[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 94 (Thursday, May 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26850-26853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12734]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Strengthening Social Services: A U.S.-Middle East Exchange
Program
AGENCY: United States Information Agency.
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) may apply to design and conduct an
international exchange program entitled ``Strengthening Social
Services: A U.S.-Middle East Exchange Program,'' for which activities
will commence in 1997. The proposed program should involve participants
from Israel, Gaza, West Bank, Jordan, Oman, and Bahrain who have
interest, expertise, and/or policy authority dealing with persons with
disabilities, and it should emphasize strengthening civil society
through the improvement of services for the disabled and the linking of
professionals dealing with the disabled between and among all the
participating countries.
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-97-43.
Deadline For Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, June 27,
1997. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents
postmarked by the due date but received at a later date will not be
accepted. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that
proposals are received by the above deadline.
Contact for Further Information: Interested organizations/
institutions should contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/PS, Room
216, U.S. Information Agency, 301 Fourth Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
20547, 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. Please direct inquiries and correspondence to Dr.
Curtis Huff, telephone (202) 619-5972, fax (202) 619-4350, e-mail:
[email protected] 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.
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 Dr. Curtis Huff 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 proposal review process has
been completed.
Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the
Solicitation Package. The original and ten copies of the application
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-97-43, Office of
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 Fourth Street, S.W., Washington,
D.C. 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 promote this
principle both in program administration and in program content. Please
refer to the `Support for Diversity' criterion under Review Criteria
for 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 also reflect advancement of this goal in their program contents,
to the fullest extent deemed feasible.
Programmatic Considerations: The objectives of the anticipated
program should include the following:
--Strengthen local NGOs and other institutions which provide services
to the disabled and work to integrate disabled into the broader country
workforce;
--Enhance the education and career development of Middle Eastern local
[[Page 26851]]
staff, including relevant government and NGO professionals, working
with the disabled;
--Promote international, regional, and national discussion and
cooperation on policies and programs to address needs of the disabled;
--Introduce Middle Eastern disability service leaders to counterpart
organizations and leaders in the United States and elsewhere in the
Mideast, offering opportunities for the Middle Eastern leaders to learn
from their U.S. counterparts and each other through job shadowing,
short-term internships, workshops, and other activities; and
--Provide opportunities for U.S. experts to observe the work of Middle
Eastern counterparts and consult with them on mutual interests.
The program should involve two or more phases, one of which would
bring Mideast participants to the United States for a few weeks of
workshops, site visits, internships, or other activities in pursuit of
program objectives. The other phase would send U.S. experts to the
participating Mideast countries for appropriate follow-on activities.
Participants would likely include leaders of disability NGOs,
appropriate government professionals, university faculty with relevant
expertise, rehabilitation professionals, and people with disabilities.
Selection of the Mideast participants who would come to the United
States and timing of activities must be made in consultation with USIS
posts in the participating countries.
In order to be competitive, the submitted proposal must demonstrate
how the stipulated objectives will be addressed and should also provide
detailed information on how major program activities will be
undertaken. Beyond the immediate objectives 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 materials, and working
with host institutions and individuals to achieve maximum program
effectiveness.
To prepare the Middle Eastern participants prior to their arrival
in the United States, the grantee organization should develop materials
to be sent to USIS offices overseas for distribution to the travellers
before departure. These materials should include a tentative project
outline and information on American individuals and organizations
involved in the program.
At the beginning of the U.S.-based program, the grantee should
conduct an orientation session for the visiting participants which
addresses administrative details of the program and provides
information about American society and culture which will facilitate
the participants' understanding of and adjustment to daily life in the
United States.
At the conclusion of the U.S.-based program, USIS recommends that
the group meet in a symposium to review what has been presented to and
experienced by the participants and to consider how what has been
learned can most effectively be applied upon the participants' return
to their home countries. This symposium should also be used to begin
discussion of possible collaboration among the countries represented in
the program.
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. USIS officers in
participating countries will facilitate the issuance of visas and other
program-related material.
Funding: Competition for USIA funding 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 program should not exceed $120,000. Grants
awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years of
experience in conducting international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000. In addition, the overall budget should include cost
sharing which amounts to at least 33 percent of the total program cost.
Agency review of the proposed budget will benefit from the applicant's
professional judgment of costs or activities in the proposal. USIA is
committed to containment of administrative expenses, consistent with
overall program objectives and sound management principles. Additional
budget guidelines are explained in the Solicitation Package.
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 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.
Unless the grantee will have an audit conducted for other purposes
that will include this grant, the applicant's proposal shall include
the cost of an audit which: (1) complies with the requirements of OMB
Circular No. A-133, ``Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and
Other Nonprofit Institutions''; (2) complies with the requirements of
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of
Position (SOP) No. 92-9; and (3) includes review by the recipient's
independent auditor of a recipient-prepared supplemental schedule of
indirect cost rate computation, if such a rate is being proposed.
The audit costs shall be identified separately for: (1) preparation
of basic financial statements and other accounting services; and (2)
preparation of the supplemental reports and schedules required by OMB
Circular No. A-133, AICPA SOP 92-9, and the review of the supplemental
schedule of indirect cost rate computation. If an audit conducted for
other purposes obviates the above, it should be noted in the budget
submission of the proposal.
USIA will consider funding the following project costs:
(1) International and domestic travel; visas; transit costs (e.g.,
airport taxes); ground transportation.
(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 cost 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
[[Page 26852]]
for phases of the program to be conducted abroad, during which
interpreters are required to facilitate American participants, is to be
covered from the grant. The grant applicant is encouraged to confirm
with the appropriate USIS posts the local costs for interpreters.
(4) Book and cultural allowances: Participants may receive 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 ordinarily should not exceed $275 per
day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the
written contract(s) must be included in the proposal.
(6) Room rental: Ordinarily, such cost should not exceed $250 per
day.
(7) Materials development: Proposals may contain costs to purchase,
develop, and translate relevant materials for participants.
(8) One working meal per project: Per capita cost may not exceed
$5-8 per lunch and $14-20 per dinner, excluding room rental. The number
of invited guests may not exceed the number of project participants by
a factor of more than two to one.
(9) Return travel allowance of $70 for each participant which is
intended for incidental and emergency expenditures incurred during
international travel.
(10) Other costs necessary for the effective administration of the
program, including salaries for grant organization employees while
working on the project, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs
per detailed instructions in the Solicitation Package.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges requests cost sharing, which may be
in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. The Grant Recipient
must maintain written records to support all allowable costs which are
claimed as being its contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the
USIA grant. 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 and the grant agreement, the
Agency's contribution will be reduced in proportion to the Recipient's
contribution.
Please Note: During project activities, all participants will be
covered under the terms of the USIA-sponsored health insurance
policy, the premium for which is paid by USIA directly to the
insurance company. USIA will provide instructions to the grant
recipient for enrolling participants in this insurance program.
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, the USIA Office of Near Eastern, North
African, and South Asian Affairs, and USIA/USIS posts overseas.
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. 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 fund 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 the Program Concept
Proposals should exhibit originality, substance, rigor, and
relevance to Agency mission. They should demonstrate the matching of
U.S. resources to a clearly defined need.
2. Program Planning
Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate the
applicant's ability to plan, organize, conduct, and evaluate a complex
undertaking which involves international travel and collaboration among
institutions and individuals to accomplish programs goals and
objectives.
3. Institutional Capacity
Proposals should show that the personnel and institutional
resources to be involved in the program include the thematic and
logistical expertise relevant and adequate to achieve the program or
project's purposes.
4. 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.
5. Cross-Cultural Sensitivity
Proposals should show experience and insight in managing cross-
cultural professional programs.
6. Multiplier Effect/Impact
Proposed programs should strengthen mutual understanding between
the United States and other participating countries, should contribute
to maximum sharing of information, and should promote the establishment
of long-term institutional and individual linkages.
7. Support of Diversity
Proposals should demonstrate 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).
8. Follow-on Activities
Proposals should propose realistic and valuable follow-on
activities (without USIA support) which ensures that the USIA-supported
project is not an isolated effort.
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. A draft
survey questionnaire or other technique plus description of a
methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives is
recommended. Successful applicants will be expected to submit
intermediate reports after each project component is concluded or
quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
[[Page 26853]]
10. Cost-effectiveness
The overhead and administrative components of the proposed budget,
including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible
consistent with high quality management. 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. A
minimum of 33 percent cost sharing is required in this program.
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.
Dated: May 9, 1997.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-12734 Filed 5-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
