Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs NIS Secondary School Partnership Program

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3182]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs NIS Secondary School

Partnership Program

NOTICE: Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, in

the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States

Department of State announces an open competition for the NIS Secondary

School Partnership Program. Public and private non-profit organizations

meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may

submit proposals to either enhance or expand existing partnerships or

develop new school partnership programs with Armenia, Azerbaijan,

Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, or Ukraine. All proposals must have

a thematic focus and feature on-going joint project activity between

the schools, a student exchange component, and an educator (teacher/

administrator) exchange component. The maximum grant award will be

$125,000 for single-country applications and $200,000 for multiple

country applications.

Program Information

The Secondary School Partnership Program is funded under the

Freedom Support Act to assist young people in building an open society

and developing democratic processes and institutions in the New

Independent States (NIS). This program provides grants to link schools

in the seven countries noted above with schools in the United States.

The U.S. recipient of the grant is responsible for recruiting,

selecting, and organizing a U.S. network of a minimum of two secondary

schools; strengthening an existing working relationship with an

organization or agency of government in the NIS responsible for a

network of at least two schools there; and linking the two networks in

one-to-one school partnerships through a thematic project and

substantive exchange activities.

Overview

The short-term goal of the school partnership program is to provide

partial funding for linkages between U.S. and NIS schools featuring

collaborative substantive projects and reciprocal student and educator

exchanges with strong academic content. The long-term goals are to: (1)

develop lasting, sustainable institutional ties between U.S. and NIS

schools and communities; (2) support democracy in the NIS; (3) advance

mutual understanding between the youth and teachers of the U.S. and the

NIS; and (4) promote partnerships developed through governmental,

educational, and not-for-profit sector cooperation that serve the needs

and interests of the schools.

The program has several defining features to help the participating

schools develop their partnership:

--Each partnership has a project theme and the students and

teachers in the two schools work on a joint project throughout the

school year related to this theme;

--The two schools develop a relationship over the course of an

academic year, through the planning process and the work on their joint

project, which is highlighted by exchanges from three weeks to ten

months in duration. Exchanges take place while the host school is in

session.

--The student and teacher exchanges must be reciprocal.

--The program includes educators (teachers and/or administrators)

in order to involve them in all aspects of the partnership and to

provide them access to resources for curriculum development and

educational training.

--During the exchange, participants attend class, are involved in

school-based activities, work on their joint project, perform community

service, visit educational and cultural sites, and reside with host

families.

An applicant may, but is not required to, propose one of several

optional features in its proposal. Please see these three optional

features described later in this solicitation.

Dates

Grants may begin on or about July 15, 2000, and cover the 2000-2001

academic year. The exact starting date of the grant will be dependent

on availability of funds.

Guidelines

A competitive proposal will present a project that builds upon

previous contacts and interaction between the proposed schools to help

ensure a solid foundation for the partnership. Partnerships should have

an existence beyond the scope of this initiative; that is, there should

be an inherent reason for the linkage apart from the availability of

grant funds. Organizers and school networks in the U.S. and NIS should

collaborate in planning and preparation. Applicants must have an NIS

organizational partner that has its base of operation in the partner

country and not in another country. Proposals should support a working

relationship that will produce something tangible and lasting in

addressing the interests of both sides, beyond the confines of the

funded project, such as the development of educational materials. The

proposal should specify measurable goals and objectives of the program.

In general, the Bureau seeks school partnerships that target under-

served countries or regions. For programs with Russia and Ukraine,

priority will be given to partnerships with schools located outside of

the Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev regions. Bureau funding may not be

used to supplant existing private sector funding. Competitive proposals

must demonstrate a solid and comprehensive follow-on plan to continue

after the grant has expired.

Proposals must clearly describe and define substantive

thematically-based projects for each school partnership that are the

focus of the exchange for both students and educators and on-going

joint project activity between the two schools. Specific activities,

products, curriculum materials, and pre-planning are areas that can be

addressed.

For example, what will the participants be doing and how is it

relevant to the thematic focus of the program? Applicants should

present a program that succeeds in linking the greater school

community. All participating schools must be identified. Proposals

should describe the selected theme, its importance to the schools and

communities, the specific academic activities, and the expected outcome

or product of the project. Possible themes include but are not limited

to the following: democracy education, volunteerism or community

service, conflict resolution, business management, health education,

environmental issues, youth leadership training, computer technology,

multicultural education, and agriculture.

Proposals must clearly present independent educator programs for

teachers/administrators. These programs could include curriculum

development seminars, shadowing of host peers in the classroom,

university-level courses, or other substantive activities, with an

emphasis on such themes as parent-teacher cooperation, model schools,

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teacher training, and collaboration with local businesses. A program

that relies on the educator to act as just an escort will not be

competitive.

Optional Features

An applicant may choose to present its proposed program in

accordance to the guidelines above or may choose to implement one of

the following features. Clearly indicate if you are including one of

these features and, if so, which one, on your application cover sheet.

All guidelines outlined in this solicitation still apply unless noted

below.

Feature One: Educators travel separately. In lieu of having

students and educators travel to their partner school together, the

applicant may arrange for an escort to accompany the student group

while up to two educators travel to the partner school at another time.

This arrangement would apply to both U.S. to NIS travel and NIS to U.S.

travel. Travel during the school year is preferred, but educators'

travel may take place during the summer if a significant component of

their exchange contributes to the development of the partnership

between the schools. This design will allow for sustained personal

contact throughout the school year and will allow educators to focus on

their own professional development during their exchange.

Feature Two: Grant period spans two school years. In lieu of having

one reciprocal exchange during the 2000-2001 academic year, the

applicant may arrange for each school to send and receive two smaller

delegations, once in 2000-2001 and again in 2001-2002 for a total of

four exchange trips. The grant period would start on or about July 15,

2000, and end on or about July 15, 2002. This design allows for longer,

sustained interaction between the schools. Grant requests, however, may

not exceed the limits noted in this solicitation.

Feature Three: Only one school partnership is formed. In lieu of a

network of schools in the U.S. and in the NIS, an applicant that is a

secondary school or school district may propose to link only one school

in the U.S. with one school in the NIS. The NIS organizational

coordinator may be an individual at the partner school as long as he or

she can fulfill the responsibilities outlined in this solicitation. The

grant request that accompanies applications with this feature may not

exceed $50,000.

Applicants that choose one of these features should provide a brief

explanation of why they have chosen to do so and how they believe it

will enhance their program.

Responsibilities

The U.S. organization receiving the grant will (1) design the

overall plan that integrates the joint project activity and the

exchange components of the partnership; (2) ensure quality control for

all program elements; (3) keep The Bureau informed of its progress; (4)

manage all travel arrangements, logistics, passports, visas, etc.; (5)

provide competent and informed escorts for student groups; and (6)

disburse and account for grant funds. Recipients of a grant are

responsible for ensuring the selection of exchange participants who are

most suited for the program and for providing them with a meaningful

pre-departure orientation. Selection of individual participants from

the U.S. and the NIS in the exchange components of the program must be

open, competitive, and merit-based; the proposal should describe the

mechanisms used for participant selection. All participants from the

U.S. and the NIS should represent the full diversity of their

communities (racial, ethnic, economic status, religious, etc.) to give

greater understanding to the culture and society as a whole.

Preference will be given to proposals that include schools that

have not received funding under the NIS Secondary School Initiative for

a total of three years.

Significant cost-sharing is mandatory in all proposals, and those

that show more generous and creative cost-sharing will be more

favorably viewed. Proposals that contain non-Bureau funded items such

as additional students and/or educators on the exchange, U.S.

participants paying for some of their own costs, computer software

purchases, cultural excursions, capital city civics programs, and other

significant items will be more competitive proposals than those that do

not. However, NIS participants may not be charged to participate in the

program, aside from paying for home country costs (such as

transportation to the point of departure), the costs of hosting the

U.S. students and educators, and miscellaneous expenses such as pocket

money.

Please be sure to refer to the Project Objectives, Goals, and

Implementation (POGI) section of the Solicitation Package for greater

detail regarding the design of the component parts as well as other

program information. Also consult the Proposal Submission Instructions

(PSI) for information on budget presentation and required forms.

Budget Guidelines

Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire

project. For single-country applications, awards may not exceed

$125,000 or the country allocation noted below, whichever is less.

Awards for one school partnership (optional feature three) may not

exceed $50,000. The maximum award for multiple country applications is

$200,000. The Bureau has set country allocations for this competition

and all proposals must adhere to these maximum amounts per country.

Only partnerships between secondary schools in the United States and

these countries are eligible for this competition.

Country allocations (subject to change): Armenia $97,000;

Azerbaijan $97,000; Belarus $97,000; Georgia $97,000; Moldova $68,000;

Russia $500,000; Ukraine $330,000.

Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years

of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be

limited to $60,000.

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. All program costs should clearly

indicate whether they cover U.S. or NIS participants. Be sure to note

the statement on cost-sharing in the Guidelines section. Please refer

to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and

formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFP should

reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C-00-26.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Youth Programs Division, Office

of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, U.S. Department of State,

301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone (202) 619-6299;

fax (202) 619-5311; E-mail [email protected] to request a Solicitation

Package. The Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria,

required application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard

guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify Bureau Program

Officer Carolyn Lantz on all other inquiries and correspondence. Please

read the complete Federal Register announcement before sending

inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed,

Bureau staff may not discuss this competition

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with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's

website at http://e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all

information before downloading.

Deadline for Proposals

All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational

and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday,

February 11, 2000. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time.

Documents postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not

be accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received

by the above deadline.

Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation

Package. The original proposal, one fully-tabbed copy, and seven copies

including tabs A-E and appendices should be sent to: U.S. Department of

State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C-00-

26, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20547.

Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and

``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette,

formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS)

format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. The Bureau will

transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs section at

the US Embassy for its review, with the goal of reducing the time it

takes to get embassy comments for the Bureau's grants review process.

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 physical challenges. 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 the total 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.'' Proposals should reflect

advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent

deemed feasible.

Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)

The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting

problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing

information in accordance with Federal management and program specific

requirements including data exchange with the Bureau. The inability to

process information in accordance with Federal requirements could

result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been

accounted for properly.

The Bureau therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant

systems including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must

accurately process data and dates (calculating, comparing and

sequencing) both before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and

correctly adjust for leap years.

Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the

General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology

website at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.

Review Process

The Bureau will 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 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 forwarded to

panels of Bureau officers for advisory review. Proposals may also be

reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Bureau

elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the

Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural

Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards (grants or

cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

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. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit

originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's

mission.

2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should

demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda

and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described

above.

3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly

demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and

plan.

4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen

long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of

information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual

linkages.

5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive

support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant

features should be cited in both program administration (selection of

participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content

(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials

and follow-up activities).

6. Institutional Capacity and Record: Proposed personnel and

institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve

the program or project's goals. Proposals should demonstrate an

institutional record of successful exchange programs, including

responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting

requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant

Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior

recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.

7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for

continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that

Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.

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

the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of

the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus

description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original

project objectives are recommended. Successful applicants will be

expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is

concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.

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9. Cost-effectiveness/cost-sharing: The overhead and administrative

components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be

kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and

appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other

private sector support as well as institutional direct funding

contributions.

10. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects

should receive positive assessments by the U.S. Department of State's

geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need, potential

impact, and significance in the partner country(ies).

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 the FREEDOM Support Act of 1992.

Notice

The terms and conditions published in this RFP 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 RFP 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.

Notification

Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.

Dated: December 14, 1999.

Evelyn S. Lieberman,

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, U.S. Department of State.

[FR Doc. 99-33062 Filed 12-20-99; 8:45 am]

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