[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7816-7818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2935]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Curriculum Development Project: Secondary School Civic Education
for the Czech Republic
action: Notice--request for proposals.
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summary: The Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division of
the Office of Academic Programs 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 cooperate with USIA in the administration of a
one-to two-year project to support the development and implementation
of new curriculum units for ninth and tenth grade civic education
courses in the Czech Republic. The grantee organization will work with
the Institute for Educational Development, a Czech non-profit
organization affiliated with Charles University and concerned with
educational reform and teacher training in the Czech Republic. The
Institute works closely with the Ministry of Education of the Czech
Republic on curriculum and teacher training. The program will comprise
three phases: (1) Preliminary consultations in Prague with a curriculum
development team of five Czech educators; (2) a three-month U.S.-based
curriculum development workshop in which the team will produce draft
curriculum units; and (3) follow-up consultations in the Czech Republic
to assist with the training of a larger group of Czech practitioners in
the implementation and review of the draft curriculum units.
Upon the successful completion of Phases I-III, additional funds
may be available to the grantee organization for a fourth phase of
activity to cooperate with the Institute for Educational Development
and the curriculum development team in further reviewing and revising
the draft materials and to provide broader training for implementation
of the revised curriculum units with Czech teachers and administrators.
USIA solicits detailed proposals from U.S. educational institutions
and public and private non-profit organizations to develop and
administer this project. The cooperation with USIA will include regular
consultation with USIA and with USIS officers in the Czech Republic
with regard to program implementation, direction, and assessment.
Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the issues confronting
education in the Czech Republic as well as expertise in civic education
and curriculum development. The funding authority for the program cited
above is provided through the Support for East European Democracies Act
(SEED). 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/AS-95-03.
dates: Deadline for proposals. All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, March 24,
1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked on March 24, 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: Office of Academic Programs, Advising,
Teaching and Specialized Programs Division, E/AS (room 256), U.S.
Information Agency, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone
number 202-619-6038, telefax number 202-619-6790, e-mail:
skux@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. Please specify USIA Academic Exchange Specialist Sally
Kux on all inquiries and correspondences.
Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register
announcement before addressing inquiries to the Advising, Teaching, and
Specialized Programs Division (Dr. Kux) or submitting their proposals.
Once the RFP deadline has passed, the Office of Academic Programs,
Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division 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 given in the
Solicitation Package. The original and 9 copies of the complete
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AS-95-
03, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing
legislation, programs must maintain a non-political charter 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. [[Page 7817]]
Overview
The goal of the project is to assist the Institute for Educational
Development in Prague, Czech Republic, to develop up-to-date curriculum
units to be taught within existing civic education courses at the ninth
and tenth grade levels and to assist in training teachers for the
implementation of these units. The rationale for this project is that
improving citizenship education at the secondary school level will
better prepare Czech students to participate actively in building a
pluralistic, democratic society, and will promote democratic relations
among members of the school community, including students, teachers,
school administrators, and parents. Applicants may suggest topics to be
developed by the curriculum team in their proposals; however, final
determination of appropriate topics will be made by the curriculum
development team and the Institute for Educational Development in
cooperation with the grantee organization during the first phase of the
project.
Program Description
A curriculum development team of five practitioners (e.g.,
classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and Ministry officials)
selected by the Institute of Educational Development in consultation
with USIS Prague, will undertake preliminary work in Prague over a
period of 3-6 months (Phase I). In this phase, members of the
curriculum development team, in consultation with a specialist from the
grantee organization, will familiarize themselves with civics curricula
and teaching materials used in the U.S. and will select the topics to
be explored in the draft curriculum units. In the second phase, members
of the curriculum development team will spend approximately three
months in a highly structured U.S.-based workshop sponsored and
organized by the U.S. grantee organization, attending focused seminars,
observing relevant aspects of the U.S. educational system, and drafting
teacher and student materials for the curriculum units in consultation
with U.S. specialists. The grantee organization will be responsible for
introducing the Czech team to leading U.S. civic educators and to a
broad range of relevant resources. The workshop schedule should
incorporate time for individual and group work on materials as well as
intensive training on specific approaches to the teaching of civics
topics. In addition, the workshop should include field experiences
which are relevant to the materials being produced (such as visits to
schools and professional associations). In the third phase, the
curriculum development team will work in the Czech Republic with Czech
teacher trainers and U.S. specialists from the grantee organization to
provide introductory training for a larger group of practitioners in
methods for implementing and reviewing the draft curriculum units in
the civics classroom.
Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements
U.S. lecturers and consultants participating in the project must be
U.S. citizens. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please
refer to program specific guidelines in the Solicitation Package for
further details. Administration of the program must be in compliance
with reporting and withholding regulations for federal, state, and
local taxes as applicable. Recipient organizations should demonstrate
tax regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.
Proposed Budget
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the program, the
award for which will not exceed $150,000. Applicants should note that
Phase II (curriculum development workshop) is the key element of this
program; proposed budgets should allocate resources accordingly. The
budget submission should include summary budget, in addition to
separate administrative and program budgets. For further clarification,
applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component,
phase, location, or activity. Grants awarded to eligible organizations
with less than four years of experience in conducting international
exchange programs will be limited to $60,000, and budget submissions
from such organizations should not exceed this amount. Please refer to
the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting
instruction.
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
East European and NIS Affairs and USIS Prague. 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
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the program idea. Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission.
Proposals should reflect an advanced, current understanding of relevant
scholarly fields and disciplines;
2. Program planning. Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity and should
provide a clear picture of the program. 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 institutional and individual
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 articulated clearly and should be adequate and
appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals. The applicant
organization should demonstrate a capacity to work cooperatively with
Czech organizations and with USIA.
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 [[Page 7818]] support) which
insures that USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
9. 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. 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 assessed by USIA's geographic area desk and overseas officers with
regard to program need, potential impact, and significance in the
partner country.
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 May 12, 1995. Awards made will be subject to
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Dated: January 31, 1995.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-2935 Filed 2-8-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
