[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 10 (Friday, January 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2451-2453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-985]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 3203]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Fulbright Teacher
Exchange Program Orientation
AGENCY: Department of State.
ACTION: Request for Proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the United States
Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for an assistance award program. Public
and private non-profit organizations, with a minimum of four years of
experience in successfully administering orientation programs, and
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may
apply to develop and administer August 2000 orientation activities in
Washington DC for approximately 570 foreign and U.S. teachers and
dependents participating in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. The
activities prepare participants in the program to teach (elementary,
secondary, or college level) in the educational system of another
country. The programming specifically strives: (a) To provide U.S.
teachers with opportunities to meet face-to-face with their foreign
exchange partners to discuss the details of their individual exchange
assignments; (b) To provide participants with an understanding of the
educational systems in which they will be teaching; and (c) To provide
teachers with practical guidance on living in their countries of
destination, with particular references to cross-cultural differences.
The award in the FY-2000 competition will be approximately $260,000.
Grants are subject to the availability of committed funds for Fiscal
Year 2000.
Proposal
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 for this RFP. The
Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI), and the Proposal
Submission Instructions (PSI), which contain additional guidelines, are
included in the Solicitation Package. Proposals that do not follow RFP
requirements and the guidelines appearing in the POGI and PSI may be
excluded from consideration due to technical ineligibility.
Announcement Title and Number: All communications with the Bureau
concerning this RFP should refer to Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program
Orientation and reference number ECA/A/S/X-00-03.
Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the Bureau
of Educational & Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on
Friday, March 10, 2000. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any
time, nor will documents postmarked March 10, 2000, but received at a
later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure
compliance with the deadline.
Program Dates: Grant should begin on or about May 1, 2000 and run
through April 30, 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: United States Department of State,
Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, Office of Global Educational
Programs, Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch, State Annex 44, ECA/A/S/X,
room 349, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202)
619-4556, fax: (202) 401-1433 to request a Solicitation Package
containing more detailed award criteria, required application forms,
and standard guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific
criteria for preparation of the proposal budget. Please specify Bureau
Program Officer Dehab Ghebreab, (telephone: 202-619-4556; e-mail:
[email protected]) on all inquiries and correspondence.
To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet
The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's
web-site at http://e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all
information before downloading.
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 10 copies of the application should be sent
to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/X-00-03, Program Management Staff, ECA/EX/PM,
Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 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
[[Page 2452]]
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 web-
site at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview: August Orientation Workshop
Approximately 570 U.S. and foreign exchange teachers and their
dependents from approximately 30 countries will attend an orientation
workshop in Washington, DC, from Monday, July 31 to Friday, August 4,
2000. Names and numbers of participants will be provided in May/June
after completion of the educator matching process. (There will be
approximately 152 US teachers, 190 foreign teachers and 228 family
members.)
Participating countries arrange for non-U.S. teachers to arrive at
the U.S. orientation site. Flights carrying non-U.S. teachers and their
families should arrive on Monday, July 31, 2000 in the Washington, DC
area. Arrangements should be made by the recipient institution for the
U.S. teachers and their families to arrive at the orientation on
Tuesday, August 1, which is a rest day for foreign teachers. (The
recipient institution must require U.S. teachers to make their own
travel arrangements to the orientation site, on a reimbursable basis).
The workshop itself will take place August 2-3 for all participants.
Departure will be scheduled for August 4.
Purpose: The purpose of the August orientation workshop is to
provide U.S. and foreign teachers and their spouses and dependents with
a wide range of briefings, training, and discussions to assist them in
preparing to function effectively in host schools and communities here
and abroad in order to promote the mission of the Fulbright Program,
mutual understanding. Partners meet face-to-face and share important
information about their workplace and other particulars concerning
their individual exchanges. The workshop should focus on the teachers'
need to understand education in the host country, the professional and
personal aspects of the exchange, and the many aspects of adjustment to
living abroad, including cross-cultural orientation. The workshop
should also address the anticipated needs and concerns of spouses and
children so that they are able to optimally benefit from the exchange
year abroad.
Agenda: The agenda should recognize partner relationship building
as a priority by scheduling joint sessions for U.S. and foreign
partners in the morning, establishing training objectives for each
session, and sequencing sessions to reinforce experiential learning. An
equivalent of one day should be set aside for the US teachers and their
families, as well as exchange partners and their families, to attend
joint sessions and discuss their individual exchanges one-on-one.
Sessions for U.S. and foreign teachers, some with their spouses,
should include presentations on educational systems and cross-cultural
matters. The POGI contains more specific information.
Additional Activities
In developing the program agenda, cooperating institution may wish
to provide additional activities designed to strengthen teachers' and
dependents' abilities to function in a foreign setting. Time
constraints should be considered: sessions must not interfere with the
partner joint sessions and (one-on-one) discussions. Possibilities
might include sessions on cross-cultural communication and
understanding, and visits to embassies, consulates, and cultural
gatherings. It may also be possible to schedule sessions on August 1
when all foreign teachers are present and most U.S. teachers will have
arrived by the afternoon.
Speakers
Cooperating institution is to identify and invite speakers and
panelists to cover all sessions, but must demonstrate its ability and
willingness to draw on its own resources to identify such individuals,
as well as other resources beyond the organization. This includes
universities in the area, consulting groups, embassy personnel or other
experts. Speakers may include State Department's specialists, staff
from foreign counterpart agencies, university faculty, international
and intercultural specialists, foreign consular and embassy officials,
former exchange teachers, foreign teachers, currently on exchange in
the United States, U.S. administrators associated with the program and
others. The Bureau must approve speaker/panelist selections. During the
sessions set aside for administrative matters, Bureau staff will
specifically designate State Department specialists and staff from
foreign counterpart agencies to serve as resource people and speakers.
The cooperating institution may also be asked to call on these people
to assist with other orientation sessions. As much as possible,
presenters should incorporate Fulbright specific situations, issues,
and materials.
Services
In addition to developing the agenda and securing speakers, the
cooperating institution will provide specific services in consultation
with Bureau program officers. The POGI contains more specific
information.
Web-Site
The institution will be expected to design a web-site to support
easy access to information pertaining to the August orientation
program. The web-site should be linked to the Bureau's and program
agency's appropriate sites to help grantees access additional resources
and information.
Reports
The institution will be expected to design and distribute an
evaluation for the August orientation to be completed by the teachers.
Such a form will cover program content, including meeting sessions, as
well as logistical arrangements such as housing, food, and general
meeting facilities. The form will be cleared by Bureau prior to its
use. Participants' evaluations should be tabulated and sent to the
Bureau no later than four weeks after the orientation.
[[Page 2453]]
The institution should also provide the Bureau with a substantive
written analysis of the orientation, with recommendations for improving
future orientations (no later than ten weeks after the orientation).
The Bureau reserves the right to conduct an independent evaluation of
the program. The institution is also required to provide a breakdown of
actual cost figures for the orientation no later than ten weeks after
the completion of the orientation.
Special note: The cooperating institution will survey the
literature of appropriate subject fields to determine materials of
greatest potential value to teachers. If approved by the Bureau,
recipient institution will purchase materials (up to $40 per teacher).
The institution will also compile other materials as directed by the
Bureau. These may include materials on U.S. education, including
current trends and initiatives, materials on education in selected
foreign countries, materials on cross-cultural adjustment and
understanding, materials that provide guidance on living abroad, and
other materials which the institution and the Bureau staff consider
useful. The institution will provide these materials to U.S. and
foreign exchange teachers at the orientation.
Note: The Bureau may also request that cooperating institution
arrange additional orientation and/or training, or workshop
briefings for program participants and administrators, resource
people, and organizers during the award period. Cooperating
institution may also be asked to provide programming and other
services to the Bureau including, but not limited to, peer committee
chairpersons workshops, predeparture orientation activities, foreign
and U.S. teacher debriefings, materials purchase and distribution,
and the development of new program information, including materials
and videos.
Proposed Budget
Organizations must submit a comprehensive line-item budget based on
the specific guidance in the Solicitation Package. 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. Administrative costs should
be kept low; this will be an important factor in grant competition.
Also, the ability to achieve cost-effectiveness within budget
guidelines through cost-sharing will enhance competitive proposals.
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 Bureau officers. Proposals may also be reviewed by the
Office of the Legal Advisor or by other offices of the State
Department. Funding decisions will be made at the discretion of the
Assistant Secretary 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
State Department officers will use the criteria below to reach
funding recommendations and decisions. Technically eligible
applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria
stated below. These criteria are not rank-ordered or weighted.
1. Quality and Clarity of Program Planning: Proposals should
exhibit substance, precision, and relevance to Bureau mission. 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. Proposals should
clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's
objectives and plan.
2. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity by outlining relevant
aspects of the institutional profile. Achievable and relevant features
should be cited in both program administration and program content
(orientation sessions, resource materials, and choice of resources).
3. Institutional Capacity and Record/Ability: Proposed personnel
and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to
achieve the program or project's goals. Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful exchange programs, including
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by the State
Department's Contracts office. The Bureau will consider the past
performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new
applicants.
4. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the activities' 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 are recommended.
5. Cost-effectiveness and Cost-sharing: 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. 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 the internal Bureau
procedures.
Dated: January 7, 2000.
Evelyn S. Lieberman,
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
[FR Doc. 00-985 Filed 1-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P