2021 NPA NOFO.pdf

Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Notice of Funding Opportunity

(NOFO): FY 2021 International Visitor Leadership Program

Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0006959

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.402

Key Date/Application Deadline: July 17, 2020

Executive Summary:

The Office of International Visitors, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA/PE/V), United States Department of State (DOS), announces an open competition for up to eight cooperative agreements to support the administrative costs of the FY 2021 International Visitor

Leadership Program (IVLP). Launched in 1940, the IVLP is a professional exchange program that seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and other nations through carefully designed short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging leaders. These visits support U.S. foreign policy goals and reflect the participants’ professional interests.

Applicants may submit only one proposal under this competition. If multiple proposals are received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared ineligible and receive no further consideration in the review process.

It is the Bureau’s intent to award up to eight cooperative agreements in FY 2021 for a total of approximately $16,700,000. Organizations must submit a proposal that falls between a floor of approximately $650,000 and a ceiling of approximately $6,600,000 for the base year, pending the availability of funding.

Four of the eight cooperative agreements will include the FY 2021 base year plus one non-competitive continuation in FY 2022 for an estimated total of $33,400,000, pending the availability of funding and successful performance.

The remaining four cooperative agreements will include the FY 2021 base year plus two non-competitive continuations in FY 2022 and FY 2023, pending the availability of funds and successful performance, for an estimated total of $43,700,000.

If the applicant has a preference to receive one non-competitive continuation, it can say so by, in its proposal, committing to implement the program for only an additional one non-competitive continuation year. If the commitment is submitted for two non-competitive continuation years, the Bureau will consider it for a cooperative agreement with either one or two non-competitive continuation years, depending on the needs of the Bureau. Any cooperative agreements issued by the Bureau will clearly indicate the number of non-competitive continuation years available under that agreement.

See section B, Federal Award Information for additional funding details.

A. Program Description:

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.

Purpose:

As the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program, the International

Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), supports U.S. foreign policy goals and helps strengthen U.S.

engagement with countries around the world. Through carefully designed projects, the IVLP provides current and emerging foreign leaders with firsthand knowledge of U.S. society, culture, and politics. In turn, Americans at all levels in communities across the United States have valuable opportunities to engage directly with these leaders and foster lasting relationships.

IVLP participants are current or potential leaders in government, politics, media, education, science, non-government organizations, the arts, and other disciplines. They are nominated by officers at U.S. embassies overseas, approved by ECA/PE/V staff in Washington, D.C., and generally have little or no significant prior exposure to the United States. Since the IVLP’s inception in 1940, more than 225,000 foreign leaders have participated in the program. More than 500 program alumni subsequently became chiefs of state or heads of government in their home countries.

All award recipients will develop professionally substantive and highly customized projects that offer participants a well-balanced, well-paced, and varied experience in the United States. Please refer to the Program Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document for a more detailed description of each type of project and the standard operating procedures for submission of proposals for each project.

The number of participants in each project and the length of the project will not be known to the award recipient until assignments have been completed by ECA/PE/V, following the announcement of the assistance awards. The IVLP averages 622 projects and approximately

5,000 participants each year. It is the intent of the ECA/PE/V to allocate the FY 2021 projects to award recipients based on the review criteria outlined in this NOFO in Section E.1. The goals and objectives for each specific IVLP project will be shared with the award recipients as they are assigned.

Award recipients will work closely with the responsible ECA/PE/V Program Officer throughout the development, implementation, and evaluation of each assigned IVLP project. These activities and the roles and responsibilities of the Department and award recipients are further clarified in the POGI.

Each project focuses on a substantive theme. Some typical IVLP projects themes are: border security; counterterrorism; democracy and human rights; economic and business development;

education; sustainable development; government transparency and freedom of information;

international crime; media; rule of law; science and technology; U.S. foreign policy; women’s empowerment, and U.S. government and political systems; however, themes can change based on changes in U.S. foreign policy priorities during the period of performance.

A1. Substantial Involvement and A.2 Recipient Responsibilities: (See attached POGI)

In a cooperative agreement, the Department is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. These activities and the roles and responsibilities of the

Department and your organization are outlined in the attached Project Objectives, Goals, and

Implementation (POGI) document.

Guidelines: Prospective award recipients should demonstrate their potential to develop projects with the following characteristics.

1. Projects must contain applicable meetings presented by experts which focus on foreign policy goals and project objectives. Meetings, site visits, and other activities should promote dialogue between participants and their U.S. professional counterparts. Projects must show the diverse viewpoints on the thematic topic.

2. Most projects will be 21 days in length, and most will begin in Washington, D.C., with a program opening designed to provide an overview of the issue and a central examination of federal policies regarding the issue. Well-paced itineraries for each project usually include visits to three to five communities that are part of the Global Ties U.S. network.

Project itineraries should provide opportunities for participants to experience the diversity of American society and culture as appropriate to the project theme.

3. Projects should provide opportunities for the participants to share a meal or similar experience (home hospitality) in the homes of Americans of diverse occupational, age, gender, and ethnic groups. Some individual and group projects might include an opportunity for an overnight stay (homestay) in an American home.

4. Projects should provide opportunities for participants to address student, civic and professional groups in relaxed and informal settings.

5. Participants should have appropriate opportunities for site visits and hands-on experiences that are relevant to project themes. The award recipient may propose professional “shadowing” experiences with U.S. professional colleagues for some projects (a typical shadowing experience means spending a half- or full workday with a professional counterpart).

6. Projects should also allow time for participants to reflect on their experiences and share observations with project colleagues.

7. All award recipients must utilize the affiliate Community Based Members (CBMs) of

Global Ties U.S. when building project itineraries. If no Global Ties U.S. affiliate is designated to program in a community deemed vital for the success of the project, the award recipient may work with other local organizations in the community to arrange appropriate programming.

All communications should be with the designated ECA offices as follows:

- Program Administration – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of

International Visitors (ECA/PE/V)

- Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Grants Division, ECA/EX/G.

Qualifications:

Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of four years of experience in conducting international exchanges or they will be considered ineligible to receive an award under this NOFO. Reference

C.2., Other Eligibility Requirements, for additional information. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to develop and administer IVLP projects on all thematic areas. Reference E.1., Review Criteria.

1. The proposal should demonstrate a clear understanding of the work to be undertaken and outline the responsibilities of all key personnel involved. The proposal should set forth in detail the award recipient’s management approach and a work plan/timeframe. All proposals must contain a sound management plan to carry out the volume of work outlined in the POGI.

2. Applicant organizations must include a proposed budget and identify the number of visitors the proposed funding level will support. The budget for this award is solely for the organizational structure and administrative costs associated with implementation of the proposed number of IVLP projects. All program costs will be funded through a separate mechanism, following the issuance of the assistance awards and assignment of projects by ECA/PE/V.

3. Proposals should consider all potential cost savings. The proposed budget should clearly identify the staffing requirements to implement the proposed number of projects and participants. It is highly recommended to develop a model that is scalable to accommodate actual funding and the assigned projects and participants.

4. Proposals must demonstrate an applicant’s broad knowledge of international relations;

U.S. foreign policy issues; and knowledge of the United States and U.S. domestic issues.

5. All award recipients must have a Washington, D.C. area presence with a physical office and staff members located within the Washington D.C. area. Applicants who do not currently have a Washington, D.C. metropolitan area presence must include a detailed plan in their proposal for establishing such a presence by December 31, 2020. The costs related to establishing such a presence must be borne by the award recipient and no such costs may be included in the budget submission in this proposal.

6. Proposals must demonstrate that the applicant has an established resource base of programming contacts and the ability to keep this resource base continuously updated for

Washington, D.C. metropolitan area-based meetings. This resource base should include speakers, thematic specialists, and practitioners in a wide range of professional fields in both the private and public sectors.

7. All proposals must demonstrate sound financial management and appropriate internal financial controls.

8. Award recipients with the ability to generate program income must be mindful that program income earned during the project period shall be retained by the recipient, in accordance with the awarding agency’s regulations or the terms and conditions of the award, and used in one or more of the ways listed below:

1) Added to funds committed to the project by the federal awarding agency and recipient and used to further eligible project or program objectives.

2) Used to finance the non-federal share of the project or program; and/or

3) Deducted from the total project or program allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which the federal share of costs is based.

9. Applicants must have the ability to implement a direct billing payment system with hotels in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and across the United States for all IVLP projects.

10. Proposals must include a detailed description of the organization’s social media strategy, highlighting efforts to use social media to enhance the overall goals of the IVLP.

11. The award recipient must have the capability to electronically communicate through the

IVLP Resource Center (IVRC), the web-based application that allows award recipients to record and share data electronically with the Office of International Visitors and the

Global Ties U.S. Community-Based Member (CBM) network. The application produces national program books and includes other essential program related documents.

Requirements for Past Performance References:

In addition to Letters of Endorsement, DOS will also use past performance as an indicator of an applicant’s ability to successfully perform the work under the Institutional Capacity review criterion (Reference section E.1). A separate and clearly labeled attachment of the proposal must contain any letters of endorsement and between three and five references who may be called upon to discuss recently completed or ongoing work performed for professional exchange programs (which may include the IVLP). The reference must contain the information outlined below.

Please note that Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in Bureau funding.

This requirement would also apply to all proposed subaward recipients when the total estimated cost of the sub-award is over $130,000. Therefore, organizations with less than four years’ experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.

At a minimum, applicants must provide the following information for each reference:

- Name of the reference organization

- Project name

- Project description

- Performance period of the contract, cooperative agreement, or grant

- Amount of the contract, cooperative agreement, or grant

- Technical contact person and telephone number for referenced organization

- Administrative contact person and telephone number for referenced organization.

The DOS may contact representatives from the organizations cited in the examples to obtain information on the applicant’s past performance. The DOS also may obtain past performance information from sources other than those identified by the applicant.

Personnel: Applicants must include complete and current resumes of key personnel and any individuals who will be working full-time on the IVLP. If individuals are not full-time employees, indicate the percentage of their time spent on the IVLP. Indicate whether other staffing methods will be used to respond to fluctuations in programming levels throughout the year. A staffing list should include job titles, salary level, and years of service with the organization. Resumes should be included in the submission under Additional Information to be submitted in SAMS Domestic. Each resume is limited to no more than two pages per person.

ECA recommends that the applicant identify intended key personnel positions via an asterisk (*) or other marking in the proposal budget, budget narrative, or a separate appendix. If not provided in the application, recipients must submit the names, titles, and brief biographical sketches of key personnel to the Grants Officer and GOR within 30 days of an award being issued. Additional information regarding key personnel requirements can be found in the State

Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions, VI. Recipient Responsibility and Compliance with Federal Requirements (link to: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/).

During the course of your cooperative agreement, you will be required to obtain prior approval for any changes, prolonged absences, or significant adjustments for any individuals on this key personnel list.

Budget Guidelines: Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive line-item administrative budget in accordance with the instructions in the Solicitation Package (Proposal Submission

Instructions.) The submission must include a summary budget and a detailed budget showing all administrative costs. Proposed staffing and costs associated with staffing must be appropriate to the requirements outlined in the NOFO and in the Solicitation Package. Cost sharing is https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ encouraged and should be shown in the budget presentation. Applicants must prove fiscal management integrity. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

Proposal narratives should include a commitment to implement the program for the base year, plus two additional non-competitive continuations, and an optional third non-competitive continuation, pending successful performance and the availability of funds. The narrative should focus on details specific to the implementation of the base year program, with the understanding that the program design, duration and participant numbers would be similar when/if the subsequent two non-competitive continuations are exercised. ECA will perform an annual performance evaluation/review to determine if a non-competitive continuation will be exercised.

Satisfactory performance and the availability of funds is a condition of continued administration of the program and execution of all non-competitive continuations.

B. Federal Award Information:

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA’s level of involvement in this program is listed under Program A. Program Description above.

Fiscal Year Funds:

FY 2021 - Base Year: $16,700,000, pending the availability of funds.

FY 2022 – NCC year-one: $16,700,000, pending successful performance and the availability of funds, and

FY 2023 – NCC year-two: $10,300,000 pending successful performance and the availability of funds.

Approximate Total Funding:

$33,400,000, represents the maximum funding for up to four of the eight awards including base year plus one additional Non-Competitive Continuation year, pending successful performance and the availability of funds.

$43,700,000, represents the maximum funding for up to four of the eight awards including base year plus two additional Non-Competitive Continuation years, pending successful performance and the availability of funds.

Approximate Number of Awards: Up to eight awards

Approximate Average Award: $2,100,000, pending the availability of funds.

Floor of Award Range: $650,000, pending the availability of funds.

Ceiling of Award Range: $6,600,000, pending the availability of funds.

Anticipated Award Date: Pending the availability of funds, January 1, 2021.

Anticipated Project Completion Date: Four cooperative agreements exercising one Non-

Competitive Continuation: December 31, 2022. Four cooperative agreements exercising two

Non-Competitive Continuations: December 31, 2023.

Additional Information:

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.

Cooperative agreements will be awarded for a period of 12 months (base year) with Non-

Competitive Continuation(s). The Bureau intends to award approximately half the available funding and half the available awards through agreements with one Non-Competitive

Continuation for a 12 month period. The Bureau intends to award the remaining available funding and remaining available awards through agreements with two Non-Competitive

Continuations for two additional 12 month periods (non-competitive continuation years one and two). ECA will notify the recipient of our intention to exercise or not to exercise a Non-

Competitive Continuation at least 90 days in advance of expiration of the current year after an internal evaluation of the recipient’s performance. The decision to exercise a Non-Competitive

Continuation will depend both on the satisfactory performance of the recipient and the availability of funds.

C. Eligibility Information:

C.1. Eligible applicants: U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please see the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional information.

All applicants must also have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and be registered in

SAM.gov (see additional information about this requirement in D.3a and D.3c below).

C.2. Other Eligibility Requirements:

a.) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates making up to eight cooperative agreements, with a minimum award amount of $650,000, pending the availability of FY 2021 funds, to support administrative costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years’ experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.

b.) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the following: technical eligibility requirements specified in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) and the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) documents or they will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process.

c.) Eligible applicants may not submit more than one proposal in this competition. If more than one proposal is received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared technically ineligible and will receive no further consideration in the review process.

Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the Proposal

Submission Instructions (PSI) document.

C.3. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost sharing required for this competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.

When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement.

Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with the Office of

Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution may be reduced in like proportion.

D. Application and Submission Information:

Note: Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.

Once the NOFO deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

D.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package:

Patricia Johnson, Community Relations Branch, Office of International Visitors, ECA/PE/V/C/R, SA-5, 3rd Floor, U.S. Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037, (202) 632-3288, or email JohnsonPA2@state.gov or Tom Rathburn at (202) 632-

9384 or email RathburnTG@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package and refer to the Funding

Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement.

The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.

It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria and budget instructions tailored to this competition.

Please specify Program Officer Name and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.

D.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding or from the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov.

D.2a. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all instructions in the

Solicitation Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under D.3p.

“Application Deadline and Method of Submission” section below.

D.3. “Application Deadline and Method of Submission” section below:

D.3a. Unique Entity Identifier Number: You are required to have a Unique Entity Identifier

(UEI) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities.

Obtaining a UEI number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a UEI number, access http://www.dnb.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that your UEI (Data Universal

Numbering System or DUNS) number is included in the appropriate box of the SF – 424 which is part of the formal application package. For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI

(DUNS) number, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

D.3b. Required Proposal Elements:

All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative, budget, and budget narrative.

Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory Proposal Submission

Instructions (PSI) document and the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional formatting and technical requirements.

D.3c. Required Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM):

All federal award applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to submit a proposal in response to an open competition on Grants.gov.

All federal award recipients must maintain a current registration in the SAM database. Recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in www.SAM.gov until all program and financial activity and reporting is completed on any issued award. Recipients must review and update the information at least annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required information changes or another award is granted. There is no cost associated with registering or updating SAM.gov accounts. Failure to register in SAM.gov will render applicant’s ineligible to receive funding.

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

D.3.d. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS): Prior to making a Federal Assistance award over $250,000, the Federal agency is required to review and https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.dnb.com/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html consider any information about the applicant that is in FAPIIS (see 41 U.S.C. 2313) and accessible through SAM.gov. If an Applicant is currently in FAPIIS, they can comment on any information about its organization that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. The

Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

D.3e. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Report: In addition to final program reporting requirements, award recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived from their program reports, listing and describing their award activities. For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as the one- page description of program activities, will be transmitted by the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by the

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), and will be made available to the public by the Office of Management and Budget on its USASpending.gov website as part of

ECA's FFATA reporting requirements.

D.3f. Required Registration with SAMS Domestic: All ECA award recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories must be registered with the U.S. Department of State’s

SAMS Domestic by accessing https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com and clicking the “create an account” link. SAMS Domestic is the U.S. Department of State’s grants management system and is supported by the Department’s Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS).

Recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories that have previously used SAMS

Domestic as a U.S. Department of State award recipient do not need to register again. If the organization is not able to access the system, please contact the ILMS Help Desk for help in gaining access.

Support for Recipient Organizations and recipient contacts and signatories is available 24 hours, 7 days a week (except federal holidays), and can be reached at 1-888-313-ILMS (4567) or through the ILMS Self Service Portal at https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/.

In the event the ILMS Help Desk is unable to provide you with assistance in a timely manner, please contact ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov and copy the program officer associated with the solicitation.

Please take into consideration the following information when preparing your proposal narrative:

D.3g. ADHERENCE TO ALL REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE J VISA:

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important emphases on the security and proper administration of the Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by award recipients and sponsors to all regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should demonstrate the applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, including the https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/ mailto:ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.

The above regulations are applicable only if requested by the program office.

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.

A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://J1visa.state.gov or from:

Office of Designation, Private Sector Programs Division

U.S. Department of State

SA-E4, (Bldg.3)

2430 E. Street, NW

Washington, DC 20037

Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.

D.3h. 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 political, social, and cultural life in the United States and abroad. ‘Diversity’ should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Proposals should demonstrate how diversity will enhance the program’s goals and objectives and the participants’ exchange experience. Please refer to the review criteria under the 'Support of Diversity' section of this document as well as the DIVERSITY, FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY section in the

“Proposal Submission Instructions” document 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.

D.3i. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Please Note: The Bureau plans to add standardized indicators and corresponding data collection questions for performance monitoring during the period of performance of this award. Therefore, proposed performance monitoring plans and data collection instruments should be flexible enough to incorporate those once established. Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the recipient organization will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as well as substantive knowledge.

Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation plan should include a description of your project’s objectives, your anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are "smart" (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link to the goals of the program described in this NOFO.

Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.

We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, as they relate to the program goals set out in the NOFO (listed here in increasing order of importance):

1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange experience.

2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.

3. Participant behavior, such as concrete actions to apply knowledge in work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic organizations;

interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained;

continued contacts between participants, community members, and others.

4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational improvements.

Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term outcomes.

Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be judged on how well it 1) specifies intended outcomes; 2) gives clear descriptions of how each outcome will be measured;

3) identifies when particular outcomes will be measured; and 4) provides a clear description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or focus groups).

(Please note that evaluation plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)

Recipient organizations will be required to provide reports analyzing their evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. All data collected, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the

Bureau upon request.

D.3j. Virtual Exchange Component: ECA welcomes innovative ideas on how organizations can leverage appropriate mobile and/or online technologies to maintain engagement among exchange participants, encourage project collaboration and widen participation in the overall project to a broader audience. ECA strongly encourages organizations submitting proposals in response to this solicitation to suggest one or more virtual exchange components to complement the in-person exchange. The virtual exchange component(s) could come before, during and/or after the physical exchange. The objective for the virtual exchange component(s), defined as technology-enabled, sustainable, people-to-people, cross-cultural exchanges, is to augment the impact of the in-person exchange described in this solicitation. ECA encourages organizations to propose virtual exchange ideas that take advantage of ECA’s existing web and social networking platforms, including our International Exchange Alumni space. Virtual exchange components would be coordinated with and approved by the ECA program office and U.S. missions abroad on a project by project basis.

D.3k. Communications Guidance for ECA Grant Recipients: All ECA Grant Recipients must adhere to the requirements in ECA’s Communications Guidance on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

D.3l. Budget Format: Applicants must submit SF-424A – “Budget Information – Non-

Construction Programs” along with a comprehensive budget for the entire program. 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

D.3m. Key Personnel

ECA recommends that the applicant identify intended key personnel positions via an asterisk (*) or other marking in the proposal budget, budget narrative, or a separate appendix. If not provided in the application, recipients must submit the names, titles, and brief biographical sketches of key personnel to the Grants Officer and GOR within 30 days of an award being issued. Additional information regarding key personnel requirements can be found in the State

Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions, VI. Recipient Responsibility and Compliance with Federal Requirements (link to: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/).

D.3n. Non-Competitive Continuations (NCC):

https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance

For competitions that will be renewed through a Non-Competitive Continuation, applicants must submit:

- The SF-424A which must include the budget request amount for the base-year of the program.

- A detailed proposal narrative and budget for the base year of funding (Please refer to the

Proposal Submission Instruction Document (PSI) for general budget guidance.). The narrative should also include a brief commitment to implement the program for the base year, plus up to two additional non-competitive continuation years, pending successful program performance and availability of funds. (If the applicant has a preference to receive one non-competitive continuation, it can say so by committing to implement the program for only an additional one non-competitive continuation year. If the commitment is submitted for two non-competitive continuation years, the Bureau will consider it for a cooperative agreement with either one or two non-competitive continuation years, depending on the needs of the Bureau. Any cooperative agreements issued by the Bureau will clearly indicate the number of non-competitive continuation years available under that agreement.)

- An abbreviated/estimated summary budget presenting the total projected administrative and program costs for the anticipated total duration of programming (base year, plus up to two non-competitive continuation years). (Similar to the above, if the applicant commits to only one non-competitive continuation year, that should be reflected in the proposed budget. If two additional non-competitive continuation years are included in the applicant’s proposed budget, the Bureau will consider it for award for either one or two non-competitive continuation years, depending on the needs of the Bureau. Any cooperative agreements issued by the Bureau will clearly indicate the number of non-competitive continuation years available under that agreement.)

To exercise the Non-Competitive Continuation mechanism the recipient will be required to submit:

1. Performance and financial reports on time;

2. A request in writing to ECA at least 30 days in receipt of the NCC invitation;

3. A summary budget that projects program expenses through the end of the current year;

4. A detailed budget outlining both administrative and program expenses for the requested non-competitive continuation year; and

5. A brief narrative to support the continuation of the award.

The ECA Grants Officer and Program Officer/GOR will:

1.) Closely monitor the recipient’s performance through site visits, desk audits, mandatory performance and financial reports, consultations, and other forms of communication and dialogue before exercising additional non-competitive continuations. (Additional details regarding monitoring and oversight of the program by ECA representatives will be provided at the time the base-year award is made.)

2.) Review and evaluate all mandatory quarterly program and financial reports.

_ All program and financial reporting requirements must be current and up to date before the Bureau will exercise additional non-competitive continuations.

- Any/all concerns, issues, or modifications requested by the Grants Officer or Program

Officer to the original program design or method of implementation must be responded to in writing.

- The ECA Grants Officer and Program Officer/GOR will review and advise of ECA’s approval or disapproval of the response before issuing subsequent non-competitive continuations.

3.) Prior Grants Officer approval is required to utilize the remainder from an unobligated balance from a prior funding period to the subsequent funding period. If the Grants Officer determines that some or all of the unobligated funds are not necessary to perform the program activity, the Grants Officer may decline the Recipient’s request to utilize the remainder from the unobligated balance.

The Grants Officer may, at their discretion, use the unobligated balance to reduce or offset future funding for a subsequent funding period. An unobligated balance at the end of a funding period is not sufficient justification to utilize the remainder of funds. A final determination and approval to utilize the remainder of any funds will be communicated via a cost amendment with adjustment, if any, to new obligation amounts.

i. The request to utilize the remainder from an unobligated balance must include:

a. A brief narrative why funds remain unobligated and how the unobligated funds will be used to complete the previously approved goals and objectives of the program; and,

b. A detailed budget that reflects the amount of unobligated funds to date, and anticipated expenditures in the subsequent period of performance for all cost categories under the authorized budget.

D.3o. Allowable administrative costs for the program include the following:

1) Staff Salaries and Benefits;

2) Office and Program Supplies;

3) Telephone and Communications;

4) Staff Travel and Per Diem (only for activities authorized by ECA/PE/V)

5) Automatic Data Processing Equipment Maintenance and IT Costs;

6) Indirect Costs.

Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions. All project-level costs will be funded through another mechanism once an assistance award is issued.

D.3p. Application Deadline and Method of Submission:

Application Deadline Date: Friday, July 17, 2020

Method of Submission:

Applications may only be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov).

Complete solicitation packages are available at Grants.gov in the “Find” portion of the system.

D.3q. Grants.gov Registration, Application Submission, and Receipt Procedures

Eligible organizations should follow the instructions available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of the site (http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html).

How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Applicants should read instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Applicants should check with appropriate staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this NOFO to confirm or determine their registration status with

Grants.gov. Organization applicants can find complete instructions here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

How to Submit an Application to ECA via Grants.gov

For access to complete instruction on how to apply for Notice of Funding Opportunities on

Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

Grants.gov Support and Submission Issues

Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission issues to:

Grants.gov Customer Support

Contact Center Phone: 800 -518-4726

Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed on federal holidays

Email: support@grants.gov

Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

Applicants have until 11:59 p.m., Washington, DC time of the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after the application deadline date and time will be automatically rejected by the Grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.

Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by

Grants.gov. The applicant Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html mailto:support@grants.gov official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When ECA successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgement of receipt of the application to the…