[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 61 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13920-13922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7467]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Community Connections

ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division of 
the United States Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an assistance award. 
Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions 
described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501 (c)(3)-1 may apply to organize 
and implement community-based, professional programs for entrepreneurs, 
legal professionals and government officials from Ukraine and Moldova. 
The objective of Community Connections is to enhance the participants' 
skills in business and entrepreneurship, law, and local governance upon 
returning to Ukraine and Moldova. USIA is interested in proposals that 
provide both professional experience and exposure to American life and 
culture through internships hosted by U.S. businesses and local 
governmental and legal institutions, and homestays with local community 
members. This program is not academic in nature; rather, it is designed 
to provide practical, hands-on training in American business and in 
legal and public sector environments which can be transferred to the 
individual's professional career at home. The Agency welcomes 
innovative proposals which combine elements of professional enrichment, 
job shadowing and internships appropriate to the language ability and 
interests of the participants.
    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the 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.'' The funding authority for the 
program cited above is provided through the FREEDOM Support Act. 
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 TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with SLUA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/PN-96-32.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Tuesday, April 
30, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked April 30, 1996 but received at later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, 
Russia/Eurasia Division, E/PN Room 216, U.S. Information Agency, 301 
4th Street SW., Washington, D.C. 20547, Phone: (202) 619-5326, fax: 
(202) 619-4350, internet: [email protected] to request a Solicitation 
Package containing more detailed award criteria, required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for preparing proposals, including 
specific criteria for preparation of the proposal budget.

TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE VIA INTERNET: The Solicitation 
Package may be downloaded from USIA'S website at http://www.usia.gov/ or from the Internet Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov. Select 
``Education and Cultural Exchanges'', then select ``Current Request for 
Proposals (RFPs).'' Please read ``About the following RFPs before 
beginning to download.
    Please specify USIA Program Assistant James Del Giudice on all 
inquiries and correspondences. Interested applicants should read the 
complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or 
submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Agency staff 
may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants until the 
Bureau proposal review process has been completed.

SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and 12 copies of the application 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/PN-96-32, Office of 
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547.

DIVERSITY GUIDELINES: 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. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest 
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to 
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic 
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program 
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review 
criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section for specific 
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    Community Connections seeks to establish and strengthen links 
between American communities and communities in Ukraine and Moldova.

[[Page 13921]]
Community Connections will focus on business (particularly 
entrepreneurship), the legal profession and its relationship to the 
administration of justice, and issue of concern for local government. 
Pending the availability of funds, approximately 325 Ukrainian business 
people, 160 Ukrainian legal professionals, 160 Ukrainian local 
government officials, 50 Moldovan business people, 25 Moldovan legal 
professionals, and 25 Moldovan local government officials will be 
recruited from selected regions of Ukraine and Moldova by experienced 
U.S. organizations with offices in Ukraine and Moldova. The program 
will recruit both English-speaking participants and participants with 
little or no English-language skills in order to expand the reach and 
impact of Community Connections.

Guidelines

    In order to make the most effective use of the limited financial 
resources available while, at the same time, maintaining a maximum 
degree of program flexibility, the Office of Citizen Exchanges asks 
that interested organizations submit proposals to host no fewer than 30 
participants in total. Organizations must host at least one group of 
participants each from two of the three subject components of the 
program. Groups of legal professionals and local government officials 
may not be smaller than 10 participants. Programs for business people 
will be from four to five weeks in length; programs for legal 
professionals will be from three to four weeks in length; and programs 
for government officials will be from two to three weeks in length. 
Programs are to be conducted between October 1, 1996, and December 31, 
1997. Care must be taken to allow sufficient time between programs to 
adequately prepare for the following group. Organizations proposing to 
develop programs for additional groups of interns beyond the minimum 
must demonstrate that they have either allowed for sufficient 
preparatory time between programs or have the necessary human, physical 
and financial resources to adequately handle any overlap. The Agency 
strongly prefers that all programs be completed by December 31, 1997.
    Recruitment for the ``Community Connections'' program will be 
conducted by experienced American organizations with offices in Ukraine 
and Moldova. All candidates for placement in the U.S. will be selected 
no later than December 1996. The first group of participants will be 
selected by August 1996 for arrival in the United States no earlier 
than October 1, 1996. Participants will be assigned to U.S. host 
communities by the Office of Citizen Exchanges based on the following 
factors: Existing ties between the regions of origin of the 
participants, the locations of the U.S. grantee organizations (e.g. 
Sister City ties), the professional interests of the participants, and 
the areas of strength of U.S. grantee organizations.
    A proposal's cost-effectiveness, including in-kind contributions 
and ability to keep administrative costs low, is a major consideration 
in the review process. 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. In the event that 
the Recipient does not provide the minimum amount of cost-sharing as 
stipulated in the Recipient's budget, the Agency's contribution.

Proposed Budget

    Organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on 
the specific guidance in the Solicitation Package. Average per capita 
cost for participants hosted should not exceed $6,300.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.

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 program office, as well as the USIA Office of Eastern 
European and NIS Affairs and the USIA posts in Ukraine and Moldova. 
Proposals may 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 assistance awards (grants or cooperative 
agreements) resides with the USIA grants officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below:
    1. Program planning and ability to achieve objectives: Detailed 
agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate careful and thorough 
preparation to carry out substantive programs which have a high 
likelihood of achieving program objectives. Agenda and plan should 
adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above. 
Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible.
    2. Institutional capability: Organization should demonstrate 
sufficient skills and experience in hosting visitors from other 
countries and ability to utilize local business, legal and governmental 
resources and voluntary support. Thematic expertise in project subject 
areas should be demonstrated.
    3. 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. 
Proposals should also maximize cost-sharing through other private 
sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.
    4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity.

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 Agency reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of 
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.


[[Page 13922]]

    Dated: March 21, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-7467 Filed 3-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M