[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 171 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46797-46800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23432]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Training Programs for Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia,
the Baltics and Poland
ACTION: 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 develop training programs
that link their international exchange interests in Central and Eastern
Europe with counterpart institutions/groups in ways supportive of the
aims of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 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
[[Page 46798]]
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 cited above is provided through the
Fulbright-Hays Act.
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 E/P-98-04.
Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, November
14, 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. Grants may begin on March 1, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Office of Citizens Exchange, E/PE, Room 220, U.S. Information
Agency, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: 202-619-
5319; fax: 202-619-4350; Internet Address: cminer@usia.gov} to request
a Solicitation Package containing more detailed 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 ``Catalog'' of available documents and order
numbers when first entering the system.
Please specify USIA Program Officer Christina Miner 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 ten copies of the application
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-98-04, 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 account for
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent
deemed feasible.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Diminished resources have forced USIA to
limit the scope of this announcement; regrettably, proposals for
countries and themes other than the ones described below will not be
eligible for consideration.
USIA is interested in proposals in the following areas and
countries:
Slovakia: Projects should focus on the free-flow of information for
Slovak libraries. Objectives of the project would be to introduce the
practical use of new technologies and new library services for
citizens. There is particular interest in assisting the parliamentary
library to become a source of information about the parliament and
lawmaking for the whole country and not just a research service for its
members. In addition, Slovak partners should include the librarian's
association and leading university and public libraries, particularly
Bratislava's University Library. Proposals for less than $110,000 will
receive preference. Costs of up to $10,000 may be used to cover
equipment purchases and subscriptions to the Internet.
Slovenia: Projects should focus on municipal administration and
devolving greater administrative power from the federal level to
municipalities. The first phase of the project should consist of in-
country workshops for mayors from many of the 147 counties or
``opcina'' in Slovenia. Workshop topics could include how local
governments raise revenue, economic development for municipalities and
the provision of municipal services. During the second phase of the
project six to eight mayors should participate in a U.S. study tour
which would include site visits to municipal governments in small to
medium sized cities. Proposals for less than $75,000 will receive
preference.
Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia: Proposals for this multi-country project
should focus on the themes of diversity in a democracy, the protection
of minority rights, and human rights law. The first phase of the
project would consist of in-country workshops held in Bosnia, Croatia,
and Serbia for 20 to 30 participants in each country. The workshops may
be held outside of the capital cities. Phase two should be a U.S.
program for approximately three participants from each country.
Proposals for less than $75,000 will be given preference.
Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania: Proposals for this multi-country project
should focus on intellectual property rights (IPR), with a special
concentration on copyright protection for films/videos, music
recordings, computer software, and similar products subject to piracy.
Participants should include: (1) Government officials responsible both
for drafting and enforcing laws and regulations; (2) lawyers, judges
and distributors or licensing organizations involved with presenting
and deciding infringement cases; and (3) press and media, to engage
them in raising public consciousness about IPR protection. The first
phase of the project would bring U.S. project staff to Estonia, Latvia
and
[[Page 46799]]
Lithuania in order to become familiar with the particular legal regime
and market environment in each country and to meet with the principal
players in the copyright enforcement arena. Project staff would also
familiarize themselves with the efforts of organizations such as the
WTO, EU Phare, WIPO, and embassy elements that are already working in
the area.
The second phase of the project would include one to two day
training workshops in each country. The workshops would consist of
seminars for customs officers on techniques for identifying and seizing
infringing goods; for lawyers and judges on the elements of proving
infringement, damages and remedies allowed by statute; and the
licensees, copyright owners and media representatives on informing the
public about the value of protecting copyrights. A final workshop
component should bring the above groups of people together to
facilitate understanding of the full scope of the issue and to develop
an effective solution to issues of piracy. The third phase of the
project would be a U.S. training program for a selected group of
participants. Participants would receive first-hand exposure to piracy
investigation techniques, customs inspection practices, licensing
policies of collective rights organizations, preparation and
presentation of a case in court, public relations strategies and
related IPR enforcement and protection endeavors. Projects for less
than $100,000 will receive preference.
Poland: Projects should consist of two parts. Part one should focus
on intellectual property rights and copyright law. Participants should
be representatives of both large and small Polish presses. The second
part should focus on economic survival techniques for small press
operations. Participants should include representatives of Poland's
small, serious presses. The project goals should be to foster better
respect of intellectual property rights in Poland and to help serious,
small presses survive in Poland's free market economy. Projects for
less than $90,000 will receive preference.
Exchange and training programs supported by institutional grants
should operate at two levels: They should enhance institutional
relationships; and they should offer practical and comparative
information to individuals to assist them with their professional
responsibilities. Strong proposals usually have the following
characteristics: An existing partner relationship between an American
organization and a host-country institution; a proven track record of
conducting program activity; cost sharing from American or in-country
sources, including donations of air fares, hotel and housing costs;
experienced staff with language facility; and a clear, convincing plan
showing how permanent results will be accomplished as a result of the
activity funded by the grant. USIA wants to see tangible forms of time
and money contributed to the project by the prospective grantee
institution, as well as funding from third party sources.
Note: Research projects or projects limited to technical issues
are not eligible for support nor are film festivals or exhibits.
Exchange programs for students or faculty or proposals that request
support for the development of university curricula or for degree-
based programs are also ineligible under this RFP. Proposals to link
university departments or to exchange faculty and/or students are
funded by USIA's Office of Academic Programs (E/A) under the
University Affiliation Program and should not be submitted in
response to this RFP.
Guidelines
1. All grant proposals must clearly describe the type of persons
who will participate in the program as well as the process by which
participants will be selected. In the selection of all foreign
participants, USIA and USIS posts retain the right to nominate
participants and to approve or reject participants recommended by the
program institution. Programs must also comply with J-1 visa
regulations.
2. Programs that include internships in the U.S. should provide
letters tentatively committing host institutions to support the
internships. Letters of commitment from the hosts of study tour site
visits should also be included, if applicable.
3. Applicants are encouraged to consult with USIS offices regarding
program content and partner institutions before submitting proposals.
Award-receiving applicants will be expected to maintain contact with
the USIS post throughout the grant period.
Proposed Budget
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
instructions. Applicants must submit a detailed line item budget based
on specific instructions in the Program and Budget Guidelines of
Proposal Submission Instructions. Proposals for the following amounts
will receive preference:
Slovakia: $110,000.
Slovenia: $75,000.
Croatia/Bosnia/Serbia: $75,000.
Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania: $100,000.
Poland: $90,000.
Proposals with strong cost-sharing will be given priority.
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. 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) International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs;
ground transportation costs.
(2) Per Diem. For the U.S. program, organizations have the option
of using a flat $140/day for program participants or the published U.S.
Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. For activities
outside the U.S., the published Federal per diem rates must be used.
Note: U.S. escorting staff must use the published Federal per
diem rates, not the flat rate.
(3) Interpreters. If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are
provided by the U.S. State Department Language Services Division.
Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided for every
four visitors. USIA grants do not pay for foreign interpreters to
accompany delegations from their home country. Grant proposal budgets
should contain a flat $140/day per diem for each Department of State
interpreter, as well as home-program-home air transportation of $400
per interpreter plus any U.S. travel expenses during the program.
Salary expenses are covered centrally and should not be part of an
applicant's proposed budget.
(4) Book and cultural allowance. Participants are entitled to and
escorts are reimbursed a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per
person, plus a participant book allowance of $50. U.S. staff do not get
these benefits.
(5) Consultants. May be used to provide specialized expertise or to
make presentations. Daily honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per
day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the
written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor
should be included in the proposal.
(6) Room rental, which generally should not exceed $250 per day.
(7) Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase,
develop, and translate materials for participants.
[[Page 46800]]
(8) One working meal per project. Per capita costs may not exceed
$5-8 for a lunch and $14-20 for a dinner, excluding room rental. The
number of invited guests may not exceed participants by more than a
factor of two-to-one.
(9) All USIA-funded delegates will be covered under the terms of a
USIA-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is paid by USIA
directly to the insurance company.
(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.
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 European and Newly
Independent States Affairs and the USIA post 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. Program planning ability to achieve objectives: Program
objectives should be stated clearly and precisely and should reflect
the applicant's expertise in the subject area and the region.
Objectives should respond to the priority topics in this announcement
and should relate to the current conditions in each of the countries.
They should be reasonable and attainable. A detailed work plan should
explain step by step how objectives will be achieved. The substance of
seminars, presentations, consulting, internships, and itineraries
should be spelled out in detail. A timetable indicating when major
program tasks will be undertaken should be provided. Responsibilities
of in-country partners should be clearly described.
2. 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).
3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals. The narrative should demonstrate proven ability to
handle logistics. Proposal should reflect the institution's expertise
in the subject area and knowledge of the country. Proposals should
demonstrate the 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.
4. Project Evaluation: USIA is results-oriented. Proposals should
include a plan to evaluate the activity's success, both as the
activities unfold and at the end of the program. USIA recommends that
the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire and/or plan for use
of another measurement technique (such as focus group) to link outcomes
to original project objectives. Award-receiving organizations/
institutions will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each
project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less
frequent.
5. 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.
6. Cost-effectiveness/cost sharing: 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. Proposals
should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support as
well as institutional direct funding contributions.
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. Organizations will
be expected to cooperate with USIA in evaluating their programs under
the principles of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993,
which requires federal agencies to measure and report on the results of
their programs and activities.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Dated: September 28, 1997.
James D. Whitten,
Acting Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-23432 Filed 9-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
