[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 57 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14503-14505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7001]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Legislature Development Program for Nigeria

ACTION: Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Africa/Near East/South Asia Division of 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. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations 
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may 
submit proposals to develop training programs. Grants are subject to 
the availability of funds.
    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.'' The funding authority for the 
program above is provided through the Fulbright-Hays Act.
    Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with USIA 
concerning this RFP should reference the above title and number E/P-99-
42.
    Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the 
U.S. Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on April 26, 
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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Africa/Near East/South Asia 
Division, Office of Citizen Exchanges, (E/PS), Room 216, U.S. 
Information Agency, 301 Fourth Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547, attn: 
Carol Jean Locke, tel: 202-205-0535; fax 202-619-4350 or Internet 
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.
    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.
    Please specify USIA Program Officer Carol Jean Locke on all 
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.
    Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and ten (10) copies of the 
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: 
T3E/P-99-42, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 Fourth 
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 of 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 reflect 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.

Program Information

    Overview: USIA is interested in proposals which will assist in the 
development of staff and their services in the National Legislature of 
Nigeria. Exchanges and training programs supported by Office of Citizen 
Exchanges institutional grants should operate at two levels: they 
should promote institutional relationships; and they should offer 
practical information to individuals to assist them with their 
professional responsibilities. Strong proposals usually have the 
following characteristics: an existing or likely partner relationship 
between an American organization and a counterpart institution 
overseas; a proven track record of conducting program activity; cost-
sharing from American and/or in-country sources, including donations of 
air fares, hotel and/or housing costs, experienced staff with language 
facility, or other resources valuable to the program; and a clear, 
convincing plan showing how permanent results and continuing activity 
will be implemented 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 American and grantee institutions, as well 
as funding from third-party sources.
    Unless otherwise specified below, project activity may include: 
Study tours; short-term training; consultations; and extended, 
intensive workshops taking place as elements in a two-way exchange in 
the United States and in Nigeria. Proposals should reflect the 
applicant's understanding of the political, economic, and social

[[Page 14504]]

environment in which the program activity will take place.
    Applicants should design programs for English speakers. Programs 
can take place in the United States and in Nigeria. USIA is interested 
in proposals whose designs take into account the need for ongoing 
sharing of information, training and concrete plans for self-
sustainability. Examples include: Support for course syllabi and 
training venues in Nigeria; plans to create professional networks or 
professional associations to share information; establishing ongoing 
Internet communication; and/or train-the-trainers models.
    USIA will consider proposals that respond to the following specific 
objectives.

Nigerian Legislature Staff Development

    Nigeria's recent open national elections have signaled a change in 
the political climate. The time has come to assist democratic 
institutions in the development of their capabilities and with 
attention to the following influences on transparent and effective 
government: checks and balances through the separation of powers; 
development of effective executive-legislative relations as well as a 
clear and fair legislative process; respect for cultural and ethnic 
diversity; ethics; the role of staff; constituent services; and media 
relations.
    USIA is looking for proposals for a progressive set of activities 
in legislative staff development that will follow a separate USIA-
sponsored International Visitor program, scheduled for June 1999, for 
elected leaders in the new Nigerian national legislature. The proposal 
should lay out a multi-phase program that would establish links between 
U.S. and Nigerian legislative staffs and that would build expertise and 
momentum in a network that would take on a life of its own. USIA 
recommends that major program phases include Americans travelling to 
Nigeria in July-August 1999 and Nigerians travelling to the U.S. in the 
fall of 1999.
    After initial get-acquainted activities, each follow-on phase would 
focus on one or more distinct elements of staff responsibility, such as 
fiscal analysis, legislative drafting, staff administration, 
constituent relations, research methods, and information resources and 
technology. These purposes would be achieved through exposure to and 
work with U.S. Congressional and state legislative staffers to see how 
their offices are organized, how staff supports the member, how staff 
keeps members informed of constituent views, and how all this 
facilities the work of Congress or state legislatures. It is important 
that the cooperation of staffers, who work together in a spirit of 
compromise to create meaningful legislation, be demonstrated. The U.S. 
phase might include 2-3 weeks in Congress and 1-2 weeks in State 
Legislatures, for a maximum total of 4 weeks, made up of briefings, 
shadowing and collaborative activities which stimulate learning and 
sharing.
    Participants are envisioned to be ten or twelve newly appointed 
staff who will be responsible for the establishment and administration 
of the new National Assembly of Nigeria. The participants must be 
emerging leaders in staff development, be influential, have assignment 
authority, and be able to hire and fire subordinate staff. It is 
anticipated that relationships would be established that would lead to 
continued contact. Selection of Nigerian participants in the program 
should be made in consultation with USIS-Lagos, which retains the right 
to accept or deny nominations from other sources. First phase 
implementation should begin in the summer of 1999.

Visa Regulations

    Foreign participants on programs sponsored by the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges are granted J-1 Exchange Visitor visas by the U.S. Embassy in 
the sending country. All programs must comply with J-1 visa 
regulations. Please refer to Solicitation Package for further 
information.

Project Funding

    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. Proposals with substantial 
private sector support from foundations, corporations and other 
institutions will be considered highly competitive.

Applicants Are Requested To Submit Proposals Not To Exceed $130,000 in 
Funding From USIA

    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 a comprehensive line item budget based on the model in the 
Solicitation Package must be submitted, separate component budgets are 
optional.
    The following project costs are eligible for consideration for 
funding:
    1. International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs; 
ground transportation costs.
    2. Per Diem. For the US program, organizations have the option of 
using a flat $160/day for program participants or the published US 
Federal per diem rates for individual US cities. For activities outside 
of the US, the published Federal per diem rates must be used. NOTE: US 
escorting staff must use the published Federal per diem rates, not the 
flat rate. Per diem rates may be accessed at http://
www.policyworks.gov/.
    3. 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 
receive these benefits.
    4. Consultants. 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. Room rental should not exceed $250 per day.
    7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop and translate materials for participants.
    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. A return travel allowance of $70 may be provided to each 
participant to be used for incidental expenditures during international 
travel.
    10. All USIA-funded delegates will be covered under the terms of 
USIA-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is paid by USIA 
directly to the insurance company.
    11. Administrative Costs. Other costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program including salaries for grant organization 
employees, benefits and other direct and indirect costs are described 
in the detailed instructions in application package. While this 
announcement does not prescribe a rigid ratio of administrative to 
program costs, in general priority will be given to proposals whose 
administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25) percent of the 
total requested from USIA. Proposals should show cost-sharing, 
including both contributions from the applicant and from other sources.
    Please refer to the Application Package for complete budget 
guidelines.

[[Page 14505]]

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 African Affairs and the 
USIA/USIS posts in Nigeria. 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.

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 Federal requirements could 
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been 
accounted for properly. USIA therefore requires all organizations use 
Y2K compliant 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 Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered.
    1. Program Planning and 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 the included countries. 
Objectives should be reasonable and attainable. A detailed work plan 
should explain step by step how objectives will be achieved, including 
a timetable for completion of major tasks and activities and an outline 
of the selection process. The substance of the seminars, presentations, 
workshops, consulting, internships and itineraries should be spelled 
out in detail. Responsibilities of in-country partners should be 
clearly described.
    2. 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.
    3. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support for 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).
    4. Institutional Capability: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's 
goals. The narrative should demonstrate proven ability to handle 
logistics. Proposals should reflect the institution's expertise in the 
subject area and knowledge of the conditions in the targeted region(s).
    5. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) ensuring that USIA-
supported programs are not isolated events.
    6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan and 
methodology to evaluate the program's successes, both as activities 
unfold and at the end of the program. USIA recommends that the proposal 
include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description and/or plan for use of another measurement technique (such 
as a focus group) to link outcomes to original project objectives.
    7. Cost-effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative 
costs in the proposal, including salaries, subcontracts for services 
and honoraria, should be kept low. 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: March 16, 1999.
Judith S. Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-7001 Filed 3-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M