Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 1995 / Notices 10147

technical authority for grant awards

resides with the USIA 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. Institutional Reputation and

Ability: Applicant institutions should

demonstrate their potential for

excellence in program design and

implementation and/or provide

documentation of successful programs.

If an applicant is a previous USIA grant

recipient, responsible fiscal

management and full compliance with

all reporting requirements for past

Agency grants as determined by USIA’s

Office of Contracts will be considered.

Relevant substantive evaluations of

previous projects may also be

considered in this assessment.

2. Project Personnel: The thematic

and logistical expertise of project

personnel should be relevant to the

proposed program. Resumes or C.V.s

should be summaries which are relevant

to the specific proposal and no longer

than two pages each.

3. Program Planning: A detailed

agenda and relevant work plan should

demonstrate substantive rigor and

logistical capacity.

4. Thematic Expertise: Proposal

should demonstrate the organization’s

expertise in the subject area which

promises an effective sharing of

information.

5. Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate the recipient’s

commitment to promoting the

awareness and understanding of

diversity.

6. Cross-Cultural Sensitivity and Area

Expertise: Evidence should be provided

of sensitivity to historical, linguistic,

religious, and other cross-cultural

factors, as well as relevant knowledge of

the target geographic area/country.

7. Ability to Achieve Program

Objectives: Objectives should be

realistic and feasible. The proposal

should clearly demonstrate how the

grantee institution will meet program

objectives.

8. Multiplier Effect: Proposed

programs should strengthen long-term

mutual understanding and contribute to

maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual ties.

9. Cost-Effectiveness: Overhead and

direct administrative costs to USIA

should be kept as low as possible. All

other items proposed for USIA funding

should be necessary and appropriate to

achieve the program’s objectives.

10. Cost-Sharing: Proposals should

maximize cost-sharing through other

private sector support as well as direct

funding contributions and/or in-kind

support from the prospective grantee

institution and its partners.

11. Follow-on Activities: Proposals

should provide a plan for continued

exchange activity (without USIA

support) which ensures that USIAsupported programs are not isolated

events.

12. 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.

USIA recommends that the proposal

include a draft survey questionnaire or

other technique plus description of a

methodology to use to link outcomes to

original project objectives. Grantees will

be expected to submit intermediate

reports after each project component is

concluded or quarterly, whichever is

less frequent.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFP are binding and may not be

modified by any USIA representative.

Explanatory information provided by

the Agency 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 needs of the program

may require the award to be reduced,

revised, or increased. Final awards

cannot be made until funds have been

appropriated by Congress, allocated and

committed through internal USIA

procedures.

Notification

All applicants will be notified of the

results of the review process on or about

July 17, 1995. Awards made will be

subject to periodic reporting and

evaluation requirements.

Dated: February 14, 1995.

John P. Loiello,

Associate Director, Educational and Cultural

Affairs.

[FR Doc. 95–4193 Filed 2–22–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Generalized System of Preferences

(GSP); Initiation of a Review To

Consider the Designation of the West

Bank and Gaza Strip as a Beneficiary

of the GSP Program; Solicitation of

Public Comments Relating to the

Designation Criteria

AGENCY: Office of the United States

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation of public

comment with respect to the eligibility

of the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the

GSP program.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

initiation of a review to consider the

designation of the West Bank and Gaza

Strip as a beneficiary of the GSP

program and solicits public comment

relating to the designation criteria.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United

States Trade Representative, 600 17th

Street, N.W., Room 513, Washington,

D.C. 20506. The telephone number is

(202) 395–6971.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Trade

Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) has

initiated a review to determine if the

West Bank and Gaza Strip meet the

designation criteria of the GSP law and

should be designated as a beneficiary for

purposes of the GSP program, which is

provided for in the Trade Act of 1974,

as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461–2465). The

designation criteria are listed in sections

502(a), 502(b) and 502(c) of the Act.

Interested parties are invited to submit

comments regarding the eligibility of the

West Bank and Gaza Strip for

designation as a GSP beneficiary. The

designation criteria mandate

determinations related to such practices

as: participation in commodity cartels,

preferential treatment provided to other

developed countries, expropriation

without compensation, enforcement of

arbitral awards, support of international

terrorism, and protection of

internationally recognized worker

rights. Other practices taken into

account include: the extent of market

access for goods and services,

investment practices and protection of

intellectual property rights.

Comments must be submitted in 15

copies, in English, to the Chairman of

the GSP Subcommittee, Trade Policy

Staff Committee, 600 17th Street, N.W.,

Room 513, Washington, D.C. 20506.

Comments must be received no later

than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15,

1995. Information and comments

submitted regarding the West Bank and

Gaza Strip will be subject to public
10148 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 1995 / Notices

inspection by appointment with the

staff of the USTR Public Reading Room,

except for information granted

‘‘business confidential’’ status pursuant

to 15 CFR 2003.6. If the document

contains business confidential

information, 15 copies of a

nonconfidential version of the

submission along with 15 copies of the

confidential version must be submitted.

In addition, the submission should be

clearly marked ‘‘confidential’’ at the top

and bottom of each and every page of

the document. The version which does

not contain business confidential

information (the public version) should

also be clearly marked at the top and

bottom of each and every page (either

‘‘public version’’ or ‘‘non-confidential’’).

Frederick L. Montgomery,

Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.

[FR Doc. 95–4444 Filed 2–17–95; 2:20 pm]

BILLING CODE 3190–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Notice of Establishment of the

Advisory Committee on Minority

Veterans

SUMMARY: As required by Section 9(a)(2)

of the Federal Advisory Committee Act,

U.S.C. (App.l) 9(c), the Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) hereby gives

notice of the establishment of the

Advisory Committee on Minority

Veterans in compliance with Public Law

103–446, Title 5, Section 510. VA has

determined that this action is in the

public interest.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

objectives of this committee are to

advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

with respect to the administration of

benefits by the Department for veterans

who are minority group members

through review of reports and studies

pertaining to such veterans concerning

compensation, health care,

rehabilitation, outreach and other

benefits and programs administered by

the Department.

The Committee will make an

assessment of the needs of veterans who

are minority group members and review

VA programs and activities designed to

meet such needs. The Committee will

submit a report no later than July 1 of

each year to the Secretary on the

programs and activities of the

Department that pertain to veterans who

are minority group members.

The Committee membership will be

selected based on the criteria

enumerated in the authorizing statute.

That is: (i) Representatives of veterans

who are minority group members; (ii)

individuals who are recognized

authorities in fields pertinent to the

needs of veterans who are minority

group members; (iii) veterans who are

minority group members who have

experience in a military theater of

operations; (iv) and veterans who are

minority group members who do not

have such experience. The Committee

will include as ex officio members the

following: (i) The Secretary of Labor (or

a representative designated by the

Secretary after consultation with the

Assistant Secretary of Labor for

Veterans’ Employment); (ii) The

Secretary of Defense (or a representative

designated by the Secretary of Defense);

(iii) The Secretary of Interior (or a

representative designated by the

Secretary of interior); (iv) The Secretary

of Commerce (or a representative

designated by the Secretary of

Commerce); (v) The Secretary of Health

and Human Services (or a representative

designated by the Secretary of Health

and Human Services; and (vi) the Under

Secretary for Health and the Under

Secretary for Benefits, or their

designees. Minority group member

means an individual who is—(1) Asian

American; (2) Black; (3) Hispanic; (4)

Native American (including American

Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native

Hawaiian); or (5) Pacific Islander

American. The Secretary may invite

representatives of other departments

and agencies of the United States to

participate in the meetings and other

activities of the Committee.

Appointments will be for two years

unless otherwise directed by the

Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The Designated Federal Official for

the Committee is Anthony T. Hawkins,

Executive Director, Center for Minority

Veterans.

By Direction of the Secretary.

Dated: February 14, 1995.

Heyward Bannister,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 95–4387 Filed 2–22–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–M