[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 107 (Thursday, June 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30567-30569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14933]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
East Timor Exchange Project; Request for Proposals
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 develop the East Timor
Exchange Project.
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.''
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 USIA
concerning this RFP should refer to the announcement's title and
reference number.
Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, July 17,
1998. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/
P), Room 216, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone number: (202) 619-5326, fax number:
(202) 260-0440, e-mail address: rharvey@usia.gov to request a
Solicitation Package containing more details. Please request 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 via the Bureau's ``Grants
Information Fax on Demand System'', which is accessed by calling 202/
401-7616. Please request a
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``Catalog'' of available documents and order numbers when first
entering the system.
Please specify USIA Program Officer Name 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/P-98-56, Office of
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th 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
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 account for
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent
deemed feasible.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Indonesian province of East Timor has had relatively little
contact with the outside world, and its people are only now receiving
increased opportunities for educational exchange with western
countries, including the U.S. Many are ill-prepared for U.S. study, due
to limited opportunities at local institutions of higher learning,
insufficient English-language skills, and inadequate library resources
and knowledge of information science. International efforts to assist
the people of East Timor require sensitivity to appropriateness for the
local context. Our objective is to provide meaningful opportunities to
qualified exchange program participants so that a growing number of
East Timor residents are knowledgeable about U.S. society and values
and can share their experiences with others. Implementation of projects
may be affected by changes underway in Indonesia.
Guidelines
Projects designed to contribute to better understanding of the U.S.
in East Timor could include training in administration and/or
curriculum development for educational institutions; exchanges for
print and/or broadcast media professionals; public administration and
NGO management programs; enhancement of English-language teaching;
support for development of library resources to the University of East
Timor and training in library science; and other program activities
which contribute to the overall goal of enhancing mutual understanding
between the U.S. and the province of East Timor. Interested U.S.
institutions will be expected to liaise closely with the U.S.
Information Service in Jakarta, Indonesia. Grants must be written prior
to September 30, 1998.
Selection of Participants
All grant proposals should clearly describe the type of persons who
will participate in the program as well as the process by which the
participants will be selected. It is recommended that program in
support of U.S. internship include letters tentatively committing host
institutions to support internships. In the selection of foreign
participants, USIA and USIS Jakarta retain the right to nominate all
participants and to accept or deny participants recommended by grantee
organizations. However, grantee institutions are often asked by USIA to
suggest names of potential participants. The grantee institution will
also provide the names of American participants and brief (two pages)
biographical data on each American participant to the Office of Citizen
Exchanges for information purposes. Priority will be given to foreign
participants who have not previously traveled to the United States.
Foreign participants in the program will travel to the U.S. utilizing
J-1 visas.
Budget
Funding requests submitted to USIS should not exceed $200,000.
Organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting
international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
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
further clarification, applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for
each program component, phase, location, or activity in order to
facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) Travel and Per Diem
(2) Administrative Costs
(3) Books and Materials
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 program office, as well as the USIA Office of East Asia
and Pacific Affairs and the USIS Jakarta overseas, where appropriate.
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. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality,
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substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. 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 substantive
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).
6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals.
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 support) which ensures 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. 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.
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
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance
in the partner country(ies).
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 29, 1998.
Robert L. Earle,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-14933 Filed 6-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
