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[Federal Register: February 25, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 37)]
[Notices]               
[Page 8777-8784]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25fe10-146]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6905]

 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Youth Ambassadors Program With North America, Central 
America, and the Caribbean

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-10-29.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
    Application Deadline: April 22, 2010.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 
Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 
announces an open competition for the Youth Ambassadors Program with 
North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Public and private 
non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal 
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to 
recruit and select youth and adult participants, to provide them with 
three-week exchanges focused on civic education, community service, and 
leadership, and to support follow-on projects in their home 
communities. It is anticipated that exchange delegations will travel 
from select countries to the United States, and that U.S. exchange 
delegations will travel to select countries.

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

[[Page 8778]]

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.

Overview

    The Youth Ambassadors Program is a three-week exchange for high 
school youth (ages 15-18) and adult educators focused on civic 
education, community service, and leadership. Subthemes through which 
to explore those overarching themes may be added, such as the 
environment or business and entrepreneurship. Participants engage in a 
variety of activities, such as workshops on leadership and service, 
community site visits related to the program themes, interactive 
training, presentations, visits to high schools, local cultural 
activities, civic education programming, and other activities designed 
to achieve the program's stated goals. Multiple opportunities for 
participants to interact with peers while they are in the host country 
must be included. Follow-on activities with the participants are an 
integral part of the program, as the students apply the knowledge and 
skills they have acquired by planning service projects in their home 
communities.
    The FY 2010 Youth Ambassadors Program will focus on countries in 
North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and may include: 
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, 
Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, 
Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts and 
Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and 
Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. It is anticipated that the 
majority of participants will be foreign students traveling from these 
countries to the United States, and that a smaller number of American 
participants will travel to select countries. ECA reserves the right to 
adjust the participating countries should conditions change in the host 
country or if other countries are identified as Department priorities.
    The goals of the program are to:
    (1) Promote mutual understanding between the people of the United 
States and the people of the Americas;
    (2) Prepare youth leaders to become responsible citizens and 
contributing members of their communities;
    (3) Influence the attitudes of the leaders of a new generation; and
    (4) Foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, 
religious, and national groups and create hemispheric networks of youth 
leaders, both within the participating countries and internationally.
    For each project, applicant organizations must focus on the primary 
themes of civic education (grassroots democracy and rule of law), 
community service, and leadership development. Secondary themes, such 
as the environment or business and entrepreneurship, will be used as a 
tool to illustrate the more abstract concepts of the primary themes. 
For example, the secondary theme of the environment can be used to 
examine the interactions between federal, state, and local governments. 
Using these goals and themes, applicant organizations should identify 
their own specific objectives and measurable outcomes based on these 
program goals and the project specifications provided in this 
solicitation.
    ECA plans to award multiple grants for the management of the Youth 
Ambassadors Program with North America, Central America and the 
Caribbean. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase 
proposal project configurations, budgets, and participant numbers in 
accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. 
In one proposal, organizations may apply for one, two, three, or all 
four of the options outlined below, but must submit only one proposal 
under this competition. These options will allow applicants the 
flexibility to propose working with the countries in which they have 
the best infrastructure. The Bureau strongly urges organizations to 
limit their applications to the option(s) where they have the strongest 
institutional capacity in each country; this capacity must be 
thoroughly described in the proposal. Please note the approximate 
funding for each option.
Option 1: North America (Approximately $500,000)
    A trilateral program for 75-90 participants from Canada, Mexico, 
and the United States, that promotes the concept of North American 
integration. An equal number of American high school students will 
participate in a U.S.-based program alongside their Canadian and 
Mexican peers. The program will include a reciprocal component, where a 
small delegation of American participants will travel to Mexico.
Option 2: Central America (Approximately $1,500,000)
    A regional program for 120-150 participants from Costa Rica, the 
Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and 
Panama. Applicants should include participants from all countries in 
the U.S. program. In addition to the Central American participants, 35-
50 American teenagers will travel to at least three of the 
participating countries; applicants should propose the countries where 
they can provide the most comprehensive programming for the Americans. 
Please note that this project will be conducted in Spanish; 
participants will not need to have English skills to participate. The 
American participants should have Spanish skills.
Option 3: Caribbean (Approximately $650,000)
    A regional program for 75-100 participants from the Bahamas, 
Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to include participants from the 
majority of these countries in the U.S. program. Applicants may also 
include participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. 
Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (where 
diplomatic representation is handled from the U.S. Embassy in 
Barbados). In addition to the Caribbean participants, 25-30 American 
teenagers will travel to at least two of the participating countries; 
applicants should propose the countries where they can provide the most 
comprehensive programming for the Americans. All participants will have 
good English skills.
Option 4: Haiti (Approximately $350,000)
    A single-country program for 35-50 participants from Haiti. Please 
note that this project will be conducted in French; participants will 
not need to have English skills to participate. Given the current 
situation in Haiti, please see sections below for additional Haiti-
specific guidance.

Participants

    The youth participants must be competitively selected high school 
students, 15 to 18 years old, who have demonstrated leadership aptitude 
and a commitment to their communities. Participants should be recruited 
from underserved or disadvantaged populations of youth in these 
countries, including public high schools in order to reach beyond the 
elite. Geographic, socio-economic, and ethnic diversity is important, 
including outreach to indigenous, Afro-descendents, and rural 
populations. The exchange participants will also include adults who are 
teachers, school administrators, and/or

[[Page 8779]]

community leaders who work with youth; they will have the dual role of 
both exchange participant and chaperone. The ratio of youth to adults 
should be between 5:1 and 10:1, depending on the size of the exchange 
delegation.
    For the North American and the Caribbean projects that will be 
conducted in English, the participants must have sufficient English 
language proficiency to participate fully in interactions with their 
host families and their peers and in educational activities. The 
Central America projects will be conducted in Spanish and the Haiti 
project in French; therefore English will not be a requirement for 
those participants. The grantee organization will provide 
interpretation for the program and place participants with suitable 
host families. Spanish language ability is required for the American 
participants traveling to Spanish-speaking countries.

Organizational Capacity

    Applicant organizations must demonstrate their capacity for doing 
projects of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency: (1) 
Provision of programs that address the goals and themes outlined in 
this document; (2) age-appropriate programming for youth; and (3) 
previous experience working on programs in the region. Organizations 
must convincingly demonstrate their capacity to manage a complex, 
multi-phase program with several separate exchange projects.
    Applicants must have the organizational capacity in the relevant 
countries necessary to implement the in-country activities, or they 
must partner with an organization or institution with the requisite 
capacity to recruit and select participants for the program, to provide 
follow-on activities, and to organize a program for the U.S. 
participants, if specified. The importance of a viable, experienced in-
country partner cannot be over-emphasized. For the Caribbean regional 
project only, a partner could manage the program in multiple countries, 
provided they have the ability to work effectively in each country from 
which participants will be drawn. Applicants should consult with their 
partners in the preparation of the proposal. For suggested partner 
organizations, applicants may consult with the Public Affairs Section 
of the U.S. Embassies. For Haiti only, applicants should not consult 
with the U.S. Embassy and are not expected to have a firm commitment 
from their in-country partner. To the extent feasible, proposals should 
demonstrate organizational capacity and present a plan to implement the 
in-country activities.

U.S. Embassy Involvement

    Before submitting a proposal, applicants may consult with the 
Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in the relevant countries. 
Please e-mail ECA Program Officer Jennifer Phillips 
(PhillipsJA@state.gov) for contact information. It is important that 
the proposal narrative clearly state the applicant's commitment to 
consult closely with the U.S. Embassy in the relevant countries, once a 
grant is awarded, on a regular basis to develop plans for project 
implementation, including recruitment, selection and orientation of 
participants, publicity events, and follow-on activities. For Haiti 
only, applicants should route all communication through ECA and should 
not communicate with the U.S. Embassy directly until further notice.

Guidelines

    The grant will begin on or about July 1, 2010. The grant period 
will span two or more years, and will cover all aspects of the 
programming in Latin America and the United States--the recruitment, 
selection, and orientation of the participants, the three weeks of 
exchange activities, and support of follow-on activities. Planning and 
preparation will start in 2010, and the exchanges will take place at 
various points throughout 2011 and 2012. Applicants should propose the 
period of the exchange(s) in their proposals, but the exact timing of 
the project may be altered through the mutual agreement of the 
Department of State and the grant recipient.
    Each project should include participants from all countries in 
their program, but in the case of Central America and the Caribbean, 
they need not travel to the United States at the same time. It is 
suitable to break them down into smaller sub-regional groups. Each 
project will have at least two delegations of exchange participants to 
the United States over those two years that range between 20-30 
participants each. In cases where sub-regional projects are proposed, 
there will likely be more delegations each year. Applicants must 
propose a plan to break a large delegation into smaller cohorts for 
most of the exchange activities. Exchange delegations of American 
participants should be smaller, ranging from 7-15 participants, and may 
alternate between specified countries each year. For example, the 
Central America reciprocal component may send Americans to Guatemala 
and El Salvador the first year, and Panama and the Dominican Republic 
the following year. Applicants are encouraged to be creative and 
flexible in their arrangements that will help meet our program goals.
    The grant recipient will be responsible for the following:
    Recruitment and Selection: Manage the recruitment and merit-based 
selection of youth and adult participants in cooperation with the 
Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies in the participating 
countries. Once a grant is awarded, the recipient must consult with the 
Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy to review a participant 
recruitment and selection plan and to determine the degree of Embassy 
involvement in the process. Organizers must strive for regional, socio-
economic, and ethnic diversity, as well as gender balance. For those 
implementing projects that involve sending American participants to a 
partner country, the grant recipients must also manage the recruitment 
and open, merit-based selection of those U.S. participants. The 
Department of State and/or its overseas representatives will have final 
approval of all selected delegations.
    Orientations: Provide orientations for exchange participants and 
for those participating from the host communities, including host 
families.
    Logistics: Manage all logistical arrangements, including passport 
and visa applications, international and domestic travel, 
accommodations, group meals, and disbursement of stipends. For the 
Central America and Haiti component, this includes provision of 
effective interpretation and translation.
    Exchange Program: High school students and educators will spend 
three weeks on an intensive program that is designed to develop the 
participants' knowledge and skill base in civic education, community 
service, and youth leadership development. The exchange will take place 
in one or two geographic locations, and include activities in the 
capital city (Washington, DC or that of the host country). The 
exchanges will focus primarily on interactive activities, practical 
experiences, and other hands-on opportunities that provide a 
substantive project on the specified program themes. Some activities 
should be school and/or community-based, and the projects will involve 
as much sustained interaction with peers of the host country as 
possible (for both the youth and adult participants). Cultural, social, 
and recreational activities will balance the schedule.
    Accommodations: In the United States, participants will live with 
host families in home stays with properly

[[Page 8780]]

screened and briefed American families for the majority of the exchange 
period. In the partner countries, home stays are strongly desired 
whenever feasible.
    Monitoring: Develop and implement a plan to monitor the 
participants' safety and well-being while on the exchange and to 
resolve any issues promptly.
    Follow-on Activities and In-Country Programming: Plan and implement 
activities in the participants' home countries that will reinforce the 
ideas, values and skills imparted during the exchange. Exchange 
participants should go home from the exchange prepared to conduct 
projects that serve a need in their schools or communities. Alumni will 
be encouraged to make presentations to share their experience with 
their peers.
    Evaluation: Design and implement an evaluation plan that assesses 
the impact of the program.

Other Notes

    Grant recipients will retain the name ``Youth Ambassadors Program'' 
to identify their program. Materials produced for grant activities need 
to acknowledge the U.S. Department of State as the sponsor and reflect 
the State Department's goals for the program. The organization must 
also inform the ECA program officer of their progress at each stage of 
the project's implementation in a timely fashion. All materials and 
correspondence related to the program will acknowledge this as a 
program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. 
Department of State. The Bureau will retain copyright use of and be 
allowed to distribute materials related to this program as it sees fit.
    Proposals must demonstrate how the stated objectives will be met. 
The proposal narrative should provide detailed information on the major 
program activities, and applicants should explain and justify their 
programmatic choices. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations 
for the International Visitor category. Please be sure to refer to the 
complete Solicitation Package--this 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: 2010.
    Approximate Total Funding: 3,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: Three or four.
    Approximate Average Award: 1,000,000.
    Floor of Award Range: 300,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: 3,000,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: July 1, 2010.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: 24-34 months after start date, 
to be specified by applicant based on project plan.

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.
    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:
    (a) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less 
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be 
limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates making one award, 
in an amount 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 are ineligible to apply under this competition.
    (b) Proposed sub-award recipients are also limited to grant funding 
of $60,000 or less if they do not have four years of experience in 
conducting international exchanges.
    (c) The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of 
cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    (d) Organizations may submit only one proposal (total) under this 
competition. If multiple proposals are received from the same 
applicant, all submissions will be declared technically ineligible and 
will be given no further consideration in the review process.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note:  Please read the complete announcement before sending 
inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with 
applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

    IV.1. Contact Information to Request an Application Package:
    Please contact the Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, SA-5, 3rd 
Floor, U.S. Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20522-0503, by telephone: 202-632-6079, fax: 202-632-9355, or e-mail: 
YLP@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY-10-29 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 Bureau Program Officer Jennifer Phillips and refer 
to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY-10-29 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 http://exchanges.state.gov/grants/open2.html, or from the 
Grants.gov Web site at http://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.

[[Page 8781]]

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 http://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 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, recordkeeping, 
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 http://exchanges.state.gov or from: Office of Designation, ECA/EC/D, SA-5, 
Floor C2, Department of State, Washington, DC 20522-0582.
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

[[Page 8782]]

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 SF-424A--``Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs'' along with a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns 
reflecting both adminis- trative 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.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission
    Application Deadline Date: April 22, 2010.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-10-29.
    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 http://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 six (6) copies of the application should be sent 
to: Program Management Division, ECA-IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-10-
29, SA-5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20522-0504.
    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the 
Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, Budget sections of the proposal, 
as well as any attachments essential to understanding the program, in 
Microsoft Word and/or Excel format on CD-ROM. As appropriate, the 
Bureau will provide these files electronically to Public Affairs 
Section(s) 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 (http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 
packages are available at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the 
system.
    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 (http://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

[[Page 8783]]

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. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    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 objectives and plan. The proposed 
program should be creative, age-appropriate, 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 participant recruitment and selection and in program 
content. Applicants should demonstrate readiness to accommodate 
participants with physical disabilities.
    4. Institutional capacity and track record: Proposed personnel and 
institutional resources in both the United States and in the partner 
countries should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program 
goals. The proposal should demonstrate an institutional record of 
successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management 
and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau 
awards as determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The Bureau will consider 
the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential 
of new applicants.
    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. The grant recipient will be expected to submit intermediate 
reports after each project component is concluded.
    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, which demonstrates institutional and community 
commitment.

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.

[[Page 8784]]

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:
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
    http://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;
    (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.
    (4) Interim reports, as required in the Bureau grant agreement.
    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: Jennifer Phillips, 
Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, SA-5, 3rd Floor, U.S. Department 
of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522-0503, by telephone 
202-632-9352, fax 202-632-9355, or e-mail PhillipsJA@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and reference number ECA/PE/C/PY-10-29.
    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: February 17, 2010.
Maura M. Pally,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2010-3894 Filed 2-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
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