[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 86 (Thursday, May 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19655-19658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10596]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Training Programs in Bosnia, Request for Proposals; Notice

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges 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 develop media and 
parliamentary training programs for Bosnia. Projects should include 
both in-country and U.S. training programs for professionals in the 
above-mentioned fields.
    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

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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 Exchanges appropriation.
    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 USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/P-96-35.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, June 14, 
1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked June 7, 1996, but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure the proposals are received 
by the above deadline.
    Grants should begin after September 9, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, 
European Division, Room 224, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, 
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone (202) 619-5319, fax (202) 619-
4350, Internet address [[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 Officer Christina Miner 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 eight copies of the application 
should be sent to:

U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-96-35, Office of Grants Management, 
E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 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

    Proposals must focus on one of the following topics:

Media Training

    Programs in this general topic should fall under one or more of 
three sub-categories: journalistic training (both print and broadcast); 
management of media organizations; and/or government/press relations. 
Media projects should include cities outside of Sarajevo.
    Journalistic training should emphasize skills such as effective 
writing, investigative reporting, objectivity, evaluation of sources, 
clear labeling of editorials and opinion pieces, conformance to 
copyright laws, and ethics.
    Media management training should focus on management of media as a 
profitable business. Topics to be addressed might include management 
techniques, desk top publishing, sales, and advertising, marketing, 
distribution, staff development, and accountability.
    Public affairs training should cover the relationship between 
journalists and spokespersons for political parties and/or government 
agencies. Following the Fall elections the interaction between both 
national and municipal government spokespersons and the media will be 
critical to the development of democracy.

Parliamentary Training

    Training should focus on the administration and structure of a 
parliamentary government. The role of support offices, the structure of 
parliamentary committees and parliamentary procedures and process, 
including the basics of drafting legislation, should all be addressed. 
These projects may be regional in focus.
Guidelines
    Projects must be two-way exchanges and include in-country 
workshops, consultations, and U.S.-based training (including 
internships, where possible).
    University faculty are invited to work as project directors; 
however, the U.S.-based training should include professional 
development and the Bosnian participants should be professionals 
working in the fields of media or government.
    Exchange programs for students or faculty or proposals that request 
support for the development of university curricula or for degree-based 
programs are ineligible under this RFP. Proposals to link university 
departments or to exchange faculty and/or students are funded by USIA's 
Office of Academic Programs (E/AE) under the University Affiliation 
Program and should not be submitted in response to this RFP.
    In the selection of all foreign participants, USIA and USIS posts 
retain the right to nominate participants and to approve or reject 
participants recommended by the program institution. Programs must also 
comply with J-1 visa regulations.
    Programs that include internships in the U.S. should provide 
letters tentatively committing host institutions to support the 
internships.

Funding

    Proposals for less than $135,000 will receive preference.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire 
program. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown 
reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget. For 
better understanding or further clarification, applicants may provide 
sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity in 
order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    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

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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. If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program may be provided by 
the U.S. State Department Language Services Division. A pair of 
simultaneous interpreters is provided for every four participants. 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 can be used to provide specialized expertise or to 
make presentations. Daily honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per 
day.
    6. Room rental, which generally should not exceed $250 per day.
    7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop, and translate materials for participants.
    8. One working meal per project. Per capital 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. 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 Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions, including information on audit 
requirements.

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 post overseas, where appropriate. 
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

    Technical eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission. 
Program objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible.
    2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda 
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above.
    3. 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.
    4. Cross Cultural/Area Expertise: Proposals should reflect the 
institution's expertise in the subject area and should address specific 
areas of concern facing countries involved in the project. 
Additionally, projects should show evidence of sensitivity to 
historical, linguistic and other cross cultural factors and should 
demonstrate how this sensitivity will be used in practical aspects of 
the program, such as pre-departure orientations or briefings of 
American hosts.
    5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities).
    6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals.
    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 support) which ensures 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. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended. Successful applicants 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 
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and 
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance 
in the partner country(ies).

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.


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    Dated: April 23, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-10596 Filed 5-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M