[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 209 (Thursday, October 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58096-58099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28890]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Internet Access and Training Program in the New Independent 
States for Alumni of USIA Academic and Professional Exchanges; Request 
for Proposals

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchanges Division, 
European Programs Branch of the United States Information Agency's 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for assistance awards. Public and private non-profit 
organizations with at least four years experience in conducting 
international exchange and training programs, and demonstrated 
experience administering non-commercial Internet projects in the New 
Independent States, and meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 26 CFR 1.501   may apply to develop and 
administer the Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) in one or 
more of the following four categories: (1) Armenia, Azerbaijan, 
Georgia; (2) Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova; (3) Russian Federation; (4) 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan.
    The goal of the Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) is to 
provide

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alumni of USIA academic and professional exchange programs and other 
audiences identified by the United States Information Service (USIS) 
with free and open access to and training in the use of the Internet so 
that they can: (1) Continue information sharing, network building, 
communication, and collaboration with American counterparts, U.S. host 
institutions, and each other; (2) Obtain useful online information 
resources in their academic and professional fields as well as current 
information about the U.S.; (3) Publish information on the World Wide 
Web; and (4) Develop Internet-based information resources in local 
languages and/or English or other electronic projects that promote 
academic and professional exchange in the information age and 
strengthen U.S.--NIS cooperation and communication.
    USIA program alumni include university and secondary school 
students, faculty, administrators, and scholars; government officials; 
NGO leaders; journalists; entrepreneurs; and diverse public, private, 
and third sector professionals who have participated in a long-term 
USIA academic program at a U.S. host institution or a short-term USIA 
professional visit or internship in the United States. Academic and 
professional fields of USIA program alumni include, but are not limited 
to, American Studies, Area Studies (NIS), Business, Civic Education, 
Economics, Education, Government, Journalism, Law, Liberty and 
Information Science, Political Science, Teaching English as a Foreign 
Language (TEFL), and Women's Studies.
    For its Internet Access and Training Program, USIA seeks proposals 
that would (1) Provide sustainable, high speed access to the Internet 
for USIA program alumni and other USIS-identified audiences by 
upgrading and/or expanding IATP-supported public access Internet sites 
and/or other non-commercial Internet training centers at NIS libraries, 
universities, NGOs, government offices, and other venues; and/or by 
establishing new non-commercial Internet training centers at NIS 
partner institutions; and/or by upgrading or expanding academic or non-
commercial networks, including IATP FreeNets and alumni networks; (2) 
Train staff at public access Internet sites and/or Internet training 
centers and/or non-commercial networks to meet the technical, training, 
and information needs of USIA program alumni, other end-users, and IATP 
reporting requirements; (3) Conduct systematic outreach to USIA program 
alumni, develop mechanisms to ensure that USIA program alumni receive 
free Internet access, training, and services at IATP sites and/or IATP 
FreeNets, and site usage reports; (4) Develop curriculum, course 
descriptions, materials, requirements, and schedules for Internet 
training courses at public access Internet sites or training centers 
and topics and schedules for specialized workshops or seminars; (5) 
Administer an open competition for grants for USIA program alumni and 
their local colleagues to develop Internet-based educational and 
professional resources in local languages in fields that support the 
building of free markets, democracy, and civil society. The program 
activities for each category of countries and individual countries have 
separate conditions and requirements which are stated in this 
announcement and detailed in the full Solicitation Package.
    Proposals should reflect a thorough understanding of the 
telecommunications infrastructure in each country, technical 
requirements for implementing all aspects of the project, including 
procurement of appropriate equipment and services required to connect 
USIA program alumni and other USIS-identified audiences and 
institutions to the Internet and establish non-commercial Internet 
sites and/or enhance non-commercial networks, staff training and team 
building, curriculum and methodology for Internet courses, knowledge of 
useful Internet resources in fields of USIA program alumni, procedures 
for conducting a merit-based open competition for grants, and the 
political, economic, and social environment in which the program 
activity will take place.
    USIA expects the IATP to achieve results on three levels: By 
empowering USIA program alumni to obtain and publish useful online 
information and enrich the content of the Internet in their local 
languages; by building the internal capacity of NIS partner 
institutions; and by forging public-private sector partnerships to 
promote continued academic and professional exchange in the information 
age between USIA program alumni and their American colleagues and 
counterparts. Applicant organizations must include a plan with clear 
benchmarks that demonstrates how permanent results will be achieved on 
each level, monitored, and reported to USIA.
    Interested organizations should read the complete Federal Register 
Announcement and request a Solicitation Package from USIA prior to 
preparing a proposal and should consult with USIA and USIS posts about 
a reasonable and appropriate mix of program activities before 
submitting a proposal. USIA and USIS posts retain the right to 
recommend specific project activities and partner organizations and to 
approve or disapprove project activities and organizations recommended 
by grantee organizations.
    Applicant organizations may apply for an assistance award for one 
or more of the four eligible categories of countries, but must submit a 
separate proposal and budget for each category. Applicant organizations 
may apply individually or join with other organizations in a 
consortium, via a subcontract arrangement, as long as one organization 
is designated to be the recipient of the grant. All proposals from 
consortia must cite the specific responsibilities of each member of the 
consortium and budget for each subcontract. USIA anticipates awarding 
one or more assistance awards for each category cited in this 
announcement. Grants may begin no earlier than January 15, 1999 and 
must be completed by July 15, 2001, for a maximum of 30 months.
    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 Internet Access and Training Program 
is provided through the Freedom Support Act. The legislation was 
established to assist the economic and democratic development of the 
New Independent States of the former Soviet Union. Programs and 
projects must conform with Agency requirements and guidelines outlined 
in the Solicitation Package.
    Announcement Title and Number: All communications with USIA 
concerning this RFP should refer to the announcement's title and 
reference number E/AEE-99-05.
    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Thursday, 
December 18, 1998. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. 
Documents postmarked by the due

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date but received at a later date will not be accepted. It is the 
responsibility of the applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Academic Programs, 
Academic Exchanges Division, European Programs Branch, E/AEE, Room 246, 
U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547; 
telephone number (202) 205-0525; fax: (202) 260-7985 to request a 
Solicitation Package containing more detailed award 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 Senior 
Program Manager Ilo Mai Harding 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 10 copies of the appliction 
should be sent to:
    U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEE-99-05 (IATP), 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 our overseas posts for 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: The IATP is intended to be a collaborative 
effort between USIA and U.S. and NIS public and private sector 
organizations. USIA expects applicant organizations to expand 
connectivity and Internet access by building on existing 
infrastructure, networks, and equipment, where feasible, and by 
demonstrating the ability to collaborate with diverse organizations. 
Such collaboration is intended to expand the scope and impact of USIA 
funding, avoid duplication of effort, and lay the groundwork for 
sustaining projects beyond the USIA grant.

    USIA expects applicant organizations and other institutions 
participating in the IATP, including commercial and non-commercial 
Internet service providers, to provide in-kind contributions and cost-
sharing, such as facilities, equipment, and services for public access 
Internet sites, training centers, and/or non-commercial networks and 
FreeNets; staff, and training materials, as appropriate. Since USIA 
grant assistance constitutes only a portion of total project funding, 
proposals should list and provide evidence of other sources of 
financial and in-kind support. Letters of support from potential IATP 
partners, written to USIA on institutional letterhead, may be attached 
to the proposal.

Guidelines

    Administration of the program must be in compliance with reporting 
and withholding regulations for federal, state, and local taxes as 
applicable. Organizations should demonstrate tax regulation adherence 
in the proposal. Procurement of required computer and networking 
equipment and applications software must be in compliance with ``Year 
2000'' requirements (Y2K). Applicant organizations should demonstrate 
compliance with Y2K requirements in the proposal.

Proposed Budget

    For Category One, Freedom Support Act (FSA) funding is anticipated 
at $150,000 for Armenia; $350,000 for Azerbaijan; and $150,000 for 
Georgia. For Category Two, FSA funding is anticipated at $400,000 for 
Ukraine; $300,000 for Belarus; and $150,000 for Moldova. For Category 
Three, FSA funding is anticipated at $1,000,000 for the Russian 
Federation. For Category Four, FSA funding is anticipated at $400,000 
for Kazakhstan; $200,000 for Kyrgyzstan; $300,000 for Uzbekistan; and 
$60,000 for Turkmenistan.
    Applicant organizations must submit a comprehensive line item 
budget request for program and administrative costs based on the 
specific guidance in the Solicitation Package. Subcontracts should be 
cited as program expenses. There must be a summary budget as well as a 
break-down reflecting both the administrative budget and the program 
budget, and a budget narrative demonstrating how costs were derived. 
Organizations whose proposals include an administrative budget that is 
less than 20% of the grant amount requested will be considered highly 
competitive.
    Allowable program costs include computer and network equipment, 
hardware, software, peripherals, supplies, services, monthly Internet 
access fees (if required), training materials, technical consultants, 
and salaries or honorarium for project personnel; advertising, 
materials, and honorarium for grants review committee. Allowable 
administrative costs include salaries and benefits for grantee 
organization employees, staff travel, shipping, and other direct and 
indirect costs. 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

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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 NIS 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 and ability to achieve objectives: Program 
objectives should be stated clearly and precisely and should reflect 
the applicant organization's experience implementing Internet projects, 
training programs, developing Internet courses, and administering 
grants competitions. A detailed work plan should explain how objectives 
will be achieved and include a timetable for completion of all 
technical and programmatic components of the project. Responsibilities 
of in-country partners should be clearly described.
    2. Institutional capacity: Proposed personnel and organizational 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's 
goals. The narrative must demonstrate proven ability to handle the 
technical and programmatic requirements of the project and to 
effectively coordinate logistics and project components with diverse 
organizations.
    3. Organization's track record: Relevant USIA and outside 
assessments of the organization's experience with exchange programs and 
Internet projects, including responsible fiscal management and full 
compliance with all reporting requirements for past grants as 
determined by USIA's Office of Contracts.
    4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs must demonstrate an 
impact on the wider community through the sharing of information and 
the establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages 
and network building.
    5. Cost-effectiveness: Overhead and program and administrative 
costs should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be 
necessary and appropriate. Proposals should show cost-sharing from the 
applicant and from other sources.
    6. Support of diversity and pluralism: Proposals should demonstrate 
substantive support of the Bureau's policy on diversity throughout the 
program.
    7. Program evaluation: USIA is results oriented. Proposals must 
include a plan to evaluate the project's success, both as activities 
unfold and at the end of the project. A draft survey questionnaire plus 
a description of a methodology to be used link outcomes to original 
project objectives is required. USIA recommends that the proposal 
include draft questions for focus groups for staff and end--users at 
the public access Internet sites. Proposals must thoroughly discuss the 
methodology to be used in program evaluation.

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 report and evaluation requirements.

Notification

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

    Dated: October 19, 1998.
Dr. John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for
Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-28890 Filed 10-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M