[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3935-3938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1179]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

Citizen Networking

action: Notice--Request for proposals.

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summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) announces a competitive 
grants program for non-profit organizations in support of projects on 
the theme of Citizen Networking for audiences in the following 
geographical areas: Sub-saharan Africa; American Republics; East Asia 
(Japan, Burma, Regional); and Middle East and South Asia. USIA 
particularly is seeking projects which link American institutions and 
specialists with partners overseas. New and creative approaches to the 
issue of citizen networking will be especially welcome. Proposals which 
request USIA funding of less than $135,000 and which include 
significant cost sharing will be deemed more competitive.
    Interested applicants are urged to read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office or 
submitting their proposals.
    After the deadline for submitting proposals, USIA officers may not 
discuss this competition in any way with applicants until final 
decisions are made.
    Announcement name and number: All communications concerning this 
announcement should refer to the Citizen Networking Grant Program, 
announcement number E/P-95-40. Please refer to title and number in all 
correspondence or telephone calls to USIA.

dates: Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on March 3, 1995. 
Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked on 
March 3, 1995, but received at a later date. It is the responsibility 
of each grant applicant to ensure that proposals are received by the 
above deadline.

for further information contact: Interested organizations/institutions 
must contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/P, Room 216, United 
States Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone (202) 619-5326, fax (202) 260-0437, to request detailed 
application packets, which include award criteria, all application 
forms, and guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific 
criteria for preparation of the proposal budget. Please direct 
inquiries on programmatic matters to the USIA Officer identified under 
each geographic heading.

addresses: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) and send only complete 
applications to: U.S. Information Agency, REF: E/P-95-40 Citizen 
Networking Grant Competition, Grants Management Division (E/XE), 301 
Fourth Street, SW., Room 336, Washington, DC 20547.

supplementary information: Pursuant to the legislation authorizing the 
Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, 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 race, gender, religion, 
geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical challenges. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this 
principle.

Overview

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges works with U.S. private sector non-
profit organizations on cooperative international group projects that 
introduce American and foreign participants to each others' social, 
economic, and political structures; and international interests.

Guidelines

    Applicants should carefully note the following restrictions and 
recommendations for proposals in specific geographical areas:

Africa, Sub-Saharan

Building Grassroots Citizen Organizations in Africa
    Proposals are invited to conduct a program for selected African 
countries which would contribute to the creation and management of non-
governmental citizen organizations which address community needs, 
encourage community participation in problem solving, quality of life 
enhancement and professional development. The program should give 
particular attention to the development of grassroots organizations 
which contribute to democracy, and it should address such 
organizational needs as fundraising, budgeting, publicity, setting 
goals and objectives, 

[[Page 3936]]
and management structure and techniques. The program should include at 
least two phases, one of which would bring African organizational and 
community leaders to the U.S., and the other would send qualified 
Americans to Africa. Inquiries should be directed to Program Specialist 
Charlotte Peterson, (202) 619-5319, Internet [email protected]

American Republics

Building Grassroots Citizen Organizations in the American Republics
    USIA seeks to assist in the development of indigenous, non-
governmental, professional, civic, youth, philanthropic, and issue-
oriented institutions and citizen exchanges organizations in the 
American Republics region. These projects should link the U.S. 
organization's exchange interests with counterpart institutions and 
groups within the region. Proposals should serve as an important avenue 
for community participation in problem solving, quality of life 
enhancement and professional development. Priority will be given to 
proposals from U.S. organizations which have regional partner 
organizations, which will assist in the realization of program goals 
and objectives and will themselves be enhanced by the program. Examples 
could include private and non-governmental organizations that work 
geographically with a broad range of interest groups, such as Partners 
of the Americas or Sister Cities International, or those seeking to 
work across a broad geographic area with very specialized interest 
groups, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the League of Women 
Voters, or any of the various organizations that promote rights for 
minorities, the indigenous, the handicapped, and so forth. In all 
cases, preference will be given to projects promising the highest 
possible impact at the lowest possible cost. Inquiries should be 
directed to Program Specialist Laverne Johnson, (202) 619-5326, 
Internet [email protected]

East Asia

Japanese Non-Governmental Organization Leaders
--Proposals are invited to conduct a project for Japanese NGO leaders 
concerned with commenters' rights, the environment and political reform 
which bring the participants together with American counterparts to 
discuss fundraising, recruitment, government relations, tax benefits 
and other areas of mutual interest, with the overall goal of building 
bridges between Japanese NGOs and NGOs with similar objectives in the 
U.S.
Burmese Non-Governmental Organization Leaders
--Proposals are invited to conduct a project to assist emerging Burmese 
NGOs and associations in development effective organization, 
operations, and management, including questions of fundraising and 
financial management, membership, project development and management, 
training, publicity, domestic and international networking. An 
effective project would consist of both in-country workshops and U.S.-
based tours and short internships.
Regional Non-Governmental Organization Leaders
--Proposals are invited to conduct a regional or subregional project in 
which NGO grassroots leaders are introduced to effective strategies for 
management and impact, including fundraising, community building, 
lobbying for public support and dealing with the media. Projects might 
focus on consumer advocacy groups or women's organizations. Inquiries 
should be directed to Program Specialist Elroy Carlson, (202) 619-5326, 
Internet [email protected]

Middle East and South Asia

Development of Women's Resource Centers in the Middle East
    Proposals are invited to conduct a multi-phased program which would 
help develop resource centers for women in selected Middle Eastern 
countries. Such centers, staffed by professionals on a voluntary or 
paid basis, would provide information, advice, and services to any 
woman requesting them on such topics as legal rights, educational and 
professional opportunities, financial management, and health care for 
women and children. The program should bring women political/
governmental leaders, NGO executives, and social service providers from 
Egypt, Syria, and Jordan together with their American counterparts to 
lay the groundwork for establishing, funding, staffing, and operating 
women's resource centers in their home countries. The program should 
bring an approximately equal number of women from each of the Middle 
Eastern Countries to the United States for three or more weeks of 
consultation and experiential learning, and a return trip for American 
women engaged in the development and operation of resource centers for 
conducting workshops, advising, etc. Inquiries should be directed to 
Program Specialist Thomas Johnston, (202) 619-5319, Internet 
[email protected]
Women's Organizations and Conflict Management in South Asia
    Proposals are invited to conduct an exchange program between women 
educators, NGO representatives, and social activists from India, 
Pakistan, and other South Asian countries and their American 
counterparts to share information and to develop a regional and 
international network of organizations involved in social and legal 
issues affecting women. The primary agenda of the project would be to 
increase the participants' awareness of the commonality of issues 
confronted by women and to stimulate the development of mutually 
supportive organizations focussed on managing and resolving conflict 
and the achievement of women's goals through women's empowerment. More 
broadly, the program would encourage participants to expand their 
consideration from purely women's issues to international issues and 
the role of women in international conflict resolution. The project 
would entail at least two phases, one bringing women from South Asia to 
the United States for two-to-three weeks to experience organizations 
which work for the empowerment of women such as the League of Women 
Voters, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the 
National Council of Women, the American Civil Liberties Union, and to 
visit one or more creditable women's studies programs at major 
universities. The second phase would involve American women activists 
traveling to the region to work with participants in the first phase in 
developing workshops and study groups, establishing organizations 
focussed on women's issues, etc. Inquiries should be directed to 
Program Specialist Charlotte Peterson, (202) 619-5319, Internet 
[email protected]

Program Parameters

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages the 
coordination of activities with respected universities, professional 
associations, and major cultural institutions in the U.S. and abroad, 
but particularly in the U.S. Projects should be intellectual and 
cultural, not technical. Vocational training (an occupation other than 
one requiring a baccalaureate or higher academic degree; i.e., clerical 
work, auto maintenance, etc. and other occupations requiring less than 
two years of higher education) and technical training 

[[Page 3937]]
(special and practical knowledge of a mechanical or a scientific 
subject which enhances mechanical, narrowly scientific, or semi-skilled 
capabilities) are ineligible for support. In addition, scholarship 
programs are ineligible for support.
    The Office does not support proposals limited to conferences or 
seminars (i.e., one to fourteen-day programs with plenary sessions, 
main speakers, panels, and a passive audience).
    It will support conferences only insofar as they are part of a 
larger project in duration and scope which is receiving USIA funding 
from this competition. USIA-supported projects may include internships; 
study tours; short-term, non-technical training; and extended, 
intensive workshops taking place in the United States or overseas. The 
themes addressed in exchange programs must be of long-term importance 
rather than focused exclusively on current events or short-term issues. 
In every case, a substantial rationale must be presented as part of the 
proposal, one that clearly indicates the distinctive and important 
contribution of the overall project, including where applicable the 
expected yield of any associated conference. No funding is available 
exclusively to send U.S. citizens to conferences or conference-type 
seminars overseas; neither is funding available for bringing foreign 
nationals to conferences or to routine professional association 
meetings in the United States. Projects that duplicate what is 
routinely carried out by private sector and/or public sector operations 
will not be considered. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly 
recommends that applicants consult with host country USIS posts, prior 
to submitting proposals.

Selection of Participants

    All grant proposals should clearly describe the types of persons 
who will participate in the program as well as the process by which 
participants will be selected. It is recommended that programs in 
support of U.S. internships include letters tentatively committing host 
institutions to support the internships. In the selection of foreign 
participants, USIA and USIS posts retain the right to nominate all 
participants and to accept or deny participants recommended by grantee 
institutions. However, grantee institutions are often asked by USIA to 
suggest names of potential participants. The grantee institution will 
also provide the names of American participants and brief (two pages) 
biographical data on each American participant to the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges for information purposes. Priority will be given to foreign 
participants who have not previously travelled to the United States.

Additional Guidance

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges offers the following additional 
guidance to prospective applicants:
    1. Except where noted in the text, the Office of Citizen Exchanges 
encourages project proposals involving more than one country. Pertinent 
rationale which links countries in multi-county projects should be 
included in the submission. Single-country projects that are clearly 
defined and posses the potential for creating and strengthening 
continuing linkages between foreign and U.S. institutions are also 
welcome.
    2. Proposals for bilateral programs are subject to review and 
comment by the USIS post in the relevant country, and pre-selected 
participants will also be subject to USIS post review.
    3. Bilateral programs should clearly identify the counterpart 
organization and provide evidence of the organization's participation.
    4. The Office of Citizen Exchanges will consider proposals for 
activities which take place exclusively in other countries when USIS 
posts are consulted in the design of the proposed program and in the 
choice of the most suitable venues for such programs.
    5. Office of Citizen Exchanges grants are not given to support 
projects whose focus is limited to technical or vocational subjects, or 
for research projects, for publications funding, for student and/or 
teacher/faculty exchanges, for sports and/or sports related programs. 
Nor does this office provide scholarships or support for long-term (a 
semester or more) academic studies.

Funding

    Proposals which request USIA funding of less than $135,000 and 
which include significant cost sharing will be deemed more competitive. 
Organizations with less than four years of successful experience in 
managing international exchange programs are limited to $60,000. 
Applicants are invited to provide both an all-inclusive budget as well 
as separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or 
activity in order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding. While an 
all-inclusive budget must be provided with each proposal, separate 
component budgets are optional. Since USIA grant assistance constitutes 
only a portion of total project funding, proposals should list and 
provide evidence of other anticipated sources of financial and in-kind 
support. 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 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.

Eligible Costs

    The following project costs are eligible for consideration for 
funding:
    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 who need interpretation. 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.

[[Page 3938]]

    7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop, and translate materials for participants.
    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. A return travel allowance of $70 for each participant which is 
to be used for incidental expenditures incurred during international 
travel.
    10. In most cases, USIA-funded delegates will be covered under the 
terms of a USIA-sponsored health insurance policy with the premium paid 
by USIA directly to the insurance company. For additional information 
on insurance coverage, contact the E/P program officer.
    11. 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. Please refer to the Application Package for 
complete budget guidelines.

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 
Proposal Submission Instructions. Eligible proposals will be forwarded 
to panels of USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals 
will also be reviewed by the budget and contract offices, as well the 
USIA geographic regional office and the USIS post overseas, where 
appropriate. Proposals may also be reviewed by the USIA's Office of 
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 grant awards resides 
with USIA's contracting officer.

Review Criteria

    USIA will consider proposals based on their conformance with the 
objectives and considerations already stated in this RFP, as well as 
the following criteria:

1. Quality of Program Idea

    Proposals should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and 
relevance to the Agency mission.

2. Program Planning

    Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substance 
undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to 
the program overview and guidelines described above.

3. Ability To Achieve Program Objectives

    Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposal 
should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program 
objectives and plan.

4. Multiplier Effect

    Proposed programs should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, 
including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term 
institutional and individual linkages.

5. Value to U.S.--Partner Country Relations

    Proposed projects should receive positive assessments by USIA's 
geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need, potential 
impact, and significance in the partner.

6. Institutional Capacity

    Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate 
and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goal.

7. Institution Reputation/Ability

    Proposal should demonstrate an 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.

8. 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.

9. Evaluation Plan

    Proposals should provide a plan for a thorough and objective 
evaluation of the program/project by the grantee institution.

10. 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.

11. Cost-Sharing

    Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector 
support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.

12. Support of Diversity

    Proposal should demonstrate the recipients' 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 their 
organization and their activities.

Notice

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase the grant award. The terms and conditions published 
in the Request for Proposal (RFP) are binding and may not be modified 
by any USIA representative. Explanatory information provided by USIA 
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 the Congress, allocated and committed through internal 
USIA procedures.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified of the results of the review 
process on or about April 28, 1995. Awarded grants will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: January 11, 1995.

Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-1179 Filed 1-18-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M