[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 170 (Thursday, September 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48233-48235]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22886]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Office of Citizen Exchanges; Media Internship Program for Russia

ACTION: Request for proposals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Europe/Eurasia 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 media internship programs. Grants are subject to the 
availability of funds.

Goals/Objectives

    The Russian Media Internship Program has been created in response 
to Russia's current economic crisis that threatens the existence of its 
emerging free press. USIA hopes that, through participation in the 
Russian Media Internship Program, Russian media managers will survive 
the economic challenges they are facing and continue to provide non-
biased and accurate reporting. The program has three objectives: (1) To 
help media managers address the difficult economic conditions they are 
currently facing by learning the techniques used by their American 
counterparts in overcoming similar difficulties; (2) to demonstrate 
that a fair and ethical media can contribute to a civil society despite 
economic hardships; and (3) to familiarize media managers with the 
unique relationship in America between the media and government.

Overview

    USIA is interested in proposals that will provide hands-on 
internships to approximately 16 Russian mid-level managers from print 
media establishments with a circulation of not less than 10,000. The 
program should ideally be ten weeks in length and begin with a visit to 
Washington, DC. The Washington portion of the program should last 4-6 
days and focus on the interaction and relationship between the U.S. 
Federal Government and the media. After completing the Washington-based 
component, participants will begin practical internships at medium-
sized media establishments throughout the U.S. Up to three host sites 
for each participant may be arranged for the internship portion of the 
program. Proposals should list those media establishments willing to 
host and should describe why these media establishments have been 
chosen. Program format can include both individual placements as well 
as work in small groups (up to three at a time). If the small group 
format is used, the internships must have a practical program 
component, not just be site visits. Organizations may propose a 
debriefing session before participants return to Russia. The Bureau 
will give higher ranking to proposals that ensure lasting linkages 
between these participants and their American colleagues.
    Organizations must demonstrate the capability to identify and 
recommend candidates for participation in the program. The narrative 
should describe how the identification process will be carried out and 
by whom. Recommendations for selection will be made to the Office of 
Public Diplomacy at the American Embassy in Moscow, which will make the 
final selection of participants.
    Due to the interactive nature of the internship component, it is 
preferred that participants have a working knowledge of English, 
particularly a good understanding of the spoken language. If 
individuals with little or no English are recommended, organizations 
must clearly describe what provisions they would make to structure a 
program for those participants, including interpretation services for 
participants.
    A strong proposal contains the following: A proven track record of 
conducting program activities; cost-sharing from American or in-country 
sources, including donations of air fares, hotel and/or housing costs, 
and experienced program staff with some Russian language skills.
    On October 1, 1999, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
will become part of the U.S. Department of State. The integration will 
not affect the content of this announcement or the nature of the 
program described.
    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 Support Act.
    Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package.

Announcement Title and Number

    All correspondence with the Agency concerning this RFP should 
reference the above title and number: E/PN-00-7

Deadline for Proposals

    All copies must be received at the U.S. Department of State's 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (formerly USIA's Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs) by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time, on 
Thursday, October 7, 1999. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any 
time. Documents postmarked on October 7, 1999 but received on a later 
date will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of each grant 
applicant to ensure that proposals are received by the deadline. A 
grant decision announcement should be made by December 1, 1999. The 
grant should begin in January 2000, and U.S.-based internships 
commencing in Spring 2000.
    Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register 
announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has 
passed, the Office of Citizen Exchanges may not discuss this 
competition in any way with applicants until after the Bureau program 
and project review process has been completed.


[[Page 48234]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Europe/Eurasia Division, Office 
of Citizen Exchanges, (E/PN), Room 220, U.S. Information Agency, 301 
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, attn: Henry Scott, tel: 202-619-
5327 and 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.

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.: E/PN-00-7, Office of Grants 
Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Complete proposals should not exceed twenty (20) pages in length 
(excluding Tab F).

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. 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 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 lean years.
    Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the 
General Service Administration's Office of Information Technology 
website at <http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov>.

Visa Regulations

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

Project Funding

    Applicants should submit proposals that do not exceed $225,000. 
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 Bureau 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.
    Since Bureau 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.
    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 U.S. 
Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities.
    3. Book and cultural allowance. Participants are entitled to a one-
time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a participant book 
allowance of $50.
    4. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise or to make presentations. Daily honoraria should 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.
    5. Room rental. Room rental should not exceed $250 per day.
    6. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop and translate materials for participants.
    7. One working meal per project per group. 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.
    8. A return travel allowance of $70 may be provided to each 
participant to be used for incidental expenditures during international 
travel.
    9. Interpreters, if needed, can be provided by the State 
Department's Language Services Division. If interpreters translate for 
groups, the number of participants should be limited to four (4) per 
interpreter. Grant proposal budgets should contain a flat $160/day per 
diem for each Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-
home air transportation of $400 per interpreter, plus any U.S. travel 
expenses during the program. Salary expenses are covered centrally and 
should not be part of an applicant's proposed budget. Locally-arranged 
interpreters with adequate skills and experience may be used by the 
grantee in lieu of State Department interpreters, with the same 1:4 
interpreter/participant ratio. Costs associated with using their 
services may not exceed the rate for Department of State interpreters. 
Bureau grants do not pay for foreign interpreters to accompany 
delegations from their home country.
    10. All program participants will be covered under the terms of the 
Bureau-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is paid by the 
Bureau directly to the insurance company.
    11. Administrative Costs. Other costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program including salaries for grant organization

[[Page 48235]]

employees, benefits and other direct and indirect costs as described in 
the detailed instructions in the application package. While this 
announcement does not proscribe 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.

Review Process

    The Bureau 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 established 
herein and in the Application Packet. Eligible proposals will be 
forwarded to panels of Bureau officers for advisory review. All 
eligible proposals will also be reviewed by the program office, as well 
embassy or consular officers for advisory review, where appropriate. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Advisor or by 
other offices in the Department of State. Funding decisions will be 
made at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary of State for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) will reside with a 
contracts officer with competency for Bureau programs.

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 any in-country partners should be 
clearly described. Contact information for any in-country partners 
should be included in the proposal.
    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 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).
    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.
    5. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that 
Bureau-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. The Bureau 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 the RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Bureau 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 Bureau 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 the Bureau 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 Bureau procedures.

    Dated: August 27, 1999.
William Kiehl,
Acting Deputy Associate, Director for Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-22886 Filed 9-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M