[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44683-44694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17043]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Colombia; 
Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Guinea; Combating 
Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Niger

July 27, 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 04-10.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: Not 
applicable.
    Key Dates: Deadline for Submission of Application is August 26, 
2004.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor 
Affairs, will award up to U.S. $9.5 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 Colombia (up to $3.5 million), Guinea (up to $4 
million), and Niger (up to $2 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 with a high incidence of 
exploitive child labor. Applications must respond to the entire 
Statement of Work outlined in this Solicitation for Cooperative 
Agreement Applications. In Colombia and Guinea, activities under these 
cooperative agreements will provide or facilitate the direct delivery 
of quality basic education to working children and those at risk of 
entering work. In Niger, activities under this cooperative agreement 
will support a small-scale project aimed at increasing the knowledge 
base on child labor and education, facilitating the direct delivery of 
quality basic education to working children, and building the capacity 
of government and local actors working in these sectors.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor 
Affairs (ILAB), announces the availability of funds to be awarded 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 Colombia, Guinea, and Niger. ILAB is authorized to award and 
administer this program by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, 
Pub. L. No. 108-199, 118 Stat. 3 (2004). 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.

1. Background and Program Scope

A. 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, 
USDOL has provided over U.S. $275 million in technical assistance 
funding to combat exploitive child labor in over 60 countries around 
the world.

[[Page 44684]]

    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 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. Elimination of 
exploitive child labor depends in part on improving access to, quality 
of, and relevance of education.
    The Child Labor Education Initiative has four goals:
    i. Raise awareness of the importance of education for all children 
and mobilize a wide array of actors to improve and expand education 
infrastructures;
    ii. Strengthen formal and transitional education systems that 
encourage working children and those at risk of working to attend 
school;
    iii. Strengthen national institutions and policies on education and 
child labor; and
    iv. Ensure the long-term sustainability of these efforts.
B. 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 entering 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 with a high incidence of exploitive child 
labor, they manifest themselves in specific ways in each country of 
interest in this solicitation. Therefore, specific, targeted 
interventions are required in each target country. In Colombia, this 
project must provide or facilitate the direct delivery of education to 
children working in the flower cutting industry in the Savannah of 
Bogot[aacute], support the collection of data on this target 
population, and build the capacity of national institutions to address 
child labor and education. Lessons from the project's direct 
interventions should be used to develop broader policies aimed at 
improving access and quality of education for this target group in 
Colombia and other countries in the region. In Guinea, this project 
must aim to provide or facilitate the direct delivery of formal 
education and/or non-formal, vocational, or technical training to 
children at risk of or working in the worst forms of child labor. The 
project must include innovative strategies to promote access to 
education as well as quality of such education, and should include 
measures to ensure the sustainability of interventions. And in Niger, 
activities under this cooperative agreement must support a small-scale 
project to address gaps in the knowledge base on child labor and 
education, facilitate access to quality, basic education for children 
participating in or at risk of entering the worst forms of child labor, 
and strengthen national institutions and policies in these sectors. For 
any of these projects, applicants must 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 direct education service 
delivery, capacity building and policy change can be used to address 
particular barriers and needs. Brief background information on 
education and exploitive child labor in each of the countries of 
interest is provided below. For additional information on exploitive 
child labor in these countries, applicants are referred to The 
Department of Labor's 2003 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor 
available at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/media/reports/iclp/tda2003/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].
C. Barriers to Education for Working Children in Colombia
    In 2001, the Colombian National Administrative Department of 
Statistics estimated that 14.5 percent of children, or 2.5 million 
children, ages 5 to 17 were working. This number represents 23 percent 
of the total population of 10,833,000 within that age range. Most 
working children are involved in agriculture-related activities. The 
majority of these children work in the country's central region, 
especially in the rural areas surrounding the cities of 
Medell[iacute]n, Manizares, Bucaramanga, and in the Savannah of 
Bogot[aacute].
    ILO/IPEC reports that 70 percent of children working in agriculture 
worldwide are engaged in high-risk activities. There are reports that 
children illegally employed in Colombia's flower cutting industry are 
exposed to hazardous working conditions. They handle highly toxic 
pesticides, mixing them in tanks without gloves, masks or any kind of 
protection. The long-lasting health effects pesticides cause can be 
aggravated by malnutrition, which is also endemic among these children. 
Children also work long hours and at a very fast pace, especially 
during Christmas and Valentine's Day holidays. Intermediary employment 
agencies reportedly bring children to work when demand for flowers 
rise.
    Commercial flower cultivation takes place in the Savannah in the 
outskirts of Bogot[aacute], and it has been reported that most children 
working in the flower industry live in the localities of Madrid and 
Funza. Children's participation in the flower industry is difficult to 
ascertain. As of yet, there is no reliable data on participation, 
working conditions, or how these children's education and well-being is 
affected.
    Under the Colombian Constitution, basic education is free and 
compulsory for children ages 5 to 15. In 2003, 86 percent of the total 
school age population was enrolled in formal basic education. The 
majority of children attending school reside in urban areas in all 
regions. Fifty-one percent of children not enrolled in formal education 
reside in rural areas and are between the ages of 12 and 17. In rural 
areas, children's work in agriculture has been reported as the main 
reason for school absenteeism. Studies show that even though rural 
families recognize the value of reading, writing, and arithmetic, they 
are less willing to send their children to school--especially to 
secondary school--because they see them as ready to assume economic 
responsibilities, or need them to work at home on agricultural tasks. 
Other factors limiting education in rural areas include proximity to 
schools, scarcity of teaching materials, and the relevance of the 
curriculum to rural life.
    A USDOL-funded education initiative, funded under this 
solicitation, will provide or facilitate the direct delivery of 
education to children working in the flower industry in the

[[Page 44685]]

Savannah. Due to the lack of interventions in commercial agriculture in 
Colombia, project activities must include the collection of data on the 
nature and extent of child labor in the flower industry of Colombia. 
The data collection is expected to focus on the availability, quality 
and extent of education for child laborers in the flower industry. 
Based on the findings, a project should address the education needs of 
those children.
    Funds provided under this solicitation are expected to supply the 
seed money to develop effective approaches to provide basic, technical, 
and vocational education to children involved in the flower industry of 
Colombia. Education could include basic literacy and numeracy, as well 
as means to continue the education of children who drop out of school 
during flower harvesting and other busy periods.
    Colombia is currently undergoing a process of decentralization of 
government activities. In order to maximize impact and ensure 
sustainability, the project must coordinate with local government 
efforts. Applicants are encouraged to consult with civil society 
organizations and government agencies, such as the Ministry of Social 
Protection, the Ministry of Education, and the Colombian Institute of 
Family Welfare, in order to avoid replication and strengthen existing 
efforts to prevent and eliminate child labor. Under this initiative, 
the local community will play a key role in the schools of the targeted 
area, linking local culture and needs to the education system. 
Moreover, lessons learned from projects such as those implemented by 
the National Coffee Federation-Ministry of Education must be taken into 
account at the time of proposal development.
    The United States is the main importer of flowers from Colombia, 
accounting for 80 percent of Colombian flower exports. As such, the 
Colombian flower industry has a keen interest in complying with 
international labor standards and domestic labor laws. Applicants are 
encouraged to promote private-public partnerships in order to leverage 
resources to combat child labor in the flower industry.
Barriers to Education for Working Children in Guinea
    In 2001, the ILO estimated that 30.5 percent of children ages 10 to 
14 years in Guinea were working. These children begin working beside 
their parents at a young age, often as early as 5 years in rural areas. 
The majority of working children are found in the domestic or informal 
sectors, carrying out activities such as subsistence farming, petty 
commerce, fishing, and small-scale mining. In urban areas such as 
Conakry, children work in small businesses, such as restaurants, beg on 
the streets, sell cheap goods for traders, carry baggage, and shine 
shoes. Children also work in gold and diamond mines, granite and sand 
quarries, and as apprentices to mechanics, electricians, and plumbers, 
and in the commercial sex industry.
    Guinea is a source, transit and destination country for trafficking 
in persons, including children, for sexual exploitation and labor, and 
internal trafficking occurs from rural to urban areas. In addition, 
UNICEF estimates that 2,000 Guinean child soldiers, one-fifth of whom 
are girls, will require demobilization upon their return from Liberia's 
recent armed conflict.
    There are numerous obstacles to education in Guinea, particularly 
among the country's displaced and war-affected population. Children, 
particularly girls, may not attend school or may choose to dropout in 
order to assist their parents with domestic or agricultural work. In 
general, enrollment rates are substantially lower in rural areas. This 
is due in part to a lack of transportation to and from schools, a lack 
of school facilities, and an inadequate number of teachers, many of 
whom do not receive remuneration for their work. Quality of education 
is negatively affected by limited government resources and a lack of 
available school supplies and equipment.
    According to various estimates, there are between 100,000 and 
150,000 refugees and displaced persons residing in Guinea's forest 
region. An additional 100,000 people are reported to live in refugee 
camps in the region. The war-affected, displaced children in this 
region are reportedly subject to economic exploitation and sexual 
abuse. In addition, while limited access to education is available 
within the refugee camps, there is a lack of sufficient educational 
opportunities for children who are not located near the camps, or do 
not otherwise have access to camp facilities.
    A USDOL-funded education initiative in Guinea is expected to 
provide or facilitate the direct delivery of formal education and/or 
non-formal, vocational, or technical training to children engaged in, 
at risk of, and/or removed from exploitive child labor in a defined 
sector(s) or geographic region. The project should include innovative 
strategies to promote access to education as well as quality of such 
education, and should include measures to ensure the sustainability of 
interventions.
    The project may include some or all of the following activities: 
awareness-raising; development of multi-sectoral partnerships and 
networks in support of the education of the target group; development 
and field testing of learning materials that improve educational 
quality; development or improvement of pre-vocational and vocational 
programs; strategies to enhance the relevance of schooling for children 
and to provide marketable skills for children reaching employable age; 
targeted teacher training to improve classroom methods and strengthen 
the capacity of educators to nurture the academic success of children 
removed from child labor; pre-school and extracurricular/enrichment 
activities for children removed from work or at risk of entering the 
workforce; workshops that encourage consultation and joint policy and 
program planning among national institutions working in education and 
child labor policy; provision of training and technical assistance to 
staff of key organizations (e.g., education system and school 
administrators, teachers' unions, policy units in Guinean ministries) 
to increase their capacity in areas such as leadership, management, 
strategic planning, educational finance, implementation of policy 
change, and outreach to constituencies in order to effectively 
implement education programs that benefit child laborers; and the 
development and/or strengthening of monitoring and evaluation of the 
educational status and performance of children removed from work or at 
risk of entering the workforce.
Barriers to Education for Working Children in Niger
    In 2000, UNICEF estimated that 70.1 percent of children ages 5 to 
14 years in Niger were working in paid and unpaid activities. While 
general information is available about the types of work that children 
perform, there has not been a comprehensive survey that provides 
detailed data or information on the extent or nature of child labor in 
Niger. Studies indicate that children work primarily in the informal 
and agricultural sectors. Children in rural areas mainly work on family 
farms gathering water or firewood, pounding grain, tending animals, or 
working in the fields. Children as young as 6 years old are reported to 
work on grain farms in the southwest. Children also shine shoes; guard 
cars; work as apprentices for artisans, tailors, and mechanics; perform 
domestic work; and work as luggage porters and street beggars.

[[Page 44686]]

Children are also engaged in the gold mining and meatpacking, 
processing and rendering sectors where they are exposed to numerous 
hazards.
    Niger is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking 
victims, including children. Victims are trafficked to Niger primarily 
from Benin, Togo, Nigeria, and Ghana. Most of these children end up 
either in domestic work or prostitution. Children from Niger are 
trafficked within the country from rural to urban areas and within the 
West African region for the purpose of forced labor, particularly in 
domestic service. It is also reported that some teachers at religious 
schools exploit their young male students by coercing them to beg in 
the streets. The commercial sexual exploitation of children for 
prostitution and pornography is a growing problem in Niger, and 
sometimes occur with the consent or knowledge of family members.
    Primary school attendance rates are low in Niger, particularly for 
girls. About 60 percent of children who finish primary schools are 
boys, as the majority of girls rarely attend school for more than a few 
years. Girls have limited access to education, which may be attributed 
to traditional practices, conservative religious beliefs and extreme 
poverty. Many children are forced to work rather than attend school, 
particularly during planting or harvest periods. In addition, nomadic 
children in northern parts of the country often do not have the 
opportunity to attend school.
    Among the challenges faced by the Nigerien education system are 
antiquated primary teaching methodologies; pre-school education that is 
restricted primarily to urban areas; a reluctance by parents to send 
their children to school due to inefficiencies in the educational 
system and mediocre results among students; inadequate infrastructure; 
lack of motivated teachers due to delayed disbursement of salaries; 
lack of supplies; and an economic crisis that makes it difficult for 
parents to cover the costs of schooling.
    Under this solicitation, USDOL is seeking proposals for a small-
scale project in Niger to increase the knowledge base on child labor 
and education and to improve government and civil society capacity to 
initiate activities or national plans of action in these sectors. The 
project may include limited direct action in a defined sector or 
geographic region to facilitate access to quality, basic education for 
children participating in or at risk of entering the worst forms of 
child labor.
    Note to Applicants for All Countries: All applicants must have 
country presence, or partner with an established and eligible 
organization within the country. For additional information on 
exploitive child labor in Colombia, Guinea, and Niger, applicants are 
strongly encouraged to refer to The Department of Labor's 2003 Findings 
on the Worst Forms of Child Labor available at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/media/reports/iclp/tda2003/overview.htm.

2. Statement of Work

    Taking into account the challenges of educating working children in 
each country of interest, the applicant must facilitate, and implement, 
as appropriate, creative and innovative approaches to promote policies 
and services that will enhance the provision of educational 
opportunities to children involved in or at risk of entering exploitive 
child labor. 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(1)(A). Because of the limited available resources under this 
award, applicants are expected to implement programs that complement 
existing efforts and, where appropriate, replicate or enhance 
successful models to serve expanded numbers of children and 
communities. However, applicants must not duplicate the activities of 
existing efforts and/or projects and are expected to 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'') must work cooperatively with regional and national 
stakeholders in developing project interventions. Applicants are 
expected to consider the economic and social contexts of each country 
when formulating project strategies and to recognize 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 and civil society organizations during the preparation of an 
application for this cooperative agreement solicitation. Applicants are 
encouraged to include letters of endorsement/acknowledgment from the 
host government's Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Education with the 
proposal.
    Partnerships between more than one organization are also eligible 
and encouraged, in particular with qualified, locally-based 
organizations in order to build local capacity; in such a case, 
however, a lead organization must be identified. Applicants whose 
strategies include the direct delivery of education are encouraged to 
enroll at least one-quarter of the targeted children that 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 design 
document presented in Appendix A and as discussed in Sections IV(2), 
V(1)(A), VI(3)(A) and VI(3)(D). This response will be the foundation 
for the final project document that must be approved after award of the 
cooperative agreement.
    If the application does not propose interventions aimed toward the 
target group or geographical area as identified, then the application 
may be considered unresponsive.


    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. As discussed in Section V(1)(D), up to five (5) extra 
points will be given to applications that include non-Federal 
resources that significantly expand the project's scope. However, 
applicants are instructed that the project budget submitted with the

[[Page 44687]]

application must include all necessary and sufficient funds, without 
reliance on other contracts, grants, or awards, to implement the 
applicant's proposed project activities and to achieve proposed 
project goals and objectives under this SGA. USDOL will not provide 
additional funding to cover costs not included in the project 
budget, for example, if anticipated funding from another contract, 
grant, or award fails to materialize.

II. Award Information

    Type of assistance instrument: Cooperative agreement. USDOL's 
involvement in project implementation and oversight is outlined in 
Section VI(2). 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 will be no 
later than September 30, 2004.
    Up to U.S. $9.5 million will be awarded under this solicitation, 
with up to $3.5 million for Colombia, up to $4 million for Guinea, and 
up to $2 million for Niger. USDOL may award one or more cooperative 
agreements to one, several, or a partnership of more than one 
organization(s) that may apply to implement the program. A Grantee must 
obtain prior USDOL approval for any sub-contractor before award of the 
cooperative agreement.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit 
organization, including any faith-based, community-based, or public 
international organization, capable of successfully developing and 
implementing education programs for working children or children at 
risk of entering exploitive work in the 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 countries of 
interest, particularly local 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 
country presence, independently or through a relationship with another 
organization(s) with country presence, which gives it the ability to 
initiate program activities upon award of the cooperative agreement. 
Applicants applying for more than one Cooperative Agreement must submit 
a separate application for each country. If applications for more than 
one of the Cooperative Agreements (Colombia, Guinea, Niger) are 
combined, they will not be considered. (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/sga0410/bkgrdSGA0410.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 (Section V(1)).
    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 codified at 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.

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 and is a ranking factor worth 
five additional points.

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. In judging 
organizational capacity, USDOL will take into account not only 
information provided by an applicant, but also information from the 
Department regarding past performance of organizations that have 
implemented or are implementing Child Labor Education Initiative 
projects or activities for USDOL (see Section V(1)(B)). 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 is not a bar to 
eligibility or selection under this Solicitation.
    With regard to legal rules pertaining to inherently religious 
activities by organizations that receive Federal Financial Assistance, 
neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor disfavor 
religion will be employed in the selection of cooperative agreement 
recipients. Neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor 
disfavor religion must be employed by Grantees in the selection of 
project beneficiaries and subawardees.
    In addition, the U.S. Government is generally prohibited from 
providing direct financial assistance for inherently religious 
activities. Funds awarded under this solicitation may not be used for 
religious instruction, worship, prayer, proselytizing or other 
inherently religious activities.

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. 
Additional copies of the Federal Register 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 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 04-10, Washington, DC 20210, not later than 4:45 p.m. 
Eastern Time, August 26, 2004. Applicants may submit applications for 
one or more countries. In the case where an applicant is interested in 
applying for a cooperative agreement in more than one country, a 
separate application must be submitted for each country. If 
applications for multiple countries are combined, they will not be 
considered.
    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 than two (2) pages. The table of contents and an abstract are not 
included in the 45-page limit for Part II.
    Part I of the application, the cost proposal, 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/sga0410/bkgrdSGA0410.htm. Copies 
of these forms are also available online from the General Services

[[Page 44688]]

Administration Web site at http://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf /0/
B835648D66D1B8F985256A720 04C58C2/$file/sf424.pdf and http://
contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/0 /5AEB1FA6FB3B832385 256A72004C8E77/
$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, the technical proposal, 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(2) of this solicitation) and address each 
of the Application Evaluation 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 country, and 
must include responses to the application evaluation criteria outlined 
in Section V(1) of this solicitation. Part II must include a 
preliminary project design document submitted in the format shown in 
Appendix A and discussed further in Section VI(3)(A). The application 
must 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, Times, and Address

    Applications must be delivered by 4:45 p.m., Eastern Time, August 
26, 2004, to: U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 
200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5416, Attention: Lisa Harvey, 
Reference: Solicitation 04-10, Washington, DC 20210. Applications sent 
by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted. 
Applications sent by other delivery services, such as Federal Express, 
UPS, 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 the Procurement Services Center 
after 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time, August 26, 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 the Government after receipt at USDOL at the 
address indicated; and/or
    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 August 26, 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.
    Confirmation of receipt can be obtained 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]. 
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 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 percent of the project budget's direct costs and is 
expected to be 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 these cooperative agreements, vocational training for 
adolescents and income generating alternatives for parents are 
allowable activities. However, Federal funds under these cooperative 
agreements cannot be used to provide micro-credits, revolving funds, or 
loan guarantees.
    iii. Awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.
    B. The following activities are also unallowable under this 
solicitation:
    i. Under these cooperative agreements, awareness raising and 
advocacy activities 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

[[Page 44689]]

legitimate form of work. It is the responsibility of the primary 
Grantee to ensure its sub-awardees meet these criteria. (The U.S. 
Government is currently developing language to specifically address 
Public International Organizations' implementation of the above anti-
prostitution prohibition. If a project under this SGA is awarded to 
such an organization, appropriate substitute language for the above 
prohibition will be included in the project's cooperative agreement.)

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 leveraged 
resources as described below in Section V(1)(D). 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 
design document described in Section VI(3)(A), and outlined in Appendix 
A. The applicant's proposal must describe in detail the proposed 
approach to comply with each requirement.
    This component of the application must 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 policy 
and implementing environment in the selected country. When preparing 
the project document outline, the applicant must at minimum include a 
description of:
    i. Children Targeted--The applicant must identify which and how 
many children are expected to 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 must describe the specific 
gaps/educational needs of the children targeted that the project will 
address.
    iii. Proposed Strategy--The applicant must discuss the proposed 
strategy to address gaps/needs/barriers of the children targeted and 
its rationale.
    iv. Description of Activities--The applicant must 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. The proposed approach is 
expected to build upon existing activities, government policies, and 
plans, and avoid needless duplication.
    v. Work Plan--The applicant must 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 
must 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. For more information on the Child Labor Education 
Initiative's common indicators, please visit http://www.clear-measure.com. Further 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 set out in Section I(1)(A).
    vii. Budget/Cost Effectiveness--The applicant must show how the 
budget reflects program goals and design in a cost-effective way to 
reflect budget/performance integration. The budget must be linked to 
the activities and outputs of the implementation plan listed above. 
This section of the application must 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 are expected to allocate sufficient 
resources to proposed studies, assessments, surveys, and monitoring and 
evaluation activities. When developing their applications, applicants 
are also expected to allocate the largest proportion of resources to 
educational activities aimed at targeted children, rather than direct 
administrative 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 projected costs should 
be reported, as they will become part of the cooperative agreement upon 
award. In their cost proposal (Part I of the application), 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). An example of an Outputs 
Based Budget has been provided as Annex B.
    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:

[[Page 44690]]

     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 countries of interest.
    ii. 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 country presence, 
independently or through a relationship with another organization(s) 
with 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 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 as an attachment, and applicants 
without one will not be considered. This attachment will not count 
toward the page limit.
    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, which must bear legal liability for the 
project, and submit the partnership or sub-contract agreement as an 
attachment (which will not count toward the page limit).
    v. Experience--The application must include information about 
previous grant, cooperative agreements, or contracts of the applicant 
with USDOL and other entities that are relevant to this solicitation 
including:
    (a) The organizations for which the work was done;
    (b) A contact person in that organization with his/her 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 must be provided in appendices and will 
not count against the maximum page requirement.


    Note to All Applicants: In judging organizational capacity, 
USDOL will take into account not only information provided by an 
applicant, but also information from the Department regarding past 
performance of organizations already implementing Child Labor 
Education Initiative projects or activities for USDOL. Past 
performance will be rated by such factors as 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 is not 
a bar to eligibility or selection under this Solicitation.

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.
    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 who 
are fully qualified to perform work specified in the Statement of Work. 
Where sub-contractors or outside assistance are proposed, 
organizational lines of authority and responsibility 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 percent of their time to the project 
and be present within the country. Except in Niger, 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. In Niger, key 
personnel functions may be combined. 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 an attachment to the 
application. (These will not count toward the page limit).

    i. Key personnel--The applicant must identify all key personnel 
proposed to carry out the requirements of this solicitation. ``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. 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 Project 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 must 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 country 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

[[Page 44691]]

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. A working knowledge of English 
is preferred, as is a similar knowledge of the official language(s) 
spoken in the target country.
    (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.
    Information provided on key personnel must include the following:
     The educational background and experience of all key 
personnel to be assigned to the project.
     The special capabilities of key personnel that demonstrate 
prior experience in organizing, managing and performing similar 
efforts.
     The current employment status of key personnel 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.
    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:
    (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 included as an attachment that will not count 
toward the page limit. 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, revolving funds, or loan guarantees, 
which 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 cost, the availability of funds, 
and other factors. The Grant Officer's determinations for awards under 
this solicitation are final.


    Note to All Applicants: 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. 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 does not waive any cooperative agreement requirements and/or 
procedures.

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

[[Page 44692]]

the applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. If 
during project implementation a Grantee is found in violation of U.S. 
government laws and 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 permitted by law. Determinations of 
allowable costs will be made in accordance with the applicable U.S. 
Federal cost principles. Grantees must also 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 cooperative agreement, if applicable to a particular Grantee:
    i. 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.
    ii. 29 CFR Part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in 
Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial 
Assistance.
    iii. 29 CFR Part 33--Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis 
of Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of 
Labor.
    iv. 29 CFR Part 35--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in 
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the 
Department of Labor.
    v. 29 CFR Part 36--Federal Standards for Nondiscrimination on the 
Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal 
Financial Assistance.
    vi. 29 CFR Part 93--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
    vii. 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.
    viii. 29 CFR Part 96--Federal Standards for Audit of Federally 
Funded Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
    ix. 29 CFR Part 98--Federal Standards for Government-wide Debarment 
and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for 
Drug-Free Workplace (Grants).
    x. 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 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
    As noted in Section V(1)(C), the applicant must 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 (Project 
Director, Education Specialist, and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer) 
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. If the Grant Officer is 
unable to approve the key personnel change, he/she reserves the right 
to terminate the cooperative agreement or disallow costs.
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 may involve only 
specified commitments for which a need existed during the cooperative 
agreement period and that 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 must be liquidated within 90 
days after the end of the cooperative agreement period, if practicable.
    All equipment purchased with project funds must be inventoried and 
secured throughout the life of the project. At the end of the project, 
USDOL and the Grantees are expected to 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 are 
expected to 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 is 
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 the 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

[[Page 44693]]

project implementation; establish education baselines to measure 
program results; and finance travel by field staff and 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 project performance will also be proposed by a Grantee 
and approved by USDOL in the Performance Monitoring Plan, as discussed 
in Section VI(3)(D) below. Unless otherwise indicated, a Grantee must 
submit copies of all required reports to ILAB by the specified due 
dates.


    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.
    Specific deliverables are the following:
    A. Project design document. As stated in Sections I(2) and IV(2), 
applications must include a preliminary project design 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/sga0410/bkgrdSGA0410.htm.). The preliminary project document must include a 
background/justification section, project strategy (goal, purpose, 
outputs, activities, indicators, means of verification, assumptions), 
project implementation timetable, and project budget. The narrative 
must address the criteria/themes described in the Program Design/
Budget-Cost Effectiveness section (Section V(1)(A) above).
    Within six months after the time of the award, the Grantee must 
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 must 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 (SF 269) 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 Federal Cash Transactions Report 
(PSC 272) should be submitted to ILAB upon submission to the Health and 
Human Services--Payment Management System (HHS-PMS).
    C. Annual work plan. Grantees must develop an annual work plan 
within six months of project award for approval by ILAB so as to ensure 
coordination with other relevant social actors throughout the country. 
Subsequent annual work plans must be delivered no later than one year 
after the previous one.
    D. Performance monitoring and evaluation plan. Grantees must 
develop a performance monitoring and evaluation plan 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 must be developed in conjunction with the 
logical framework project design and common indicators for reporting 
selected by ILAB. The plan must include a limited number of key 
indicators that can be realistically measured within the cost 
parameters allocated to project monitoring. Baseline data collection 
are expected to be tied to the indicators of the project design 
document and the performance monitoring plan. A draft 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 must be 
external and independent in nature. A Grantee must respond in writing 
to any comments and recommendations provided in the mid-term evaluation 
report. The budget must include the projected cost of mid-term and 
final evaluations.

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

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 the 
Grantee or its sub-contractors before they are reproduced, published, 
or used. USDOL/ILAB considers such materials to 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.
    In addition, USDOL/ILAB reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and 
irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use for Federal 
purposes, and authorize others to do so, all materials that are 
developed or for which ownership is purchased by the Grantee under an 
award.

2. Acknowledgment of USDOL Funding

    USDOL has established procedures and guidelines regarding 
acknowledgment 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 the 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

[[Page 44694]]

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.''

3. Privacy and Freedom of Information

    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.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 21st day of July, 2004.
John Huotari,
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 in Annex A).
    3.2 Project Implementation Timeline (Gantt Chart of Activities 
linked to Logical Framework matrix in Annex A).
    3.3 Budget (with cost of Activities linked to Outputs for Budget 
Performance Integration in Annex B).
    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 USDOL.
    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: Outputs Based Budget example.
    (A worked example of a Logical Framework matrix, an Outputs 
Based Budget, and other background documentation for this 
solicitation are available from the USDOL/ILAB Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/sga0410/bkgrdSGA0410.htm.)

[FR Doc. 04-17043 Filed 7-26-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P