[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 37 (Thursday, February 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9372-9374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4566]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Curriculum Development Project: Secondary School Civic Education 
for Moldova; Notice: Request for Proposals

summary: The Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division of 
the Office of Academic Programs of the United States Information 
Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for a Curriculum Development Project: Secondary School 
Civic Education for Moldova. Public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 
1.501/ may submit proposals to cooperate with USIA in the 
administration of a two-year project to support the development and 
implementation of new curriculum units for tenth through twelfth grade 
civic education courses in Moldova. The grant awards up to $300,000 to 
facilitate the project. The grantee will work with the Independent 
Society for Education and Human Rights (SIEDO), a Moldovan non-profit 
organization concerned with training secondary school teachers in civic 
education issues. SIEDO works closely with the Ministry of Education of 
Moldova on curriculum and teacher training. The program will comprise 
three phases: (1) preliminary consultations in Chisinau with a 
curriculum development team of Moldovan educators; (2) a three-month 
U.S.-based curriculum development workshop in which the team will 
produce draft curriculum units; (3) follow-up consultation in Moldova 
to assist with the training of a larger group of Moldovan practitioners 
in the review and field-testing of the draft curriculum units. Upon the 
successful completion of Phases I-III, additional funds may be 
available to the grantee organization for a fourth phase of activity to 
cooperate with the Independent Society for Education and Human Rights 
and the curriculum development team in further reviewing and revising 
the draft materials and to provide broader training for implementation 
of the revised curriculum units with the Moldovan teachers and 
administrators.
    USIA solicits detailed proposals from U.S. educational institutions 
and public and private non-profit organizations to develop and 
administer this project. Grantee organizations will consult regularly 
with USIA and with USIA's office in Moldova (the U.S. Information 
Service in Chisinau) with regard to participant selection, program 
implementation, direction, and assessment. Proposals should demonstrate 
an understanding of the issues confronting education in Moldova as well 
as expertise in civic education and curriculum development.
    The funding authority for the program cited above is provided 
through the Freedom Support 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.

Program Information

    Overview: The goal of the project is to assist the Independent 
Society for Education and Human Rights (SIEDO) in Chisinau, Moldova, to 
develop up-to-date curriculum units to be taught at the tenth through 
twelfth grade levels and to assist in training teachers for the 
implementation of these units. The rationale for this project is that 
improving citizenship education at the secondary school level will 
better prepare Moldovan students to participate actively in building a 
pluralistic, democratic society, and will promote democratic relations 
among members of the school community, including students, teachers, 
school administrators, and parents. Applicants may suggest topics to be 
developed by the curriculum team in their proposals; however, final 
determination of appropriate topics will be made by the curriculum 
development team and SIEDO in cooperation with the grantee organization 
during the first phase of the project.

Guidelines

Program Planning and Implementation

    Grants should begin on or around August 1, 1999, with Phase I of 
the project, in which a curriculum development team of six 
practitioners (e.g., classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and 
Ministry officials) will be selected by the grantee organization in 
consultation with the Independent Society for Education and Human 
Rights (SIEDO) and the U.S. Information Service (USIS) Chisinau. In 
Phase I, the team will undertake preliminary work in Chisinau over a 
period of 3-6 months. Members of the curriculum development team, in 
consultation with a specialist from the grantee organization, will 
familiarize themselves with civics curricula and teaching materials 
used in the U.S. and will select the topics to be explored in the draft 
curriculum units.
    In Phase II, members of the curriculum development team will spend 
approximately three months in a highly structured U.S.-based workshop 
sponsored and organized by the U.S. grantee organization, attending 
focused curriculum seminars, observing relevant aspects of the U.S. 
educational system, and drafting teacher and student materials for the 
curriculum units in consultation with U.S. specialists. The grantee 
organization will be responsible for introducing the Moldovan team to 
leading U.S. civic educators and to a broad range of relevant 
resources. The workshop schedule should incorporate time for individual 
and group work on materials as well as intensive training on specific 
approaches to the teaching of civics topics. In addition, the workshop 
should include field experiences which are relevant to the materials 
being produced (such as visits to schools and professional association 
meetings).
    In Phase III, the curriculum development team will work in Moldova 
with Moldovan teacher trainers and U.S. specialists from the grantee 
organization to provide introductory training for a larger group of 
practitioners in methods for implementing and reviewing the draft 
curriculum units in the civics classroom.

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

    U.S. lecturers and consultants participating in the project must be 
U.S. citizens. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please 
refer to Program Specific Guidelines (POGI) in the Solicitation Package 
for further information. Administration of the program must be in 
compliance with reporting and withholding regulations for federal, 
state, and local taxes as applicable. Recipient organizations should 
demonstrate tax regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and 
budget.

Budget Guidelines

    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. Awards may not exceed $300,000. There must be a summary budget 
as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program

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budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program 
component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification. The 
total administrative costs funded by USIA must be limited and 
reasonable.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Administrative Costs, including salaries and benefits of 
grantee organization.
    (2) Program Costs, including general program costs and program 
costs for each Moldovan participant in the U.S.-based curriculum 
development seminar. Also include program costs associated with the 
field-testing of materials in Moldova and with the initial training of 
Moldovan teachers.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package (POGI) for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with USIA 
concerning this RFP should reference the above title and number E/ASU-
99-12.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Academic Programs, 
Advising, Teaching and Specialized Programs Division, Specialized 
Programs Branch, E/ASU, Room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th 
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone number 202-619-4568 and 
fax number 202-401-1433, e-mail address [email protected] to request a 
Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains detailed award 
criteria, required application forms, specific budget instructions, and 
standard guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify USIA 
Program Officer Jennifer K. Ceriale on all other inquiries and 
correspondence.
    Please 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 with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.
    To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://
e.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 requested 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 the first order when entering the system.
    Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the 
U.S. Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Monday, 
April 19, 1999. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. 
Documents postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not 
be accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received 
by the above deadline.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and 10 copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASU-99-12, 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. These documents 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 righs and 
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should reflect 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.

Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)

    The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting 
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing 
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific 
requirements including data exchange with USIA. The inability to 
process information in accordance with Fedeal requirements could result 
in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been 
accounted for properly.
    USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K complaint systems 
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately 
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both 
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust 
for leap years.
    Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the 
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology 
website at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.

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. 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(s) overseas, where appropriate. Eligible 
proposals will be forwarded to panels of USIA officers for advisory 
review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the General 
Counsel or by other Agency elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of USIA's 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, relevance to the Agency's mission, 
and responsiveness to the objectives and guidelines stated in this 
solicitation. Proposals should demonstrate substantive expertise in 
civic education.
    2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda 
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above.
    3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be

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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, including maximum sharing of 
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual 
linkages.
    5. 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).
    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. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) to ensure ongoing 
involvement with Moldovan curriculum development projects.
    9. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended. Successful applicants will be 
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is 
concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
    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.
    12.Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects 
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and 
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance 
in the partner country.

Authority

    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 above is provided through the Freedom for Russia and Emerging 
Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1993 (Freedom 
Support 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.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in the 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 16, 1999.
William B. Bader,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-4566 Filed 2-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M