[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54314-54315]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20313]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Intent to Fund the Fundacion Del Servicio Exterior Para 
La Paz Y La Democracia (FUNPADEM)

AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of 
Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to award up to $2 million to the Fundacion Del 
Servicio Exterior Para La Paz Y La Democracia (Funpadem) under 
cooperative agreement E-9-K-3-0097.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International 
Labor Affairs (ILAB), intends to add up to U.S. $2 million to 
cooperative agreement E-9-K-3-0097 with the Fundacion Del 
Servicio Exterior Para La Paz Y La Democracia (Funpadem) to strengthen 
labor compliance in Central America. The activities that will be 
implemented with the additional funds will commence no later than 
September 30, 2004 and continue for a period of three years until 
September 27, 2007. USDOL/ILAB intends to award this cooperative 
agreement on or after September 6, 2004. USDOL/ILAB published a 
Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA 03-20) for this project in 
Vol. 68, No. 139 of the Federal Register on July 21, 2003. As a result 
of the competition, USDOL awarded a $6.75 million grant to Funpadem for 
a four year project that is set to run through September 2007.

[[Page 54315]]

The purpose of the additional $2 million in funds is to expand the 
project to include two additional countries--the Dominican Republic and 
Panama--that are currently being negotiated for inclusion in the 
Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Because Funpadem is the 
only organization to have developed and validated the strategy to 
achieve the objectives outlined in the original SGA, is currently 
recognized as the entity that will be implementing the USDOL-funded 
project, and has developed relationships with the necessary 
stakeholders and partners to ensure successful implementation, Funpadem 
is uniquely qualified to perform the type of activity to be funded. In 
addition, starting a new project with a new implementer would incur 
unnecessary costs for the Government and a delay in the time of 
completion of the project. Funpadem has already established a regional 
office and interviewed and hired personnel who will coordinate the 
project activities on a regional level. These regional staff have 
agreed to add to their portfolios these two additional countries, and 
the regional office will continue to be managed out of Funpadem's 
current office space. If a new project was established, it would mean 
two additional project offices, two directors, additional technical 
staff for each component, as well as two additional offices with their 
overhead, all to achieve what the current regional office has agreed to 
do with no additional staff costs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harvey, Grant Officer. U.S. 
Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution 
Ave., NW., Room N-5416, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-
4570. E-mail address: [email protected]. All inquiries should make 
reference to the USDOL Central America Labor Strengthening Grant Comply 
and Win.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project funded under the current grant 
(currently titled ``Cumple y Gana'' or ``Comply and Win'') has the 
following four objectives:
     Increase understanding of target audience in each country 
about national labor laws and norms.
     Create more effective and reliable Labor Ministry 
Inspection Systems to enforce labor laws.
     Increase and improve use of conciliation and mediation by 
the Ministries of Labor.
     Increase knowledge among interested parties of 
conciliation and mediation.
    During a regular meeting of the Labor Ministers of the region, the 
Technical Director for this project presented the project strategy and 
objectives to the Labor Ministers of the region, including 
representatives of the Ministries of Labor of the Dominican Republic 
and Panama. The project strategy has also been developed with USDOL and 
other stakeholders in the region.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 31st day of August, 2004.
Valerie Veatch,
Director, Office of Procurement Services.
[FR Doc. 04-20313 Filed 9-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P