[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 544-547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-184]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3194]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Summer Institute for 
EFL Administrators From Francophone and Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa

ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The African Programs Branch of the Office of Academic Exchange 
Programs of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs (hereafter referred to as the Bureau) announces an 
open competition for an assistance award. Accredited, post-secondary 
educational institutions meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to develop a Summer Institute for 
English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) Administrators from Francophone and 
Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The Summer Institute will provide a six-
week program in education management for 16 secondary school EFL 
supervisors/inspectors and school administrators with strong EFL 
backgrounds selected from French and Portuguese-speaking countries of 
Sub-Saharan Africa. (Note: The actual number may be slightly higher 
with the inclusion of one or two participants from Haiti.)

    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 cited above is provided through the Fulbright-Hays Act.
    Programs and projects must conform to Bureau requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. Bureau projects and 
programs are subject to the availability of funds.

    Announcement Title and Number: All communications with the Bureau 
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and 
reference number ECA/A/E/AF-00-01.
    Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received by the 
Bureau by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on February 11, 2000. Faxed 
documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked February 
11, 2000, but received at a later date. It is the responsibility of 
each applicant to ensure that proposals are received by the above 
deadline.
    The Summer Institute for EFL Administrators should be programmed to 
encompass about 45 days and should begin and end between June 1, 2000, 
and August 31, 2000, depending on the host institution's academic 
calendar. No funds may be expended until a grant agreement is signed 
with the Bureau's Grants Division.


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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Herrera, Program Officer, phone: 
202-619-5405, fax: 202-619-6137, or e-mail: [email protected], Office 
of Academic Exchange Programs, African Programs Branch, Room 232, 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State 
SA-44, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.
    To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from The Bureau's website at 
http://e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read the information provided 
before downloading. Please specify Program Officer Carol Herrera on all 
inquiries and correspondence. Interested applicants should read the 
complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or 
submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Bureau staff 
may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants until the 
Bureau proposal review process has been completed.
    Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and seven (7) copies of the 
application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/E/AF-00-01, Program 
Management Staff, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20547.
    Diversity 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.
    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 the Bureau. 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.
    The Bureau 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program overview

    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States 
Department of State solicits proposals for a Summer Institute for 
English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) Administrators from Francophone and 
Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The Summer Institute will provide a six-
week academic program incorporating a U.S. cultural and educational 
experience, for 16 supervisors/inspectors/administrators of secondary 
schools from French and Portuguese-speaking countries of Sub-Saharan 
Africa. The actual number may be slightly higher with the inclusion of 
one or two participants from Haiti. Subject to availability of funds, 
one grant will be awarded to conduct the 2000 Institute.
    The Bureau asks for detailed proposals from U.S. institutions of 
higher education which have an acknowledged reputation in the fields of 
education administration and EFL. Special expertise in handling cross-
cultural programs and experience with educational systems in Sub-
Saharan Africa and African education administrators are also required. 
Note: Applicant organizations should demonstrate a proven record (at 
least four years) of experience in international exchange.
    The general objective of the Institute is to support and encourage 
the upgrading of English language programs in secondary schools in 
French and Portuguese-speaking African countries through enhancing 
participants' management and organizational skills and broadening their 
understanding of U.S. institutions and culture.

Guidelines

    The proposal should be designed to support the following specific 
activities:
    (a) A five-week academic program with emphasis on developing the 
capacities of supervisors/inspectors/administrators to strengthen EFL 
programs through more effective management of teachers, students, and 
resources. Detailed academic objectives are set forth in the 
Solicitation Package.
    (b) Cultural activities facilitating interaction among the African 
participants, American students, faculty, and administrators and the 
local community to promote mutual understanding between the people of 
the United States and the people of African countries, planned within 
the five-week academic program.
    (c) A one-week, escorted, cultural and educational tour of 
Washington, D.C., complementing and reinforcing the academic material.
    (d) Follow-on communication among participants and the U.S. 
institution to continue exchanges of ideas developed during the 
Institute.
    (e) Assistance to participants to select, purchase and ship 
professional materials to use in follow-on activities and training 
projects in their home countries.
    Participants will be selected by the Bureau, based on nominations 
from U.S. Embassies. Minimum qualifications for all participants will 
be (1) adequate proficiency in English to be able to participate in and 
benefit from the program, (2) the equivalent of BA/BS degrees from 
their national education systems, and (3) job responsibilities related 
to school/program administration. Participants will enter the United 
States on J-visas, using IAP-66 forms issued by U.S. Embassies in the 
home country.
    The U.S. institution should plan to conduct an initial needs 
assessment of participants and should be prepared to adjust program 
emphasis as necessary to respond to participants' concerns for EFL 
education. Specific areas to address in the five-week academic program 
follow:
    1. Managing the teaching staff: Evaluating, supporting, motivating 
teachers; designing and conducting in-service training programs; 
promoting professional ethics; building staff cohesiveness.
    2. Student development: Setting behavioral/learning standards, 
evaluating student progress, creating a school culture conducive to 
learning, fostering parental involvement.
    3. Managing resources: Conducting resource inventories, allocating/
tracking resources, budgeting, optimizing limited resources, developing 
access to outside resources.
    4. Introduction to Internet (WWW and e-mail) for professional 
networking and development. Few participants will have visited the 
United States previously. In view of this, an initial orientation to 
the host institution

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community and an introduction to U.S. society and system of education 
should be considered an integral part of the Institute.
    Management of the academic program, the cultural tour and on-site 
arrangements will be the responsibility of the Institute grantee. The 
host institution is responsible for arrangements for lodging, food, 
maintenance and local travel for participants while at the host 
institution and in Washington. The Bureau will arrange participants' 
international travel. The Bureau will provide the host institution with 
participants' curricula vitae and travel itineraries and will be 
available to offer guidance throughout the Institute.

Proposed Budget

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive line-item budget for the 
entire program. There must be a summary budget as well as a break-down 
reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget. For 
better understanding or further clarification, applicants may provide 
separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or 
activity in order to facilitate The Bureau decisions on funding. The 
cost to the Bureau for the Summer Institute for EFL Administrators from 
Francophone and Lusophone Africa should not exceed $100,000 based on 16 
participants. Funding level will be adjusted at a later date to 
accommodate inclusion of 1-2 additional participants from Haiti. Grants 
awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years of 
experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Instructional costs (for example: instructors' salaries, 
honoraria for outside speakers, educational course materials);
    (2) Lodging, meals, and incidentals for participants;
    (3) Expenses associated with cultural activities planned for the 
group of participants (for example: tickets, transportation);
    (4) Administrative costs as necessary.
    Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through private sector 
support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.

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 stated herein 
and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be 
reviewed by the program office as well as the Public Diplomacy section 
overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to 
panels of Bureau officers for advisory review. Proposals may also be 
reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Bureau 
elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the 
Department of State's Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public 
Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards (grants or 
cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's 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: Proposal should exhibit quality, 
rigor, and appropriateness of proposed syllabus to the academic 
objectives of the Institute. Proposal should demonstrate effective use 
of community and regional resources to enhance the cultural and 
educational experiences of participants.
    2. Program planning: Relevant work plan and detailed calendar 
should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. 
Plan and calendar should adhere to the program overview and guidelines 
described above.
    3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve a substantive 
academic program and effective cross-cultural communication with 
African participants. Proposal should show evidence of strong on-site 
administrative capabilities with specific discussion of how logistical 
arrangements will be undertaken.
    4. Area Expertise: Proposals should demonstrate institutional 
experience in and knowledge of Africa (Francophone and Lusophone) as 
well as expertise in education in developing countries.
    5. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed program should contribute to 
long-term, mutual understanding and sharing of information about Africa 
among Americans, as well as to the understanding and knowledge of the 
U.S. among the African participants.
    6. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity. Program administrators should strive for diversity among 
Institute staff, university students, and the host community who 
interact with participants.
    7. Ability to achieve program objectives: Teaching objectives 
should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    8. 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 grants as determined by the Bureau's Grants 
Division. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    9. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) which ensures 
that Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
    10. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the Summer Institute's success, both as the activities unfold and at 
the end of the program.
    11. 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.
    12. Cost-sharing: 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 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.

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.


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    Dated: December 20, 1999.
Evelyn S. Lieberman,
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-184 Filed 1-4-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P