[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 180 (Thursday, September 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49727-49729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24824]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


NIS REAC (Newly Independent States Regional Educational Advising 
Coordinator)

ACTION: Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Advising and Student Services Branch 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)(3)-1 may submit proposals for candidates 
for the position of regional educational advising coordinator (REAC) in 
the NIS region. Ideally based in Moscow, the REAC would work to support 
and assist in the professional development of advising centers in 
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, 
Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The REAC is 
the primary source of information related to educational advising for 
advisers in the field. In addition to responding to individual queries 
and supervising the distribution of a regional newsletter, the REAC 
would travel to advising centers to assist the organizations and staff 
responsible for those centers to operate them efficiently. The REAC 
would be responsible for maintain the network of advisers, for the 
coordination of training programs for NIS advisers, which may include 
an annual conference, and for the facilitation of communication between 
and among advising centers, posts, and E/ASA in Washington.
    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 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.''
    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/ASA-99-06.
    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Monday, October 26, 
1998. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Advising and Student Services Branch, E/ASA, U.S. Information 
Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202) 
619-5434, fax: (202) 401-1433, email: [email protected], to request a 
Solicitation Package containing more detailed criteria. Please request 
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 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 Sharen Sheehan 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/ASA-99-06, Office 
of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20547.

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. Pub. L. 
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:

Overview

    The overall goal for the NIS Regional Educational Advising 
Coordinator (REAC) is to develop and strengthen the network of USIA-
Supported overseas educational advising centers and to provide 
leadership and expertise in educational advising issues to advising 
centers and USIS posts. The REAC will be responsible for providing on-
site technical assistance and training to

[[Page 49728]]

existing centers in the NIS and for coordinating the establishment of 
new advising centers, as directed by individual embassies in 
consultation with E/ASA. The REAC should lend support to any center in 
the twelve countries comprising the NIS region. The NIS REAC, acting as 
educational advising coordinator for the area, should work impartially 
with all organizations involved in educational advising in the NIS to 
enable them to provide accurate and timely information on U.S. higher 
educational opportunities. The REAC must work closely with E/ASA and 
NIS USIS posts to help establish priorities for educational advising in 
the region. The REAC must be a US citizen. Applicants may request from 
E/ASA a more comprehensive listing of expected REAC duties, entitled 
``REAC Guidelines.'' Contact the ``For Further Information'' address 
given above.

Guidelines

    Responsibilities include:
    1. Site visits to advising centers
    2. Providing information and guidance in response to specific 
questions related to educational advising, as requested by centers
    3. Supervising production of a newsletter, electronic bulletin 
board, email discussion list, or other methods of sharing information 
among centers
    4. Organization and oversight of an internship program for 
approximately five novice advisers at the Moscow American Center; other 
internship training programs (ITPs) as necessary
    5. In-country workshops: One all-region workshop and two to three 
smaller workshops, or as determined in consultation with E/ASA and US 
Posts
    6. Consultations with posts and E/ASA on the direction and 
priorities of educational advising
    7. Evaluation and Follow-up

Proposed Budget

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on 
the budget guidelines in the PSI. USIA's grant assistance, up to 
$95,000 in total, is expected to constitute only a portion of the total 
funding; cost sharing is required and the proposal should list other 
anticipated sources of support.
    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. There must be a 
summary budget as well as a breakdown reflecting travel cost details.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) REAC Salary of not more than $40,000 plus fringe benefits;
    (2) Administrative assistant salary
    (3) travel throughout region and per diem;
    (4) travel for REAC to attend the NAFSA National Conference in 
Denver, CO and REAC meetings in Washington, DC in spring 1999.
    (5) office and administrative costs
    (6) program costs for Internship Training Programs 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 EEN Area Office. 
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.
    2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agency 
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 and be designed to enable advising 
centers to reach as large and diverse an audience as possible.
    5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity.
    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. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the REAC activities' impact. A draft survey questionnaire or other 
technique plus description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to 
original project objectives is recommended. The award-receiving 
organization will be expected to submit trip reports after each site 
visit and semi-annual reports reviewing the over-all status of 
educational advising in the NIS.
    9. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components 
of the proposal, should be kept as low as possible. All other items 
should be necessary and appropriate.
    10. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.
    11. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed programs 
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).

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.


[[Page 49729]]


    Dated: September 10, 1998.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-24824 Filed 9-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M