[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 61 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13920-13922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7467]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Community Connections
ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division 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 organize
and implement community-based, professional programs for entrepreneurs,
legal professionals and government officials from Ukraine and Moldova.
The objective of Community Connections is to enhance the participants'
skills in business and entrepreneurship, law, and local governance upon
returning to Ukraine and Moldova. USIA is interested in proposals that
provide both professional experience and exposure to American life and
culture through internships hosted by U.S. businesses and local
governmental and legal institutions, and homestays with local community
members. This program is not academic in nature; rather, it is designed
to provide practical, hands-on training in American business and in
legal and public sector environments which can be transferred to the
individual's professional career at home. The Agency welcomes
innovative proposals which combine elements of professional enrichment,
job shadowing and internships appropriate to the language ability and
interests of the participants.
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 FREEDOM Support 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 SLUA concerning
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number
E/PN-96-32.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Tuesday, April
30, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked April 30, 1996 but received at later date. It is the
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received
by the above deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges,
Russia/Eurasia Division, E/PN Room 216, U.S. Information Agency, 301
4th Street SW., Washington, D.C. 20547, Phone: (202) 619-5326, fax:
(202) 619-4350, internet: jdelgiud@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.
TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE VIA INTERNET: The Solicitation
Package may be downloaded from USIA'S website at http://www.usia.gov/ or from the Internet Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov. Select
``Education and Cultural Exchanges'', then select ``Current Request for
Proposals (RFPs).'' Please read ``About the following RFPs before
beginning to download.
Please specify USIA Program Assistant James Del Giudice on all
inquiries and correspondences. Interested applicants should read the
complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or
submitting proposals. Once 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 12 copies of the application
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/PN-96-32, Office of
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547.
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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Community Connections seeks to establish and strengthen links
between American communities and communities in Ukraine and Moldova.
[[Page 13921]]
Community Connections will focus on business (particularly
entrepreneurship), the legal profession and its relationship to the
administration of justice, and issue of concern for local government.
Pending the availability of funds, approximately 325 Ukrainian business
people, 160 Ukrainian legal professionals, 160 Ukrainian local
government officials, 50 Moldovan business people, 25 Moldovan legal
professionals, and 25 Moldovan local government officials will be
recruited from selected regions of Ukraine and Moldova by experienced
U.S. organizations with offices in Ukraine and Moldova. The program
will recruit both English-speaking participants and participants with
little or no English-language skills in order to expand the reach and
impact of Community Connections.
Guidelines
In order to make the most effective use of the limited financial
resources available while, at the same time, maintaining a maximum
degree of program flexibility, the Office of Citizen Exchanges asks
that interested organizations submit proposals to host no fewer than 30
participants in total. Organizations must host at least one group of
participants each from two of the three subject components of the
program. Groups of legal professionals and local government officials
may not be smaller than 10 participants. Programs for business people
will be from four to five weeks in length; programs for legal
professionals will be from three to four weeks in length; and programs
for government officials will be from two to three weeks in length.
Programs are to be conducted between October 1, 1996, and December 31,
1997. Care must be taken to allow sufficient time between programs to
adequately prepare for the following group. Organizations proposing to
develop programs for additional groups of interns beyond the minimum
must demonstrate that they have either allowed for sufficient
preparatory time between programs or have the necessary human, physical
and financial resources to adequately handle any overlap. The Agency
strongly prefers that all programs be completed by December 31, 1997.
Recruitment for the ``Community Connections'' program will be
conducted by experienced American organizations with offices in Ukraine
and Moldova. All candidates for placement in the U.S. will be selected
no later than December 1996. The first group of participants will be
selected by August 1996 for arrival in the United States no earlier
than October 1, 1996. Participants will be assigned to U.S. host
communities by the Office of Citizen Exchanges based on the following
factors: Existing ties between the regions of origin of the
participants, the locations of the U.S. grantee organizations (e.g.
Sister City ties), the professional interests of the participants, and
the areas of strength of U.S. grantee organizations.
A proposal's cost-effectiveness, including in-kind contributions
and ability to keep administrative costs low, is a major consideration
in the review process. Cost-sharing may be in the form of allowable
direct or indirect costs. The Recipient must maintain written records
to support all allowable costs which are claimed as being its
contribution to cost participation, as well as costs to be paid by the
Federal Government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for
determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, Attachment E, ``Cost-Sharing and
Matching'' and should be described in the proposal. In the event that
the Recipient does not provide the minimum amount of cost-sharing as
stipulated in the Recipient's budget, the Agency's contribution.
Proposed Budget
Organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on
the specific guidance in the Solicitation Package. Average per capita
cost for participants hosted should not exceed $6,300.
Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000.
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 program office, as well as the USIA Office of Eastern
European and NIS Affairs and the USIA posts in Ukraine and Moldova.
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 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:
1. Program planning and ability to achieve objectives: Detailed
agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate careful and thorough
preparation to carry out substantive programs which have a high
likelihood of achieving program objectives. Agenda and plan should
adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above.
Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible.
2. Institutional capability: Organization should demonstrate
sufficient skills and experience in hosting visitors from other
countries and ability to utilize local business, legal and governmental
resources and voluntary support. Thematic expertise in project subject
areas should be demonstrated.
3. 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.
Proposals should also maximize cost-sharing through other private
sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.
4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of
diversity.
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 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.
[[Page 13922]]
Dated: March 21, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-7467 Filed 3-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
