Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), 15029-15034 [E8-5688]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 55 (Thursday, March 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15029-15034]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5688]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6141]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)

    Request for Grant Proposals: Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad 
Program.
    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-08-11.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Application Deadline: May 15, 2008.

Executive Summary

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for cooperative 
agreements to support exchange programs and relationship building 
between American high school students and those who have just 
graduated, and host communities in selected countries with significant 
Muslim populations. Through these cooperative agreements the Bureau 
will fund a pilot exchange program for recipients to recruit and select 
American students, and enroll them in secondary schools for an academic 
semester or year of study in a foreign country currently participating 
in the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, incorporating themes for 
enhancement activities that promote respect for diversity, civil 
society, and mutual understanding. We expect that most students will be 
placed in host families, but will consider alternative housing 
arrangements, such as dormitories. Alternative arrangements must 
include daily adult resident supervision that ensures the security of 
participants and be combined with brief home stays. In either case, the 
student must be ensured his or her own bed. The exchange programs will 
take place between January 2009 and June 2010, and we anticipate that 
recruitment and planning will take place during the summer/early fall 
of 2008. We anticipate funding approximately four cooperative 
agreements for a total of fifty students and $1,000,000. The YES Abroad 
program builds on a tradition established by the YES program that has 
brought high school students from countries with significant Muslim 
populations to the United States each year since 2003. For more 
information about the YES program please refer to the Web site: https://
www.exchanges.state.gov/education/citizens/students/programs/yes.htm.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Authority

    Overall cooperative agreement 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 above is provided 
through legislation. Funding will be provided from the FY 2007 
Supplemental Appropriation (Pub. L. 110-28) carried over into FY 2008 
for obligation.

Purpose

    The Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program is designed to 
foster a global community of shared interests and values developed 
through better mutual understanding via first-hand participation of 
high school students or those who have just graduated from the United 
States, aged 15-19, in academic semester and year-long exchanges to 
selected pilot countries with significant Muslim populations. The 
program seeks to support students with leadership potential, and to 
develop their leadership skills during the international exchange and 
after.
    The overarching goals of the program are to:
    1. Promote better understanding by American youth about selected 
countries and their society, people, institutions, values and culture;
    2. Foster lasting personal ties;
    3. Enhance foreign audiences' understanding of American culture;
    4. Expose program participants to leadership development 
opportunities and enhancement activities;
    5. Increase the capacity of the exchange infrastructure in 
participating countries to engage youth in activities that advance 
mutual understanding, respect for diversity, and civil society.

    Note: In a Cooperative Agreement, the Bureau program office 
(ECA/PE/C/PY--the Youth Programs Division) and through it, U.S. 
Embassies abroad, are substantially involved in the program 
activities outlined above and beyond routine grant monitoring. ECA 
program office and U.S. Embassy activities and responsibilities for 
this program are as follows:

     The recipient will be responsible for overall development 
and implementation of all aspects of its proposed program in 
consultation with ECA and the host country's U.S. Embassy.
     ECA will determine the priority or target countries for 
hosting of program participants, in consultation with the U.S. 
Embassies.
     Recipients will be responsible for using a standardized 
screening process in the selection of host families and for consulting 
about their proposed placement locations (neighborhoods, regions) with 
the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of U.S. Embassy.
     The ECA program office will review proposed school and 
host family placement or alternate housing arrangement plans per 
criteria set forward in the POGI for each program participant before 
final arrangements are made.

General Responsibilities

    Applicants may enter into consortia or sub-cooperative agreement 
arrangements with other foreign or U.S. domestic organizations to cover 
all facets of programming in the United States and the host country. 
Sub-cooperative agreement arrangements with partners that have 
responsibility for critical components of the program (for example, 
recruitment or placement)

[[Page 15030]]

must have a recent record of work with the primary recipient. 
Applicants and their partners should outline their project team's 
capacity for doing projects of this nature, focusing on four areas of 
competency: (1) Provision of program support to American students, (2) 
age-appropriate leadership and cultural programming, (3) alumni 
tracking and programming, and (4) experience working with individuals 
from the proposed host countries. Responsibilities are listed below:
     To recruit and select a diverse group of American high 
school students and those who have just graduated and place them in 
overseas schools that are accredited by the respective Ministry of 
Education or other internationally recognized accrediting body for at 
least one academic semester or one full year.
     To provide pre-departure, mid-program, and re-entry 
orientations to prepare student participants.
     To provide program materials and orientations to host 
families and schools.
     To provide for all student foreign and domestic travel.
     To provide students with qualified, screened, and well-
motivated host families. With justification, proposals may include 
reasonable living allowances to cover costs associated with hosting a 
student.
     To provide students with monthly stipends (pocket money) 
based on each host country's local economy.
     To provide participants with intensive language training 
required in the host country for at least the first three months of the 
exchange, and for the duration of the program, if needed, to ensure the 
social and academic success of every student.
     To provide students with a local representative on whom 
the student may call for resolution of any cultural, academic, or other 
adjustment issues. This person must be an English-speaker that is 
either an American or a host country national with significant 
experience living in the U.S. Students should also be provided with an 
English speaking emergency contact available at any time.
     To provide day-to-day monitoring of the program and 
support of the students, preventing and dealing with any participant 
issues that may arise. The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. 
Embassy and the ECA Program Office representative should be informed of 
health, safety and other serious issues as soon as they arise.
     To expose students to local culture through enhancement 
activities that will enable them to attain a broad view of the society 
and culture.
     To expose students to opportunities for volunteerism and 
community service.
     To encourage students to share their culture, lifestyle 
and traditions with local citizens throughout their stay and especially 
during International Education Week.
     To provide students with leadership training and 
opportunities that will foster leadership skills and development.
     To provide activities that will increase and enhance 
students' appreciation of the importance of tolerance and respect for 
the views, beliefs, and practices of a diverse world.
     To provide enhancement activities including, but not 
limited to, language training and integrated projects with Youth 
Exchange and Study (YES) inbound program alumni who have returned from 
the U.S. to their home countries. Applicants will work with ECA to 
develop strategies to identify and work with these alumni.
     To develop alumni databases and create alumni programs 
giving opportunities for returning students to incorporate their 
knowledge and skills into service in their home communities.

Eligible Countries

    The eligible countries at the time of publication of this RFGP are: 
Bahrain, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Oman, 
Tanzania, Thailand, or Turkey. The Bureau reserves the right to amend 
or modify this list of eligible countries should conditions change in 
the host country or if other countries are identified as priorities 
after publication of this RFGP. Should an applicant have questions in 
regards to a country on this list, please see Section IV.1 for contact 
information.
    Applicants may submit proposals to send students to one or more of 
these countries. An applicant must propose no fewer than five (5) 
students per country. It is acknowledged that outbound American 
participants are not governed by the same protections of the J-1 visa 
regulations governing exchange students coming to the U.S.; therefore 
for the safety and security of the American participants, it is a 
requirement that an applicant must provide similar protections and 
oversight traditionally afforded to inbound students under the U.S. J-1 
visa regulations. In their proposals applicants must describe in detail 
their plans for screening, selection, placement, orientation and 
monitoring procedures that will ensure this requirement's 
implementation. See section IV.3d.1 for further details. Proposals 
should provide implementation plans by country for school enrollment, 
host family screening and placement, cultural enrichment activities, 
and student support.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2007 Supplemental Funds carried over into FY-
2008 for obligation.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 4.
    Approximate Average Award: $250,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $100,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $500,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: May 30, 2008.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: 09/31/2011.

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 cooperative 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 which 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 cooperative agreement 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 cooperative agreements of no less than $100,000 to

[[Page 15031]]

support program and administrative costs required to implement this 
exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years 
experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible 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: Proposals must offer full-time 
enrollment for one semester or academic year in a school accredited by 
the host country Ministry of Education or other internationally 
recognized accrediting body in the host country. Your proposal will be 
declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in 
the review process if this criterion is not met.

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 224, 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547, (T) 202-453-8170, OROURKEMM@state.gov to request a Solicitation 
Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY-08-
11 located at the top of this announcement when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
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 Kevin Baker and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C/PY-08-11 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. Your organization is 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 which 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 Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document 
and the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (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

    While the students will not travel on J-1 visas, which are for 
foreign exchange visitors to the United States, the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important emphasis 
on the security and proper administration of the Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and recipients and sponsors responsibilities to all 
regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should 
demonstrate the applicant's plan to meet all similar requirements as 
those governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs for 
students coming to the U.S. as set forth in 22 CFR 62, for American 
participants traveling abroad, including screening and selection of 
program participants and host families, provision of pre-arrival 
information and orientation to participants, monitoring of 
participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, 
reporting and other requirements.
    Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
    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, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Room 734, 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. Public Law 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.'' Public Law 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

[[Page 15032]]

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 recipient 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, 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):
    Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange experience.
    Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    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.
    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.)
    Recipients 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.
    There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting 
both administrative and program budgets by country. Applicants may 
provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, 
location, or activity to provide clarification.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program are described in detail in 
the POGI.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3F. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: May 15, 2008.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-08-11.
    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 
Proposal Submission Instructions (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 and 6 copies of the application should be sent to: 
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
SA-44, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-08-11, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also 
electronically submit by e-mail to the program office the ``Executive 
Summary'' and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in 
Microsoft Word format, as well as the ``Budget'' and ``Budget 
Narrative'' section in Microsoft Excel format. The Bureau will provide 
these files electronically to the appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) 
at the U.S. embassies for their review.

[[Page 15033]]

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 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. EST; 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 and cooperative agreement 
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 for cooperative agreements 
resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

    Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal and 
Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant and 
cooperative agreement 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 or 
cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer. The 
Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal 
budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and availability of 
funds.
    The submission will be reviewed with the following review criteria 
in mind:
    1. Quality of the program idea and planning: Proposals should 
exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the 
Bureau's mission. Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity, and 
should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above. 
Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals 
should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's 
objectives and plan.
    2. Institutional Capacity and Track Record: Proposed personnel and 
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve 
the program or project's goals. In-country organizations must 
demonstrate their capacity to fully support and ensure the safety and 
well-being of the American participants throughout the duration of 
their stay. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of 
successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management 
and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau 
grants and cooperative agreements as determined by the Bureau's Office 
of Contracts. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    3. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity. The applicant should include an assessment of how the 
proposal serves to promote diversity in such areas as the selection of 
participants, schools, host families, and exchange program elements.
    4. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) which insures 
that Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
    5. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. The Bureau recommends that the proposal include a draft 
survey questionnaire or other technique plus description of a 
methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives. 
Award-receiving organizations/institutions will be expected to submit 
intermediate reports after each project component is concluded or 
quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
    6. Cost-effectiveness and Cost-sharing: 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. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct 
funding contributions.
    7. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed programs 
should receive positive assessments by the Bureau's geographic area 
desk and overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and 
significance in the partner country(ies).

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)

[[Page 15034]]

from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original cooperative 
agreement 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.
Mandatory
    1. Quarterly program and financial reports.
    2. Monthly school and housing placement reports of the students 
should be provided in the Excel spreadsheet format provided by ECA.
    3. A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award.
    Recipients 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.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Kevin Baker (T) 
202-453-8153 or Astrida Levensteins (T) 202-453-8149 Youth Programs 
Division, Ref. ECA/PE/C/PY-08-11, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 
4th Street, SW., Room 220, Washington, DC 20547, (F) 202-453-8169, 
exchanges.state.gov
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-08-11. 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. 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 11, 2008.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E8-5688 Filed 3-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P