutional and individual ties.
9. Cost-Effectiveness
Overhead and direct administrative costs to USIA should be kept as
low as possible. All other items proposed for USIA funding should be
necessary and appropriate to achieve the program's objectives.
10. Cost-Sharing
Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector
support as well as direct funding contributions and/or in-kind support
from the prospective grantee institution and its partners.
11. Follow-On Activities
Proposals should provide a plan for continued exchange activity
(without USIA support) which ensures that USIA-supported programs are
not isolated events.
12. Project Evaluation
Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the activity's success,
both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. USIA
recommends that the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or
other technique plus description of a methodology to use to link
outcomes to original project objectives. Grantees will be expected to
submit intermediate reports after each project component is concluded
or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may
not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Agency that contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on
the part of the Government. The needs of the program may require the
award to be reduced, revised, or increased. Final awards cannot be made
until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed
through internal USIA procedures.
Notification
All applicants will be notified of the results of the review
process on or about June 16, 1995. Awards made will be subject to
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Dated: January 11, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-1181 Filed 1-18-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
