[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5679-5682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2906]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Partners in Education Program

ACTION: Notice--request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for an assistance award program, not to 
exceed $850,000. U.S. educational and other not-for-profit 
organizations with a minimum of four years experience in successfully 
administering international exchange programs, meeting the provisions 
described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1, may apply to develop 
a six-week professional internship program for approximately 90 
secondary school educators in the social sciences and secondary school 
administrators, with language proficiency, from Russia and Ukraine, in 
a 60 to 40 ratio respectively. We envision that some of the hosting 
U.S. school administrators will visit the schools of their Russian and 
Ukrainian participants under the grant to strengthen the partnerships. 
This initiative is intended to provide participants with opportunities 
to learn about secondary level curriculum development and teaching 
methodologies in the U.S. The program will add a secondary school 
teacher component to the Agency's academic programming in Russia and 
Ukraine, and will build upon USIA's previous linkages in the NIS, such 
as ``Community Connections'' and youth exchange. While in the U.S., the 
teachers and administrators will have the opportunity to pursue 
curriculum development in their own field of interest and learn new 
teaching methodologies and approaches through five-week internships in 
U.S. high schools. The internship duration for the administrators may 
be less than five weeks, subject to individuals' availability. The 
proposed program will span three academic semesters, starting in the 
fall of 1997. The contracted organization will be expected to recruit 
in Russia and Ukraine. After an orientation in Washington, D.C., 
grantees will be placed in small groups at various school districts in 
the U.S., and assigned internships in local high schools. Activities 
for the Russian and Ukrainian teachers and administrators would 
include: Observing classes, curriculum development, and teaching 
methods; delivering presentations to student and faculty on their own 
schools, local educational systems, and communities, either alone or 
together with their foreign colleagues; reviewing and collecting 
teaching materials for possible use in their home schools; and 
collaborating with U.S. school administrators to provide an 
understanding of the U.S. educational system at the local level. 
Teachers and administrators should also come to understand the 
relationship between the community and the educational system. The 
teachers and administrators would also engage in site visits to other 
schools, deliver presentations at those schools as well as to local 
civic and community groups, and attend PTA and school board meetings. 
We also encourage participants to establish contacts that will foster 
ongoing school linkages upon their return to Russia and Ukraine. 
Program participants will be required to meet established criteria upon 
completion of the program.
    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, P.L. 102-511.
    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/ASX-97-01.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on Friday, March 
14, 1997. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on March 14, 1997 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: Ms. Ilo-Mai Harding, Teacher Exchange 
Branch, E/ASX, room 349, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, 
telephone: (202) 619-4556, fax: (202) 401-1433, 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 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.
    Please specify USIA Program Officer/Specialist, Teacher Exchange 
branch 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 10 copies of the application 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASX-97-01, Office 
of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., 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 this 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

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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

    Grant funding is intended to provide opportunities for 90 committed 
and engaged--especially younger--Russian and Ukrainian teachers and 
administrators from secondary schools and pedagogical institutions to 
actively participate in six-week internships in U.S. high schools. 
These potential future educational leaders would be placed in various 
senior high school clusters around the U.S. to experience and gain 
first-hand exposure to the U.S. educational community. USIA is 
interested in proposals that foster long-term linkages between U.S. 
high schools and comparable Russian and Ukrainian schools and 
pedagogical institutes. The participating U.S. schools should reflect a 
broad institutional and geographic diversity. Additionally, the 
recipient institution should be mindful of USIA's goal to reflect the 
cultural and ethnic diversity of the U.S. in all programs. While the 
benefits of the exchange may be directly enjoyed by the Russian and 
Ukrainian participants, the American institutions and individuals will 
also gain from the cultural and professional expertise which these 
foreign educators are able to offer.

Guidelines

Eligibility

    U.S. non-profit educational and other not-for-profit organizations 
with a minimum of four years experience in successfully administering 
international exchange programs are eligible to apply.

Program Planning and Administration

    The recipient organization will be responsible for activities 
related to recruitment, screening, orientation coordination, monitoring 
in the U.S. and program evaluation. The recipient organization will 
also be responsible for the identification of up to ten U.S. school 
districts for participation in the program. However, the recipient 
organization will maintain overall oversight for the program.

A. Publicity, Recruitment, Selection, and Placement of Russian and 
Ukrainian Teachers and Administrators

    USIA will be responsible for the final selection of all Russian and 
Ukrainian candidates. Participants will be recruited by the recipient 
organization, based in Russia and Ukraine, under contract with USIA. 
Special emphasis will be placed on selecting groups of 6 to 8 qualified 
candidates, from targeted geographic regions, subject to the 
concurrence of the U.S. Information Services (USIS) in Moscow and Kiev. 
Priority should be given to recruitment from cities/regions targeted in 
USIA's Business for Russia and Community Connections programs. For 
example, in Russia: Altai Krai, Moscow, Kemerovo, Tula, Karelia, 
Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod, Irkutsk, Chelysbinsk, Rostov, 
Ekaterinburg, and Tomsk; in Ukraine: Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, 
Khmeinytskyy, Lviv, Mariupol, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sevastopol, Simferopol, 
Ternopil, Uzhorod, and Zaporizhia. The recipient organization will be 
responsive for:

--Formulating applications and publicizing the program;
--Reviewing the Russian and Ukrainian dossiers, and conducting 
interviews; and
--Placing the teachers and administrators in appropriate assignments 
after securing the approval of each candidate by the hosting school 
district.

    Selected participants will be fluent in English. Teachers need to 
have a minimum of two years experience and should be from such 
disciplines as the social studies and history. Administrators need to 
have been in leadership positions in their home schools for a minimum 
of two years. Special emphasis should be placed on candidates 
displaying the commitment to follow-on activities who will apply 
elements of the exchange experience to his/her classroom or school 
activities with a demonstrated impact on students, other district 
teachers and the community.

B. Logistics, Orientation and Maintenance

    The recipient organization will be responsible for:

--Arranging in-bond and out-bound international travel for all 
participants;
--Coordinating domestic transportation in Russia and Ukraine to and 
from the point of international travel with USIS in Moscow and Kiev, if 
requested by USIS;
--Arranging U.S. domestic and local travel for all participants;
--Preparing and sending necessary pre-departure orientation materials 
to all participants;
--Conducting an orientation seminar on the U.S. educational system upon 
arrival in the U.S.;
--Disbursing stipends and administering tax withholding and reporting 
as required by Federal, State, and local authorities and in accordance 
with relevant tax treaties;
--Providing assistance to Russian and Ukrainian participants regarding 
tax procedures;
--Enrolling participants in USIA insurance programs and preparing 
insurance identification cards:
--Communicaitng clearly the guidelines and information regarding visa 
regulations and the participants' expedient return upon completion of 
the program.

    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
program specific guidelines (POGI) in the Solicitation Package for 
further details.

C. Identifying and Coordinating the Activities of the Host U.S. School 
Districts

    The recipient organization will be responsible for:

--Identifying, recruiting, and selecting up to ten school districts, to 
collaborate, on a sub-contractual basis, in hosting selected groups of 
teachers for the school-based internships;
--The sub-contracted organizations will also organize homestays and 
participant visits to several local high schools during the five weeks 
following an orientation/workshop in Washington, DC.

    Each segment has approximately 30 participants, and takes place 
during one school semester (there will be three segments conducted in 
three sequential semesters). We envision a program agenda guided by the 
following:

Six-Week Program Agenda

(30 Working days--12 weekend days)

--Three groups of 8-12 arrive in Washington, D.C., preferably, for an 
intensive orientation/workshop that will include sessions on cross-
cultural training, education in the U.S., curricula and methodology in 
U.S. schools, and administrative matters [each group will include one 
or more administrator(s)].
--Groups then proceed to school districts, for twenty working days, to 
shadow professional colleagues, observe educational and

[[Page 5681]]

administrative activities, and talk and teach about their respective 
professional expertise.
--At least five days, during the assignment to school districts, must 
be devoted to workshops, in-service training, curriculum development 
training, etc. Training can be interspersed during the program or 
conducted in five consecutive days.
--Working days:
    Orientaiton/Workshop--3-4 days
    Training--5 days
    In classroom--20 days

(Weekends are reserved for traveling and homestays)
    The grantee organization is expected to solicit the services of 
educational/curriculum specialist(s) to design and advise about program 
content. The advisor(s) will also serve as a consultant for program 
participants to enhance the professional aspects during the training 
days. We envision the following thematically focused professional 
activities:
    (1) Civic Education: Visit local, municipal government and learn 
about local control of education. Interact with civic education 
teachers, observe their classes, and collect curricula materials.
    (2) Methodology/Curriculum Development Seminar: Participate in 
local, or district workshop/seminars on methodology and curriculum 
development/implementation.
    (3) Site Visits: Visit local professional organizations, 
educational institutions in order to supplement the learning 
experience.
    All hosting U.S. high schools will be required to submit a brief 
written proposal that outlines commitment and program goals. The 
grantee organization will be authorized to offer a financial incentive 
(not to exceed $5,000) for each participating U.S. school district.
    Proposed budget: The contracted organization must submit a 
comprehensive line-item budget based on the specific guidance in the 
Solicitation Package. There must be a summary budget as well as a 
break-down reflecting both the administrative budget and the program 
budget. For better understanding or further clarification, applicants 
may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, 
location, or activity in order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding. 
Administrative costs should be kept low; this will be an important 
factor in grant competition. Also, the ability to maximize the number 
of grantees within budget guidelines will enhance competitive 
proposals.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Participant Costs: Total (per participant)= $6,175.

--Stipends: $3,000
--Airfare (international/domestic): $1,900
--Health Insurance: $75
--Book Materials Allowance: $1,000
--Misc: $200

    (2) Program Expenses: Total = $75,000.

--Sub-Contracts with School districts: $50,000
--Academic Advisor: $25,000

    (3) Orientation/workshop Costs: Total (per participant) = $660.00.

--Per diem and logistical expenses: $165 a day

    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.

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 East 
European 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

    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 
principles in the Freedom Support Act.
    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. 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 substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
U.S. participating institutions, program venue and program evaluation) 
and program content.
    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 techniques 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).

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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.

    Dated: January 31, 1997.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associated Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-2906 Filed 2-5-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M