[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 84 (Thursday, May 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23823-23826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-11186]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Public and Private Nonprofit Organizations in Support of
International Educational and Cultural Activities: The Training of
Personnel To Staff and Administer a Judicial Training Institution in
the Palestinian Authority
AGENCY: The United States Information Agency.
NOTICE: Request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) 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) may apply to develop, in close
consultation with leading American specialists in judicial training and
USIS Jerusalem, an educational project for the personnel who will staff
and administer a soon-to-be-established judicial training institution
in the Palestinian Authority. The project will provide ten
Palestinians--directors and administrators of the proposed institution
and judges who will teach there--orientation to and experience in
curriculum and text development, training methodology, and
[[Page 23824]]
administrative procedures appropriate to the reconfigured Palestinian
legal system. The goal of the project will be the formation of a cadre
of knowledgeable Palestinian specialists who will develop an
institution and train judges upon whose knowledge and skill the
successful operation of the modern legal system in the Palestinian
Authority will depend.
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.''
Announcement Title and Number
All communications with USIA concerning this announcement should
refer to the above title and reference number E/P-97-46.
Deadline for Proposals
All copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency by 5
p.m. Washington, DC time on June 12, 1997. Faxed documents will not be
accepted, nor will documents postmarked June 12, 1997, but received at
a later date. It is the responsibility of each grant applicant to
ensure that proposals are received by the above deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/P, Room 220, U.S. Information
Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202)
619-5319; fax: (202) 619-4350; e-mail: tjohnsto@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 entire solicitation package may be downloaded from USIA's
website at http://www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all
information before downloading.
To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand
The entire Solicitation Package may be received from the Bureau's
``Grants Information Fax on Demand System,'' which is accessed by
calling (202) 401-7616. The ``Table of Contents'' listing available
documents and order numbers should be your first order when entering
the system.
Please specify USIA Program Specialist Thomas Johnston on all
inquiries and correspondence. 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's proposal review process has been completed.
Submissions
Applicants must follow all instructions given in the solicitation
package. The original and nine copies of the application should be sent
to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-97-46, 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, Freedom and Democracy 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. Public
Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom
and democracy,'' USIA ``shall take appropriate steps to provide
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should reflect
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent
deemed feasible.
Background/Objectives of This Program
Over the past two years, a consensus has emerged among judges,
lawyers, and legal scholars within the Palestinian Authority regarding
the re-establishment of the Palestinian legal system and its
configuration along lines which will allow it to serve as underpinning
for a democratically oriented political and social structure. The
logical next step in this process is the institutionalization of
training for the judges and lawyers upon whose knowledge and skill the
successful operation of the modern legal system will depend. The
Palestinian Ministry of Justice has identified international resources
for the establishment of training institutions. Reflecting the
appreciation developed within the Palestinian legal community for the
responsive and accessible American common-law system of justice, the
Minister has requested that the United States Information Agency
facilitate the development of a program within which both the trainers
and the administrators who will staff these institutions will receive
aspects of their training in the United States.
Participants
Ten Palestinian judges and administrators who will form the core
staff of the to-be-established judicial training institution in the
Palestinian Authority. These participants will be selected by the
Palestinian Ministry of Justice in consultation with the American
grantee institution, American specialists in judicial training and
institutional development, and US Information Service personnel in the
region. USIA and the USIS post in Jerusalem retain the right to accept
or reject participants recommended by grantee institutions. American
judges and legal scholars who serve as consultants and trainers during
this exchange and who may travel abroad in the capacity of advisors
will be selected by the grantee institution in consultation with the
Palestinian Ministry of Justice and the United States Information
Service in Jerusalem.
USIS officers in participating countries will facilitate the
issuance of visas and other program-related
[[Page 23825]]
material. USIS Jerusalem will also be responsible for arranging the
travel of Americans in the West Bank and Gaza, approving lodging
arrangements, and providing orientation and debriefing.
Programmatic Considerations
The program should provide that the exchange:
--Be informed by the grantee's experience in working with foreign
audiences and in the field of civil and criminal legal processes;
--Provide the ten Palestinian participants both a strong theoretical
and a strong experiential orientation to judicial training and the
development and administration of a judicial training institution;
--Include (1), an initial assessment trip to the Palestinian Authority
for a small contingent of American specialists in judicial training and
in the establishment and operation of judicial training institutions;
(2), a ten-to-12-day intensive orientation/training visit to the United
States by approximately ten Palestinian leaders and administrators of
the proposed institute and judges who will teach in the institute; and
(3), a somewhat extended consultative visit to the Palestinian
Authority as the Palestinian judicial training institution is getting
underway, by one or more American specialists--probably from among
those who made the initial assessment trip and who have also played a
substantive role in the Palestinians' American visit--to assist in the
organization of the institute and in early training sessions; and
--The adaptation and/or development of appropriate judicial training
curriculum and text materials.
Beyond the immediate goals of this exchange, USIA is interested in
encouraging exchange projects which lay the groundwork for new and
continuing, mutually beneficial links between American and Middle
Eastern institutions and professional organizations and which will
encourage the further growth and development of democratic
institutions.
The grantee organization will be responsible for most arrangements
associated with this program. These include organizing a coherent
progression of activities, providing international and domestic travel
arrangements for all participants, making lodging and local
transportation arrangements for visitors, orienting and debriefing
participants, preparing any necessary support material, and working
with host institutions and individuals to achieve maximum program
effectiveness.
To prepare the Palestinian judges and administrators for this
project prior to their arrival in the United States, E/P encourages the
grantee organization to develop material to be sent to USIS offices
overseas for distribution to participants. This material should include
a tentative project outline and information on American individuals and
institutions involved in the exchange.
At the beginning of the U.S.-based program, the grantee
organization should conduct an orientation session for the visiting
participants that addresses administrative details of the program and
provides general information about American society and culture that
will facilitate the participants' understanding of and adjustment to
daily life in the United States.
At the conclusion of the U.S.-based program, the group should meet
in a symposium to review what has been presented to and experienced by
the participants and to consider how that which has been learned can
most effectively be applied upon the participants' return to their home
country.
Additional Guidelines
Program monitoring and oversight will be provided by appropriate
USIA elements. The U.S. grantee institution should maximize cost-
sharing in all facets of the program and stimulate U.S. private sector
(foundation and corporate) support.
Proposals incorporating participant/observer site visits will be
more competitive if letters committing prospective host institutions to
supporting these efforts are provided.
For this grant, because of the sensitivity of the program and the
fluid political situation in the region, all activities must be
coordinated, in advance, with USIS Jerusalem and USIS Tel-Aviv.
Funding
Competition for USIA funding support is keen. The final selection
of a grantee institution will depend on assessment of proposals
according to the review criteria delineated below.
The amount requested from USIA for this exchange should not exceed
$135,000. Organizations with less than four years of successful
experience in managing international exchange programs are subject to a
grant limit of $60,000.
Applicants are invited to provide both an all-inclusive budget as
well as separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase,
location, or activity in order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
While an all-inclusive budget must be provided with each proposal,
separate component budgets are optional.
USIA will consider funding the following project costs:
1. International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs
(e.g., airport taxes); ground transportation costs.
2. Per diem: For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of
using a flat rate of $140/day for international participants or the
published Federal Travel Regulations per diem rates for individual
American Cities.
Note: U.S. escorting staff must use the published federal per
diem rates, not the flat rate. For activities in the Middle East,
the 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. USIA
grants do not pay for foreign interpreters to accompany delegations
during travel to or from their home country. Grant proposal budgets
should contain a flat $140/day per diem rate for each State Department
interpreter, as well as home-program-home air transportation 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. The cost of interpretation for phases of
the program to be conducted abroad, during which interpreters are
required to facilitate American participation, is to be covered from
the grant. The grant applicant is encouraged to confirm with the
appropriate USIS post(s) the local costs for interpreters.
4. Book and cultural allowance: Participants are entitled to a one-
time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book allowance of
$50. Escorts are reimbursed for actual cultural expenses up to $150.
These benefits are not available to U.S. staff.
5. Consultants: May be used to provide specialized expertise or to
make presentations. Honoraria up to $345 per day may be paid.
Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the
written contract(s) must be included in the proposal.
6. Room rental: Generally should not exceed $250 per day.
7. Material Development: Proposals may contain costs to purchase,
develop and translate material for participants.
8. One working meal per project: Per capita cost may not exceed $5-
8 per
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lunch and $14-20 per dinner, excluding room rental. The number of
invited guests may not exceed the number of participants by a factor of
more than 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. 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 the
Recipient does not meet the minimum amount of cost-sharing as
stipulated in the Recipient's budget, the Agency's contribution will be
reduced in proportion to the Recipient's contribution.
Application Requirements
Proposals must be structured in accordance with the instructions
contained in the application package. Confirmation letters from U.S.
and foreign co-sponsors noting their intention to participate in the
program will enhance a proposal.
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 established herein and in the
application package.
Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of USIA officers for
advisory review. Proposals will be reviewed by USIS posts and by USIA's
Office of Near Eastern, North African, and South Asian Affairs.
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 Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final
technical authority for granting awards resides with the USIA grants
officer. The awarding of any grant is subject to availability of funds.
The U.S. Government reserves the right to reject any or all
applications received. USIA will not pay for design and development
costs associated with submitting a proposal. Applications are submitted
at the risk of the applicant; should circumstances prevent the awarding
of a grant, all preparation and submission costs are borne by the
applicant. USIA will not funds activities conducted prior to the actual
grant award.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered.
1. Quality of Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit substance,
originality, rigor, and relevance to the Agency mission. They should
demonstrate the matching of U.S. resources to a clearly defined need.
2. Program planning: Proposals should demonstrate the applicant's
ability to plan, organize, and administer a complex undertaking
involving international travel and collaboration among institutions and
individuals.
3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: The applicant should give
evidence of a clear grasp of the objectives of the program and indicate
how the applicant's project design would promote the efficient
achievement of those objectives.
4. Multiplier Effect: Proposed projects should strengthen mutual
understanding, should contribute to maximum sharing of information, and
should promote the establishment of long-term institutional and
individual ties.
5. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: The project should be
framed in such a way as to make clear the significance of the project
to both the United States and the foreign country and should
demonstrate how the project might influence positively the binational
relationship.
6. Institutional Capacity: Institutions should demonstrate their
potential for effective program design and implementation and provide,
if available, evidence of having conducted successful programs. If an
applicant has previously received a USIA grant, 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. Evaluations of previous projects may also be considered in
this assessment.
7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide, if possible, a
plan for continued exchange activity (without USIA support) which
ensures that the USIA-supported project is not an isolated event.
8. Evaluation Plan: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the
project. USIA recommends that the applicant discuss the evaluation
methodology chosen and the techniques which will be employed to assess
the effectiveness of the project and the correspondence between
observable outcomes and original project objectives.
9. Cost Effectiveness: Costs to USIA per exchange participant
(American and foreign) should be kept to a minimum, and all 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
private sector support as well as through direct funding contributions
and/or in-kind support from the prospective grantee organization and
its partners.
11. Support of Diversity: Projects conducted under USIA auspices
should reflect, to the degree feasible, the diversity of American (and
the foreign) society in the selection of both American and foreign
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 which contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on
the part of the U.S. 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.
Dated: April 25, 1997.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-11186 Filed 4-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
