[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 135 (Thursday, July 15, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38236-38238]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17976]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Educational Advising in Mexico City, Mexico

NOTICE: Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs/Advising Teaching, and 
Specialized Programs Division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs of the United States Information Agency announces an open 
competition to operate an educational advising center in Mexico City, 
Mexico. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit 
proposals for administering an advising center in Mexico City. The 
educational advising center would be part of USIA's worldwide network 
of 450 affiliated centers. These centers provide comprehensive and 
unbiased information to interested students, scholars, and other 
individuals about study opportunities in the US.
    For applicants' information, on October 1, 1999, the Bureau will 
become part of the United States Department of State without affecting 
the content of this announcement or the nature of the program 
described.

Program information

Overview

    The advising center in Mexico City should provide access to 
comprehensive and unbiased information about study opportunities in the 
US. Services provided by the center must include group and/or 
individual advising informational sessions. The advising center should 
provide accurate information and advising on the following topics: US 
colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions; the 
application process to a US university; majors and fields of study; 
testing requirements; life in the US; scholarship programs and 
financial aid; and predeparture orientation. Advisers will be eligible 
for training opportunities sponsored by the Agency, which will also 
provide a limited selection of reference books and materials to the 
center.

Guidelines

    The period of this grant is October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2000.
    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
Solicitation Package for further information.

Budget Guidelines

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire 
program. Awards may not exceed $70,000. There must be a summary budget 
as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program 
budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program 
component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Salaries and benefits.
    (2) Office supplies and expenses, including rent, communications, 
postage and shipping.
    (3) Outreach and publicity costs.
    (4) Indirect costs.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package 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/ASA-00-03. 
for further information contact: The Advising and Student Services 
Branch, E/ASA, Room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202)

[[Page 38237]]

619-4731, email: [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 E/ASA Program 
Officer Sharen Sheehan 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 proposals copies must be received at the U.S. Information 
Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Monday, August 2, 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 6 copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASA-00-03, Office of Grants 
Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 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 principal 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 cultural 
exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and 
democracy, USIA shall take appropriate step 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 from 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 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 Western Hemsphre Area Office and 
the USIA posts 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, and relevance to the Agency's 
mission.
    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 
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 and program 
content.
    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 programs in international education, 
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.

[[Page 38238]]

    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    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 projects 
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and 
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance 
in the partner countries.

Authority

    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.''

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: July 7, 1999.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-17976 Filed 7-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M