65FR37591 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs: Program Title: Israel-Arab Peace Partners Program; Request for Proposals
robop...@us.govnews.org
Posting-number: Volume 65, Issue 116, Page 37591
[Federal Register: June 15, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 116)]
[Notices]
[Page 37591-37594]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15jn00-110]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 3334]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs: Program Title:
Israel-Arab Peace Partners Program; Request for Proposals
SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State announces
an open competition for grants under the Israel-Arab Peace Partners
Program. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit
proposals to develop and implement exchange programs involving
participants from both Israel and one or more Arab countries/entities
in the Middle East or North Africa. Four grant awards are anticipated,
as outlined below.
Program Information
Overview
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, consults with and supports
American public and private nonprofit organizations in developing and
implementing multi-phased, often multi-year, exchanges of
professionals, academics, youth leaders, public policy advocates, etc.
These exchanges are focused on issues crucial to both the United States
and the foreign countries involved, they represent focused,
substantive, and cooperative interaction among counterparts, and they
entail both theoretical and experiential learning for all participants.
A primary goal is the development of sustained, international
institutional and individual linkages. In addition to providing a
context for professional development and cooperative, international
problem-solving, these projects are intended to introduce participants
to one another's political, social, and economic structures. Desirable
components of an exchange may be local citizen involvement and
activities that orient foreign participants to American society and
culture.
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The Israel-Arab Peace Partners Program is based on the premise that
people-to-people exchanges--particularly those that are youth oriented
and that focus on cooperative efforts in community and institutional
development--will contribute to enhanced mutual understanding and will
increase the prospect for peaceful co-existence among Middle Eastern
societies, specifically between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Participants should include college and graduate students as well as
leaders and public policy advocates in various professions. In response
to the aspirations of this program, the Office of Citizen Exchanges
solicits proposals for four exchange projects that respond to the
project foci and guidelines suggested below.
1. Dispute Resolution/Conflict Prevention
This exchange should focus on pre-emotive dispute resolution, peer
mediation, and conflict prevention and management in the context of
school, community, and youth organization activities. Participants
might be teacher trainers, mediators, secondary school teachers, youth
organization leaders, and older students. The focus should be on
initiatives and programs that have been found to be effective in
defusing or managing conflict based on, or exacerbated by, communal
differences. The role played by the media in communal conflict, the
destructive effects of stereotyping and scapegoating, and the positive
potential for youth initiative and activism are all topics that might
be addressed. The project should entail two to three phases of
international travel, and it should directly involve, in the course of
its several phases, 15 to 20 foreign participants. Grant requests that
do not exceed $135,000 will receive priority consideration.
2. Environmental Concerns and Civic Responsibility
This exchange should engage teachers, trainers, project leaders,
and youth, and it should focus on environmental concerns, civic
responsibility, and activism/volunteerism. Community or school-based,
non-governmental organizations that have engaged in grass-roots
educational efforts and have mobilized local schools and youth groups
to undertake projects to conserve/protect the environment, perhaps
including or overlapping with grassroots lobbying efforts or the
initiation of public-private cooperative projects, are a model. The
project should entail two to three phases of international travel, and
it should directly involve, in the course of its several phases, 15 to
20 foreign participants. Grant requests that do not exceed $135,000
will receive priority consideration.
3. Strengthening Non-Governmental Organizations
This exchange should focus on developing, strengthening, and
managing community service-oriented, youth-based, non-governmental
organizations. The development of a sense of community service/
responsibility and a feeling of efficacy among the successor
generations of the Middle East may nurture a broader sense of
responsibility for cooperative efforts between/among communities. This
project may focus on leadership and management training as well as on
such organizational needs as education, recruitment, fundraising,
public relations, and program development. The project should entail
two to three phases of international travel, and it should directly
involve, in the course of its several phases, 15 to 20 foreign
participants. Grant requests that do not exceed $135,000 will receive
priority consideration.
4. A Community-Based Exchange
The applicant should propose a community-based exchange which would
bring together, in a sustained series of discussions and site visits,
young civic activists, organizational leaders, and public policy
advocates in various professions from five communities: One American
community, one Israeli community, and at least three communities
selected from potential partners: Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank/Gaza,
Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, or Oman.
This project should focus on a general theme of mutual importance to
the participating communities, such as conflict resolution, primary and
high school education, administration of justice, preventing corruption
in government, social welfare, urban environment, etc. This exchange
would involve a greater number of participants than the three projects
suggested above. Grant requests that do not exceed $161,000 will
receive priority consideration.
Suggested activities for the above projects might include:
1. Initial needs assessment/orientation travel (if necessary) by
American organizers to develop contacts and relationships with both
American Mission officers and counterpart organizations/individuals in
the countries with which the exchange will be conducted.
2. A U.S.-based program, including orientation to program purposes
and to U.S. society, discussions, site visits, limited shadowing or
internship opportunities.
3. A return visit by selected American professionals/youth to
collaborate with participants in the U.S.-based program in conducting
workshops, seminars, on-site training, networking.
4. Longer (two-week), intensive, joint internship in the U.S. for
two or three selected youth leaders--one Israeli; one or more Arab--
from the Middle East.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges encourages applicants to be
creative in planning project implementation. Activities may include
both theoretical orientation and experiential, community-based
initiatives designed to achieve concrete objectives.
Applicants should, in their proposals, identify any partner
organizations and/or individuals in the U.S. with which/whom they are
proposing to collaborate and justify on the basis of experience,
accomplishments, etc.
Selection of Participants
Successful applications should include a description of an open,
merit-based participant selection process. Applicants should anticipate
working closely with the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies
(PAS) abroad in selecting participants, with Embassies retaining the
right to nominate participants and to advise the grantee regarding
participants recommended by other entities.
Public Affairs Section Involvement
The Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies play an important
role in project implementation. Posts evaluate project proposals,
coordinate planning with the grantee organization and in-country
partners, facilitate in-country activities, nominate participants and
vet grantee nominations, observe in-country activities, debrief
participants, and evaluate project impact. U.S. Missions are
responsible for issuing IAP-66 forms in order for foreign participants
to obtain the necessary J-1 visas for entry to the United States. They
also serve as a link to in-country partners and participants.
Though project administration and implementation are the
responsibility of the grantee, the grantee is expected to inform the
PAS in participating countries of its operations and procedures and to
coordinate with and involve PAS officers in the development of project
activities. The PAS should be consulted regarding country priorities,
[[Page 37593]]
current security issues, and related logistic and programmatic issues.
Visa Regulations
Foreign participants on programs sponsored by ECA are granted J-1
Exchange Visitor visas by the U.S. Embassy in the sending country. All
programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to
Solicitation Package for further information.
Budget Guidelines
Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on
guidance provided in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the
Solicitation Package. Maximum award amounts are cited above. Grants
awarded to organizations with less than four years of experience in
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. Awards may not exceed the amounts cited in the guidelines
above. 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. Proposals that present evidence of
cost sharing--in cash or in kind--representing 33% or more of the total
cost of the exchange project will receive priority consideration.
Allowable costs include the following:
(1) Direct program expenses
(2) Administrative expenses, including indirect costs
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for 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-00-68.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/
PE/C, Room 224, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20547, attention: Thomas Johnston. Telephone number 202/
260-0299 or 202/619-5325; fax number 202/619-435; Internet address to
request a Solicitation Package, tjoh...@pd.state.gov. The Solicitation
Package contains detailed award criteria, required application forms,
specific budget instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal
preparation. Please specify Bureau Program Officer Thomas Johnston on
all 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, September
8, 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/PE/C-00-68, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336,
301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette,
formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS)
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. The Bureau will
transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs section at
the US Embassy for its review, with the goal of reducing the time it
takes to get embassy comments for the Bureau's grants review process.
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.'' Proposals should reflect
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent
deemed feasible.
Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)
The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific
requirements including data exchange with the Bureau. The inability to
process information in accordance with Federal requirements could
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been
accounted for properly.
The Bureau therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant
systems including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must
accurately process data and dates (calculating, comparing and
sequencing) both before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and
correctly adjust for leap years.
Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology
website at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.
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 Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public
Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards (grants or
cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
[[Page 37594]]
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 be substantive,
well thought out, focused on issues of demonstrable relevance to all
proposed participants, and responsive, in general, to the exchange
suggestions and guidelines provided above.
2. Implementation Plan and Ability to Achieve Objectives: A
detailed project implementation plan should establish a clear and
logical connection between the interest, the expertise, and the
logistic capacity of the applicant and the objectives to be achieved.
The plan should discuss, in concrete terms, how the institution
proposes to achieve the objectives. Institutional resources--including
personnel--assigned to the project should be adequate and appropriate
to achieve project objectives. The substance of workshops and site
visits should be included as an attachment, and the responsibilities of
U.S. participants and in-country partners should be clearly described.
3. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should include an
institutional record of successful exchange programs, with reference to
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with reporting
requirements. The Bureau will consider the demonstrated potential of
new applicants and will evaluate the performance record of prior
recipients of Bureau grants as reported by the Bureau grant staff.
4. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for
sustained follow-on activity (building on the linkages developed under
the grant and the activities initially funded by the grant, after grant
funds have been depleted), ensuring that Bureau-supported projects are
not isolated events.
5. Project Evaluation/Monitoring: Proposals should include a plan
to monitor and evaluate the project's implementation, both as the
activities unfold and at the end of the program. Reports should include
both accomplishments and problems encountered. A discussion of survey
methodology or other disclosure/measurement techniques, plus a
description of how outcomes are defined in terms of the project's
original objectives, is recommended. Successful applicants will be
expected to submit a report after each project component is concluded
or semi-annually, whichever is less frequent.
6. Impact: Proposed projects should, through the establishment of
substantive, sustainable individual and institutional linkages and
through encouraging maximum sharing of information and cross-boundary
cooperation, enhance mutual understanding among communities and
societies.
7. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Administrative costs should
be kept low. Proposal budgets that provide evidence of cost sharing
comprised of cash or in-kind contributions, representing 33 percent or
more of the total cost of the exchange will be given priority
consideration. Cost sharing may be derived from diverse sources,
including private-sector contributions and/or direct institutional
support.
8. Support for Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate support for
the Bureau's policy on diversity. Features relevant to this policy
should be cited in program implementation (selection of participants,
program venue, and program evaluation), program content, and program
administration.
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.
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: June 5, 2000.
Evelyn S. Lieberman,
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S.
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-14666 Filed 6-14-00; 8:45 am]
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