[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 171 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46797-46800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23432]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Training Programs for Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia, 
the Baltics and Poland

ACTION: 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 
that link their international exchange interests in Central and Eastern 
Europe with counterpart institutions/groups in ways supportive of the 
aims of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 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

[[Page 46798]]

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 RFP should refer to the announcement's title and 
reference number E/P-98-04.
    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, November 
14, 1997. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents 
postmarked by the due date but received at a later date will not be 
accepted. Grants may begin on March 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Office of Citizens Exchange, E/PE, Room 220, U.S. Information 
Agency, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: 202-619-
5319; fax: 202-619-4350; Internet Address: {[email protected]} to request 
a Solicitation Package containing more detailed 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 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 ten copies of the application 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-98-04, 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 account for 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.

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:
    Slovakia: Projects should focus on the free-flow of information for 
Slovak libraries. Objectives of the project would be to introduce the 
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. Proposals for less than $110,000 will 
receive preference. Costs of up to $10,000 may be used to cover 
equipment purchases and subscriptions to the Internet.
    Slovenia: Projects should focus on municipal administration and 
devolving greater administrative power from the federal level to 
municipalities. The first phase of the project should consist of in-
country workshops for mayors from many of the 147 counties or 
``opcina'' in Slovenia. Workshop topics could include how local 
governments raise revenue, economic development for municipalities and 
the provision of municipal services. During the second phase of the 
project six to eight mayors should participate in a U.S. study tour 
which would include site visits to municipal governments in small to 
medium sized cities. Proposals for less than $75,000 will receive 
preference.
    Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia: Proposals for this multi-country project 
should focus on the themes of diversity in a democracy, the protection 
of minority rights, and human rights law. The first phase of the 
project would consist of in-country workshops held in Bosnia, Croatia, 
and Serbia for 20 to 30 participants in each country. The workshops may 
be held outside of the capital cities. Phase two should be a U.S. 
program for approximately three participants from each country. 
Proposals for less than $75,000 will be given preference.
    Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania: Proposals for this multi-country project 
should focus on intellectual property rights (IPR), with a special 
concentration on copyright protection for films/videos, music 
recordings, computer software, and similar products subject to piracy. 
Participants should include: (1) Government officials responsible both 
for drafting and enforcing laws and regulations; (2) lawyers, judges 
and distributors or licensing organizations involved with presenting 
and deciding infringement cases; and (3) press and media, to engage 
them in raising public consciousness about IPR protection. The first 
phase of the project would bring U.S. project staff to Estonia, Latvia 
and

[[Page 46799]]

Lithuania in order to become familiar with the particular legal regime 
and market environment in each country and to meet with the principal 
players in the copyright enforcement arena. Project staff would also 
familiarize themselves with the efforts of organizations such as the 
WTO, EU Phare, WIPO, and embassy elements that are already working in 
the area.
    The second phase of the project would include one to two day 
training workshops in each country. The workshops would consist of 
seminars for customs officers on techniques for identifying and seizing 
infringing goods; for lawyers and judges on the elements of proving 
infringement, damages and remedies allowed by statute; and the 
licensees, copyright owners and media representatives on informing the 
public about the value of protecting copyrights. A final workshop 
component should bring the above groups of people together to 
facilitate understanding of the full scope of the issue and to develop 
an effective solution to issues of piracy. The third phase of the 
project would be a U.S. training program for a selected group of 
participants. Participants would receive first-hand exposure to piracy 
investigation techniques, customs inspection practices, licensing 
policies of collective rights organizations, preparation and 
presentation of a case in court, public relations strategies and 
related IPR enforcement and protection endeavors. Projects for less 
than $100,000 will receive preference.
    Poland: Projects should consist of two parts. Part one should focus 
on intellectual property rights and copyright law. Participants should 
be representatives of both large and small Polish presses. The second 
part should focus on economic survival techniques for small press 
operations. Participants should include representatives of Poland's 
small, serious presses. The project goals should be to foster better 
respect of intellectual property rights in Poland and to help serious, 
small presses survive in Poland's free market economy. Projects for 
less than $90,000 will receive preference.
    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 
organization and a host-country institution; a proven track record of 
conducting program activity; cost sharing from American or in-country 
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. In the selection of all foreign 
participants, USIA and USIS posts 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, if 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.

Proposed 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 
Proposal Submission Instructions. Proposals for the following amounts 
will receive preference:
    Slovakia: $110,000.
    Slovenia: $75,000.
    Croatia/Bosnia/Serbia: $75,000.
    Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania: $100,000.
    Poland: $90,000.
    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. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for 
the entire program. There must be a summary budget as well as a 
breakdown reflecting both the administrative budget and the program 
budget. For further clarification, applicants may provide separate sub-
budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity in 
order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (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 the 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.

[[Page 46800]]

    (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) 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.
    (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.

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 and Newly 
Independent States 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. Program planning 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. 
Objectives should respond to the priority topics in this announcement 
and should relate to the current conditions in each of the countries. 
They should be reasonable and attainable. A detailed work plan should 
explain step by step how objectives will be achieved. The substance of 
seminars, presentations, consulting, internships, and itineraries 
should be spelled out in detail. A timetable indicating when major 
program tasks will be undertaken should be provided. Responsibilities 
of in-country partners should be clearly described.
    2. 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).
    3. 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. Proposals should 
demonstrate the 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.
    4. Project Evaluation: USIA is results-oriented. Proposals should 
include a plan to evaluate the activity'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 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Cost-effectiveness/cost sharing: 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. 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. Organizations will 
be expected to cooperate with USIA in evaluating their programs under 
the principles of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, 
which requires federal agencies to measure and report on the results of 
their programs and activities.

Notification

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

    Dated: September 28, 1997.
James D. Whitten,
Acting Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-23432 Filed 9-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M