[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 183 (Thursday, September 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49376-49378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23985]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

NIS Secondary School Initiative: DC Civics Education Program; 
Notice--Request for Proposals

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Division of the NIS Secondary 
School Initiative 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 a program in Washington, DC on the American political 
system for approximately 150 high school students from the New 
Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union attending school in 
the United States during academic year 1996-97. These students will be 
equitably selected from a group of 1,200 students who are participating 
in the Division's NIS Academic Year Exchange Program. The Washington 
program should enable the students to learn about the federal system, 
observe institutions of the government, hear about and discuss issues 
on the federal agenda, and interact with government officials. The 
program should also address the principles of the Constitution and the 
history of

[[Page 49377]]

federalism. USIA will award one or more grant in this competition.
    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-Hayes 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, development, 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 this program is contained in the Freedom 
Support Act (Pub. L. 102-391). These exchanges represent part of the 
activities for the NIS Secondary School Initiative and are subject to 
the availability of funding for the Fiscal Year 1997 program. Programs 
and projects must conform with Agency requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the Solicitation Package.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/P-97-9.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, October 
18, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked October 18, 1996 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: Please contact the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges, NIS Secondary School Division--Academic Year Program, Room 
320, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
20547, Telephone: 202-619-6299, Fax: 202-619-5311, 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 Program Officer Nancy Fearheiley 
on all inquiries and correspondences. Interested applicants should read 
the complete Federal Register announcement before addressing inquiries 
to the Office of Citizens Exchanges NIS Secondary School Initiative--or 
submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, the NIS 
Secondary School Division may not discuss this competition in any way 
with applicants until the Bureau proposal review process has been 
completed.

TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE VIA INTERNET: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://
www.usia.gov/ or from the Internet Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov. 
Under the heading ``International Exchanges/Training,'' select 
``Request for Proposals (RFPs).'' Please read ``About the Following 
RFPs'' before downloading.

SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and six copies of the complete 
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-97-9, 
Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette, 
formatted for DOS. This material must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) 
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters USIA will transmit 
these files electronically to USIS posts overseas for their review, 
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for 
the Agency's grants review process.

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 in program administration and in 
program content. Organizations are encouraged to seek diverse 
communities and host families in which to place students. Orientation 
programming should include information on diversity issues as part of 
American culture and should touch on current laws that mandate equal 
treatment of all people regardless of race, gender, national origin, or 
disabling condition. 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

    Grant funding is intended to provide a program in Washington, DC on 
the American political approximately 150 high school students from the 
New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union attending 
school in the United States during academic year 1996-97. The 
Washington program should enable the students to learn about the 
federal system, observe institutions of the government, hear about and 
discuss issues on the federal agenda, and interact with government 
officials. The program should address the principles of the 
Constitution and the history of federalism, along with key developments 
of the American political history. Special attention should be paid to 
those issues that will be especially significant to people from the 
former Soviet Union. The program may also examine the role of the 
United States in the world. The program should be arranged for 5 to 7 
days, including arrival and departure.
    The grantee organization will be provided with the names of the 
students who have been chosen at random by independent, objective 
selectors. Every effort will be made to ensure that this group is 
diverse regarding country of origin, ethnicity, age, gender, and 
physical disability. The Division would welcome suggestions from 
prospective grantees on creative methods of random selection.

Guidelines

    Proposals must effectively describe the organization's ability to 
accomplish the following essential components of the program:
    1. Provide a Washington, DC civics education program as described 
above during the time period indicated.
    2. Provide training for organization staff on NIS society and 
culture.
    3. Provide housing and meals for the students throughout the 
program.
    4. Arrange travel to and from Washington, DC in coordination with 
Academic Year Program placement organizations. Provide ground 
transportation for students in the DC area, including to and from 
airports.
    5. Provide opportunities to attend cultural events and visit 
museums and monuments.
    6. Coordinate with USIA's Division for the NIS Secondary School 
Initiative (E/PY) and Congressional Liaison Office (CL) in arranging 
Congressional meetings.

[[Page 49378]]

    7. Provide staff to assist in case of medical emergencies.
    8. Incorporate a program component which is designed to facilitate 
students' transition from the DC program to their host communities.
    9. Provide a mechanism for evaluation of the program in terms of 
its impact on the students and its success in fulfilling the 
objectives.

Proposed Budget

    Organizations must bid on arranging a program for a minimum of 150 
students but may increase the number of participants through cost 
sharing the additional expenses incurred. One grant will be awarded for 
this activity. It is anticipated that the total costs of the 
Washington, DC Enhancement program will average $800 per NIS 
participant for a five day program, including domestic travel. The 
organization must submit a comprehensive line item budget. Details are 
available in the Solicitation Packet.

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 USIA East European NIS area office, and the budget and 
contract offices. 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's Office of Contracts.

Review Criteria

    Technically 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 and 
adherence to the conditions above.
    2. Program Planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
adhere to the program objectives, timing, and guidelines described 
above.
    3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate an understanding of the program's objectives stated above 
and how the organization will achieve them.
    4. 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).
    5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve and program or 
project's goals.
    6. Institution's Track Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate 
a record of successful programs, including responsible fiscal 
management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past 
Agency grants as determined by USIA's Office of Contracts (M/KG). The 
Agency will consider the past performance of prior grantees and the 
demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    7. Project Evaluation: The proposal should include a plan to 
evaluate the success of the grantee organization in achieving the 
stated objectives. The grantee will also be expected to cooperate with 
USIA in evaluating the program under the requirements of the Government 
Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Proposals should reflect an 
understanding and grasp of these responsibilities.
    8. Cost Effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components 
of grants, as well as salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as 
possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate.
    9. Cost Sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions. Organizations that choose to enhance the program by 
using private funds to increase the number of participants will be 
viewed more favorably than those without cost sharing.

Notice

    Organizations with less than four years of experience conducting 
similar programs for foreign visitors in Washington, DC, will be 
eligible for a grant of less than $60,000.
    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. The award made will be 
subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified of the results of the review 
process on or after December 6, 1996. Awards made will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: September 13, 1996.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-23985 Filed 9-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M