[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53977-53978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22784]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Foreign Donation Program

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will consider, on an 
expedited basis, proposals from Cooperating Sponsors to carry out 
activities under the Global Food for Education Initiative (GFFEI). CCC 
will conduct the CFFEI through section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act 
of 1949.

EFFECTIVE DATE: CCC must receive all proposals by 5 p.m. EST, September 
15, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Dee A. Linse, Office of the 
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign 
Agriculture Service, Stop 1031, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, 
DC 20250-1031 or telephone (202) 720-9847. Or contact Lorie Jacobs, 
Program Planning, Development and Evaluation Division, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Stop 1034, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-1034 or Telephone (202) 
720-2637.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 23, 2000, President Clinton 
announced new initiatives to expand access to basic education and 
improve childhood development in poor countries. These initiatives 
included a $300 million U.S. Department of Agriculture international 
school feeding program to improve student enrollment, attendance, and 
performance in poor countries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture 
intends to use the authority of section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act 
of 1949 (section 416(b)) to provide surplus agricultural commodities in 
support of this endeavor. Under section 416(b), the Secretary of 
Agriculture donates surplus agricultural commodities from CCC inventory 
to the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) or to Cooperating 
Sponsors to support their humanitarian and developmental projects 
overseas. These entities may distribute the donated commodities to 
needy people or sell some of the commodities within the recipient 
country to provide local currency resources for in-country expenses 
including, but not limited to, administrative, storage, transportation, 
and handling expenses as well as direct project costs. Also, CCC funds 
may be available to cover expenses related to implementing activities 
supported with commodities acquired under section 5(d) of the CCC 
Charter Act.
    Regulations governing commodity donations under section 416(b) 
appear at 7 CFR part 1499. Generally, the regulations require the 
Cooperating Sponsors seeking a donation of agricultural commodities 
must submit a proposal that includes the information specified in the 
regulations. If the proposal is approved, CCC and the successful 
Cooperating Sponsor will enter into a grant agreement incorporating the 
proposal and setting forth mutual obligations of the parties.
    CCC intends to commit section 416(b) resources totaling $300 
million representing commodity costs, packaging, processing, 
transportation, and other allowable program costs to the first year of 
the GFFEI. The $300 million will be available to both the WFP and 
Cooperating Sponsors. CCC will give priority consideration under 
section 416(b) to proposals that seek to institute school feeding 
activities and encourages interested Cooperating Sponsors to submit 
such proposals for consideration

[[Page 53978]]

under the expedited procedures described below. CCC will consider 
multi-year proposals subject to an annual review of commodity 
availability and program performance.
    Currently, CCC requires a Cooperating Sponsor to submit all 
information specified in 7 CFR 1499.5 before CCC will consider its 
proposal. This process may involve considerable effort and expense on 
the part of Cooperating Sponsors to prepare a proposal and considerable 
time by CCC staff to review and analyze the submitted proposals. 
Therefore, CCC will institute a two-step process for consideration of 
activities under the GFFEI until the $300 million of section 416(b) 
resources is fully committed.
    Under step one, interested Cooperating Sponsors may present an 
initial submission that only contains information intended to 
demonstrate the organizations' administrative capabilities. This would 
encompass the type of information required by 7 CFR 1499.5(a)(3) to be 
included in paragraph 5(c) of the Plan of Operation, i.e., 
organizational experience and resources available to implement and 
manage the type of program proposed (direct school feeding and/or 
monetization of commodities for school feeding programs), and staff 
experience and knowledge in implementing and managing school feeding 
programs. A comprehensive submission would include information on staff 
experience and knowledge in implementing and managing school feeding 
programs, demonstrate their ability to implement large scale programs, 
provide evidence of establishing successful relationships with 
indigenous groups and government representatives in country, and 
demonstrate their familiarity with laws and regulations in countries 
which affect food aid/development programs and organizations. If a 
Cooperating Sponsor is interested in monetization, evidence should be 
provided to demonstrate their ability to successfully implement sales 
and disbursements of proceeds. Additional statements might include a 
description of automated record-keeping or accounting systems in place 
within the organization, knowledge of standard accounting and financial 
reporting practices, and a statement covering the Cooperating Sponsor's 
experience in the closure of agreements and projects with USDA and 
other private and governmental funding sources.
    If Cooperating Sponsors are interested in utilizing or 
collaborating with other entities in implementing a program, the 
Cooperating Sponsor should also submit the information required by the 
regulations to be included in paragraph (5)(e) and (f) of the Plan of 
Operation dealing with ``recipient agencies'' or other governmental and 
non-governmental entities that would be involved in the activities.
    In addition to the above information, organizations may wish to 
provide one or two brief success stories (paragraph each).
    CCC will then review this submission to decide which Cooperating 
Sponsors are most capable of successfully implementing school feeding 
activities. Under step two, CCC will invite those Cooperating Sponsors 
determined to have the capability to participate to provide a 
supplemental submission containing the remainder of the information 
required by 7 CFR 1499.5(a)(3) addressing specific proposed activities. 
The information should be submitted not later than September 29, 2000.
    The supplemental submission for the GFFEI activity should contain 
information which supports the goal of establishing a pre-school or 
school feeding program to draw children into the school environment and 
improve access to basic education especially for females. Priority 
consideration will be given to countries that have a commitment to 
universal free education, but need assistance in the short-run, where 
pre-school or school feeding programs will promote significant 
improvements in nutrition, school enrollment and attendance levels, 
with existing food for education programs and where the likelihood of 
support from other donors is high.
    Cooperating Sponsors should provide, to the extent possible, 
information on literacy rates for the target population, percentage of 
school age children attending schools (with special emphasis on school 
age girls attending school), public expenditure on primary education, 
whether the country currently operates a school feeding initiative 
(either through USAID, with assistance from the World Bank, or with 
internal resources), program impact on areas such as teacher training, 
community infrastructure (Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and 
community groups), health and nutrition, and other potential donors.
    Agreements with successful Cooperating sponsors will require 
special reporting for programs operated under the GFFEI. The 
Cooperating Sponsor will be required to report periodically the number 
of meals served, enrollment levels, and total attendance numbers, 
including female attendance levels. Such reports should include 
information on the establishment of infrastructure relevant to 
sustaining the feeding program such as establishment of PTAs and 
community groups.
    CCC will not make a final decision on which proposals to accept 
until Cooperating Sponsors furnish all the required information. A 
Cooperating Sponsor should not take an invitation to complete the 
process as any indication of acceptance. CCC will not reimburse a 
Cooperating Sponsor for any proposal preparation costs. The above 
described procedure is intended to efficiently allocate a portion of 
the $300 million of section 416(b) resources set aside for the first 
year of the President's GFFEI. Cooperating Sponsors that do not 
participate in this expedited review procedure may still have projects 
(including school feeding activities) considered during the normal 
course of CCC's section 416(b) project review.

    Signed at Washington, DC on August 30, 2000.
Timothy J. Galvin,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 00-22784 Filed 9-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M