[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9018-9020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4846]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

Summer Institute for EFL Educators From Francophone and Lusophone 
Sub-Saharan Africa

ACTION: Notice; Request for Proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchanges Division, 
Africa Branch of the United States Information Agency's Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an 
assistance award. Accredited, post-secondary educational institutions 
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1 
may apply to develop a Summer Institute for English-as-a-Foreign-
Language (EFL) Educators from Francophone and Lusophone Sub-Saharan 
Africa. The Summer Institute will provide a six-week academic training/
development program in English-as-a-Foreign-Language for 16 teacher 
trainers/educators and supervisors/inspectors of secondary schools 
selected from sixteen French and Portuguese-speaking countries of Sub-
Saharan Africa.
    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/ AEA-97-02.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Thursday, April 3, 
1997. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked April 3, 1997, but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.
    The Summer Institute for EFL Educators should be programmed to 
encompass about 45 days and should begin between June 15, 1997, and 
July 13, 1997, depending on the host institution's academic calendar. 
No funds may be expended until a grant agreement is signed with USIA's 
Office of Contracts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Academic Programs, 
Academic Exchanges Division, Africa Branch (E/ AEA), Ann J. Martin, 
Program Officer, Room 232, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20547, phone: 202- 619-5371, fax: 202-619-6137, or 
e-mail: [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 the information provided 
before downloading.

TO RECEIVE A SOLICITATION PACKAGE BY FAX: The entire solicitation 
package may be requested via the Bureau's Grants Information ``Fax on 
Demand'' System which is accessed by calling 202/401- 7616. The `Table 
of Contents' containing document order numbers should be the first 
document requested.
    Please specify USIA Program Officer Ann J. Martin on all inquiries 
and correspondence. 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 7 copies of the application 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEA-97- 02, Office 
of Grants Management, E/XE,

[[Page 9019]]

Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.

DIVERSITY GUIDELINES: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, 
programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced 
and representative of the diversity of American political, social, and 
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest 
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to 
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic 
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program 
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review 
criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section for specific 
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Overview

    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States 
Information Agency (USIA) solicits proposals for a Summer Institute for 
English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) Educators from Francophone and 
Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The Summer Institute will provide a six-
week academic training/development program in English-as-a-Foreign-
Language, incorporating a U.S. cultural and educational experience, for 
16 teacher trainers/educators and supervisors/inspectors of secondary 
schools selected from sixteen French and Portuguese-speaking countries 
of Sub-Saharan Africa. Subject to availability of funds, one grant will 
be awarded to conduct the 1997 Institute.
    USIA asks for detailed proposals from U.S. institutions of higher 
education which have an acknowledged reputation in the field of 
training teachers of English-as-a-foreign-language, special expertise 
in handling cross-cultural programs, and experience with educational 
systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and African educators.

    Note: Applicant organizations should demonstrate a proven record 
(at least four years) of experience in international exchange.

    The general objective in the Institute is to support and encourage 
the upgrading of the teaching of English at secondary school level in 
French and Portuguese-speaking African countries. The specific 
objectives of the 1997 Institute are to develop skills of training, 
supervising, and evaluating teachers of EFL; to explore ways to 
introduce and/or adapt current EFL teaching methods and materials to 
local conditions in African countries, and to foster leadership 
capabilities.

Guidelines

    The proposal should be designed to support the following specific 
activities:
    (a) A five-week academic program with emphasis on developing the 
capacities of teacher trainers/educators and supervisors/inspectors to 
train, supervise, and evaluate teachers of EFL; to introduce and/or 
adapt current EFL teaching methods and materials to local conditions in 
African countries; and to assume leadership roles in their national EFL 
education systems. Detailed academic objectives are set forth in the 
Solicitation Package.
    (b) Cultural activities facilitating interaction among the African 
participants, American students, faculty, and administrators and the 
local community to promote mutual understanding between the people of 
the United States and the people of African countries, planned with the 
five-week academic program.
    (c) A one-week, escorted, cultural and educational tour of 
Washington, D.C., complementing and reinforcing the academic material.
    (d) Follow-on communication among participants and the U.S. 
institution to continue exchanges of ideas developed during the 
Institute.
    (e) Assistance to participants to select, purchase and ship EFL 
materials, to use in follow-on activities and training projects in 
their home countries.
    Participants will be selected by USIA, based on nominations from 
USIA offices overseas. Minimum qualifications for all participants will 
be the equivalent of BA/BS degrees from their national education 
systems. Participants will enter the United States on J-visas, using 
IAP-66 forms issued by USIA offices in the home country.
    The U.S. institution should plan to conduct an initial needs 
assessment of participants and should be prepared to adjust program 
emphasis as necessary to respond to participants' concerns for EFL 
education. Specific areas to address in the five-week academic program 
follow:
    1. New/current EFL teaching methodologies and approaches (theory 
and practice).
    2. Comprehensive coverage of classroom pedagogical issues and 
classroom management skills (including special focus on large classes).
    3. Teacher observation and evaluation practices.
    4. Designing and conducting in-service training programs and 
workshops for teachers.
    5. Leadership training.
    6. The introduction and/or adaptation of existing EFL materials to 
local conditions in African countries and general materials development 
procedures.
    7. Development of local/regional professional EFL associations.
    8. Introduction to Internet (WWW and e-mail) for professional 
networking and development.
    Few participants will have visited the United States previously. In 
view of this, an initial orientation to the host institution community 
and an introduction to U.S. society and system of education should be 
considered an integral part of the Institute.
    Management of the academic program, the cultural tour and on-site 
arrangements will be the responsibility of the Institute grantee. The 
host institution is responsible for arrangements for lodging, food, 
maintenance and local travel for participants while at the host 
institution and in Washington. USIA will arrange participants' 
international travel. USIA will provide the host institution with 
participants' curricula vitae and travel itineraries and will be 
available to offer guidance throughout the Institute.

Proposed Budget

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive line-item budget for the 
entire program. 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. The cost to 
USIA for the Summer Institute for EFL Educators from Francophone and 
Lusophone Africa should not exceed $95,000. Grants awarded to eligible 
organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting 
international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Instructional costs (for example: instructors' salaries, 
honoraria for outside speakers, educational course materials);
    (2) Lodging, meals, and incidentals for participants;
    (3) Expenses associated with cultural activities planned for the 
group of participants (for example: tickets, transportation);
    (4) Administrative costs as necessary. Proposals should maximize 
cost-sharing through private sector support as well as institutional 
direct funding contributions.

[[Page 9020]]

    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 African 
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: Proposal should exhibit quality, 
rigor, and appropriateness of proposed syllabus to the academic 
objectives of the Institute. Proposal should demonstrate effective use 
of community and regional resources to enhance the cultural and 
educational experiences of participants.
    2. Program planning: Relevant work plan and detailed calendar 
should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. 
Plan and calendar should adhere to the program overview and guidelines 
described above.
    3. Institutional capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve a substantive 
academic EFL program and effective cross-cultural communication with 
African participants. Proposals should show evidence of strong on-site 
administrative capabilities with specific discussion of how logistical 
arrangements will be undertaken.
    4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed program should contribute to 
long-term, mutual understanding and sharing of information about Africa 
among Americans, as well as to the understanding and knowledge of the 
U.S. among the African participants.
    5. Support of diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity. Program administrators should strive for diversity among 
Institute staff, university students, and the host community who 
interact with participants.
    6. Ability to achieve program objectives: Teaching objectives 
should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    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 Summer Institute's success, both as the activities unfold and at 
the end of the program.
    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.

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. 97-4846 Filed 2-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M