34782 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 105 / Wednesday, May 31, 2000 / Notices

amended, also known as the FulbrightHays Act. The purpose of the Act is ‘‘to

enable the Government of the United

States to increase mutual understanding

between the people of the United States

and the people of other countries * * *;

to strengthen the ties which unite us

with other nations by demonstrating the

educational and cultural interests,

developments, and achievements of the

people of the United States and other

nations * * * and thus to assist in the

development of friendly, sympathetic

and peaceful relations between the

United States and the other countries of

the world.’’ The funding authority for

the program above is provided through

legislation.

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: May 16, 2000.

Evelyn S. Lieberman,

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and

Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–13542 Filed 5–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3320]

Discretionary Grant Programs

Application Notice Establishing

Closing Date for Transmittal of Certain

Fiscal Year 2000 Applications

AGENCY: The Department of State invites

application from domestic (U.S.) and

international non-profit and educational

organizations with interest and

expertise in providing administrative

and operational support to United States

sponsored programs in Cyprus. The

grantee will maintain and manage the

Bicommunal Support Program (BSP) to

be known as BSP 2000. The grant will

be awarded through an evaluation

process among the responding

organizations.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this

application notice is to inform potential

applicant organizations of fiscal,

programmatic information, and closing

dates for transmittal of applications for

Fiscal Year 2000 award under a program

administrated by the Department of

State. The program seeks to implement,

under the direction of the American

Embassy, Cyprus, a minimum of twelve

(12) bicommunal programs for Greek

Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots over a

fourteen-month period starting

approximately forty-five days from the

notification date of grant award, but not

later than 5 September 2000. The actual

number of programs will be determined

by availability of funds and changes in

political conditions on the island.

Organization Notice: This notice

contains three parts. Part I list the

closing date covered by this notice. Part

II consist of a statement of work (SOW)

for the program. Part III provides fiscal

information and evaluation criteria for

the program.

Part I—Closing Date for Transmittal of

Applications

An application for award must be

received by mail or hand delivered by

4 pm, local time, 30 June 2000.

Applications Delivered by Mail

An Application sent by mail must be

addressed to: Dr. Holly Peirce,

Bicommunal Coordinator, American

Embassy Nicosia, FPO, AE 09836.

Any applications received by the

advisory committee staff by mail after

the closing time and date, will not be

considered and will be returned

unopened to the applicant.

It is the responsibility of the applicant

to ensure any application is received on

time.

Application Delivered by Hand

An application that is hand delivered

must be to: American Embassy, North

Gate, Metochiou and Ploutarchou

Streets, Engomi, Nicosia, Cyprus,

Attention: Holly Peirce (x2064) or Rita

Shipillis (x2605).

The advisory committee staff will

accept hand-delivered applications

between 9 am and 4 pm, local time,

daily, except Saturdays, Sundays, and

Cypriot and U.S. Federal Holidays.

An application that is hand delivered

will not be accepted after 4:00 PM on

the closing date.

Part II—Program Information

Background

a. For decades, Cyprus has been an

island divided by strife between the

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot

communities. As a result, Cyprus is a

potential flash point between two

NATO allies, Greece and Turkey. The

U.S. is committed to finding a

reasonable and practical federal solution

to the Cyprus problem. We utilize two

main means in our efforts. Track I

focuses on bringing the leaders of the

two communities to negotiate a

resolution of their difficulties. Track II

creates the atmosphere for the political

leaders to reach a settlement, as well as

encouraging cooperation after a political

solution is reached, by bringing together

Cypriot opinion and business leaders on

projects and activities which emphasize

a political settlement. The BSP is a key

part of our Track II efforts.

b. The BSP was created in January

2000 to provide a funding mechanism

consistent with the legislative intent of

the Economic Support Funds (ESF)

annual earmark for Cyprus.

c. The BSP mechanism will carry out

U. S. Embassy-designed bicommunal

programs that involve key people and

institutions on politically sensitive

topics in support of Track I policy goals.

These programs will be distinct from

but complementary to, the UNDP/

UNOPS Bicommunal Development

Program, which funds practical

bicommunal projects and aims to

strengthen institutional development

and civil society, and with the Fulbright

Commission-administered CASP, which

funds scholarships, technical training

and open-competition bicommunal

programs.

d. The BSP program agent (the

Grantee) will implement BSP programs

by awarding sub-grants. In support of its

base of operations, it will maintain a

full-time resident representative in

Cyprus in a Nicosia Field Office to

organize bicommunal programs with

input from the U. S. Embassy’s

Bicommunal Team, communicated via

the Bicommunal Coordinator (BC) or

other designee. Because of the political

and economic conditions on the island,

the full-time resident representative

should be a locally hired American.

After a grantee is selected, the U. S.

Embassy BC will assist the grantee to

identify qualified candidates on the

island. Estimated recruitment cost of the

Field Office Representative (FOR)

(including advertising, travel, lodging,

and per diem either for a grantee

representative to come to Cyprus to

select and train the FOR or for the FOR

to go to the US for training) should be

itemized in the budget submittal. The

grantee has the option to send and

provide a representative to hire and

train the FOR in Cyprus, or conduct job

interviews by phone and train the FOR

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 105 / Wednesday, May 31, 2000 / Notices 34783

at a location of their choice. After

training, the grantee is to provide a

facility and the FOR will establish and

open the field office. The Grantee will

implement bicommunal programs under

the Embassy’s direction, in furtherance

of Track 1 policy goals. The BC or other

Embassy designee will approve all subgrants prior to award.

e. At present there is a TurkishCypriot ban on on-island bicommunal

activities that necessitates that programs

be conducted in the U.S. and third

countries. When the ban is lifted, more

programming will be done on-island.

All programs will be bicommunal in

nature; i.e. Greek Cypriots and Turkish

Cypriots will receive training or attend

conferences together. Occasionally it

may be necessary to conduct separate,

parallel training for both communities.

Most training will be of a professional

nature and focus on areas where both

communities will work together in the

future (e.g. environment, customs and

immigration, finance, health, federal

law enforcement, and federalism). Most

training will include an element of

conflict resolution skills. Groups will

likely range from four to twenty

participants off-island and more onisland. The typical program has lasted

between one and three weeks, with an

occasional smaller program of a longer

duration. Potential workshop topics

include, but are not limited to highway

planning, fire fighting, emergency

rescue techniques, NGO training, a

Cyprus documentary, and ESOL

teachers scholarships. The Bicommunal

Coordinator will assist the FOR in

bundling the selected programs for the

purposes of RFPs.

Scope of Work

The Grantee shall implement the BSP

program in accordance with the

following:

The Grantee will:

(1) Provide at a minimum one

permanent FOR, experienced in human

resource development, institution

strengthening, and technical assistance

programming.

In addition:

(a) Grantee must be a Program

Sponsor and be approved to write IAP66

forms for travel to the U. S. on J visas.

(b) Grantee must be aware that

acquiring visas for Turkish Cypriots to

most third-countries can be a lengthy

process.

(c) Grantee must be aware that

Turkish Cypriots must fly from Ercan

airport to Turkey and onward from

there. Most travel agents speak only

Turkish, but are accustomed to working

with U.S. Embassy programs.

(d) Grantee must be aware that Greek

Cypriots fly from Larnaca airport. Most

travel agents speak some English.

(e) The Joint Travel Regulations and

the Fly America Act apply to all travel.

(2) Provide FOR(s) with

administrative, logistics and

programming support in the United

States to carry out U.S.-based

workshops.

The FOR(s) will:

(1) The FOR(s) must be competent in

making travel and related arrangements,

to include assisting Cypriots in

acquiring visas to the U.S. and other

countries, as well as arranging on-island

speeches and programs.

(2) The FOR(s) must have excellent

written and spoken English skills.

(3) The FOR(s) must seek and obtain

policy guidance from the Embassy and

demonstrate ability to work effectively

in a highly charged and delicate

political atmosphere. Familiarity with

the Cyprus problem and/or experience

working in internal conflict situations

would be helpful.

(4) The FOR(s) must have the ability

to function unimpeded in both

communities (i.e., to cross the Green

Line between the Greek Cypriot and

Turkish Cypriot communities).

Currently Cypriots are prevented from

working in each other’s communities.

Due to the political sensitivity of the

program, it is necessary that neither

Greek Cypriots nor Turkish Cypriots be

hired for this program. A local hire

American citizen(s) should be

contracted for the position. (See point d

in Background section) Greek and/or

Turkish language skills are desirable,

but not necessary, as English is widely

spoken in the south and among the

target training audience. A translator

may occasionally need to be employed

for logistical dealings in the north.

Note: The Embassy will seek approval by

the Government of Cyprus to grant the FOR

administrative and technical (A and T)

status, thereby enabling the Grantee to obtain

a diplomatic pass, which facilitates travel to

the north. If such status is granted to the

Grantee, he/she becomes associated with the

U.S. Embassy and will be asked adhere to

U.S. Embassy standards of conduct. Note that

spouses of diplomatic personnel have

generally unimpeded access to the north and

would not need A&T status.

Work Requirements

The Grantee will manage the U.S.

Embassy Nicosia’s BSP funds over a

fourteen-month period. The Grantee

will:

1. Take direction from the U.S.

Embassy’s Bicommunal Team via the

Bicommunal Coordinator or other

embassy designated individual.

2. Implement programs requested by

the U.S. Embassy, via the Bicommunal

Coordinator, to train U.S. Embassyselected Greek Cypriot and Turkish

Cypriot participants either in the U.S.,

Cyprus, or a third country.

3. Implement a minimum of twelve

programs with the BSP 2000 funds

within the fourteen-month period.

4. Coordinate with the Program Office

any reprogramming of unspent BSP

funds six months prior to the end of the

grant.

5. Implement the program which will

include, but is not limited to:

Cyprus-based:

(a) Draft Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

for approval by the Bicommunal

Coordinator and the U.S. Embassy’s

Bicommunal Team.

(b) Handle pre-departure logistics,

including but not limited to: invitation

letters, international air travel, health

insurance for third-countries, passports,

visas, military-service waivers, U.S. tax

forms, and orientation in both

communities.

(c) Consult with Bicommunal

Coordinator and Public Affairs Officer

(PAO) regarding favorable publicity

opportunities.

(d) Issue participant reimbursements

for miscellaneous expenses.

(e) Debrief participants in conjunction

with Bicommunal Coordinator.

(f) Maintain accounting control over

the funds provided by BSP by following

standard U.S. accounting practices and

the requirements of OMB Circulars A–

122 and A–133.

(g) Obtain reports from sub-grantees

within sixty (60) days of program

completion for review by the

Bicommunal Coordinator and U.S.

Embassy’s Bicommunal Team.

U.S.-based:

(h) Issue, receive and evaluate offers

from RFPs submitted by potential subgrantee(s). Provide recommendations to

FOR and Bicommunal Coordinator.

(i) Negotiate package(s) with Embassyselected sub-grantee.

(j) Acquire health insurance for

participants in U.S.-based programs.

(k) Issue payments to sub-grantee(s).

(l) Maintain accounting control over

the funds provided by BSP by following

standard U.S. accounting practices and

the requirements of OMB Circulars A–

122 and A–133.

(m) Obtain reports from sub-grantees

within sixty (60) days of program

completion for review by the

Bicommunal Coordinator and U.S.

Embassy’s Bicommunal Team.

6. Liaison with main office in United

States.

7. Maintain office supervision of the

Nicosia Field Office. The person

34784 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 105 / Wednesday, May 31, 2000 / Notices

responsible for supervising the Nicosia

Field Office is required to visit Cyprus

at least twice during the grant for

consultations.

8. Ensure the Nicosia Field Office is

adequately covered, either locally or

from the U.S. office, during the local

Grantee’s vacations.

9. Obtain Embassy Nicosia

concurrence for other employment, or

membership in organizations, organized

political or other activity which could

give the impression of partiality to one

side or the other.

10. Establish the Nicosia Field Office

complete with phone, fax, email, and

computer with Grantee resources and at

the Grantee’s expense.

11. Have the Nicosia Field Office

functioning with the employee(s) in

place and work space acquired no later

than 45 days from the date which the

Grantee is notified of its bid being

accepted, or 5 September 2000,

whichever is sooner. The Grantee will

have at least half the RFPs announced

by 29 September and at least two

programs scheduled to begin no later

than 1 December 2000.

Reporting Requirements

a. The Grantee shall furnish two short

monthly reports (a Chronological

Individual Program Update and a

Financial Report) on the status of the

programs (including, but not limited to:

title, dates, location, purpose, numbers

of participants, sub-grantee, cost of

individual programs, remaining budget,

and any problems encountered) of the

requested workshops and activities to

the Bicommunal Coordinator on or

before the first Monday of each month.

The Embassy Bicommunal Team, via

the Bicommunal Coordinator or other

designee, has the authority to request

that additional information be included

in the reports if deemed necessary by

the Embassy.

b. Provide A/LM/AQM with one

administrative copy of each report.

c. The Grantee shall furnish seven (7)

copies of a quarterly report and a final

report in a format similar to the monthly

reports to the Embassy (Bicommunal

Coordinator, ADMIN, PAO, ECON/

USAID, POL, DCM, and Ambassador)

and one (1) copy to A/LM/AQM and one

(1) to the Cyprus Desk in Washington,

DC. The quarterly reports shall include

but are not limited to: title, dates,

location, purpose, number of

participants, sub-grantee, cost of

individual programs, unspent budget

funding, and any problems encountered

by the requested workshops to the

Bicommunal Coordinator no later than

September 30, 2000, December 30, 2000,

March 30, 2001, June 30, 2001, and

September 30, 2001. The Embassy

Bicommunal Team, via the Bicommunal

Coordinator or other designee, may

request additional information if

required by the Embassy.

d. The Grantee will revise the

Administrative Budget during the

seventh month to accurately reflect the

actual costs of the programs and assist

in the budgeting of future programs. If

actual costs have exceeded the fifteen

(15%) percent of the original budget, a

supplemental report must be submitted

to the Grant Officer explaining the

cause, with justification if possible,

within ten working days of the report.

e. The Grantee will provide reports on

each completed sub-grant, ensure that

best practices are implemented by all

participants, and make suggestions for

programs/economies/efficiencies, as

well as providing management and

accounting reports to improve the

operation of BSP.

f. Under no circumstances may the

Grantee expend or obligate the U.S.

government for costs in excess of this

cooperative agreement.

Part III—Fiscal Information and

Evaluation Criteria

Awards are contingent upon the

availability of funds. Funding may be

available at a level up to $1.6 million.

The precise level of funding will not be

known until legislative action is

complete. In Fiscal Year 1999 the

Congress appropriated ‘‘Economic

Support Fund’’ of $15,000,000 to be

used only for scholarships,

administrative support of the

scholarship program, bicommunal

projects, and measures aimed at

reunification of the island and designed

to reduce tensions and promote peace

and cooperation between the two

communities on Cyprus. The funding

for each area varies each year depending

upon events and conditions on the

island.

The Department cannot commit funds

that may be appropriated in subsequent

fiscal years. This potential multi-year

program cannot receive assured funding

unless such funding is supplied out of

a single year’s appropriation. Grant

agreements may permit the expenditure

from a particular year’s grant to be made

for up to three years after the grant’s

effective date.

Applications

Applications must be prepared and

submitted in seven (7) copies in the

form of a statement, the narrative part

should not exceed 15 double spaced

pages. A one page executive summary,

an itemized budget and budget

summary, and vitae of proposed staff

must accompany this, with the

exception of the FOR who may be hired

locally after the award. Applicants may

append other information they consider

essential, although bulky submissions

are discouraged and run the risk of

being confusing, conflicting, and

unclear. The one-page executive

summary and budget submission should

precede the narrative in the proposal.

The proposed program should be

described fully, including goals and

benefits for cooperation and

reunification of the two communities.

All applicants should provide detailed

information about their plans and

procedures for advertising, receiving,

reviewing, and awarding a minimum of

twelve programs, preferably in bundled

RFPs.

A description of affirmative action

policies and practices must be included

in the application.

Applications should include

certification of compliance with the

provisions: (1) The Drug Free Workplace

Act (PL 100–690) in accordance with

Appendix C of 22 CFR 137, Subpart F;

and (2) Section 319 of the Department

of Interior and Related Agencies

Appropriate Act (PL 101–121) in

accordance with Appendix A of 22 CFR

138, New Restrictions on Lobbying

Activities.

Grants awarded to eligible

organizations with less than four years

experience in conducting international

exchange programs will be limited to

$60,000.

Budget

Applicants should familiarize

themselves with Department of State

grant regulations contained in 22 CFR

145, ‘‘Grants and Cooperative

Agreements with Institutions of Higher

Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations’’ OMB Circular A–

110, ‘‘Grants and Agreements with

Institutes of Higher Education * * *

Uniform Administrative Requirements’’,

and ‘‘Audits of Institutions of Higher

Learning and other Non-profit

Institutions’’ OMB Circular A–133, and

indicate or provide the following

information:

(1) Whether the organization falls

under OMB Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost

Principles for Educational Institutions’’,

or OMB Circular A–122, ‘‘ Cost

Principles for Non-profit

Organizations’’;

(2) A detailed program budget

indicating labor categories, number of

employees proposed, hourly rates, and

number of hours proposed, applicable

overhead cost, administrative cost

including rent, utilities, office

equipment, travel expenses, supplies,

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 105 / Wednesday, May 31, 2000 / Notices 34785

etc, and overall indirect rates in cost

and by percentage. It is the desire of the

Department of State to have the

maximum utilization of the limited

funds used for program operation in lieu

of administrative and indirect cost. A

‘‘Special Note’’ to offerors. While the

grant may not be awarded on the basis

of lowest overall cost, the program cost

to administrative cost and the direct

cost to indirect cost ratios will be an

important issue in the final selection.

Applicants requesting funds to

supplement a program having other

sources of support should submit a

current budget for it showing how

specific lines in the budget would be

affected by the allocation of requested

grant funds. Other funding sources and

amounts, when known, should be

identified.

(3) The applicant’s cost sharing

proposal, if applicable containing

appropriate details and cross-references

to the requested budget.

(4) The organization’s most recent

audit report (the most recent U.S.

Government audit report if available)

and the name, address, and point of

contact of the audit agency. Notice to

Applicants: The threshold for grants

that trigger an audit requirement under

OMB Circular A–133 has been raised

from $25,000.00 to $300,000.00.

(5) An indication of the offer’s

priorities if funding is being requested

for more than one program or activity.

All payments will be made to the

recipient through the Department of

State.

Evaluation Factors and Proposal

Selection

A Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP)

will perform the technical review from

the U.S. Embassy’s Bicommunal Team

in Nicosia.

A/LM/AQM will make the final

selection after reviewing evaluation

results and recommendations from the

TEP. The applicant should describe its

overall organizational and management

structure. Domestic and international. It

should describe how the capabilities of

this structure will compliment actual

operation and success of the program. It

should describe all previous experience

with similar programs and layout

tentative operational plans that

demonstrate complete understanding of

the requirements of the Statement of

Work. The proposal should reflect the

institution’s expertise in international

affairs, especially those that pertain to

the current political, economic, and

social environment on the island of

Cyprus. Since the BSP focuses on

bringing together the Greek Cypriot and

Turkish Cypriot communities on

Cyprus, a perception of total

impartiality in the application will also

be a tantamount issue. The proposal

should also demonstrate the applicant’s

overall management approach is

rational and within reason. The

technical elements of the proposal will

be significantly more important than the

cost proposal in the final selection

process. The applicant should

specifically address each of the

evaluation criteria elements identified

below. The proposal should address

succinctly, but completely, the elements

described below and follow the format

requirements. Proposals should include

the following items:

TAB A—Table of Contents and

Executive Summary

TAB B—Narrative

The narrative should demonstrate

proven ability to handle logistics as

well as include the U.S.

institution’s mission and date of

establishment.

TAB C—Budget Submission

The budget included with the

proposal should be broken down

into the administrative direct cost

of the program and the indirect

cost. Direct costs are those costs

that are totally attributed to the cost

of the program. Indirect costs are

those costs that are attributed to the

overall operation of the

organization.

TAB D—Past Performance References

At a minimum, the applicant will

provide the following information

for three references:

• Name of the referenced organization

• Project name

• Project description

• Performance period of the contract/

grant

• Amount of the contract/grant

• Technical contact person and

telephone number for referenced

organization

• Administrative contact person and

telephone number for referenced

organization

A/LM/AQM may contact

representatives from the organizations

cited in the examples to obtain

information on the applicant’s past

performance. A/LM/AQM also may

obtain past performance information

from sources other than those identified

by the applicant.

Resumes

Resumes of any key program staff,

except the proposed FOR should be

included in the submission. Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve the program’s goals. Resume

should not exceed two pages.

The proposals will be considered on

the following criteria in priority order:

A. Organizational Capabilities

1. Organizational experience and/or

knowledge of the political, economic,

and social environment on Cyprus.

2. Demonstrates sensitivity to political

and cultural concerns of a divided

Cyprus.

3. Demonstrates an understanding of

the program.

4. Qualifications and experience of

corporate staff.

5. The organizational structure and

management capabilities of the offeror.

6. The international structure and

experience of the offeror.

B. Program Capabilities

1. Ability to have Nicosia Field Office

open by 21 August 2000.

2. Demonstrates understanding of

program and experience and knowledge

to provide the development of the

Bicommunal programs.

C. Program/Administrative and Direct/

Indirect Cost Comparisons and Overall

Cost

Proposal Deadline

Seven copies of the proposal should

be submitted by 30 June 2000, 4 pm

local time to:

An Application sent by mail must be

addressed to: Dr. Holly Peirce,

Bicommunal Coordinator, American

Embassy Nicosia, FPO, AE 09836.

An application that is hand delivered

must be to: American Embassy, North

Gate, Metochiou and Ploutarchou

Streets, Engomi, Nicosia, Cyprus,

Attention: Holly Peirce (x2064) or Rita

Shipillis (x2605).

Scott McDonald,

Post Management Officer, Bureau of

European Affairs, Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–13538 Filed 5–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–23–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3324]

Notice of Open Session of the Cultural

Property Advisory Committee

Pursuant to the authority vested in

me, under Department of State

Delegation of Authority No. 236–2, the

Cultural Property Advisory Committee

will meet in open session from

approximately 10 am to 12 noon, on

Wednesday, June 28, 2000. The session

will be held in the Trustees Room, 2nd

Floor, The New York Public Library,

Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, New

York, NY.