[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 111 (Friday, June 10, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14165]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 10, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------


UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
 

Educational Advising Program for International Students From 
Mexico and a Regional Educational Advising Consultancy for Overseas 
Educational Advising Centers Throughout Central America

ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United 
States Information Agency (USIA) seeks applications from non-profit 
applicants willing to establish and maintain an educational advising 
center in Mexico City which would also serve as the Regional 
Educational Advising Consultancy (REAC) for overseas educational 
advising centers throughout Mexico and Central America. The advising 
center will facilitate international educational exchange through 
overseas educational advising, orientation, and information services 
for international students and scholars seeking information on 
opportunities in U.S. higher education.
    USIA anticipates awarding up to $130,000 for the implementation and 
coordination of the advising center and the REAC. Grants will only be 
awarded to eligible applications with at least four years of experience 
in conducting international exchange programs.

Announcement Name and Number

    All communications with USIA concerning this announcement should 
refer to the above title and reference number E/ASA-94-03.

DATES: Deadline for proposals: All proposals must be received at the 
U.S. Information Agency by close of business (5 p.m., Eastern Standard 
Time) Friday, July 14, 1994. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor 
will documents postmarked on July 14, 1994, but received at a later 
date.

Duration

    The duration of the grant should be from October 1, 1994 through 
September 30, 1995. Programs may begin no earlier than October 1, 1994. 
No funds may be expended until the grant agreement is signed.

ADDRESSES: A total of fifteen copies of the application should be 
submitted to the office below. Three copies (one a signed original) 
should include the completed application, including tabs A-U; the other 
12 copies should include tabs A-D.

U.S. Information Agency, Reference number: E/ASA-94-03, Grants 
Management Division, E/XE, 301 4th Street SW., room 336, Washington, DC 
20547.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested U.S. applicants should contact Alexandra Hattemer at the 
United States Information Agency, 301 4th Street SW., Advising and 
Student Services Branch (E/ASA), room 349, Washington, DC 20547, 202-
619-5434 to request detailed application packets.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    Overall authority for this program is contained in the Mutual 
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, Pub. L. 87-
256 (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 all Agency 
requirements and guidelines and are subject to final review by the USIA 
contracting officer.
Overview
    An ideal program would provide a state-of-the-art advising center 
dedicated to providing information, orientation, and advice to 
international students in Mexico interested in study in the U.S. and 
would also serve as a well informed resource on U.S. education to 
overseas educational advisers throughout Mexico and Central America.
Guidelines
    The proposal should be presented in four parts.
I. Applicant's Background and Overview

    The first part should contain an overview of the applicant's 
history and purpose. Evidence of previous experience with advising or 
educational exchange of international students and scholars should be 
included. The overview should indicate the total amount of funding 
requested with a justification as well as a budget presentation 
outlining the total project costs.
    A listing of names, titles, addresses, and telephones numbers of 
the executive officer(s) and of the person(s) ultimately responsible 
for project, must be included in the proposal. Resumes or vitae of key 
personnel must be provided. USIA also recommends the inclusion of 
brochures and general information concerning the applicant, e.g. 
organizational charts, job descriptions, the names of board members (or 
similar group), the number of employees, etc.

II. Advising Center Operation and Services

    The second part of the proposal should contain details on the 
advising center's proposed location and hours of operation, proposed 
staffing pattern (including the percentage of time each employee will 
devote to advising activities and a description of their functions and 
responsibilities), budget, and advising services to be provided. A 
resume or brief narrative explaining the qualifications of the person 
or persons who will have primary responsibility for conducting, 
advising and/or providing oversight of the advising center staff should 
be included. The proposal should demonstrate the center's ability to 
provide the following educational advising services to international 
students and scholars:
    1. Information and guidance on U.S. educational institutions, 
systems, tuition and related costs, fields of study, specialized 
training, etc;
    2. Information and advice on U.S. standardized tests, e.g. TOEFL, 
GRE, GMAT, FMGEMS, etc., to include the provision of registration 
application forms, maintenance of bulletins and testing schedules;
    3. Information and research on short-term institutional training in 
technical and professional fields;
    4. Information on English language training programs in the U.S.;
    5. Group and individual advising sessions, pre-departure 
orientation and reentry programs, as appropriate.
    The center will also be required to monitor the status of the 
educational system in Mexico and to share that information with USIA 
and United States Information Service (USIS) office at the American 
Embassy. The applicant should also be willing to assist and support 
educational outreach activities of the USIS post abroad by developing a 
network of contacts with the local Ministry of Education, universities, 
and other appropriate institutions.

III. Provision of Resource Materials, Equipment and Training

    The third part of the proposal should address the extent to which 
the U.S. headquarters office will support its advising center abroad 
through the provision of educational advising resource materials and 
professional development activities and training.
    Student access to a comprehensive university catalog collection, in 
print and/or microfiche, and an extensive collection of current 
references on U.S. educational institutions and programs is an integral 
component of an educational advising center and the applicant's ability 
to provide such should be made clear in this section.
    Office equipment that facilitate the processing of inquiries, such 
as electronic mail, facsimile machines, and telexes, would be regarded 
as an asset to the advising function and mention of such equipment 
should be made in the proposal. The Agency expects the advising center 
to be equipped with audio visual aids for students' use. Videos on U.S. 
study and life complement the presentation and materials offered at 
group and individual advising sessions.

IV. Regional Educational Advising Consultancy

    The fourth part of the proposal should contain details on the 
Regional Educational Advising Consultancy (REAC) for Mexico and Central 
America. Funding for the REAC should be contained within the $130,000 
budget. The Agency recommends that the person(s) dedicated to the REAC 
work a minimum of 20 hours per week. The REAC would service overseas 
educational advising centers in Mexico and Central America. The 
objective of the REAC is to:
    1. Attain widespread recognition as the regional resource center 
for educational advising;
    2. Encourage regional communication and networking among Mexican 
and Central American advising centers;
    3. Foster information sharing through such means as the development 
and sharing of materials (i.e., advising handouts), a regional 
newsletter, workshops, electronic mail, Internet, etc.;
    4. Provide advice to advising centers on how to conduct regional 
and in-country workshops, pre-admission and pre-departure orientation 
sessions, outreach activities, etc.
    5. Provide needs assessments, training, and professional 
development for the educational advisers in the region as necessary.
    Please note that travel within the region for needs assessments and 
consultations, must be arranged by means of an annual request (via 
cable) to the educational advising centers via the USIS office in each 
country.

Proposed Budget

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive line-item budget for which 
specific details are available in the application packet. The budget 
should not exceed $130,000, including the REAC. The applicant should 
submit separate line-item budgets for the Educational Advising Center 
in Mexico City and for the REAC.
    Cost-sharing is encouraged. Cost-sharing may be in the form of 
allowable direct or indirect costs. The recipient must maintain written 
records to support all allowable costs which are claimed as being its 
contribution to cost participation, as well as cost to be paid by the 
Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for 
determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A110, Attachment E. Cost sharing and 
matching should be described in the proposal. In the event the 
recipient does to provide the minimum amount of cost-sharing as 
stipulated in the recipient's budget, the Agency's contribution will be 
reduced in proportion to the recipient's contribution.
    The recipient's proposal shall include the cost of an audit that: 
(1) Complies with the requirements of OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of 
Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Institutions; (2) 
complies with the requirements of American Institute of Certified 
Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of Position (SOP) No. 92-9; and 
(3) includes review by the recipient's independent auditor of a 
recipient-prepared supplemental schedule of indirect cost rate 
computation, if such a rate is being proposed.
    The audit costs shall be identified separately for: (1) Preparation 
of basic financial statements and other accounting services; and (2) 
preparation of the supplemental reports and schedules required by OMB 
Circular No. A-133, AICPA SOP 92-9, and the review of the supplemental 
schedule of indirect cost rate computation.
    Applicants should refer to the application package for a list of 
allowable costs.

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 packet. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of 
USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will also be 
reviewed by the appropriate geographic area office, and the USIA budget 
and contracts offices. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Agency's 
Office of General Counsel. 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 contracting 
officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the following criteria:
    a. Quality of program plan: Proposals should exhibit a thorough 
knowledge and understanding of the needs of students from Mexico and 
Central America and exhibit originality, substance, and rigor.
    b. Program planning: Proposals must include a detailed agenda and 
relevant workplan of program activities. The agenda should adhere to 
the program overview and guidelines described above.
    c. Ability to achieve program objectives/institutional capacity: 
Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and 
appropriate to achieve the program goals and adhere to the guidelines 
described above. The applicant should demonstrate an ability to recruit 
and maintain a professional staff to successfully accomplish the goals 
of the program.
    d. Multiplier effect/impact: Program activities should be designed 
to foster long-term mutual understanding between citizens of the United 
States and Central America and Mexico.
    e. Institution's track record/ability: Proposals should demonstrate 
a track record of successful programs, including responsible fiscal 
management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for 
Agency grants. The Agency will consider the past performance of prior 
grantees and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    f. Evaluation plan: Proposals should provide a plan for evaluation 
by the grantee institution, including periodic progress reports.
    g. Cost-effectiveness: 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.
    h. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct-funding 
contributions. Evidence of such cost sharing should be detailed in the 
proposal.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in the 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. Final awards cannot be made until funds 
have been fully appropriated by Congress, and allocated and committed 
through internal USIA procedures.

Notification

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

    Dated: June 6, 1994.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-14165 Filed 6-9-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-03-M