[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7816-7818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2935]



=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Curriculum Development Project: Secondary School Civic Education 
for the Czech Republic

action: Notice--request for proposals.

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

summary: The Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division of 
the Office of Academic Programs of the United States Information 
Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for an assistance award. Public or private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 
501(c)(3) may apply to cooperate with USIA in the administration of a 
one-to two-year project to support the development and implementation 
of new curriculum units for ninth and tenth grade civic education 
courses in the Czech Republic. The grantee organization will work with 
the Institute for Educational Development, a Czech non-profit 
organization affiliated with Charles University and concerned with 
educational reform and teacher training in the Czech Republic. The 
Institute works closely with the Ministry of Education of the Czech 
Republic on curriculum and teacher training. The program will comprise 
three phases: (1) Preliminary consultations in Prague with a curriculum 
development team of five Czech educators; (2) a three-month U.S.-based 
curriculum development workshop in which the team will produce draft 
curriculum units; and (3) follow-up consultations in the Czech Republic 
to assist with the training of a larger group of Czech practitioners in 
the implementation and review of the draft curriculum units.
    Upon the successful completion of Phases I-III, additional funds 
may be available to the grantee organization for a fourth phase of 
activity to cooperate with the Institute for Educational Development 
and the curriculum development team in further reviewing and revising 
the draft materials and to provide broader training for implementation 
of the revised curriculum units with Czech teachers and administrators.
    USIA solicits detailed proposals from U.S. educational institutions 
and public and private non-profit organizations to develop and 
administer this project. The cooperation with USIA will include regular 
consultation with USIA and with USIS officers in the Czech Republic 
with regard to program implementation, direction, and assessment. 
Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the issues confronting 
education in the Czech Republic as well as expertise in civic education 
and curriculum development. The funding authority for the program cited 
above is provided through the Support for East European Democracies Act 
(SEED). 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 name and number: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/AS-95-03.

dates: Deadline for proposals. All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, March 24, 
1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on March 24, but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.

for further information contact: Office of Academic Programs, Advising, 
Teaching and Specialized Programs Division, E/AS (room 256), U.S. 
Information Agency, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone 
number 202-619-6038, telefax number 202-619-6790, e-mail: 
[email protected], to request a Solicitation Package, which includes more 
detailed award criteria; all application forms; and guidelines for 
preparing proposals, including specific criteria for preparation of the 
proposal budget. Please specify USIA Academic Exchange Specialist Sally 
Kux on all inquiries and correspondences.
    Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register 
announcement before addressing inquiries to the Advising, Teaching, and 
Specialized Programs Division (Dr. Kux) or submitting their proposals. 
Once the RFP deadline has passed, the Office of Academic Programs, 
Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division may not discuss 
this competition in any way with applicants until the Bureau proposal 
review process has been completed.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and 9 copies of the complete 
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AS-95-
03, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing 
legislation, programs must maintain a non-political charter 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. [[Page 7817]] 

Overview

    The goal of the project is to assist the Institute for Educational 
Development in Prague, Czech Republic, to develop up-to-date curriculum 
units to be taught within existing civic education courses at the ninth 
and tenth grade levels and to assist in training teachers for the 
implementation of these units. The rationale for this project is that 
improving citizenship education at the secondary school level will 
better prepare Czech students to participate actively in building a 
pluralistic, democratic society, and will promote democratic relations 
among members of the school community, including students, teachers, 
school administrators, and parents. Applicants may suggest topics to be 
developed by the curriculum team in their proposals; however, final 
determination of appropriate topics will be made by the curriculum 
development team and the Institute for Educational Development in 
cooperation with the grantee organization during the first phase of the 
project.

Program Description

    A curriculum development team of five practitioners (e.g., 
classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and Ministry officials) 
selected by the Institute of Educational Development in consultation 
with USIS Prague, will undertake preliminary work in Prague over a 
period of 3-6 months (Phase I). In this phase, members of the 
curriculum development team, in consultation with a specialist from the 
grantee organization, will familiarize themselves with civics curricula 
and teaching materials used in the U.S. and will select the topics to 
be explored in the draft curriculum units. In the second phase, members 
of the curriculum development team will spend approximately three 
months in a highly structured U.S.-based workshop sponsored and 
organized by the U.S. grantee organization, attending focused seminars, 
observing relevant aspects of the U.S. educational system, and drafting 
teacher and student materials for the curriculum units in consultation 
with U.S. specialists. The grantee organization will be responsible for 
introducing the Czech team to leading U.S. civic educators and to a 
broad range of relevant resources. The workshop schedule should 
incorporate time for individual and group work on materials as well as 
intensive training on specific approaches to the teaching of civics 
topics. In addition, the workshop should include field experiences 
which are relevant to the materials being produced (such as visits to 
schools and professional associations). In the third phase, the 
curriculum development team will work in the Czech Republic with Czech 
teacher trainers and U.S. specialists from the grantee organization to 
provide introductory training for a larger group of practitioners in 
methods for implementing and reviewing the draft curriculum units in 
the civics classroom.

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

    U.S. lecturers and consultants participating in the project must be 
U.S. citizens. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please 
refer to program specific guidelines in the Solicitation Package for 
further details. Administration of the program must be in compliance 
with reporting and withholding regulations for federal, state, and 
local taxes as applicable. Recipient organizations should demonstrate 
tax regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.

Proposed Budget

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the program, the 
award for which will not exceed $150,000. Applicants should note that 
Phase II (curriculum development workshop) is the key element of this 
program; proposed budgets should allocate resources accordingly. The 
budget submission should include summary budget, in addition to 
separate administrative and program budgets. For further clarification, 
applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, 
phase, location, or activity. Grants awarded to eligible organizations 
with less than four years of experience in conducting international 
exchange programs will be limited to $60,000, and budget submissions 
from such organizations should not exceed this amount. Please refer to 
the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting 
instruction.

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 Agency contracts office, as well as the USIA Office of 
East European and NIS Affairs and USIS Prague. Proposals may also 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 grant awards 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 carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of the program idea. Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission. 
Proposals should reflect an advanced, current understanding of relevant 
scholarly fields and disciplines;
    2. Program planning. Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity and should 
provide a clear picture of the program. 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. 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. Support of Diversity. Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity.
    6. Institutional Capacity. Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be articulated clearly and should be adequate and 
appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals. The applicant 
organization should demonstrate a capacity to work cooperatively with 
Czech organizations and with USIA.
    7. Institution's Record/Ability. Proposals 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 [[Page 7818]] support) which 
insures that USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
    9. Project Evaluation. 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 or other technique plus description of a methodology to 
use 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.
    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. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations. Proposed projects will 
be assessed by USIA's geographic area desk and overseas officers with 
regard to program need, potential impact, and significance in the 
partner country.

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 needs of the program may require the 
award to be reduced, revised, or increased. Final awards cannot be made 
until funds have been 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 May 12, 1995. Awards made will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: January 31, 1995.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-2935 Filed 2-8-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M