[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 88 (Thursday, May 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25419-25433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10306]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Central 
America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) 
and the Dominican Republic; and Combating Exploitive Child Labor 
Through Education in Southern Africa (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South 
Africa, and Swaziland)

May 6, 2004.
AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Department of Labor.

Announcement Type: New. Notice of Availability of Funds and 
Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement Applications.

Funding Opportunity Number: SGA 04-06.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: Not applicable.

Key Dates: Deadline for Submission of Application is June 7, 2004.

Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs, will award up to U.S. $14.5 million 
through one or more cooperative agreements to an organization or 
organizations to improve access to quality education programs as a 
means to combat exploitive child labor in Central America and the 
Dominican Republic (up to $5.5 million) and Southern Africa (up to $9 
million). The activities funded will complement and expand upon 
existing projects and programs to improve basic education in these 
countries, and, where applicable, provide access to basic education to 
children in areas of high incidence of exploitive child labor. 
Applications must be regional in approach and respond to the entire 
Statement of Work outlined in this Solicitation for Cooperative 
Agreement Applications. In Central America and the Dominican Republic, 
activities under this cooperative agreement will strengthen government 
and civil society's capacity to address the education needs of working 
children and those at risk of entering work. In Southern Africa, 
activities under this cooperative agreement will expand access and 
quality of basic education for working children and those at risk of 
entering work, particularly HIV/AIDS affected children.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor 
Affairs (ILAB), announces the availability of funds to be granted by 
cooperative agreement to one or more qualifying organizations for the 
purpose of expanding access to and quality of basic education and 
strengthening government and civil society's capacity to address the 
education needs of working children and those at risk of entering work 
in Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and 
Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic, and Southern Africa (Botswana, 
Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland). ILAB is authorized to 
award and administer this program by the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2003, Pub.L. No 108-7, 117 Stat. 11 (2003). The cooperative 
agreement or cooperative agreements awarded under this initiative will 
be managed by ILAB's International Child Labor Program to assure 
achievement of the stated goals. Applicants are encouraged to be 
creative in proposing cost-effective interventions that will have a 
demonstrable impact in promoting school attendance in areas of those 
countries where children are engaged in or are most at risk of working 
in the worst forms of child labor.

A. Background and Program Scope

i. USDOL Support of Global Elimination of Exploitive Child Labor
    The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that 211 
million children ages 5 to 14 were working around the world in 2000. 
Full-time child workers are generally unable to attend school, and 
part-time child laborers balance economic survival with schooling from 
an early age, often to the detriment of their education. Since 1995, 
the U.S. Department of Labor has provided over U.S. $275 million in 
technical assistance funding to combat exploitive child labor in over 
60 countries around the world.
    Programs funded by USDOL range from targeted action programs in 
specific sectors to more comprehensive efforts that target the worst 
forms of child labor as defined by ILO Convention 182. From FY 2001 to 
FY 2004, the U.S. Congress has appropriated U.S. $148 million to USDOL 
for a Child Labor Education Initiative to fund programs aimed at 
increasing access to quality, basic education in areas with a high 
incidence

[[Page 25420]]

of abusive and exploitive child labor. The cooperative agreement(s) 
awarded under this solicitation will be funded through this initiative. 
USDOL's Child Labor Education Initiative seeks to nurture the 
development, health, safety and enhanced future employability of 
children around the world by increasing access to basic education for 
working children and those at risk of entering work. Exploitive child 
labor elimination depends in part on improving access to, quality of, 
and relevance of education.
    The Child Labor Education Initiative has four goals:
    a. Raise awareness of the importance of education for all children 
and mobilize a wide array of actors to improve and expand education 
infrastructures;
    b. Strengthen formal and transitional education systems that 
encourage working children and those at risk of working to attend 
school;
    c. Strengthen national institutions and policies on education and 
child labor; and
    d. Ensure the long-term sustainability of these efforts.
ii. Barriers to Education for Working Children, Country Background, and 
Focus of Solicitation
    Throughout the world, there are complex causes of exploitive child 
labor as well as barriers to education for children engaged in or at 
risk of exploitive child labor. These include: poverty; education 
system barriers; infrastructure barriers; legal and policy barriers; 
resource gaps; institutional barriers; informational gaps; demographic 
characteristics of children and/or families; cultural and traditional 
practices; and weak labor markets.
    Although these elements and characteristics tend to exist 
throughout the world in areas of high exploitive child labor, they 
manifest themselves in specific ways in each region/country of interest 
in this solicitation. In their response to the solicitation, 
applications must be regional in approach, i.e., applications must 
include all of the countries in the proposed region (either Central 
America and the Dominican Republic or Southern Africa), and promote 
regional activities and sharing of best practices and lessons learned 
to enhance and improve education and exploitive child labor policies 
and practices among project countries. The regional focus of the 
project should also emphasize policy and program approaches that, 
through the sharing of knowledge and lessons learned from other 
countries, augment an individual country's capacity to address the 
education barriers faced by working children, allowing more of them to 
attend and complete quality educational programs. In Central America 
and the Dominican Republic, this project will predominantly support 
policy mechanisms and build capacity to undertake educational reforms 
that enable working children to benefit from education programs. If an 
applicant proposes direct education service delivery to individual 
children in Central American and the Dominican Republic, all such 
interventions must be designed as demonstration projects with direct 
policy applications. In cases where direct education service delivery 
to individual children will be provided, applicants must demonstrate 
that the interventions are needed and support policy gaps.
    In Central America and the Dominican Republic, activities under 
this cooperative agreement will strengthen government and civil 
society's capacity to address the education needs of working children 
and those at risk of entering work. In Southern Africa, activities 
under this cooperative agreement will expand access and quality of 
basic education for working children and those at risk of entering 
work, particularly as a consequence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. 
Applicants should be able to identify the specific barriers to 
education and the education needs of specific children targeted in 
their project (e.g., children withdrawn from work, children at high 
risk of dropping out into the labor force, and/or children still 
working in a particular sector) and how capacity building and policy 
change can be used to address them. Short background information on 
education and exploitive child labor in each of the regions/countries 
of interest is provided below. For additional information on exploitive 
child labor in these regions/countries, applicants are referred to The 
Department of Labor's 2002 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor 
available at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/media/reports/iclp/tda2002/overview.htm or in hard copy from Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Procurement Services Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is 
not a toll-free-number) or e-mail: [email protected].
Barriers to Education for Working Children in Central America and the 
Dominican Republic, and Focus of This Solicitation for the Region
    In 2000, the ILO's International Program on the Elimination of 
Child Labor (IPEC) estimated that 17.4 million children ages 5 to 14 
were working throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Recent 
estimates indicate that more than 2.3 million children ages 5 to 17 in 
Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and 
Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic are economically active. Most of 
these children work in rural areas in agriculture, on small family 
plots as well as on coffee, melon, and other commercial farms. The 
remainder of these children work in the region's cities and urban 
areas. Children work in small businesses and industries, sell goods on 
the street, and wash cars. Some children engage in particularly 
hazardous activities such as prostitution and pornography. On average, 
about half of working children do not attend school. The remainder 
combine school and work, often coming to school without adequate food 
or sleep, or sufficient time to study and prepare homework. Such 
children complete fewer years of schooling than those who do not work, 
dropping out at a young age. By not attending school, or by attending 
for only short periods of time, working children do not gain many of 
the skills they need to obtain stable and more highly remunerated 
employment as adults, and therefore perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
    In response to this dire situation, the governments and civil 
society of Central America and the Dominican Republic, with assistance 
from international organizations and other partners, have taken steps 
to reduce exploitive child labor and encourage school attendance. Every 
country in the region has ratified ILO Convention 138 on the Minimum 
Age for Employment and ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child 
Labor. Each country is also a member of ILO/IPEC, and has established 
national committees of governmental and non-governmental 
representatives that have developed plans of action to address 
exploitive child labor. A number of projects supported by ILO/IPEC, 
UNICEF, and a host of other international organizations have been 
implemented that aim to remove children from exploitive child labor and 
enroll them in school. USDOL has funded a number of such efforts, which 
include country, sector, and regional projects to remove children from 
work, build capacity to combat exploitive child labor, raise awareness, 
strengthen legislation against exploitive child labor, and gather 
information about the problem.
    In addition, a number of projects have been undertaken to promote 
access to quality basic education. Some of the education ministries in 
the region have developed scholarship programs, flexible schedules, and 
alternative

[[Page 25421]]

curricula designed to enable all children to obtain a quality basic 
education. A number of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 
development agencies, and international organizations, such as UNICEF, 
and the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have 
instituted programs to promote primary education. Although USAID's 
2004-2008 plan for Central America does not specifically mention 
exploitive child labor, there is a role assigned to the creation of 
``healthier, better-educated people'' through increased and improved 
basic education opportunities.
    Despite these efforts to eliminate exploitive child labor and 
promote basic education, significant gaps have not been addressed, and 
continue to deprive working children of access to quality basic 
education. Although some barriers are more prominent in certain 
countries than others, in general across the region these needs 
include:
    Lack of coordination of efforts to combat exploitive child labor 
with efforts to promote basic education. In many instances, links have 
not been made between the institutions and actors concerned with 
exploitive child labor and those concerned with education. Cross-agency 
communication is weak.
    Ministries of Education often do not see exploitive child labor as 
an education issue. As a result of the lack of linkages mentioned 
above, most of the education ministries in the region have not 
integrated the issue of exploitive child labor into their education 
policies and programs, nor is the education of working children 
necessarily considered in the development of Education for All (EFA) or 
education fast-track strategies. Nonetheless, there are some examples 
in the region of ways in which ministries of education have become 
involved in the struggle against exploitive child labor. In Costa Rica, 
for example, a child labor office was recently established within the 
Ministry of Public Education.
    Lack of community awareness of the dangers inherent in exploitive 
child labor. In many cases, communities in Central America and the 
Dominican Republic hold the belief that child work is formative and 
builds character, and are not aware of the fact that when work 
interferes with basic education, it tends to perpetuate, rather than 
alleviate, poverty. Community support for education has led to 
successful locally-managed education programs in several areas of El 
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Although the community managed 
school programs implemented in these countries may not be appropriate 
in all environments, they offer lessons about the importance of local 
interest in education.
    Lack of information sharing on exploitive child labor and 
education. Despite significant advances in the quality of data on 
exploitive child labor and basic education in the region, there is only 
limited diffusion of the information and little capacity to interpret 
and effectively use the data.
    Lack of collaboration between government and civil society. In 
cases where civil society has taken up the banner of exploitive child 
labor and/or universal education, there has been a lack of coordinated 
or joint efforts, not only within each country, but also throughout the 
region.
    Lack of school attendance monitoring. At a very basic level, the 
systems to track whether children are attending school in most parts of 
Central America and the Dominican Republic are either weak or 
nonexistent. In other areas of the world, such tracking and related 
enforcement of compulsory attendance laws have created an important 
incentive for parents to send their children to school.
    Lack of teacher training on exploitive child labor and on how to 
teach working children. In the Dominican Republic and the Central 
American countries, teachers lack the training and support needed to 
understand the issue of exploitive child labor and are unprepared for 
the challenges of teaching children who combine school and work or who 
have special educational needs.
    Inadequate incentives for teachers and for rewarding good teacher 
performance. In the Dominican Republic and Central America, teacher 
strikes are frequently due, in large part, to low salaries and there is 
a lack of incentives to encourage high quality teacher performance.
    Disagreement on Education Policy. To a greater extent in Guatemala, 
Honduras, and Nicaragua, and a lesser extent in Costa Rica, El 
Salvador, and the Dominican Republic, education reform has become an 
extremely contentious issue. While many agree that access to quality 
education in the region must be improved, teachers unions, businesses, 
communities, and governments are divided over the best method to 
achieve this goal.
    Due to the number of existing efforts in Central America and the 
Dominican Republic, and the need to promote sustainability, applicants 
are encouraged to predominantly support policy mechanisms and build 
capacity to undertake educational reforms that enable working children 
to benefit from education programs. If an applicant proposes direct 
education service delivery to individual children in Central American 
and the Dominican Republic, all such interventions must be designed as 
demonstration projects with direct policy applications. In cases where 
direct education service delivery to individual children will be 
provided, applicants must demonstrate that the interventions are needed 
and support policy gaps. The Child Labor Education Initiative awarded 
under this cooperative agreement should complement existing approaches 
by focusing on ways to: (1) Enhance the viability of schooling as an 
alternative to hazardous and exploitive child labor; (2) mobilize 
stakeholders to participate in this activity; and (3) build the 
capacity of future national experts who will contribute directly to 
government policies through their commitment and expertise in using 
school interventions to reduce hazardous and exploitive child labor.
    Applications in response to this solicitation are encouraged to:
    a. Promote innovative approaches to address barriers in the 
specific countries and the sharing of good practices and lessons 
learned on exploitive child labor and education within the Dominican 
Republic and Central American region.
    b. Encourage intra-governmental collaboration, among relevant 
agencies within each country, that will promote the goals of this 
project.
    c. Support the institutionalization of efforts and reforms that 
might lead to improved incorporation of working children into 
educational settings, by creating and mobilizing stakeholders (at the 
local and national level) and by developing the capability to manage 
interventions using local resources and networks.
    d. Support innovative, cross-sectoral and international strategies 
that will meet the needs for institutional development and for the 
mobilization of stakeholders.
    e. Strengthen and build the capacity of NGOs, including faith-based 
organizations, community-based organizations, and the private sector, 
through organizational development and training, to provide educational 
programs.
    f. Promote the types of alliances that might sustain the advocacy 
of education for the elimination of exploitive child labor.
    g. Consider other relevant international and regional movements 
(such as Education For All; Commissions on the Rights of the Child; and 
PREAL), and relate initiatives under

[[Page 25422]]

this solicitation to those movements that would promote the goals of 
this project.
    h. Stimulate increased accountability and creative incentives for 
schools to incorporate children who are at-risk of entering abusive 
labor.
    i. Promote, in collaboration with the national Ministries of Labor 
and Education and businesses, School-Business Partnerships and School-
to-Work programs in which businesses collaborate with secondary schools 
by training students in occupational skills.
    j. Promote awareness raising of core labor standards and 
restrictions on exploitive child labor among teachers, through in-
service training.
    In addition, applicants are strongly encouraged to collaborate with 
and complement existing projects, particularly those funded by USDOL, 
including Timebound and other projects implemented by ILO/IPEC, to the 
extent those projects further the goals of this project. However, 
applicants should not duplicate the activities of existing efforts and/
or projects and should work within host government child labor 
frameworks. Country specific information is provided in Appendix B.
    Note to All Applicants: The existence of approximately U.S. $10 
million in USDOL-funded child labor projects in both El Salvador and 
the Dominican Republic, as well as a number of other donor sponsored 
efforts, creates a unique environment for the implementation of the 
proposed project under this cooperative agreement in El Salvador and 
the Dominican Republic. Any new initiative under this cooperative 
agreement should consider how best to complement, rather than 
duplicate, current projects in these countries so that the goals of 
this project are accomplished. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 
consider the number of efforts and amount of resources already in 
existence in El Salvador and the Dominican Republic when making 
resource allocations for the region. In El Salvador, applicants are 
also strongly encouraged to coordinate actions with the existing ILO/
IPEC Timebound Program. In the case of the Dominican Republic, 
applicants should include the Dominican Republic in proposed regional 
activities and should collaborate closely with DevTech Systems and ILO/
IPEC's Timebound Program efforts.
Barriers to Education for Working Children in Southern Africa 
(Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland), and Focus of 
This Solicitation for the Region
    Exploitive child labor in Southern Africa occurs frequently in the 
informal sector. Children work in commercial and subsistence 
agriculture in rural areas, and increasing numbers of orphans and 
vulnerable children work on the streets of major cities and towns. 
These children engage in begging, vending, washing cars, carrying 
goods, and prostitution. Young girls are often employed in domestic 
service, while boys are often found herding animals in rural and remote 
areas, which is often perceived as a traditional rite of passage for 
male youth in some of the countries. Many children work to help their 
families. However, children are often found working for long hours per 
day, which limits their ability to attend school, as well as their 
academic performance.
    It is important to highlight that information on the nature and 
extent of exploitive child labor and the barriers to education in the 
Southern African countries is limited. All of the governments in the 
region have ratified ILO Conventions 138 and 182, but each is at a 
different stage of implementing the commitments made under the 
Conventions. An ILO/IPEC regional child labor project was recently 
funded by the USDOL and is being implemented in Botswana, Lesotho, 
Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. This ILO/IPEC project aims to 
improve the knowledge base of the worst forms of child labor and will 
pilot small direct action activities in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and 
Swaziland. Activities under this solicitation should complement, and 
where possible, collaborate with those of the regional ILO/IPEC 
project.
    As a whole, these countries dedicate a significant portion of their 
national budgets to education, ranging from 20 to 30 percent. All of 
the Southern African countries of interest under this solicitation, 
except for South Africa and Swaziland, offer free primary education; 
and, as a result, enrollment rates are relatively high. Many children 
who are enrolled in education also work, however, which leads to poorer 
retention and completion rates. There have been more attempts in the 
last few years to provide vocational education and skills training for 
older children, as well as those that have not received formal 
education. Nevertheless, given the magnitude of the need for these 
alternatives in Southern Africa, these programs have not been able to 
meet the demand, leaving some children without any educational 
opportunities.
    Rural and ``farm'' schools continue to have inadequate resources 
and untrained or under-trained teachers. Access to these schools is 
also a major problem due to their location and the long distances that 
children must travel to reach them. Although education is free in most 
of the countries of Southern Africa, the costs associated with 
education, such as materials, school contributions, uniforms, and 
transportation and/or boarding restrict school enrollment and 
attendance. Given that many of these working children are already 
living in abject poverty, some cannot afford these fees and drop out or 
never enroll in school, ending up working with their parents or on the 
streets in an attempt to earn a living.
    Moreover, the effects that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is having on 
Southern Africa, and its children, cannot be overlooked. HIV/AIDS 
exacerbates the problem of exploitive child labor throughout the 
region. Estimates put the HIV/AIDS rate in the region as high as 25 to 
35 percent of the population aged 15-49. The pandemic is causing 
businesses to lose their most productive workers, children to lose 
their parents and caregivers, and schools to lose their teachers, while 
putting an enormous strain on the governments' resources to provide 
social services and education for their populations. Increasing numbers 
of children, affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, drop out of school to 
survive on their own and/or to provide for their sick relatives. Some 
estimates put the number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in the region 
at 500,000 to over one million. Projections from various governments 
and relief organizations are grim and state that the number of HIV/AIDS 
orphans in these countries may double by 2010.
    Despite attempts to address the educational challenges that working 
children face, there are still critical gaps/needs that must be 
addressed. Applications in response to this solicitation are encouraged 
to address the following issues:
    Limited public awareness and research concerning children's 
participation in exploitive labor (especially the worst forms).
    Inadequate educational opportunities (including formal, vocational, 
and non-formal education) and social services (counseling and child 
protection) for children heading households, and orphans and vulnerable 
children living and/or working on the streets in towns and cities.
    Insufficient access to quality formal, non-formal, and vocational 
education (long distances and few schools) and poor infrastructure, 
teacher quality, and basic resources in rural and farm schools.
    Poor capacity of, and coordination between, government ministries, 
and

[[Page 25423]]

inadequate policies and structures that support the implementation of 
child labor laws.
    Inadequate opportunities for quality formal, non-formal, and 
vocational education for teenage mothers or pregnant girls, indigenous 
populations, and older children with little or no education.
    Country specific information is provided in Appendix B.
    The project funded by this solicitation should contribute to 
efforts already underway to prevent and eliminate hazardous child labor 
in Southern Africa, particularly for HIV/AIDS affected children, by 
addressing specific barriers to education. Applications in response to 
this solicitation are encouraged to promote the sharing of good 
practices and lessons learned on exploitive child labor and education 
within the Southern Africa region. In addition, applicants are strongly 
encouraged to collaborate with and complement existing projects, 
particularly those funded by USDOL, including Timebound and other 
projects implemented by ILO/IPEC. However, applicants should not 
duplicate the activities of existing efforts and/or projects and should 
work within host government child labor frameworks.
    Note to All Applicants: The Government of South Africa has pro-
actively responded to the problem of exploitive child labor with the 
development of the CLAP. The CLAP focuses on coordinating governmental, 
departmental, and provincial responses relating to children and 
exploitive child labor and outlines actions (including education 
interventions) that need to be taken to ensure that children are 
withdrawn from and prevented from entering exploitive labor. The ILO/
IPEC ``Supporting the Timebound Program to Eliminate the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor in South Africa's Child Labor Action Program,'' recently 
funded by USDOL, will work within the Government of South Africa's CLAP 
framework. The project(s) funded under this solicitation should focus 
its efforts on education-related interventions that have been 
identified in the CLAP Framework, and, where possible, those under the 
ILO/IPEC Timebound Program. Close coordination and communication with 
the government should be maintained throughout the project period.

B. Statement of Work

    Taking into account the challenges to educating working children in 
each region of interest, the applicant will facilitate, and implement, 
as appropriate, creative and innovative approaches to promote policies 
that will enhance the provision of educational opportunities to 
children engaged in or removed from exploitive child labor, 
particularly the worst forms. The expected outcomes/results of the 
project are, through improved policies and direct education service 
delivery, as applicable, to: (1) Increase educational opportunities and 
access (enrollment) for children who are engaged in, at risk of, and/or 
removed from exploitive child labor, particularly its worst forms; (2) 
encourage retention in, and completion of educational programs; and (3) 
expand the successful transition of children in non-formal education 
into formal schools or vocational programs.
    In the course of implementation, each project must promote the 
goals of USDOL's Child Labor Education Initiative listed above in 
Section I (A) (i). Because of the limited available resources under 
this award, applicants should implement programs that complement 
existing efforts and, where appropriate, replicate or enhance 
successful models to serve expanded numbers of children and 
communities. However, applicants should not duplicate the activities of 
existing efforts and/or projects and should work within host government 
child labor and education frameworks. In order to avoid duplication, 
enhance collaboration, expand impact, and develop synergies, the 
cooperative agreement awardee (hereafter referred to as ``Grantee'') 
should work cooperatively with regional and national stakeholders in 
developing project interventions. In Central America and the Dominican 
Republic, due to the number of existing efforts in the region and the 
need to promote sustainability, applicants are encouraged to support 
policy mechanisms and educational reforms that enable working children 
to benefit from education programs, rather than the provision of direct 
education service delivery. In Southern Africa, applicants should 
consider the economic and social contexts of each country when 
formulating project strategies and that approaches applicable in one 
country may not be relevant to others.
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss proposed 
interventions, strategies, and activities with host government 
officials during the preparation of an application for this cooperative 
agreement.
    Partnerships between more than one organization are also eligible 
and encouraged, in particular with qualified, regionally-based 
organizations in order to build local capacity; in such a case, 
however, a lead organization must be identified. If the application 
does not propose interventions aimed toward the target group and 
geographical areas as identified (where applicable), then the 
application may be considered unresponsive. Applicants whose strategies 
include the provision of direct delivery of education are encouraged to 
enroll at least one-quarter of the targeted children the grantee is 
attempting to reach in educational activities during the first year of 
project implementation. Under this cooperative agreement, vocational 
training for adolescents and income generating alternatives for parents 
are allowable activities. Although USDOL is open to all proposals for 
innovative solutions to address the challenges of providing increased 
access to education to the children targeted, the applicant must, at a 
minimum, prepare responses following the outline of a preliminary 
project document presented in Appendix A. This response will be the 
foundation for the final project document that will be approved after 
award of the cooperative agreement.
    Note to All Applicants: Grantees are expected to consult with and 
work cooperatively with stakeholders in the countries, including the 
Ministries of Education, Labor, and other relevant ministries, NGOs, 
national steering/advisory committees on child labor, education, faith 
and community-based organizations, and working children and their 
families. Grantees should ensure that their proposed activities and 
interventions are within those of the countries' national child labor 
and education frameworks and priorities, as applicable. Grantees are 
strongly encouraged to collaborate with existing projects, particularly 
those funded by USDOL, including Timebound Programs and other projects 
implemented by ILO/IPEC. However, applicants are reminded that this is 
a stand-alone project and that other federal awards cannot supplement a 
project awarded under this cooperative agreement.

II. Award Information

    Type of assistance instrument: cooperative agreement. USDOL's 
involvement in project implementation and oversight is outlined in 
Section VI. The duration of the projects funded by this solicitation is 
four (4) years. The start date of program activities will be negotiated 
upon awarding of the cooperative agreement, but no later than September 
30, 2004. Up to U.S. $14.5 million will be awarded under this 
solicitation, with up to $5.5 million for Central America (Costa Rica, 
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) and the Dominican 
Republic, and up to $9 million for Southern Africa

[[Page 25424]]

(Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland). USDOL may 
award one or more cooperative agreements to one, several, or a 
partnership of more than one organization that may apply to implement 
the program. Any subcontractor must be approved by USDOL.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit 
organization, including any faith-based or community-based 
organizations, capable of successfully developing and implementing 
education programs for working children or children at risk of entering 
exploitive work in the regions/countries of interest is eligible to 
apply. Partnerships of more than one organization are also eligible, 
and applicants are strongly encouraged to work with organizations 
already undertaking projects in the regions/countries of interest, 
particularly local and regional NGOs, including faith-based and 
community-based organizations. In the case of partnership applications, 
a lead organization must be identified. An applicant must demonstrate a 
regional/country presence, independently or through a relationship with 
another organization(s) with regional/country presence, which gives it 
the ability to initiate program activities upon award of the 
cooperative agreement. (All applicants are requested to complete the 
Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (OMB No. 1225-
0083), which is available online at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/sga0406/bkgrdSGA0406.htm.). The capability of an applicant or 
applicants to perform necessary aspects of this solicitation will be 
determined under the criteria outlined in the Application Review 
Information section of this solicitation.
    PLEASE NOTE THAT TO BE ELIGIBLE, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT APPLICANTS 
CLASSIFIED UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE AS A 501(c)(4) ENTITY (see 
26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)), MAY NOT ENGAGE IN LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. According 
to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended by 2 U.S.C. 1611, an 
organization, as described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, that engages in lobbying activities will not be eligible 
for the receipt of federal funds constituting an award, grant, 
cooperative agreement, or loan. Applicants applying for more than one 
region must submit a separate application for each region. If 
applications for the two regions are combined, they will not be 
considered.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    This solicitation does not require applicants to share costs or 
provide matching funds. However, the leveraging of resources and in-
kind contributions is strongly encouraged.

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

    In accordance with 29 CFR Part 98, entities that are debarred or 
suspended shall be excluded from Federal financial assistance and are 
ineligible to receive funding under this solicitation. Past performance 
of organizations already implementing Child Labor Education Initiative 
projects or activities for USDOL will be taken into account. Past 
performance will be rated by the timeliness of deliverables, and the 
responsiveness of the organization and its staff to USDOL 
communications regarding deliverables and cooperative agreement or 
contractual requirements. Lack of past experience with USDOL projects, 
cooperative agreements, grants, or contracts will not be penalized.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    This solicitation contains all of the necessary information and 
forms needed to apply for cooperative agreement funding. This 
solicitation is published as part of this Federal Register notice, and 
in the Federal Register, which may be obtained from your nearest U.S. 
Government office or public library or online at http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/index.html.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    One (1) blue ink-signed original, complete application in English 
plus two (2) copies (in English) of the application, must be submitted 
to the U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5416, Attention: Lisa Harvey, 
Reference Solicitation 04-06, Washington, DC 20210, not later than 4:45 
p.m. Eastern Time, June 7, 2004. Applicants may submit applications for 
one or both regions. In the case where an applicant is interested in 
applying for a cooperative agreement in both regions, a separate 
application must be submitted for each region.
    The application must consist of two (2) separate parts, as well as 
a table of contents and an abstract summarizing the application in not 
more that two (2) pages. These pages are also not included in the 45-
page limit for Part II.
    Part I of the application must contain the Standard Form (SF) 424, 
Application for Federal Assistance and Sections A-F of the Budget 
Information Form SF 424A, available from ILAB's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/sga0406/bkgrdSGA0406.htm. Copies of these forms 
are also available online from the GSA Web site at http://
contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/0/B835648D6 6D1B8F9852 56A72004C58C2/$ 
file/sf424.pdf and http://contacts.gsa.gov/ webforms.nsf/0/5AEB1F 
A6FB3B8323 85256A72004C8E77/ $file/Sf424a.pdf. The individual signing 
the SF 424 on behalf of the applicant must be authorized to bind the 
applicant. The budget/cost proposal must be written in 10-12 pitch font 
size.
    Part II must provide a technical application that identifies and 
explains the proposed program and demonstrates the applicant's 
capabilities to carry out that proposal. The technical application must 
identify how it will carry out the Statement of Work (Section I (B) of 
this solicitation) and address each of the Application Review Criteria 
found in Section V (1).
    The Part II technical application must not exceed 45 single-sided 
(8\1/2\'' x 11''), double-spaced, 10 to 12 pitch typed pages for each 
region, and must include responses to the application evaluation 
criteria outlined in this solicitation. Part II must include a project 
document submitted in the format shown in Appendix A. The application 
should include the name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail 
address (if applicable) of a key contact person at the applicant's 
organization in case questions should arise.
    Applications will only be accepted in English. To be considered 
responsive to this solicitation, the application must consist of the 
above-mentioned separate parts. Any applications that do not conform to 
these standards may be deemed non-responsive to this solicitation and 
may not be evaluated. Standard forms and attachments are not included 
in the 45-page limit for Part II. However, additional information not 
required under this solicitation will not be considered.

3. Submission Dates and Times

    Applications must be delivered to: U.S. Department of Labor, 
Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5416, 
Attention: Lisa Harvey, Reference: Solicitation 04-06, Washington, DC 
20210. Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile

[[Page 25425]]

(FAX) will not be accepted. Applications sent by other delivery 
services, such as Federal Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted; 
however, the applicant bears the responsibility for timely submission. 
The application package must be received at the designated place by the 
date and time specified or it will not be considered. Any application 
received at Procurement Services Center after 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time, 
June 7, 2004, will not be considered unless it is received before the 
award is made and:
    A. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by Government after receipt at USDOL at the 
address indicated;
    B. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the 
fifth calendar day before 30 days from the date of publication in the 
Federal Register; or
    C. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of 
mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, 
prior to June 7, 2004.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, 
an application received after the above closing time and date shall be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped, or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore, applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post Office 
clerk on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee'' 
label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the same meaning 
as defined above. Therefore, applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
USDOL is the date/time stamp of the Procurement Service Center on the 
application wrapper or other documentary evidence of receipt maintained 
by that office.
    Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not 
be accepted. Applications sent by other delivery services, such as 
Federal Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted; however the applicant 
bears the responsibility for timely submission. It is recommended that 
you confirm receipt of your application with your delivery service. 
Confirmation of receipt can be made with Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department 
of Labor, Procurement Services Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this 
is not a toll-free-number) or e-mail: [email protected]. All 
applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in the Washington DC 
area can be slow and erratic due to concerns involving contamination. 
All applicants must take this into consideration when preparing to meet 
the application deadline.

4. Intergovernmental Review

    This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO) 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

5. Funding Restrictions

    A. In addition to those specified under OMB Circular A-122, the 
following costs are also unallowable:
    i. Construction with funds under this cooperative agreement should 
not exceed 10% of the project budget's direct costs and should be, 
preferably, limited to improving existing school infrastructure and 
facilities in the project's targeted communities. USDOL encourages 
applicants to cost-share and/or leverage funds or in-kind contributions 
from local partners when proposing construction activities in order to 
ensure sustainability.
    ii. Under this cooperative agreement, vocational training for 
adolescents and income generating alternatives for parents are 
allowable activities. However, federal funds under this cooperative 
agreement cannot be used to provide micro-credits or revolving funds.
    iii. Awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.
    B. The following activities are also unallowable under this 
solicitation:
    i. Under this cooperative agreement, awareness raising and advocacy 
cannot include lobbying or fund-raising (see OMB Circular A-122).
    ii. The U.S. Government is opposed to prostitution and related 
activities, which are inherently harmful and dehumanizing, and 
contribute to the phenomenon of trafficking in persons. U.S. non-
governmental organizations, and their sub-awardees, cannot use U.S. 
Government funds to lobby for, promote or advocate the legalization or 
regulation of prostitution as a legitimate form of work. Foreign non-
governmental organizations, and their sub-awardees, that receive U.S. 
Government funds to fight trafficking in persons cannot lobby for, 
promote or advocate the legalization or regulation of prostitution as a 
legitimate form of work. It is the responsibility of the primary 
Grantee to ensure its sub-awardees meet these criteria.

6. Other Submission Requirements

    The closing date for receipt of applications is June 7, 2004. As 
discussed above, applications must be received by 4:45 p.m. (Eastern 
Time) at the address identified in Section IV (3) above. No exceptions 
to the mailing, delivery, and hand-delivery conditions set forth in 
this notice will be granted. Applications that do not meet the 
conditions set forth in this notice will not be accepted. Telegram, 
facsimile (FAX), and e-mail applications will not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harvey. E-mail address: 
[email protected].

V. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation Criteria

    Technical panels will review applications written in the specified 
format (see Section I, Section IV (2) and Appendix A) against the 
various criteria on the basis of 100 points. Up to five additional 
points will be given for the inclusion of non-federal or leveraged 
resources as described below. Applicants are requested to prepare their 
technical proposal (45 page maximum) on the basis of the following 
rating factors, which are presented in the order of emphasis that they 
will receive, and the maximum rating points for each factor.

Program Design/Budget-Cost Effectiveness--45 points
Organizational Capacity--30 points
Management Plan/Key Personnel/Staffing--25 points
Leveraging Resources--5 extra points
A. Project/Program Design/Budget-Cost Effectiveness (45 Points)
    This part of the application constitutes the preliminary project 
document described in Section I (B) and outlined in Appendix A. The 
applicant's proposal should describe in detail the proposed approach to 
comply with each requirement.

[[Page 25426]]

    This component of the application should demonstrate the 
applicant's thorough knowledge and understanding of the issues, 
barriers and challenges involved in providing education to children 
engaged in or at risk of engaging in exploitive child labor, 
particularly its worst forms; best-practice solutions to address their 
needs; and the implementing environment in the selected region. When 
preparing the project document outline, the applicant should at minimum 
include a description of:
    i. Children Targeted--The applicant will identify which and how 
many children will benefit from the project, including the sectors in 
which they work, geographical location, and other relevant 
characteristics. Children are defined as persons under the age of 18 
who have been engaged in the worst forms of child labor as defined by 
ILO Convention 182, or those under the legal working age of the country 
and who are engaged in other hazardous and/or exploitive activities.
    ii. Needs/Gaps/Barriers--The applicant will describe the specific 
gaps/educational needs of the children targeted that the project will 
address.
    iii. Proposed Strategy--The applicant will discuss the proposed 
regional strategy to address gaps/needs/barriers of the children 
targeted and its rationale.
    iv. Description of Activities--The applicant will provide a 
detailed description of proposed activities that relate to the gaps/
needs/barriers to be addressed, including training and technical 
assistance to be provided to project staff, host country nationals, and 
community groups involved in the project. Ideally, the proposed 
approach should build upon existing activities, government policies, 
and plans, and avoid needless duplication.
    v. Work Plan--The applicant will provide a detailed work plan and 
timeline for the proposed project, preferably with a visual such as a 
Gantt chart. Applicants whose strategies include the provision of 
direct delivery of education are also encouraged to enroll one-quarter 
of the targeted children in educational activities during the first 
year of project implementation.
    vi. Program Management and Performance Assessment--The applicant 
will describe: (1) How management will ensure that the goals and 
objectives will be met; (2) how information and data will be collected 
and used to demonstrate the impacts of the project; and (3) what 
systems will be put in place for self-assessment, evaluation and 
continuous improvement. Note to All Applicants: USDOL has already 
developed common indicators and a database system for monitoring 
children's educational progress that can be used and adapted by 
Grantees after award so that they do not need to set up this type of 
system from scratch. Guidance on common indicators will be provided 
after award, thus applicants should focus their program management and 
performance assessment responses toward the development of their 
project's monitoring strategy in support of the four goals of the Child 
Labor Education Initiative. For more information on the Child Labor 
Education Initiative's common indicators, please visit http://www.clear-measure.com.
    vii. Budget/Cost Effectiveness--The applicant will show how the 
budget reflects program goals and design in a cost-effective way so as 
to reflect budget/performance integration. The budget should be linked 
to the activities and outputs of the implementation plan listed above. 
This section of the application should explain the costs for performing 
all of the requirements presented in this solicitation, and for 
producing all required reports and other deliverables. Costs must 
include labor, equipment, travel, annual audits, evaluations, and other 
related costs. Applications should allocate sufficient resources to 
proposed studies, assessments, surveys, and monitoring and evaluation 
activities. When developing their applications, applicants should 
allocate the largest proportion of resources to educational activities 
aimed at targeted children, rather than direct costs. Preference may be 
given to applicants with low administrative costs and with a budget 
breakdown that provides a larger amount of resources to project 
activities. All costs should be reported, as they will become part of 
the cooperative agreement upon award. In their cost proposal, 
applicants must reflect a breakdown of the total administrative costs 
into direct administrative costs and indirect administrative costs. 
This section will be evaluated in accordance with applicable Federal 
laws and regulations. The budget must comply with Federal cost 
principles (which can be found in the applicable OMB Circulars).
    Applicants are encouraged to discuss the possibility of exemption 
from customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) with host government officials 
during the preparation of an application for this cooperative 
agreement. While USDOL encourages host governments to not apply custom 
or VAT taxes to USDOL-funded programs, some host governments may 
nevertheless choose to assess such taxes. USDOL may not be able to 
provide assistance in this regard. Applicants should take into account 
such costs in budget preparation. If major costs are omitted, a Grantee 
may not be allowed to include them later.
B. Organizational Capacity (30 Points)
    Under this criterion, the applicant must present the qualifications 
of the organization(s) implementing the program/project. The evaluation 
criteria in this category are as follows:
    i. International Experience--The organization applying for the 
award has international experience implementing basic, transitional, 
non-formal or vocational education programs that address issues of 
access, quality, and policy reform for vulnerable children including 
children engaged in or at risk of exploitive child labor, preferably in 
the regions and countries of interest.
    ii. Regional/Country Presence--An applicant, or its partners, must 
be formally recognized by the host government(s) using the appropriate 
mechanism, e.g., Memorandum of Understanding, local registration of 
organization. An applicant must also demonstrate a regional/country 
presence, independently or through a relationship with another 
organization(s) with regional/country presence, which gives it the 
ability to initiate program activities upon award of the cooperative 
agreement, as well as the capability to work directly with government 
ministries, educators, civil society leaders, and other local faith-
based or community organizations. For applicants that do not have 
independent regional/country presence, documentation of the 
relationship with the organization(s) with such a presence must be 
provided. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work collaboratively 
with local partners and organizations.
    iii. Fiscal Oversight--The organization shows evidence of a sound 
financial system. The results of the most current independent financial 
audit must accompany the application, and applicants without one will 
not be considered.
    iv. Coordination--If two or more organizations are applying for the 
award in the form of a partnership, they must demonstrate an approach 
to ensure the successful collaboration including clear delineation of 
respective roles and responsibilities. The applicants must also 
identify the lead organization and submit the partnership agreement.
    v. Experience--The application must include information about 
previous grant, cooperative agreements, or

[[Page 25427]]

contracts of the applicant that are relevant to this solicitation 
including:
    a. The organizations for which the work was done;
    b. A contact person in that organization with their current phone 
number;
    c. The dollar value of the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement for the project;
    d. The time frame and professional effort involved in the project;
    e. A brief summary of the work performed; and
    f. A brief summary of accomplishments.
    This information on previous grants, cooperative agreements, and 
contracts held by the applicant shall be provided in appendices and 
will not count in the maximum page requirement.
    Note to All Applicants: Past performance of organizations already 
implementing Child Labor Education Initiative projects or activities 
for USDOL will be taken into account in judging organizational 
capacity. Past performance will be rated by the timeliness of 
deliverables, and the responsiveness of the organization and its staff 
to USDOL communications regarding deliverables and cooperative 
agreement or contractual requirements. Lack of past experience with 
USDOL projects, cooperative agreements, grants, or contracts will not 
be penalized.
C. Management Plan/Key Personnel/Staffing (25 Points)
    Successful performance of the proposed work depends heavily on the 
management skills and qualifications of the individuals committed to 
the project. Accordingly, in its evaluation of each application, USDOL 
will place emphasis on the applicant's management approach and 
commitment of personnel qualified for the work involved in 
accomplishing the assigned tasks. This section of the application must 
include sufficient information to judge management and staffing plans, 
and the experience and competence of program staff proposed for the 
project to assure that they meet the required qualifications. 
Information provided on the experience and educational background of 
personnel should include the following:
     The identity of key personnel assigned to the project. 
``Key personnel'' are staff (Project Director, Education Specialist, 
and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer) who are essential to the 
successful operation of the project and completion of the proposed work 
and, therefore, may not be replaced or have hours reduced without the 
approval of the Grant Officer.
     The educational background and experience of all staff to 
be assigned to the project.
     The special capabilities of staff that demonstrate prior 
experience in organizing, managing and performing similar efforts.
     The current employment status of staff and availability 
for this project. The applicant must also indicate whether the proposed 
work will be performed by persons currently employed or is dependent 
upon planned recruitment or sub-contracting.
    Note that management and professional technical staff members 
comprising the applicant's proposed team should be individuals who have 
prior experience with organizations working in similar efforts, and are 
fully qualified to perform work specified in the Statement of Work. 
Where sub-contractors or outside assistance are proposed, 
organizational control should be clearly delineated to ensure 
responsiveness to the needs of USDOL.
    Note to All Applicants: USDOL strongly recommends that key 
personnel allocate at least 50% of their time to the project and be 
present within the region, specifically in one of the project 
countries. USDOL prefers that key personnel positions not be combined 
unless the applicant can propose a cost-effective strategy that ensures 
that all key management and technical functions (as identified in this 
solicitation) are clearly defined and satisfied. Key personnel must 
sign letters of agreement to serve on the project, and indicate 
availability to commence work within three weeks of cooperative 
agreement award. Applicants must submit these letters as part of the 
application.
    In this section, the following information must be furnished:
    i. Key personnel--For each region for which an application is 
submitted, the applicant must designate the key personnel listed below. 
If key personnel are not designated, the application will not be 
considered.
    a. A Project Director to oversee the project and be responsible for 
implementation of the requirements of the cooperative agreement. The 
Program Director must have a minimum of three years of professional 
experience in a leadership role in implementation of complex basic 
education programs in developing countries in areas such as education 
policy; improving educational quality and access; educational 
assessment of disadvantaged students; development of community 
participation in the improvement of basic education for disadvantaged 
children; and monitoring and evaluation of basic education projects. 
Consideration will be given to candidates with additional years of 
experience including experience working with officials of ministries of 
education and/or labor. Preferred candidates will also have knowledge 
of exploitive child labor issues, and experience in the development of 
transitional, formal, and vocational education of children removed from 
exploitive child labor and/or victims of the worst forms of child 
labor. Fluency in English is required and working knowledge of the 
official language(s) spoken in the target countries is preferred.
    b. An Education Specialist who will provide leadership in 
developing the technical aspects of this project in collaboration with 
the Project Director. This person must have at least three years 
experience in basic education projects in developing countries in areas 
including student assessment, teacher training, educational materials 
development, educational management, and educational monitoring and 
information systems. This person must have experience in working 
successfully with ministries of education, networks of educators, 
employers' organizations and trade union representatives or comparable 
entities. Additional experience with exploitive child labor/education 
policy and monitoring and evaluation is an asset. Working knowledge of 
English preferred, as is a similar knowledge of official language(s) 
spoken in the target region/countries.
    c. A Monitoring and Evaluation Officer who will serve at least 
part-time and oversee the implementation of the project's monitoring 
and evaluation strategies and requirements. This person should have at 
least three years progressively responsible experience in the 
monitoring and evaluation of international development projects, 
preferably in education and training or a related field. Related 
experience can include strategic planning and performance measurement, 
indicator selection, quantitative and qualitative data collection and 
analysis methodologies, and knowledge of the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA). Individuals with a demonstrated ability to build 
capacity of the project team and partners in these domains will be 
given special consideration.
    ii. Other Personnel--The applicant must identify other program 
personnel proposed to carry out the requirements of this solicitation.
    iii. Management Plan--The management plan must include the 
following:

[[Page 25428]]

    a. A description of the functional relationship between elements of 
the project's management structure; and
    b. The responsibilities of project staff and management and the 
lines of authority between project staff and other elements of the 
project.
    iv. Staff Loading Plan--The staff loading plan must identify all 
key tasks and the person-days required to complete each task. Labor 
estimated for each task must be broken down by individuals assigned to 
the task, including sub-contractors and consultants. All key tasks 
should be charted to show time required to perform them by months or 
weeks.
    v. Roles and Responsibilities--The applicant must include a resume 
and description of the roles and responsibilities of all personnel 
proposed. Resumes must be attached in an appendix. At a minimum, each 
resume must include: the individual's current employment status and 
previous work experience, including position title, duties, dates in 
position, employing organizations, and educational background. Duties 
must be clearly defined in terms of role performed, e.g., manager, team 
leader, and/or consultant. Indicate whether the individual is currently 
employed by the applicant, and (if so) for how long.
D. Leverage of Grant Funding (5 Points)
    USDOL will give up to five (5) additional rating points to 
applications that include non-Federal resources that significantly 
expand the dollar amount, size and scope of the application. These 
programs will not be financed by the project, but can complement and 
enhance project objectives. Applicants are also encouraged to leverage 
activities such as micro-credit or income generation projects for 
adults that are not directly allowable under the cooperative agreement. 
To be eligible for the additional points, the applicant must list the 
source(s) of funds, the nature, and possible activities anticipated 
with these funds under this cooperative agreement and any partnerships, 
linkages or coordination of activities, cooperative funding, etc.

2. Review and Selection Process

    USDOL will screen all applications to determine whether all 
required elements are present and clearly identifiable. Each complete 
application will be objectively rated by a technical panel against the 
criteria described in this announcement. Applicants are advised that 
panel recommendations to the Grant Officer are advisory in nature. The 
Grant Officer may elect to select a Grantee on the basis of the initial 
application submission; or, the Grant Officer may establish a 
competitive or technically acceptable range from which qualified 
applicants will be selected. If deemed appropriate, the Grant Officer 
may call for the preparation and receipt of final revisions of 
applications, following which the evaluation process described above 
may be repeated, in whole or in part, to consider such revisions. The 
Grant Officer will make final selection determinations based on panel 
findings and consideration of factors that represent the greatest 
advantage to the government, such as geographic distribution of the 
competitive applications, cost, the availability of funds and other 
factors. The Grant Officer's determinations for awards under this 
solicitation are final.


    Note: Selection of an organization as a cooperative agreement 
recipient does not constitute approval of the cooperative agreement 
application as submitted. Before the actual cooperative agreement is 
awarded, USDOL may enter into negotiations about such items as 
program components, funding levels, and administrative systems in 
place to support cooperative agreement implementation. If the 
negotiations do not result in an acceptable submission, the Grant 
Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline 
to fund the application. Award may also be contingent upon an 
exchange of project support letters between USDOL and the relevant 
ministries in target countries.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    Designation decisions will be made, where possible, within 45 days 
after the deadline for submission of proposals.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    The Grant Officer will notify applicants of designation results as 
follows: Designation Letter: The designation letter signed by the Grant 
Officer will serve as official notice of an organization's designation. 
The designation letter will be accompanied by a cooperative agreement 
and USDOL/ILAB's Management Procedures and Guidelines (MPG). Non-
Designation Letter: Any organization not designated will be notified 
formally of the non-designation and given the basic reasons for the 
determination.
    Notification by a person or entity other than the Grant Officer, 
that an organization has or has not been designated, is not valid.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

A. General
    Grantee organizations are subject to applicable U.S. Federal laws 
(including provisions of appropriations law) and the applicable Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. If during project 
implementation, a Grantee is found in violation of U.S. government 
regulations, the terms of the cooperative agreement awarded under this 
solicitation may be modified by USDOL, costs may be disallowed and 
recovered, the cooperative agreement may be terminated, and USDOL may 
take other action. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in 
accordance with the applicable U.S. Federal cost principles. Grantees 
will also be required to submit to an annual independent audit, and 
costs for such an audit should be included in direct or indirect costs, 
whichever is appropriate.
    The cooperative agreements awarded under this solicitation are 
subject to the following administrative standards and provisions, and 
any other applicable standards that come into effect during the term of 
the grant agreement, if applicable to a particular Grantee:

29 CFR Part 31--Nondiscrimination In Federally Assisted Programs of 
the Department of Labor--Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964.
29 CFR Part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap In 
Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal 
Financial Assistance.
29 CFR Part 33--Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of 
Handicap In Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of 
Labor.
29 CFR Part 36--Federal Standards for Nondiscrimination on the Basis 
of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal 
Financial Assistance.
29 CFR Part 93--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
29 CFR Part 95--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and 
other Non-Profit Organizations, and with Commercial Organizations, 
Foreign Governments, Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign 
Governments and International Organizations.
29 CFR Part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded 
Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
29 CFR Part 98--Federal Standards for Government-wide Debarment and 
Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for 
Drug-Free Workplace (Grants).
29 CFR Part 99--Federal Standards for Audits of States, Local 
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.

    Applicants are reminded to budget for compliance with the 
administrative

[[Page 25429]]

requirements set forth. This includes the cost of performing 
administrative activities such as annual financial audits, closeout, 
mid-term and final evaluations, document preparation, as well as 
compliance with procurement and property standards. Copies of all 
regulations referenced in this solicitation are available at no cost, 
on-line, at http://www.dol.gov.
    Grantees should be aware that terms outlined in this solicitation, 
the cooperative agreement, and the MPGs are applicable to the 
implementation of projects awarded under this solicitation.
B. Sub-contracts
    Sub-contracts must be awarded in accordance with 29 CFR 95.40-48. 
In compliance with Executive Orders 12876, as amended, 13230, 12928 and 
13021, as amended, Grantees are strongly encouraged to provide sub-
contracting opportunities to Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges and 
Universities. To the extent possible, sub-contracts granted after the 
cooperative agreement is signed must be awarded through a formal 
competitive bidding process, unless prior written approval is obtained 
from USDOL/ILAB.
C. Key Personnel
    The applicant shall list the individual(s) who has/have been 
designated as having primary responsibility for the conduct and 
completion of all project work. The applicant must submit written proof 
that key personnel will be available to begin work on the project no 
later than three weeks after award. Grantees agree to inform the Grant 
Officer's Technical Representative (GOTR) whenever it appears 
impossible for this individual(s) to continue work on the project as 
planned. A Grantee may nominate substitute key personnel and submit the 
nominations to the GOTR; however, a Grantee must obtain prior approval 
from the Grant Officer for all changes to key personnel (Project 
Director, Education Specialist, and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer). 
If the Grant Officer is unable to approve the key personnel change, he/
she reserves the right to terminate the cooperative agreement.
D. Encumbrance of Cooperative Agreement Funds
    Cooperative agreement funds may not be encumbered/obligated by a 
Grantee before or after the period of performance. Encumbrances/
obligations outstanding as of the end of the cooperative agreement 
period may be liquidated (paid out) after the end of the cooperative 
agreement period. Such encumbrances/obligations shall involve only 
specified commitments for which a need existed during the cooperative 
agreement period and which are supported by approved contracts, 
purchase orders, requisitions, invoices, bills, or other evidence of 
liability consistent with a Grantee's purchasing procedures and 
incurred within the cooperative agreement period. All encumbrances/
obligations incurred during the cooperative agreement period shall be 
liquidated within 90 days after the end of the cooperative agreement 
period, if practicable.
    All equipment purchased with project funds should be inventoried 
and secured throughout the life of the project. At the end of the 
project, USDOL and the Grantees will determine how to best allocate 
equipment purchased with project funds in order to ensure 
sustainability of efforts in the projects' implementing areas.
E. Site Visits
    USDOL, through its authorized representatives, has the right, at 
all reasonable times, to make site visits to review project 
accomplishments and management control systems and to provide such 
technical assistance as may be required. If USDOL makes any site visit 
on the premises of a Grantee or a sub-contractor(s) under this 
cooperative agreement, a Grantee shall provide and shall require its 
sub-contractors to provide all reasonable facilities and assistance for 
the safety and convenience of government representatives in the 
performance of their duties. All site visits and evaluations shall be 
performed in a manner that will not unduly delay the implementation of 
the project.

3. Reporting and Deliverables

    In addition to meeting the above requirements, a Grantee will be 
expected to monitor the implementation of the program, report to USDOL 
on a quarterly basis, and undergo evaluations of program results. 
Guidance on USDOL procedures and management requirements will be 
provided to Grantees in MPGs with the cooperative agreement. The 
project budget must include funds to: Plan, implement, monitor, and 
evaluate programs and activities (including mid-term and final 
evaluations and annual audits); conduct studies pertinent to project 
implementation; establish education baselines to measure program 
results; and finance travel by field staff key personnel to meet 
annually with USDOL officials in Washington, DC. Applicants based both 
within and outside the United States should also budget for travel by 
field staff and other key personnel to Washington, DC at the beginning 
of the project for a post-award meeting with USDOL. Indicators of 
performance will also be developed by a Grantee and approved by USDOL. 
Unless otherwise indicated, a Grantee must submit copies of all 
required reports to ILAB by the specified due dates. Specific 
deliverables are the following:
A. Project Design Document
    Applicants will prepare a preliminary project document in the 
format described in Appendix A, with design elements linked to a 
logical framework matrix. (Note: The supporting logical framework 
matrix will not count in the 45-page limit but should be included as an 
annex to the project document. To guide applicants, a sample logical 
framework matrix for a hypothetical Child Labor Education Initiative 
project is available at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/sga0406/bkgrdSGA0406.htm.). The project document will include a background/
justification section, project strategy (goal, purpose, outputs, 
activities, indicators, means of verification, assumptions), project 
implementation timetable and project budget. The narrative will address 
the criteria/themes described in the Program Design/Budget-Cost 
Effectiveness section below.
    Within six months after the time of the award, the Grantee will 
deliver the final project design document, based on the application 
written in response to this solicitation, including the results of 
additional consultation with stakeholders, partners, and ILAB. The 
final project design document will also include sections that address 
coordination strategies, project management and sustainability.
B. Progress and Financial Reports
    The format for the progress reports will be provided in the MPG 
distributed after the award. Grantees must furnish a typed technical 
progress report and a financial report (SF269) to USDOL/ILAB on a 
quarterly basis by 31 March, 30 June, 30 September, and 31 December of 
each year during the cooperative agreement period. Also, a copy of the 
PSC 272 should be submitted to ILAB upon submission to the Health and 
Human Services--Payment Management System (HHS-PMS).
C. Annual Work Plan
    An annual work plan will be developed within six months of project 
award and approved by ILAB so as to ensure coordination with other 
relevant social actors throughout the region.

[[Page 25430]]

Subsequent annual work plans will be delivered no later than one year 
after the previous one.
D. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
    A performance monitoring and evaluation plan will be developed, in 
collaboration with USDOL/ILAB, including beginning and ending dates for 
the project, indicators and methods and cost of data collection, 
planned and actual dates for mid-term review, and final end of project 
evaluations. The performance monitoring plan will be developed in 
conjunction with the logical framework project design and common 
indicators for GPRA reporting selected by ILAB. The plan will include a 
limited number of key indicators that can be realistically measured 
within the cost parameters allocated to project monitoring. Baseline 
data collection will be tied to the indicators of the project design 
document and the performance monitoring plan. A monitoring and 
evaluation plan will be submitted to ILAB within six months of project 
award.
E. Project Evaluations
    Grantees and the GOTR will determine on a case-by-case basis 
whether mid-term evaluations will be conducted by an internal or 
external evaluation team. All final evaluations will be external and 
independent in nature. A Grantee must respond in writing to any 
comments and recommendations resulting from the review of the mid-term 
report. The budget must include the projected cost of mid-term and 
final evaluations. Note to All Applicants: USDOL provides its Grantees 
with training and technical assistance to refine the quality of 
deliverables. This assistance includes workshops to refine project 
design and improve performance monitoring plans, and reporting on Child 
Labor Education Initiative common indicators.
    Exact timeframes for completion of deliverables will be addressed 
in the cooperative agreement and the MPGs.

VII. Agency Contacts

    All inquiries regarding this solicitation should be directed to: 
Ms. Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 
200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5416, Washington, DC 20210; 
telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free-number) or e-mail: 
[email protected].

VIII. Other Information

Production of Deliverables

1. Materials Prepared Under the Cooperative Agreement
    Grantees must submit to USDOL/ILAB, for approval, all media-
related, awareness-raising, and educational materials developed by it 
or its sub-contractors before they are reproduced, published, or used. 
USDOL/ILAB considers that materials include brochures, pamphlets, 
videotapes, slide-tape shows, curricula, and any other training 
materials used in the program. USDOL/ILAB will review materials for 
technical accuracy.
2. Acknowledgment of USDOL Funding
    USDOL has established procedures and guidelines regarding 
acknowledgement of funding. USDOL requires, in most circumstances, that 
the following be displayed on printed materials: ``Funding provided by 
the United States Department of Labor under Cooperative Agreement No. 
E-9-X-X-XXXX.'' With regard to press releases, requests for proposals, 
bid solicitations, and other documents describing projects or programs 
funded in whole or in part under this cooperative agreement, all 
Grantees are required to consult with USDOL/ILAB on: Acknowledgment of 
USDOL funding; general policy issues regarding international child 
labor; and informing USDOL, to the extent possible, of major press 
events and/or interviews. More detailed guidance on acknowledgement of 
USDOL funding will be provided upon award to the Grantee(s) in the 
cooperative agreement and MPG.
    In consultation with USDOL/ILAB, USDOL will be acknowledged in one 
of the following ways:
    A. The USDOL logo may be applied to USDOL-funded material prepared 
for worldwide distribution, including posters, videos, pamphlets, 
research documents, national survey results, impact evaluations, best 
practice reports, and other publications of global interest. A Grantee 
must consult with USDOL/ILAB on whether the logo may be used on any 
such items prior to final draft or final preparation for distribution. 
In no event will the USDOL logo be placed on any item until USDOL/ILAB 
has given a Grantee written permission to use the logo on the item.
    B. The following notice must appear on all documents: ``This 
document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. 
Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial 
products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.'' 
In addition, any information submitted in response to this solicitation 
will be subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of 
Information Act, as appropriate. USDOL is not obligated to make any 
awards as result of this solicitation, and only the Grant Officer can 
bind USDOL to the provision of funds under this solicitation. Unless 
specifically provided in the cooperative agreement, USDOL's acceptance 
of a proposal and/or award of Federal funds do not waive any 
cooperative agreement requirements and/or procedures.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 30th day of April, 2004.
Lisa Harvey,
Acting Grant Officer.

Appendix A: Project Document Format

Executive Summary

1. Background and Justification
2. Target Groups
3. Program Approach and Strategy
    3.1 Narrative of Approach and Strategy (linked to Logical 
Framework Matrix)
    3.2 Project Implementation Timeline (Gantt Chart of Activities 
linked to Logical Framework)
    3.3 Budget (with cost of Activities linked to Outputs for Budget 
Performance Integration)
4. Project Monitoring and Evaluation
    4.1 Indicators and Means of Verification
    4.2 Baseline Data Collection Plan
5. Institutional and Management Framework
    5.1 Institutional Arrangements for Implementation
    5.2 Collaborating and Implementing Institutions (Partners) and 
Responsibilities
    5.3 Other Donor or International Organization Activity and 
Coordination
    5.4 Project Management Organizational Chart
6. Inputs
    6.1 Inputs provided by the DOL
    6.2 Inputs provided by the Grantee
    6.3 National and/or Other Contributions
7. Sustainability

Annex A: Full Presentation of the Logical Framework Matrix

Annex B: Out-Put Based Budget Example

(A worked example of a Logical Framework matrix, an Out-put Based 
Budget, and other background documentation for this solicitation are 
available from the USDOL/ILAB Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/sga0406/bkgrdSGA0406.htm.)

Appendix B: Country Background Section

Central America and the Dominican Republic

Costa Rica

    In 2002, the Costa Rican Multiple Purpose Household Survey 
reported that 11.4 percent of children ages 5 to 17, or 127,077 
children, were working. Children in Costa Rica work

[[Page 25431]]

in agriculture, both on small family farms as well as in commercial 
coffee and sugarcane, construction, carpentry, a variety of service 
occupations, and street vending. Children are also engaged in 
prostitution and pornography, sometimes as a result of the sex 
tourism industry. Many of the children working in commercial 
agriculture in Costa Rica are native Nicaraguans. Despite Costa 
Rica's relatively high enrollment rates, 44 percent of working 
children leave the education system, while the remainder combines 
school and work.
    Barriers to education for working children still exist in Costa 
Rica. Because education for working children is a complex issue, it 
requires new levels of collaboration across government agencies. 
Although Costa Rica has a long history of well-established 
government institutions, agencies are still faced with the challenge 
of coordinating their actions on exploitive child labor. There is a 
tendency to fit the problem of exploitive child labor and education 
to the budget and mandate of an agency, rather than to develop 
strategies to link the energy and efforts of the various agencies in 
order to better confront the problem. There is also a need to move 
beyond localized, fragmented agreements in order to develop broader 
collaborative policies to promote working children's access to 
education.
    In addition to a lack of interagency cooperation, there is also 
a lack of government to civil society collaboration on issues of 
education and exploitive child labor. The country's education system 
is extremely centralized, and there are few examples of community 
involvement in schooling. There is a need to engage parents, 
communities, and NGOs more openly in the education system. By 
involving the community in the process of education, awareness about 
the importance of schooling instead of exploitive child labor can be 
nurtured. Although some private sector organizations have become 
involved in the issue, for the most part, businesses and labor 
unions in Costa Rica have not been involved in the promotion of 
schooling for working children. NGOs in Costa Rica that have been 
very involved in issue of exploitive child labor have not yet had 
the opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge with the 
government.

El Salvador

    In 2001, the Government of El Salvador's Multiple Purpose 
Household Survey reported that 11.5 percent of children ages 5 to 17 
(222,479 children) in El Salvador were working. Most working 
children live in rural areas and work in agriculture, while others 
work in activities such as fishing, fireworks production, garbage 
scavenging, and street vending, drug trafficking, and commercial 
sexual exploitation. Approximately 35 percent of children who work 
in agriculture and related activities do not attend school, while 27 
percent who work in services and 24 percent who work in 
manufacturing remain outside of the education system.
    Despite the number of efforts in the country to date, there 
remain a number of barriers to education for working children. 
Despite a growing national consciousness to address the issue of 
education for working children, there is still a need for public 
policies that address the special challenges that working children 
face when attempting to access basic education. In addition, 
government agencies need to further develop their capacity to 
address these issues. Among the challenges is the area of 
information gathering on exploitive child labor and education, given 
limited resources to continually conduct statistical surveys. There 
is also little knowledge about the problem of exploitive child labor 
in the informal sector, and in such specific activities as domestic 
service. Furthermore, there is no system for monitoring a child's 
attendance in school. Finally, there is a lack of collaboration 
among government agencies, and between government and civil society, 
on the issue of education for working children. Although various 
groups exist in the country that are dedicated to promoting 
education for working children, there is a need for more inclusive 
efforts on the issue.

Guatemala

    In 2000, the Government of Guatemala's National Living 
Conditions Survey (ENCOVI) reported that 23.6 percent of children 
ages 5 to 17 years (approximately 947,000 children) in Guatemala 
were economically active. Children are engaged in work on family 
farms and in the harvesting of commercial crops such as coffee, 
sugarcane, and broccoli. Children also work in stone quarries, as 
vendors on city streets, and, in some cases, become victims of 
commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. Approximately half 
of the working children in the country did not attend school. For 
those that attend school, many complete much fewer years of 
instruction than non-working children; working children tend to 
complete only 1.8 years of schooling, roughly half the average years 
completed by non-working children.
    Working children in Guatemala still face very significant 
obstacles in accessing basic education. No public/government 
programs that promote basic education address the special challenges 
faced by working children. Further, while MINEDUC has collaborated 
with ILO/IPEC projects at a local level, programs such as PRONADE 
have not been involved in exploitive child labor issues at the 
national level. In addition, although traditionally Guatemala had 
the benefit of school ``supervisores'' to conduct some monitoring of 
children's school attendance, reforms meant to decentralize the 
education system changed their roles, and have had the unintended 
effect of removing one of the few monitoring mechanisms for school 
attendance. Teachers in Guatemala are not afforded sufficient 
training on exploitive child labor and lack incentives for high 
performance. Accordingly, these teachers have little motivation to 
be supportive of working children in their classrooms. Finally, 
although there have been important efforts in Guatemala to engage 
communities on the issue of education, there have been very few 
efforts to involve civil society in dialogue on exploitive child 
labor, and how it relates to education.

Honduras

    In 2002, the Government of Honduras' Multiple-Purpose Household 
Survey reported that 15.4 percent of children ages 5 to 17 years 
(approximately 356,000 children) in Honduras were working. Children 
work in sectors such as agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, 
construction, commerce, domestic service, and mining. Some children 
are engaged in commercial sexual exploitation and drug trafficking. 
Of working children, almost 60 percent did not attend school. Among 
working children who have some education, only an estimated 34 
percent complete primary school.
    Access to education for working children or children at risk of 
working is very limited, and resources are not always allocated to 
the schools or districts where they are most needed. The Ministry of 
Education has limited information management capabilities, and 
student attendance in school is reportedly tracked only at the 
individual school level. Because of this lack of information, 
planners within the Ministry do not have the data necessary to 
formulate strategies to promote attendance in particular regions or 
schools. Furthermore, teacher training is reported to be of low 
quality, and few teachers are trained on exploitive child labor. The 
Honduran system also lacks incentives to encourage high quality 
teacher performance. Teachers are not encouraged to address the 
issue of exploitive child labor in their communities or to engage 
working children in their classrooms. In addition, Honduran civil 
society lacks awareness about the problems created by exploitive 
child labor and lack of schooling, as well as the capacity to 
address such issues. Finally, information on the incidence of 
exploitive child labor, as well as best practices for addressing it, 
are not widely shared.

Nicaragua

    In 2000, a Ministry of Labor Survey on Child Labor estimated 
that 314,000 or 17.7 percent of children between the ages of 5 to 17 
years in Nicaragua worked. Children work in such sectors and 
occupations as agriculture, fishing, stockbreeding, garbage 
scavenging, street vending, and domestic service. They also engage 
in the trafficking of drugs and commercial sexual exploitation. 
Approximately 50 percent of working children do not attend school.
    A significant percentage of Nicaragua's education budget 
continues to be earmarked to support tertiary, rather than basic, 
education. There is a need to strengthen the commitment of 
Nicaraguan society at large--communities, the private sector, 
teachers, teachers unions, and government agencies--to the 
importance of primary education for all of the country's children, 
including working children. In addition, and as with other countries 
in the region, teachers receive little training on the issue of 
exploitive child labor, and are provided few incentives for good 
performance, such as encouraging students to attend, or spending 
extra time to assist children who combine school and work. Although 
student attendance is monitored at the national level, there is room 
for more incentives from schools and the Ministry of Education to 
encourage school

[[Page 25432]]

attendance. Finally, after many years of civil conflict, the 
political tensions that continue to exist in the country have slowed 
the exchange of information on exploitive child labor and on 
strategies to promote education for working children.

The Dominican Republic

    The Ministry of Labor's National Child Labor Survey, published 
in 2002, estimates that 18 percent of children ages 5 to 17 years 
(428,720) are working. Children can be found working in agriculture, 
services in the informal sector (shoe shiners, street vendors), 
domestic service, and prostitution. In addition, reports indicate 
that Haitian children may be found working in the Dominican 
Republic. There are also reports that some Haitian children have 
been trafficked to the Dominican Republic, including for purposes of 
exploitive child labor.
    In the Dominican Republic, many gaps and challenges remain that 
hamper efforts to prevent exploitive child labor through education, 
and provide access to education for child laborers. These include a 
highly centralized education administration, lack of school access 
in rural areas, lack of vocational schools, and a less than adequate 
system for measuring and monitoring education results. Moreover, 
lack of official identity papers and documentation are serious 
barriers to school enrollment and affects thousands of children most 
vulnerable to exploitive child labor--rural children, and those of 
Haitian descent. Several programs have been developed to address the 
problem of lack of documentation, but none has been broadly 
successful. Haitian children are also likely to face language 
barriers to education.
    Many Dominican teachers lack motivation to improve their 
teaching style or to comply with school schedules because of low 
salaries. Teacher strikes for higher pay are frequent. Time in-class 
and time spent on learning tasks are lower in the Dominican Republic 
than in most other Latin American countries. Teachers in rural areas 
may also miss school because of transportation difficulties. In most 
Dominican classrooms there is a lack of active, participatory, 
student-centered pedagogy. Also, teachers are not prepared to deal 
with children with special needs such as those of working children, 
and children at risk of or engaged in commercial sexual 
exploitation.
    Furthermore, the high levels of overage students relative to 
grade discourages many children from continuing altogether, and 
results in permanent desertion and premature entry into labor.

Southern Africa

Botswana

    In 2001, the ILO estimated that 13.95 percent of children ages 
10 to 14 in Botswana were working. In urban areas, increasing 
numbers of street children, many of them abandoned or HIV/AIDS 
orphans, engage in begging, or work in the informal sector and 
prostitution. In rural areas, young children work as cattle tenders 
and domestic servants and help their families with subsistence 
agriculture and household chores. Young girls who are pregnant or 
who have had children often drop out of school and are sometimes 
forced to work as domestic servants or prostitutes. Children of 
migrant workers are often found assisting their parents at the 
workplace.
    Most children who work in the street are from very poor 
families, live in abject poverty, have low levels of literacy and 
education, and have parents who are un-or under-employed. These 
families cannot afford to send their children to school or provide 
for their basic necessities. Necessity forces these children to beg 
on the streets and/or to work in order to help provide for 
themselves and their families. Abandoned children and HIV/AIDS 
orphans are often homeless and are at even greater risk of working 
in exploitive and dangerous forms of labor.
    Although the government has attempted to provide opportunities 
for children to obtain primary education, only 50 percent of 
students who complete their Junior Community School certificate go 
on to secondary school due to lack of spaces and schools. In 
addition, there are inadequate vocational education opportunities 
for children who complete primary school and significant disparities 
in access to education between urban and rural populations. This 
leaves a large number of children vulnerable to working in 
exploitive labor situations.
    Significant gaps/needs remain in providing access to quality 
education for child laborers, including: (1) Limited public 
awareness and research concerning children's participation in 
exploitive labor; (2) inadequate harmonization of definitions and 
laws protecting core labor standards, including exploitive child 
labor issues, with provisions outlined in international conventions, 
as well as poor capacity to implement and enforce laws; (3) poor 
school transportation, infrastructure, and material conditions in 
rural areas; and (4) lack of vocational, primary and secondary 
educational opportunities for street children, abandoned children, 
children-headed households, pregnant girls or teenage mothers, 
children of migrant workers, HIV/AIDS orphans, and older children.

Lesotho

    In 2000, the Government of Lesotho and UNICEF estimated that 29 
percent of children ages 5 to 17 were working, though not in the 
formal sector. Although there is very little information or research 
on exploitive child labor in Lesotho, a growing number of street 
children and HIV/AIDS orphans in major cities and towns are thought 
to be working in the informal sector as prostitutes and street 
vendors, and in other informal activities such as domestic service. 
The largest number of children found working in Lesotho are herd 
boys, some as young as 4, who are found in rural districts such as 
Mokhotlong, Leribe and Quacha's Neck.
    Herding animals is a traditional work activity for boys in 
Lesotho, begun at a very young age. These boys do not usually have 
the opportunity to attend school and the work becomes more difficult 
in the winter when the conditions are much more harsh. Children 
working in domestic work, primarily girls, work very long hours for 
little pay. These girls are sometimes subjected to sexual abuse by 
their employers and most often do not have the opportunity to attend 
school because they cannot afford it or do not have the time to 
attend. The majority of street children come from very poor families 
or are HIV/AIDS orphans, which has left them as heads of household 
or homeless. Increasingly, they are unable to attend school because 
they must provide for sick family members, their brothers and 
sisters, and themselves.
    Rural districts still face difficulties in providing free 
education to children due to the long distances to and from school 
and inadequate facilities. Moreover, given the increased enrollment 
due to the incremental introduction of free primary education (in 
2004, it will be extended to grade 5), classes are overcrowded and 
the quality of the teachers is sometimes substandard. Given this 
situation, children who are older than the average school-going age 
often lose interest and drop out.
    In light of these barriers and gaps, the most immediate needs 
for improving education opportunities for children working or at-
risk of working include: (1) Public awareness and research 
concerning children's participation in exploitive labor; (2) 
increasing capacity of the government, labor unions, and NGOs to 
combat the issues relating to working children; (3) improving 
primary school opportunities, counseling, and/or the provision of 
life skills (including vocational or non-formal education) for 
street children, domestic workers, and HIV/AIDS orphans; (4) 
improving learning facilities and promoting teacher training; and 
(5) vocational and skills training opportunities for older children, 
dropouts, or those who do not otherwise have an opportunity to 
attend primary or secondary school.

Namibia

    In 2001, the ILO estimated that 16.5 percent of children ages 10 
to 14 in Namibia were working. Although there are a growing number 
of street children and HIV/AIDS orphans in major cities and towns, 
the majority of working children live in rural areas where they work 
in agriculture, domestic work, and do household chores such as 
collecting firewood and fetching water. Children from disadvantaged 
populations (San and Ovahimba peoples), whose parents often work on 
commercial and communal farms, are also usually working 
(unofficially and unpaid) in order to supplement the labor of their 
parents. Young mothers, who have not completed school and find it 
very difficult to later re-enroll, work as domestic servants and 
must often allow their children to work for their employers in order 
to help pay for boarding and food costs.
    The Government of Namibia spends almost one third of its annual 
budget on education. Primary education is compulsory in Namibia and 
although the Constitution mandates that primary education shall be 
free, in practice there are numerous fees for such items as 
uniforms, books, and school improvements. The country has relatively 
high school enrolment rates. However, a January 2003 report, 
entitled Educationally Marginalised Children in Namibia, identified 
13 groups of

[[Page 25433]]

educationally marginalized children. This report includes 
recommendations on how to improve access to education for these 
groups within the government's poverty reduction strategy, yet 
little has been done to implement them.
    School fees and other barriers to education have provoked some 
children from poor households to drop out of school and work on the 
streets in cities and towns. Moreover, children aged 10 or older, 
who have never enrolled in school cannot enroll in grade one and are 
not able to enroll in the National Literacy Program of Namibia until 
they are 15. This leaves such children between the ages of 10 and 15 
with virtually no opportunities for education. Children from the San 
(in the Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Oshikoto, and Ohangwena regions) and 
Ovahimba populations (in the Kunene region) lack adequate 
opportunities for primary, vocational, and non-formal education due 
to long distances to schools and substandard educational 
environments.
    Given these barriers and gaps to education, the most immediate 
needs for improving education opportunities are: (1) Increased 
public awareness and research concerning children's participation in 
exploitive labor; (2) increased capacity and promotion of 
coordination between government ministries and programs relating to 
exploitive child labor and education; (3) improved access to 
appropriate, attractive, and relevant education (including formal, 
vocational, and non-formal education) for older children with little 
or no formal education and children living in remote areas; (4) 
increasing the number of qualified teachers and reducing overcrowded 
classrooms, especially in the north; and (5) the provision of 
educational opportunities, counseling, or provision of life skills 
for street children, HIV/AIDS orphans, and vulnerable children.

South Africa

    In 1999, a child labor survey conducted by the South Africa 
Statistical Agency estimated that 36 percent of children ages 5 to 
17 in South Africa were working. Children are most often found 
working in the rural agricultural sector on commercial, subsistence, 
and small farms in the Eastern, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, 
Mpumalanga, North West, and Western Cape provinces. These children 
have sometimes been forced into forms of indentured service on 
farms, where they work alongside their parents for little or no 
payment. In the wine industry in the Western and Northern Cape 
provinces, the practice of ``dop'' payment (paying adults and 
children with alcohol for their work) is prevalent, causing 
devastation to children and families.
    In urban areas, there are increasing numbers of street children 
who beg, work in the informal sector, or are child prostitutes. 
There is evidence that cases of children trafficked to, from, and 
within South Africa for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation 
are on the rise. Street children and child prostitution/trafficking 
tends to be located in the cities of Johannesburg/Pretoria, 
Bloemfontein, and Pietermaritzburg, as well as the port towns of 
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, and Durban. Children are 
also involved in domestic service, manufacturing, construction, and 
retail business.
    Although there have been considerable efforts to improve the 
quality of and access to basic education, children from agricultural 
regions and deep rural areas of the country still have difficulties 
accessing quality education due to the long travel distances to 
school. School fees, uniforms, and costs of materials associated 
with education still prevent some poor children from attending 
school. Thirty-five percent of children who enter primary school 
drop out within 5 years of enrolling, which leaves them vulnerable 
to entering exploitive labor.
    Inequities in the quality of education exist predominately for 
black students in townships and rural areas. Approximately 80 
percent of schools in the country serve black students and although 
education is no longer segregated, schools that traditionally have 
served black students remain under funded, have severe 
infrastructure deficiencies, and have unqualified or under qualified 
teachers. Another challenge facing children is the closure of ``farm 
schools.'' After the change in government in 1994, the South Africa 
Schools Act mandated that all ``farm schools'' meet minimum 
educational standards and be transferred to the government for 
conversion into public schools. Farmers have instead been closing 
farm schools rather than turning them over to the government. 
Although these schools are the most inferior schools in the country, 
their closure signifies that thousands of children have lost their 
only opportunity for education.
    Despite the attempts by the government to guarantee that all 
children have access to quality education, approximately 10 percent 
(1.3 million) of all children of school going age (7 to 15) either 
do not attend school, do not attend school regularly, or are at 
significant risk of leaving formal schooling before age 15 or grade 
9. The most immediate needs include: (1) Increased public awareness 
and research concerning children's participation in exploitive 
labor; (2) improved access to quality basic education in rural and 
agricultural areas; (3) opportunities for alternative basic 
education programs (including vocational, technical, and skills 
training programs) for street children and children in rural and ex-
homeland areas; (4) teacher training, especially in rural and ex-
homeland areas; and (5) the provision of skills training for 
teachers, government officials, and NGO stakeholders in identifying 
and helping children in need (counseling, legal protection, 
education, etc.).

Swaziland

    In 2000, the Government of Swaziland and UNICEF estimated that 
11.3 percent of children ages 5 to 14 were working. Children are 
most often found working beside their parents in commercial and 
subsistence agricultural (especially in the Eastern region). Young 
girls often work in domestic service, sometimes facing sexual 
exploitation by their employers. Boys in rural areas often work as 
herders. Increasing numbers of children are being orphaned or 
otherwise forced to the streets (especially in Mbabane and Manzini) 
and are found begging, working in the informal sector, or in 
prostitution.
    The National Emergency Response Council to HIV/AIDS (NERCHA) 
implements an assistance program for orphans, which provides food 
and basic needs, as well as small stipends, care points, and 
protection services. The emphasis of this program is to keep orphans 
in their communities in an effort to discourage them from moving to 
other places where they may be at greater risk of exploitation. 
Siblings of children who head households are also provided with food 
so that all children can attend school and do not have to work to 
pay for food.
    Education is neither free nor compulsory in Swaziland. However, 
primary school enrollment is relatively high despite the school fees 
and other associated costs that students must pay. Due to the 
increasing needs of vulnerable children, at the end of 2002, the 
King of Swaziland committed E16 million (US $2.5 million) to pay 
school fees for orphaned children. It is envisioned that this 
initiative will continue until free primary education is introduced.
    Children in Swaziland still face barriers to education. The most 
important needs include: (1) Increased public awareness and research 
concerning children's participation in exploitive labor; (2) 
improved school infrastructure and transportation to schools in 
rural areas; (3) increased awareness of exploitive child labor 
issues and the importance of education among parents and 
communities, as well as improved coordination of non-formal and 
formal education initiatives; (4) the provision or elimination of 
school fees, materials, uniform or food in order to improve 
children's access to education; and (5) opportunities in both urban 
and rural areas for older and vulnerable children to receive non-
formal, vocational, and or technical education, as well as 
counseling services.
    For additional information on exploitive child labor in Central 
America and the Dominican Republic, as well as Southern Africa, 
applicants are strongly encouraged to refer to The Department of 
Labor's 2002 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor available at 
http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/media/reports/iclp/tda2002/overview.htm.

[FR Doc. 04-10306 Filed 5-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P