67436 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 218 / Thursday, November 9, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3463]

Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX)

Computer Training of Trainers

Workshop; Request for Proposals

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen

Exchanges, Division of the NIS

Secondary School Initiative of the

United States Information Agency’s

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs, announces an open competition

for the Computer Training of Trainers

Workshop for the Future Leaders

Exchange (FLEX) program. The FLEX

program brings secondary students from

the New Independent States (NIS) of the

former Soviet Union to the U.S. for an

academic year. During their time in the

U.S., FLEX students live with American

host families and attend U.S. high

schools.

The primary goal of the Computer

Training of Trainers Workshop is to

train the participants to educate others

in basic computer skills and Internet

access. Public and private non-profit

organizations meeting the provisions

described in IRS regulation 26 CFR

1.501(c) may submit proposals to

conduct a one-week workshop in

Spring, 2001 to train a minimum of 25

FLEX students. Participants will be

selected from among a group of 1155

students. The maximum grant award

will be $60,000. Provision of cost

sharing to maximize the number of

participants will be looked at very

favorably.

Program Information

The recipient of the grant is

responsible for developing and

conducting the Computer Training of

Trainers Workshop based on guidelines

set forth by the Division. The grantee

organization will also have

responsibility for selecting participants

in cooperation with their respective

placement organizations. Additional

responsibilities include coordinating

travel arrangements for each participant

from his/her host community to the

training site and return, and for

providing room and board for students

during their time at the workshop.

Overview

Workshop participants should be

selected according to computer ability

and interest as well as motivation to

help citizens of their countries. The

workshop should provide an

opportunity for participants to improve

their computer expertise and learn

about teaching methodology that will

empower them to instruct others.

Participants will be provided with tools

that will enable them to teach basic

computer skills. Participants should

also gain awareness of how computers

can enhance societal development

through communication with

appropriate organizations, distance

learning projects, local language web

sites, etc. Particular attention should be

paid to those issues that will be

especially significant to people from the

former Soviet Union. The program

should be arranged for seven days,

including arrival and departure.

Selection of workshop participants

will be completed by the recipient of the

grant in collaboration with placement

organizations. Currently, there are 16

organizations that are responsible for

placing FLEX students in American

homes and schools throughout the U.S.

They are also responsible for the

students’ well-being during their stay in

the U.S. For a complete list of these

organizations, please refer to the Youth

Programs Division web site: http://

exchanges.state.gov/education/citizens/

students.

Guidelines

The workshop should be held in

Spring, 2001, preferably in March or

April. Proposals must effectively

describe the organization’s ability to

accomplish the following essential

components of the program:

1. Provide a Computer Training of

Trainers Workshop, as described above

and, preferably, at the time period

indicated.

2. Include a description of the student

selection process.

3. Provide training for organization

staff on NIS society and culture.

4. Provide housing and meals for the

students throughout the program.

5. Arrange travel for students from

their U.S. host communities to the

training site, and return, in coordination

with FLEX placement organizations.

(Note: Students will likely be coming

from as many as 25 states.) Provide

ground transportation for students in

the training area, including to and from

airports.

6. Provide opportunities to attend

cultural events in the area.

7. Provide staff to assist in case of

medical emergencies.

8. Incorporate a program component

designed to facilitate students’

transition from the computer workshop

to their host communities.

9. Include a description of the ways

in which students will be encouraged to

share what they have learned, both in

their U.S. host communities and when

they return to their home countries.

10. Provide a mechanism in which

participants can continue to

communicate with each other upon

completion of the workshop.

11. Provide tools for evaluation of the

program in terms of its impact on the

students and its success in fulfilling the

objectives.

A competitive proposal will

incorporate important elements of

American/NIS culture in sessions that

are largely interactive and designed to

appeal to high school-age students. The

program must be substantive and

academic while, at the same time, be

paced realistically to meet the needs of

young people. A strong proposal will

reflect a clear, convincing agenda

outlining exactly how the program will

be carried out and how outcomes will

be accomplished as a result of the grant.

Knowledge of the current technological

capacity (Internet connectivity, e-mail,

hardware and software) of NIS countries

is essential.

Significant cost sharing is important

since it will enable a greater number of

students to participate. Therefore, those

proposals that show more generous and

creative cost sharing will be more

favorably viewed.

Please refer to the Program Objectives,

Goals, and Implementation (POGI)

section of the Solicitation Package for

greater detail regarding the design of

component parts as well as other

program information.

Budget Guidelines

Organizations must submit proposals

that arrange a program for a minimum

of 25 students, but may increase the

number of participants through cost

sharing. Proposals that maximize the

number of students will be favorably

viewed. One grant will be awarded for

this activity. It is estimated that the total

costs of the Computer Training of

Trainers Workshop will average $2,400

per NIS participant for a one-week

program, including U.S. domestic travel.

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive budget for the entire

program. Awards may not exceed

$60,000. There must be a summary

budget as well as breakdowns reflecting

both administrative and program

budgets. Please refer to the Solicitation

Package for further details and for

complete budget guidelines and

formatting instructions.

Allowable costs for the program

include the following:

(1) Transportation for participants from

their host U.S. cities/towns to

workshop site

(2) Daily travel to/from workshop site

location

(3) Room and board during the time of

the workshop

(4) Rental of facilities and equipment

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 218 / Thursday, November 9, 2000 / Notices 67437

(5) Fees for related activities/excursions

(6) Honoraria for speakers/trainers, as

appropriate

(7) Supplies

(8) Security services

Please refer to the Solicitation

Package for complete budget guidelines

and formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

All correspondence with the Bureau

concerning this RFP should reference

the above title and number ECA/PE/C/

PY–01–20.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

Youth Programs Division, Office of

Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room

568, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547,

phone: 202/619–6299, fax: 202/619–

5311, e-mail: <amussman@pd.state.gov>

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 Anna Mussman 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,

D.C. time on 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 seven copies of the

application should be sent to: U.S.

Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:

ECA/PE/C/PY–01–20, Program

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534,

301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20547.

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, socioeconomic 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

these goals in their program contents, to

the full 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. Eligible proposals will be

forwarded to panels of Bureau officers

for advisory review. Proposals may also

be reviewed by the Office of the Legal

Adviser or by other 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. Quality of the program idea:

Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, and relevance to

the Bureau’s mission.

2. Program planning: Detailed agenda

and relevant work plan should

demonstrate substantive undertakings

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan

should adhere to the program overview

and guidelines described above.

3. Ability to achieve program

objectives: Objectives should be

reasonable, feasible, and flexible.

Proposals should clearly demonstrate

how the organization will meet the

program’s objectives and plan.

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.

5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve the program or project’s goals.

Proposing organization should

demonstrate it has experience with

computer education, preferably with

youth, as well as familiarity with the

culture of the New Independent States

(NIS) of the former Soviet Union.

6. Track Record: Proposals should

demonstrate an institutional record of

successful 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. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed

programs should describe how

workshop participants will be motivated

and enabled to reach out to other

individuals in their home countries.

8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals

should describe how workshop

participants will be provided with

knowledge and tools that will prepare

them to share information and ideas

after their return to their home

countries.

9. Project Evaluation: Proposals

should include a plan to evaluate the

activity’s success. 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 a

final report after the project has been

completed.

10. 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

67438 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 218 / Thursday, November 9, 2000 / Notices

should be necessary and appropriate.

Proposals should maximize cost-sharing

through other private sector support as

well as institutional direct funding

contributions.

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 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 of the Freedom Support Act.

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: November 1, 2000.

Helena Kane Finn,

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau

of Educational and Cultural Affairs,

Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–28674 Filed 11–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3462]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs; NIS Community College

Partnerships Program

NOTICE: Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Global

Educational Programs of the United

States Department of State’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for an

assistance award program. Accredited

institutions offering the two-year

Associate’s degree and meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to pursue

institutional or departmental objectives

in international partnerships with

counterpart institutions from Georgia,

Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine

or Uzbekistan. The underlying purposes

of these partnerships should be: (1) To

support through teaching, scholarship,

and professional outreach from the

partner institutions, the transition of the

New Independent States to democratic

systems based on market economies;

and (2) to strengthen mutual

understanding and cooperation between

the United States and the New

Independent States. Eligible fields are

education, continuing education or

educational administration; the social,

political or economic sciences;

business/accounting/trade; or

journalism/communications.

Program Information

The NIS Community College

Partnerships Program is designed to

encourage community colleges to share

with their educational partners in the

NIS their practical experience in

designing and implementing programs

which provide targeted training in

professional fields; provide outreach

and services to surrounding

communities; and provide education to

underserved populations.

In general, underlying the specific

objectives of projects funded by this

program should be the goal of fostering

freedom and democracy through a

deepened mutual understanding of

fundamental issues and practical

applications in the encouragement of

civil society, economic growth and

prosperity, or the free flow of

information. Creative, innovative

strategies to address these underlying

concerns in the pursuit of clearly

defined institutional goals are

encouraged. The extension of

understanding about these issues

through outreach from academic

institutions to larger communities of

citizens and practitioners is encouraged,

particularly by linking educational

programs in the NIS to the communities

that they serve.

Support from the NIS Community

College Partnerships Program is limited

to partnerships with institutions in

Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia,

Ukraine and Uzbekistan. In addition,

the Bureau also supports institutional

linkages in higher education with

partners from these and other countries

in the New Independent States of the

former Soviet Union through the NIS

College and University Partnerships

Program. A Request for Proposals for

this project was announced on July 27,

2000 with a deadline of January 19,

2001. Community colleges are among

the institutions eligible to apply for that

competition. The Bureau supports

institutional linkages in higher

education with partners worldwide

through the College and University

Affiliations Program; a Request for

Proposals for this project was

announced separately on June 19, 2000

and has a deadline of November 13,

2000. Applicants interested in either of

these two programs should contact the

Bureau’s Humphrey Fellowships and

Institutional Linkages Branch at (202)

619–5289.

Applicant Objectives

In the NIS Community College

Partnerships Program, partner

institutions may pursue specific

institutional goals with support from the

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs through exchanges of teachers

and administrators for any appropriate

combination of teaching, consultation,

research, and outreach, for periods

ranging from one week (for planning

visits) to an academic year.

While the benefits of the project to

each of the participating institutions

may differ significantly in nature and

scope, proposals should outline wellreasoned strategies leading to specific,

demonstrable changes at the department

or institution in the NIS.

For example, proposals may describe

the parameters and possible content of

new courses, new research or teaching

capacities or methodologies, new or

revised curricula or programs, or other

changes anticipated as a result of the

project. Proposals to pursue a limited

number of related thematic objectives at

each institution are preferred to

proposals addressing a large number of

unrelated objectives.

Proposals must focus on curriculum,

faculty, and staff development at the

NIS partner institution(s) in one or more

of the eligible disciplines.

Administrative reform at the foreign

partner institution should also be a

project component. Projects should

involve the development of new

academic programs or the building and/

or restructuring of an existing program

or programs, and should promote higher

education’s role in the transition to

market economies and open democratic

systems. Whenever feasible, participants