Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Youth Leadership Program with Rwanda and Kenya, 16857-16862 [E7-6361]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 65 / Thursday, April 5, 2007 / Notices
(2) Quarterly financial reports that
should show the disposition of funds for
purposes as required in the grant.
All reports must be sent to the ECA
Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer
listed in the final assistance award
document.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this
announcement, contact: Micaela S.
Iovine, Office of Academic Exchange
Programs, ECA/A/E/EUR, Room 246,
ECA/A/E/EUR–08–02 U.S. Department
of State, SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, tel. (202) 453–
8522; fax (202)453–8520,
IovineMS@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and number ECA/A/E/
EUR–08–02.
VIII. Other Information
Notice
The terms and conditions published
in this RFGP are binding and may not
be modified by any Bureau
representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts
published language will not be binding.
Issuance of the RFGP does not
constitute an award commitment on the
part of the Government. The Bureau
reserves the right to reduce, revise, or
increase proposal budgets in accordance
with the needs of the program and the
availability of funds. Awards made will
be subject to periodic reporting and
evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: March 29, 2007.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7–6359 Filed 4–4–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5746]
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Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: Youth Leadership Program
with Rwanda and Kenya
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/
PE/C/PY–07–39.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2007.
Executive Summary: The Office of
Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs
Division, of the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for two projects, one with
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Rwanda and one with Kenya, under the
Youth Leadership Program. Public and
private non-profit organizations meeting
the provisions described in Internal
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C.
501(c)(3) may submit proposals to
conduct a three- to four-week U.S.-based
project for secondary school students
and teachers from Rwanda or from
Kenya. The project activities will focus
on civic education, leadership,
diversity, and community activism.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority
Overall grant making authority for
this program is contained in the Mutual
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
of 1961, as amended, Public Law 87–
256, 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 above is provided through
legislation.
Overview
With this new Youth Leadership
Program, the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs (ECA) plans to support
two separate exchange projects, one
with Kenya and one with Rwanda, in
late 2007. Each three- to four-week long
project will enable 18 teenagers (ages
15–17) and three adult educators from
one of the two countries to participate
in an intensive exchange in the United
States designed and implemented by the
grant recipient organizations. The U.S.
Embassies in Nairobi and Kigali will
recruit, screen, and select the
participants.
These projects are designed to
promote high-quality leadership, civic
responsibility, and civic activism among
our countries’ future leaders. The
projects will offer a practical
examination of the principles of
democracy and civil society as practiced
in the United States and provide
participants with training that allows
them to develop their leadership skills.
Participants will be engaged in a variety
of activities such as workshops,
community and/or school-based
programs, seminars, and other activities
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that are designed to achieve the projects’
stated goals and objectives. Participants
will live with American families for
most of the exchange period. Multiple
opportunities for participants to interact
with American youth and educators
must be included.
The goals of the program are:
(1) To promote mutual understanding
between the people of the United States
and the people of Kenya and of Rwanda;
(2) To develop a sense of civic
responsibility and commitment to
community development among youth;
(3) To develop leadership skills
among secondary school students
appropriate to their needs;
(4) To foster relationships among
youth from different ethnic, religious,
and national groups.
A successful project will be one that
nurtures a cadre of students and
teachers to be actively engaged in
addressing issues of concern in their
schools and communities upon their
return home and that equips them with
the knowledge, skills, and confidence to
become citizen activists.
The Bureau anticipates providing two
grants to support two discrete projects,
one for each country and each funded
at approximately $95,000. [Note that
this funding does not include
international airfare for the exchange
participants.] Organizations may submit
only one proposal, for either Rwanda or
Kenya. The two projects will be judged
independently and proposals will be
compared only to proposals for the same
country. ECA intends to award only one
grant for each project.
Project A: Rwanda
Applicants should propose a three- to
four-week U.S. program between the
second week of November and midDecember 2007. Funding for this grant
is approximately $95,000.
Project B: Kenya
Applicants should propose a three- to
four-week U.S. program in December
2007. Funding for this grant is
approximately $95,000.
Applicants should outline their
capacity for doing projects of this
nature, focusing on three areas of
competency: (1) Provision of leadership
and civic education programming, (2)
age-appropriate programming for youth,
and (3) previous experience working
with exchange participants from Africa.
Applicants need not have a partner in
Kenya or Rwanda, as the staff of the
Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S.
Embassies in Nairobi and Kigali will
recruit and select the participants and
provide a pre-departure orientation.
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Guidelines
The grants will begin on or about
September 1, 2007. The grant period
will be approximately 8 to 12 months in
duration, as appropriate for the
applicant’s program design.
The U.S. project activities should take
place during a school break in the
partner country; the time frames are
noted above for each country.
Applicants should propose the period of
the exchange, but the exact timing of the
project may be altered through the
mutual agreement of the Department of
State and the grant recipient. The
program should be no less than three
weeks (21 days) and up to four weeks
(28 days) in duration.
The delegation from each country is
expected to be 21 secondary school
students and educators. The total
number of participants in a delegation is
subject to change. The 18 students will
be between the ages of 15 and 18, will
have demonstrated leadership abilities
in their schools and/or communities,
and will be high academic achievers.
The three educators will be high school
teachers, or possibly community leaders
who work with youth, who have
demonstrated an interest in promoting
youth leadership. Participants will be
proficient in the English language.
In pursuit of the goals outlined above,
the program arrangements will include
the following:
• A welcome orientation.
• The design and planning of
activities that provide a substantive
program on civic education, community
activism, respect for diversity,
constructive debate and dialogue, and
leadership through both academic and
extracurricular components. The
program will take place in Washington,
DC, and in one or two other
communities. Activities should take
place in schools as much as possible
and in the community. Community
service and computer training will also
be included. It is crucial that
programming involve American
students whenever possible.
• Opportunities for the educators to
work with their American peers to help
them foster youth leadership, civic
education, and community service
programs at home.
• Logistical arrangements, homestays,
disbursement of stipends/per diem,
local travel, and travel between sites.
• A closing session to summarize the
project activities and prepare
participants for their return home.
• Support of follow-on activities in
Kenya or Rwanda after the participants
have returned home designed to
reinforce values and skills imparted
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during the U.S. program. U.S. project
staff or trainers will travel to the partner
country several months after the
exchange.
Proposals must demonstrate how the
stated objectives will be met. The
proposal narrative must provide
detailed information on the major
program activities, and applicants
should explain and justify their
programmatic choices. Programs must
comply with J–1 visa regulations for the
International Visitor and Government
Visitor categories. Please be sure to refer
to the complete Solicitation Package—
this Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP),
the Project Objectives, Goals, and
Implementation (POGI), and the
Proposal Submission Instructions
(PSI)—for further information.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2007.
Approximate Total Funding:
$190,000.
Approximate Number of Awards:
Two.
Floor of Award Range: $95,000.
Ceiling of Award Range: $95,000.
Anticipated Award Date: September
1, 2007.
Anticipated Project Completion Date:
8–12 months after start date, to be
specified by applicant based on project
plan.
Additional Information: Pending
successful implementation of these
projects and the availability of funds in
subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA’s
intent to renew these grants for two
additional fiscal years before openly
competing them again.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible Applicants
Applications may be submitted by
public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds
There is no minimum or maximum
percentage required for this
competition. However, the Bureau
encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is
understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of
cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal
and later included in an approved grant
agreement. Cost sharing may be in the
form of allowable direct or indirect
costs. For accountability, you must
maintain written records to support all
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costs that are claimed as your
contribution, as well as costs to be paid
by the Federal Government. Such
records are subject to audit. The basis
for determining the value of cash and
in-kind contributions must be in
accordance with OMB Circular A–110,
(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing
and Matching. In the event you do not
provide the minimum amount of cost
sharing as stipulated in the approved
budget, ECA’s contribution will be
reduced in like proportion.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements
(a) Bureau grant guidelines require
that organizations with less than four
years experience in conducting
international exchanges be limited to
$60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA
anticipates awarding two grants in
amounts of approximately $95,000 each
to support program and administrative
costs required to implement this
exchange program. Therefore,
organizations with less than four years
experience in conducting international
exchanges are not eligible to apply
under this competition. The Bureau
encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
(b) Technical Eligibility: Applicants
may submit only one proposal in
response to this RFGP that proposes to
provide a program for either Kenya or
Rwanda. Organizations that submit
more than one proposal will result in
having all of their proposals declared
technically ineligible, and none of the
submissions will be reviewed by a State
Department panel.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
Note: Please read the complete
announcement before sending inquiries or
submitting proposals. Once the RFGP
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not
discuss this competition with applicants
until the proposal review process has been
completed.
IV.1. Contact Information To Request an
Application Package
Please contact the Youth Programs
Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 568,
U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
Telephone (202) 203–7505, Fax (202)
203–7529, E-mail: LantzCS@state.gov to
request a Solicitation Package. Please
refer to the Funding Opportunity
Number (ECA/PE/C/PY–07–39) located
at the top of this announcement when
making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic
application package may be obtained
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from Grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f
for further information.
The Solicitation Package contains the
Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI)
document, which consists of required
application forms and standard
guidelines for proposal preparation.
It also contains the Project Objectives,
Goals and Implementation (POGI)
document, which provides specific
information, award criteria, and budget
instructions tailored to this competition.
Please specify Bureau Program Officer
Carolyn Lantz and refer to the Funding
Opportunity Number located at the top
of this announcement on all other
inquiries and correspondence.
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IV.2. To Download a Solicitation
Package Via Internet
The entire Solicitation Package may
be downloaded from the Bureau’s Web
site at https://exchanges.state.gov/
education/rfgps/menu.htm, or from the
Grants.gov Web site at https://
www.grants.gov.
Please read all information before
downloading.
IV.3. Content and Form of Submission
Applicants must follow all
instructions in the Solicitation Package.
The application should be submitted
per the instructions under IV.3f.
‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of
Submission’’ section below.
IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to
apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the U.S. Government.
This number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely
identifies business entities. Obtaining a
DUNS number is easy and there is no
charge. To obtain a DUNS number,
access https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com or call
1–866–705–5711. Please ensure that
your DUNS number is included in the
appropriate box of the SF–424 form that
is part of the formal application
package.
IV.3b. All proposals must contain an
executive summary, proposal narrative
and budget. Please refer to the
Solicitation Package. It contains the
mandatory PSI document and the POGI
document for additional formatting and
technical requirements.
IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status
with the IRS at the time of application.
If your organization is a private
nonprofit which has not received a grant
or cooperative agreement from ECA in
the past three years, or if your
organization received nonprofit status
from the IRS within the past four years,
you must submit the necessary
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documentation to verify nonprofit status
as directed in the PSI document. Failure
to do so will cause your proposal to be
declared technically ineligible.
IV.3d. Please take into consideration
the following information when
preparing your proposal narrative:
IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations
Governing the J Visa. The Office of
Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs is the
official program sponsor of the exchange
program covered by this RFGP, and an
employee of the Bureau will be the
Responsible Officer for the program
under the terms of 22 CFR 62, which
covers the administration of the
Exchange Visitor Program (J visa
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 62,
organizations receiving grants under
this RFGP will be third parties
‘‘cooperating with or assisting the
sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s
program.’’ The actions of grantee
program organizations shall be
‘‘imputed to the sponsor in evaluating
the sponsor’s compliance with’’ 22 CFR
62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that
any organization receiving a grant under
this competition will render all
assistance necessary to enable the
Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 62
et seq.
The Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs places great emphasis
on the secure and proper administration
of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs
and adherence by grantee program
organizations and program participants
to all regulations governing the J visa
program status. Therefore, proposals
should explicitly state in writing that the
applicant is prepared to assist the
Bureau in meeting all requirements
governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth
in 22 CFR 62. If the applicant
organization has experience as a
designated Exchange Visitor Program
Sponsor, the applicant should discuss
its record of compliance with 22 CFR 62
et seq., including the oversight of their
Responsible Officers and Alternate
Responsible Officers, screening and
selection of program participants,
provision of pre-arrival information and
orientation to participants, monitoring
of participants, proper maintenance and
security of forms, record-keeping,
reporting and other requirements.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of
ECA will be responsible for issuing DS–
2019 forms to participants in this
program.
A copy of the complete regulations
governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is
available at https://exchanges.state.gov
or from: United States Department of
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State, Office of Exchange Coordination
and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD–SA–44,
Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, Telephone:
(202) 203–5029, Fax: (202) 453–8640.
IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and
Democracy Guidelines. Pursuant to the
Bureau’s authorizing legislation,
programs must maintain a non-political
character and should be balanced and
representative of the diversity of
American political, social, and cultural
life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted
in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including, but not limited to
ethnicity, race, gender, religion,
geographic location, socio-economic
status, and disabilities. 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 your
proposal. Pub. L. 104–319 provides that
‘‘in carrying out programs of
educational and cultural exchange in
countries whose people do not fully
enjoy freedom and democracy,’’ the
Bureau ‘‘shall take appropriate steps to
provide opportunities for participation
in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.’’
Pub. L. 106–113 requires that the
governments of the countries described
above do not have inappropriate
influence in the selection process.
Proposals should reflect advancement of
these goals in their program contents, to
the full extent deemed feasible.
IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and
Evaluation. Proposals must include a
plan to monitor and evaluate the
project’s success, both as the activities
unfold and at the end of the program.
The Bureau recommends that your
proposal include a draft survey
questionnaire or other technique plus a
description of a methodology to use to
link outcomes to original project
objectives. The Bureau expects that the
grantee will track participants or
partners and be able to respond to key
evaluation questions, including
satisfaction with the program, learning
as a result of the program, changes in
behavior as a result of the program, and
effects of the program on institutions
(institutions in which participants work
or partner institutions). The evaluation
plan should include indicators that
measure gains in mutual understanding
as well as substantive knowledge.
Successful monitoring and evaluation
depend heavily on setting clear goals
and outcomes at the outset of a program.
Your evaluation plan should include a
description of your project’s objectives,
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your anticipated project outcomes, and
how and when you intend to measure
these outcomes (performance
indicators). The more that outcomes are
‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable,
attainable, results-oriented, and placed
in a reasonable time frame), the easier
it will be to conduct the evaluation. You
should also show how your project
objectives link to the goals of the
program described in this RFGP.
Your monitoring and evaluation plan
should clearly distinguish between
program outputs and outcomes. Outputs
are products and services delivered,
often stated as an amount. Output
information is important to show the
scope or size of project activities, but it
cannot substitute for information about
progress towards outcomes or the
results achieved. Examples of outputs
include the number of people trained or
the number of seminars conducted.
Outcomes, in contrast, represent
specific results a project is intended to
achieve and is usually measured as an
extent of change. Findings on outputs
and outcomes should both be reported,
but the focus should be on outcomes.
We encourage you to assess the
following four levels of outcomes, as
they relate to the program goals set out
in the RFGP (listed here in increasing
order of importance):
1. Participant satisfaction with the
program and exchange experience.
2. Participant learning, such as
increased knowledge, aptitude, skills,
and changed understanding and
attitude. Learning includes both
substantive (subject-specific) learning
and mutual understanding.
3. Participant behavior, concrete
actions to apply knowledge in work or
community; greater participation and
responsibility in civic organizations;
interpretation and explanation of
experiences and new knowledge gained;
continued contacts between
participants, community members, and
others.
4. Institutional changes, such as
increased collaboration and
partnerships, policy reforms, new
programming, and organizational
improvements.
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Please note: Consideration should be given
to the appropriate timing of data collection
for each level of outcome. For example,
satisfaction is usually captured as a shortterm outcome, whereas behavior and
institutional changes are normally
considered longer-term outcomes.
Overall, the quality of your
monitoring and evaluation plan will be
judged on how well it (1) specifies
intended outcomes; (2) gives clear
descriptions of how each outcome will
be measured; (3) identifies when
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particular outcomes will be measured;
and (4) provides a clear description of
the data collection strategies for each
outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or
focus groups). (Please note that
evaluation plans that deal only with the
first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will
be deemed less competitive under the
present evaluation criteria.)
Grantees will be required to provide
reports analyzing their evaluation
findings to the Bureau in their regular
program reports. All data collected,
including survey responses and contact
information, must be maintained for a
minimum of three years and provided to
the Bureau upon request.
IV.3e. Please take the following
information into consideration when
preparing your budget:
IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a
comprehensive budget for the entire
program. Awards may not exceed the
amount specified. There must be a
summary budget as well as breakdowns
reflecting both administrative and
program budgets. Applicants applying
to implement more than one project
must provide separate sub-budgets for
each.
Please refer to the other documents in
the Solicitation Package for complete
budget guidelines and formatting
instructions.
IV.3F. Application Deadline and
Methods of Submission:
Application Deadline Date: May 31,
2007.
Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY–
07–39.
Methods of Submission: Applications
may be submitted in one of two ways:
(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally
recognized overnight delivery service
(i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS,
Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service
Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
(2) Electronically through https://
www.grants.gov.
Along with the Project Title, all
applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF–
424 contained in the mandatory PSI of
the solicitation document.
IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed
Applications. Applications must be
shipped no later than the above
deadline. Delivery services used by
applicants must have in-place,
centralized shipping identification and
tracking systems that may be accessed
via the Internet and delivery people
who are identifiable by commonly
recognized uniforms and delivery
vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before
the above deadline but received at ECA
more than seven days after the deadline
will be ineligible for further
consideration under this competition.
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Proposals shipped after the established
deadlines are ineligible for
consideration under this competition.
ECA will not notify you upon receipt of
application. It is each applicant’s
responsibility to ensure that each
package is marked with a legible
tracking number and to monitor/confirm
delivery to ECA via the Internet.
Delivery of proposal packages may not
be made via local courier service or in
person for this competition. Faxed
documents will not be accepted at any
time. Only proposals submitted as
stated above will be considered.
Important note: When preparing your
submission please make sure to include one
extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and
place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/
EX/PM’’.
The original, one fully-tabbed copy,
and six copies of the application with
Tabs A–E (for a total of 8 copies) should
be sent to: U.S. Department of State,
SA–44, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY–
07–39, Program Management, ECA/EX/
PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the
executive summary, proposal narrative,
budget section, and any important
appendices as e-mail attachments in
Microsoft Word and Excel to the
following e-mail address:
LantzCS@state.gov. In the e-mail
message subject line, include the name
of the applicant organization and the
partner country. The Bureau will
transmit these files electronically to the
Public Affairs Sections of the U.S.
Embassies in the participating countries
for their review.
IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic
Applications. Applicants have the
option of submitting proposals
electronically through Grants.gov
(https://www.grants.gov). Complete
solicitation packages are available at
Grants.gov in the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the
system. Please follow the instructions
available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of
the site (https://www.grants.gov/
GetStarted).
Several of the steps in the Grants.gov
registration process could take several
weeks. Therefore, applicants should
check with appropriate staff within their
organizations immediately after
reviewing this RFGP to confirm or
determine their registration status with
Grants.gov. Once registered, the amount
of time it can take to upload an
application will vary depending on a
variety of factors including the size of
the application and the speed of your
internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you not wait
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until the application deadline to begin
the submission process through
Grants.gov.
Direct all questions regarding
Grants.gov registration and submission
to: Grants.gov Customer Support,
Contact Center Phone: 800–518–4726,
Business Hours: Monday–Friday, 7
a.m.–9 p.m. Eastern Time, E-mail:
support@grants.gov.
Applicants have until midnight (12
a.m.), Washington, DC time of the
closing date to ensure that their entire
application has been uploaded to the
Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions
to the above deadline. Applications
uploaded to the site after midnight of
the application deadline date will be
automatically rejected by the grants.gov
system, and will be technically
ineligible.
Applicants will receive a
confirmation e-mail from Grants.gov
upon the successful submission of an
application. ECA will not notify you
upon receipt of electronic applications.
It is the responsibility of all
applicants submitting proposals via the
Grants.gov web portal to ensure that
proposals have been received by
Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA
bears no responsibility for data errors
resulting from transmission or
conversion processes.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of
Applications: Executive Order 12372
does not apply to this program.
V. Application Review Information
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V.1. Review Process
The Bureau will review all proposals
for technical eligibility. Proposals will
be deemed ineligible if they do not fully
adhere to the guidelines stated herein
and in the Solicitation Package. All
eligible proposals will be reviewed by
the program office, as well as the Public
Diplomacy section overseas, where
appropriate. Eligible proposals will be
subject to compliance with Federal and
Bureau regulations and guidelines and
forwarded to Bureau grant panels for
advisory review. Proposals may also be
reviewed by the Office of the Legal
Adviser or by other Department
elements. Final funding decisions are at
the discretion of the Department of
State’s Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final
technical authority for assistance
awards (grants) resides with the
Bureau’s Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Please see the review criteria in the
accompanying POGI document.
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VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices
Final awards cannot be made until
funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed
through internal Bureau procedures.
Successful applicants will receive an
Assistance Award Document (AAD)
from the Bureau’s Grants Office. The
AAD and the original grant proposal
with subsequent modifications (if
applicable) shall be the only binding
authorizing document between the
recipient and the U.S. Government. The
AAD will be signed by an authorized
Grants Officer, and mailed to the
recipient’s responsible officer identified
in the application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive
notification of the results of the
application review from the ECA
program office coordinating this
competition.
VI.2 Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
Terms and Conditions for the
Administration of ECA agreements
include the following:
Office of Management and Budget
Circular A–122, ‘‘Cost Principles for
Nonprofit Organizations.’’
Office of Management and Budget
Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost Principles for
Educational Institutions.’’
OMB Circular A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles
for State, Local and Indian
Governments.’’
OMB Circular No. A–110 (Revised),
Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and
Agreements with Institutions of
Higher Education, Hospitals, and
other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A–102, Uniform
Administrative Requirements for
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local
Governments.
OMB Circular No. A–133, Audits of
States, Local Government, and Nonprofit Organizations.
Please reference the following Web
sites for additional information:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
https://exchanges.state.gov/education/
grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide ECA with a hard
copy original plus one copy of the
following reports:
(1) A final program and financial
report no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award;
(2) Interim reports, as required in the
Bureau grant agreement.
Grantees will be required to provide
reports analyzing their evaluation
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16861
findings to the Bureau in their regular
program reports. (Please refer to IV.
Application and Submission
Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program
Monitoring and Evaluation
information.)
All data collected, including survey
responses and contact information, must
be maintained for a minimum of three
years and provided to the Bureau upon
request.
All reports must be sent to the ECA
Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer
listed in the final assistance award
document.
VI.4. Program Data Requirements
Organizations awarded grants will be
required to maintain specific data on
program participants and activities in an
electronically accessible database format
that can be shared with the Bureau as
required. As a minimum, the data must
include the following:
(1) Name, address, contact
information and biographic sketch of all
persons who travel internationally on
funds provided by the grant or who
benefit from the grant funding but do
not travel.
(2) Itineraries of international and
domestic travel, providing dates of
travel and cities in which any exchange
experiences take place. Final schedules
for in-country and U.S. activities must
be received by the ECA Program Officer
at least three workdays prior to the
official opening of the activity.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this
announcement, contact: Carolyn Lantz,
Program Officer, Youth Programs
Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 568,
U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
Telephone (202) 203–7505, Fax (202)
203–7529, E-mail: LantzCS@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and number ECA/PE/C/
PY–07–39.
Please read the complete
announcement before sending inquiries
or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may
not discuss this competition with
applicants until the proposal review
process has been completed.
VIII. Other Information
Notice
The terms and conditions published
in this RFGP are binding and may not
be modified by any Bureau
representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts
published language will not be binding.
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 65 / Thursday, April 5, 2007 / Notices
Issuance of the RFGP does not
constitute an award commitment on the
part of the Government. The Bureau
reserves the right to reduce, revise, or
increase proposal budgets in accordance
with the needs of the program and the
availability of funds. Awards made will
be subject to periodic reporting and
evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: March 27, 2007.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7–6361 Filed 4–4–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
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 above is provided through
legislation.
Purpose
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5745]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: Youth Leadership Program:
Diversity, Democracy, Globalization,
and Citizenship
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/
PE/C/PY–07–31.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2007.
Executive Summary: The Office of
Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs
Division, of the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for the ‘‘Youth Leadership
Program: Diversity, Democracy,
Globalization, and Citizenship’’ in
which the participating countries will
be Turkey, Germany, and the United
States. Public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit
proposals to recruit and select 30–40
youth and adult participants overseas
and in the United States, to provide the
participants with a 25-to 30-day U.S.based exchange program, and to support
follow-on activities for the alumni. The
program will be designed to promote
high-quality leadership and civic
responsibility among future leaders and
will enable the Turkish, German, and
American participants to explore
diversity and the expression of and
respect for individual beliefs as citizens
in democratic nations.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
I. Funding Opportunity Description
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-
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‘‘Youth Leadership Program:
Diversity, Democracy, Globalization,
and Citizenship’’ will enable
approximately 30–40 teenagers (ages
16–18) and adult educators to
participate in an intensive, thematic
project in the United States for
approximately four weeks that allows
for open discussion of the roles and
responsibilities of a citizen in a
democracy, lessons in critical thinking
about various approaches to governance
and respect for different perspectives,
and the expression of identity and
values. Leadership development,
community service, and the
development of a global point of view
of are also elements of this program. The
program will offer a firsthand view of
U.S. practices, such as how groups with
differing points of view find common
ground or how governmental and nongovernmental organizations reach out to
those reflecting a spectrum of views.
The participants may explore diversity
from the perspectives of various sectors
of a society; for example, immigrants
and natives, socio-economic classes,
religious groups, political groups, or
from different generations.
The Turkish and German participants
will be joined by American students for
the program for a dialogue among the
diverse communities represented by the
three countries. Participants will be
engaged in a variety of activities such as
workshops, community and/or schoolbased programs, cultural activities,
seminars and other activities designed
to achieve the project’s stated goals and
objectives.
The goals of the program are:
(1) To develop a sense of civic
responsibility and a commitment to
international understanding and
cooperation among youth;
(2) To understand how different
people and societies deal with matters
of individual belief in a democratic
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society and identify with cultural,
political, religious, and social groups;
(3) To foster relationships among
youth from different ethnic, religious,
and national groups;
(4) To promote mutual understanding
and respect between the people of the
United States, Germany, and Turkey;
and
(5) To develop a cadre of youth
leaders who will share their knowledge
and skills with their peers through
positive action.
With this focus, the following
outcomes will indicate a successful
project:
• Participants will work together to
identify areas of commonality and
contrast among countries and diverse
groups within a country.
• Participants will develop critical
thinking skills that will enable them to
consider the perceptions and concerns
of individuals with different
perspectives.
• Participants will demonstrate a
better understanding of group and
individual identity, respect for
minorities, and freedom of expression in
a democracy.
Applicants should identify their own
specific objectives and measurable
outcomes based on these program goals
and the project specifications provided
in this solicitation.
Applicants must demonstrate their
capacity for doing projects of this
nature, focusing on three areas of
competency: (1) Provision of programs
that address the goals and themes
outlined in this document; (2) ageappropriate programming for youth; and
(3) previous experience working on
programs with Turkey and/or with
Germany. Applicants, or their partner
organizations, need to have the
necessary capacity in these two
countries to recruit, select, and orient
participants for the program, and to
provide follow-on activities.
Guidelines
Grants should begin on or about
September 1, 2007. The grant period
will be approximately 14 to 20 months
in duration, according to the applicant’s
program plan.
In pursuit of the goals outlined above,
the program arrangements will include
the following:
• Recruitment and selection of a
diverse group of youth and adult
educators in Turkey, in Germany, and in
the United States.
• A pre-departure orientation
program.
• Design and planning of activities in
the United States that provide a
substantive program on leadership, civic
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 65 (Thursday, April 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16857-16862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-6361]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5746]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: Youth Leadership Program with Rwanda and Kenya
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-39.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2007.
Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs
Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces
an open competition for two projects, one with Rwanda and one with
Kenya, under the Youth Leadership Program. Public and private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to
conduct a three- to four-week U.S.-based project for secondary school
students and teachers from Rwanda or from Kenya. The project activities
will focus on civic education, leadership, diversity, and community
activism.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended,
Public Law 87-256, 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 above is provided through legislation.
Overview
With this new Youth Leadership Program, the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs (ECA) plans to support two separate exchange
projects, one with Kenya and one with Rwanda, in late 2007. Each three-
to four-week long project will enable 18 teenagers (ages 15-17) and
three adult educators from one of the two countries to participate in
an intensive exchange in the United States designed and implemented by
the grant recipient organizations. The U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and
Kigali will recruit, screen, and select the participants.
These projects are designed to promote high-quality leadership,
civic responsibility, and civic activism among our countries' future
leaders. The projects will offer a practical examination of the
principles of democracy and civil society as practiced in the United
States and provide participants with training that allows them to
develop their leadership skills. Participants will be engaged in a
variety of activities such as workshops, community and/or school-based
programs, seminars, and other activities that are designed to achieve
the projects' stated goals and objectives. Participants will live with
American families for most of the exchange period. Multiple
opportunities for participants to interact with American youth and
educators must be included.
The goals of the program are:
(1) To promote mutual understanding between the people of the
United States and the people of Kenya and of Rwanda;
(2) To develop a sense of civic responsibility and commitment to
community development among youth;
(3) To develop leadership skills among secondary school students
appropriate to their needs;
(4) To foster relationships among youth from different ethnic,
religious, and national groups.
A successful project will be one that nurtures a cadre of students
and teachers to be actively engaged in addressing issues of concern in
their schools and communities upon their return home and that equips
them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become citizen
activists.
The Bureau anticipates providing two grants to support two discrete
projects, one for each country and each funded at approximately
$95,000. [Note that this funding does not include international airfare
for the exchange participants.] Organizations may submit only one
proposal, for either Rwanda or Kenya. The two projects will be judged
independently and proposals will be compared only to proposals for the
same country. ECA intends to award only one grant for each project.
Project A: Rwanda
Applicants should propose a three- to four-week U.S. program
between the second week of November and mid-December 2007. Funding for
this grant is approximately $95,000.
Project B: Kenya
Applicants should propose a three- to four-week U.S. program in
December 2007. Funding for this grant is approximately $95,000.
Applicants should outline their capacity for doing projects of this
nature, focusing on three areas of competency: (1) Provision of
leadership and civic education programming, (2) age-appropriate
programming for youth, and (3) previous experience working with
exchange participants from Africa. Applicants need not have a partner
in Kenya or Rwanda, as the staff of the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of
the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Kigali will recruit and select the
participants and provide a pre-departure orientation.
[[Page 16858]]
Guidelines
The grants will begin on or about September 1, 2007. The grant
period will be approximately 8 to 12 months in duration, as appropriate
for the applicant's program design.
The U.S. project activities should take place during a school break
in the partner country; the time frames are noted above for each
country. Applicants should propose the period of the exchange, but the
exact timing of the project may be altered through the mutual agreement
of the Department of State and the grant recipient. The program should
be no less than three weeks (21 days) and up to four weeks (28 days) in
duration.
The delegation from each country is expected to be 21 secondary
school students and educators. The total number of participants in a
delegation is subject to change. The 18 students will be between the
ages of 15 and 18, will have demonstrated leadership abilities in their
schools and/or communities, and will be high academic achievers. The
three educators will be high school teachers, or possibly community
leaders who work with youth, who have demonstrated an interest in
promoting youth leadership. Participants will be proficient in the
English language.
In pursuit of the goals outlined above, the program arrangements
will include the following:
A welcome orientation.
The design and planning of activities that provide a
substantive program on civic education, community activism, respect for
diversity, constructive debate and dialogue, and leadership through
both academic and extracurricular components. The program will take
place in Washington, DC, and in one or two other communities.
Activities should take place in schools as much as possible and in the
community. Community service and computer training will also be
included. It is crucial that programming involve American students
whenever possible.
Opportunities for the educators to work with their
American peers to help them foster youth leadership, civic education,
and community service programs at home.
Logistical arrangements, homestays, disbursement of
stipends/per diem, local travel, and travel between sites.
A closing session to summarize the project activities and
prepare participants for their return home.
Support of follow-on activities in Kenya or Rwanda after
the participants have returned home designed to reinforce values and
skills imparted during the U.S. program. U.S. project staff or trainers
will travel to the partner country several months after the exchange.
Proposals must demonstrate how the stated objectives will be met.
The proposal narrative must provide detailed information on the major
program activities, and applicants should explain and justify their
programmatic choices. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations
for the International Visitor and Government Visitor categories. Please
be sure to refer to the complete Solicitation Package--this Request for
Grant Proposals (RFGP), the Project Objectives, Goals, and
Implementation (POGI), and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)--
for further information.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2007.
Approximate Total Funding: $190,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: Two.
Floor of Award Range: $95,000.
Ceiling of Award Range: $95,000.
Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2007.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: 8-12 months after start date,
to be specified by applicant based on project plan.
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of these
projects and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it
is ECA's intent to renew these grants for two additional fiscal years
before openly competing them again.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible Applicants
Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds
There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs
that are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by
the Federal Government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis
for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements
(a) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be
limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates awarding two
grants in amounts of approximately $95,000 each to support program and
administrative costs required to implement this exchange program.
Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in
conducting international exchanges are not eligible to apply under this
competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels
of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
(b) Technical Eligibility: Applicants may submit only one proposal
in response to this RFGP that proposes to provide a program for either
Kenya or Rwanda. Organizations that submit more than one proposal will
result in having all of their proposals declared technically
ineligible, and none of the submissions will be reviewed by a State
Department panel.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Note: Please read the complete announcement before sending
inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with
applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.
IV.1. Contact Information To Request an Application Package
Please contact the Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 568,
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547, Telephone (202) 203-7505, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail:
LantzCS@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to
the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-07-39) located at the top
of this announcement when making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained
[[Page 16859]]
from Grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission
Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required application
forms and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria,
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
Please specify Bureau Program Officer Carolyn Lantz and refer to
the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement
on all other inquiries and correspondence.
IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet
The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's
Web site at https://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm, or
from the Grants.gov Web site at https://www.grants.gov.
Please read all information before downloading.
IV.3. Content and Form of Submission
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under
IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and Methods of Submission'' section
below.
IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities.
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a
DUNS number, access https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the
appropriate box of the SF-424 form that is part of the formal
application package.
IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal
narrative and budget. Please refer to the Solicitation Package. It
contains the mandatory PSI document and the POGI document for
additional formatting and technical requirements.
IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information
when preparing your proposal narrative:
IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa. The
Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered
by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the Responsible
Officer for the program under the terms of 22 CFR 62, which covers the
administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). Under
the terms of 22 CFR 62, organizations receiving grants under this RFGP
will be third parties ``cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in
the conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The actions of grantee program
organizations shall be ``imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the
sponsor's compliance with'' 22 CFR 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects
that any organization receiving a grant under this competition will
render all assistance necessary to enable the Bureau to fully comply
with 22 CFR 62 et seq.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J
visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and
program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program
status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that
the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all
requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs
as set forth in 22 CFR 62. If the applicant organization has experience
as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should
discuss its record of compliance with 22 CFR 62 et seq., including the
oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible
Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of
pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of
participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping,
reporting and other requirements.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at https://
exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD-SA-44, Room 734,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 203-5029,
Fax: (202) 453-8640.
IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines. Pursuant to
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities.
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 your proposal.
Pub. L. 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational
and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy
freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take appropriate steps to
provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human
rights and democracy leaders of such countries.'' Pub. L. 106-113
requires that the governments of the countries described above do not
have inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should
reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the
full extent deemed feasible.
IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation. Proposals must include
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee
will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key
evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning
as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the
program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in
which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan
should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as
well as substantive knowledge.
Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation
plan should include a description of your project's objectives,
[[Page 16860]]
your anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to
measure these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes
are ``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people
trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast,
represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is
usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.
We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes,
as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in
increasing order of importance):
1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange
experience.
2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude,
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in
work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic
organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new
knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community
members, and others.
4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational
improvements.
Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate
timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example,
satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas
behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-
term outcomes.
Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be
judged on how well it (1) specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives clear
descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identifies when
particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides a clear
description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e.,
surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation
plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction]
will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)
Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. All
data collected, including survey responses and contact information,
must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the
Bureau upon request.
IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration
when preparing your budget:
IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the
entire program. Awards may not exceed the amount specified. There must
be a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both
administrative and program budgets. Applicants applying to implement
more than one project must provide separate sub-budgets for each.
Please refer to the other documents in the Solicitation Package for
complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3F. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
Application Deadline Date: May 31, 2007.
Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-39.
Methods of Submission: Applications may be submitted in one of two
ways:
(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S.
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
(2) Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.
Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory PSI
of the solicitation document.
IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed Applications. Applications must be
shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for
consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time.
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.
Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it
in an envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
The original, one fully-tabbed copy, and six copies of the
application with Tabs A-E (for a total of 8 copies) should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-39, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the executive summary, proposal
narrative, budget section, and any important appendices as e-mail
attachments in Microsoft Word and Excel to the following e-mail
address: LantzCS@state.gov. In the e-mail message subject line, include
the name of the applicant organization and the partner country. The
Bureau will transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs
Sections of the U.S. Embassies in the participating countries for their
review.
IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic Applications. Applicants have the
option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov
(https://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available
at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the system. Please follow the
instructions available in the `Get Started' portion of the site (http:/
/www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could
take several weeks. Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate
staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this RFGP
to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov. Once
registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you not wait
[[Page 16861]]
until the application deadline to begin the submission process through
Grants.gov.
Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and
submission to: Grants.gov Customer Support, Contact Center Phone: 800-
518-4726, Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time, E-
mail: support@grants.gov.
Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.), Washington, DC time of
the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been
uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above
deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of the
application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the
grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from Grants.gov upon
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you
upon receipt of electronic applications.
It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via
the Grants.gov web portal to ensure that proposals have been received
by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order
12372 does not apply to this program.
V. Application Review Information
V.1. Review Process
The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility.
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible
proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public
Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review.
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for
assistance awards (grants) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Please see the review criteria in the accompanying POGI document.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.
Successful applicants will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD)
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant
proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the
only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S.
Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and
mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the
application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this
competition.
VI.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements
include the following:
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles for
Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for
Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian
Governments.''
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-
in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations.
Please reference the following Web sites for additional
information:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
https://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus one copy of the
following reports:
(1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after
the expiration of the award;
(2) Interim reports, as required in the Bureau grant agreement.
Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports.
(Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3)
above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.)
All data collected, including survey responses and contact
information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and
provided to the Bureau upon request.
All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.
VI.4. Program Data Requirements
Organizations awarded grants will be required to maintain specific
data on program participants and activities in an electronically
accessible database format that can be shared with the Bureau as
required. As a minimum, the data must include the following:
(1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all
persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the grant or
who benefit from the grant funding but do not travel.
(2) Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take
place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three workdays prior to
the official opening of the activity.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Carolyn Lantz,
Program Officer, Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 568, U.S.
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
Telephone (202) 203-7505, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail:
LantzCS@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-07-39.
Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or
submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau staff
may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal
review process has been completed.
VIII. Other Information
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be
binding.
[[Page 16862]]
Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment on the
part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: March 27, 2007.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. E7-6361 Filed 4-4-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P