Secondary School Civic Education Curriculum Development Project for Azerbaijan; Request for Proposals.

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 92 (Thursday, May 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25956-25958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11974]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Secondary School Civic Education Curriculum Development Project 
for Azerbaijan; Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division of 
the Office of Academic Programs of the United States Information 
Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for a Secondary School Civic Education Curriculum 
Development Project for Azerbaijan. Public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 
1.501(c) may submit proposals to cooperate with USIA in the 
administration of a two-year project to support the development and 
utilization of new curriculum units for a civic education course 
entitled ``Man and Society'' for students in the tenth and eleventh 
grades in Azerbaijan. The grant will award up to $250,000 to facilitate 
the project.
    The grantee will work with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Education, 
Department of Curriculum Development and Educational Reform, which is 
the office of the Government of Azerbaijan directly responsible for 
national education and teacher training issues. The program will 
comprise three phases: (1) Preliminary consultations in Baku with a 
curriculum development team of Azerbaijani educators; (2) a three-month 
U.S.-based curriculum development workshop in which the team will 
produce draft curriculum units; (3) follow-up consultations in 
Azerbaijan to assist with the training of a larger group of Azerbaijani 
practitioners in the review and field-testing of the draft curriculum 
units. Upon the successful completion of Phases I-III, additional funds 
may be available to the grantee organization for a fourth phase of 
activity to cooperate with the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan, 
Department of Curriculum Development and Educational Reform, and the 
Azerbaijani curriculum development team to further review and revise 
the draft materials as needed and to provide broader training of 
Azerbaijani teachers and administrators for utilization of the revised 
curriculum units in Azerbaijani classrooms.
    USIA solicits detailed proposals from U.S. educational institutions 
and public and private non-profit organizations to develop and 
administer this project. Grantee organizations will consult regularly 
with USIA and with USIA's office in Azerbaijan (the U.S. Information 
Service in Baku) with regard to participant selection, program 
implementation, direction, and assessment. Proposals should demonstrate 
an understanding of the issues confronting education in Azerbaijan as 
well as expertise in civic education and curriculum development.
    The funding authority for the program cited above is provided 
through the Freedom Support Act as well as USIA's base budget. Programs 
and projects must conform with Agency requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA projects and programs are 
subject to the availability of funds.

Program Information

    Overview: The goal of the project is to assist the Ministry of 
Education, Department of Curriculum Development and Educational Reform 
in Baku, Azerbaijan, to develop up-to-date curriculum units to be 
taught at the tenth and eleventh grade levels and to assist in training 
teachers for the utilization of these units. The rationale for this 
project is that improving citizenship education at the secondary school 
level will better prepare Azerbaijani students to participate actively 
in building a pluralistic, democratic society, and will promote 
democratic relations among members of the school community, including 
students, teachers, school administrators, and parents. Applicants may 
suggest topics to be developed by the Azerbaijani curriculum team in 
their proposals; however, final determination of appropriate topics 
will be made by the curriculum development team and the Ministry in 
cooperation with the grantee organization during the first phase of the 
project.

Guidelines

Program Planning and Implementation

    Grants should begin on or around September 1, 1999, with Phase I of 
the project, in which a curriculum development team of six 
practitioners (e.g., classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and a 
Ministry official who will serve as the project director) will be 
selected by a Ministry-led selection committee in Azerbaijan in 
consultation with the U.S. grantee organization and the U.S. 
Information Service (USIS) in Baku. In Phase I, the team will undertake 
preliminary work in Baku over a period of 3-6 months. Members of the 
curriculum development team, in consultation with a specialist from the 
grantee organization and the Azerbaijani Project Director, will 
familiarize themselves with civics curricula and teaching materials 
used in the U.S. and will select the topics to be explored in the draft 
curriculum units.
    In Phase II, members of the curriculum development team will spend 
approximately three months in a highly structured U.S.-based workshop 
to be sponsored and organized by the U.S. grantee organization, and 
will attend focused curriculum seminars, observe relevant aspects of 
the U.S. educational system, and draft teacher and student materials 
for the curriculum units in consultation with U.S. specialists. The 
grantee organization will be responsible for introducing the 
Azerbaijani team to leading U.S. civic educators with expertise that is 
pertinent to the topics to be explored, and to a broad range of 
relevant resources. The workshop schedule should incorporate time for 
both individual and group work on materials as well as intensive 
training on specific approaches to the teaching of civic education 
topics. In addition, the workshop should include field experiences 
which are relevant to the materials being produced (such as visits to 
schools and professional association meetings).
    In Phase III, the curriculum development team will work in 
Azerbaijan with Azerbaijani teacher trainers, Ministry of Education 
officials and U.S. specialists from the grantee organization and other 
U.S. organizations to provide introductory training for a larger group 
of practitioners in methods for testing and

[[Page 25957]]

utilizing the draft curriculum units in the civics classroom. During 
this phase the Ministry of Education (MOE) will provide the following 
assistance to the U.S. grantee:
    (1) Facilitate the logistics of in-service training sessions for 
teachers by providing appropriate space;
    (2) Assist in the selection of pilot schools and teachers;
    (3) provide leave time/leaves of absence for the curriculum 
development team and Project Director during their stays in the U.S. 
and the subsequent in-service training work;
    (4) Provide appropriate office space and facilities to house both 
the civic education reference collection and the materials produced by 
the curriculum development team.

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

    U.S. lecturers and consultants participating in the project must be 
U.S. citizens. Programs must comply with
J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to Program Specific Guidelines 
(POGI) in the Solicitation Package for further information. 
Administration of the program must be in compliance with reporting and 
withhold regulations for federal, state, and local taxes as applicable. 
Recipient organizations should demonstrate tax regulation adherence in 
the proposal narrative and budget.

Budget Guidelines

    Grants awarded to eligible 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 $250,000. 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 
year, component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification. 
The total administrative costs funded by USIA must be limited and 
reasonable
    Alllowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Administrative Costs, including salaries and benefits, of 
grantee organization.
    (2) Program Costs, including general program costs and program 
costs for each Azerbaijani participant in the U.S.-based curriculum 
development seminar. Also included are program costs associated with 
the field-testing of materials in Azerbaijan and with the initial 
training of Azerbaijani teachers.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package (POGI and PSI) for 
complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All correspondence with USIA concerning 
this RFP should reference the above title and number E/ASU-99-16.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Office of Academic Programs, 
Advising, Teaching and Specialized Programs Division, Specialized 
Programs Branch, E/ASU, Room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone number 202-619-4568 and 
fax number 202-401-1433, e-mail address jceriale@usia.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 USIA 
Program Officer Jennifer K. Ceriale 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, Agency 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 USIA's 
website at http://e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all 
information before downloading.

To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand

    The entire Solicitation Package may be requested from the Bureau's 
Grants Information Fax on Demand System, which is accessed by calling 
202/401-7616. The Table of Contents listing available documents and 
order numbers should be the first order when entering the system.

Deadline for Proposals

    All proposal copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency 
by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Monday, July 19, 1999. 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 10 copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASU-99-16, Office of Grants 
Management, E/X., Room 326, 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. USIA will transmit 
these file electronically to USIS posts overseas for their review, with 
the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for the 
Agency'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,'' USIA ``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 USIA. 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.
    USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems 
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately

[[Page 25958]]

process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequency) 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

    USIA 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 by the USIA Office of East European and NIS 
Affairs and the USIA post overseas. Eligible proposals will be 
forwarded to panels of USIA officers for advisory review. Proposals may 
also be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or by other 
Agency elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of 
USIA's Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative 
agreements) 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. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, relevance to the Agency's mission, 
and responsiveness to the objectives and guidelines states in this 
solicitation. Proposals should demonstrate substantive expertise in 
civic education.
    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 described above.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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).
    6. Institutional Capacity and Record/Ability: Proposed personnel 
and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to 
achieve the program or project's goals. Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of successful exchange programs, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for past Agency grants as determined by USIA's Office of 
Contracts. The Agency 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 USIA support) to ensure ongoing 
involvement with Azerbaijani curriculum development projects.
    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. The progress is the grant should be monitored closely. The 
USIA Program Officer should be kept informed of the implementation of 
each phase 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 proposals, including salaries and honoraria, should 
be kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and 
appropriate. Proposals should minimize 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 demonstrate the need, potential impact, and significance of the 
project in the partner country.

Authority

    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 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 the Freedom for Russia and Emerging 
Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1993 (Freedom 
Support Act). Programs and projects must conform with Agency 
requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA 
projects and programs are subject to the availability of funds.

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 Agency 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 USIA procedures.

    Dated: May 5, 1999.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-11974 Filed 5-12-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M