[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 97 (Friday, May 20, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12408]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 20, 1994]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements; Availability, Etc.: Russia; 
Curriculum Development in Civics Education

TITLE: Curriculum Development in Civics Education for Russia.

ACTION: Notice--request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: Subject to the availability of funds, the United States 
Information Agency (USIA) invites applications from U.S. educational 
institutions and public and private non-profit organizations meeting 
the provisions described in IRS regulation 501(c)(3) to develop a 30-
day group program for approximately 15 professionals involved in 
secondary-level education from Russia. Program participants will be 
interested in curriculum reform to introduce and strengthen civics 
education in Russia.
    Overall grantmaking authority for this program is contained in the 
Freedom Support Act. The funding for the program cited above is 
appropriated through the Foreign Assistance Act of 1994. Programs and 
projects outlined in a proposal must conform with Agency requirements 
and guidelines contained in the Application Package.

DATES: Deadline for proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time, on Wednesday, June 
29, 1994. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on June 29, 1994, but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each grant applicant to ensure that the proposals are 
received by the above deadline. The 30-day program should take place in 
the Fall of 1994.

ADDRESSES: The original and 8 copies of the completed application, 
including required forms, should be submitted by the deadline to:

U.S. Information Agency, Reference: (E/AAS-94-01), Office of Grants 
Management, E/XE, room 336, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 
20547.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested organizations/institutions should contact Gretchen 
Christison at U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street SW., Study of the 
U.S. Branch, E/AAS room 256, (202) 619-4557 or facsimile, (202) 619-
6790 to request a detailed Application Package, which includes award 
criteria additional to this announcement, all necessary forms, and 
guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for 
preparation of the proposal budget. Interested applicants should read 
the complete Federal Register announcement before addressing inquiries 
to the Study of the U.S. Branch or submitting their proposals. Once the 
RFP deadline has passed, USIA staff may not discuss this competition in 
any way with applicants until after the Bureau review process has been 
completed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing 
legislation, programs should maintain a non-political character, and 
should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American 
political, social, and cultural life. Programs should maintain their 
scholarly integrity and should meet the highest standards of academic 
excellence. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense 
and encompass differences including but not limited to ethnicity, 
gender, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and 
physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to 
the advancement of this principle.

Overview

    The long-term goal of this 30-day program is to assist participants 
to develop a framework for civic education that comprises democratic 
concepts, values and practices, to apply to national, regional, and 
local curriculum reform in Russia. The program also should introduce 
participants to civic education as it is taught at the secondary school 
level in the United States Review of the content of relevant courses 
and discussion of teaching methodologies should provide participants 
with a foundation on which the development of a new, strengthened 
program in civic education could be based. The project should 
demonstrate how democratic concepts, values, and practices are 
incorporated into curricula.

Participants

    The program is designed for a group of fifteen educators and 
administrators from Russia. Participants may be employees of the 
Ministry of Education or regional entities, secondary school 
administrators, teacher-trainers of secondary school level instructors, 
textbook writers, or developers of secondary school curricula. All 
participants will be concerned with instituting reform of the secondary 
school civic education curricula. USIA and the USIA posts overseas will 
be responsible for participant selection.

Program Description

    Project should include, and proposal should address:
    1. An introduction to the U.S. education system. Participants 
should receive background information on the U.S. education system to 
provide context for the project's major emphasis on the role of civic 
education in a democratic society. This introduction should include 
information about the federal-state-local system, the philosophy and 
goals of public and private education, funding patterns, and the major 
players involved in civic education, such as schools, government, 
private clubs, religious institutions, public libraries, and parents. 
The program might include, but not emphasize, some of the major issues 
in American education, such as teacher qualifications, ``back-to-
basics,'' bilingualism, and multiculturalism. Selected school and other 
relevant site visits may be included.
    2. Information on courses in civics education and traditional 
social studies courses, such as U.S. and world history, U.S. Government 
and comparative government institutions, media and current events, and 
courses that include discussion of community volunteerism, public 
interest groups, legal norms and procedures. The institute should 
address courses stressing the philosophy of democratic institutions, 
citizen behavior, social responsibility, and political practices such 
as the balance of individual rights and rights of the group, 
reconciliation and compromise within the democratic process, rights of 
minorities, etc.
    3. Information on methods and issues in civic education such as 
textbook and materials development and selection, teaching techniques, 
the use of audio-visual and print media, and field trips. The project 
should include the provision of a ``short shelf'' of approximately 10-
20 items, including books, sample curricula, visual materials, etc., 
for participants' use when they return home. Relevant subscriptions and 
memberships may also be included.

Program Administration

    All programming, administrative logistics, and management of the 
academic program and cultural tour will be the responsibility of the 
project director. A project secretary and/or project assistant should 
be assigned to carry out clerical and administrative duties required 
for the smooth operation of the institute during the program period, 
from the planning period to the completion of mandatory reports to 
USIA. Staff escorts traveling under USIA cooperative agreement support 
must be U.S. citizens with demonstrated qualifications for this 
service.
    USIA will be responsible for all communications to and from the 
USIA posts overseas which submit participant nominations to the 
Division for the Study of the U.S. The participants will travel 
directly from Russia to the airport most convenient to the campus site. 
International travel costs and arrangements will be the responsibility 
of the USIA posts overseas and USIA. The program staff will be expected 
to make arrangements to have participants met upon arrival at the local 
airport, and also assist with participant departures. The USIA program 
officer will be available to provide advice and guidance.
    Proposals must clearly demonstrate quality on-site management 
capabilities for both residential and travel portions of the program. 
The overall effectiveness of the program hinges, in part, on the 
leadership skills and the administrative and organizational 
capabilities of the project director who is coordinating the academic 
program and managing the interactions between the foreign educators and 
Americans.

Proposed Budget

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget for which 
specific details are available in the Application Package. Total 
institute costs funded by USIA may not exceed $150,000 for 15 
participants; within the assistance award total institutional 
administrative costs funded by USIA may not exceed $45,000. Grants 
awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years experience 
in conducting international exchange programs will be limited to 
$60,000. The assistance award recipient is expected to provide 
significant cash and/or in-kind cost-sharing.

Funding Arrangements

    A USIA cooperative agreement will be issued to the recipient 
institution selected to conduct the institute. The agreement will cover 
administrative costs and program costs which are defined in the 
Application Package. The recipient will directly disburse participant 
living costs and other authorized allowances. Attachment checklist, 
additional required forms, instructions, and samples are attached.

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 established herein and in the 
Application Package. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of 
USIA officers for advisory review. The proposals recommended by these 
panels will also be reviewed by the Agency's Office of General Counsel, 
the appropriate geographic area offices, and the budget and contracts 
offices. Funding decisions are at the discretion of the Associate 
Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical 
authority for grant awards resides with USIA's grants officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the following criteria:
    1. Quality: Proposals should exhibit originality, substance, 
precision, and relevance to Agency mission and specific program goals.
    2. Program Planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate appropriate content and logistical capacity. Agenda and 
plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above.
    3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objective 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. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's 
goals.
    6. Institutional's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of successful international 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 (M/KG). The Agency will consider past performance 
of prior grantees and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a realistic plan 
for possible cost-effective follow-on activities to insure that USIA-
supported programs are not isolated venues.
    8. Evaluation Plan: Proposals should provide an outline for 
evaluation of the program by the grantee institution.
    9. Cost-Effective: The overhead and administrative components of 
grants, as well as 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.
    11. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity throughout the program. This can be accomplished through 
documentation (such as a written statement or account) summarizing past 
and/or on-going activities and efforts that further the principle of 
diversity within both the organization and the program activities.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by an 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. Final award cannot be made until funds have 
been fully appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through 
internal USIA procedures.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified of the results of the review 
process on or about August 15, 1994. Awarded grants will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: May 16, 1994.
Barry Fulton,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-12408 Filed 5-19-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M