[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 135 (Thursday, July 15, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38238-38240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17978]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) for Mexico,
Central America, and the Caribbean (MCAC) Region; Request for ProposalS
SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs/Advising, Teaching, and
Specialized Programs Division of the bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs of the United States Information Agency announces an open
competition for a Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) for
Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (MCAC) Region. Public and
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in
IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals for a REAC
candidate to expand and enhance the sharing of information and
materials with the region's advising centers, follow trends in U.S.
education and regional exchange, disseminate information on the latest
developments in technology and provide direct guidance such as site
visits, internships, training and workshops in Mexico, Central America
and the Caribbean. The region boasts 53 advising centers in the USIA
network. These centers provide comprehensive and unbiased information
to interested students, scholars, and other individuals about study
opportunities in the US.
For applicants' information, on October 1, 1999, the Bureau will
become part of the U.S. Department of State without affecting the
content of this announcement or the nature of the program described.
Program Information
Overview: The Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) will
be responsible for providing on-site technical assistance and training
to existing centers in the Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
Region (MCAC) and for coordinating the establishment of any new
advising centers, as directed by individual embassies in consultation
with E/ASA. The REAC should support any USIA-affiliated center located
in the following countries: Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Guyana, Surinam, Anguilla,
Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman
Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman Island, Grenada,
Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Lucia,
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago, Tortola, and Trinidad. The MCAC
REAC, acting as educational advising coordinator for the area, should
work impartially with all organizations, binational centers, USIS
Posts, universities, libraries, etc. involved in educational advising
in the MCAC region to enable them to provide accurate and timely
information on U.S. higher educational opportunities. The REAC must
work closely with E/ASA and USIS posts throughout the region to help
establish priorities for educational advising.
Guidelines: The period of this grant is October 1, 1999 to
September 30, 2000.
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to
Solicitation Package for further information.
Budget Guidelines
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. Awards may not exceed $50,000. There must be a summary budget
as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program
budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program
component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) Salary and benefits.
(2) Budget for REAC travel and per diem.
(3) Costs for training materials.
(4) Costs for Regional Adviser Conference.
(5) Office supplies and expenses.
(6) Indirect costs.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with USIA
concerning this RFP should reference the above title and number E/ASA-
00-02.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Advising and Student Services
Branch,
[[Page 38239]]
E/ASA, Room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202) 619-4731, email: ssheehan@usia.gov
to request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains
detailed award criteria, required application forms, specific budget
instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. Please
specify USIA E/ASA Program Officer Sharen Sheehan on all other
inquiries and correspondence.
Please 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 with applicants
until the 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://e.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 requested 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 the first order when entering the system.
Deadline for Proposals
All proposal copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency
by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Monday, August 2, 1999. Faxed
documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked the
due date but received on a later date will not be accepted. Each
applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by the above
deadline.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The original and 6 copies of the application should be sent
to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASA-00-02, Office of Grants
Management, E/XE, Room 336, 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. These documents 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. Pub. L.
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.
Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)
The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific
requirements including data exchange with USIA. The inability to
process information in accordance with Federal requirements could
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been
accounted for properly.
USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust
for leap years.
Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology
website at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.
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. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the
program office, as well as the USIA WHA Area Office and the USIA posts
overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to
panels of USIA officers for advisory review. Proposals may also be
reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or by other Agency
elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of USIA's
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, substance, precision, and relevance to the Agency's
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 and program
content.
6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program of
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.
[[Page 38240]]
8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) ensuring 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 countries.
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
mutual Educational And Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 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.''
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 an committed through internal USIA procedures.
Dated: July 8, 1999.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-17978 Filed 7-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
