[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 207 (Thursday, October 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26456]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 27, 1994]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Freedom Support Act--NIS Secondary School Initiative for School
Linkages
ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Division of the NIS Secondary
School Initiative, of the United States Information Agency's Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an
assistance award to conduct exchanges through the multiple secondary
school linkage program with select countries of the NIS. The countries
are Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Public or
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in
IRS regulation 501(c)(3) may apply either to enhance/expand existing
linkages or to develop new school linkage programs. Both models are
described in the guidelines section of this solicitation. Applicants
may submit a proposal for only one of the two models. All submissions
must contain an Educator (teacher and/or administrator) exchange
component AND a Student exchange component. Approximately one third of
the grants awarded will be to promote the development of new linkages.
Organizations asking for USIA funding for previously established
linkages must demonstrate the value of the linkages to the NIS
Secondary School Initiative program as well as show evidence that the
linkage is designed to outlast USIA funding.
Overall funding and grant making authority for this program is
contained in the Freedom Support Act (Pub. L. 102-391). These exchanges
represent part of the activities for the NIS Secondary School
Initiative and are subject to the availability of funding for the
Fiscal Year 1995 program. Proposals for programs and projects must
conform with Agency requirements and guidelines outlined in the
Solicitation Package.
ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number
E/P-95-25. This is a request for proposals for reciprocal exchanges
based on multiple school linkages. Requests for proposals in support of
other programs under the aegis of the NIS Secondary School Initiative
are published separately.
DATES: Deadline for proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Wednesday,
December 21, 1994. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will
documents postmarked on Wednesday, December 21, 1994 but received at a
later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that
proposals are received by the above deadline. Subject to the
availability of funding, grants will be awarded April 1, 1995 for
exchanges to begin after August 1, 1995.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NIS Secondary School Division, E/PY,
Room 314, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20547, telephone: (202) 619-6299; Fax: (202) 619-5311; e-mail
irome@usia.gov 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. For specific questions or concerns regarding the
solicitation, contact USIA Program Officer Diana Aronson. Interested
applicants should read the complete Federal Register announcement
before addressing inquiries to the USIA or submitting their proposals.
Once the RFP deadline has passed, representatives of the USIA and the
Division of NIS Secondary School Initiative may not discuss this
competition in any way with applicants until after the Bureau proposal
review process has been completed.
ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the
Solicitation Package and send only complete applications to: U.S.
Information Agency Ref.: E/P-95-25, Office of Grants Management, E/XE,
Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W., 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, ethnicity, religion, geographic
location, socio-economic status, and physical challenges. Applicants
are stongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle.
Overview: The purpose of this program is to link a network of U.S.
secondary schools with a network of schools in one or more NIS
countries to serve as the basis for exchanges of Educators and Students
during the academic year. The USIA's main objective is to foster
interaction between American and foreign participants. Proposals should
demonstrate how participants will interact in a way which encourages
the exchange of ideas and promotes mutual understanding in both the
short- and long-term. The linkages between networks of secondary
schools in the U.S. with networks of schools in the NIS must occur
through at least three main program components: (1) the Exchange of
secondary school educators between the U.S. and participating NIS
countries; (2) the exchange of secondary school students, and 14 to 17
years of age, between the U.S. and participating NIS countries; and,
(3) the establishment of institution-building ties between the schools
in the networks.
Guidelines: This solicitation is for two separate models of
multiple secondary school linkages between networks of schools.
Applicants must submit a proposal for only one of the two models. The
proposal should state clearly which model is being used. In both
models, each network, one in the U.S. and one in the NIS, should
consist of a minimum of three schools.
Model A is designed to enhance and expand existing linkages between
a network of U.S. secondary schools and a network of secondary schools
in one or more of the countries listed above. USIA funding may not be
used to supplant existing private sector funding. Applicants must
indicate how activities have been funded in the past and how the
activities will be expanded with assistance from USIA. The U.S.
recipient of the grant is responsible for recruiting/selecting/
organizing a minimum of three U.S. secondary schools to form the U.S.
network, strengthening an existing working relationship with an
organization or agency of government in the NIS responsible for a
network of schools there, and linking the two networks through three
main components of the program: Educator exchange, Student exchange,
and Institution-building links.
Model B is designed to encourage the development of new links
whereby the U.S. network that does not have existing links to secondary
schools in the NIS will be matched with an NIS network chosen by USIA.
Proposals must rank-order participating NIS countries where the
applicant would like to establish linkages. The U.S. recipient of the
grant is responsible for recruiting/selecting/organizing a network
composed of a minimum of three U.S. secondary schools, agreeing to form
partnership with a NIS network selected by USIA, and linking the two
networks through three main components of the program: Educator
exchange, Student exchange, and Institution-building links.
In some special cases, applicants who are involved in existing
linkage activity may request that USIA select new schools and networks
in the NIS for a proposed expanded linkage. In this case, the applicant
should rank-order the preferred countries to be considered for linkage.
Depending on availability of suitable matches, USIA will select the NIS
network or school and inform applicant of the match.
For both Model A and Model B, the U.S. recipient of the grant will:
Design the overall plan which integrates the three components of the
linkage, manage all travel arrangements, logistics, passports, visas,
etc., provide competent and informed escorts for student groups, and
distribute and account for grant funds.
Proposals must address other essential operations of the program
including the incorporation of a feasible plan to establish
communication (through computer linkages and other forms of
correspondence) and the formation of a solid working relationship
between the partner schools before the student groups arrive in the
host country.
Recipients of the assistance award are responsible for ensuring the
selection of exchange participants who are suitable for the program.
Participants (both Educators and Students) from the U.S. and the NIS
countries should represent a broad array of backgrounds to give greater
understanding to the culture and society as a whole. Selection of
individual participants from the U.S. and the NIS in the exchange
components of the program must be merit based; the proposal should
describe the mechanisms used for participant selection.
Partnerships should have an existence beyond the scope of this
initiative; that is, there should be an inherent reason for their
linkage apart from the availability of grant funds. Competitive
proposals demonstrate this linkage and the types of activities (follow-
on) that will continue after the grant has expired.
Applicants should be familiar with the ``General Provisions'' of J-
1 visa regulations. The Agency will process the IAP-66 forms for travel
to the U.S. Applicant must arrange for basic health and accident
insurance coverage of exchange participants while they are on exchange.
Please refer to the Program Objectives, Goals, and Implementation
section of the Solicitation Package for greater detail regarding the
design of the component parts as well as other program information.
Proposed budget: Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for
the entire program. There must be a summary budget as well as a break-
down reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget.
All program costs should clearly indicate whether they cover U.S. or
NIS participants.
Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000.
Please refer to the POGI and Proposal Submission Instructions
sections of the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and
format 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 also will be
reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as the pertinent USIA
area office and the USIA post overseas, where appropriate. Proposals
may 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
Technically 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. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance (particularly in academic/educational aspects),
precision, and relevance to Agency mission.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive 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. Proposals should clearly
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and
plan.
4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term individual and institutional
linkages.
5. Support of diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of
diversity.
6. Institutional capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals.
7. Institution's record/ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful 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: Proposals should provide a plan for
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) which ensures that
USIA supported programs are not isolated events. Proposal should
demonstrate how activity will contribute to institution-building in the
NIS.
9. Project evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the program, both as the activities unfold and at the end. USIA
recommends that the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or
other technique plus description of a methodology for use in linking
outcomes to original project objectives. Award-receiving organizations/
institutions will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each
project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less
frequent.
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. Value to U.S.-partner country relations: Proposed projects will
be reviewed by USIA's geographic area desk officer and overseas
officers to assess the relevance to program need, potential impact, and
significance in the partner country(ies).
13. Selection process: Proposals should provide a specific plan to
ensure a selection based on merit and should include detailed criteria
for selection of U.S. and NIS teacher and administrator as well as U.S.
and NIS student participants.
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 February 15, 1995. Awards made will be subject to
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Dated: October 19, 1994.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-26456 Filed 10-26-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
