Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals; The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program; Organizational Component, 25755-25760 [2011-10769]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 87 (Thursday, May 5, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25755-25760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10769]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 7437]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals; The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program; 
Organizational Component

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-11-17.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.

DATES: Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: June 07, 2011.
    Executive Summary: The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program seeks 
to promote mutual understanding between the United States and the 
countries of Eurasia by providing secondary school students from the 
region the opportunity to live in American society for an academic 
year. In turn, these students will expose U.S. citizens to the culture, 
traditions, and lifestyles of people in Eurasia. Organizations are 
invited to submit proposals to recruit and select participants; prepare 
and process documents for approximately 1,134 participants (1,044 
academic year students and 90 short-term participants); organize and 
run pre-departure orientations in each country; produce program 
publications; organize staff and student travel; manage information for 
overseas and domestic support; communicate with the students' natural 
families while on program; provide advice and counseling for students 
and placement organizations; and plan and implement follow-up 
activities with alumni.

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 FLEX Program seeks to provide approximately 1,134 high 
school students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, 
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and 
Uzbekistan with an opportunity to live in the United States for the 
purpose of promoting mutual understanding between our countries. 
Participants will reside with American host families and attend high 
school during the 2012-13 academic year or participate in a summer 2013 
program.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2011.
    Approximate Total Funding: $11,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: One.
    Anticipated Award Date: August 2011.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 2012.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew this grant for two additional fiscal years before 
openly competing it again.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions

[[Page 25756]]

described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
    III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or 
maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau 
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and 
funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its 
proposal and later included in an approved 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

    Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with fewer than 
four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited 
to $60,000 in Bureau funding. Since an award to support administrative 
and program costs for this grant will exceed $60,000, organizations 
with less than four years experience in conducting international 
exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau 
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and 
funding in support of its programs.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note:  Please read the complete announcement before sending 
inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with 
applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

    IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please 
contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY/F, SA-5, 3rd 
Floor, U.S. Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20037 or wardca@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please 
refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY-11-17 located at 
the top of this announcement when making your request. Alternatively, 
an electronic application package may be obtained from grants.gov. 
Please see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application forms 
and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. It also contains the 
Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document, which 
provides specific information, award criteria and budget instructions 
tailored to this competition.
    Please specify Callie Ward and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C/PY-11-17 located at the top of this announcement on all 
other inquiries and correspondence.
    IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web site at 
https://exchanges.state.gov/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 
PSI and POGI documents for additional formatting and technical 
requirements.
    IV.3c. All federal award recipients and sub-recipients must 
maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration 
(CCR) database and have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number. Recipients and sub-recipients must maintain 
accurate and up-to-date information in the CCR until all program and 
financial activity and reporting have been completed. All entities must 
review and update the information at least annually after the initial 
registration and more frequently if required information changes or 
another award is granted.
    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 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 part 
62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J 
visa

[[Page 25757]]

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 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 part 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 part 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 part 62. If your organization has experience as 
a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, you should discuss your 
record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq., including the 
oversight of the organization's 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.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at https://exchanges.state.gov or from: Office of Designation, Private Sector 
Programs Division, U.S. Department of State, ECA/EC/D/PS, SA-5, 5th 
Floor, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
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 should 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 fullest 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 both outputs and 
outcomes should 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, including 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; and 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

[[Page 25758]]

years and provided to the Bureau upon request.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF-424A--``Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs'' along with a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. Budget requests may not exceed $11,000,000. 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.
    IV.3e.2. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete 
budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: June 07, 2011.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-11-17.
    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.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications
    Applications must be shipped no later than the above deadline. 
Delivery services used by applicants must have in-place, centralized 
shipping identification and tracking systems that may be accessed via 
the Internet and delivery people who are identifiable by commonly 
recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or 
before the above deadline but received at ECA more than seven days 
after the deadline will be ineligible for further consideration under 
this competition. Proposals shipped after the established deadlines are 
ineligible for consideration under this competition. ECA will not 
notify you upon receipt of application. It is each applicant's 
responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible 
tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the 
Internet. Delivery of proposal packages may not be made via local 
courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will 
not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above 
will be considered.
    Important note: When preparing your submission, please make sure to 
include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an 
envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
    The original and 5 copies of the application should be sent to: 
Program Management Division, ECA-IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-11-17, 
SA-5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20037.
    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the 
``Executive Summary'' and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the 
proposal in text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format, and the ``Budget'' 
section in spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel) format on CD-ROM. As 
appropriate, the Bureau will provide these files electronically to 
Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. embassy(ies) for its (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 Grant 
Opportunities'' page.

    Please Note: ECA bears no responsibility for applicant 
timeliness of submission or 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: grants.gov">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.

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. In addition, 
ECA will review the record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq. of 
applicant organizations designated as Exchange Visitor Program Sponsors 
by ECA's Office of Private Sector Exchange. If it is determined that an 
applicant organization submitting a proposal has a record of not being 
in compliance, their proposal will be deemed technically ineligible and 
receive no

[[Page 25759]]

further consideration in the review process. If in compliance, the 
applicant organization's record of compliance will be used as one 
factor in evaluating the record/ability of organizations to carry out 
successful exchange programs.
    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 also may 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 grant agreements resides with the Bureau's Grants 
Officer.
Review Criteria
    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: Your 
proposal should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and 
relevance to the Bureau's mission and design.
    2. Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate 
organizational competency and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan 
should adhere to the program overview, timetable and guidelines 
described in the POGI. Your proposal should clearly demonstrate an 
understanding of the program's objectives and how you will achieve 
them.
    3. Productivity and Innovation: Your proposal should specify and 
verify improved productivity as well as proposed program innovations in 
implementing the activity and lessons learned from conducting similar 
programs.
    4. Support of Diversity: Your proposal should demonstrate 
substantive support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and 
relevant features should be cited in both program administration (e.g., 
staffing, program venue) and program content (especially selection of 
participants and orientation).
    5. Organization's Institutional Capacity and Record: Your proposal 
must demonstrate a well-established infrastructure throughout Eurasia 
and procedures for dealing with situations where this is a challenge 
(e.g., Uzbekistan or Belarus). The proposal should reflect the needs of 
the hosting community (including the American host schools and the 
placement organizations) and a thorough understanding of how to work 
effectively with Eurasian authorities, including proposed scenarios for 
dealing with difficulties that might arise as a result of challenging 
governments in any of these countries. Your proposal also should 
demonstrate an institutional record of successful activities that are 
relevant to this program, as well as responsible fiscal management and 
full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau grants 
as determined by the Bureau's Grants Division. Proposed personnel and 
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve 
the program or project's goals. Reviewers will assess the applicant and 
its partners to determine if they offer adequate resources, expertise, 
and experience to fulfill program objectives. Partner activities should 
be clearly defined. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional 
record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal 
management and full compliance with all reporting and J-1 Visa 
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant 
Staff. In addition, organizations designated as Exchange Visitor 
Program Sponsors must include a discussion of their record of 
compliance with 22 CFR part 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, recordkeeping, 
reporting and other requirements. Proposals that fail to include the 
above information in their narrative will be deemed less or not 
competitive under this review criterion. ECA will review the record of 
compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq. of organizations designated as 
Exchange Visitor Program Sponsors as one factor in evaluating the 
record/ability of organizations to carry out successful exchange 
programs.
    6. Project Evaluation: Your proposal should include a plan to 
evaluate the success of the organization in achieving the stated 
objectives.
    7. Cost-Effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components 
of your proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as 
low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate. 
Your proposal should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector 
support as well as institutional direct funding and in-kind 
contributions.
    8. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Your activities in 
conducting similar activities under current and/or previous grants 
should receive positive assessments by overseas officers in the Public 
Affairs Sections (PAS) of the American embassies in partner countries.

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. A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award.

[[Page 25760]]

    2. 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.
    3. A SF-PPR, ``Performance Progress Report'' Cover Sheet with all 
program reports, including the SF-PPR-E and SF-PPR-F.
    4. Quarterly program and financial 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.
    VI.4. Optional Program Data Requirements: Award recipients will be 
required to maintain specific data on program participants and 
activities in an electronically accessible database format that can be 
shared with the Bureau as required. As a minimum, the data must include 
the following:
    (1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all 
persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the agreement 
or who benefit from the award funding but do not travel.
    (2) Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing 
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take 
place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be 
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Callie Ward, U.S. 
Department of State, Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY SA-5, 3rd 
Floor, H-15, ECA/PE/C/PY-11-17, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20037; 202-632-6431; wardca@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-11-17.
    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: April 26, 2011.
J. Adam Ereli,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2011-10769 Filed 5-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P