[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 79 (Monday, April 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20356-20358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10375]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Program Title Small Grants Competition on Women's Leadership 
Training; Request for Proposals

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for Small Grant Awards on Women's 
Leadership Training. Public and private non-profit organizations 
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501c may 
submit proposals to provide leadership training to women active in 
communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East or Latin America.

Program Information

Overview

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the United States Information 
Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces a new 
small grants competition for local community-based organizations 
interested in internationalizing their educational, professional and 
cultural efforts or gaining support for ongoing international exchange 
programs. This competition is aimed at local-level grassroots 
organizations that have not received prior funding directly from USIA. 
It is expected that a large number of submissions will be received. 
Creative and innovative ideas are sought.
    In this new outreach, USIA solicits proposals from a diverse 
grassroots audience, including local chapters of national non-
governmental organizations. The goal of the initiative is to encourage 
smaller organizations or local units of national groups to expand the 
scope of their work by building linkages with counterparts in certain 
other countries.
    USIA seeks proposals that provide professional experience and 
exposure to American life and culture through internships hosted by 
local institutions and home stays with members of the community. The 
experience also provides Americans the opportunity to learn about 
different cultures. Travel under these grants may constitute an 
exchange or provide only for foreigners to visit the United States. The 
program is not academic in nature; it is designed to provide practical, 
hands-on experience in U.S. public/private sector settings that may be 
adapted to an individual's institution upon return home. Proposals may 
combine elements of professional enrichment, job shadowing and 
internships appropriate to the language ability and interests of the 
participants. Since most civic activities are concerned with community-
based issues that directly affect individuals' lives, local issues and 
institutions should be the focus of the program.
    Exchanges should be two-to-three weeks in length. It is anticipated 
that programs will be conducted between October 1999 and October 2000. 
Successful projects will enhance the

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participants' skills in leadership, participatory democracy, NGO 
development, and open the potential for longer-term partnerships.

Women's Leadership Training

    In much of the world, women and women's groups have become the 
leaders of grassroots activism and the spark for social change. They 
have worked persistently to establish themselves in both the private 
and public sectors. Women's groups have shown a willingness to 
cooperate with local and global organizations and to mentor young women 
looking for directions as they strive for greater participation in the 
decision making process.
    USIA recognizes, however, that there are many places in the world 
where women want to do more and welcome opportunities to work with 
women in the United States. They could benefit from training and 
development of skills in areas such as: NGO development, political 
campaign management, credit and finance, conflict management and 
resolution, or knowledge and reform of legal systems. USIA is looking 
for proposals that offer leadership training to women active in their 
communities. These programs are intended to provide women with 
opportunities to capitalize on their potential and to strengthen their 
collective voice in the political, social and economic arena.

Guidelines

    This year's small grants competition will center on women's 
leadership in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. All projects 
should focus on one country, promote local community contacts with that 
country and address one or more of the priority topics described below. 
Applicants should carefully note the following restrictions/
recommendations for proposals in specific geographic areas:
Africa (AF)
    Proposals for any Sub-Saharan African country will be considered.
    Civic Education and NGOs: publicizing and educating the public on 
issues that are important to women; building coalitions; networking; 
lobbying elected officials; media strategy; fund raising; volunteerism; 
participating in the elections process.
    Educating Girls: Providing training opportunities for young women 
educators and community leaders to develop skills in leadership, 
advocacy, and conflict resolution; promoting understanding of women's 
effective role in society including educational institutions, economic 
development, civic responsibility, history, culture, and political 
life. These projects will not involve student/youth exchanges. Emphasis 
will be on exchanges for community leaders in the various sectors.
    Women and Politics: running for elective office and/or managing 
electoral campaigns; developing a media strategy; campaign finance/fund 
raising; effective leadership and communications skills.
    USIA contact for AF Citizen Exchanges programs: Orna Tamches, 202/
260-2754; E-Mail [[email protected]].
Middle East (NEA)
    Proposals for Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian 
Authority or Syria will be considered.
    Civic Education and NGOs: publicizing and educating the public on 
issues that are important to women; building coalitions; networking; 
lobbying elected officials; media strategy; fund raising; volunteerism; 
addressing civic values.
    Women in Politics: campaigning; advocacy; educational efforts; 
lobbying; and meeting the challenges and responsibilities of 
leadership.
    Equal Treatment of Women Under Law: educating women about existing 
non-discriminatory laws, including domestic violence legislation; 
understanding legal rights and options; addressing attitudes of the 
judiciary.
    USIA contact for NEA Citizens Exchange programs: Tom Johnston, 202/
619-5325, E-Mail {[email protected]}
Latin America (WHA)
    Women and Municipal Government: working with local governments on 
issues of decentralization, involving the community in local 
government, obtaining citizen feedback on service, setting priorities, 
creating partnerships with local academic institutions and research 
centers, and creating appropriate relationships with federal and state 
authorities. Countries: Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, 
Honduras.
    Women and Politics: running for elected office and/or managing 
electoral campaigns; developing a media strategy; campaign finance/fund 
raising; effective leadership and communication skills. Countries: 
Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Trinidad. 
E/P contact for WHA programs: Laverne Johnson, 202/619-5337; E-Mail 
[[email protected]].
Guidelines
    Program participants will travel to the U.S. under the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges' J-1 visa authority. Please refer to Solicitation 
Package for further information.

Budget Guidelines

    The grant-making process will be specifically streamlined to 
accommodate first-time applicants. Priority will be given to grant 
proposals with budgets ranging from $15,000 to $40,000. No proposal 
above $50,000 will be eligible. Approximately, two hundred and fifty-
thousand dollars has been allotted for this competition. Awards will be 
announced around August 1, 1999.
    Allowable costs include the following:
    (1) Program Expenses.
    (2) Administrative Expenses including indirect costs. Please refer 
to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines for 
formatting instructions.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with USIA 
concerning this RFP should reference the above title and number E/P/99/
50.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/P, 
Room 216, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20547, telephone number 202/619-5348, fax number 202/260-0440 to 
request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains 
detailed application information, required certification forms, 
specific budget instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal 
preparation. Please specify USIA Program Officer's Name on all other 
inquiries and correspondence.

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.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All proposal copies must be received at the 
U.S. Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, May 
21, 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. Please include attachments of relevant resumes 
and two letters of indorsement.
    The original and 10 copies of the application should be sent to: 
U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-99-50, Office of Grants Management, 
E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.

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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 
program content. 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 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 Federal requirements could 
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been 
accounted for properly.
    USIA therefore requires that 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 Process

    In support of first-time applicants, the grant proposal, budget and 
review process has been modified for this competition. The proposal 
narrative should not exceed six pages double-spaced and be developed 
around the review criteria below. Budget should be contained on one 
page. Please follow the enclosed Request for Proposal (RFP) Proposal 
Submission Instructions (PSI). Proposals will be reviewed in two tiers. 
First, all proposals will be read and reviewed by a qualified staff 
team from the Office of Citizen Exchanges and the respective USIA Area 
Office. Second, the most competitive will be forwarded to USIA posts 
overseas and to panels of Agency-wide USIA officers for formal advisory 
review. Non-finalists will be advised at this point in the process. 
Final funding decisions will be made 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

    Applications will be competitively reviewed according to the 
criteria stated below:
    1. Quality of program idea and ability to achieve objectives: 
Program objectives should be clearly and precisely stated. Applications 
should respond to priorities in this announcement and articulate the 
organization's ability to successfully carry out objectives. Staff and 
participant responsibilities and timetable should be clearly 
designated.
    2. Cost effectiveness and Cost sharing: Administrative costs should 
be kept low. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through support and 
in-kind contributions.
    3. Monitoring/Reporting: Proposals should provide a brief plan for 
submitting written reports midway through the program and at the end. 
Reports should include accomplishments, problems encountered, and 
impact on American and overseas communities.

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 legislation.

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.

    Dated: April 20, 1999.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-10375 Filed 4-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M