[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 115 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14693]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 16, 1994]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
 

Public and Private Nonprofit Organizations in Support of 
International Educational and Cultural Activities--Professional 
Development in English Language Teaching: Israel, et al.

ACTION: Notice--request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces a competitive grant program for nonprofit organizations to 
conduct a project for enhancing professional development in English 
language teaching at the secondary level in Israel (both Arab and 
Jewish communities), Gaza, and the West Bank. Participants will be 
professionals responsible for developing effective English language 
teaching programs; emphasis will be on curriculum development, teaching 
methodology, production of classroom-appropriate material, and 
organizing professional associations and networks.
    A second, underlying, agenda of this project is to convene, on an 
egalitarian basis and on neutral territory, a group of Israeli Jews, 
Israeli Arabs, and Palestinians who will work together within a 
professional discipline--in this case, English language teaching--and 
who will, upon returning to their own communities, both maintain 
professional, mutually supportive contact and represent, within those 
communities, the feasibility of collegial relationships between Jews, 
Israeli Arabs, and Palestinians.
    The program will be conducted in English.
    Interested applicants are urged to read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges or submitting their proposals. After the RFP 
deadline, the Office of Citizen Exchanges may not discuss this 
competition in any way with applicants until the final decisions are 
made.

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/P-94-31.

DATES: Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m., Washington, DC time on August 2, 1994. 
Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked 
August 2, 1994 but received at a later date. It is the responsibility 
of each grant applicant to ensure that proposals are received by this 
deadline.

ADDRESSES: The original and 14 copies of the completed application and 
required forms should be submitted by the deadline to: U.S. Information 
Agency, Ref: E/P-94-31, Office of Grants Management (E/XE), 301 Fourth 
Street SW.--room 336, Washington, DC 20547.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested organizations/institutions should contact the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges (E/P), room 224, USIA, 301 Fourth Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, fax (202) 619-4350, tel. (202) 619-5319, to 
request detailed application packages which include all necessary forms 
and guidelines for proposals, including specific budget preparation. 
Please specify the name of USIA Program Specialist Thomas Johnston on 
all inquiries and correspondence.

Background/Objectives of This Program

    There is a strong need and desire among educational professionals 
in Gaza, the West Bank, Israeli Arab communities, and selected Israeli 
Jewish communities for assistance in the development of an effective, 
comprehensive program of English language teaching at the secondary 
level. Concomitantly, there is an even greater imperative for members 
of the diverse communities within Israel and for Palestinians from both 
Gaza and the West Bank to meet and work together in a professional, 
non-politically charged context.
    One goal of this project is to prepare Israeli and Palestinian 
participants--individuals active in setting the agenda for high school 
and/or community-based English Language teaching programs--to implement 
state-of-the-art TESOL curriculum design, teaching methodology, and 
material/text development in an effort to enhance English teaching and 
learning in their respective communities.
    The second goal is to develop a situation in which professionals 
from the diverse communities may meet and work together in an 
egalitarian, mutually supportive way.
    American organizations are invited to submit proposals for a 
project to bring 12 English teaching professionals to the United States 
for a period of four or five weeks.
    Participants should become thoroughly conversant with state-of-the-
art theory and practice of teaching English as a second language. They 
should observe and participate in classroom and language lab 
instruction, become involved in the complexities of curriculum 
development, and produce guidelines for and examples of classroom-
appropriate teaching material. In addition, they should be introduced 
to professional associations and networks of teachers, curriculum 
developers, and education officials, providing them models of 
professional cooperation and information exchange which will be useful 
in establishing cross-cultural professional linkages in the region.
    The second phase of the project should take place over a period of 
approximately six months and should entail the travel at approximately 
eight-to-ten-week intervals, of four American specialists/consultants. 
Each specialist will conduct a series of two-to-three-day workshops on 
one or more of the key issues addressed in the initial phase of the 
exchange (e.g., curriculum development; teaching methodology; in-
service training), in each of the locations in Israel, Gaza, and the 
West Bank from which participants in the original phase were drawn.

Participants

    Participants' professional titles will vary from community to 
community, given the independent development of educational 
supervisory/oversight institutions in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. 
They might be drawn from the Ministry of Education, the ranks of 
consultants to the educational establishment, teachers' unions, 
professional committees, or teacher training institutions. All will be 
responsible, in some capacity, for the development of effective English 
language teaching programs. Participants will be selected by United 
States Information Service officers (The United States Information 
Agency's overseas contingent is officially called the United States 
Information Service) serving in the American Embassy in Tel Aviv and 
the American Consulate in Jerusalem. Individuals may also be 
recommended for participation by the grantee institution, but selection 
will be made only in close consultation with USIS officers. American 
consultants who will travel abroad during the second phase of this 
exchange program will be selected by the grantee institution in 
consultation with USIA.
    USIA officers in participating countries will facilitate the 
issuance of visas and other program-related material.

Programmatice Considerations

    Thematically, the project should:
--Consider the current status of English Language instruction in the 
communities represented by the participants and determine, in 
conjunction with USIS posts in Israel and Jerusalem and with the 
educators selected as participants, the needs to be addressed by the 
project;
--Provide the participants both a general and specific overview of 
English Language education--focussing specifically on teaching English 
as a second language--as it is practiced in the United States, in the 
context of a socially diverse country;
--Be organized, to the extent possible, around open seminar/
discussions, participant observation, and hands-on, experiential 
learning;
--Introduce participants to the organization and workings of 
professional associations of educators and other means of information 
exchange, such as internet, which would provide continued access to 
diverse ideas, publications, etc.;
--And include, if feasible, attendance at the TESOL international 
convention in Long Beach, California, March 28-April 1, 1995.

    Pursuant to the legislation authorizing the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs, programs must maintain a nonpolitical character 
and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American 
political, social, and cultural life.
    Beyond the immediate goals of this program, USIA is interested in 
supporting programs which will lay the groundwork for new and 
continuing links among American, Israeli, and Palestinian institutions 
and professional organizations and which will encourage the further 
growth and development of democratic structures.
    The grantee will be responsible for most arrangements associated 
with this program. These include organizing a coherent progression of 
activities, providing international and domestic travel arrangements 
for all participants, making lodging and local transportation 
arrangements for visitors, orienting and debriefing participants, 
preparing any necessary support material, and working with host 
institutions and individuals to achieve maximum program effectiveness.
    To prepare the foreign educators for this project prior to their 
arrival in the United States, E/P encourages the grantee organization 
to develop material that would be sent to USIS offices overseas for 
distribution to participants. This material might include a tentative 
project outline and suggested goals and objectives, relevant background 
information, and information about American institutions and 
individuals involved in the project.
    At the beginning of the program, the grantee organization should 
conduct an orientation session for the visiting participants which 
addresses administrative details of the program and provides general 
information about American society and culture which will facilitate 
the participants' understanding of and adjustment to daily life in the 
United States.
    At the conclusion of the program, the group should meet in a 
symposium to review what has been presented to and experienced by the 
participants and to consider how that which has been learned can most 
effectively be applied upon the participants' return to their home 
countries.

Additional Guidelines

    Program monitoring and oversight will be provided by appropriate 
USIA elements. Per Diem support from host institutions during an 
internship component is strongly encouraged. However, for all programs 
which include internships, a nonprofit grantee institution which 
receives funds from corporate or other co-sponsors should then use 
those funds to provide food, lodging, and pocket money for the 
participants. In no case could the intern receive a wage or ``be 
hired'' by the sponsoring institution.
    Internships should also have an American studies/values orientation 
component at the beginning of the program. The American grantee 
institutions should try to maximize cost-sharing in all facets of the 
program, and to stimulate U.S. private sector (foundation and 
corporate) support.
    Proposals incorporating internships will be more competitive if 
letters committing prospective host institutions to support these 
efforts are provided.

Funding

    Competition for USIA funding support is keen. The final selection 
of a grantee institution will depend on assessment of proposals 
according to the review criteria delineated below.
    The amount requested from USIA for this program should not exceed 
$135,000. However, organizations with less than four years of 
successful experience in managing international exchange programs are 
limited to $60,000.
    While applicants must provide an all-inclusive budget with the 
proposal, they are also encouraged to include separate sub-budgets for 
each program component, phase, location or activity.
    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.
    USIA will consider funding the following project costs:
    1. International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs 
(e.g., airport taxes); ground transportation costs.
    2. Per diem: For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of 
using a flat $140/day for international participants or the published 
Federal Travel Regulations per diem rates for individual American 
cities.

    Note: U.S. escorting staff must use the published federal per 
diem rates, not the flat rate. For activities in the Middle East the 
Standard Government Travel Regulations per diem rates must be used.

    3. Book and cultural allowance: Participants are entitled to a one-
time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a participant book 
allowance of $50. Escorts are reimbursed for actual expenses up to 
$150. U.S. staff do not get these benefits.
    4. Consultants: May be used to provide specialized expertise or to 
make presentations. Honoraria should not exceed $250 per day. 
Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the 
written contract(s) must be included in the proposal.
    5. Room rental (for meeting or conference rooms): Generally should 
not exceed $250 per day.
    6. Material development: Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop and translate material for participants. USIA reserves the 
rights to this material for future use.
    7. One working meal per project: Per capita cost may not exceed $5-
8 per lunch and $14-20 per dinner, excluding room rental. The number of 
invited guests may not exceed the number of participants by a factor of 
more than two to one.
    8. Return travel allowance: $70 for each participant which is to be 
used for incidental expenditures incurred during international travel.
    9. 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 
application package.

    Note: the 22% limitation of ``administrative costs'' included in 
previous announcements does NOT apply to this RFP.

    E/P encourages cost-sharing, which may be in the form of allowable 
direct or indirect costs. E/P would be especially interested in 
proposals which demonstrate a program vision which goes well beyond 
that which can be supported by the requested USIA grant and which would 
try to use a USIA grant to leverage additional funding from other 
sources to support elements of the broader program plan.
    The Recipient must maintain written records to support all 
allowable costs which are claimed as being its contribution to cost 
participation, as well as costs 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 A-110, Attachment E, ``Cost-sharing and Matching,'' and should 
be described in the proposal. In the event the Recipient does not meet 
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.

    Please Note all 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.

Application Requirements

    Proposals must be structured in accordance with the instructions 
contained in the Application Package. Confirmation letters from U.S. 
and foreign co-sponsors noting their intention to participate in the 
program will enhance a proposal.

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. Proposals will be reviewed by USIS posts and by USIA's 
Office of Near Eastern, North African, and South Asian Affairs. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or 
other Agency elements. Funding is at the discretion of the Associate 
Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical 
authority for granting awards resides with USIA's contracting officer. 
The awarding of any grant is subject to availability of funds.
    The U.S. Government reserves the right to reject any or all 
applications received. USIA will not pay for design and development 
costs associated with submitting a proposal. Applications are submitted 
at the risk of the applicant; should circumstances prevent the awarding 
of a grant, all preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's 
expense. USIA will not award funds for activities conducted prior to 
the actual grant award.

Review Criteria

    USIA will consider proposals based on the following criteria:

1. Quality of Program Idea

    Proposals should exhibit substance, originality, rigor, and 
relevance to the Agency mission. They should demonstrate the matching 
of U.S. resources to a clearly defined need.

2. Institutional Reputation/Ability

    Institutions should demonstrate their potential for effective 
program design and implementation and provide, if available, evidence 
of having conducted successful programs. If an applicant has previously 
received a USIA grant, responsible fiscal management and full 
compliance with all reporting requirements for past Agency grants, as 
determined by USIA's Office of Contracts (M/KG), will be considered. 
Evaluations of previous projects may also be considered in this 
assessment.

3. Project Personnel

    Information provided regarding the thematic and logistical 
expertise of project personnel should be relevant to the proposal at 
hand. In addition to English teaching specialists, applicants for this 
grant should have involved, on a consultative basis, individuals with 
Middle Eastern and conflict resolution expertise. Resumes or C.V.s 
should be summaries appropriate to the specific proposal and should not 
exceed two pages each.

4. Program Planning

    A detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate 
substantive rigor and logistical capacity.

5. Thematic Expertise

    The proposal should demonstrate the organization's expertise in the 
subject area and its ability to share information effectively.

6. Cross-Cultural Sensitivity/Area Expertise

    Evidence should be provided of sensitivity to historical, 
linguistic, religious, and other cross-cultural factors, as well as 
relevant knowledge of the target geographic area/country.

7. Ability To Achieve Program Objectives

    Objectives should be realistic and feasible. The proposal should 
clearly demonstrate how the grantee institution will meet program 
objectives.

8. Multiplier Effect

    Proposed programs should strengthen mutual understanding and should 
contribute to maximum sharing of information and the establishment of 
long-term institutional and individual ties.

9. Cost-Effectiveness

    Costs to USIA per exchange participant (American and foreign) 
should be kept to a minimum, and all items proposed for USIA funding 
should be necessary and appropriate to achieve the program's 
objectives.

10. Cost-Sharing

    Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through private sector 
support as well as through direct funding contributions and/or in-kind 
support from the prospective grantee organization and its partners.

11. Follow-On Activities

    Proposals should provide a plan for continued exchange activity 
(without USIA support) which ensures that USIA-supported programs are 
not isolated events.

12. Project Evaluation

    Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the project. USIA 
recommends that the applicant discuss the evaluation methodology chosen 
and the techniques which will be employed to assess the effectiveness 
of the project and the correspondence between observable outcomes and 
original project objectives. Grantees will be expected to submit 
intermediate reports after each project component is concluded or 
quarterly, whichever is less frequent.

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 which contradicts 
published language will not be binding. Issuance of the RFP does not 
constitute an award commitment on the part of the American Government. 
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 16, 1994. Awarded grants will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: June 11, 1994.
Barry Fulton,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-14693 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M