[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 198 (Thursday, October 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53264-53270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25682]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

Multi-Regional Projects for International Visitors; Notice; 
Request for Proposals

    Summary: The Office of International Visitors (IV) of the United 
States Information Agency's (USIA) Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs announces an open competition for assistance awards. Public and 
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in 
IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply to develop projects for 
Multi-Regional Groups of International Visitors traveling in the United 
States for periods of 24 to 30 days. Groups will be comprised of from 
12 to 30 American Embassy contacts in the fields of government, 
politics, economics, journalism and the media, social processes, and 
business.
    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 to 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.''
    Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. The U.S. Information 
Agency projects, programs and assistance awards are subject to the 
availability of funds and sufficient number of participant nominations.
    Announcement Title and Number: All communications with USIA 
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and 
reference number E/VP-97-1.
    To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: Information about 
USIA's IV Program is available via Internet at website: http://
www.usia.gov/education/ivp/usintiv.htm. 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).'' Potential applicants should read ``About the Following RFPs'' 
before downloading.
    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C., time on the due date 
indicated for submission of proposals for each project described below. 
Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked on 
the proposal due date but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the due date which has been established for each available project, 
as follows:

Grassroots Democracy in the U.S. Federal System

    Proposal Due Date: January 7, 1997.
    Project Dates: 04/03/97-04/24/97.
    Contacts: Susan Lockwood, Gail Curtis.
    The democratic system of government is predicated on an informed 
and involved citizenry which interacts with elected officials who in 
turn are responsive to the views and interests represented throughout 
society. The aim of this project is to demonstrate that citizen 
participation in the political process is a means of harnessing the 
power of constructive criticism to effect change and to ensure checks 
on government. The project will incorporate an examination of the 
decentralized structure of the U.S. government, the interrelationships 
among the national, state, and local levels, and how citizens 
communicate with each level. The visitors--civic and community leaders, 
political party leaders, government officials, educators and 
journalists--will observe firsthand how grassroots organizations allow 
citizens to contribute to the debate on

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critical issues ranging from foreign policy initiatives to local 
community efforts. The various processes essential to successful 
advocacy efforts, such as fund-raising, coalition building, lobbying 
elected officials, publicity campaigns and volunteer recruitment will 
be thoroughly explored during community visits around the country. Case 
studies in direct citizen legislative efforts will be based on 
initiative or referendum questions decided in the recent elections.
Drug Abuse Prevention and Education Programs
    Proposal Due Date: January 7, 1997.
    Project Dates: 04/10/97-05/01/97.
    Contact: Azza Zaki.
    Drug abuse has proven to be an intractable problem in the entire 
world. A whole new generation is now showing signs of falling into the 
habits of their elders regarding use, both recreational and hard-core, 
of illicit substances. This project, designed for drug rehabilitation 
professionals and educators directly involved in halting drug abuse, 
will provide an overview of the U.S. response to drug abuse by 
surveying education strategies and discussing treatment and 
interdiction methods. Emphasis will be placed on programs successfully 
developed to help schools and communities eliminate the use of alcohol 
and drugs by young people. Strategies will be discussed for assessing 
drug and alcohol problems as well as for long-term ways of alleviating 
them. The role which the media can play in discouraging young people 
from embracing a drug-influenced lifestyle by conveying the hazards of 
substance abuse and by deglamorizing the drug culture will be explored. 
Visitors will visit schools, local community organizations and 
treatment centers as well as federal and local law enforcement 
representatives, and will be encouraged to share perspectives gained 
through efforts in their own countries to stamp out the use of 
debilitating drugs.
The Role of Congress in the U.S. Political System
    Proposal Due Date: January 7, 1997.
    Project Dates: 04/24/97-05/15/97
    Contacts: Janet Beard, Azza Zaki.
    Of all American national institutions, the Congress presents 
perhaps the prime example of representative democracy at work, 
affording as it does day-to-day evidence of the efficacy of this form 
of government as it engages in making legislation and appropriating 
money. This project will provide visitors with a good understanding of 
the American political process and the role of Congress in that 
process. It will provide an opportunity to assess the impact of the 
1996 election on the makeup of the legislative branch of the U.S. 
government, and to examine the extent to which newly elected members of 
Congress, and the loss of many retired veterans in both houses, will 
affect the direction the U.S. takes in both its foreign and domestic 
policies. Through this examination, visitors will learn about the 
complexity of the system, its strengths and weaknesses, its checks and 
balances, and the forces that drive it for better or for worse. The 
project is designed for politicians, academics, government officials, 
journalists, and labor leaders who have a background or special 
interest in American politics.
The Globalization of Business and Markets
    Proposal Due Date: February 4, 1997.
    Project Dates: 05/01/97-05/22/97.
    Contacts: Paul Kreutzer, Colleen Fowler.
    International trade and worldwide instantaneous communications have 
created a world in which much of local economic and financial 
enterprise is inextricably linked to conditions and influences which 
prevail in many far-flung parts of the world. This project will examine 
the evolving impact of this globalization on various levels of 
business, markets and communities. Meetings with large and small 
businesses and finance companies will allow visitors to review the 
breadth of economic globalization, from instantaneous worldwide capital 
flows for business to global sourcing of common consumer goods in 
markets. Global or regional multilateral institutions will lend their 
perspectives on the integration of developing countries into both 
global and regional trade and finance flows. Visits with local 
community leaders will review public-private responses to the 
challenges of globalization, including community efforts to attract 
foreign investment to support economic diversification, retain workers, 
and sustain a high quality of life in a post-industrial economy. 
Experts will address critical questions about the potentially negative 
effects of globalization, such as corporate downsizing, worker 
displacement, divergence of education and income classes, and rise of 
anti-trade sentiment. This project is designed for international 
business leaders; finance, trade, and development officials; community 
and labor leaders; and academics and journalists concerned with 
business issues.
Entrepreneurship in the U.S.
    Propsal Due Date: February 4, 1997.
    Project Dates: 05/08/97-05/29/97.
    Contacts: Susan Lockwood, Gail Curtis.
    Small business has often been referred to as the engine of economic 
expansion and job creation. The ``entrepreneurial spirit'' has been a 
driving force in the prior success of the U.S. economy and is being 
looked to as the best hope for reviving economic vitality in regions 
and industries that have been hard hit in recent years. This project, 
designed for private business persons, government officials, academics 
and journalists with an interest in the American free market system, 
will provide both a theoretical and practical overview of 
entrepreneurship in the United States. Visitors will study the factors 
which affect and stimulate private enterprise including prevailing U.S. 
economic conditions, current Administration policy, the influence of 
labor, and the impact of immigration, expanding global markets, 
increasing liberalization of trade, and public/private cooperation. 
Techniques employed to keep the U.S. competitive in a global economy, 
including government programs on both the federal and state levels to 
foster and incubate small business enterprises, will be featured. 
Visits to one-stop centers for government permits and licenses will 
showcase the efforts local authorities are making to streamline and 
untangle the excessive paperwork which frequently confronts the 
independent business person. Through visits with American entrepreneurs 
in variously economically-endowed regions of the country, visitors will 
gain an understanding of the opportunies and challenges they face.
International Security and U.S. Defense Policies
    Proposal Due Date: February 4, 1997.
    Project Dates: 05/15/97-06/05/97.
    Contacts: Janet Beard, Azza Zaki.
    With the post-Cold War period well underway, U.S. defense and 
strategic policies are moving beyond the traditional security concerns 
which dominated the era of superpower competition. Forces re-alignment, 
counter-proliferation, domestic and international economic security, 
peacekeeping and humanitarian missions now form major components of 
U.S. security and defense policies. This project will examine American 
defense and international security decision-making from the perspective 
of government officials and resources and will incorporate the views of 
interested foreign policy advocacy organizations. The project will 
review the long-term interests, threat analyses, and force structure 
considerations which motivate

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U.S. security policies, and study the decision-making process with 
officials and analysts of international security affairs. Visitors will 
study U.S. defense resources and capabilities, as well as the 
interaction of defense and foreign policy institutions at the Executive 
and Congressional level. Leading analysts and critics of U.S. policy 
will present their views on current international and regional security 
questions, including multilateral peacekeeping, the role of NGOs, and 
examples of recent crisis management. This project is designed for mid-
level defense and security government officials, military officials and 
analysts, and scholars concerned with security, strategic, and foreign 
policy issues.

Independent Judiciary

    Proposal Due Date: February 4, 1997.
    Project Dates: 05/29/97-06/19/97.
    Contact: Colleen Fowler.
    An independent judiciary is one of the preeminent requirements for 
a flourishing democracy, providing as it does protection against 
arbitrary action by authorities and a credible avenue for redress of 
grievances and enforcement of contracts. This project is intended for 
members of the judiciary or their staffs who would benefit from 
enhanced understanding of the American judicial and legal systems as 
well as community leaders, law professors, constitutional scholars, and 
justice ministry officials. In meetings with sitting judges and other 
authorities, visitors will discuss the principles underlying American 
jurisprudence such as federalism and the separation of powers, 
constitutionalism, guarantees of due process, and the Bill of Rights. 
Visitors will observe courtroom proceedings and meet with prosecutors, 
public defenders, and court administrators. International rule of law 
and human rights questions will be addressed by informed experts. 
Visitors will discuss with legal, political, and academic specialists 
the variety of means utilized in this country for the selection of 
judges at the federal, state, and local levels. Current issues in legal 
reform, the administration of justice, and court management will be 
identified.

Investigative Reporting in the U.S.

    Proposal Due Date: March 4, 1997.
    Project Dates: 06/05/97-06/26/97.
    Contacts: Margery Benson, Gail Curtis.
    As public officials and businesses rely increasingly on public 
relations professionals to aid in the packaging of news and opinion 
conveyed to and by the media, journalists have become increasingly 
sophisticated in documenting information published as fact for the 
American public. With the increasing complexity of financial and 
political transactions, reporters are challenged to document paper 
trails, check and recheck obscure information, and even to question the 
fallibility of authoritative sources. This project will provide 
reporters, journalists, and editors with an overview of the current 
trends in American investigative reporting regarding ethics and legal 
concerns, confidentiality of sources, censorship, methodologies for 
acquiring and confirming statistics, freedom of information procedures 
and privacy concerns. Efforts to protect investigative journalists 
whose personal safety is endangered by their efforts to expose 
corruption and malfeasance will be reviewed. The role which computer-
assisted journalism can serve in advancing investigative reporting will 
also be discussed. The project will include attendance at the annual 
meeting of Investigative Reporters and Editors to be held in Phoenix, 
Arizona, June 12-15.

International Environmental Issues

    Proposal Due Date: March 4, 1997.
    Project Dates: 06/19/97-07/10/97.
    Contact: Azza Zaki.
    Environmental concerns have come to play an increasingly important 
role in all aspects of U.S. foreign policy making, including defense 
and security policies as well as trade negotiations. This project will 
demonstrate that the United States recognizes the tremendous impact 
environmental problems have on quality of life for people around the 
world dealing with the transborder challenges presented by global 
climate change, pollution, overpopulation, deforestation, and 
competition for dwindling resources. Appreciation of the role that 
preservation of the global environment plays in maintaining national 
security and well-being has led both the State and Defense Departments 
to create special offices focusing on the need for sensitivity to 
environmental questions in conducting foreign relations. In this 
project, which will feature environmental problems and solutions that 
are international in scope, visitors will look at the unilateral, 
bilateral, and multilateral efforts in which the United States has been 
involved and discuss the various levels of success these approaches 
have had. It will include a serious examination of the political and 
economic implications of environmental policies and behaviors. Visitors 
will also discuss environmental regulations, cooperative efforts among 
businesses, governments, and environmentalists, sustainable development 
issues, transnational disputes over resources and pollution, and the 
role of international science and policy symposia in achieving 
cooperative solutions. The expected visitors will be decision-makers in 
government, industry, environmental organizations, academia, and the 
media.

The U.S. Financial System

    Proposal Due Date: March 4, 1997.
    Project Dates: 06/26/97-07/23/97.
    Contacts: Paul Kreutzer, Colleen Fowler.
    The U.S. financial system is becoming ever more intertwined with 
the global marketplace as it continues to experience growth in its 
financial market activity in which investors seek the riskier, higher 
yield capital markets. Consequently, the U.S. financial market serves 
as both a model and a funding source for emerging markets. Visitors in 
this project will study the U.S. financial system in its global and 
domestic context and will look at transferable experiences in market 
development. The program will present both U.S. and multilateral 
perspectives and policies and will discuss project finance, structural 
adjustment mechanisms, privatization, and provisions to assist and 
reform developing country markets. The group will visit regional 
finance centers across the country for discussions of lending practices 
and other developments in financial products. A principal goal of the 
project is to provide visitors with practical information on 
confidence-building measures they can implement aimed at attracting 
foreign capital and investment for the advancement of economic 
development objectives in their home countries. The project is designed 
for finance and trade ministry officials, private entrepreneurs, 
investment analysts, bankers, Chamber of Commerce officials, scholars, 
and journalists concerned with finance, business, public policy and 
economics.

International Crime Issues

    Proposal Due Date: April 1, 1997.
    Project Dates: 07/10/97-07/31/97.
    Contacts: Janet Beard, Azza Zaki.
    Mounting concerns about international terrorism and drug 
trafficking on U.S. soil have made American citizens and law 
enforcement officials aware of the need to increase international 
cooperative efforts to counter these threats to civil society. This 
program will examine the structure of the U.S. criminal justice system 
and how its principles are applied to international crime issues. It 
will present the Constitutional and historic

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basis for the structures, functions, limitations and obligations of the 
system. U.S. efforts--unilaterally, bilaterally, and multi-laterally--
to combat international crime will be examined by looking at new ideas 
and procedures currently being considered and developed to address 
specific international crime problems. Critical issues such as those 
raised by extradition and extraterritoriality in the pursuit and 
prosecution of international criminals will be addressed. Through team 
split programming, visitors will be able to pursue subjects of more 
individualized interest ranging from terrorism or narcotics 
interdiction, to money laundering or pirating of intellectual property. 
This project is intended for government officials, law enforcement 
officials and criminologists, prosecuting and private attorneys, 
academicians, journalists, and other professionals who deal with 
international crime.

Civic Journalism: Informing the Public Debate in a Democracy

    Proposal Due Date: April 1, 1997.
    Project Dates: 07/24/97-08/14/97.
    Contacts: Janet Beard, Colleen Fowler.
    Civic journalism, the involvement of news outlets in the reporting 
of news in the name of civic improvement, is a concept that has been in 
use for less than a decade, but that is garnering a great deal of 
support and attention across the country. As newsrooms become more 
involved in not only reporting the news but actually shaping it--by 
gathering citizen focus groups to ask what they want to read, by 
sponsoring town meetings to address local concerns, or by soliciting 
public comments from the voters as well as the candidates--the hope is 
that citizens will become better informed and more interested as well 
as involved in politics and community affairs. Visitors will talk with 
the Pew Center for Civic Journalism to explore their role in sponsoring 
this work. They will also meet with the newspaper editorial staffs, 
radio and television managers, and community activists who have led 
this initiative and the citizens who have been its beneficiaries. 
Analysis of the impact of civic journalism on ``getting out the vote'' 
and in countering negative campaigning in the previous year's election 
will be provided. This project will provide journalists and editors, 
civic educators, community leaders, and government officials with an 
introduction to civic journalism and with ideas they can implement at 
home to foster an informed public debate on civic issues.

U.S. Trade Policies

    Proposal Due Date: April 1, 1997.
    Project Dates: 07/31/97-08/21/97.
    Contacts: Susan Lockwood, Gail Curtis.
    With the initial stages of the World Trade Organization underway, 
the United States, along with its world trading partners, is now 
looking to maintain the hard-won gains toward establishing an 
international system of free trade. Additionally, regional trade 
organizations, as represented in the Western Hemisphere by the North 
American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA], have presented a further 
consideration to both business and labor in their relationship to the 
international marketplace. Intended for trade, commerce, and business 
professionals, this project will explore the U.S. experience and 
policies in the post-GATT era and address key issues related to free 
trade such as non-tariff barriers, agricultural subsidies, 
environmental regulations, regional trade pacts, and the prospects for 
expanding cooperative trade arrangements in a free trade and investment 
climate. The program will provide opportunities to meet with key policy 
makers in U.S. government economic and trade sectors, and to survey the 
existing climate in the U.S. for international trade and investment in 
the private commercial and financial sectors. Visitors will explore the 
gamut of U.S. perspectives on trade from ardent protectionists to free 
traders by meeting with labor, business, industry, academic, banking, 
federal and local government representatives.

The Global Information Highway

    Proposal Due Date: May 7, 1997.
    Project Dates: 08/07/97-08/28/97.
    Contacts: Paul Kreutzer, Colleen Fowler.
    The last decade of the 20th century will likely be remembered as 
the era of global linkage through information technology. This project 
will introduce visitors to that technology, including the corporate 
players who created it, the government players wanting to regulate it, 
and the consumers who are making increasing use of the evolving 
Internet, telecommunications, and information superhighway. The project 
will review the activities of major contributors to the information 
revolution, including software companies, telecommunications 
conglomerates and entrepreneurs, entertainment companies, and consumer 
and public interest groups. Issues studied will include uses of the 
information highway by educational institutions to promote access to 
learning and by businesses to facilitate communication as well as 
sales. Debates such as those over the conflict between the free flow of 
information and a need to control undesirable information will be 
highlighted. Implications of national interest in and attempts to 
regulate an increasingly borderless information flow will be examined 
by experts and advocates on both sides of the issue. This project is 
intended for technology industry businesspeople, managers, engineers, 
regulators, educators, academic and journalist observers of technology 
and culture, as well as entrepreneurs active in developing information 
resources.

Building Democracy In Diverse Communities

    Proposal Due Date: May 7, 1997.
    Project Dates: 08/14/97-09/04/97.
    Contacts: Janet Beard, Gail Curtis.
    As an increasingly multi-ethnic and even multi-lingual society, the 
United States faces challenges in absorbing newly-arrived immigrant 
communities as well as in ameliorating relationships between groups 
where deep-rooted bitterness still exists. Intended for civic and 
community leaders, local government officials, social workers, 
educators, sociologists, cultural historians, and journalists with a 
substantive interest in the government and culture of the U.S., this 
project will emphasize the strengths which cultural diversity brings to 
American society and its government. By illustrating the broad range of 
opinions and viewpoints held by Americans and how these are distilled 
through the democratic process, the program will provide a greater 
understanding of the democratic form of government in the U.S. and how 
it fosters common values across ethnically and racially diverse 
communities. Examples of programs which strive to foster understanding 
and improved relations between the races and ethnic groups which 
comprise the fabric of U.S. society will be highlighted. By visiting 
cities and small towns located in diverse economic regions of the 
country, visitors will also meet with a wide variety of grassroots 
organizations to observe the extensive range of ways in which American 
citizens can become involved in the political process and advocate 
their particular cause or viewpoint.

Radio Broadcasting in the U.S.

    Proposal Due Date: June 3, 1997.
    Project Dates: 09/11/97-10/08/97.
    Contacts: Margery Benson, Azza Zaki.
    While frequently overshadowed by its visual sister medium, radio 
broadcasting continues to play a pivotal role in

[[Page 53268]]

providing information and entertainment to its American audience and 
has received renewed interest to the extent that ``talk radio'' has 
assumed an elevated position in American political discourse. This 
project, designed for mid-level radio producers, programmers, editors, 
writers, announcers and administrative personnel, will address the 
principles of responsible and independent journalism while providing an 
opportunity to upgrade technological knowledge and journalistic skills. 
It will consist of visits to a wide variety of radio stations 
representing the spectrum of outlets in the U.S., including commercial, 
public, religious, national, and local stations. Visitors will hear 
discussions of broadcasting regulations and journalism ethics, observe 
programming, news gathering, interviewing and production techniques, 
and learn about the impact of technology on radio broadcasting in the 
U.S. Additional topics for discussion will include programming and 
production of news, radio stations as a business, fundraising for non-
profit stations, current affairs and features programs, sports 
coverage, radio talk shows, cultural and music programs, religious 
programs, public service and community outreach, and programs for 
children. The project is timed to coincide with the National 
Association of Broadcasters' annual ``Radio Show'' in New Orleans, 
Louisiana, September 17-20.

Decision-Making in U.S. Foreign Policy

    Proposal Due Date: June 3, 1997
    Project Dates: 09/18/97-10/09/97.
    Contacts: Susan Lockwood, Azza Zaki.
    The way in which the U.S. arrives at decisions with respect to its 
relations with other nations of the world is complex and difficult to 
comprehend from distant shores. Even within the nation, the process is 
perceived by some to be mercurial at best and subject to frequent 
reversals. With the U.S. emerging from the Cold War as the sole 
remaining superpower, the process of foreign policy formulation has, if 
anything, become more complex as the nation wrestles with the 
implications of its world leadership. This project will expose visitors 
to the vigorous and open public debate which forms the basis for 
decision-making in the U.S. foreign policy process, and will provide 
them the opportunity to meet with foreign policy practitioners and with 
citizens nationwide attempting to influence the process. Foreign 
affairs professionals will gain an awareness of the multiplicity of 
factors which influence and mold U.S. foreign policy and how 
philosophical ideals and national interests are reconciled in policy 
formulation. Special attention will be given to the role of the media 
in establishing the foreign policy agenda and informing the debate. 
Case studies based on the U.S. reaction to current trouble spots around 
the world will provide visitors with insight as to how policy evolves. 
This project is designed for government officials, politicians, 
academics and journalists interested in strengthening their 
understanding of the decision-making process in U.S. foreign policy.

International Conflict Resolution and Preventive Diplomacy

    Proposal Due Date: June 3, 1997.
    Project Dates: 09/25/97-10/16/97.
    Contacts: Paul Kreutzer, Gail Curtis.
    In the post-Cold War era, international security concerns have 
revolved less around large scale superpower encounters and increasingly 
around ways to resolve often intractable regional conflicts and ethnic 
wars. This project will familiarize visitors with the activities of 
U.S. governmental, multi-lateral, and non-governmental organizations 
active in preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution at the 
international level. Through case studies in preventive diplomacy, 
visitors will examine the role of U.S., U.N., and third-party attempts 
to settle differences before violent crises erupt. Multi-track 
diplomacy, mediation, and post-conflict rebuilding and conciliation 
issues will be covered in meetings with organizations involved in both 
the theory and practice of conflict resolution. Visitors will learn 
about diplomatic, military, and humanitarian U.S. resources. Academic 
meetings will describe conflict prevention and resolution curricula and 
training workshops. This project is designed for conflict resolution 
and peace studies practitioners and analysts, diplomats, military and 
defense officials as well as scholars, researchers, and journalists 
concerned with international affairs.
    To Receive a Solicitation Package by Mail, Contact: The Office of 
International Visitors, Group Projects Division (E/VP), Room 255, U.S. 
Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone 202/205-3058, fax 202/205-0792. The Solicitation Package 
contains more detailed award criteria, required application forms, 
project concept papers, and guidelines for preparing proposals, 
including specific criteria for preparation of the proposal and budget.
    On all inquiries and correspondence, please specify the names of 
the USIA Program Officer/Specialist as they appear on the ``Contacts'' 
line for each of the above projects. 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 15 copies of the application 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/VP-97-1, Office of 
Grants Management, E/XE, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 336, Washington, DC 
20547. Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposals on a 3.5-inch 
diskette. This material must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) format 
with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit 
proposals recommended for funding electronically to USIS posts overseas 
in order that they may share the information with prospective project 
participants.

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 of Diversity'' section for specific suggestions on 
incorporating diversity into the total proposal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Overview: Programs must maintain a non-partisan character. Programs 
and awards must conform to all Agency requirements and guidelines and 
are subject to final review by the USIA contracting officer.
    Guidelines: USIA seeks separate proposals from non-profit 
organizations for development and implementation of professional 
programs for USIA-sponsored International Visitors to the U.S. who will 
participate in eighteen Multi-Regional Group Projects (MRPs). A 
separate proposal is required for each project. Each project is 
focussed on a substantive theme. Participants in the

[[Page 53269]]

projects will be foreign leaders or potential leaders selected by U.S. 
embassy committees abroad. Each group will typically consist of from 12 
to 30 foreign visitors in addition to the two to three American escort 
officers, selected by USIA, who accompany them. Subject to approval by 
USIA, applicants may propose substitution for one of these escort 
officers by a representative of the applicant, provided the 
representative agrees to assume all responsibilities of the escort 
officer. Projects will be 24 to 30 days in length. Many programs begin 
in Washington, D.C., with an orientation and overview of the issues and 
a central examination of federal policies regarding these issues. 
Openings in cities other than Washington, D.C., may be proposed for 
substantive reasons. If Washington, D.C., is not the opening site, it 
should be included on the itinerary. Well-paced project itineraries 
often include programs in four or five communities, including the 
opening site. Project itineraries should include urban and rural small 
communities in distinctive geographical and cultural regions of the 
U.S. The programs should provide numerous opportunities for project 
participants to experience the diversity of American society and 
culture. At appropriate points in the project, the visitors should be 
divided into smaller sub-groups for simultaneous visits to different 
communities, with subsequent opportunities to share their experiences 
with the full group once it is reunited. There should be numerous 
opportunities for the visitors to share a meal or similar experience in 
the home of Americans of diverse occupational, age, gender, and ethnic 
groups (``home/family hospitality''). Some projects should include at 
least one opportunity for an overnight stay in an American home 
(``homestay''). The visitors should be provided opportunities to 
address student, civic and professional groups in relaxed and informal 
settings. ``Shadowing'' experiences with American professional 
colleagues may be proposed. Visitors should have numerous opportunities 
for site visits and hands-on experiences that are relevant to project 
themes. Proposals should also allow time for visitors to reflect on 
their experiences, share observations with project colleagues and visit 
cultural and touristic sites. In cities where such councils exist, 
arrangements for community visits must be made through the national 
network of affiliates of the National Council for International 
Visitors [NCIV].
    Program participants will travel on J-1 visas arranged by USIA.
    Organizations are required to submit a comprehensive line-item 
budget in accordance with the instructions in the Solicitation Package. 
Cost items must be clearly categorized as administrative costs, group 
project costs, or program costs. Applicants must use the budget format 
presented in the ``1997 Guidelines for Proposals Submitted to the USIA 
Office of International Visitor Group Projects Division'' for all 
budget submissions. There must be a summary budget as well as a 
breakdown showing detail for the administrative budget, group project 
budget and program budget. Proposed staffing and costs associated with 
staffing must be appropriate to fulfillment of all project 
requirements, which will include close consultation with the 
responsible USIA staff officer throughout development and 
implementation of the program. Program costs proposed may not exceed 
the guideline amounts. Combined administrative and indirect costs 
proposed should be controlled and are subject to negotiation. Cost 
sharing is encouraged and, if applicable, must be shown in your budget 
presentation. The Agency anticipates that awards to cover 
administrative and indirect costs (where applicable) will be less than 
$20,400.
    Organizations that have received a renewal assistance award from 
the Agency for the Office of International Visitors must submit a 
budget showing all administrative costs associated with the project for 
which application is made. Any award to such an organization pursuant 
to this announcement may be adjusted to reflect the status of the 
renewal award. Renewal award recipients must identify individuals or 
organizations to whom they have already paid honoraria in FY1997 if 
they propose to pay an additional honorarium for any project included 
in this announcement.
    The Agency welcomes proposals from organizations that have not 
received USIA grants or assistance awards in the past. Agency 
requirements stipulate that ``Grants awarded to eligible organizations 
with less than four years of experience in conducting international 
exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.'' It is not expected that 
any of the projects in this announcement will cost $60,000 or less. It 
is therefore incumbent on organizations to demonstrate four years of 
successful experience in conducting international exchange programs to 
be eligible for an assistance award.

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 USIA's Geographic Area 
Offices. 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 Education and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative 
agreements) resides with the USIA Office of Contracts.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered:
    1. Qualify of program idea: Proposals should exhibit originality, 
substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission, and be 
responsive to all goals and requirements stated in the RFP, project 
concept papers and the ``1997 Guidelines for Proposals Submitted to the 
United States Information Agency Office of International Visitors Group 
Projects Division.''
    2. Program planning: The proposed program and work plan should 
include a planning and implementation time-line, describe any 
preliminary planning undertaken, and demonstrate logistical capability 
to implement the program as described.
    3. Ability to achieve project objectives: Objectives should be well 
designed, reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the project's objectives.
    4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed projects 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 substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (program venue 
and project 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 effective 
implementation and fulfillment of the project's goals.
    7. Institution's record/ability: Proposals should demonstrate an

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institutional record of successful exchange programs, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for past Federal assistance awards, if any. The Agency 
will consider the past performance of prior USIA award recipients and 
the demonstrated potential of new applicants. All applicants must 
demonstrate a minimum of four years of successful experience in 
conducting international exchange programs.
    8. Cost-effectiveness: The administrative and indirect cost 
components of the proposal, including salaries, should be kept as low 
as possible and should not exceed the amount stated above.
    9. Cost-sharing: Consideration will be given to proposed cost-
sharing through other private sector support as well as institutional 
contributions.

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 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.

    Dated: October 1, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-25682 Filed 10-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M