Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Saharan Africa,

[Federal Register: January 5, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 3)]

[Notices]

[Page 544-547]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr05ja00-98]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3194]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Summer Institute for EFL Administrators From Francophone and Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa

ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The African Programs Branch of the Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (hereafter referred to as the Bureau) announces an open competition for an assistance award. Accredited, post-secondary educational institutions meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to develop a Summer Institute for English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) Administrators from Francophone and Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The Summer Institute will provide a six- week program in education management for 16 secondary school EFL supervisors/inspectors and school administrators with strong EFL backgrounds selected from French and Portuguese-speaking countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. (Note: The actual number may be slightly higher with the inclusion of one or two participants from Haiti.)

Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright- Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the program cited above is provided through the Fulbright-Hays Act.

Programs and projects must conform to Bureau requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. Bureau projects and programs are subject to the availability of funds.

Announcement Title and Number: All communications with the Bureau concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number ECA/A/E/AF-00-01.

Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received by the Bureau by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on February 11, 2000. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked February 11, 2000, but received at a later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received by the above deadline.

The Summer Institute for EFL Administrators should be programmed to encompass about 45 days and should begin and end between June 1, 2000, and August 31, 2000, depending on the host institution's academic calendar. No funds may be expended until a grant agreement is signed with the Bureau's Grants Division.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Herrera, Program Officer, phone: 202-619-5405, fax: 202-619-6137, or e-mail: cherrera@usia.gov, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, African Programs Branch, Room 232, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State SA-44, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.

To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet: The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from The Bureau's website at http://e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read the information provided before downloading. Please specify Program Officer Carol Herrera on all inquiries and correspondence. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants until the Bureau proposal review process has been completed.

Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the Solicitation Package. The original and seven (7) copies of the application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/E/AF-00-01, Program Management Staff, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.

Diversity Guidelines: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program administration and in program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.

Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement): The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing information in accordance with Federal management and program specific requirements including data exchange with the Bureau. The inability to process information in accordance with Federal requirements could result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been accounted for properly.

The Bureau therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust for leap years.

Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology website at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program overview

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State solicits proposals for a Summer Institute for English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) Administrators from Francophone and Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The Summer Institute will provide a six- week academic program incorporating a U.S. cultural and educational experience, for 16 supervisors/inspectors/administrators of secondary schools from French and Portuguese-speaking countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. The actual number may be slightly higher with the inclusion of one or two participants from Haiti. Subject to availability of funds, one grant will be awarded to conduct the 2000 Institute.

The Bureau asks for detailed proposals from U.S. institutions of higher education which have an acknowledged reputation in the fields of education administration and EFL. Special expertise in handling cross- cultural programs and experience with educational systems in Sub- Saharan Africa and African education administrators are also required. Note: Applicant organizations should demonstrate a proven record (at least four years) of experience in international exchange.

The general objective of the Institute is to support and encourage the upgrading of English language programs in secondary schools in French and Portuguese-speaking African countries through enhancing participants' management and organizational skills and broadening their understanding of U.S. institutions and culture.

Guidelines

The proposal should be designed to support the following specific activities:

(a) A five-week academic program with emphasis on developing the capacities of supervisors/inspectors/administrators to strengthen EFL programs through more effective management of teachers, students, and resources. Detailed academic objectives are set forth in the Solicitation Package.

(b) Cultural activities facilitating interaction among the African participants, American students, faculty, and administrators and the local community to promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of African countries, planned within the five-week academic program.

(c) A one-week, escorted, cultural and educational tour of Washington, D.C., complementing and reinforcing the academic material.

(d) Follow-on communication among participants and the U.S. institution to continue exchanges of ideas developed during the Institute.

(e) Assistance to participants to select, purchase and ship professional materials to use in follow-on activities and training projects in their home countries.

Participants will be selected by the Bureau, based on nominations from U.S. Embassies. Minimum qualifications for all participants will be (1) adequate proficiency in English to be able to participate in and benefit from the program, (2) the equivalent of BA/BS degrees from their national education systems, and (3) job responsibilities related to school/program administration. Participants will enter the United States on J-visas, using IAP-66 forms issued by U.S. Embassies in the home country.

The U.S. institution should plan to conduct an initial needs assessment of participants and should be prepared to adjust program emphasis as necessary to respond to participants' concerns for EFL education. Specific areas to address in the five-week academic program follow:

1. Managing the teaching staff: Evaluating, supporting, motivating teachers; designing and conducting in-service training programs; promoting professional ethics; building staff cohesiveness.

2. Student development: Setting behavioral/learning standards, evaluating student progress, creating a school culture conducive to learning, fostering parental involvement.

3. Managing resources: Conducting resource inventories, allocating/ tracking resources, budgeting, optimizing limited resources, developing access to outside resources.

4. Introduction to Internet (WWW and e-mail) for professional networking and development. Few participants will have visited the United States previously. In view of this, an initial orientation to the host institution

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   community and an introduction to U.S. society and system of education should be considered an integral part of the Institute.

   Management of the academic program, the cultural tour and on-site arrangements will be the responsibility of the Institute grantee. The host institution is responsible for arrangements for lodging, food, maintenance and local travel for participants while at the host institution and in Washington. The Bureau will arrange participants' international travel. The Bureau will provide the host institution with participants' curricula vitae and travel itineraries and will be available to offer guidance throughout the Institute.

   Proposed Budget

   Applicants must submit a comprehensive line-item budget for the entire program. There must be a summary budget as well as a break-down reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget. For better understanding or further clarification, applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity in order to facilitate The Bureau decisions on funding. The cost to the Bureau for the Summer Institute for EFL Administrators from Francophone and Lusophone Africa should not exceed $100,000 based on 16 participants. Funding level will be adjusted at a later date to accommodate inclusion of 1-2 additional participants from Haiti. Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.

   Allowable costs for the program include the following:

   (1) Instructional costs (for example: instructors' salaries, honoraria for outside speakers, educational course materials);

   (2) Lodging, meals, and incidentals for participants;

   (3) Expenses associated with cultural activities planned for the group of participants (for example: tickets, transportation);

   (4) Administrative costs as necessary.

   Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through private sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.

   Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

   Review Process

   The Bureau will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the program office as well as the Public Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of Bureau officers for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Bureau elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the Department of State's Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

   Review Criteria

   Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:

1. Quality of the program idea: Proposal should exhibit quality, rigor, and appropriateness of proposed syllabus to the academic objectives of the Institute. Proposal should demonstrate effective use of community and regional resources to enhance the cultural and educational experiences of participants.

2. Program planning: Relevant work plan and detailed calendar should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Plan and calendar should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above.

3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve a substantive academic program and effective cross-cultural communication with African participants. Proposal should show evidence of strong on-site administrative capabilities with specific discussion of how logistical arrangements will be undertaken.

4. Area Expertise: Proposals should demonstrate institutional experience in and knowledge of Africa (Francophone and Lusophone) as well as expertise in education in developing countries.

5. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed program should contribute to long-term, mutual understanding and sharing of information about Africa among Americans, as well as to the understanding and knowledge of the U.S. among the African participants.

6. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity. Program administrators should strive for diversity among Institute staff, university students, and the host community who interact with participants.

7. Ability to achieve program objectives: Teaching objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and plan.

8. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past grants as determined by the Bureau's Grants Division. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.

9. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) which ensures that Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.

10. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the Summer Institute's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program.

11. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate.

12. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.

    Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Notification

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

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    Dated: December 20, 1999. Evelyn S. Lieberman, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

    [FR Doc. 00-184Filed1-4-00; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 4710-11-P