AR Local Government Project

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

AR Local Government Project

AGENCY: United States Information Agency.

ACTION: Notice--request for proposals.

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TITLE: Public Administration at the Municipal Level: A Program for the

American Republics.

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) announces a competitive

grants program for non-profit organizations to develop programs in the

area of local government/public administration. The project should link

the U.S. organization's international exchange interests with

counterpart institutions or groups in the American Republics.

Interested applicants are urged to read the complete Federal

Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office or

submitting their proposals. After the deadline for submitting

proposals, USIA officers may not discuss this competition in any way

with applicants until final decisions are made.

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications concerning this

announcement should refer to the AR LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECT. This

announcement number is E/P-94-24. Please refer to this title and number

in all correspondence or telephone calls to USIA.

DATES: Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.

Information Agency by 5 p.m., Washington, DC time on March 24, 1994.

Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked

March 24, 1994, but received at a later date.

It is the responsibility of each grant applicant to ensure that

proposals are received by the above deadline. The grant project

activity should begin after July 1, 1994.

ADDRESSES: The original and 14 copies of the completed application and

required forms should be submitted by the deadline to: U.S. Information

Agency, Ref: AR Local Government Project (E/P-94-24), Grants Management

Division (E/XE), 301 4th Street, SW., room 336, Washington, DC 20547.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested organizations, institutions

should contact: Benjamin Cromer, American Republics and East Asia and

Pacific Division, Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P), room 220, United

States Information Agency, 301 Fourth Street, SW., Washington, DC

20547. Please telephone 202-619-5326 or fax 202-619-4350 to request

detailed application packets, which include award criteria, all

necessary forms, and guidelines for preparing proposals, including

specific budget preparation.

Objectives of the AR Local Government Training Program

The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) of the United States

Information Agency proposes a two-way exchange program for municipal

officials from the American Republics to study U.S. public

administration. This exchange will involve two components: A two-week

U.S. study tour by a delegation from the American Republics with a

follow-on visit to the region by U.S. public administration experts.

The U.S. tour will include stops in Washington and several small and

large cities and towns; in Washington, the delegation would meet with

officials of such organizations such as the U.S. League of Cities and

the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Program Guidelines: National governments in the American Republics

are increasingly decentralizing government, transferring such essential

services as health care and education from the federal and state level

to the cities. Moreover, these governments are looking toward the U.S.

for successful models to assist them in these efforts.

Reforms currently underway in the region include modernization of

local administrative operations, and improvements in sanitation,

education, and social services. Furthermore, in Argentina, the Interior

Ministry has unveiled new political reforms aimed at cities, such as

granting legal status to municipal political parties and giving voters

the power to recall elected officials. Assisting and influencing these

developments is an invaluable investment in democracy building and

another tool in the fight against official corruption in Latin America.

USIA is interested in proposals for programs that will foster

effective administration of local and regional governments in the

region. Programs might examine and seek to improve relationships among

local executive, legislative, and judicial elements, or they might

address the knowledge and skills necessary to administer one or more of

these branches of local government.

Program topics could include judicial administration, budget

development, financial management, tax policies and mechanisms,

election practices, management of municipal services, privatization of

government property, consumer protection, business regulation (as

opposed to control), licensing, or environmental protection. Programs

might further the development of information and library systems

relevant to local government or improve committee and staff structures

of local governments.

Study tours could examine specific issues such as city-state and

state-federal relations, explaining how local governments implement

state and federal programs, and the workings of city administrations,

exploring how cities can increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve

services, and satisfy local environmental concerns such as sewage

treatment and recycling requirements.

Training in the American Republics should be conducted mostly in

local centers, preferably those outside the capital city. Projects

should lay the groundwork for new and continuing links between

professional organizations in the U.S. and the American Republics.

The political climate facing U.S. cities, including municipal

elections participation by citizens in local elections, and the roles

of city managers, mayors, and city councils, is another aspect that

should be addressed.

Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, grant programs

must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and

representative of the diversity of American political, social and

cultural life.

Selection of Participants: Participants will be selected by USIS

Posts. Delegates should speak Spanish, or if they are from a non-

Spanish speaking country in Latin America, understand Spanish. Elected

and appointed officials from the Southern Cone region will be given

higher priority in the selection process, however, delegates from other

countries in the American Republics such as Colombia and Venezuela can

be included. Moreover, countries such as Honduras and Venezuela that

have recently introduced direct elections of local officials will be

given higher priority.

Delegates will also be selected for their ability to influence

local public administration in their home country. For instance,

Argentinean participants may be members of the National Academy of

Public Administration, which is establishing an Institute of City

Administration in Argentina, or from provinces where reforms are in

place. A byproduct of the program will be the interaction among

delegates who will be able to discuss common problems, and potential

solutions, with their peers.

This project will be executed by a U.S. not-for-profit institution

that, through its proposal, illustrates extensive experience and

success in coordinating international exchange programs. U.S.

organizations with established working relationships with counterpart

institutions in the American Republics will receive priority

consideration under this competition. At the conclusion of this

exchange, the grantee will conduct participant evaluations and submit a

final report to USIA.

Funding: Competition for USIA funding support is intense. Selection

of a grantee institution is based on the substantive nature of the

program proposal; the applicant's professional capability to carry the

program through to successful conclusion; and cost effectiveness such

as in-kind contributions and the ability to keep overhead costs at a

minimum.

USIA can devote up to $175,000 for this project; however,

organizations with fewer than four years of successful experience in

managing international exchange programs are limited to $60,000, and

their budget submission should correspond to this limitation.

All proposals should demonstrate in-depth, substantive knowledge of

the relevant issues, established connections with partner institutions,

and the capacity to organize and conduct the program. Organizational

abilities include: appropriate orientation activities for the

participants; detailed work plan for all phases of the project;

tentative agendas for study tours, workshops, and internships; letters

of commitment from internship hosts; and selection procedures.

Applicants may wish to consult the USIS office at the appropriate

U.S. Embassy before submitting proposals.

USIA will give priority to proposals from U.S. organizations with

partner organizations in the American Republics that can help ensure

the program meets its goals and objectives. Applicants are encouraged

to demonstrate partner relationships by providing copies of

correspondence or other materials as appendices to proposals.

Moreover, these partner institutions are encouraged to provide

cost-sharing or significant in-kind contributions such as local

housing, transportation, interpreting, translating and other local

currency costs and to assist with the organization of projects.

Materials Development: USIA encourages the development, where

needed, of written, audio and video materials in the local language to

enhance the programs. For example, if not already available, glossaries

of specialized terms in local government or public administration might

be developed.

Scope: Proposals should limit their focus to local governance.

Proposals for programs that are broader in scope will be eligible, but

are less likely to receive USIA support. USIA encourages proposals that

feature ``train the trainers'' models; the creation of indigenous

training centers; schemes to create professional networks or

professional associations to disseminate information; and other

enduring aspects.

Participant Selection: All grant proposals must clearly describe

the type of persons who will participate in the program as well as the

process by which participants will be selected.

Programs in support of internships in the U.S. must include letters

tentatively committing host institutions to support the internships. In

the selection of all foreign participants, USIA and USIS Posts retain

the right to nominate participants and to accept or deny participants

recommended by the program institution.

While applicants must provide an all-inclusive budget with the

proposal, they may also include separate sub-budgets for each program

component, phase, location, or activity. Competition for USIA funding

support is keen. Please note: All participants will be covered under

the terms of a USIA-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is

paid by USIA directly to the insurance company.

The following costs are eligible for funding:

1. Transportation costs. International and domestic air fares,

visas, transit costs, and ground transportation costs are eligible for

funding.

2. Per Diem. For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of

using a flat $140/day for program participants or the published U.S.

Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. For activities

outside the U.S., the published federal per diem rates must be used.

Note: Grantee staff must use the published federal per diem

rates, not the flat rate.

3. Interpreters. Interpreters for the U.S. program are provided by

the U.S. State Department Language Services Division. Generally, two

simultaneous interpreters are provided for every four visitors who need

interpretation. USIA grants do not pay for foreign interpreters to

accompany delegations from their home country. Grant proposal budgets

should contain a flat $140/day per diem for each Department of State

(DOS) interpreter, as well as home-program-home air transportation of

$400 per interpreter plus any U.S. travel expenses during the program.

Salary expenses for interpreters are covered elsewhere and should not

be part of an applicant's proposed budget.

4. Book and cultural allowance. Participants are entitled to a one-

time cultural allowance of $150 per person, in addition to a book

allowance of $50. Escorts are reimbursed for actual cultural expenses

up to $150. U.S. staff do not receive these allowances.

5. Consultants. Consultants may be employed to provide specialized

expertise or to make presentations. Generally, honoraria should not

exceed $250 per day.

Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the

written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor

should be included with the proposal.

6. Room rental. Room rental generally should not exceed $250 per

day.

7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase,

develop, and translate materials for participants.

8. One working meal per project. Per capita costs may not exceed

$5-$8 for a lunch and $14-$20 for a dinner; this amount includes room

rental if applicable. The number of invited guests may not exceed

participants by more than a factor of two to one.

9. A return travel allowance of $70 for each participant. This

allowance is for incidental expenditures incurred during international

travel.

10. Costs for an audit. The proposal MUST include the cost of an

audit that:

a. Complies with the requirements of OMB circular No. 1-133, Audits

of Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Institutions;

b. Complies with the requirements of the American Institute of

Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of Position (SOP) No.

92-9; and

c. Includes review by the recipient's independent auditor of a

recipient-prepared supplemental schedule of indirect cost rate

computation, if such a rate is being proposed.

The audit costs shall be identified separately for:

a. Preparation of basic financial statements, and other accounting

services; and

b. Preparation of the supplemental reports and schedules required

by OMB Circular No. A-133, AICPA SOP 92-9, and the review of the

supplemental schedule of indirect cost rate computation.

11. Cost-sharing. Cost-sharing in the form of allowable direct or

indirect costs is encouraged. The recipient must maintain written

records to support all allowable costs claimed as being its

contribution to cost participation, as well as costs to be paid by the

U.S. 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, Attachment

E, ``Cost-sharing and Matching'' and should be described in the

proposal. In the event the recipient does not provide the minimum

amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the recipient's budget, the

Agency's contribution will be reduced in proportion to the recipient's

contribution.

Application Requirements: Proposals must be structured in

accordance with the instructions contained in the application package.

Review Process: USIA acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will

review them for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed

ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines established

herein and in the application packet. Eligible proposals will be

forwarded to panels of USIA officers for advisory review. Proposals are

reviewed by USIS posts and by USIA's Office of American Republics.

Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of General Counsel or

other Agency offices. Funding decisions are at the discretion of the

Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final

technical authority for grant awards resides with USIA's contracting

officer.

The award of any grant is subject to availability of funds. The

U.S. Government reserves the right to reject any or all applications

received. USIA will not pay for design and development costs associated

with submitting a proposal. Applications are submitted at the risk of

the applicant; should circumstances prevent award of a grant all

preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.

USIA will not award funds for activities conducted prior to the

actual grant award.

Review Criteria: USIA will consider proposals based on the

objectives stated in this RFP, as well as the following criteria:

1. Quality of Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit originality

and relevance to USIA's mission, and demonstrate a clearly defined

need.

2. Institutional Ability/Capacity/Record: Applicants should

demonstrate the potential for program excellence by documenting

previous successful programs. If an organization is a former USIA grant

recipient, responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all

reporting requirements for past USIA grants is essential.

3. Project Personnel: Thematic and logistical expertise should be

relevant to the proposed program. Resumes included with the proposal

should reflect this relevance.

4. Program Planning: A detailed work plan should provide time-lines

for the accomplishment of each phase of the project and clearly

demonstrate how the grantee institution will meet these deadlines. In

addition, the work plan should indicate how it will accomplish project

goals.

5. Thematic Expertise: Proposals should demonstrate the

organization's expertise in the subject area.

6. Cross-Cultural Expertise and Area Expertise: Proposals should

show evidence of sensitivity to historical, linguistic, and other

cross-cultural factors, as well as relevant knowledge of the target

area/country.

7. Multiplier Effect/Follow-On Activities: Proposed programs should

strengthen long-term mutual understanding, facilitate sharing of

information, and establish long-term institutional and individual

relationships. Proposals should also reflect an institution's

commitment to continued exchange activity beyond the term of the USIA

grant.

8. Cost-Effectiveness: Overhead and administrative costs should be

kept as low as possible. All other items proposed for USIA funding

should be necessary and appropriate to achieve the program's

objectives.

9. Cost-Sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through

other private sector support as well as direct funding contributions

and/or in-kind support from the prospective grantee institution.

10. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate

the activity's success. The applicant should include a draft of a

questionnaire or other evaluation technique to demonstrate which

evaluation method will be utilized. Applicants will be expected to

submit intermediate reports after each project component is concluded,

or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.

Note: The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding

and may not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory

information provided by USIA that contradicts published language

will not be binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an

award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government. Awards cannot

be made until funds have been fully appropriated by the U.S.

Congress and allocated and committed through internal USIA

procedures. Applicants will be notified of the results of the review

process on or about June 1, 1994. Awarded grants will be subject to

periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

Dated: February 10, 1994.

Barry Fulton,

Acting Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

FR Doc. 94-3679 Filed 2-17-94; 8:45 am]

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