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###### Department of State

          - [Public Notice 3461] 

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

The Office of English Language Programs, ECA/A/L, Room 304, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: 202/619-5869 and fax number: 202/401-1250, Internet address: http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​rfps to request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify Bureau Program Officer Catherine Williamson on all other inquiries and correspondence. 

                        Please read the complete                         **Federal Register**                         announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.                     

## To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet

The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​rfps. Please read all information before downloading. 

## Deadline for Proposals

All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, December 22, 2000. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not be accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by the above deadline. 

                        Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package. The original and ten copies of the application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/L-01-01, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.                               ( print page 65891)    

## Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines 

Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. “Diversity” should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical challenges. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program administration and in program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the “Support for Diversity” section for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal. Public Law 104-319 provides that “in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy,” the Bureau “shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries.” 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 this goal in their program contents, to the fullest extent deemed feasible. 

## Review Process 

The Bureau will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. 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 or cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer. 

## Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation: 

                        1.                         *Program Planning:*                         Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above.                     

                        2.                         *Ability To Achieve Program Objectives:*                         Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and plan.                     

                        3.                         *Multiplier Effect/Impact:*                        Proposed programs should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages.                     

                        4.                         *Support of Diversity:*                         Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant features should be cited in both program administration (selection of participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials and follow-up activities).                     

                        5.                         *Institutional Capacity:*                         Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals.                     

                        6.                         *Institution's Record/Ability:*                         Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.                     

                        7.                         *Follow-on Activities:*                         Proposals should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.                     

                        8.                         *Project Evaluation:*                         Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives is recommended. Successful applicants will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.                     

                        9.                         *Cost-effectiveness/cost-sharing:*                         The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.                     

                        10.                         *Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations:*                         Proposed projects should receive positive assessments by the U.S. Department of State's geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance in the partner country(ies).                     

                        11.                         *TEFL/TESL Background:*                        Proposal should demonstrate a plan to network that allows for the greatest dissemination of information to the profession of Teachers of English as a Second or Foreign Language; moreover, grantee must be able to provide knowledgeable, TEFL/TESL-qualified, experienced staff capable of interviewing candidates and evaluating their qualifications for teaching and/or developing materials or for conducting teacher training in the context of English as a foreign language in accordance with criteria established by the Bureau.                     

## 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. There will be three (3) sources of funding for this program: The Bureau's Exchanges Appropriation; and Support for East European Democracy (SEED) and Freedom Support Act (FSA) interagency transfers. 

## 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 programs and the                               ( print page 65892)                            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: October 26, 2000. 

Helena Kane Finn, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 00-28185 Filed 11-1-00; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8230-01-P