[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 176 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49543-49546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23661]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Program Title: The
FREEDOM Support Act/Future Leaders Exchange (FSA/FLEX) Program;
Inbound, NIS Secondary School Initiative
NOTICE: Request for proposals.
SUMMARY: The Youth Programs Division/Office of Citizen Exchanges of the
United States Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs announces an open competition for the FREEDOM Support Act (FSA)
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Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. For applicants' Information, on
October 1, 1999, the Bureau will become part of the U.S. Department of
State. The integration will not affect the content of this announcement
or nature of the program described. Public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR
1.501(c) may submit proposals to recruit and select host families for
high school students between the ages of 15 and 17 from the New
Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union. In addition to
identifying schools and screening, selecting, and orienting host
families, organizations will be responsible for: orienting students at
the local level; providing support services for students; arranging
enhancement activities that reinforce program goals; monitoring
students during their stay in the U.S.; providing re-entry training;
and assessing student performance and progress. The award of grants and
the number of students who will participate is subject to the
availability of funding in fiscal year 2000.
Program Information
Overview
Background
Academic year 2000/01 will be the eight year of the FSA/FLEX
program, which now includes over 7,100 alumni. This component of the
NIS Secondary School Initiative was originally authorized under the
FREEDOM Support Act of 1992 and is funded by annual allocations from
the Foreign Operations and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs appropriations. The goals of the program are to promote mutual
understanding and foster a relationship between the people of the NIS
and the U.S.; assist the successor generation of the NIS to develop the
qualities it will need to lead in the transformation of those countries
in the 21st century; and to promote democratic values and civic
responsibility by giving NIS youth the opportunity to live in American
society and participate in goal-oriented activities for an academic
year.
Objectives
To place approximately 1,000 pre-selected high school students from
the NIS in qualified, well-motivated host families and welcoming
schools. To expose program participants to American culture and
democracy through homestay experiences and enhancement activities that
will enable them to attain a broad view of the society and culture of
the U.S. To encourage FSA/FLEX program participants to share their
culture, lifestyle and traditions with U.S. citizens. Through
participation in the FLEX program, students should:
1. Acquire an understanding of important elements of a civil
society. This includes concepts such as volunteerism, the idea that
American citizens can and do act at the grass roots level to deal with
societal problems, and an awareness of and respect for the rule of law.
2. Acquire an understanding of a free market economy and private
enterprise. This includes an awareness of privatization and an
appreciation of the role of the entrepreneur in economic growth.
3. Develop an appreciation for American culture.
4. Interact with Americans and generate enduring ties.
5. Teach Americans about the cultures of their home countries.
6. Gain leadership capacity that will enable the initiation and
support of development and community activities in their role as
program alumni.
Other Components
Two organizations operating as a consortium have been awarded
grants to perform the following functions: recruitment and selection of
students; targeted recruitment for students with disabilities;
assistance in documentation and preparation of IAP-66 forms;
preparation of cross-cultural materials; pre-departure orientation;
international travel from home to host community and return;
facilitation of ongoing communication between the natural parents and
placement organizations, as needed; maintenance of a student database
and provision of data to the Bureau; and ongoing follow-up with alumni
after their return to the NIS. Additionally, a separate grant will be
awarded for a one-week mid-year civic education program in Washington,
D.C., for a select number of students who successfully compete for the
Washington program. Most of the students with disabilities, as well as
a select number of additional students who are identified as needing
English language enhancement before entering their host communities,
will attend an English enrichment and cultural orientation program in
July 2000, conducted under a grant awarded exclusively for that
purpose. The announcements of the competitions for these grants will be
published separately.
Guidelines
Organizations chosen under this competition are responsible for the
following: recruitment, screening, selection, and cultural-specific
orientation of host families; school enrollment; local orientation for
participants; placement of a small number of students with
disabilities; ensuring that all students identified for the pre-
academic-year English and cultural enrichment program have their
permanent year-program; specialized training of local staff and
volunteers to work with NIS students; preparation and dissemination of
materials to students pertaining to the respective placement
organization; program-related enhancement activities; supervision and
monitoring of students; trouble shooting and periodic reporting on
students' progress; when appropriate, communication with the
organizations conducting other program components; evaluation of the
students' performance; quarterly evaluation of the organization's
success in achieving program goals; and re-entry training to prepare
students for readjustment to their home environments.
Applicants may request a grant for the placement of at least 20
students. There is no ceiling on the number of students who may be
placed by one organization. It is anticipated that 10 to 15 grants will
be awarded for this component of the FLEX program. Placements will be
distributed throughout the U.S. Students may be clustered in one or
more regions or dispersed. If dispersed, applicants should demonstrate
that training of local staff ensures their competence in providing NIS-
specific orientation programs, appropriate enhancement activities, and
quality supervision and counseling of students from the NIS. Please
refer to the Solicitation Package, available on request from the
address listed below, for details on essential program elements,
permissible costs, and criteria used to select students.
Grants should begin at the point that the complete applications on
selected finalists are delivered to the placement organizations, no
later than March 15, 2000. Participants arrive in their host
communities during the month of August and remain for 10 or 11 months
until their departure during the period mid-May to late June 2001.
Administration of the program must be in compliance with reporting
and withholding regulations for federal, state, and local taxes as
applicable. Recipient organizations should demonstrate tax regulation
adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.
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Applicants should submit the health and accident insurance plans
they intend to use for students on this program. The Bureau will
compare any external plans with the Bureau's plan and make a
determination of which will be applicable.
Participants will travel on J-1 visas issued by the Bureau using a
government program number. Organizations must comply with J-1 visa
regulations in carrying out their responsibilities under the FLEX
program. Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
Budget Guidelines
Grants awarded to eligible 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. Per capita costs should not exceed $4,850. 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) A monthly stipend and incidentals allowance for participants,
as established by the Bureau.
(2) Costs associated with student enhancements and orientations.
(3) Administrative costs associated with host family recruiting,
staff training, monitoring, and other functions.
(4) Health and accident insurance. Please refer to the Solicitation
Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFP should reference the above title and number E/P-00-
06.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Youth Programs, ECA/PE/
C/PY, Room 568, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 301 4th
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, tel. (202) 619-6299, fax (202)
619-5311, e-mail amussman@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 Bureau Program
Officer Anna Mussman 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, Bureau 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 the Bureau's website at
http://e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all information before
downloading.
Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C.
time on Monday, October 25, 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. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: E/P-00-06, Office of Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
336, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547.
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, the Bureau 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 the Bureau. 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.
The Bureau 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
The Bureau 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 Department of State
regional authorities and embassies overseas, where appropriate.
Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of Bureau officers for
advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the
Legal Adviser or by other Department of State entities. Final funding
decisions are at the discretion of State's Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for
assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the
Bureau 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 Bureau's
mission.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity, including
assurance that all students will be
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placed in a timely fashion. Agenda and plan should adhere to the
program overview and guidelines described above.
3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be
reasonable and feasible and should coincide with those for the FLEX
program stated above. 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 linkages.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity both in host community and
family placements and in program content (e.g., orientation,
enhancement activities, community service).
6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to ensure that all
functions are carried out efficiently to achieve the program 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 Bureau grants as determined by contracting
authorities. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
8. 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 quarterly reports, which should be included as an
inherent component of the work plan.
9. 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.
10. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding
contributions.
Authority
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
above is provided through legislation pertaining to the Bureau and
Foreign Operations appropriations.
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau 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 Bureau reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposals 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 Bureau procedures.
Dated: September 7, 1999.
William P. Kiehl,
Acting Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-23661 Filed 9-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-31-M
