FY 24 YA Regional POGI.pdf

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)

FY 2024 Youth Ambassadors Programs Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0010305

Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division

The POGI guidelines apply specifically to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued by the Youth Programs Division for the FY 2024 Youth Ambassadors programs with select countries in East Asia and Pacific (EAP), Europe and Eurasia (EUR), and the Near Eastern Affairs region (NEA). Your proposal must conform to the solicitation, the guidelines stated in this document, and the standard Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). Any application not adhering to the conditions set forth herein may be deemed technically ineligible. These guidelines are specific to the program mentioned above and are IN ADDITION TO the guidelines outlined in the PSI. If there is a perceived disparity between documents, the NOFO solicitation should be the dominant reference.

I. STATEMENT OF WORK

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of the U.S. embassies in the designated countries are supporting the participation of youth and adult mentors (select programs) in intensive, substantive four-week exchange programs in the United States. The programs’ primary themes are civic education, leadership development, respect for diversity, and community engagement; exchange activities will introduce the participants to a comprehensive survey of civic education, community service, and youth leadership development, as well as subthemes such as social inclusion, entrepreneurship, innovation, and environmental awareness, among others. Activities will focus on building their knowledge and skill levels in these areas. The youth and adult participants (if applicable) will engage in workshops, community service activities, meetings with community leaders, and discussion groups and will have opportunities for substantive interaction with each other and their peers on the program. Please note: The Youth Ambassadors - EAP and NEA programs will include adult mentor participants. Competitively selected U.S. secondary students will join participants in U.S.-based activities on the NEA exchanges.

The Youth Ambassadors programs include the following regional options:

Option One: Youth Ambassadors – EAP (one exchange)

• Burma, Philippines and select Pacific Island countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, and Vanuatu) as outlined in the NOFO

Option Two: Youth Ambassadors – EUR (one exchange)

• Russia Option Three: Youth Ambassadors – NEA (two exchanges)

• Algeria

• Iraq

Recipient Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:

1) Recruitment, Screening, and Selection:

a) Conduct open recruitment and competitive, merit-based selection of a diverse group of international youth and adult participants (on select programs) from the partner country, in close consultation with ECA and PAS. [Note: The Youth Ambassadors – EUR program does not include adult participants. Select posts in EAP, as noted in the NOFO, will lead recruitment, screening, and selection efforts, as needed.]

b) Develop, in coordination with ECA and PAS, a transparent interview plan and formal process for selection that includes a consistent scoring mechanism and clearly identified evaluation criteria.

c) For the Youth Ambassadors - NEA program exchanges (only): Conduct open recruitment and competitive, merit-based selection of a diverse group of American youth (ages 15-

17) to join Algerian and Iraqi participants in U.S.-based exchange activities.

d) Develop web-based applications for participants in consultation with, and approval by, ECA and PAS.

e) Administer an effective English language screening process, as appropriate.

f) Recommend the final participants and alternates for approval. No invitations may be issued without ECA and PAS clearance.

2) Preparation:

a) Coordinate with participants before the program to provide them with program information and pre-departure materials, and to gather information about their specific interests, in collaboration with PAS.

b) Facilitate the passport and J-1 visa application process, in collaboration with ECA and PAS, for the foreign participants at least 90 days before the beginning of travel to the United States. This includes coordinating, and budgeting for, travel for visa interviews.

[For the Philippine participants: Please note that a separate trip to the capital is required for J-1 visa and local government interviews approximately four weeks prior to program departure.]

c) Issue DS-2019 forms. All foreign participants will travel on a U.S. Government designation for the J Exchange Visitor Program.

d) Enroll foreign participants in the ECA’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) health benefits plan for the duration of the exchange and assist with claims as necessary.

e) Prepare emergency contact information cards for all participants. Participants must receive cards prior to traveling to the United States.

f) Make all round-trip international and domestic travel arrangements for participants (complying with the Fly America Act), including domestic travel for American participants on the Youth Ambassadors – NEA Algeria and Iraq exchanges if they do not live within the host community. [For the Youth Ambassadors – EUR program: Arrange for a flight chaperone on all legs of the international flights, in consultation with ECA.

Program staff may serve as flight chaperones. See below for more information]

g) Arrange for ground transportation, group meals, and the disbursement of pocket money.

h) Make appropriate accommodations and arrangements for participants’ religious observances and dietary restrictions, as needed (e.g., allotting time for prayer or services, providing halal meals, etc.)

i) Hire and train staff, as needed, to accompany participants during the exchange period.

Criminal background checks, including a search of the Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Registry, must be conducted for all program staff and for new staff prior to hiring.

j) In collaboration with the overseas partner(s) and PAS, design and conduct pre-departure orientations (PDOs) for participants, including general and program-specific information.

k) Make housing arrangements for all participants, including the American students (Youth Ambassadors – NEA program exchanges) who may live outside of the host communities.

l) Carefully recruit, screen, and select diverse local host families to offer homestays (lodging and meals) to the participants for most of the exchange period (two or more weeks). Criminal background checks, including a search of the Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Registry, must be conducted for members of host families (and others living in the home) who are 18 years or older. Monitor housing arrangements to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of participants.

m) Orient staff and those participating from the U.S. host communities, including American peers and host families, to the goals of the program and to the cultures and sensitivities of the exchange visitors.

3) Exchange Activities:

a) Plan and implement four weeks of exchange activities that are designed to develop the participants’ knowledge and skill base in civic education, community service, and youth leadership development. The exchanges must include creative and interactive activities, practical experiences, and other hands-on opportunities that provide a substantive experience on the specified program themes. Activities will be school and community-based, as appropriate to the program. Exchanges should involve as much sustained interaction with U.S. peers as possible.

b) As noted in the NOFO, the program theme for the Youth Ambassadors – EUR program must be environmentally focused.

c) For Youth Ambassadors - EAP and NEA programs: Design and plan opportunities for the adult participants, outside of joint activities with youth participants, to work with their peers and other professionals, volunteers, and youth advocates with whom they can discuss the support of youth development. Programming for adult participants must be discussed in adequate detail within the proposal.

d) Arrange appropriate community, cultural, social, and civic activities. Ensure that the range of program activities provides a balanced view of the social and political spectrum.

e) Engage participants in at least two community service activities during the exchange.

The program should provide context for the participants – identifying community needs, volunteerism, charitable giving, etc. – and a debriefing so that the service activity is not an isolated event and will help participants apply the experience at home.

f) Develop and implement a plan to monitor the participants’ safety and well-being during the exchange and to create opportunities for participants to share potential issues and resolve them promptly.

g) Conduct a welcome orientation for participants upon their arrival in the United States to review program goals, objectives, and expectations. For the Youth Ambassadors – NEA program exchanges with Algeria and Iraq: Welcome orientations should be held jointly with competitively selected American peers.

h) Provide a closing session to summarize exchange activities, prepare participants for their return home, and plan for their future as Youth Ambassadors alumni.

i) Include a short, substantive visit to Washington, DC at the beginning or conclusion of the program.

4) Follow-on activities:

a) Plan, organize, and manage, in close collaboration with the overseas partner(s) and PAS, follow-on activities in the participants’ home countries by facilitating continued engagement among the participants; advising; and supporting them in the implementation of community service projects; and offering opportunities to reinforce the ideas, values and skills learned during the exchange. Exchange participants should return home from the exchange prepared to conduct projects that serve a need in their schools or communities. To amplify program effectiveness, proposals should present creative and effective ways to address the project themes. Follow-on activities may include a virtual component. Applicants should propose a robust plan to assist the participants in developing and carrying out follow-on projects with maximum positive effect to the community.

b) Support alumni in making presentations or preparing articles to share their experiences once they return home.

c) Encourage alumni activities and/or presentations which would take place during International Education Week, held annually in November and/or the UN’s International Day of Youth, held annually in August. Notify your ECA Program Officer/Grant Officer Representative of any activities planned for these periods.

d) Connect newly returned program participants with alumni from previous program years, the wider Youth Ambassadors network, and from other U.S. Government sponsored programs to help reintegrate them into their home communities post-exchange, and to build and strengthen the alumni network.

e) (Optional): Arrange overseas site visits by project staff, trainers, or educators to further the training started during the exchange. Proposed visits must be discussed in adequate detail within the proposal.

5) Performance Monitoring and Evaluation:

Design a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) that outlines plans to track progress towards the proposed program’s goals and objectives through indicators and corresponding data collection questions. Please see section D.10. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation of the NOFO for more information.

6) Administrative:

a) Work in consultation with ECA and PAS on the program implementation, providing timely progress reports to ECA and PAS, and complying with financial and program reporting requirements.

b) Manage all financial aspects of the program, including stipend disbursements to the participants and sub-award relationships with U.S. and overseas partner organizations.

c) Participate in regular program reviews with the ECA Program Officer (in person or by telephone) to assess program implementation and identify matters of concern. The award recipient should provide the ECA Program Officer brief email updates outlining general programmatic activities conducted during the past month and anticipated programmatic activities to be conducted the following month.

d) Prepare and share program and/or alumnae highlights and success stories in a timely fashion with the ECA Program Officer and relevant U.S. embassies.

e) Submit proposed changes to staffing plans and/or key personnel to the ECA Program and Grants Officers for approval.

f) Respond fully and promptly to requests for program information from the ECA Program Office.

g) Inform, and consult with, ECA about any program or participant problems, emergencies, or other issues, as well as the progress of necessary corrective action.

Substantial Involvement:

In a cooperative agreement, the Department is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine performance monitoring, as follows:

1) Approve the final and alternate candidates.

2) Make recommendations for changes or replacement of sub-award partners when program goals are not being sufficiently met.

II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

Partner Organizations and/or Affiliates:

Applicants must have the organizational capacity in the relevant countries to implement in-country activities, recruit and select participants for the program, and provide follow-on activities. This capacity may take the form of a branch office of the U.S. applicant organization, a non-governmental partner organization, or other affiliates/consultants with demonstrated experience in educational exchange that can coordinate the program nationally. Award recipients will be responsible for their partners’ activities under the cooperative agreement, both programmatically and financially. All applicants need to identify their representation in the partner country/countries, describe their in-country partner’s responsibilities and qualifications, and provide a signed letter of commitment from the partner(s). The cooperative agreement requires that the administering organization be able to manage the program in the host country in its entirety, with little reliance on the embassy staff for support.

• Exceptions will be considered for the Youth Ambassadors – EUR program, and for select countries participating in the Youth Ambassadors – EAP program. Please reference NOFO section A.3. Program Specific Guidelines for additional details. If an exception is being requested, please outline how the applicant organization would coordinate necessary activities.

• For Youth Ambassadors – NEA Iraq exchange, the partner should:

• be based in Iraq and have the appropriate number of staff/consultants in various regions of the country (at least North, Central, and South) to handle a high level of interest in the program; and

• be able to work with the local government represented by the Ministry of Education to get all necessary approvals for recruitment and schools visits.

Participants:

For the Youth Ambassadors – EUR program, international youth participants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1) Be secondary or post-secondary school students between the ages of 18 and 22 at the start of the exchange;

2) Be citizens and current residents of Russia;

3) Be selected through a merit-based competition; and

4) Represent the diversity of their home country.

For the Youth Ambassadors – EAP and NEA programs, international youth participants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1) Be secondary school students between the ages of 15 and 17 at the start of the exchange;

2) Be citizens and current residents of the country from which they are applying;

3) Be selected through a merit-based competition;

4) Represent the diversity of their home country; and

5) Have at least one year of secondary school remaining after the exchange.

For the Youth Ambassadors – EAP and NEA programs, the adult participants will:

1) Be teachers, trainers, non-governmental organization (NGO) staff, or community leaders who work with youth;

2) Be citizens and current residents of the country they are representing on the exchange;

3) Be selected through a merit-based competition;

4) Demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to, assisting youth to become productive and responsible members of society;

5) Exhibit maturity and open-mindedness;

6) Be supportive of the teenage participants;

7) Have proficiency in English; and

8) Remain in teaching positions or other positions of influence on young leaders.

The adults must be carefully selected and thoroughly briefed on their roles during the project.

Although they are to be full exchange participants, they also will serve as chaperones. They will have program sessions with the youth, as well as separate program activities designed specifically for them. It is important that they be prepared to allow the students to be vocal, candid, and active participants who do not feel they need to defer to the adult mentor before speaking. At the same time, their shared experience with the students will allow them to serve as advocates for the alumni once they return home.

ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal project configurations, budgets, and participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. Additionally, ECA reserves the right to adjust countries within the region of the award should conditions change in a partner country and/or if other countries are identified as alternatives in response to Department priorities.

Recruitment and Selection:

Applicant organizations must design and present a plan to recruit qualified applicants that represent the diversity of the partner country/countries. Recruitment efforts must be designed to attract quality applicants who will represent the ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the partner country’s population. In-person interviews must be conducted for all candidates.

Strategies and plans for participant recruitment, selection, and interviews should be closely coordinated with, and approved by, the ECA Program Office and PAS staff at the relevant U.S.

embassy to ensure that these processes are conducted fairly, efficiently, and reach target audiences.

Preference should be given to individuals who have not previously traveled to the United States, especially on a U.S. government-sponsored program. Once the cooperative agreements are awarded, award recipients of all program options must consult with ECA and embassy staff in the partner countries to review their recruitment plans in detail, identify any specific selection criteria, and the screening and selection process. To reach beyond the elite, particular emphasis should be placed on selecting participants from underserved or disadvantaged populations, including public high schools. ECA seeks geographic, socio-economic, and ethnic/racial diversity among participants. It is desirable to select some participants from the same town or region so that they can support each other upon their return home. Recruitment should include an online application process, with alternatives available for those who do not have consistent or reliable access to the Internet.

• For the Youth Ambassadors - NEA program exchanges: American participants may be recruited locally, regionally, or nationally.

• For the Youth Ambassadors - NEA Iraq exchange: The award recipient must brand the program the “Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP)” in all program materials for public distribution. The ECA-funded Iraq exchange has been part of a larger IYLEP initiative jointly funded by the U.S. Embassy since 2007 and over the years, IYLEP has become the known and trusted program brand throughout Iraq. ECA would like to maintain the affiliation with the larger IYLEP initiative at this time.

Pre-Departure Orientation: The award recipient, in collaboration with its overseas partners (where applicable) and PAS, will design and conduct a PDO for all participants before they leave for the United States. The PDO should include a general political, historical, educational, and cultural introduction to the United States; information on key program objectives, concepts, themes, and expectations; preparations for homestays; and intercultural training and teambuilding exercises. All participants must participate in the PDO and receive programmatic information in advance of their travel.

The award recipient should invite relevant embassy personnel to PDOs and engage with participants to the greatest extent possible so that participants are fully cognizant of the U.S.

Government’s (ECA and participating embassies’) support and sponsorship of the program.

For the Youth Ambassadors - NEA program exchanges: The award recipients will conduct PDOs for American participants and their families, host institutions, staff, and host families to review program goals and expectations and to introduce them to the cultures and sensitivities of the visitors.

International travel: The applicant should detail its plan for the delegation’s international travel in its proposal narrative and include appropriate costs in the budget. The proposal also should include the proposed dates of the exchange, and a detailed plan and budget for providing funds to participants to cover their required costs within their home countries such as passport fees, travel allowances, and domestic travel (or third-party country travel, if required) to the capital city for visa interviews, PDOs, and international departure, as needed.

For the Youth Ambassadors – EUR program: As this program does not include adult participants, the award recipient, in consultation with ECA, will identify and provide flight chaperones to accompany the participants on all legs of the international flights to and from the site of program activity in the United States. The flight chaperones may be staff members of the partner organization, local NGOs, and/or consultants, however they will not have any role in the exchange other than providing this service. Travel expenses such as airline tickets, and per diem and lodging for up to two days should be included within proposal budgets.

Welcome Orientation: The award recipient will design and conduct a welcome orientation for the participants to introduce them to their host communities and American peers (where applicable), and to prepare them for the activities ahead. The orientation will include a general political, historical, educational, and cultural introduction to the participating countries, a review of the objectives and themes of the program, and practical and administrative information.

Other Logistics: The award recipient will manage all logistical arrangements, including U.S.

domestic travel, ground transportation, accommodations, group meals, and disbursement of pocket money.

U.S. Exchange Activities: The award recipient will design, plan, and implement four weeks of exchange activities that provide a creative and substantive program that develops the participants’ knowledge and skill base in specified themes. The program should consist primarily of interactive activities, practical experiences, and other opportunities that provide an introduction to U.S.-based civic, cultural, and educational institutions. Activities should use hands-on methods to help the participants learn about the fundamentals of civil society and community engagement, build their leadership skills, and develop similar activities for their peers back home. ECA urges applicants to present innovative, resourceful, and effective programming ideas. Applicants should justify their choices by explaining how their program plan will meet the stated goals.

The activities could include a mix of workshops or training sessions, simulations and role-playing, teambuilding exercises, case studies, volunteer service, leadership training, meetings, classroom visits, site visits, and social time among peers. Many of these should be planned in conjunction with participation in school and community activities (when possible) in a way that is educational for the exchange participants and their hosts/peers. Exchange participants should not attend classes in a school for more than a few days. All programming should include American students wherever possible. Cultural and recreational activities will balance the schedule.

Examples of potential exchange activities include:

1) Community service/volunteer activities

2) Peer training/education workshops

3) Teambuilding exercises

4) Fundraising strategies

5) Project/time management workshops

6) Leadership development with workshop trainers or organizations

7) Meetings with government, community, and business leaders

8) Media literacy training that emphasizes research, critical thinking and analysis, and how to spot and combat misinformation

9) Exercises related to conflict resolution, increasing tolerance, and developing strategies for future collaboration and cooperation among participants

10) Dialogues, simulations, role plays, and other activities aimed at helping participants articulate their thoughts about the project’s themes and developing presentation skills

11) Visits to historical sites, government and community centers, museums, and landmarks that combine learning about principals of government, history, and society with sight-seeing

12) Sports, drama, fine arts, musical, and other extracurricular activities which provide opportunities for participants to work and play together

The program should include a closing workshop just prior to the participants’ departure that focuses on summarizing the experience, developing plans for activities at home, and preparing to return home. The participants should be encouraged, and helped, to develop projects to implement at home, such as producing visual materials that share information on issues that affect their daily lives, developing peer-support or peer-mediation programs or workshops, or cooperating with local NGOs to develop a spirit of volunteerism. The ideas and plans should come from the participants, but the project staff should be prepared to assist the participants in developing these plans during the U.S.-based exchange.

For the Youth Ambassadors - EAP and NEA programs: Adult participants must be provided with ample opportunity to engage in activities specifically geared to advancing their professional development skills during the exchange, in addition to joint activities with youth participants.

Examples should be included in the proposal.

Sites: In addition to visiting Washington, DC, the participants should spend time in no more than one or two locations to familiarize themselves within a community. Applicant organizations should describe the rationale for their location selections. ECA encourages applicants to consider proximity to sites of historical or cultural interest, access to organizations that can conduct appropriate workshops, and representation of the diversity of the United States.

Housing Accommodations: In the United States, homestays with local families must be arranged for most of the exchange period (at least two-to-three weeks) to provide participants sufficient time to become familiar with life in an American home. A dormitory, hotel, or other housing with appropriate adult supervision is an acceptable arrangement for other short segments of the program, such as the welcome orientation, the capital city program, the closing session, or special workshops.

The award recipient must have a clear and detailed host family recruitment, screening, and selection process. They also must provide the families with an orientation prior to their exchange participants’ arrival which emphasizes the program’s goals. Screening must include a visit to the home to meet all members of the household to ensure that the host family is capable of providing a comfortable and nurturing home environment. Criminal background checks, including a search of the Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Registry, must be conducted for members of host families (and others living in the home) who are 18 years or older. The orientation will provide families with detailed information on the exchange program, the parameters of their participation, duties and obligations, and information on cultural differences and practices.

ECA encourages diversity in host family recruitment and selection. Host families may represent diversity in family size and structure, race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, and geography. Exchange participants should be afforded private space in the home. While exchange participants may share a room with someone of a similar age and the same gender, they must have their own bed. Participants may be placed with host families as singles or in pairs. Host families need to have adequate financial resources to undertake hosting obligations. Host families may not receive any compensation for hosting.

Participant Monitoring: The award recipient will develop and implement a comprehensive plan to monitor the participants’ safety and well-being while on the exchange and to create opportunities for participants to share potential issues and resolve them promptly. The award recipient will be required to provide proper adult supervision to ensure that the program participants have safe and enriching programs. Staff, in coordination with the adult mentors (if applicable), will assist the youth with cultural adjustments, provide societal context to enhance learning, and counsel students as needed.

Criminal background checks, including a search of the Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Registry, must be conducted for all program staff who will have contact with participants.

Award recipients must immediately inform the ECA Program Officer and relevant U.S.

embassies about any significant health or safety issues affecting program participants as they arise. Regardless of the level of severity, or how easily it can be resolved, it is essential that the ECA Program Officer be notified for awareness.

Participants must be given emergency contact information cards prior to their arrival in the United States.

Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation: See section D.10. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of the NOFO solicitation for more information.

Follow-on Activities for Alumni: The award recipients will design activities for alumni, and support and mentor the youth participants in their follow-on project implementation. This may include providing materials, serving as a resource or advisor, and working with the relevant U.S.

embassy and adult participant alumni (where applicable) to help nurture on-going contact with the participants. ECA seeks creative ideas to ensure that alumni effectively carry out their follow-on projects and remain engaged in activities, particularly ideas that amplify the program’s effectiveness. Alumni programming in the form of seminars, newsletters, and online platforms serves to maximize and extend the exchange program’s benefits. Follow-on plans should take into account that Internet access may be limited in some areas. Applicants may propose visits by project staff, trainers, or educators to the partner country to further the training started during the exchange. Structured alumni reunion meetings may be incorporated into follow-on activities.

Applicant organizations should incorporate ECA alumni initiatives into their plans and communications for alumni programming, including, but not limited to, the online community on the International Exchange Alumni website (alumni.state.gov), connecting with the wider Youth Ambassadors program alumni networks, and opportunities offered by the U.S.

Department of State, such as the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) or U.S. embassy hosted events. Applicants should show how they will ensure that alumni understand the role and relationship of the program with the U.S. Government and that they will follow ECA communications guidance for crediting the U.S. Department of State (as applicable).

All alumni contact information gathered by the award recipients on behalf of this program must be made available to the Department of State. Please refer to the PSI for additional guidance.

Communication Strategy: Successful proposals will present a communications plan for keeping ECA and participating U.S. embassies informed of program progress, including programmatic and/or participant concerns/issues, as well as alumni activities and success stories.

Participant Highlights and Success Stories: Participant and alumni experience highlights are essential to demonstrating the power and significance of international exchange programs. The ECA Program Office therefore expects award recipients to prepare and share exchange program highlights by email with the ECA Program Officer and relevant U.S. embassies while participants are in the United States, as well as share alumni experience highlights and success stories in a timely fashion (as they occur) post-exchange.

Alumni Events/Follow-on Activities: The award recipient should communicate and consult with embassy PAS staff prior to organizing in-person or virtual alumnae events to learn of any current on-the-ground cultural, political, or security considerations/sensitivities, and to offer opportunities for participation, when and where feasible. The award recipient should be prepared to provide the ECA Program Officer and U.S. embassies with detailed summaries of alumni activities/events in a timely fashion (no later than two weeks) following a scheduled activity/event. Summaries should include the who, what, where, when and why details, as well as highlight the specific outcomes and notable successes from the activity/event.

Social Media and Website: The award recipient will establish and maintain a web presence that will provide current information about the program and its alumni. Additionally, the award https://alumni.state.gov/aeif recipient will coordinate social media engagement for the program in coordination with ECA and in accordance with ECA’s social media guidelines to ensure media is appropriate for the level of sensitivity and maintains the online security of those involved. Proposals should present a clear social media plan for program promotion, recruitment, alumni engagement, and significance amplification.

Other notes: The award recipient is responsible for all components of the program outlined in this document. ECA requires the recipient organization to communicate with ECA and the PAS of the relevant U.S. embassy on a regular basis about program activities, including participant and host family recruitment and selection, pre-departure and welcome orientations, publicity, and follow-on activities. The recipient must inform the ECA Program Officer of their progress at each stage of the project’s implementation in a timely fashion, and it must obtain approval of any significant program changes in advance of their implementation. All materials 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.

III. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Applicants should submit a complete and thorough proposal describing the program in a convincing and comprehensive manner. Since there is no opportunity for applicants to meet with reviewing officials, the proposal should respond to the criteria set forth in the solicitation and other guidelines as clearly as possible.

Proposals should address succinctly, but completely, the elements described below and must follow all format requirements.

NOTE: Proposals submitted through Grants.gov may only be submitted in the following formats:

• Microsoft Word

• Microsoft Excel

• Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) - Prior to submitting applications through Grants.gov, please ensure you meet all Grants.gov system and software requirements, including Adobe software compatibility. You can verify if your version of Adobe software is compatible with Grants.gov, by visiting https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

• ASCII Text

• Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG images)

Proposals should include the following items. All documents should be appropriately and clearly titled.

Online Forms:

• SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

• SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

• SF-424B, “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs,” (only required for organizations if its representations and certifications have not been completed in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). If an organization is exempt from registering in SAM.gov, then it would still need to provide the form as part of its application.)

• Include other attachments, if applicable, such as the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), form 990 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, SF- LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (only required for organizations that engage in lobbying activities), etc.

Program Narrative:

Executive Summary (One page) In one double-spaced page, provide the following information about the project:

1) Name of organization, and participating institutions/partners

2) Identification of the program option (e.g. Youth Ambassadors Program – EAP)

3) Beginning and ending dates of the program

4) Proposed themes and subthemes

5) Nature of activity and proposed venues

6) Funding level requested from ECA, total program cost, total cost-sharing from applicant and other sources

7) Scope and Goals

a. Number and description of participants

b. Wider audience benefiting from program (overall significance)

c. Geographic diversity of program, both U.S. and overseas

d. Fields covered

e. Anticipated results (short and long-term)

Narrative:

In no more than 20 double-spaced, single-sided pages (with one-inch margins, size 12 font), provide a detailed description of the project addressing the areas listed below. In the narrative, applicants should not only describe major programs activities but also explain and justify their programmatic choices.

1) Vision (statement of need, objectives, goals, benefits): Describe the project objectives and the desired outcomes, i.e., the knowledge, skills, and/or attitudinal changes that the participants will acquire.

2) Participating Organization(s): Identify critical partner organizations (and/or consultants) for the program, their roles, and the reasons for including them. Applicants must also describe their working relationship with the partner organization(s) and detail the division of program responsibilities between the award recipient and the partner organization(s).

Applicants should also indicate how they will monitor the performance of their overseas partner(s), where applicable.

3) Recruitment, Screening, and Selection: Describe how the applicant will coordinate with relevant local partners and relevant U.S. embassies to conduct open recruitment and competitive selection of a diverse group of international participants from the participating country/countries. Present a plan for advertising the program and outline within the proposal both the process and the criteria by which finalists will be selected. The recruitment and selection of Americans for the Youth Ambassadors – NEA program option also should be described.

4) Program Activities: Describe the components of the exchange and how they relate to program themes, including program planning, orientations, educational and cultural activities, meetings, site visits, community service, and the closing session. A detailed outline of the four-week exchange should be included as an appendix. Describe support for follow-up activities.

5) Travel, Housing, and Other Logistics: Describe in detail how the applicant will arrange and manage any required in-country travel (overseas), international travel (in compliance with the Fly America Act); domestic travel; homestays (be specific about the recruitment, screening, and monitoring processes) and other housing arrangements; ground transportation; stipend disbursement; and other relevant administrative matters.

6) Participant Monitoring: Detail a plan to assure the well-being, safety, and security of program participants during all stages of the program. A competitive monitoring plan should include the following:

a) The information provided in PDO materials on safety and the avenues for youth to communicate concerns to staff.

b) The staff supervision plan for when the participants are in hotels and/or dormitories.

c) Screening of host families, including criminal background checks for all household members over the age of 18.

d) The monitoring of participants while they are in homestays.

e) A comprehensive emergency action plan.

7) Support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA): Explain how the program managers will pro-actively support DEIA in participant selection, program content, and host family recruitment, demonstrating how diversity can contribute to a vibrant civil society.

Diversity should be defined broadly to include geographic, urban/rural, ethnic, racial, socio-economic, sexual orientation, and religious diversity.

8) Program Performance Monitoring: Include a plan describing how the applicant organization will work with ECA to measure and meet program monitoring goals. See section D.10. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of the NOFO solicitation for more information.

9) Institutional Capacity and Project Management: Outline the applicant’s capacity to conduct programs of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency: provision of educational and thematic programs, age-appropriate programming for youth, and any previous work in the region. Describe the program staffing (individuals by name and responsibilities), qualifications, structure, and resources. If applicable, include this information for partner organizations as well.

10) Follow-on Activities: Describe a plan to provide and manage follow-on activities to the U.S-based project.

11) Work Plan/Schedule: Outline the phases of the project planning and implementation for the entire award period. Provide a draft schedule of daily activities of the exchanges in an appendix.

Additional Information to be Submitted:

1) Detailed Budget

The level of funding available for the FY 2024 base year of each program is outlined below:

Program Option One: Youth Ambassadors – EAP: $440,000 (One exchange) Program Option Two: Youth Ambassadors – EUR: $360,000 (One exchange) Program Option Three: Youth Ambassadors – NEA: $650,000 (Two exchanges)

ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

The available funding may be used to support the participant support and non-participant support costs necessary to implement the program as described in this solicitation. Please submit a comprehensive line-item budget, as stated in the PSI. An explanatory budget narrative must be included and should elaborate on the detailed budget (e.g., how costs were calculated) not simply repeat with words what is stated numerically in the budget.

The budget narrative is the place to communicate to ECA any information that might not be readily apparent in the budget, such as to help explain the reasonableness of costs.

Allowable costs may include, but are not limited to, the following:

o Staff salaries and benefits o Staff travel o Application and educational materials o Participant travel (international, domestic, ground transportation, passport and visa fees). This may also include travel expenses for American participants, if applicable o Flight chaperone travel (Youth Ambassadors – EUR program only) o Orientations o Cultural and social activities o Meeting costs o Lodging, when not in homestays o Food (primarily group meals) o Follow-on activities (including alumni events/activities that bring Youth Ambassadors together with other ECA program alumni for networking and mentorships) o Program performance monitoring and evaluation o Pocket money for participants’ incidental expenses o Reasonable accommodations o Other justifiable expenses directly related to supporting program activities

IMPORTANT: Stipends for homestays or for host families are not allowed.

Significant cost-sharing is encouraged and will enhance the proposal. ECA urges applicants to keep costs as low and reasonable as possible. ECA strongly encourages cost-sharing contributions from the applicant and other sources.

Please note that there are no fees for the J-1 visas that foreign participants will use to enter the United States. Applicants should budget for foreign program participants to travel to the applicable U.S. embassy for visa interviews and should budget to cover the cost of participants’ passports, if necessary.

Exchange participants will be enrolled by the awardee in the ECA’s ASPE. This cost of the ASPE coverage does not need to be included in the budget. More information on ASPE is available at USDOS | Seven Corners Government Solutions.

Please refer to the PSI for allowable costs and complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

2) Schedule of exchange activities

3) Letters of endorsement

Include pledges to participate in the program’s implementation from significant partner organizations and any receiving a sub-award. Letters from elected officials are generally not advised.

4) Resumes Resumes of all staff should be included in the submission. No one resume should exceed two pages.

https://www.sevencorners.com/about/gov/usdos

5) First Time Applicant Attachments, if applicable (please see PSI)

Please limit appendices to documents that are directly relevant to the program and better inform its design.

IV. OTHER AWARD INFORMATION

Adherence To All Regulations Governing the J Visa ECA places critically important emphases on the security and proper administration of 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 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.

V. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The solicitation document indicates the date the complete proposal is due and the manner in which proposals must be submitted. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this deadline. For further information regarding this program or the proposal submission, please contact Sarah Shields, U.S. Department of State, Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), ShieldsSD@state.gov.