[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 221 (Thursday, November 16, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57623-57626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28342]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Central and Eastern European Training Program
ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the United States
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for an assistance award. Public and
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in
IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply to develop training
programs in the areas of (1) local government/public administration,
(2) independent media development, and (3) business administration.
These projects should link the U.S. organization's international
exchange interests with counterpart institutions and groups in Albania,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic
and Slovenia.
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.''
The funding authority for the program cited above is provided
through the Fulbright-Hayes Act.
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 Title and Number: All communications with USIA
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and
reference number E/P-96-17.
Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, January
12, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked January 12, 1996, but received at a later date. It is the
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received
by the above deadline. CEETP-6 grant activity should begin after July
15, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, European Division, E/PE, Room
216, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
20547, telephone: 202-619-5319, fax: 202-619-4530, e-mail address:
(cminer@usia.gov) to request a Solicitation Package containing more
detailed award criteria, required application forms, and standard
guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for
preparation of the proposal budget.
VIA INTERNET: The Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's
website at http://www.usia.gov/ or from the Internet Gopher at
gopher.usia.gov, under ``New RFPs on Educational and Cultural
Exchanges.''
Please specify USIA Program Officer Christina Miner on all
inquiries and correspondence. Interested applicants should read the
complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or
submitting proposals. Once
[[Page 57624]]
the RFP deadline has passed, Agency staff may not discuss this
competition in any way with applicants until the Bureau proposal review
process has been completed.
SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the
Solicitation Package. The original and eight copies of the complete
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-96-
17, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette,
formatted for DOS. This material must be provided in ASCII text (DOS)
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit
these files electronically to USIS posts overseas for their review,
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for
the Agency's grants review process.
DIVERSITY GUIDELINES: 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
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review
criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section for specific
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
Overview
Proposals must be for projects which encourage the growth of
democratic institutions and political and economic pluralism. The
project may include: short-term professional training workshops
conducted in Central/Eastern Europe; four-to-ten week internships in
the U.S.; and professional training programs and study tours in the
U.S. All proposals should demonstrate in-depth, substantive knowledge
of the issues of concern to the countries listed above and the capacity
to organize and conduct the program, including appropriate orientation
activities for the participants; detailed work plan for all phases of
the project; tentative agendas for study tours, workshops, and
internships; letters of commitment from internship hosts; and selection
procedures.
USIA will give priority to proposals from U.S. organizations which
have established connections with partner institutions in Central/
Eastern Europe. The in-country partners are expected to assist
logistically and contribute to the realization of program goals and
objectives. Applicants should demonstrate partner relationships by
providing copies of correspondence or other materials as appendices to
the proposals. In-country partners are encouraged to provide cost
sharing or significant in-kind contributions such as local housing,
transportation, interpreting, translating, and other local currency
costs and to assist with the organization of projects.
Applicants are encouraged to consult with USIS offices regarding
program content and partner institutions before submitting proposals.
Listed below in order of priority are the topics of interest for
each of the countries included in the competition:
Albania: (1) Independent media development, including the
development of reporters' investigative skills and editors' need to
meet the consumers' desires for information about non-political social
problems and issues; and (2) business administration.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: (1) Local government; (2) independent media
development.
Bulgaria: (1) Independent media; (2) local government.
Croatia: (1) Independent media development, stressing management
and organization; (2) local government; (3) business administration.
Czech Republic: (1) Independent media development; (2) local
government.
Estonia: (1) Independent media development, particularly projects
including U.S. internships; (2) business administration.
Hungary: (1) Business administration; (2) independent media
development.
Latvia: (1) Independent media development, particularly
investigative journalism, media ethics, photojournalism management, and
business operations. Projects including U.S. internships are
encouraged. (2) Business administration.
Lithuania: (1) Independent media development, specifically projects
on reporting, implementation of fair media laws, management,
advertising, and economic survival.
Macedonia: (1) Independent media development.
Poland: (1) Local government, particularly projects on the
electoral system; (2) independent media development, especially
projects focusing on the coverage of elections.
Romania: (1) Business administration; (2) local government.
Slovak Republic: (1) Independent media development, with an
emphasis on training in management and advertising skills.
Slovenia: (1) Local government.
Guidelines
1. Proposals should limit their focus to one of the CEE countries
and to one of the specified topics. Proposals for programs that are
broader in scope will be eligible, but are less likely to receive USIA
support. USIA will consider geographic distribution in selecting
grantee institutions to ensure a wide distribution of the program.
2. All grant proposals must clearly describe the type of persons
who will participate in the program as well as the process by which
participants will be selected. Note that participants in CEETP-6
programs should be professionals working in the fields of local
government, media, or business administration and not members of
university faculties. In the selection of all foreign participants,
USIA and USIS posts retain the right to nominate participants and to
approve or reject participants recommended by the program institution.
Programs must also comply with J-1 visa regulations.
3. Programs that include internships in the U.S. should provide
letters tentatively committing host institutions to support the
internships.
4. CEETP-6 grant projects should begin after August 1, 1996.
Note: Research projects or projects limited to technical issues
are not eligible for support nor are film festivals or exhibits.
Exchange programs for students or faculty or proposals that request
support for the development of university curricula or for degree-
based programs are also ineligible under this RFP. Proposals to link
university departments or to exchange faculty and/or students are
funded by USIA's Office of Academic Programs (E/EA) under the
University Affiliation Program and should not be submitted in
response to this RFP.
Funding
Proposals for less than $150,000 will receive preference.
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 budget for the entire
program. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown
reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget. For
better
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understanding or further clarification, applicants may provide separate
sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity in
order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
Allowable program costs include the following:
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 4140/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. A
pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided for every four
participants. 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 can be used to provide specialized expertise or to
make presentations. Daily honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per
day.
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. 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.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions, including information on audit
requirements and cost sharing.
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
Eastern European and NIS 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 assistance awards
(grants or cooperative agreements) 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, precision, and relevance to Agency mission.
Program objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings, logistical capacity, and
institution's ability to meet program objectives. Agenda and plan
should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above.
3. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual
linkages.
4. Cross Cultural/Area Expertise: Proposals should reflect the
institution's expertise in the subject area and should address specific
areas of concern facing countries involved in the project.
Additionally, projects should show evidence of sensitivity to
historical, linguistic and other cross cultural factors and should
demonstrate how this sensitivity will be used in practical aspects of
the program, such as pre-departure orientations or briefings of
American hosts.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials
and follow-up activities).
6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's
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.
9. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the project's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of
the program. USIA recommends that the proposal include a sample of the
questionnaire or other method of project assessment as well as a
description of how outcomes will be linked to original project
objectives. Successful applicants 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
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance
in the partner country(ies).
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may
not be modified by any USIA representative.
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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
Agency reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal
budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the
availability of funds. Awards made will be subject to periodic
reporting and evaluation requirements.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Applicants will be notified of the results of the review process on or
about June 10, 1996.
Dated: November 7, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-28342 Filed 11-15-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
