[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21058-21061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9802]


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

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3295]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Offices of the 
Fulbright Representative: Moscow, Russia and Kyiv, Ukraine; Notice: 
Request for Proposals

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition 
for organizations to serve as the fiscal disbursing agent for the 
Offices of the Fulbright Representative in Moscow, Russia and in Kyiv, 
Ukraine. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit 
proposals to provide fiscal disbursing services to one or both Offices 
(Moscow and/or Kyiv). A separate proposal must be submitted for each 
country's office, i.e., organizations that apply as the disbursing 
agent for both the Moscow and Kyiv Offices must submit two distinct 
proposals addressing the particular budgetary guidelines and any other 
country-specific requirements for each Office as outlined in the RFP.

[[Page 21059]]

Program Information

Overview

    The Offices of the Fulbright Representative are responsible for the 
overseas management of the Fulbright Program and the Junior Faculty 
Development Program (JFDP), both of which are ECA educational exchange 
programs, in the Russian Federation and Ukraine. ECA and the Public 
Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy have full authority over all 
program operations, policy issues, and management concerns, including 
the selection and supervision of the Directors of the Fulbright Offices 
(who are U.S. citizens) and their staffs. The staffs of the Offices of 
the Fulbright Representative are responsible for all program operations 
of the Fulbright Program and the JFDP in their respective country and 
report first and foremost to the PAS and ECA.
    Due to legal constraints and logistical obstacles, the U.S. 
Government is unable to provide operating funds directly to the Offices 
of the Fulbright Representative in Russia and Ukraine. Thus, through 
this RFP, ECA requests the services of a recipient organization to be 
responsible solely for disbursing U.S. Government funds in support of 
the activities of the Offices of the Fulbright Representative. These 
services hinge on the organization's ability to maintain a legal status 
in Russia and/or Ukraine in order to serve as a fiscal agent capable of 
disbursing, on a timely and consistent basis, funds for the 
programmatic and administrative operations of the Offices. The specific 
duties of the ECA recipient organization requested in this RFP are 
outlined below.

Guidelines

    The ECA recipient organization will be responsible for the 
following:
    1. Performing all legal requirements necessary to maintain the 
office space, staffing, and program activities of the Fulbright Offices 
in Moscow and/or Kyiv.
    2. Demonstrating the ability, in terms of an accounting staff 
knowledgeable in Russian and/or Ukrainian law, to provide the Fulbright 
Offices with cash (dollars and/or rubles and/or hryvna) and/or pay 
bills directly.
    3. Providing proof of legal status/registration, as well as 
evidence of the ability to handle a wide range of payments.
    4. Advancing budget funds to the Fulbright Offices in Moscow and/or 
Kyiv to conduct all activities, programmatic as well as administrative.
    5. Payment of salaries and benefits--including housing allowance--
for the Directors of the Fulbright Offices in Moscow and/or Kyiv. 
Actual salaries will be determined by the PAS.
    6. Payment of salaries and benefits for local staff--including meal 
allowance for Moscow staff only. Actual salaries will be determined by 
the PAS.
    7. Assisting the PAS in the recruitment of Fulbright Offices staff 
when vacancies occur. Final selection will be made by the PAS.
    8. Consulting and cooperating, on administrative matters, with the 
U.S.-based organizations responsible for the administration of the 
Fulbright Program and the JFDP in the United States.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
Solicitation Package for further information.
    Please note: The following information is provided as background 
only and should not be misconstrued as the objectives of this RFP.
    The Fulbright Program offers research and lecture opportunities at 
universities in the United States to leading scholars from Russia and 
Ukraine, whereas the JFDP supports the training of young university 
faculty from Russia and Ukraine to audit courses and work closely with 
faculty mentors at U.S. universities in order to upgrade their teaching 
skills and develop new curricula in designated fields of study. The 
Offices of the Fulbright Representative ensure the successful and open 
competition for both Fulbright and JFDP grants, and provide logistical 
assistance to program participants while they are in Russia or Ukraine. 
In addition, the Offices of the Fulbright Representative are 
responsible for supporting U.S. Fulbright scholars in Russia and 
Ukraine, in order to ensure their well being, and the well being of 
their dependents while overseas.

Budget Guidelines

    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Applicants must submit comprehensive budgets with each proposal. 
Awards may not exceed $308,000 for the Moscow Office and $210,000 for 
the Kyiv Office. The total of any administrative pass through charges, 
including indirect costs, may not exceed 15% of the total budget for 
each Office. 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.
    In order to propose accurate budget figures, applicants are 
encouraged to contact ECA directly and request an information sheet 
detailing actual Fulbright Office costs.
    Allowable costs include, but are not limited to:
    (1) Staff salaries and benefits.
    (2) Rent and utilities for the Moscow and/or Kyiv Offices.
    (3) Necessary office supplies and equipment.
    (4) Shipment of program materials from Russia and/or Ukraine to the 
United States.
    (5) Maintenance of a reliable communications system (telephone, 
fax, and e-mail).
    (6) Recruitment and any other necessary travel by program staff, 
including per diem.
    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/A/E/EUR 00-07.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Academic Exchange 
Programs, ECA/A/E/EUR, SA-44, Room 246, U.S. Department of State, 301 
4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone: 202-205-0525; fax: 
202-260-7985, or 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 Nadine Asef-Sargent on all 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://exchanges.state.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 5:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on Thursday, May 
25, 2000. Faxed documents will not be

[[Page 21060]]

accepted at any time. Documents postmarked the due date but received on 
a later date will not be accepted. Each applicant must ensure that its 
proposal(s) is/are received by the above deadline. There are no 
exceptions to this deadline.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and nine (9) unbound copies of the proposal(s) 
should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/E/EUR-00-07, 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 the Public Affairs Section at 
the US Embassy for its review; with the goal of reducing the time it 
takes to receive embassy 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.
    ECA 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.
    The program office, as well as the Public Affairs Section overseas, 
where appropriate will review all eligible proposals. 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. Program Management: Proposals should exhibit substance, 
precision, innovation, and relevance to the Bureau's mission. 
Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals 
should demonstrate the organization's ability to cooperate with a 
variety of entities, including the U.S. Government, non-profit 
organizations, foreign banking institutions, and others. Relevant work 
plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical 
capacity. Work plan should adhere to the program overview and 
guidelines described above.
    2. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity.
    3. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposed personnel and 
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve 
the program's goals. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional 
record of successful exchange program administration, particularly 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for any 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.
    4. Cost-effectiveness/Cost-sharing: The overhead and administrative 
components of the proposal, including salaries, should be kept as low 
as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate.
    5. Project evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the success of the fiduciary arrangement and make recommendations for 
improving the process in the future.

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.

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

[[Page 21061]]

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: April 13, 2000.
Evelyn S. Lieberman,
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-9802 Filed 4-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P