[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9016-9018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4845]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Training Programs for Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, and 
Bulgaria

ACTION: Notice; Request for proposals.

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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) may apply to develop training programs 
for the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, and Bulgaria.
    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 Fulbright-Hays Act.
    Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA projects and 
programs are subject to the availability of funds.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/P-97-27.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, April 11, 
1997. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked April 11, 1997 but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.
    Program activities should begin after June 15, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchange, E/PE, 
Room 216, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20547, telephone: 202-619-5319, fax: 202-619-4350, e-mail 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 entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://
www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all information before 
downloading.

TO RECEIVE A SOLICITATION BY FAX ON DEMAND: The entire Solicitation 
Package may be received via the Bureau's ``Grants Information Fax on 
Demand System'', which is accessed by calling 202/401-7616. Please 
request a ``Catalog'' of available documents and order numbers when 
first entering the system.
    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-97-27, Office of 
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 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 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: Diminished resources have forced USIA to 
limit the scope of this announcement; regrettably, proposals for 
countries and themes other than the ones described below will not be 
eligible for consideration. USIA is interested in proposals in the 
following areas and countries:
    Czech Republic: Projects that will strengthen civic culture by 
focusing on the training of NGOs to work with national and local 
governments as well as with local communities to propose and implement 
solutions to environmental problems.
    Romania: Projects should focus on court management procedures which 
need to be modernized and rationalized in order to meet modern 
democratic standards and the complex array of market economy-related 
issues. The activities should focus on information dissemination, 
training court personnel and upgrading court procedures.
    Slovakia: Projects should focus on the free-flow of information for 
Slovak libraries. Objectives of the project would be to introduce 
practical use of new technologies and new library services for 
citizens. There is particular interest in assisting the parliamentary 
library to become a source of information about the parliament and 
lawmaking for the whole country and not just a research service for its 
members. In addition, Slovak partners should include the librarian's 
association and leading university and public libraries, particularly 
Bratislava's University Library.
    Bulgaria: Proposals should focus on the management of media as a 
business: station management, newsroom management, advertising, 
marketing, personnel, and public relations.
    Exchange and training programs supported by institutional grants 
should operate at two levels: they should enhance institutional 
relationships; and they should offer practical and comparative 
information to individuals to assist them with their professional 
responsibilities. Strong proposals usually have the following 
characteristics: an existing partner relationship between an American 
organizations and a host-country institution; a proven track record of 
conducting program activity; cost sharing from American or in-country

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sources, including donations of air fares, hotel and housing costs; 
experienced staff with language facility; and a clear, convincing plan 
showing how permanent results will be accomplished as a result of the 
activity funded by the grant. USIA wants to see tangible forms of time 
and money contributed to the project by the prospective grantee 
institution, as well as funding from third party sources.

    Note: Research projects or projects limited to technical issues 
are not eligible for support nor are film festivals or exhibits. 
Exchange programs for students or faculty or proposals that request 
support for the development of university curricula or for degree-
based programs are also 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/A) under the 
University Affiliation Program and should not be submitted in 
response to this RFP.

Guidelines

    1. All grant proposals must clearly describe the type of persons 
who will participate in the program as well as the process by which 
participants will be selected. Note that participants should be 
professionals and not members of university faculties. In the selection 
of all foreign participants, USIA and USIS post 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.
    2. Programs that include internships in the U.S. should provide 
letters tentatively committing host institutions to support the 
internships. Letters of commitment from the hosts of study tour site 
visits should also be included, iff applicable.
    3. Applicants are encouraged to consult with USIS offices regarding 
program content and partner institutions before submitting proposals. 
Award-receiving applicants will be expected to maintain contact with 
the USIS post throughout the grant period.

Proposal Budget

    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
instructions.
    Applicants must submit a detailed line item budget based on 
specific instructions in the Program and Budget Guidelines of the 
Proposal Submission Instructions. Proposals for less than $117,000 will 
receive preference. Proposals with strong cost-sharing will be given 
priority.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    The following project costs are eligible for consideration for 
funding:
    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 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 flat rate.
    3. Interpreters. If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are 
provided by the U.S. State Department Language Services Division. 
Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided for every 
four visitors. 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. May be used to provide specialized expertise or to 
make presentations. Daily honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per 
day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the 
written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor 
should be included in the proposal.
    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 capita 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. All USIA-funded delegates will be covered under the terms of a 
USIA-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is paid by USIA 
directly to the insurance company.
    11. 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.

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 
for USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will be 
reviewed by the program office, as well as the USIA Office of East 
European and NIS Affairs and the USIA posts 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 respond to the 
program requirements of the RFP.
    2. Program planning and ability to achieve objectives: Program 
objectives should be stated clearly and precisely and should reflect 
the applicant's expertise in the subject area and the region. Goals 
should be reasonable and attainable. A detailed agenda and relevant 
work plan should demonstrate how objectives will be achieved. A 
timetable indicating when major program tasks will be undertaken should 
be provided. The substance of seminars, presentations, consulting, 
internships, and itineraries should be spelled out in detail. 
Responsibilities of in-country partners should be clearly described.
    3. 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).

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    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. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals. The narrative should demonstrate proven ability to 
handle logistics. Proposal should reflect the institution's expertise 
in the subject area and knowledge of the country.
    6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-up activity (without USIA support) which ensures that 
USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
    7. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan and 
methodology to evaluate the project's success, both as the activities 
unfold and at the end of the program. USIA recommends that the proposal 
include a draft survey questionnaire and/or plan for use of another 
measurement technique (such as a focus group) to link outcomes to 
original project objectives. Award-receiving organizations/institutions 
will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project 
component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
    8. Cost-effectiveness/cost sharing: The overhead and administrative 
components of the proposal, including salaries, honoraria, and 
subcontracts for services, should be kept as low as possible. All other 
items should be necessary and appropriate. Proposals should maximize 
cost-sharing through other private sector support as well as 
institutional direct funding 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 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: February 24, 1997.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-4845 Filed 2-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M