[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 70 (Thursday, April 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17749-17751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8832]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3973]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: Youth Leadership Program for Bosnia and Herzegovina

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for Youth Leadership Program for Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions 
described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit 
proposals to conduct a three-week program in the United States focusing 
on leadership and civic education. The 22 participants will be 
secondary school students and teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
Funding will be provided through the Support for East European 
Democracy (SEED) Act.

Program Information

    Overview: The goals of this program are: (1) To provide a civic 
education program that helps the participants understand civic 
participation and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a 
democracy; (2) to develop leadership skills among secondary school 
students appropriate to their needs; and (3) to build personal 
relationships among high school students and teachers from Bosnia-
Herzegovina and the United States.
    Applicants should outline their capacity for doing projects of this 
nature, focusing on three areas of competency: provision of leadership 
and civic education programming, age-appropriate programming for youth, 
and work with individuals from Bosnia-Herzegovina or other areas that 
have experienced ethnic conflict. Applicants need not have a partner in 
Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) of the 
U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo will recruit and select the participants and 
provide a pre-departure orientation. The participants will be recruited 
from the cities in the Federation and in Republika Srpska, with the 
exception of Foca and Pale, and the Brcko District.
    Guidelines: Grants should begin in August 2002 and conclude 
approximately 16 months later, depending on when the applicant proposes 
to conduct follow-on activities. The program should be implemented in 
June/July 2003. Participants may arrive in the United States around 
June 15, 2003. The timing of the project may be altered through the 
mutual agreement of the Department of State and the grant recipient. 
The program should be approximately three weeks in duration.
    The participants will be 18 high school students between the ages 
of 15 and 18 who have demonstrated leadership abilities in their 
schools and/or communities and who are high academic achievers, and 
four teachers or other adults who work with youth who have demonstrated 
leadership and are expected to remain in positions where they can 
continue to do so. Participants will be proficient in the English 
language.
    In pursuit of the goals outlined above, the program will include 
the following:
     A welcome orientation.
     Design and planning of activities that provide a 
substantive program on civic education and leadership through both 
academic and extracurricular components. Activities should take place 
in schools as much as possible and in the community. Community service 
and computer training will also be included. Programming should involve 
American participants wherever possible.
     Opportunities for the educators to work with their 
American peers and other professionals and volunteers to help them 
foster youth leadership, civic education, and community service 
programs at home.
     Logistical arrangements, homestays, disbursement of 
stipends/per diem, local travel, and travel between sites.
     A closing session to summarize the project's activities 
and prepare participants for their return home.
     Follow-on activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the 
participants have returned home designed to reinforce values and skills 
imparted during the U.S. program.
    The proposal must demonstrate how the stated objectives will be 
met. The proposal narrative should also provide detailed information on 
the major program activities. Additional important program information 
and guidelines for preparing the narrative are included in the Project 
Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI).
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the 
other documents in the solicitation for further information.

Budget Guidelines

    The Bureau anticipates awarding one grant in an amount of 
approximately $82,000 to support program and administrative costs 
required to implement this program. Organizations with less than four 
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs are 
not eligible for this competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to 
provide maximum levels of cost-sharing and funding from private sources 
in support of its programs.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire 
program. 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.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau 
concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/
PE/C/PY-02-72.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/
C/PY, Room 568, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC. 20547, telephone (202) 619-6299; fax (202) 619-5311; e-
mail address: [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 Carolyn Lantz on all other inquiries and correspondence.
    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.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's

[[Page 17750]]

website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs. 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 Friday, May 
31, 2002. 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 six 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-02-72, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    No later than one week after the competition deadline, applicants 
must also submit the Executive Summary and Proposal Narrative sections 
of the proposal as e-mail attachments in MicrosoftWord (preferred), 
WordPerfect, or as ASCII text files, and the Budget as a Microsoft 
Excel file, if possible, to the following e-mail address: 
[email protected]. In the e-mail message subject line, include the 
following: ECA/PE/C/PY-02-72. To reduce the time needed to obtain 
advisory comments from the Office of Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy 
in Sarajevo, the Bureau will transmit these files electronically to 
these offices.

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 Assistant Secretary for Educational and 
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards 
(grants) 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. Quality of the program idea: The proposed program should be well 
developed, respond to design outlined in the solicitation, and 
demonstrate originality. It should be clearly and accurately written, 
substantive, and with sufficient detail. Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission.
    2. Program planning: A detailed agenda and work plan should clearly 
demonstrate how project objectives would be achieved. The agenda and 
plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above. The substance of workshops, seminars, presentations, school-
based activities, and/or site visits should be described in detail.
    3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be 
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. The proposal should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    4. Support of diversity: The proposal should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity in program content. Applicants should demonstrate readiness 
to accommodate participants with physical disabilities.
    5. Institutional capacity and track record: Proposed personnel and 
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve 
the program goals. The proposal should demonstrate an institutional 
record, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance 
with all reporting requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by 
the Bureau's Office of Contracts. The Bureau will consider the past 
performance.
    6. Cross-cultural sensitivity and area expertise: Since a number of 
young people in this region have been through considerable trauma 
during recent conflicts, it is essential that the applicant 
organization staff demonstrate an understanding of the stress and 
tensions that many of the participants are likely to have.
    7. Follow-on activities: Proposals should provide a plan for a 
Bureau-supported follow-on visit by project staff to Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, plus a plan for continued follow-on activity, not 
necessarily with Bureau support, that insures that this program is not 
an isolated event.
    8. Project evaluation: The proposal should include a plan to 
evaluate the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at 
the end of the program. The proposal should include a draft survey 
questionnaire or other technique plus description of a methodology to 
use to link outcomes to original project objectives. The grant 
recipient will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each 
project component is concluded.
    9. Cost-effectiveness and cost sharing: The applicant should 
demonstrate efficient use of Bureau funds. 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. The proposal should maximize cost-sharing 
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct 
funding contributions.
    10. Value to U.S.-Bosnia and Herzegovina Relations: The proposed 
project should receive positive assessments by the U.S. Department of 
State's geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need,

[[Page 17751]]

potential impact, and significance in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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 is provided through Support for East European Democracy (SEED) 
legislation.

Lautenberg Waiver Language for FY02 Republika Srpska and Serbia

    Section 581 of the FOAA restricts certain bilateral assistance to 
any country, entity or municipality whose competent authorities have 
failed to take ``necessary and significant steps to implement its 
international legal obligations to apprehend and transfer to the 
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (the 
`Tribunal') all persons in their territory who have been publicly 
indicted by the Tribunal and to otherwise cooperate with the 
Tribunal.'' Deputy Secretary Armitage determined on February 22, 2002, 
that the Republika Srpska and Serbia had failed to meet this standard 
and are subject to sanctions.
    Section 581(e), however, provides that restrictions on assistance 
may be waived upon a determination by the Secretary that ``such 
assistance directly supports the implementation of the Dayton 
Accords.'' Department of State Delegation of Authority 245 authorizes 
the Deputy Secretary to make this determination on behalf of the 
Secretary. The Deputy Secretary waived the application of Section 581 
of the FOAA with regard to the following U.S. bilateral assistance 
programs, among others, in the Republika Srpska and Serbia:
    Programs that support professional and student exchanges, student 
advising, Democracy Commission grants, civic education programs, media 
and information technology training, English teaching, linkages with 
U.S. universities and faculties, and civic education programs, as well 
as translations of economic, legal and political science texts;
    The municipalities of Foca and Pale in the Republika Srpska are 
excluded from this waiver, because competent authorities have failed to 
take necessary and significant steps to apprehend and transfer war 
crimes indictees to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former 
Yugoslavia.
    The U.S. government will not provide bilateral assistance that 
specifically benefits these municipalities.

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.

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.

    Dated: April 3, 2002.
Patricia S. Harrison,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 02-8832 Filed 4-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P