[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10144-10147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-4193]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Professional Development of South African Radio Station Owners
and Managers
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 for South
African radio station owners and managers. The project should be
designed to enhance participations' skills in managing their
broadcasting operations and assist them to develop strategies to
operate their stations as successful business enterprises. The project
should provide U.S.-based activities for approximately 9-12 South
African radio station owners and managers. The project also should
provide in-country workshops or consultancies to assist participating
broadcasters implement appropriate business management strategies. The
program should being in summer/fall 1995. Consultation with the U.S.
Information Service (USIS) posts in South Africa 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, Pub. L. 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
interest, 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-95-49.
DATES: Deadline for proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC. time on Friday, April 14,
1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked on April 14, 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, S.W., 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 correspondences. 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-95-49, Office of Grants Management,
E/EX, 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, religion, geographic location, socio-
economic status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly
encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle.
Overview
Background: The transition to nonracial democracy in South Africa
is providing greater access to the nation's radio and television
broadcasting airways, opening new opportunities for independent
broadcasters. the government-owned South African Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC) has been the country's dominant broadcaster, with
three television services and 23 radio stations. These outlets include
commercial as well as public service stations. The SABC and a small
number of other broadcasters have been the major source of broadcasting
management expertise. South Africa's Independent Broadcasting Authority
(IBA), created in 1994 to shield the broadcast media from direct
political controls, is responsible for regulating the airwaves and
granting commercial, public service and community broadcasting
licenses. During the next several months, the IBA will be issuing
licenses that will enable a wide range of independent radio stations to
begin broadcasting for the first time. While many of these new
licensees may have some on-air experience, they may lack backgrounds in
radio management. These owners and other new managers could benefit
from a project focused on fundamental broadcasting management practices
to [[Page 10145]] help enhance the prospects for the longer term
viability of their stations.
Program Overview. The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) proposes
development of a two-way exchange project for South African
participants designed to promote development of business management
skills applicable to radio station management. This two-way exchange
should include activities for 9-12 South African participants in the
United States and opportunities for American specialists to share their
expertise in South Africa. While the project should introduce
participants to a variety of radio broadcasting operations, the program
should concentrate on activities and site visits appropriate to the
technology and infrastructure available in South Africa. The project
should be designed to accommodate participants new to broadcasting
management. Participants should study station management practices,
business planning strategies and marketing concepts. They also should
analyze the standards of professional journalism which managers must
oversee and identify strategies to promote staff development.
This two-way exchange also should promote informal ties, opening
channels of communications between U.S. and South African broadcasters
to help enhance the viability of independent radio stations in South
Africa. This might include informal advice on broadcasting management
issues. The project should begin in summer/fall 1995.
Project Objectives
The project should be designed to:
--Introduce participants to fundamental business management skills
applicable to station management including financial planning, cash
management and staff development;
--Analyze income resources for radio stations including advertisements,
and examine strategies for surviving the initial stages of launching a
new broadcasting service;
--Examine marketing strategies aimed at attracting advertisers and,
where appropriate, study the interrelationship among programming
content, objective news reporting and maintaining advertisers as
clients;
--Develop strategies for implementing improved station management
practices;
--Examine media-government relations and demonstrate how the
independent reporting of political and economic developments helps
shape government policy and public opinion;
--Provide an overview of journalistic ethics and the standards of
professional journalism; and
--Establish informal ties between South African station owners and U.S.
counterparts, providing a resource for occasional advice on station
management matters.
Participants
The project participants will be owners and managers of radio
stations in South Africa. Many of the participants will be newly
licensed station owners or recently hired management staff. The U.S.
phase of the project should be designed for 9-12 participants. All
participants will have strong English language skills. USIS personnel
in South Africa will select the participants, although recommendations
from the grantee institution are welcome.
For program activities in South Africa, the grantee institution
will select the American presenters in consultation with USIA.
USIS offices will facilitate the issuance of visas for the South
African participants and can help with the distribution of program-
related materials in South Africa.
Programmatic Considerations
USIA will give careful consideration to proposal which demonstrate:
(1) In-depth, substantive knowledge of the strategies and practices
involved in managing a broadcasting operation as a successful business
enterprise;
(2) First-hand connections with a variety of American radio
operations, as well as public and private sector organizations
responsible for promoting journalistic professionalism and successful
business management;
(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 Citizens 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 or exhibits. The Office of
Citizens Exchanges 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 South
African participants in the United States and at least one phase for
American specialists in South Africa. Programming elements might
include in-country workshops or seminars led by American experts,
specialized consultancies developed for radio station owners in South
Africa, a study tour in the United States for selected South African
participants and U.S.-based professional attachments for South African
broadcasters. 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 South African participants and the program presenters.
Participants should observe the full range of business management and
financial planning activities on the part of radio station owners and
managers. They might also observe the interaction of station owners
with public and private sector organizations involved in formulating,
implementing and evaluating policies that affect U.S. broadcasting,
such as professional associations, advertising agencies, trade unions,
government agencies and community groups. Participants also should
visit university-based radio stations to observe training programs and
study the role of such stations in the broadcasting industry. 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
radio broadcasting in South Africa 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 South African participants and the U.S. presenters who
travel to South Africa; and overseeing the project on a daily basis to
achieve maximum program [[Page 10146]] effectiveness. The grantee
institution is responsible for coordinating plans and project
implementation with E/P, USIS officers in South Africa and South
African 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
speech and freedom of the press, the practices of U.S. broadcasters and
other background information about the project. E/P will ask the South
African participants to prepare brief outlines describing their own
particular interests in these areas. The grantee institution should
brief the American presenters on the South African participants'
backgrounds, interests and concerns.
Other Program Considerations
Consultation with USIS officers in South Africa in the development
of the project proposal is encouraged. Letters of commitment from
participating U.S. and South African 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 for USIA funding support is keen. Selection of a
grantee institution is based on the substantive 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 $120,000, 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 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.
E/P encourages cost-sharing, which may be 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 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
[[Page 10147]] 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. 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 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 July 17, 1995. Awards made will be subject to
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Dated: February 14, 1995.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-4193 Filed 2-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
