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[Federal Register: December 2, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 231)]
[Notices]               
[Page 75197-75205]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02de10-38]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 7254]

 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Youth Ambassadors Program With South America

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-11-18.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
    Application Deadline: January 27, 2011.

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 South America. 
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 the participants with three-week exchanges focused on civic 
education, community service, and youth leadership development, and to 
support follow-on projects in their home communities. Exchange 
delegations will travel from 10 South American countries to the United 
States, and U.S. exchange delegations will travel to select countries. 
ECA anticipates awarding multiple cooperative agreements that cover the 
administration of this program for two years. The awards will be 
contingent upon the availability of FY-2011 funds.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Authority

    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of 
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the 
program above is provided through legislation.

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 youth leadership development. 
Subthemes that explore these overarching themes may be added,

[[Page 75198]]

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 and 
subthemes, interactive training, presentations, visits to high schools, 
local cultural activities, civic education programming in Washington, 
DC or the capital city of the partner country, and other activities 
designed to achieve the program's stated goals. Multiple opportunities 
for participants to interact meaningfully with their peers of 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 FY2011 Youth Ambassadors Program will focus on the following 
countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, 
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the United States. It is 
anticipated that foreign participants will travel from all of these 
countries to the United States, and that American participants will 
travel to select countries.
    The goals of the program are to:
    (1) Promote mutual understanding between the people of the United 
States and the people of South America;
    (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.
    The objectives of the program are for participants to:
    (1) Demonstrate a better understanding of the elements of a 
participatory democracy as practiced in the United States;
    (2) Demonstrate critical thinking and leadership skills; and
    (3) Demonstrate skill at developing project ideas and planning a 
course of action to bring the projects to fruition.
    The primary themes of the program are:
    (1) Civic Education (Citizen Participation, Grassroots Democracy 
and Rule of Law);
    (2) Community Service; and
    (3) Youth Leadership Development.
    For each project, applicant organizations must focus on these 
primary themes. Secondary themes, such as the environment or business 
and entrepreneurship, will serve to illustrate the more abstract 
concepts of the primary themes. For example, the secondary theme of the 
environment can be used to examine how a group of individuals with an 
idea can start a recycling campaign in their community.
    Using these goals, objectives, and themes, applicant organizations 
should identify their own specific and measurable outputs and outcomes 
based on the project specifications provided in this solicitation. ECA 
does not anticipate award recipients achieving these overarching goals 
throughout one project; however, proposals should indicate how these 
objectives will be reached through these themes, and how they will 
contribute to the achievement of the stated goals.

Project Options

    The total amount of funding available is $3,000,000, pending 
availability of funds. ECA anticipates awarding multiple cooperative 
agreements for the management of the Youth Ambassadors Program with 
South America that together will cover all 10 countries. 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 addition, the 
Bureau reserves the right to adjust the participating countries should 
conditions change in the partner country or if other countries are 
identified as Department priorities. Organizations may apply for one, 
two, or three of the options outlined below, but must submit only one 
proposal under this competition. Multiple submissions will be declared 
technically ineligible and will not be considered further in the review 
process. 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 focus their applications on 
countries where they have the strongest organizational capacity. This 
capacity must be thoroughly described in the proposal. Please note the 
total approximate funding for each option.

Option 1: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and 
Venezuela (Approximately $2,000,000 Total, With One to Four Awards)

    A project conducted in English for participants from Argentina, 
Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and/or Venezuela. 
Approximately 15-20 participants from each country will travel to the 
United States each year. Award recipients are encouraged to send 
delegations that include participants from several countries; however 
not all delegations must travel to the United States at the same time. 
It is suitable to break them down into smaller single country or sub-
regional groups. Applicants who plan to send a large delegation to the 
United States at one time must propose a plan to break it into smaller 
cohorts for most of the exchange activities. In addition to the South 
American participants, 10-15 participants from the United States will 
travel to Paraguay and/or Uruguay each year. Delegations of American 
participants may alternate between specified countries and travel to 
Uruguay the first year and Paraguay the following year, or delegations 
may travel to both countries each year. The American participants 
should have conversational Spanish skills. Applicants are encouraged to 
be creative and flexible in making arrangements that will help meet our 
program goals.
    ECA may award more than one cooperative agreement from this option. 
Applicants must include at least two South American countries, and may 
include up to all seven countries, in their proposals. Applicants 
should apply for those countries where they have a strong 
organizational capacity with their in-country partner.

Option 2: Colombia and Ecuador (Approximately $500,000)

    A regional project conducted in Spanish for participants from 
Colombia and Ecuador. Approximately 15-20 participants from each 
country will travel to the United States each year. This regional 
project should include activities where participants from both 
countries interact to share ideas and work on program themes during the 
exchange in the United States. Delegations may be broken up into 
smaller sub-groups, but should keep a mix of participants from both 
countries. Special emphasis should be placed on recruiting participants 
from underserved communities. Spanish language interpreters should be 
provided for U.S. programming. In addition to the South American 
participants, 10-15 participants from the United States may travel to 
Ecuador. The American participants should have conversational Spanish 
skills.

Option 3: Brazil (Approximately $500,000)

    A single country, reciprocal project conducted in English for 
participants from Brazil and the United States. The total number of 
participants each year will be 37 Brazilians (35 youth, 2 adults) and 
10-15 Americans. For the Brazil project only, the U.S. Embassy in

[[Page 75199]]

Brasilia will serve as the in-country partner. The Embassy will manage 
the recruitment and selection of the Brazilian participants, cover 
their in-country expenses, arrange and purchase the international 
travel, oversee their follow-on activities, and administer the Brazil-
based exchange activities for the U.S. participants. The award 
recipient will be responsible for organizing and funding the U.S.-based 
exchange activities for the Brazilian participants. The recipient will 
also be responsible for recruiting and selecting the American 
participants and covering their pre-departure expenses, including 
passports and visas fees and international travel, paying for all 
program expenses in Brazil, as well as managing their follow-on 
activities. The exchanges to the U.S. will take place in January 2012 
and January 2013, and the exchanges to Brazil will take place in the 
summer of 2012 and 2013.

Participants

    Both the youth and adult participants must meet the following 
eligibility requirements:
    (1) Be citizens of the country from which they are applying;
    (2) Be selected through a merit-based competition;
    (3) Represent the diversity of their home country; and
    (4) Demonstrate an interest in the partner country and the project 
themes.
    Criteria for selection of the participants will include leadership 
skills, an interest in service to the community, strong academic and 
social skills, openness and flexibility. To reach beyond the elite, 
participants should be recruited from underserved or disadvantaged 
populations of youth in these countries, including public high schools. 
Geographic, socio-economic, and ethnic diversity is important, 
including outreach to indigenous and Afro-descendent populations. It is 
desirable that a few participants live in the same community to 
facilitate future collaboration upon their return to their home 
country.
    The youth participants must be high school students aged 15 to 18 
years old, with at least one semester of high school remaining. The 
adult participants may be teachers, trainers, school administrators, 
and/or 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 approximately 10:1, depending on the size of the 
exchange delegation.
    Except for participants from Colombia and Ecuador, all South 
American participants must have sufficient English language proficiency 
to participate fully in interactions with their host families and their 
peers and in educational activities. A similar level of Spanish 
language ability is required for the American participants traveling to 
Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay. Portuguese is not required for the 
Americans traveling to Brazil. For the U.S.-based activities that will 
be conducted in Spanish, the award recipient must provide 
interpretation and place the participants in host families where at 
least one member speaks Spanish.

Organizational Capacity

    Applicant organizations must demonstrate their capacity for 
conducting international youth exchanges, focusing on three areas of 
competency: (1) Provision of projects that address the goals, 
objectives, and themes outlined in this document; (2) age-appropriate 
programming for youth; and (3) previous experience working on programs 
in the region. Organizations must demonstrate their capacity to manage 
a complex, multi-phase program with several separate exchange projects.
    In addition to their U.S. presence, applicants must have the 
organizational capacity in the relevant countries through their own 
offices or through a partner organization or institution to recruit and 
select participants for the project, to provide follow-on activities, 
and to organize a content-rich program for the U.S. participants, if 
specified. The importance of a viable, experienced in-country partner 
cannot be over-emphasized. Applicants should consult with their 
partners and involve them in the preparation of the proposal. Before 
submitting a proposal, applicants may consult with Public Affairs 
Sections in U.S. Embassies for suggested partner organizations or 
concerning the selection and reliability of in-country partner 
organizations. Please e-mail ECA Program Officer Jennifer Phillips 
(PhillipsJA@state.gov) for Embassy contact information.

U.S. Embassy Involvement

    It is important that the proposal narrative clearly state the 
applicant's commitment to consult closely with the Public Affairs 
Section of the U.S. Embassy in the host country to develop plans for 
project implementation, including recruitment, selection and 
orientation of participants, publicity events, and follow-on 
activities, once a cooperative agreement is awarded. In countries where 
there is a reciprocal component involving U.S. citizen minors, the U.S. 
Embassy will provide oversight and monitoring; concur on housing 
arrangements, including host family locations (regions, neighborhoods); 
represent the U.S. Government while the exchange activities are taking 
place in the host country; and assist program staff and participants in 
the event of an emergency. At the same time, the cooperative agreement 
requires that the administering organization must be able to manage the 
program in the host country in its entirety, with little reliance on 
embassy staff for support. For the Brazil project only, the U.S. 
Embassy in Brasilia will serve as the in-country partner.

Guidelines

    Pending the availability of funds, it is anticipated that the 
cooperative agreement will begin on or about July 1, 2011. The award 
period will span approximately two years, and will cover all aspects of 
the programming in South America and the United States--recruitment, 
selection, and orientation of the participants, three weeks of exchange 
activities, and support of follow-on activities. Planning and 
preparation will start in 2011, and the exchanges will take place at 
various points throughout 2012 and 2013. 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 recipient. In addition, while the second 
year of the award period may build on lessons learned from the first 
year, proposals should include a plan for keeping the essential 
elements of the exchange, from project themes to regional groupings, 
the same in the second year.
    The award 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. Collaboration with Binational Centers (BNCs) is suggested, 
if possible. Once a cooperative agreement 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 reciprocal projects sending U.S. participants to 
South America, the recipients must manage the recruitment and open, 
merit-based selection of U.S. participants. The Department of State

[[Page 75200]]

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, ground 
transportation, accommodations, interpretation, group meals, and 
disbursement of stipends.
    Exchange Activities: Design and plan three weeks of exchange 
activities that provide a creative and substantive program that 
develops both the youth and the adult participants' knowledge and skill 
base in civic education, community service, and youth leadership 
development. The exchange will take place in the capital city 
(Washington, DC or that of the host country) and in one or two other 
communities. 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: Arrange home stays for the participants in the 
United States with properly screened and briefed American families for 
the majority of the exchange period. In the partner countries, home 
stays are strongly desired whenever feasible in properly screened and 
briefed South American families. Criminal background checks must be 
conducted for members of host families (and others living in the home) 
who are 18 years or older.
    Monitoring: Develop and implement a plan to monitor the 
participants' safety and well-being while on the exchange and to create 
opportunities for participants to share potential issues and resolve 
them promptly. The award recipient will be required to provide proper 
staff supervision and facilitation to ensure that the teenagers have 
safe and pedagogically rich programs. Staff, along with the adult 
participants, will assist the youth with cultural adjustments, provide 
societal context to enhance learning, and counsel students as needed. 
For the safety and security of both foreign and American participants, 
applicants must comply with the monitoring and supervision 
requirements, as well as the host family screening requirements, 
outlined in the POGI.
    Follow-on Activities and In-Country Programming: Plan and implement 
activities in the participants' home countries, particularly by 
facilitating continued engagement among the participants, advising and 
supporting them in the implementation of community service projects, 
and offering opportunities to reinforce the ideas, values and skills 
imparted during the exchange. Exchange participants should return home 
from the exchange prepared to conduct projects that serve a need in 
their schools or communities. To amplify program impact, proposals 
should present creative and effective ways to address the project 
themes, for both program participants and their peers.
    Evaluation: Design and implement an evaluation plan that assesses 
the short- and medium-term impact of the project on the participants as 
well as on host and home communities.

    Please Note: In a cooperative agreement, the Department of State 
is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond 
routine grant monitoring. The Department's activities and 
responsibilities for the Youth Ambassadors Program are as follows:
    (1) Provide advice and assistance in the execution of all 
program components.
    (2) Facilitate interaction within the Department of State, to 
include ECA, the regional bureaus, and overseas posts.
    (3) Arrange meetings with Department of State officials in 
Washington, DC and the partner countries.
    (4) Approve the final candidate selection and alternates.
    (5) Issue DS-2019 forms and J-1 visas for the foreign 
participants. All foreign participants will travel on a U.S. 
Government designation for the J Exchange Visitor Program.
    (6) Approve applications, publicity materials, and final 
calendar of exchange activities.
    (7) Approve housing arrangements, including the host families 
location (in South America only).
    (8) Monitor and evaluate the program, through regular 
communication with the award recipient and possibly one or more site 
visits.
    (9) In Brazil only, the U.S. Embassy will serve as the in-
country partner and manage the recruitment and selection of the 
Brazilian participants, cover their in-country expenses, arrange and 
purchase the international travel, oversee their follow-on 
activities, and administer the Brazil-based exchange activities for 
the U.S. participants.

Additional Information

    Award recipients will retain the name ``Youth Ambassadors Program'' 
to identify their project. All materials, publicity, 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.
    The organization must inform the ECA Program Officer of their 
progress at each stage of the project's implementation in a timely 
fashion, and will be required to obtain approval of any significant 
program changes in advance of their implementation.
    Proposals must demonstrate how the stated objectives will be met. 
The proposal narrative should provide detailed information on the major 
project activities, and applicants should explain and justify their 
programmatic choices. Projects must comply with J-1 visa regulations 
for the International Visitor and Government 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: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under Section I above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2011.
    Approximate Total Funding: $3,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: One to six.
    Approximate Average Award: $500,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $500,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $3,000,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, July 1, 
2011.
    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 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this 
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide 
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the

[[Page 75201]]

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 multiple 
awards in amounts 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. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels 
of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    (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. Please 
note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN 
number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting 
documentation outlined in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 
document.

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 
20037, by telephone (202) 632-9352, fax (202) 632-9355, or e-mail 
PhillipsJA@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY-11-18 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 Program Officer Jennifer Phillips and refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY-11-18 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. 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:

[[Page 75202]]

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, record-keeping, 
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, Private Sector 
Programs Division, U.S. Department of State, ECA/EC/D/PS, SA-5, 5th 
Floor, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines
    Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must 
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and 
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and 
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest 
sense and 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 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

[[Page 75203]]

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:
    IV.3e.1. 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 administrative and program budgets. Applicants may 
provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, 
location, or activity to provide clarification. Please refer to the 
Solicitation Package (POGI and PSI) for complete budget guidelines and 
formatting instructions.

IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission

    Application Deadline Date: January 27, 2011.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-11-18.
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-11-
18, SA-5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20037.
    With the submission of the proposal package, please also e-mail the 
Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, and Budget sections of the 
proposal, as well as any attachments essential to understanding the 
program, in Microsoft Word, Excel, and/or PDF, to the program officer 
at PhillipsJA@state.gov. 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 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.

[[Page 75204]]

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 (cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's 
Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
    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 award 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.1 Award Notices

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. 
Successful applicants will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) 
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with 
subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding 
authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The 
FAA will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and mailed to the 
recipient's responsible officer identified in the application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.

VI.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements 
include the following:
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles 
for Nonprofit Organizations.''
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles 
for Educational Institutions.''
    OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments''.
    OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative 
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher 
Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
    OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
    OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and 
Non-profit Organizations
    Please reference the following Web sites for additional 
information: 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 will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available 
to the public via OMB's USAspending.gov Web site--as part of ECA's 
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting 
requirements.
    (3) A SF-PPR, ``Performance Progress Report'' Cover Sheet with all 
program reports, including the SF-PPR-E and SF-PPR-F.
    (4) Quarterly or interim reports, as required in the Bureau 
cooperative 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.3.d.3 Application and Submission 
Instructions 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.

[[Page 75205]]

    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-11-18.
    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: November 23, 2010.
Ann Stock,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 2010-30241 Filed 12-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
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