FY 2024 NOFO_YSEALI.pdf

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2024 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0010174 Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) Number: 19.009 Deadline for Applications: March 8, 2024

Executive Summary: The Study of the U.S. Branch (ECA/A/E/USS), Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) invites proposal submissions for one cooperative agreement to design, administer, and implement the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship.

The Fellowship should consist of a total of 20 Institutes with 10 taking place in the spring of 2025 and 10 in the fall of 2025 and provide a total of approximately 500 undergraduate and recent graduates from throughout Southeast Asia with a foundation in one of four themes:

Civic Engagement; Sustainability and Environment; Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Empowerment; and Society and Governance. See details in section A.3. Program Specific Guidelines.

The award recipient will be responsible for program planning and implementation, including the oversight and coordination of the 20 Institutes under the YSEALI themes. Each Institute will host 25 participants from throughout Southeast Asia. Each Institute will be five weeks in duration and will include an approximately four-week academic residency at a U.S. college or university campus and an approximately one-week integrated educational study tour that includes time in Washington, DC at the conclusion of the Institute. The award recipient will coordinate with ECA to ensure all participants are able to join a larger Washington, DC-based YSEALI Fellows Forum in the spring and fall.

Applicants can administer the Fellowship fully through sub-awards or may propose to directly implement up to two Institutes (one in spring, one in fall) and administer sub-awards for the remaining 18 Institutes. No academic institution will be allowed to directly implement more than two Institutes in one calendar year. ECA welcomes applications from U.S. public and private non-profit organizations, consortia of organizations, and accredited post-secondary U.S.

educational institutions meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). 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 ECA’s intent to award a cooperative agreement of one base year plus two non-competitive continuations (NCCs). Please see section B.) Federal Award Information, below for additional details.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1. Authority Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright- Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is "to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world." The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation.

A.2. Purpose The YSEALI is designed to strengthen leadership development across Southeast Asia, deepen engagement with young leaders on key regional and global challenges, and strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Southeast Asia. YSEALI, which began in 2013, is a broad U.S. government initiative with a range of components that include educational exchanges, professional skills-building workshops in the region, online networking, project seed money, and professional seminars at the YSEALI Academy at Fulbright University Vietnam.

The Academic Fellowship component of the YSEALI is targeted at undergraduate students and recent graduates in Southeast Asia, and includes an intensive academic residency, community service activities, leadership development, and an integrated study tour. The Institutes should provide participants with an in-depth examination of the themes of Civic Engagement;

Sustainability and Environment; Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Empowerment;

and Society and Governance while also heightening their awareness of the history and evolution of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions, broadly defined.

A.3. Program Specific Guidelines All YSEALI Academic Fellowship Institutes should be approximately five weeks long and held at an academic institution in the United States. U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions of a 501(c)3 are eligible to apply as a sub-award recipient; however, the Institutes should take place on a U.S. college or university campus. (See Program Administration under section A.4.

Recipient Responsibilities for more information on host institutions.) The recipient will be responsible for providing guidelines for curricula to host institutions to promote a consistent level of quality and thematic content in each Institute. The academic residency should include group discussions, experiential learning activities, and exercises that focus on the theme and include aspects of leadership, teambuilding, collective problem-solving skills, effective communication, and management skills. Therefore, participants should gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

In addition to the academic coursework, Institutes should include practical hands-on experiences related to the given theme. Site visits in the community should provide opportunities to observe and participate in varied aspects of American life as they relate to the program topic, and to discuss lessons learned in the academic program. Institutes should also include a weekly community service component in which the Fellows experience firsthand the key role of not-for-profit organizations and volunteerism as a core value in American civil society. Institutes should highlight the importance of community service and discuss impacts of the activity in the community.

Each Institute should be five weeks in length. Participants should spend approximately four weeks at a U.S. academic institution and approximately seven days on an integrated educational study tour that concludes in Washington, DC. Programming during the Washington, DC component should include a closing event (one in spring and one in fall) that will bring together all 250 Academic Fellows from the four thematic tracks, and participation in the YSEALI Fellowship Forum, an event that may bring together the YSEALI Academic and YSEALI Professional Fellows, the latter of which are supported under a separate ECA award, for an opportunity to share program experiences, network across programs, and engage with Department of State officials and members of the diplomatic community. Both events will be planned by the award recipient and in close consultation with ECA.

All programming should foster ECA’s mission to promote mutual understanding between citizens of other countries and citizens of the United States. Thus, programs should include robust opportunities for participants to meet Americans from a variety of backgrounds, interact with their U.S. peers, and speak to appropriate student and civic groups about their experiences and life in their home countries. Please see the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document for more information.

Institute Themes: The Institutes should address the influence of principles and values such as international cooperation, democracy, diversity and inclusion, equality, freedom of expression, individual rights, the rule of law, and tolerance. In this context, Institutes should incorporate a focus on American historical events and current political, social, and economic aspects of contemporary American life. Discussions should center on the diverse character of American society. Applicants should propose to implement an equal number of five Institutes per theme for each year.

1) The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement should provide participants with an overview of how citizens, both as individuals and in groups, have shaped U.S. history, government, and society. The academic program should define civic engagement, examine its development in the United States, and explore topics such as active citizenship, community-building, economic development, grassroots activism, gender equity, political leadership, volunteerism, voting, and the ways in which traditional and social media can be leveraged to advance civic causes. In order to define the content of the Institute and enhance the academic experience, proposals may choose to focus on one of the following sub-themes: media literacy, education, public health, civil rights and social justice, and community resilience. To the extent possible, academic sessions should be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above.

The Institutes should encourage participants to develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their own communities.

2) The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Sustainability and Environment should explore the role that environmental issues and policies have played in the economic, political, and social development of the United States. Institutes should use experiential learning techniques to expose participants to topics including climate change, climate resilience, ocean protection, renewable energy, pollution, public health and safety, emergency and disaster management, land use, sustainable development, conservation, sustainable agricultural practices, food security, illegal and unreported fishing, ecotourism, and water access, management and treatment. The Institutes should explore the issues from numerous angles, including local grassroots activism and civic initiatives, impacts on underserved communities, global multilateral efforts, the private sector, and government policies and regulation. Finally, Institutes in this theme should explore climate change and environmental issues in the context of a globalized society and draw parallels between the United States and the participants’ home countries.

3) The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic

Empowerment should provide participants with an overview of U.S. entrepreneurial strategies and critical emerging technologies that are employed to address social issues.

Institutes under this theme should review the development, history, challenges, and successes of social enterprises and community leaders in the United States and globally, with specific relevance to Southeast Asia. Topics may include, but are not limited to, economic and social justice initiatives; investment; social capital development; strategies for sustainable economic development; financial literacy; microfinance; organizational development and management; innovation; emerging technology; risk analysis; strategic business planning; corporate social responsibility; and underrepresented communities in entrepreneurship. To the extent possible, academic sessions should be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above.

4) The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Society and Governance should offer an overview of governance in the United States, exploring policy making and public management practices at both the local and national level. The Institutes should explore a variety of subtopics such as democracy and rule of law, judicial reform, public administration and management, fiscal management in public and non-profit organizations, public health and human services, public-private partnerships, public safety, transportation and urban planning, civil liberties, anti-corruption, and transparency and accountability. The Fellowship should emphasize practical skills such as management and leadership through interactive workshops that allow participants to outline policy solutions for their own communities. The Institute curriculum should also encourage participants to draw parallels between the United States and their home countries.

A.4. Recipient Responsibilities Overview of Recruitment and Selection:

Proposals must demonstrate the capacity of the recipient to assist ECA in recruitment efforts and in the selection process for Fellows. The recipient will be responsible for developing creative and comprehensive plans to assist recruitment conducted by U.S. embassies and consulates and other U.S. government agencies throughout Southeast Asia. The recruitment plans should include the development of marketing materials including, but not limited to, print materials (flyers, fact sheets, one pagers, brochures); prerecorded content (audio advertisements, podcasts, etc.); online content (website information, social media campaigns);

and outreach to stakeholders in U.S. higher education, sectors related to Fellowship themes, and other relevant communities. Successful recruitment plans will provide specific strategies for attracting well-qualified and diverse pools of applicants, and assist ECA and other

Department equities in messaging and recruitment efforts. All aspects of diversity included in

ECA’s Diversity Statement should be addressed in the recruitment plans including, where applicable, institutional, geographic, racial, gender, ethnic, age, religious, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

The recipient will be responsible for creating a Fellow application form that will be posted on the program website for U.S. embassies, consulates, and other U.S. government agencies to submit eligible candidates. Please see the POGI for more information.

The initial nomination of qualified candidates will be the responsibility of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other U.S. government agencies, including ECA. The recipient will be responsible for assisting with the placement of nominated candidates with ECA making final participant selection and placement decisions.

Participants will be undergraduate students or recent graduates aged 18-25 from the 10 ASEAN member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) plus Timor-Leste. ECA will make the final decisions regarding participating countries and reserves the right to adjust the participating countries, participant numbers, themes, and Institute dates based upon Department priorities. Please see the POGI for more information on participants.

Overview of Media and Outreach:

In addition to recruitment plans, the proposal must include a description of how the YSEALI Academic Fellowship will be publicized to various audiences and media audiences and media outlets, including print, online, and broadcast, to reach the widest possible audience of qualified applicants, U.S. academic host institutions, and other relevant audiences. The proposal must also include a community outreach plan to educate Americans on the YSEALI Academic Fellowship, particularly those who will interact with the Fellows during the Institutes and Reciprocal Exchange. Outreach should include print and virtual content.

Additionally, the proposal should address the recipient’s ability to maintain the YSEALI Academic Fellowship website and all its components, including a private Fellowship portal. The Fellowship Portal should provide additional information about the Fellowship to alumni and selected finalists and alternates. The website must also include a Post Portal for U.S.

embassies, consulates, and other U.S. government agencies to be able to submit their initial candidates for the Fellowship to be reviewed by ECA and later placed in their host institution by the recipient. The award recipient must regularly check the website content to ensure that all posted materials are current and correct and must submit any new strategies for presenting program information or major revisions of current online materials to ECA in advance for approval. ECA may request that website content be added or removed in a timely manner. On occasion, ECA may request that the recipient assist in promoting and coordinating opportunities for Fellowship alumni with other elements of YSEALI, including the YSEALI Network and other YSEALI programming.

Publications, program materials, and all online platforms, including social media and websites, should explain the mission of the YSEALI Academic Fellowship and emphasize the U.S.

Department of State’s role as the program’s sponsor. As such, all materials should note that “The YSEALI Academic Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by [award recipient].” When applicable, the note should include a link to the program website, https://asean.usmission.gov/yseali/.

This language should appear prominently on all print and electronic materials and should precede any language regarding the role of the award recipient in administering the program.

Publications should prominently feature the YSEALI logo and the U.S. Department of State seal in accordance with established ECA branding guidelines. The outreach strategy and all publication materials, including cover designs, must be submitted to ECA for approval prior to publication and dissemination. Please see the POGI for more information.

Overview of Alumni/Follow-on Activities:

https://asean.usmission.gov/yseali/

Proposals should provide plans for continued follow-on activities that ensure that ECA-supported programs are not isolated events. Proposals may include ideas for small alumni seed grants, professional development grants, in-region trainings, virtual skill-building workshops, speakers, and other follow-on alumni programming with accompanying information regarding how it will be coordinated with existing alumni efforts.

Proposals should include plans for a small grant component encouraging collaboration on projects and the sharing of best practices among alumni. Proposals should also include a way to recognize outstanding alumni who have a strong record of demonstrated leadership and advocacy on behalf of the Fellowship.

Reciprocal Exchange Component:

The recipient will also be responsible for administering the YSEALI Academic Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange component for at least 10 young American professionals. The Reciprocal Exchange component should provide funding opportunities for American youth to collaborate with Fellowship Alumni on projects across Southeast Asia. Through these projects, U.S. experts and leaders should work with Fellows to tackle strategic issues such as innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, good governance, public health, education, and development.

Projects should also encourage lasting partnerships, contribute to market or network expansion, and increase mutual understanding between the United States and countries in Southeast Asia. The recipient is responsible for managing the application form for both the American youth and for YSEALI Alumni (as hosts and project partners) to compete in a merit-based open competition for a Reciprocal Exchange. Selections for the Reciprocal Exchange participants will be reviewed by U.S. embassies and consulates in Southeast Asia and ECA will make the final selection decisions. Please see the POGI for more information on this component.

Program Administration: ECA is seeking detailed proposals from accredited U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3), who 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.

ECA intends to issue one Cooperative Agreement and is seeking proposals from organizations with the ability to administer and assist with a complex recruitment and selection process;

develop and oversee Institutes across the four themes; administer the Reciprocal Exchange component; develop and oversee alumni activities; and manage the program website, Fellowship Portal, and Post Portal, among other responsibilities. The recipient may propose to administer all 20 Institutes through sub-awards or may propose to implement up to two of the Institutes (one in spring, one in fall) and administer sub-awards to host institutions to conduct the remaining 18 Institutes. No institution will be permitted to host more than two Institutes in one calendar year.

The recipient will serve as the lead administrator and will be responsible for the oversight of all aspects of this project, including managing and monitoring performance of all sub-award recipients. Proposals should demonstrate any regional and thematic expertise. Participating countries and regions will be determined by ECA, in coordination with the Public Affairs Sections at U.S. embassies abroad and the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) at the Department of State.

Program Guidelines: The award recipient is responsible for the conception, structure, and monitoring of the YSEALI Academic Fellowship. Proposals must provide a detailed and comprehensive narrative describing the goals and objectives of the Institutes; academic program content and curricula; budgets; and alumni and Reciprocal Exchange activities.

Proposals should also include a sample academic syllabus and calendar demonstrating how the proposed components relate to the overall theme of each Institute and the entire project. The proposal should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to recruit host colleges, universities, or non-profit organizations that reflect regional and other forms of diversity, including public, private, urban, rural, minority-serving institutions, and community colleges. Applicants are expected to submit the proposed names of the Institute partners along with proposed agendas and syllabi. All Institutes must take place on a U.S. college or university campus.

Proposals will be reviewed on the basis of their responsiveness to the criteria listed in Section E.1. Review Criteria. The POGI provides program-specific guidelines that all proposals must address fully.

A.5. Substantial Involvement:

In a cooperative agreement, the Department is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. These activities are outlined in the attached Project, Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document.

A.6. Non-Competitive Continuations (NCCs) Proposal narratives should include a commitment to implement the program for the base year, plus two additional NCCs, 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 NCCs are exercised. ECA will perform an annual performance evaluation/review to determine if a NCC will be exercised. Satisfactory performance and the availability of funds are conditions of continued administration of the program and execution of all NCCs.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

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

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2024 base year, up to $10,000,000, pending the availability of funds; FY 2025 NCC year one, up to $10,000,000, pending successful performance and the availability of funds; FY 2026 NCC year two, up to $10,000,000 pending successful performance and the availability of funds.

Approximate Total Funding: $30,000,000 This figure represents base year plus two Non- Competitive Continuation years, pending successful performance and the availability of funds.

Approximate Number of Awards: One award.

Approximate Average Award: $10,000,000 Minimum “Floor” of Award: None Maximum “Ceiling” of Award: $10,000,000 Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2024 Anticipated Project Completion Date: August 31, 2029. This date reflects the anticipated duration of the award – one base year plus two NCC years.

Additional Information: ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets, participant numbers, themes, format, the number of Institutes, and/or countries based on program needs and the availability of funding.

One Cooperative Agreement will be awarded for a period of 18 months (base year) with NCCs for two additional 18-month periods (NCC years one and two). ECA will notify the recipient of our intention to exercise or not to exercise a NCC at least 90 days in advance of expiration of the base year after an internal evaluation of the recipient’s performance. The decision to exercise a NCC 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 academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not-for-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.

C.2. Other Eligibility Requirements The following additional eligibility requirements apply to this NOFO announcement:

1.) ECA’s grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in ECA funding. ECA anticipates making one cooperative agreement in an amount of $10,000,000 to support all costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.

2.) All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO, POGI (if applicable), and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI); non-compliance will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process.

3.) In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 & D.5. for more information.

4.) Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.

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, ECA 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

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

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

http://www.sam.gov/

D.1. Solicitation Package Location The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the ECA's website at https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding or from the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov.

D.2. Content and Form of Submission Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package, including the Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required application forms and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. The application should be submitted per the instructions under D.16. “Application Deadline and Method of Submission” section below.

D.3. Unique Entity Identifier Number All organizations are required to have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications. A UEI is issued as part of the required SAM.gov registration below in section D.5.

The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.

D.4. Required Proposal Elements All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative, budget, and budget narrative.

D.5. Required Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) All organizations 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. Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible. Failure to register in SAM.gov will render applicants ineligible to receive funding.

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.

https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding https://www.grants.gov/

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

Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

D.6. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly, FAPIIS)

1.) The Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

2.) An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov;

3.) The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, 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 §200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

D.7. 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/.

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 https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ 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.8. Adherence To All Regulations Governing the J Visa ECA places critically important emphasis 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 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 award recipient 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 Private Sector Exchange Designation U.S. Department of State SA-5, Floor C2, Room C2L13 2200 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20522

Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.

D.9. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) and Freedom and Democracy Guidelines Pursuant to ECA's authorizing legislation, “diversity” should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, geographic location, education, income, socio-economic status, and other diversity dimensions, that may hinder inclusion. Proposals should demonstrate how diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility will enhance the program’s goals and objectives and the participants’ exchange experience.

Proposals should demonstrate how the program will further engage diverse and underserved communities. 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 mailto:ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov http://j1visa.state.gov/ abroad. Please refer to the “Support of DEIA” review criterion of this document for more information on how this will be reviewed as a part of any application. Please also refer to the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility” section in the “Proposal Submission Instructions” document for specific suggestions on incorporating DEIA into the 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," ECA "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.10. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Distinct from grants or cooperative agreement monitoring and participant monitoring, performance monitoring is designed to assess progress against a program’s goals and objectives. A performance monitoring framework is vital to tracking the direction, pace, and magnitude of change that result from ECA programs.

ECA created the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework to measure the performance of ECA programs. The MODE Framework provides standard indicators and corresponding survey questions to ensure consistent measures across all ECA programs. More resources and guidance documents on the MODE Framework are available online at:

https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and.

For this proposal, ECA requires the applicant include the MODE Framework objectives and indicators listed below (note that, because not all MODE objectives and indicators are relevant for a program, the numbering below will not be sequential). In addition to the ECA-required objectives and indicators, applicants may also select additional MODE Framework indicators (see the Indicator Book on the MODE Framework website), or design custom objectives and indicators that are specific to the proposed program and this proposal.

• Demographic Questions as outlined in the Indicator Book on page vi, and Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and)

• Objective 1: Advance participant and beneficiary cross-cultural competence and global perspective o Sub-Objective 1.1: Promote cultural exchanges and enhance understanding between participants and their host communities.

https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and

▪ E1.1.01: Percent of participants reporting that their program experience offered opportunities to engage with other cultures

▪ E1.1.04: Percent of participants with more favorable opinions of the United States Government (core indicator)

▪ E1.1.09: Percent of participants who traveled abroad for the first time because of their program (core indicator)

▪ E1.1.10: Percent of foreign participants who traveled to the United States for the first time during their program (core indicator)

▪ E1.1.11: Percent of American participants indicating a change in their understanding of their host country's culture and values

▪ E1.1.12: Percent of foreign participants indicating a change in understanding of third-party countries’ cultures and values

▪ E1.1.13: Percent of foreign participants who are more likely to recommend the United States as a good place to study

▪ E1.1.17: Percent of foreign participants with more favorable opinions of the American people (core indicator)

▪ E1.1.18: Percent of foreign participants indicating an increase in understanding of United States culture and values (core indicator)

▪ E1.1.19: Percent of participants agreeing with statements in support of democratic values (core indicator)

• Objective 2: Increase the impact that participants and alumni have on their communities / countries.

▪ E2.0.01: Percent of foreign participants that volunteer in their host communities

▪ E2.0.04: Number of hours that foreign participants spend volunteering in their host communities o Sub-Objective 2.2: Foster participants’ belief that civic engagement benefits communities/countries

▪ E2.2.01: Percent of participants who have more confidence in their ability to have an impact in their home country (core indicator)

• Objective 3: Strengthen engagement among participants, alumni, beneficiaries, and institutions

▪ E3.0.02: Percent of foreign participants who report increasing their network of Americans (core indicator)

▪ E3.0.04: Percent of foreign participants who report increasing their network of third country nationals

▪ E3.0.07: Percent of participants who identify as a Department of State program participant (core indicator)

• Objective 4: Strengthen personal, professional, and technical abilities and aptitudes of participants and beneficiaries

▪ E4.0.01: Percent of participants reporting increases in their job skills as a result of their program participation

▪ E4.0.03: Percent of participants reporting an increase in soft skills as a result of their program participation o Sub-Objective 4.1: Participants engage in language, academic, professional, and cultural exchange programs

▪ E4.1.01: Total number of participants (core indicator)

▪ E4.1.02: Total number of program cohorts (core indicator)

• Objective 6: Increase Capacity of ECA partner institutions to achieve program strategic goals o Sub-Objective 6.1: Increase capacity of implementing partners and educational institutions for the internationalization of programs

▪ E6.1.02: Number of exchange participants from or hosted by Minority- Serving Institutions participating in ECA (both funded and private sector) exchanges (core indicator)

• Objective 8: Enhance the quality and effectiveness of ECA programs by leveraging the Bureau’s resources, policy, and stakeholder relationships

▪ E8.0.03: Response rate for participant surveys (core indicator)

Performance Monitoring Plans (PMPs) ECA recommends the use of a PMP to serve as the primary reference document for performance monitoring for this award. If used, the PMP is an important part of any proposal, as it outlines how the applicant plans to track progress towards the proposed program’s goals and objectives through indicators and corresponding data collection questions. A PMP document that includes all MODE Framework indicators is a part of this solicitation’s attachments. Specific instructions on how to modify the PMP to be responsive to this solicitation are included in that document. While ECA recommends the applicant use the PMP format provided, this is not a requirement. If a PMP is not included in the proposal, applicants should provide similar information to that found in the suggested PMP format, in a presentation of your choice. A training on how to complete a PMP is available here:

https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and . Successful PMPs (or similar documentation) should include the following:

• Objectives. Programmatic objectives are statements of the condition(s) that state what the program is designed to achieve. Objectives are therefore bound by the resources and timeframe of the program and must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (SMART; see the ECA Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Innovation (MELI) Unit’s pages on the ECA website for more information:

https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-evaluation-division/capacity-building). In addition to those outlined above, the applicant may propose other program objectives from the MODE Framework, the Functional Bureau Strategy (https://eca.state.gov/about-bureau), or other applicant-designed program-specific objectives.

https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-evaluation-division/capacity-building https://eca.state.gov/about-bureau https://eca.state.gov/about-bureau

• Indicators. Performance indicators are measures used to gauge progress toward programmatic objectives and sub-objectives. Indicators should be as specific as possible (following the SMART principles) and include any proposed disaggregations (meaning, breakdowns of the data by subgroups, such as gender or country; the PMP lists the demographic questions required to obtain the information necessary to report the disaggregations). Each indicator should also include a target number to be achieved. A target is a planned level of result to be achieved within an explicit timeframe.

o If you do not use the PMP format provided, note that any performance monitoring reference document the applicant submits should include the information in the column headers (Indicator Name, Definition, Target, Survey Question, etc.) in the PMP attachment at a minimum.

o In addition to those indicators outlined in above, the applicant may propose additional custom, program-specific indicators in the PMP (ECA recommends the proposed PMPs include a minimum of one indicator for each custom programmatic objective).

o During the period of performance of the award, the ECA program office may further revise, add, or remove indicators. Therefore, the applicant’s PMP and data collection instruments should be flexible enough to incorporate those once established.

Award recipients are responsible for collecting indicator data only on participant outcomes during the period of performance of the award itself (see the PMP for guidelines as to when these data collection efforts should occur). ECA will measure outcomes of ECA participants at one, three, five, and 10 years after the exchange has ended to capture the long-term impact of ECA programming unless otherwise specified in the NOFO and/or POGI. In this instance, the recipient will be responsible for coordinating with ECA on any alumni surveys to de-duplicate questions and minimize potential survey fatigue.

Award recipients will be required to submit an upload of the raw data (in CSV format) along with the State Assistance Management System Domestic (SAMS-D RPM) reporting (see below).

Regardless of the survey platform used, all MODE Framework survey questions outlined above are required (i.e., should be forced response); please see the Consent Language in the MODE Framework Indicator Book for more information on how to convey this to participants/survey respondents.

Program Performance M&E Narrative The applicant should include information within the program narrative section(s) of the proposal that outlines how the applicant intends to measure the indicators listed above. This will be separate from the PMP and should include but not be limited to:

• An overview of resources available to the applicant that outline the team structure and responsibilities surrounding performance monitoring.

• The mechanism(s) through which surveys and other data collection tools (if applicable) will be administered, including which platform will be used, and when and how surveys will be advertised to participants – detailing strategies to ensure adequate survey response rates (https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/eca_eval_division_survey_response_rates.pdf), and to reduce selection and non-response bias.

• A brief explanation of data analysis and reporting procedures.

• An overview of a proposed learning plan and feedback loops to ensure that the Grant Officer (GO)/Grant Officer Representative (GOR) are informed on performance monitoring issues at regular intervals.

SAMS-D RPM Reporting Requirements The SAMS-D is a database solution that serves as the official system of record for all U.S.

Department of State and ECA awards. The Results Performance Monitoring (RPM) module within SAMS-D is an extension module that enables users to report performance monitoring data in the same system where they currently manage federal assistance actions. As part of ECA’s efforts to streamline data collection and management, the recipient(s) of this award will be required to input performance reporting data outlined in this solicitation into the SAMS-D RPM.