[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 84 (Thursday, May 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23827-23829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-11187]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Public and Private Nonprofit Organizations in Support of 
International Educational and Cultural Activities: Civil Justice 
Modernization in Jordan

AGENCY: The United States Information Agency.

ACTION: Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) 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 a project providing 
six Jordanian lawyers and judges in-depth orientation to and study of 
functions and mechanisms regularly employed in the American legal 
system to resolve civil/commercial litigation expeditiously, i.e., case 
management, early neutral evaluation, judicial settlement, mediation, 
arbitration, and summary judgement. The goal will be the formation of a 
cadre of knowledgeable Jordanian specialists who will develop 
guidelines for the introduction of modern case management process and 
ADR mechanisms into the civil legal process of Jordan.
    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.''

Announcement Title and Number

    All communications with USIA concerning this announcement should 
refer to the above title and reference number E/P-97-45.

Deadline for Proposals

    All copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency by 5 
p.m. Washington, DC time on June 12, 1997. Faxed documents will not be 
accepted, nor will documents postmarked June 12, 1997, but received at 
a later date. It is the responsibility of each grant applicant to 
ensure that proposals are received by the above deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/P, 
Room 220, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547, telephone: (202) 619-5319; fax: (202) 619-4350; 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 all 
information before downloading.

To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand

    The entire Solicitation Package may be received from the Bureau's 
``Grants Information Fax on Demand System,'' which is accessed by 
calling (202) 401-7616. The ``Table of Contents'' listing available 
documents and order numbers should be your first order when entering 
the system.
    Please specify USIA Program Specialist Thomas Johnston 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 nine copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-97-45, Office of Grants 
Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 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, Freedom and Democracy 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. Public 
Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and 
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom 
and democracy,'' USIA ``shall take appropriate steps to provide 
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and 
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should reflect 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.

Background/Objectives of this Program

    The legal community in Jordan, with the support and endorsement of 
the Jordanian Ministry of Justice, has been engaged in a civil justice 
modernization study since 1995, with the goal of improving the 
practical operation and increasing the efficiency of the Jordanian 
legal process. There is widespread support within the community for the 
use of ADR mechanisms to resolve civil--especially commercial--cases, 
thereby relieving the backlog within the courts and rendering rapid 
resolution of commercial cases possible. The creation of a more 
transparent, accessible, and efficient system for the litigation of 
commercial and labor disputes in Jordan will contribute to a more 
hospitable environment for both regional trade and international 
investment. The primary objective of this program is to further the 
development of the modern civil legal system in Jordan by training a 
core group of lawyers and judges who will draft, in the context of the 
exchange, practical guidelines for system modernization.

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Participants

    Six Jordanian lawyers and judges who have participated, with the 
former Minister of Justice, in a Ministry-sponsored legal study project 
focussed on legal system modernization and alternative dispute 
resolution mechanisms. The Jordanian participants will be fluent in 
English. Participants will be nominated through coordination among 
USIA, U.S. Information Service personnel in the region, and overseas 
partner institutions. USIA and the USIS post in Jordan retain the right 
to nominate all participants and to accept or reject participants 
recommended by grantee institutions. American judges, lawyers, and 
legal scholars who serve as consultants and trainers during the initial 
phase of this exchange and who may travel abroad in the capacity of 
advisors during later phases will be selected by the grantee 
institution in consultation with USIA/USIS.
    USIS officers in participating countries will facilitate the 
issuance of visas and other program-related material.

Programmatic Considerations

    The program should provide that the exchange:

--Be informed by the grantee's experience in working with foreign 
audiences and in the field of civil legal processes;
--Provide the six Jordanian participants both a strong theoretical and 
a strong experiential orientation to the court management and ADR 
mechanisms determined by the Jordanians to be appropriate for 
adaptation to the Jordanian legal system;
--Include, as an early phase, a two-to-three-week intensive orientation 
program in the United States for the participants, comprising lectures 
by leading legal scholars and members of the Bar Association and 
focussing primarily on case management and mediation and an opportunity 
to observe, in actual courtrooms and law firms, the implementation of 
ADR mechanisms by experienced judges and lawyers.
--Provide consultation with and advice to the Jordanian judges and 
lawyers in their development of guidelines for adapting appropriate 
court management and ADR mechanisms to the Jordanian civil legal 
system;
--Include the possibility that American specialists will travel to 
Jordan to collaborate with their Jordanian counterparts in presenting 
and explaining the guidelines to the members of the Jordanian legal 
community.

    Beyond the immediate goals of this exchange, USIA is interested in 
encouraging exchange projects which lay the groundwork for new and 
continuing, mutually beneficial links between American and Middle 
Eastern institutions and professional organizations and which will 
encourage the further growth and development of democratic 
institutions.
    The grantee organization will be responsible for most arrangements 
associated with this program. These include organizing a coherent 
progression of activities, providing international and domestic travel 
arrangements for all participants, making lodging and local 
transportation arrangements for visitors, orienting and debriefing 
participants, preparing any necessary support material, and working 
with host institutions and individuals to achieve maximum program 
effectiveness.
    To prepare the Jordanian judges and lawyers for this project prior 
to their arrival in the United States, E/P encourages the grantee 
organization to develop material to be sent to USIS offices overseas 
for distribution to participants. This material should include a 
tentative project outline with suggested goals and objectives, relevant 
background information, and information on American individuals and 
institutions involved in the exchange.
    At the beginning of the U.S.-based program, the grantee 
organization should conduct an orientation session for the visiting 
participants which addresses administrative details of the program and 
provides general information about American society and culture that 
will facilitate the participants' understanding of and adjustment to 
daily life in the United States.
    At the conclusion of the U.S.-based program, the group should meet 
in a symposium to review what has been presented to and experienced by 
the participants and to consider how that which has been learned can 
most effectively be applied upon the participants' return to their home 
country.

Additional Guidelines

    Program monitoring and oversight will be provided by appropriate 
USIA elements. The U.S. grantee institution should maximize cost-
sharing in all facets of the program and stimulate U.S. private sector 
(foundation and corporate) support.
    Proposals incorporating participant/observer site visits will be 
more competitive if letters committing prospective host institutions to 
support these efforts are provided.

Funding

    Competition for USIA funding support is keen. The final selection 
of a grantee institution will depend on assessment of proposals 
according to the review criteria delineated below.
    The amount requested from USIA for this exchange should not exceed 
$130,000. Organizations with less than four years of successful 
experience in managing international exchange programs are subject to a 
grant limit of $60,000.
    Applicants are invited to provide both an all-inclusive budget as 
well as separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, 
location, or activity in order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding. 
While an all-inclusive budget must be provided with each proposal, 
separate component budgets are optional.
    USIA will consider funding the following project costs:
    1. International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs 
(e.g., airport taxes); ground transportation costs.
    2. Per diem: For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of 
using a flat rate of $140/day for international participants or the 
published Federal Travel Regulations per diem rates for individual 
American cities. NOTE: U.S. escorting staff must use the published 
federal per diem rates, not the flat rate. For activities in the Middle 
East, the Standard Federal Travel Regulations per diem rates must be 
used.
    3. Escort-interpreters: In the case of this project, the Jordanian 
participants traveling to the United States will be fluent in English, 
and escort/interpretation will not be necessary. The cost of 
interpretation as needed for the second (foreign) component of the 
exchange is to be paid from the grant. The grant applicant is 
encouraged to confirm with the appropriate USIS post(s) the local costs 
for interpreters. Grant proposals should reflect these costs.
    4. Book and cultural allowance: Participants are entitled to a one-
time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book allowance of 
$50. Escorts are reimbursed for actual cultural expenses up to $150. 
These benefits are not available to U.S. staff.
    5. Consultants: May be used to provide specialized expertise or to 
make presentations. Honoraria up to $345 per day. Subcontracting 
organizations may also be used, in which case the written contract(s) 
must be included in the proposal.

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    6. Room rental: Generally should not exceed $250 per day.
    7. Material development: Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop and translate material for participants.
    8. One working meal per project: Per capita cost may not exceed $5-
8 per lunch and $14-20 per dinner, excluding room rental. The number of 
invited guests may not exceed the number of participants by a factor of 
more than two to one.
    9. Return travel allowance: $70 for each participant which is to be 
used for incidental expenditures incurred during international travel.
    10. 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.
    E/P encourages cost-sharing, which may be in the form of allowable 
direct or indirect costs. The Recipient must maintain written records 
to support all allowable costs which are claimed as being its 
contribution to cost participation, as well as costs to be paid by the 
Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for 
determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, Attachment E, ``Cost-sharing and 
Matching,'' and should be described in the proposal. In the event the 
Recipient does not meet the minimum amount of cost-sharing as 
stipulated in the Recipient's budget, the Agency's contribution will be 
reduced in proportion to the Recipient's contribution.

Application Requirements

    Proposals must be structured in accordance with the instructions 
contained in the application package. Confirmation letters from U.S. 
and foreign co-sponsors noting their intention to participate in the 
program will enhance a proposal.

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 established herein and in the 
application package.
    Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of USIA officers for 
advisory review. Proposals will be reviewed by USIS posts and by USIA's 
Office of Near Eastern, North African, and South Asian Affairs. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or 
by other Agency elements. Funding decisions are at the discretion of 
the Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for granting awards resides with the USIA grants 
officer. The awarding of any grant is subject to availability of funds.
    The U.S. Government reserves the right to reject any or all 
applications received. USIA will not pay for design and development 
costs associated with submitting a proposal. Applications are submitted 
at the risk of the applicant; should circumstances prevent the awarding 
of a grant, all preparation and submission costs are borne by the 
applicant. USIA will not fund activities conducted prior to the actual 
grant award.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered.
    1. Quality of Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit substance, 
originality, rigor, and relevance to the Agency mission. They should 
demonstrate the matching of U.S. resources to a clearly defined need.
    2. Program Planning: Proposals should demonstrate the applicant's 
ability to plan, organize, and administer a complex undertaking 
involving international travel and collaboration among institutions and 
individuals.
    3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: The applicant should give 
evidence of a clear grasp of the objectives of the program and indicate 
how the applicant's project design would promote the efficient 
achievement of those objectives.
    4. Multiplier Effect: Proposed projects should strengthen mutual 
understanding, should contribute to maximum sharing of information, and 
should promote the establishment of long-term institutional and 
individual ties.
    5. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: The project should be 
framed in such a way as to make clear the significance of the project 
to both the United States and the foreign country and should 
demonstrate how the project might influence positively the binational 
relationship.
    6. Institutional capacity: Institutions should demonstrate their 
potential for effective program design and implementation and provide, 
if available, evidence of having conducted successful programs. If an 
applicant has previously received a USIA grant, responsible fiscal 
management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past 
Agency grants, as determined by USIA's Office of Contracts, will be 
considered. Evaluations of previous projects may also be considered in 
this assessment.
    7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide, if possible, a 
plan for continued exchange activity (without USIA support) which 
ensures that the USIA-supported project is not an isolated event.
    8. Evaluation Plan: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the 
project. USIA recommends that the applicant discuss the evaluation 
methodology chosen and the techniques which will be employed to assess 
the effectiveness of the project and the correspondence between 
observable outcomes and original project objectives.
    9. Cost Effectiveness: Costs to USIA per exchange participant 
(American and foreign) should be kept to a minimum, and all items 
proposed for USIA funding should be necessary and appropriate to 
achieve the program's objectives.
    10. Cost Sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
private sector support as well as through direct funding contributions 
and/or in-kind support from the prospective grantee organization and 
its partners.
    11. Support of Diversity: Projects conducted under USIA auspices 
should reflect, to the degree feasible, the diversity of American (and 
the foreign) society in the selection of both American and foreign 
participants.

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 which contradicts published language will not be 
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on 
the part of the U.S. 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 evaluating requirements.

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.

    Dated: April 25, 1997.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-11187 Filed 4-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M