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[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 218 (Thursday, November 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67436-67438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28674]

[[Page 67436]]

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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

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(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: [email protected]> 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, 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 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

[[Page 67438]]

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 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 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
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