[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 129 (Thursday, July 5, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35489-35494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16704]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3714]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: Education for Development and Democracy: U.S.-Africa 
Governance Partnerships

Summary

    The Near East/South Asia/Africa Division of the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 
announces an open competition to build and strengthen U.S.-Africa 
partnerships in the government sector. U.S.-based public and private 
non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to conduct 
international exchange programs. Grants are subject to the availability 
of funds under the Education for Development and Democracy Initiative.

    Please note: Proposals for civil society, professional and 
business linkages will not be considered under this competition.

    Programs and projects must comply with Bureau requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package: this includes the 
Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP) and the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI).

Announcement Title and Number

    All communications with the Bureau concerning this Request for 
Grant Proposal (RFGP) should refer to the announcement title 
``Education for Development and Democracy: U.S.-AfricaGovernance 
Partnerships'' and reference number ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-02-08.

Overview

    The Bureau welcomes proposals for governance partnerships linking 
U.S. professionals with judicial, executive and legislative 
institutions in Africa to strengthen their effective, accountable, and 
transparent service to the public. The partnership concept is 
emphasized as a mutually beneficial, direct and efficient method of 
promoting education, democracy, and free market economics. Partnerships 
promote the interests and long-term commitment of African and American 
participants going beyond U.S. government financing. Partnerships also 
help to establish a strong network of counterpart institutions in the 
U.S. and Africa, which invigorate and inform each other, enable 
collaborations and joint projects, and promote the exchange of 
information and resources.

Education for Development and Democracy Initiative (EDDI)

    EDDI is an African-led development program with special emphasis on 
girls and women, concentrating on improving the quality and access to 
education; enhancing the availability of technology; and increasing 
citizen participation in government to accelerate Africa's integration 
into the world community of free-market democracies. In addition to 
governance projects, it promotes sustainable partnerships among African 
education and democracy organizations and between them and their sister 
organizations in the United States to educate children, involve 
communities, implement new business modes, and extend quality 
educational services.

Guidelines

    Proposals for governance partnerships should include a bi-lateral, 
multi-phase, integrated approach to program activities, which build 
sequentially from exploratory work to cooperative action plans and 
concrete outcomes. TheOffice of Citizen Exchanges encourages applicants 
to be creative in planning project activities. Proposals should include 
practical, hands-on, community-based initiatives, designed to achieve 
concrete objectives in the field. The proposal should not focus on 
theoretical/academic workshops, seminars, studies or research.
    In an effort to increase mutual understanding and build long-
lasting linkages between our countries, proposals should include, to 
the fullest extent possible, equal numbers of American and African 
participants in international travel. In addition, applicants are 
encouraged to include American participants who are new to 
international exchanges and/or to the target countries.
    The Bureau encourages applicants to consider carefully the choice 
of target countries. In order to prevent duplication of effort, 
applicants should

[[Page 35490]]

research the work of development agencies (such as USAID, UN agencies) 
on the target themes, and select countries for which there has been 
limited investment on the issue. Applicants are welcome to contact the 
Public Affairs Sections (PAS) in U.S. Embassies in Africa, and the 
Office of Citizen Exchanges, to discuss proposed activities and their 
relevance to mission priorities.
    Applicants may design single-country or multiple-country projects. 
The Bureau offers the following programming ideas and suggestions.

Judicial Reform and the Administration of Justice

    A well-trained, independent judiciary is fundamental to a 
democratic political and social system. The judiciary must be protected 
from political interference in legal proceedings and public perception 
of unequal and unfair treatment before the bench of women, members of 
ethnic minority communities, and the poor. Even well qualified and 
well-intentioned judges are obstructed in their efforts to deliver 
justice by case backlog, by procedural delay, and by insufficient 
authority to exercise judicial discretion in court management. It is 
important that judges of both lower and higher courts be introduced to 
the principles and practices of U.S. jurisprudence and that such 
fundamental procedures as alternative dispute resolution, early neutral 
evaluation, case management, plea bargaining, continuous trial 
proceedings, and arbitration/mediation be familiar to them. The Bureau 
invites proposals that strengthen the integrity of the judicial 
process, and that consequently build public confidence in the ability 
of the judicial process to deliver justice.

Legislative Research and Legislative Drafting

    In many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, newly elected legislators 
take office with little practical experience to prepare them in writing 
new laws. There are ``infant'' drafting programs at a few South African 
universities (Pretoria, Stellenbosch), but more help is needed in South 
Africa and throughout the region. Legislators, however, do not work on 
their own; the breadth, depth and utility of the laws they write are 
dependent on the input from aides or researchers who search for models 
or ``best practices'' from elsewhere. We believe programs meant to help 
both legislators and legislative researchers would be useful. A program 
aimed at legislators could bring in experts to work with local 
universities, organizations or government institutions in developing 
legislative-training programs. If neighboring posts are interested, 
they could send academic or ``political'' participants to drafting 
workshops held in the host country. ECA also welcomes proposals with a 
focus on training legislative researchers. Participants would be 
trained for 3-4 months performing research and policy analysis. 
Participants may include employees of foreign governments, employees of 
political parties, or university students.

Legislative Management

    The Bureau invites proposals with the purpose of promoting and 
improving the effectiveness of African legislatures through development 
of procedural and organizational options and opportunities, which serve 
themselves, the public, and other elements of government. These 
proposals might address matters such as staff organization and 
management, public accessibility and accountability, constituent 
relations, public information and media relations, and enhancing 
transparency of the legislative process. Also of interest are proposals 
that explore the impact of legislation on national and state budgets or 
address the role of legislatures in fiscal and programmatic oversight.

Local Government Administration

    The Bureau is interested in programs that will enhance management 
skills of local government officials and administrators. Applicants 
must demonstrate expertise and knowledge of the political landscape and 
how the system of local government functions in the target country or 
countries. Programs may include a combination of U.S.-based 
internships, in-country workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, case 
studies and specially tailored projects. Suggested topics include 
accountability to and communication with constituencies; relationship 
with provincial and national governments; fiscal management; working 
with the press; negotiation skills and conflict resolution; consensus 
building; coalition building (particularly related to bloc or partisan 
communications); ethics in government; working with diverse 
populations; conducting issue-related casework; drafting legislation 
and implementing policy; promoting public participation in local 
government decision making.
    Program activities for the above-listed themes may include:
    1. A U.S.-based program that includes: Orientation to program 
purposes and to U.S. society; study tour/site visits; professional 
internships/placements; interaction and dialogue; hands-on training; 
professional development; and action plan development.
    2. Capacity-building/training-of-trainer (TOT) workshops in Africa 
to help participants to identify priorities, create work plans, 
strengthen professional and volunteer skills, share their experience to 
committed people within each country, and become active in a practical 
and valuable way.
    3. Site visits by U.S. facilitators/experts to monitor projects in 
the region and to provide additional training and consultations as 
needed.
    4. Content-based Internet training/ cyber-training to encourage 
citizen participation in workshops, fora, chats, and/or discussions via 
the Internet that will stimulate communication and information sharing 
among key opinion leaders on priority topics. Internet and Cyber 
Training should be only one component of an overall program, not the 
main focus of the proposal.

Additional Guidance

    Content-Based Internet Training: As noted above, the Bureau 
encourages applicants to use the Internet to assist African 
counterparts in networking, communicating and organizing on the above-
listed priority issues. Proposals that include content-based Internet 
training must reflect knowledge of the opportunities and obstacles that 
exist for use of information technologies in the target country or 
countries, and, if needed, provide hardware, software and servers, 
preferably as a form of cost sharing. Internet and Cyber Training 
should be only one component of an overall program, not the main focus 
of the proposal.
    In-Country Partners: Applicants should identify the U.S. and 
African partner organizations and individuals with whom they are 
proposing to collaborate. Specific information about the African 
partners' activities and accomplishments is required and should be 
included in the section on ``Institutional Capacity.'' Resumes for 
individuals mentioned in the proposal should be included, including 
proposed U.S. and African staff, trainers, consultants, etc.
    Multiplier Effect/Impact: Programs should be designed so that the 
sharing of information and training that occurs during the grant period 
will continue long after the grant period is over. Proven methods of 
sustainability include, but are not limited to: a model TOT program 
that would include initial training, practice presentation sessions

[[Page 35491]]

for the African participants, followed by training activities 
coordinated and implemented by the African participants in their home 
countries; a commitment to create or support in-country training/
resource centers; a curriculum program that would include teacher 
training, lesson plan development, and cooperation with ministries of 
education and related education administrators on implementation; 
development of online communities, professional networks or 
professional associations; regularly published electronic and/or hard-
copy newsletters.
    Evaluation: Short- and long-term evaluation is critical to the 
success of any professional development program. In accordance with the 
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, Federal Agencies 
must create strategic plans, set performance goals, and develop methods 
for measuring how well the goals of this program are realized. The 
grantee would be required to work closely with the Bureau to fulfill 
this responsibility. Applicants are asked to submit an evaluation plan 
that would address the GPRA requirements and assess the long-term 
impact and effectiveness of this program. The evaluation plan should 
include a summation of goals and results desired, and an indication of 
what types of information would be used to determine if these goals 
were met or results achieved, as well as a description of how the 
applicant would gather and evaluate this information. Please include 
with the proposal any evaluation tools (survey/focus group questions) 
that would be used as part of the overall plan.

Selection of Participants

    To be competitive, proposals should include a description of an 
open, merit-based participant selection process, including advertising, 
recruitment and selection. A sample application should be submitted 
with the proposal. Applicants should expect to carry out the entire 
selection process, but the Bureau and the Public Affairs Sections of 
the U.S. Embassies abroad should be consulted. The Bureau and the U.S. 
Embassies retain the right to nominate participants and to approve or 
reject participants recommended by the grantee institution. Priority 
must be given to foreign participants who have not traveled to the 
United States. ECA encourages applicants to design programs for non-
English speakers, as appropriate. The Bureau is particularly interested 
in projects that focus on or include persons with disabilities in any 
of the above-listed themes. Please refer to the sections on ``Budget 
Guidelines'' and ``Review Criteria'' for additional information.

Visa Regulations

    Foreign participants on programs sponsored by The Bureau are 
granted J-1 Exchange Visitor visas by the U.S. Embassy in the sending 
country. All programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please 
refer to the Proposal SubmissionInstructions (PSI) for further 
information.

Public Affairs Section (PAS) Involvement

    The Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies (formerly known 
as USIS posts) play a key role throughout every phase of project 
development. Posts evaluate project proposals; coordinate planning with 
the grantee organization and in-country partners; facilitate in-country 
activities; nominate participants and vet grantee nominations; observe 
in-country activities; debrief participants; and evaluate project 
impact. Posts are responsible for issuing IAP-66 forms in order for 
overseas participants to obtain necessary J-1 visas for entry to the 
United States. They also serve as a link to in-country partners and 
participants.
    Project administration and implementation are the responsibility of 
grantee. The grantee must inform the PAS in participating countries of 
its operations and procedures and coordinate with and involve PAS 
officers in the development of project activities. The PAS should be 
consulted regarding country priorities, current security issues, and 
related logistical and programmatic issues.

Budget Guidelines

    A total of $835,000 will be available to support multiple grant 
awards. The funding available under this competition will be disbursed 
through grants to several organizations. Although no funding limit 
exists, organizations are strongly encouraged to submit proposals that 
do not exceed $225,000. Proposals that do not exceed $225,000 will be 
given priority. Organizations with less than four years of experience 
in managing international exchange programs are limited to $60,000.
    The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost 
sharing and funding from private sources in support of its programs.
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with African partners 
in the design of the proposal budget. Competitive proposals will 
demonstrate a thorough and realistic understanding of the costs for in-
country administration, communication, transportation, per diem, etc.
    Format: Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget 
based on the model in the Proposal Submission Instructions, but are 
encouraged to provide the optional separate sub-budgets for each 
program component, location or activity in order to facilitate 
decisions on funding. Applicants should include a budget narrative or 
budget notes for clarification of each line item.
    Cost sharing: Since the Bureau's grant assistance constitutes only 
a portion of total project funding, proposals should list and provide 
evidence of other sources of cost sharing, including financial and in-
kind support. Proposals with substantial private sector support from 
foundations, corporations, and other institutions will be considered 
highly competitive. Please refer to the statement on cost sharing in 
the Proposal Submission Instructions.
    The following program costs are eligible for funding consideration:
    1. Transportation. International and domestic airfares (per the Fly 
America Act), transit costs, ground transportation costs, and visas for 
U.S. participants to travel to African countries (visas for African 
participants to travel to the U.S. for travel funded by the Bureau's 
grant assistance are issued at no charge).
    2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use 
the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. For 
activities in Africa, the Bureau strongly encourages applicants to 
budget realistic costs that reflect the local economy. Domestic and 
foreign per diem rates may be accessed at: http://www.policyworks.gov/. 
Applicants may opt to provide ``home-stay'' accommodations as a way to 
reduce per diems costs and as a way to enhance cross-cultural 
understanding.
    3. Interpreters. Local interpreters with adequate skills and 
experience may be used for program activities. Typically, one 
interpreter is provided for every four visitors who require 
interpreting, with a minimum of two interpreters. The Bureau grants do 
not pay for foreign interpreters to accompany delegations from their 
home country. Salary costs for local interpreters must be included in 
the budget. Costs associated with using their services may not exceed 
rates for U.S. Department of State interpreters. The Bureau strongly 
encourages applicants to use local interpreters. U.S. Department of 
State Interpreters may be used for highly technical programs with the 
approval of the Office of Citizen Exchanges. Proposal budgets should 
contain a flat $170/day per diem for each U.S.

[[Page 35492]]

Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-home air 
transportation of $400 per interpreter, reimbursements for taxi fares, 
plus any other transportation expenses during the program. Salary 
expenses are covered centrally and should not be part of an applicant's 
proposed budget.
    4. Book and cultural allowance. Foreign participants are entitled 
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book 
allowance of $50. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for 
expenses when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S. program 
staff, trainers or participants are not eligible to receive these 
benefits.
    5. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise or to make presentations. Daily honoraria cannot exceed $250 
per day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case 
the written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor 
should be included in the proposal. Subcontracts should be itemized in 
the budget.
    6. Room rental. Room rental may not exceed $250 per day.
    7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop and translate materials for participants. The Bureau strongly 
discourages the use of automatic translation software for the 
preparation of training materials or any information distributed to the 
group of participants or network of organizations. Costs for good-
quality translation of materials should be anticipated and included in 
the budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all 
program materials to the Bureau.
    8. Equipment. Proposals may contain costs to purchase equipment for 
Africa-based programming such as computers, fax machines and copy 
machines. Please note, however, that the Bureau encourages cost sharing 
for these expenses. Costs for furniture are not allowed. Equipment 
costs must be kept to a minimum.
    9. Working meal. Only one working meal may be provided during the 
program. Per capita costs may not exceed $5-8 for a lunch and $14-20 
for a dinner, excluding room rental. The number of invited guests may 
not exceed participants by more than a factor of two-to-one. 
Interpreters must be included as participants.
    10. Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for 
each foreign participant should be included in the budget. The 
allowance may be used for incidental expenses incurred during 
international travel.
    11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered under 
the terms of a Bureau-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is 
paid by the Bureau directly to the insurance company. Applicants are 
permitted to include costs for travel insurance for U.S. participants 
in the budget.
    12. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the PSI. Applicants are encouraged to 
provide administrative costs for African partner organizations to cover 
their in-country costs. While there is no rigid ratio of administrative 
to program costs, priority will be given to proposals whose 
administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25) per cent of the 
total requested from the Bureau. Proposals should show strong 
administrative cost-sharing contributions from the applicant, the 
African partner and other sources.
    Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for 
complete budget guidelines.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered, and all are important in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives: Program 
objectives should be stated clearly and precisely and should reflect 
the applicant's expertise in the subject area and the region. 
Objectives should respond to the priority topics in this announcement, 
clearly meet the strategic objectives of EDDI, and relate to the 
current conditions in the target country or countries. Objectives 
should be reasonable, attainable, and tied to the anticipated outcomes 
of the project. A detailed work plan should explain step-by-step how 
objectives would be achieved and should include a timetable for 
completion of major tasks. The substance of project planning, 
orientation sessions, workshops, presentations, consultations, site 
visits and seed/sub-grant projects should be included as attachments 
(i.e. sample agendas, draft applications, etc.). Responsibilities of 
U.S. and in-country partners should be clearly described.
    2. Institutional Capacity: The proposal should include: (1) The 
U.S. institution's mission and date of establishment; (2) detailed 
information about the capacity of any partner institutions, and the 
history of the partnership(s); (3) an outline of prior awards--U.S. 
government and private support received for the target theme/region; 
and (4) descriptions of experienced staff members and other resource 
persons who would implement the program. Proposed personnel and 
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve 
the program's goals. The narrative should demonstrate proven ability to 
handle logistics. The proposal should reflect the institution's 
expertise in the subject area and knowledge of the conditions in the 
target country/region(s). Specific information about the African 
partners' activities and accomplishments is required and should be 
included in the section on ``Institutional Capacity.'' Resumes for 
individuals mentioned in the proposal should be included, including 
proposed U.S. and African staff, trainers, consultants, etc.
    3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative 
costs for the proposal, including salaries, honoraria and subcontracts 
for services, should be kept to a minimum. Applicants are encouraged to 
cost share a portion of overhead and administrative expenses. Cost 
sharing, including contributions from the applicant, U.S. or African 
partners, and other sources, should be included in the budget. Although 
no minimum cost sharing is stipulated in this competition, previous 
grantees have routinely covered more than 20 percent of total project 
costs.
    4. Program Evaluation: The proposal must include a plan and 
methodology to evaluate the program's successes, both as activities 
unfold and at the program's conclusion. ECA recommends that the 
proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique (such 
as a series of questions for a focus group) to link outcomes to 
original program objectives. The evaluation plan should include a 
summation of goals and results desired, and an indication of what types 
of information would be used to determine if these goals were met or 
results achieved, as well as a description of how the applicant would 
gather and evaluate this information. Please include with the proposal 
any evaluation tools (survey/focus group questions) that would be used 
as part of the overall plan.
    5. Multiplier Effect/Impact: The proposal should show how the 
program would strengthen long-term mutual understanding and 
institutionalization of program objectives. Applicants should describe 
how responsibility and ownership of the program would be transferred to 
the African participants to ensure continued activity and impact. ECA 
places a priority on programs that include convincing plans for 
sustainability.

[[Page 35493]]

    6. Follow-on Activities: The proposal should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (beyond the ECA grant period), ensuring 
that ECA-supported programs are not isolated events. Follow-on 
activities sponsored by the applicant should be clearly outlined.
    7. Support of Diversity: The proposed project should demonstrate 
substantive support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Program 
content (training sessions, resource materials, follow-on activities) 
and program administration (participant selection process, orientation, 
evaluation, resource/staff persons) should address diversity in a 
comprehensive and innovative manner. Applicants should refer to ECA's 
Diversity,Freedom and Democracy Guidelines on page four of the Proposal 
Submission Instructions (PSI).
    8. Multiplier Effect/Impact: Programs should be designed so that 
the sharing of information and training that occurs during the grant 
period will continue long after the grant period is over. Proven 
methods of sustainability include, but are not limited to: A model TOT 
program that would include initial training, practice presentation 
sessions for the African participants, followed by training activities 
coordinated and implemented by the African participants in their home 
countries; a commitment to create or support in-country training/
resource centers; a curriculum program that would include teacher 
training, lesson plan development, and cooperation with ministries of 
education and related education administrators on implementation; 
development of online communities, professional networks or 
professional associations; regularly published electronic and/or hard-
copy newsletters.
    Highly competitive proposals usually have the following 
characteristics: An active, existing partnership between a U.S. 
organization and African institution(s); a proven successful track 
record for conducting program activity; cost-sharing from U.S. and 
African sources, including donations of air fares, hotel and/or housing 
costs, ground transportation, interpreters, room rentals, etc.; 
experienced staff with relevant language ability; a clear, convincing 
plan outlining exactly how the program components will be carried out 
and how permanent results will be accomplished as a result of the 
grant; and a follow-on plan that extends beyond the Bureau grant 
period. Please refer to the section on Review Criteria in the RFGP for 
additional information.

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.'' Public Law 106-113 requires that 
the governments of the countries described above do not have 
inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should 
reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the 
full extent deemed feasible.

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 subject to 
compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and 
forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may 
also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other 
Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of 
the Department of State's Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 
and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards 
(grants) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

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.'' Funding authority for the 
program cited above is provided through the Fulbright-Hays Act and the 
Education for Development and Democracy Initiative (EDDI).

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFGP 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 RFGP 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.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package (includes two documents: the RFGP 
and the PSI) may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs or the division's website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/citizens/africa. Please read all 
information before downloading.

For Further Information, Contact

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/NEAAF, Room 220, U.S. 
Department of State, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20547, 
attention: Orna Blum, telephone: (202) 260-2754 and fax number: (202) 
619-4350, Internet address: [email protected].
    Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

Deadline for Proposals

    All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational 
and

[[Page 35494]]

Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, September 
7, 2001. 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 given in the Application 
Package. The applicant's original proposal and ten (10) copies 
(unbound) should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-02-08, Program 
Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 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 or Microsoft Word format. 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 get embassy 
comments for the Bureau's grants review process.

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal U.S. Department of 
State procedures.

    Dated: June 22, 2001.
Helena Kane Finn,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural 
Affairs,Department of State.
[FR Doc. 01-16704 Filed 7-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P