[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 23 (Thursday, February 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5384-5386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2405]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3210]


Language and Culture Enrichment Program; Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs; Request for Proposals

SUMMARY:  The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for a Language and Culture Enrichment Program. Public and 
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in 
IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to conduct a four-
week homestay-based, English language and cultural enrichment program 
in July 2000 for 40 students from the New Independent States (NIS) of 
the former Soviet Union selected for the Freedom Support Act (FSA) 
Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. Approximately 15 of the 
participants will be students with physical disabilities who were 
specially recruited and selected. The remaining 25 students will be 
from more isolated regions of the NIS, where there is less opportunity 
for quality English instruction. The purpose of the program is to raise 
the English capability of these students to the level where they are 
able to attend regular classes when their academic program starts in 
fall. Additionally, this program will ease the acculturation process 
when students transit to their permanent families and communities. 
Funds requested for this project may not exceed $80,000.

Program Information

    Objectives: To prepare a select group of students with special 
needs to attend school in the fall and perform at a level closer to 
that of those FSA FLEX students that make up the majority of the 
program finalists. To provide students with cultural tools and 
strategies that will foster a successful exchange experience.
    Background: Academic year 2000/2001 will be the eighth year of the 
FSA/FLEX program, which now includes over 7000 alumni. This component 
of the NIS Secondary School Initiative was initially authorized under 
the FREEDOM Support Act of 1992 and is funded by annual allocations 
from the Foreign Operations and Department of State appropriations. The 
goals of the program are to promote mutual understanding and foster a 
relationship between the people of the NIS and the U.S.; assist the 
successor generation of the NIS to develop the qualities it will need 
to lead in the transformation of those countries in the 21st century; 
and to promote democratic values and civic responsibility by giving NIS 
youth the opportunity to live in American society for an academic year.
    During the program's early years, there was concern that students 
from the more remote regions of the NIS might be underrepresented 
because the lack of English competence in those regions could prevent 
applicants from meeting the rigorous English language requirements of 
the FLEX recruitment process, including attaining a reasonable score on 
the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) examination. To address 
this concern, a pre-academic year English language enrichment program 
was developed so that some students from the remote areas could be 
selected whose SLEP scores were slightly lower than average. In 
subsequent years, lack of English competence in the remote regions of 
the NIS has become less of a problem. However, the Bureau has added a 
component focusing on students with disabilities, who do have a need 
for some special training before initiating their academic year 
program. The enrichment program for which proposals are being solicited 
here are in support of both groups of students. The essential 
components of the enrichment program are:

     A four-week course of study in English, approximately 
5.5 hours a day.
     Programming that builds on cultural issues that will 
have been introduced at the pre-departure orientation for all FSA 
FLEX students.
     Orientation programming that addresses the special 
needs of the students with disabilities and their unique adjustment 
issues.
     Lodging with volunteer host families.
      The students' transition to their permanent host 
families and communities.

    Other Components: Two organizations have already been awarded 
grants to perform the following functions: recruitment and selection of 
students; targeted recruitment for students with disabilities; 
assistance in documentation and preparation of IAP-66 forms; 
preparation of cross-cultural materials; pre-departure orientation; 
international travel from home to host community and return; 
facilitation of ongoing communication between the natural parents and 
placement organizations, as needed; maintenance of a student database 
and provision of data to Department of State; and ongoing follow-up 
with alumni upon their return to the NIS.
    Additionally, 16 organizations have been selected through a grants 
competition to place the 2000-2001 FSA FLEX students in schools and 
homestays for the academic year, to monitor their progress, and to 
conduct cultural enrichment activities. The organization selected for 
the Language and Culture Enrichment Program will be asked to interact 
with the organizations to ensure the students' smooth transition from 
the pre-academic training to their permanent placements.

[[Page 5385]]

    Guidelines: Applicants should consult the Project Objectives Goals 
and Implementation (POGI) guidelines for a detailed statement of work. 
The program must take place from mid-July to mid-August 2000. The venue 
for the program should be one with minor distractions to enable 
students to focus on the coursework and experience life in a typical 
American family and community. It should be conducive to a smooth 
transition to the students' permanent placements and have resources 
that can be drawn upon for cultural enrichment.
    Participants will travel on J-1 visas issued by the Department of 
State using a government program number. The students will be covered 
by the health and accident insurance policies used by their placement 
organization. The grantee organization will acknowledge its 
responsibility to coordinate with the appropriate organization(s) any 
time treatment is needed for the duration of the students' 
participation in the enrichment program.
    Applicants may assume that grant activity will begin by June 1, 
2000. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
the Solicitation Package for further information.
    Budget Guidelines: Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget 
for the entire program. One award will be made, not to exceed $80,000. 
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. See POGI for allowable costs for the program. 
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines 
and formatting instructions.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau 
concerning this RFP should reference the above title and number ECA/PE/
C/PY-00-37.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:  Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/
PY, Room 568, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20547, tel. (202) 619-6299, fax (202) 619-5311, e-mail 
[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 Bureau Program Officer Diana Aronson 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, Bureau 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 the Bureau'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 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC 
time on Monday, February 28, 2000. 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 seven copies of the application should be 
sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-00-37, Program Management, ECA/EX/
PM, 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. The Bureau will 
transmit these files electronically to Bureau officers for its review, 
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get comments for the 
Bureau'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 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. 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,'' the Bureau ``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 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.

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 other Bureau officers, where 
appropriate. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of 
Department of State 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:

[[Page 5386]]

    1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission. Integration of language and culture components should adhere 
to stated objectives of this project.
    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. Refer to POGI regarding elements that should be included in a 
calendar of activities/timetable.
    3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be 
measurable, tangible and flexible. Proposals should clearly demonstrate 
how the institution will meet the program's objectives and plan.
    4. 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 
staff and speakers, program venue, host families) and program content 
(curriculum, orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, and 
resource materials).
    5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals. Coordinator responsible for curriculum, materials 
development and instruction should demonstrate relevant ESL/U.S. 
culture teaching experience and qualifications.
    6. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of successful language/culture programs, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant 
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    7. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the program's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. A draft survey questionnaire, tests, or other techniques 
plus description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended. Successful applicant will be 
expected to submit a final report after project is concluded.
    8. 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.
    9. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.

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 appropriating funds 
annually for Department of State's exchange programs.

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.

    Dated: January 27, 2000.
Evelyn S. Lieberman,
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 00-2405 Filed 2-2-00; 8:45 am]
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