FY 17 Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars TIES NOFO.pdf

Department of State

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

(NOFO): FY 2017 Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (TIES)

Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA-ECAPA-17-001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.452

Key Date/Application Deadline: April 24, 2017

Executive Summary:

The Office of Alumni Affairs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the administration of the FY 2017 Thematic

International Exchange Seminars (TIES). U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC

501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct approximately eight to ten regional or sub-regional enrichment seminars for U.S. government-sponsored people-to-people exchange program alumni. The seminars will focus on thematic topics that support U.S. foreign policy priorities and foster a sense of shared identity, networking, and dialogue among participating alumni. The seminars will be three to four days in duration for 20 - 100 participants each, and can take place in any of the U.S. Department of State’s six designated geographical regions: Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Near East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and Western Hemisphere. ECA anticipates issuing a cooperative agreement of up to $1,750,000, pending the availability of FY 2017 funds. To support efforts of alumni to apply their international exchange and seminar experience within their communities, participants will be eligible to compete for a small grants opportunity of up to $10,000 per project following the enrichment seminar, out of an overall $750,000 grants fund.

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.

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: In order to enhance the Department of State’s engagement with U.S.

government-sponsored people-to-people exchange program alumni (“exchange alumni”) from around the world in support of U.S. foreign policy and public diplomacy objectives, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA), Office of Alumni Affairs

(ECA/P/A), will enter into a cooperative agreement with an award recipient to conduct the FY 2017 Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (TIES).

Background: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) Office of Alumni

Affairs (ECA/P/A) leads and coordinates efforts to engage alumni of U.S. government-sponsored people-to-people exchanges in order to maintain relationships with these current and emerging leaders. With more than 1,000,000 exchange alumni worldwide, ECA is committed to providing resources to sustain engagement with and tap into the energy, enthusiasm, and expertise of these current and emerging leaders. Working closely with Department of State regional bureaus and U.S. embassies worldwide, ECA/P/A supports alumni programs that are strategic, responsive to U.S. embassy priorities, and designed to reinforce U.S. foreign policy objectives. To best address those objectives, ECA/P/A focuses alumni programs on topics relating to themes such as civic engagement, social inclusion, education diplomacy, English language learning, environmental security, entrepreneurship, and good governance.

In addition to providing expertise, training, and support for on-the-ground alumni activities led by U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, ECA/P/A maintains a robust, targeted virtual engagement system. One of the key ways the Office currently unites and engages the alumni community virtually is through the International Exchange

Alumni website (alumni.state.gov), an exclusive, password-protected online global community, which serves as the U.S. Department of State’s official website for U.S.

government-sponsored exchange alumni. The site offers alumni a place to network and connect with other alumni, share news, and access resources such as grants and research databases.

Before working through an institutional award process, ECA/P/A directly supported two regional seminars per year for alumni on topics such as youth employment and volunteerism. Through a FY2015 cooperative agreement, ECA/P/A scaled up this program, offering seven seminars over a year and a half in most regions of the world, including Europe and Eurasia, Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and Pacific, South and

Central Asia, and a planned seminar in Near East and North Africa. The cooperative agreement included a small grants component to help participants take concrete actions as a result of their seminar experiences. The FY2015 cooperative agreement allowed

ECA/P/A to reach nearly three hundred exchange alumni and resulted in enhanced professional development and leadership skills, an increased number of alumni-led community-based projects, and the creation and strengthening of regional and thematic alumni networks. ECA/P/A hopes to institutionalize and expand this best practice through a new FY2017 Alumni Thematic International Seminars program to continue multiplying the knowledge, experience, and goodwill of exchange alumni in support of shared values.

Goals: The mission of ECA/P/A is to advance U.S. foreign policy by means of robust alumni programs. Alumni engagement is an integral component of the U.S. Department of State’s public diplomacy that generates maximum return on the U.S. government’s investment in exchange programs. Through the FY 2017 Alumni Thematic Exchange

Seminars (TIES), ECA/P/A aims to:

1. Foster a sense of shared identity and community by facilitating alumni networking and dialogue.

2. Ensure that alumni have current information about U.S. policy on strategically important issues.

3. Support efforts of alumni to apply their exchange experience within their communities.

Seminars: “Seminars” are defined as a set of learning, leadership, and networking activities for exchange alumni, focused on one specific U.S. foreign policy priority. Each seminar will also include an operational, skills-building component, such as project planning, monitoring and evaluation, grants writing, social media tools, etc. in order to foster alumni-driven initiatives that support U.S. foreign policy objectives. During the course of this award, the award recipient will conduct multiple seminars on a range of thematic topics to be identified by ECA in consultation with U.S. Department of State stakeholders, including regional bureau representatives. Once officially approved by the

ECA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, development of a new seminar will commence. Each three to four day seminar will foster networking among exchange alumni from a selected region or sub-region, and comprise multiple components, drawing on expert speakers and trainers, group discussions, action-planning, and presentations by the participants.

Each seminar will be unique, and will likely necessitate a different program model or design. The size, scope, and timing of each project should be designed with a flexible and collaborative approach in order to maximize program effectiveness and impact in terms of achieving the seminar objectives. In support of a rapid response model, applicants should demonstrate the ability to implement a seminar within three to four months after being provided the priority topic and region.

Participants: "Participants" are defined as exchange alumni of any U.S. government sponsored exchange program from a selected region or sub-region of the world who participate in a regional seminar. In collaboration with ECA/P/A, U.S. embassies and consulates in participating countries will recruit, screen, and nominate foreign exchange alumni to participate. Each seminar will comprise of 20-100 participants ranging in age from approximately 18 - 50. To the extent possible, each seminar will represent the diversity of the region and include women, minorities, and marginalized populations, including individuals with disabilities.

Organizational Capacity: Applicant organizations must demonstrate their capacity for conducting international educational and cultural exchanges, supporting exchange alumni engagement activities that include short-term seminars focused on a range of different subject areas, and providing substantive programming for up-and-coming leaders.

Applicants should illustrate in their proposals the breadth of their experience working in alumni engagement and a record of flexibility and adaptability in programming under short timelines or challenging conditions. Proposals should include concrete examples in which the organization has responded quickly to rapidly evolving circumstances, including, if possible, examples that demonstrate the ability to begin new international exchange programs, seminars, or alumni engagement activities in countries in which they have not previously worked.

In addition, applicants must demonstrate the breadth of their experience working with youth and emerging leaders, including support through the development of action plans and small grant opportunities. Applicant organizations must demonstrate the ability to oversee a competitive small grants program as well as transfer and monitor small grants for projects taking place in countries around the world.

Language Capacity: Most seminars will be held in English, and participant alumni will need English language proficiency. In cases where it would benefit the program goals or priority for an individual seminar, ECA will determine whether the seminar should be held in the common language of the region (i.e. Spanish, French, Arabic, or Russian).

Applicants should demonstrate their ability to facilitate seminars in foreign languages.

Partner Organizations: Applicants should provide examples of organizations and individuals with whom they would collaborate, and describe previous cooperative activities. One approach would be for a proposal to choose a hypothetical seminar theme based on a foreign policy priority topic, and spell out a proposed plan for developing the program, with examples of organizations or individuals upon whom the applicant would rely to develop the most appropriate substantive aspects of the program design.

U.S. Embassy Involvement: After a cooperative agreement is awarded, and once a location has been identified for each seminar, ECA/P/A will consult with the Public

Affairs Section (PAS) at the U.S. embassy of the host-country. While the PAS may be actively engaged in any particular seminar, the onus will remain with the award recipient to manage the overall program activities.

Once ECA determines the priority topic, region, and location of each seminar, ECA/P/A will work with U.S. embassies in the region to identify participants for each seminar.

U.S. embassies that choose to send participants for a specific regional seminar will facilitate visas if needed for the respective regional seminar.

Small Grants: To support efforts of alumni to apply their international exchange and seminar experience within their communities, participants will be eligible to compete for a small grants opportunity of up to $10,000 per project following the enrichment seminar, out of an overall $750,000 allocated within the total award budget. Project proposals should address the priority topic of the regional seminar the alumnus/a participated in, and meet the objectives presented in the participant’s action plan, developed at the seminar. To promote collaboration and network building, project proposals should involve a minimum of two alumni. Applicant organizations must demonstrate the ability to manage small grants initiatives for exchange alumni, provide resources for alumni to draw on in developing strong proposals, and facilitate a transparent process for selecting competitive proposals that include a panel review with U.S. Department of State representation. Applicants should also demonstrate the ability to responsibly transfer and monitor funds for projects taking place in countries around the world.

Guidelines:

The cooperative agreement will begin on or about September 1, 2017. The award period will be approximately 24 months in duration, and cover all aspects of program planning, Thematic International Exchange Seminars, and a small grants program for participant alumni. As the award recipient will not know the exact dates of the seminars until a newly approved seminar theme is officially agreed upon, applicants should propose at least one sample timeline and sample outline for a hypothetical seminar.

Applicants should propose to hold approximately eight to ten seminars for approximately

20-100 participants each. There may be at least one seminar per each of the six world regions, as well as possible seminars for alumni of particular programs or high-level initiatives. The seminars must be completed prior to the anticipated end date of the award, September 1, 2019. Applicants should propose specific seminar dates in their proposals, but the exact timing may be altered through the mutual agreement of the U.S.

Department of State and the award recipient, based on the flexible, rapid response approach preferred.

ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal project configurations, budgets, seminars, and participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. In addition, ECA reserves the right to adjust the participating countries if conditions change in a partner country or if other countries are identified as priorities for the U.S. Department of State.

Please note:

In a cooperative agreement, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine grant monitoring.

ECA/P/A’s activities and responsibilities for the FY 2017 Alumni Thematic International

Exchange Seminars (TIES) are as follows:

1) Provide advice and assistance in the execution of all program components.

2) Provide clear guidance on the themes, region, and countries that will be the focus of each seminar.

3) Approve internal timeline to achieve each seminar roll-out.

4) Develop selection criteria, and manage the recruitment and selection of the participants in coordination with U.S. embassies.

5) Facilitate interaction within the U.S. Department of State, to include ECA, the regional bureau, and overseas embassies and consulates, as needed.

6) Provide input and final approval of each seminar curricula, including speakers and trainers.

7) Approve promotional materials and final calendar of activities for each seminar.

8) Serve on the selection panel for the small grants program.

9) Approve final list of small grant recipients after each selection panel.

10) Monitor and evaluate the program, through regular communication with the award recipient and routine site visits.

11) Work closely with award recipient and provide feedback following each seminar and periodically throughout the cooperative agreement to identify areas of improvement.

The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:

1) Develop and execute a communications strategy to provide selected participants and U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Sections with program materials and logistical information prior to each seminar.

2) Manage logistical arrangements and fees, including seminar site selection and contract(s), arranging all technical equipment, staffing, all travel, insurance, ground transportation, accommodations, group meals, and seminar organization for all participants.

3) Develop and implement a plan to monitor the participants’ safety and well-being while traveling to and from the seminar, and creating opportunities for participants to share potential issues and resolve them promptly.

4) Make proper arrangements for participants’ religious observances and dietary needs.

5) Conduct an orientation for the seminars upon participants’ arrivals at the host site.

6) Design and plan seminar curriculum and activities to develop the participants’ knowledge and skill base for the thematic topic presented.

7) Identify speakers and trainers to assist in the facilitation of each seminar.

8) Develop resources and assist participants in developing action plans and collaborative, innovative project proposals for the small grants program.

9) Facilitate a small grants program for participating exchange alumni, including the creation of supporting resources and overseeing a selection panel.

10) Oversee the responsible transfer and monitoring of funds to selected alumni for projects that take place in countries around the world.

11) Establish a reporting plan for recipients of the small grants program, and regularly update ECA with the results of alumni projects.

12) Facilitate, in coordination with ECA and U.S. embassies, continued engagement among the participants and offering opportunities to reinforce the ideas, values, and skills imparted during their exchange and seminar experience.

13) Collaborate with ECA and U.S. Embassies to design and implement an evaluation plan that assesses the short- and medium-term impact of the seminars on the participants.

Additional Information:

Award recipients will utilize the name "Alumni Thematic International Exchange

Seminars (Alumni TIES)" to identify their project. All materials, publicity, and correspondence related to the program will acknowledge this as a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The Bureau will retain copyright use of and be allowed to distribute materials related to this program as it sees fit.

What to Include in Your Proposal

Executive Summary. The Executive Summary should be one page in length and include:

program title, goals of the program, names of potential partner organizations responsible for project implementation, proposed numbers of participants, both foreign and

American, and a general outline of the seminars.

Proposal Narrative. In no more than 20 double-spaced pages the narrative should include:

Project Goals, Objectives, Anticipated Outcomes. A clear, succinct statement of seminar goals, objectives, and anticipated outcomes that expand upon program goals as stated in this NOFO. Objectives should be described in specific, measurable, and realistic terms that are achievable within the scope of the program, both in terms of time and funding.

They should be framed from the participant perspective, i.e., "By (time), the participants will..." Proposals that clearly delineate salient objectives in measurable terms and plan activities in a sequence that progressively leads to achieving those objectives, will be considered more competitive.

Project Management Plan. A simple project management plan for the life of the program that lists, in table format, proposed outputs (major events or tasks performed by the grantee organization or partners), dates and the person or group responsible.

Background Information on Implementing Organizations. Information on proposed organizations and staff involved in the implementation of the project including the mission, relevant expertise in conducting programs of a related nature, including on-going and planned activities not including the proposed project. If the applicant has received awards from ECA in the past, please list examples of relevant projects by office

(Citizen Exchanges, International Visitors, Academic Exchanges, etc.), including project name, countries, year, and amount.

Roles and Responsibilities. A clear delineation of proposed roles and responsibilities for potential award recipient and sub-recipient(s) in terms of project logistics, management, resources, and oversight.

Support of Diversity. A description on how the Bureau’s policy on Support of Diversity will be integrated into all aspects of the seminar including but not limited to program materials, training methodology, etc. Please refer to guidance in PSI under "Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines."

Promotion of Post-Seminar Engagement. Proposals should include concrete plans for developing innovative and sustainable enhancement activities that reinforce project goals after the participants return home from a seminar. This should include the creation of resources to support individual action plans, and the creation, administration, and oversight of a small grants program. Proposals should clearly articulate how the award recipient will provide ECA with regular updates on alumni projects as well as professional successes resulting from their participation in the Alumni Thematic

International Exchange Seminars.

Evaluation Plan. The evaluation plan should measure the impact of the program in four ways: (1) Assessment by participants of the conduct of the program, including accommodations, orientation, cultural activities, transportation, meals, etc.; (2) measurement of the increase in knowledge or skills attributable to the program; (3) measurement of the participant’s change in behavior; (4) measurement of the changes in behavior of organizations or groups with which the participant is associated. Please refer to section D.3j. “Program Monitoring and Evaluation” for further guidance. Detailed evaluation plans that put the narrative over the 20-page limit and sample surveys or other evaluation tools may be included.

Budget. Please refer to section D.3o. in this document for allowable costs and the PSI for guidance on formatting your budget.

Acknowledging ECA’s Financial Support. An acknowledgment to follow guidance in the

PSI entitled "Acknowledgment of ECA’s Financial Support and Use of the Department

Seal." Proposals should also indicate agreement to use the "International Exchange

Alumni" logo in all relevant program materials, applications, websites, and other related materials.

Resumes. Resumes of principal staff of all partner organizations involved in the implementation of the project should be included. Resumes should be no more than two pages long.

Letters of Commitment and/or Letters of Support. Letters of commitment or support from partner organizations/partner institutions should demonstrate a capacity to arrange and conduct U.S. and overseas activities should also be included.

Project Materials. Materials that help demonstrate seminar design and implementation should be included. These include:

1. Sample calendar outline

2. Sample seminar agenda

3. Draft materials to support the alumni small grants program

4. Sample evaluation and survey instruments

5. List of potential in-country partners

6. Project management plan

7. Sample social media plan

7. Draft promotional materials

Unsolicited Documents. Attachments that do not directly address the proposed project

(i.e., organization brochures, pamphlets, unsolicited reports) are strongly discouraged.

Program Narrative

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should be one double-spaced page in length and include:

1. Name of organization/participating institutions,

2. Beginning and ending dates of the program,

3. The project title,

4. The goals of the project,

5. The names of all partner organizations responsible for project implementation,

6. The numbers of participants,

7. The wider audience benefiting from program (overall impact),

8. The number of proposed seminars and approximate dates and seminar sites,

9. The number of days participants will spend in-country excluding international travel days.

Narrative

In 20 double-spaced, single-sided pages, provide a detailed description of the project addressing the areas listed below:

Project Goals, Objectives, Anticipated Outcomes Proposals should include a clear, succinct statement of project goals, objectives, and anticipated outcomes that expand upon the FY 2017 Alumni Thematic

International Exchange Seminars (TIES) goals as stated in Section A. of this

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Objectives should be described in specific, measurable, and realistic terms that are achievable within the scope of the project, both in terms of time and funding.

Background Information on the applicant organization and all partner organizations (both U.S.-based organizations and foreign-based organizations) For each organization, its mission, date of establishment, relevant expertise, past programmatic work, and ongoing programmatic work should be described.

Previous awards from the Bureau, including both grants and cooperative agreements, should be listed by office (Citizen Exchanges, International Visitors, Academic Exchanges, etc.), project name, countries, year, and amount. Proposals should describe previous collaboration with proposed partner organizations, as well as clearly delineate a division of responsibilities between all organizations that will be involved in the project.

A Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Proposals should describe in detail the applicant organization’s proposed approach for monitoring and evaluation. For further guidance, please see Section

D.3j. “Program Monitoring and Evaluation.” Detailed evaluation plans that put the narrative over the 20-page limit and sample evaluation surveys or other evaluation tools may be included as an attachment.

Detailed Budget

For more budget information including specific allowable costs, refer to both Section

D.3o., as well as the PSI. Proposals should describe how the award recipient will conduct budget oversight as it relates to project management. In addition, proposals must include a detailed budget narrative.

Additional Information to be Submitted – Attachments:

The items below should be included as attachments. Please label each attachment in a clear and concise manner (i.e. Program Management Plan; Letters of Support, etc.).

A Project Management Plan for the entire life of the project that lists, in table format, outputs (major tasks that will be implemented by the award recipient and partner organizations), dates, and the organization/staff responsible;

Letters of commitment and/or letters of support from: 1) proposed partner organizations (both U.S.-based and foreign-based); 2) proposed or past fellowship placement organizations; and 3) preferably, from past exchange program participants;

Resumes (no more than two pages in length) of proposed key staff at the applicant organization and all partner organizations that will be involved in the implementation of the project; and

Draft program implementation materials.

B. Federal Award Information:

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

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2017

Approximate Total Funding: $1,750,000, pending the availability of FY 2017 funds.

Approximate Number of Awards: One

Approximate Average Award: $1,750,000, pending the availability of FY 2017 funds.

Floor of Award Range: none

Ceiling of Award Range: $1,750,000, pending the availability of FY 2017 funds.

Anticipated Award Date: Pending the availability of funds, September 1, 2017.

Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 1, 2019

Additional Information:

C. Eligibility Information:

C.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage 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 for Grants

Agreements, 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 will be reduced in like proportion.

C.3. 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 one award, in an amount $1,750.000 to support program and 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:

- 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.

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:

Please contact the Office of Alumni Affairs, ECA/P/A, SA-5, Floor 1, U.S. Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037, 202-632-9487, HuberME@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package.

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

Please specify Megan Huber 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 http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding or from the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov.

Please read all information before downloading.

http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding http://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.3a. 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 (DUNS) number is included in the appropriate box of the SF – 424 which is part of the formal application package.

D.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative and budget.

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

Instructions (PSI) document for additional formatting and technical requirements.

D.3c. 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 current registrations 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 have been completed. 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 applicants ineligible to receive funding.

D.3d. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, all applicants for ECA federal assistance awards must include in their application the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation). In fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one of the following ways:

1) Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, "Return of Organization

Exempt From Income Tax," must include a copy of relevant portions of this form.

2) Those who do not file IRS Form 990 must submit information above in the format of their choice.

D.3e. 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 grant activities. For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as the one- page http://www.dnb.com/ http://www.sam.gov/ description of grant 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. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.

D.3g. All ECA awards recipient organizations must be registered with GrantSolutions by accessing www.GrantSolutions.gov. To register as a first time user of GrantSolutions, please scroll to the bottom of the home page and click “Getting Started-Request a User

Account” at http://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/home/customer-support/getting-started/. Organizations that have previously used GrantSolutions do not need to register again. If the organization is not able to access the system, please contact

GrantSolutions.gov Help Desk for help in gaining access.

Support for Grantee Organizations is available from 8 AM – 6 PM EST, Monday –

Friday and can be reached at help@grantsolutions.gov or 1-866-577-0771.

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

FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY:

D.3h. 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. 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-44, Suite 668

301 4 th

Street, SW

Washington, DC 20547

Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.

D.3i. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/home/customer-support/getting-started/ http://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/home/customer-support/getting-started/ mailto:help@grantsolutions.gov

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.3j. Program Monitoring and Evaluation

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.3k. 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.3l. 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.3m. Please take the following information into consideration when preparing your budget:

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

1) Travel: International and domestic airfare; airline baggage and seat fees; visas; transit costs; ground transportation costs. Please note that all air travel must be in compliance with the Fly America Act.

2) Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use the published

Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287. ECA requests applicants to budget realistic costs that reflect the local economy and do not exceed Federal per diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can be accessed at:

https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

3) Consultants. Consultants (i.e. trainers, speakers, etc.) may be used to provide specialized expertise or to make presentations. Honoraria rates should not exceed

$250 per day per session. Organizations are encouraged to cost-share rates that would exceed that figure. Subcontracting organizations may also be employed, in which case the written agreement between the prospective award recipient and subrecipient should be included in the proposal. Such subawards should detail the division of responsibilities and proposed costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget.

4) Room Rental. The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250 per day per activity. Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.

https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287 https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

5) Materials. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, develop and translate materials for fellows. Costs for high quality translation of materials should be anticipated and included in the budget.

6) Working Meal. One working meal may be provided during U.S.-based and foreign-based components. Per capita costs for working meals may not exceed $45/person, excluding room rental and other overhead charges. The number of invited guests may not exceed seminar participants by more than a factor of two-to-one.

7) Wire Transfer Fees. When necessary, applicants may include costs to transfer funds to foreign-based partner organizations. Award recipients are urged to research applicable taxes that may be imposed on these transfers by host governments.

8) In-Country Travel Costs for Visa Processing Purposes. Visas for participants to travel to the seminar host-country may be necessary, and applicants should plan to cover these costs. Applicants should also include costs for any travel associated with procuring visas, including travel for interviews, delivering or picking up passports, etc.

9) Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective administration of the project may include salaries for employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs per detailed instructions in the PSI. Proposals should show strong administrative cost sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-country partner and other sources.

Award recipient staff travel should NOT be included in the exchange participant numbers.

10) Insurance. Travel and health insurance should be provided to all participants.

11) Reasonable Accommodations. Organizations should budget for the reasonable accommodations of participating individuals with disabilities. Proposals may allocate up to 5-7% of the total requested ECA award funds for this purpose.

12) Post-Seminar Engagement and Alumni Small Grants Program. Reasonable costs related to post-seminar engagement and alumni activities may be included. The proposal must include an outline of any proposed post-seminar engagement and alumni activities, including the facilitation of the Alumni Small Grants Program.

Proposals should also demonstrate how the recipient organization will creatively utilize technology and online networking sites to enhance and amplify alumni programming.

Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

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

Application Deadline Date: Monday, April 24, 2017

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.

PLEASE NOTE: ECA bears no responsibility for applicant timeliness of submission or data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes for proposals submitted via Grants.gov.

Please follow the instructions available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of the site

(http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html).

Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could take several weeks.

Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this NOFO to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov.

Once registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your internet connection. In addition, validation of an electronic submission via

Grants.gov can take up to two business days.

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

The Grants.gov website includes extensive information on all phases/aspects of the

Grants.gov process, including an extensive section on frequently asked questions, located under the "For Applicants" section of the website. ECA strongly recommends that all potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov website, well in advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system.

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