Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Youth Leadership Programs: Sub-Saharan Africa, 15810-15816 [E9-7851]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices
3. Certification of Low Birth Weight—
20 CFR 416.931, 416.926a(m), and
416.924—0960–0720
Hospitals and claimants use Form
SSA–3380 to provide medical
information to local field offices (FO)
and the Disability Determination
Services (DDS) on behalf of infants with
low birth weight. FOs use the form as
a protective filing statement and the
medical information to make
presumptive disability findings, which
allow expedited payment to eligible
claimants. DDSs use the medical
information to determine disability and
continuing disability. The respondents
are hospitals that have information
identifying low birth weight babies and
their medical conditions.
Note: This is a correction notice. SSA
published this information collection as an
extension on January 15, 2009 at 74 FR 2643.
Since we are revising the Privacy Act
Statement, this is now a revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Number of Respondents: 24,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 15
minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 6,000
hours.
4. Letter to Employer Requesting
Information about Wages Earned by
Beneficiary—20 CFR 416.703 &
404.801—0960–0034
When SSA has incomplete or
questionable wage data, SSA uses Form
SSA–L725 to verify a beneficiary’s
wages. SSA uses the information on the
SSA–L725 to calculate the correct
benefits payable and to maintain an
accurate record of earnings for the
beneficiary. Respondents are small
business employers.
Type of Request: Extension of an
OMB-approved information collection.
Number of Respondents: 150,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 40
minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 100,000
hours.
5. Statement of Care and Responsibility
for Beneficiary—20 CFR 404.2020,
404.2025, 408.620, 408.625, 416.620,
416.625—0960–0109
SSA uses information from Form
SSA–788 to verify statements of concern
made by payee applicants and to
identify other potential payees. SSA is
concerned with selecting the most
qualified representative payee who will
use Social Security benefits in the
beneficiary’s best interest. SSA
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considers factors such as the payee
applicant’s capacity to perform payee
duties, awareness of the beneficiary’s
situation and needs, demonstration of
past and current concern for the
beneficiary’s well-being. If the payee
applicant does not have custody of the
beneficiary, SSA will obtain information
from the custodian to evaluate against
information provided by the applicant.
Respondents are individuals who have
custody of the beneficiary in cases
where someone else has filed to be the
beneficiary’s representative payee.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Number of Respondents: 130,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 10
minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 21,667
hours.
6. Third Party Liability Information
Statement—42 CFR 433.136–433.139—
0960–0323
Medicaid state agencies must identify
third party insurers liable for medical
care or services for Medicaid
beneficiaries; this reduces Medicaid
costs. Regulations at 42 CFR 433.136–
433.139 require Medicaid state agencies
to obtain this information on Medicaid
applications and redeterminations as a
condition of Medicaid eligibility. States
may enter into agreements with the
Commissioner of Social Security to
make Medicaid eligibility
determinations for aged, blind, and
disabled beneficiaries in those states.
Applications for and redeterminations
of SSI eligibility in jurisdictions with
such agreements are applications and
redeterminations of Medicaid eligibility.
Under these agreements, SSA obtains
third party liability information using
Form SSA–8019 and provides that
information to the Medicaid state
agencies. The Medicaid state agencies
use the information to bill third parties
liable for medical care, support, or
services for a beneficiary to guarantee
that Medicaid remains the payer of last
resort. The respondents are SSI
claimants and recipients.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Number of Respondents: 62,834.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 5
minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 5,236
hours.
7. Application for Special Age 72-orOver Monthly Payments—20 CFR
404.380–404.384—0960–0096
Form SSA–19–F6 collects the
information needed to determine
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whether a claimant can qualify for
Special Age 72 payments. SSA will
evaluate eligibility requirements using
the data collected on this form. The
respondents are individuals who
reached age 72 before 1972.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Number of Respondents: 10.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 10
minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 2 hours.
Dated: March 30, 2009.
John Biles,
Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Reports
Clearance, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–7453 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6568]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: Youth Leadership
Programs: Sub-Saharan Africa
Announcement Type: New grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/
PE/C/PY–09–42.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: May 21, 2009.
Executive Summary: The Office of
Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs
Division, of the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for two Youth Leadership
Program grants for countries of SubSaharan Africa, one for 40 participants
from four Anglophone countries
(Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and South
Africa), and one for 60 participants from
six Francophone countries (Burkina
Faso, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali,
Mauritania, and Niger). [Note: Target
countries may be subject to change.]
Public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit
proposals to conduct a minimum of two
U.S.-based three-week exchange projects
for combinations of two Anglophone
countries, or a minimum of three U.S.based three-week exchange projects for
combinations of two Francophone
countries. The project activities will
focus on civic education, leadership,
diversity, and community activism,
which will prepare participants to
conduct follow up activities at home
that serve a community need.
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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-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: The Youth Leadership
Program for Sub-Saharan Africa will
support two grants for five projects that
will bring teenagers, ages 15–17, and
educators from selected countries to the
United States for three-week exchanges
focused on developing leadership skills
and civic responsibility. The
participants will be recruited from
underserved populations in these
countries where youth are susceptible to
adverse influences. U.S. Embassies in
the participating countries will recruit,
screen, and select the participants;
provide pre-departure briefings;
facilitate visas; arrange international
travel to the United States; and provide
support to alumni for follow-on
projects. The grant recipients will
design and implement the U.S.-based
exchange activities.
The applicant organizations must
propose projects that offer a practical
examination of the principles of
democracy and civil society as practiced
in the United States, and provide skills
training in leadership, conflict
management/resolution, and critical
thinking that will help students develop
a better sense of civic responsibility and
foster respect for diversity and crosscultural relationships based on mutual
understanding and respect.
Proposals must present a program
plan that allows the participants to
thoroughly explore civic education in
the United States in a creative,
memorable, and practical way.
Activities should be designed to be
replicable and provide practical
knowledge and skills that the
participants can apply to school and
civic activities at home. The project
must include multiple opportunities for
participants to interact with American
youth and educators, and include
homestays with American families.
The goals of the program are:
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(1) To promote mutual understanding
between the people of the United States
and the people of the partner countries;
(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; and
(4) To foster relationships among
youth from different ethnic, religious,
and national groups.
In addition to the themes of civic
education and leadership, applicants are
invited to include sub-themes on
relevant issues specific to the project
countries (as listed above), particularly
as a mechanism for seeing what their
peers in the United States are doing in
these areas, and as a tool for exploring
the primary themes of the program.
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 awarding two
grants. One grant will support two
Youth Leadership projects for four
Anglophone countries, and one grant
will support three Youth Leadership
projects for six Francophone countries.
Organizations may submit one proposal
for a minimum of two projects for
combinations of two Anglophone
countries, or, submit one proposal for a
minimum of three projects for
combinations of two Francophone
countries. Organizations may apply for
the Anglophone Countries program or
for the Francophone Countries program;
they may not apply for both. The
projects will be judged independently
and proposals will be compared only to
proposals for the same area
(Anglophone or Francophone) of
interest. Note that the U.S. Embassies
will be responsible for international
travel; therefore, the grant funds
available through this solicitation are
not to cover the international airfare for
the exchange participants.
Project A: Sub-Sahara Africa Youth
Leadership Program—Anglophone
Countries
One Grant: Funding for this grant is
approximately $210,000.
The program will be offered for a total
of forty (40) participants: eight (8)
students and two (2) educators from
each of the four participating countries:
Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and
Tanzania. [Note: Target countries may
be subject to change, or, if less than four
countries participate the target number
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of 40 participants will be spread among
participating countries.]
Applicants must propose a minimum
of two, three-week U.S.-based exchange
projects to take place between the
months of November 2009 through
December 2010. One project must take
place either in late fall 2009 or early
spring 2010. Each project must include
two countries for a minimum of 20
participants, eight (8) students and two
(2) teachers from each country.
Note: If less than four countries participate,
the Bureau will re-negotiate for one exchange
project to include three countries for thirty
four (34) students and six (6) educators, or
two countries for thirty two (32) students and
eight (8) educators.
Project B: Sub-Sahara Africa Youth
Leadership Program—Francophone
Countries
One Grant: Funding for this grant is
approximately $375,000.
The program will be offered for sixty
(60) participants, eight (8) students and
two (2) educators from each of six
participating countries: Burkina Faso,
Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania,
Niger. [Note: Target countries may be
subject to change; or, if less than six
countries participate the target number
of 60 participants will be spread among
participating countries.]
Applicants must propose a minimum
of three, three-week U.S.-based
exchange projects to take place between
the months of November 2009 through
March 2011. One project must take
place either in late fall 2009 or early
spring 2010. Each project must include
two countries for a minimum of 20
participants, eight (8) students and two
(2) educators from each country. Each
project will be conducted in French and
must include language interpreters
arranged by the grantee organization.
Note: If less than six countries participate,
the Bureau will re-negotiate for two exchange
projects. For example, one project with 40
participants will include thirty-two (32)
students and eight (8) educators; one project
with two countries will include twenty (20)
students and four (4) educators for a total of
24 participants; or one project with three
countries will include thirty (30) students
and six (6) educators for at total of 36
participants.
For Both Programs
Applicant organizations should
outline their capacity for doing projects
of this nature, focusing on three areas of
competency of the staff directly
associated with the program: (1)
Provision of leadership and civic
education programming, (2) ageappropriate programming for youth, and
(3) demonstrated understanding of and
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experience in programs with the
specified geographic region. Applicants
need not have a partner in the
participating countries, as the staff of
the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the
U.S. Embassies will recruit and select
the participants and provide a predeparture orientation.
Guidelines
The grants will begin on or about
September 15, 2009. The grant period
will be 12 to 18 months in duration, as
appropriate for the applicant’s program
design. Applicants should propose the
period of the exchange(s) based on the
timeframes noted above, but the exact
timing of the project may be altered
through the mutual agreement of the
Department of State and the grant
recipients. The exchange should be no
less than 25 days in duration, including
international travel time.
The participants will be students
between the ages of 15 and 17 who have
demonstrated leadership potential in
their schools and/or communities. The
educators will be high school teachers,
or possibly community leaders who
work with youth, who have
demonstrated an interest in promoting
youth leadership. For the Anglophone
countries, participants will be proficient
in the English language. Language
interpreters must be provided for the
participants from the Francophone
countries. Where possible, U.S. Embassy
staff will seek educators with some
English ability.
In pursuit of the goals outlined above,
the grant recipients will provide the
following:
• Information about the U.S. program
and pre-departure materials to help the
U.S. Embassies, participants, and their
families in preparation for the exchange.
• French language interpreters
(including fees, domestic travel to
program sites, and per diem).
• A welcome orientation.
• Approximately two weeks of
activities in one or two communities in
the United States that provide a
substantive program on civic education,
community activism, and leadership
through both academic and
extracurricular components. A portion
of the program, from two to six days,
should be in Washington, DC. Activities
should take place in schools and in
community settings. Community service
must 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.
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• Homestay arrangements with
properly screened and briefed American
families for the majority of the exchange
period.
• Logistical arrangements,
disbursement of stipends, local travel,
travel between U.S. sites, lodging and
meals when not in the homestay.
• A closing session to summarize the
project activities and prepare
participants for their return home.
• Guidance on follow-on activities, in
coordination with the U.S. Embassies,
in order to advise the participants who
have returned home on how to apply
what they have learned during the
exchange to address a community need.
The proposal narrative must provide
detailed information on the program
activities outlined above, and applicants
should explain and justify their
programmatic choices. Proposals must
demonstrate how the stated objectives
will be met. Programs must comply with
J–1 visa regulations for the International
Visitor and Government Visitor
categories.
It is essential that all applicants refer
to the three documents in 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: 2009.
Approximate Total Funding:
Approximate Number of Awards:
Two.
Sub-Saharan Africa Youth Leadership
Program—Anglophone Countries:
$210,000.
Sub-Saharan Africa Youth Leadership
Program—Francophone Countries:
$375,000.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending
availability of funds, September 15,
2009.
Anticipated Project Completion Date:
12 to 18 months after the onset of the
award, to be determined by the
applicant according to its program
design.
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 USC 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds
There is no minimum or maximum
percentage required for this
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competition. However, the Bureau
encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
Please note that cost sharing is one of
the criteria by which proposals will be
judged.
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 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
III.3.a. Bureau grant guidelines require
that applicant organizations and subaward organizations with less than four
years experience in conducting
international exchanges be limited to
$60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA
anticipates awarding two grants, each
exceeding $60,000, to support program
and administrative costs required to
implement this exchange program.
Therefore, organizations with less than
four years experience in conducting
international exchanges at the time of
application are not eligible to apply
under this competition. [Note:
Organizations may apply for the
Anglophone Countries program or for
the Francophone Countries program;
they may not apply for both.]
III.3.b. The Bureau encourages
applicants to provide maximum levels
of cost sharing and funding in support
of its programs. Payments for homestays
are not allowed as either a grant-funded
or cost-share line item. The grant
recipient will enroll exchange
participants in ECA’s Accident and
Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE).
Applicants need not include these
health benefits costs in their budgets.
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
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until the proposal review process has been
completed.
IV.1. Contact Information To Request an
Application Package
Please contact the Youth Programs
Division, Office of Citizen Exchanges,
ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, U.S.
Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Telephone (202) 453–8171, Fax (202)
453–8169; E-mail:
PiersonCompeauHM@state.gov to
request a Solicitation Package. Please
refer to the Funding Opportunity
Number ECA/PE/C/PY–09–42 when
making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic
application package may be obtained
from https://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 Program Officer Shalita
Jones and refer to the Funding
Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY–09–
42 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/grants/
open2.html, 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
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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.
Please Note: Effective January 7, 2009,
all applicants for ECA Federal
assistance awards must include in their
application the names of directors and/
or senior executives (current officers,
trustees, and key employees, regardless
of amount of compensation). In
fulfilling this requirement, applicants
must submit information in one of the
following ways:
(1) Those who file Internal Revenue
Service Form 990, ‘‘Return of
Organization Exempt From Income
Tax,’’ must include a copy of relevant
portions of this form.
(2) Those who do not file IRS Form
990 must submit information above in
the format of their choice.
In addition to final program reporting
requirements, award recipients will also
be required to submit a one-page
document, derived from their program
reports, listing and describing their
grant activities. For award recipients,
the names of directors and/or senior
executives (current officers, trustees,
and key employees), as well as the onepage description of grant activities, will
be transmitted by the State Department
to OMB, along with other information
required by the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act
(FFATA), and will be made available to
the public by the Office of Management
and Budget on its https://
USASpending.gov Web site as part of
ECA’s FFATA reporting requirements.
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:
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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 awards (either a
grant or cooperative agreement) under
this RFGP will be third parties
‘‘cooperating with or assisting the
sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s
program.’’ The actions of recipient
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 an award 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 critically
important emphases on the secure and
proper administration of Exchange
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence
by recipient 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
your organization has experience as a
designated Exchange Visitor Program
Sponsor, the applicant should discuss
their 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.
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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, socioeconomic 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
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 organization
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
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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 longerterm 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.)
Recipient organizations 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
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. Applicants may provide
separate sub-budgets for each program
component, phase, location, or activity
to provide clarification.
Please refer to the POGI and PSI for
complete budget guidelines and
formatting instructions.
IV.3.f. Application Deadline and
Methods of Submission
Application Deadline Date: May 21,
2009.
Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY–
09–42.
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., Federal Express, UPS, Airborne
Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express
Overnight Mail, etc.), or
(2) Electronically through https://
www.grants.gov.
Please Note: ECA strongly encourages
organizations interested in applying for
this competition to submit printed, hard
copy applications as outlined in section
IV.3f.1., below rather than submitting
electronically through Grants.gov. This
recommendation is being made as a
result of the anticipated high volume of
grant proposals that will be submitted
via the Grants.gov Web portal as part of
the Recovery Act stimulus package. As
stated in these RFGPs, ECA bears no
responsibility for data errors resulting
from transmission or conversion
processes for proposals submitted via
Grants.gov
Along with the Project Title, all
applicants must enter the above
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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, one fully-tabbed copy,
and five (5) copies with Tabs A–E and
appendices (no Tab F) should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, SA–44,
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY–09–42,
Program Management, ECA/EX/PM,
Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547.
With the submission of the proposal
package, please also e-mail the
Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative,
and Budget sections of the proposal, as
well as any attachments essential to
understanding the program, in Microsoft
Word and/or Excel to the program
officer at jonessa1@state.gov. The
Bureau will provide these files
electronically to the Public Affairs
Section at the U.S. Embassies 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
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Note: ECA strongly encourages
organizations interested in applying for
this competition to submit printed, hard
copy applications as outlined in section
IV.3f.1., above rather than submitting
electronically through Grants.gov. This
recommendation is being made as a
result of the anticipated high volume of
grant proposals that will be submitted
via the Grants.gov Web portal as part of
the Recovery Act stimulus package. As
stated in this RFGP, ECA bears no
responsibility for data errors resulting
from transmission or conversion
processes for proposals submitted via
Grants.gov.
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.
In addition, validation of an electronic
submission via Grants.gov can take up
to two business days.
Therefore, we strongly recommend
that you not wait until the application
deadline to begin the submission
process through Grants.gov.
The Grants.gov Web site includes
extensive information on all phases/
aspects of the Grants.gov process,
including an extensive section on
frequently asked questions, located
under the ‘‘For Applicants’’ section of
the Web site. ECA strongly recommends
that all potential applicants review
thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site,
well in advance of submitting a
proposal through the Grants.gov system.
ECA bears no responsibility for data
errors resulting from transmission or
conversion processes.
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
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15815
the application deadline date will be
automatically rejected by the grants.gov
system, and will be technically
ineligible.
Please refer to the Grants.gov Web
site, for definitions of various
‘‘application statuses’’ and the
difference between a submission receipt
and a submission validation. Applicants
will receive a validation e-mail from
Grants.gov upon the successful
submission of an application. Again,
validation of an electronic submission
via Grants.gov can take up to two
business days. Therefore, we strongly
recommend that you not wait until the
application deadline to begin the
submission process through Grants.gov.
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
Technically eligible applications will
be competitively reviewed according to
the criteria stated below.
1. Quality of the Program Idea:
Objectives should be reasonable,
feasible, and flexible. The proposal
should clearly demonstrate how the
institution will meet the program’s
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objectives and plan. The proposed
program should be well developed,
respond to the design outlined in the
solicitation, and demonstrate
originality. It should be clearly and
accurately written, substantive, and
with sufficient detail. Proposals should
also include a plan to support
participants’ community activities upon
their return home.
2. Program Planning: A detailed
agenda and work plan should clearly
demonstrate how project objectives
would be achieved. The agenda and
plan should adhere to the program
overview and guidelines described
above. The substance of workshops,
seminars, presentations, school-based
activities, and/or site visits should be
described in detail.
3. Support of Diversity: The proposal
should demonstrate the recipient’s
commitment to promoting the
awareness and understanding of
diversity in program content.
4. Institutional Capacity and Track
Record: Proposed personnel and
institutional resources should be
adequate and appropriate to achieve the
program goals. The proposal should
demonstrate an institutional record,
including responsible fiscal
management and full compliance with
all reporting requirements for any past
Bureau grants as determined by the
Bureau’s Office of Contracts. The
Bureau will consider the past
performance.
5. Program Evaluation: The proposal
should include a plan to evaluate the
program’s success in meeting its goals,
both as the activities unfold and after
they have been completed. The proposal
should include a draft survey
questionnaire or other technique, plus a
description of a methodology to link
outcomes to original project objectives.
6. Cost-effectiveness and Cost
Sharing: The applicant should
demonstrate efficient use of Bureau
funds. 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.
The proposal should maximize costsharing through other private sector
support as well as institutional direct
funding contributions.
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 a
Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from
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the Bureau’s Grants Office. The FAA
and the original proposal with
subsequent modifications (if applicable)
shall be the only binding authorizing
document between the recipient and the
U.S. Government. The FAA 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://fa.statebuy.state.gov.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide ECA with a hard
copy original plus one copy of the
following reports:
1. Interim reports, as required in the
Bureau grant agreement.
2. A final program and financial
report no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award;
3. A concise, one-page final program
report summarizing program outcomes
no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award. This one-page
report will be transmitted to OMB, and
be made available to the public via
OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as
part of ECA’s Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act
(FFATA) reporting requirements.
4. A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress
Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program
reports.
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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: Shalita Jones,
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) 203–7507. Fax (202)
203–7529. E-mail: jonessa1@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and the reference number
ECA/PE/C/PY–09–42.
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 31, 2009.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational
and Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E9–7851 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
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[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15810-15816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7851]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6568]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: Youth Leadership Programs: Sub-Saharan Africa
Announcement Type: New grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-09-42.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: May 21, 2009.
Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs
Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces
an open competition for two Youth Leadership Program grants for
countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, one for 40 participants from four
Anglophone countries (Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa), and
one for 60 participants from six Francophone countries (Burkina Faso,
Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger). [Note: Target
countries may be subject to change.] Public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct a minimum of
two U.S.-based three-week exchange projects for combinations of two
Anglophone countries, or a minimum of three U.S.-based three-week
exchange projects for combinations of two Francophone countries. The
project activities will focus on civic education, leadership,
diversity, and community activism, which will prepare participants to
conduct follow up activities at home that serve a community need.
[[Page 15811]]
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-
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: The Youth Leadership Program for Sub-Saharan Africa will
support two grants for five projects that will bring teenagers, ages
15-17, and educators from selected countries to the United States for
three-week exchanges focused on developing leadership skills and civic
responsibility. The participants will be recruited from underserved
populations in these countries where youth are susceptible to adverse
influences. U.S. Embassies in the participating countries will recruit,
screen, and select the participants; provide pre-departure briefings;
facilitate visas; arrange international travel to the United States;
and provide support to alumni for follow-on projects. The grant
recipients will design and implement the U.S.-based exchange
activities.
The applicant organizations must propose projects that offer a
practical examination of the principles of democracy and civil society
as practiced in the United States, and provide skills training in
leadership, conflict management/resolution, and critical thinking that
will help students develop a better sense of civic responsibility and
foster respect for diversity and cross-cultural relationships based on
mutual understanding and respect.
Proposals must present a program plan that allows the participants
to thoroughly explore civic education in the United States in a
creative, memorable, and practical way. Activities should be designed
to be replicable and provide practical knowledge and skills that the
participants can apply to school and civic activities at home. The
project must include multiple opportunities for participants to
interact with American youth and educators, and include homestays with
American families.
The goals of the program are:
(1) To promote mutual understanding between the people of the
United States and the people of the partner countries;
(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; and
(4) To foster relationships among youth from different ethnic,
religious, and national groups.
In addition to the themes of civic education and leadership,
applicants are invited to include sub-themes on relevant issues
specific to the project countries (as listed above), particularly as a
mechanism for seeing what their peers in the United States are doing in
these areas, and as a tool for exploring the primary themes of the
program.
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 awarding two grants. One grant will support
two Youth Leadership projects for four Anglophone countries, and one
grant will support three Youth Leadership projects for six Francophone
countries. Organizations may submit one proposal for a minimum of two
projects for combinations of two Anglophone countries, or, submit one
proposal for a minimum of three projects for combinations of two
Francophone countries. Organizations may apply for the Anglophone
Countries program or for the Francophone Countries program; they may
not apply for both. The projects will be judged independently and
proposals will be compared only to proposals for the same area
(Anglophone or Francophone) of interest. Note that the U.S. Embassies
will be responsible for international travel; therefore, the grant
funds available through this solicitation are not to cover the
international airfare for the exchange participants.
Project A: Sub-Sahara Africa Youth Leadership Program--Anglophone
Countries
One Grant: Funding for this grant is approximately $210,000.
The program will be offered for a total of forty (40) participants:
eight (8) students and two (2) educators from each of the four
participating countries: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania.
[Note: Target countries may be subject to change, or, if less than four
countries participate the target number of 40 participants will be
spread among participating countries.]
Applicants must propose a minimum of two, three-week U.S.-based
exchange projects to take place between the months of November 2009
through December 2010. One project must take place either in late fall
2009 or early spring 2010. Each project must include two countries for
a minimum of 20 participants, eight (8) students and two (2) teachers
from each country.
Note: If less than four countries participate, the Bureau will
re-negotiate for one exchange project to include three countries for
thirty four (34) students and six (6) educators, or two countries
for thirty two (32) students and eight (8) educators.
Project B: Sub-Sahara Africa Youth Leadership Program--Francophone
Countries
One Grant: Funding for this grant is approximately $375,000.
The program will be offered for sixty (60) participants, eight (8)
students and two (2) educators from each of six participating
countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, Niger.
[Note: Target countries may be subject to change; or, if less than six
countries participate the target number of 60 participants will be
spread among participating countries.]
Applicants must propose a minimum of three, three-week U.S.-based
exchange projects to take place between the months of November 2009
through March 2011. One project must take place either in late fall
2009 or early spring 2010. Each project must include two countries for
a minimum of 20 participants, eight (8) students and two (2) educators
from each country. Each project will be conducted in French and must
include language interpreters arranged by the grantee organization.
Note: If less than six countries participate, the Bureau will
re-negotiate for two exchange projects. For example, one project
with 40 participants will include thirty-two (32) students and eight
(8) educators; one project with two countries will include twenty
(20) students and four (4) educators for a total of 24 participants;
or one project with three countries will include thirty (30)
students and six (6) educators for at total of 36 participants.
For Both Programs
Applicant organizations should outline their capacity for doing
projects of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency of the
staff directly associated with the program: (1) Provision of leadership
and civic education programming, (2) age-appropriate programming for
youth, and (3) demonstrated understanding of and
[[Page 15812]]
experience in programs with the specified geographic region. Applicants
need not have a partner in the participating countries, as the staff of
the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassies will recruit and
select the participants and provide a pre-departure orientation.
Guidelines
The grants will begin on or about September 15, 2009. The grant
period will be 12 to 18 months in duration, as appropriate for the
applicant's program design. Applicants should propose the period of the
exchange(s) based on the timeframes noted above, but the exact timing
of the project may be altered through the mutual agreement of the
Department of State and the grant recipients. The exchange should be no
less than 25 days in duration, including international travel time.
The participants will be students between the ages of 15 and 17 who
have demonstrated leadership potential in their schools and/or
communities. The educators will be high school teachers, or possibly
community leaders who work with youth, who have demonstrated an
interest in promoting youth leadership. For the Anglophone countries,
participants will be proficient in the English language. Language
interpreters must be provided for the participants from the Francophone
countries. Where possible, U.S. Embassy staff will seek educators with
some English ability.
In pursuit of the goals outlined above, the grant recipients will
provide the following:
Information about the U.S. program and pre-departure
materials to help the U.S. Embassies, participants, and their families
in preparation for the exchange.
French language interpreters (including fees, domestic
travel to program sites, and per diem).
A welcome orientation.
Approximately two weeks of activities in one or two
communities in the United States that provide a substantive program on
civic education, community activism, and leadership through both
academic and extracurricular components. A portion of the program, from
two to six days, should be in Washington, DC. Activities should take
place in schools and in community settings. Community service must 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.
Homestay arrangements with properly screened and briefed
American families for the majority of the exchange period.
Logistical arrangements, disbursement of stipends, local
travel, travel between U.S. sites, lodging and meals when not in the
homestay.
A closing session to summarize the project activities and
prepare participants for their return home.
Guidance on follow-on activities, in coordination with the
U.S. Embassies, in order to advise the participants who have returned
home on how to apply what they have learned during the exchange to
address a community need.
The proposal narrative must provide detailed information on the
program activities outlined above, and applicants should explain and
justify their programmatic choices. Proposals must demonstrate how the
stated objectives will be met. Programs must comply with J-1 visa
regulations for the International Visitor and Government Visitor
categories.
It is essential that all applicants refer to the three documents in
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: 2009.
Approximate Total Funding:
Approximate Number of Awards: Two.
Sub-Saharan Africa Youth Leadership Program--Anglophone Countries:
$210,000.
Sub-Saharan Africa Youth Leadership Program--Francophone Countries:
$375,000.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September
15, 2009.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: 12 to 18 months after the
onset of the award, to be determined by the applicant according to its
program design.
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 USC 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.
Please note that cost sharing is one of the criteria by which proposals
will be judged.
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
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
III.3.a. Bureau grant guidelines require that applicant
organizations and sub-award organizations with less than four years
experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $60,000
in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates awarding two grants, each exceeding
$60,000, to support program and administrative costs required to
implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges at the
time of application are not eligible to apply under this competition.
[Note: Organizations may apply for the Anglophone Countries program or
for the Francophone Countries program; they may not apply for both.]
III.3.b. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels
of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs. Payments for
homestays are not allowed as either a grant-funded or cost-share line
item. The grant recipient will enroll exchange participants in ECA's
Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE). Applicants need not
include these health benefits costs in their budgets.
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
[[Page 15813]]
until the proposal review process has been completed.
IV.1. Contact Information To Request an Application Package
Please contact the Youth Programs Division, Office of Citizen
Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547. Telephone (202) 453-8171, Fax
(202) 453-8169; E-mail: PiersonCompeauHM@state.gov to request a
Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number
ECA/PE/C/PY-09-42 when making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained
from https://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 Program Officer Shalita Jones and refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY-09-42 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/grants/open2.html, 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 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. Please Note: Effective January 7, 2009, all applicants for
ECA Federal assistance awards must include in their application the
names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers,
trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation). In
fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one
of the following ways:
(1) Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, ``Return of
Organization Exempt From Income Tax,'' must include a copy of relevant
portions of this form.
(2) Those who do not file IRS Form 990 must submit information
above in the format of their choice.
In addition to final program reporting requirements, award
recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived
from their program reports, listing and describing their grant
activities. For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior
executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as
the one- page description of grant activities, will be transmitted by
the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by
the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), and
will be made available to the public by the Office of Management and
Budget on its https://USASpending.gov Web site as part of ECA's FFATA
reporting requirements.
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 awards
(either a grant or cooperative agreement) under this RFGP will be third
parties ``cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of
the sponsor's program.'' The actions of recipient 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 an award 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 critically
important emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by recipient 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 your organization has experience as a
designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should
discuss their 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.
[[Page 15814]]
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 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 organization 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):
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.)
Recipient organizations 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
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. Applicants may
provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase,
location, or activity to provide clarification.
Please refer to the POGI and PSI for complete budget guidelines and
formatting instructions.
IV.3.f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission
Application Deadline Date: May 21, 2009.
Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-09-42.
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., Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal
Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
(2) Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.
Please Note: ECA strongly encourages organizations interested in
applying for this competition to submit printed, hard copy applications
as outlined in section IV.3f.1., below rather than submitting
electronically through Grants.gov. This recommendation is being made as
a result of the anticipated high volume of grant proposals that will be
submitted via the Grants.gov Web portal as part of the Recovery Act
stimulus package. As stated in these RFGPs, ECA bears no responsibility
for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes for
proposals submitted via Grants.gov
Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above
[[Page 15815]]
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, one fully-tabbed copy, and five (5) copies with Tabs
A-E and appendices (no Tab F) should be sent to: U.S. Department of
State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/
C/PY-09-42, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20547.
With the submission of the proposal package, please also e-mail the
Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, and Budget sections of the
proposal, as well as any attachments essential to understanding the
program, in Microsoft Word and/or Excel to the program officer at
jonessa1@state.gov. The Bureau will provide these files electronically
to the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassies 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 Note: ECA strongly encourages organizations interested
in applying for this competition to submit printed, hard copy
applications as outlined in section IV.3f.1., above rather than
submitting electronically through Grants.gov. This recommendation is
being made as a result of the anticipated high volume of grant
proposals that will be submitted via the Grants.gov Web portal as part
of the Recovery Act stimulus package. As stated in this RFGP, ECA bears
no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or
conversion processes for proposals submitted via Grants.gov.
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. In
addition, validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can
take up to two business days.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the
application deadline to begin the submission process through
Grants.gov.
The Grants.gov Web site includes extensive information on all
phases/aspects of the Grants.gov process, including an extensive
section on frequently asked questions, located under the ``For
Applicants'' section of the Web site. ECA strongly recommends that all
potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, well in
advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA
bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or
conversion processes.
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.
Please refer to the Grants.gov Web site, for definitions of various
``application statuses'' and the difference between a submission
receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a
validation e-mail from Grants.gov upon the successful submission of an
application. Again, validation of an electronic submission via
Grants.gov can take up to two business days. Therefore, we strongly
recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the
submission process through Grants.gov. 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
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below.
1. Quality of the Program Idea: Objectives should be reasonable,
feasible, and flexible. The proposal should clearly demonstrate how the
institution will meet the program's
[[Page 15816]]
objectives and plan. The proposed program should be well developed,
respond to the design outlined in the solicitation, and demonstrate
originality. It should be clearly and accurately written, substantive,
and with sufficient detail. Proposals should also include a plan to
support participants' community activities upon their return home.
2. Program Planning: A detailed agenda and work plan should clearly
demonstrate how project objectives would be achieved. The agenda and
plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described
above. The substance of workshops, seminars, presentations, school-
based activities, and/or site visits should be described in detail.
3. Support of Diversity: The proposal should demonstrate the
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of
diversity in program content.
4. Institutional Capacity and Track Record: Proposed personnel and
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve
the program goals. The proposal should demonstrate an institutional
record, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance
with all reporting requirements for any past Bureau grants as
determined by the Bureau's Office of Contracts. The Bureau will
consider the past performance.
5. Program Evaluation: The proposal should include a plan to
evaluate the program's success in meeting its goals, both as the
activities unfold and after they have been completed. The proposal
should include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique, plus a
description of a methodology to link outcomes to original project
objectives.
6. Cost-effectiveness and Cost Sharing: The applicant should
demonstrate efficient use of Bureau funds. 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. The proposal should maximize cost-sharing
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct
funding contributions.
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 a Federal Assistance Award (FAA)
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with
subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding
authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The
FAA 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://fa.statebuy.state.gov.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus one copy of the
following reports:
1. Interim reports, as required in the Bureau grant agreement.
2. A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after
the expiration of the award;
3. A concise, one-page final program report summarizing program
outcomes no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award. This
one-page report will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available to
the public via OMB's USAspending.gov Web site--as part of ECA's Federal
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting
requirements.
4. A SF-PPR, ``Performance Progress Report'' Cover Sheet with all
program reports.
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: Shalita Jones,
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) 203-7507. Fax (202) 203-7529. E-mail:
jonessa1@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and the reference number ECA/PE/C/PY-09-42.
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 31, 2009.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E9-7851 Filed 4-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P