FY17 SUSI Policymaking POGI.pdf

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)

FY 2017 Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Comparative Public Policymaking

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA-ECAAE-17-014

Office of Academic Exchange Programs

Study of the U.S. Branch (ECA/A/E/USS)

The POGI guidelines apply specifically to the Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued by the

Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Study of the U.S. Branch, for the FY 2017 Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Comparative Public Policymaking. Proposals must conform to the NOFO, the

Guidelines stated in this document, and the standard Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). Applications 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 Standard Guidelines outlined in the PSI. If there is a perceived disparity between the standard and program specific Guidelines and the program information supplied in the NOFO, the NOFO is to be the dominant reference.

I. STATEMENT OF WORK

In a cooperative agreement, the Study of the U.S. Branch is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. The Branch may request that the award recipient make modifications to the academic residency and/or educational travel components of the program. The award recipient will be required to obtain approval of significant program changes in advance of their implementation. These activities and the roles and responsibilities of the Department and your organization are outlined below.

A. Award Recipient Responsibilities for this Cooperative Agreement include:

1. Designing, overseeing, and implementing one six-week Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Comparative Public Policymaking for undergraduate students from Pakistan beginning in June 2018;

2. Providing programmatic and administrative oversight of the Study of the U.S. Institute;

3. Arranging and purchasing international round trip travel for participants to and from Pakistan;

4. Coordinating logistical and administrative arrangements for participants such as pre-departure information, airport pick-up and drop-off, lodging and meals, domestic travel, any medical treatment, and the disbursement of program funds;

5. Providing syllabi and a program calendar for the Institute;

6. Conducting an evaluation program that links outcomes of the Institute to stated program goals and objectives to ensure that the Institute meets comparable and high levels of quality in fulfilling program goals;

7. Informing and consulting with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) about any program or participant problems, emergencies, or other issues as well as the progress of necessary corrective action;

8. Managing ECA and other funds for this activity, including submitting required quarterly and final financial reports to ECA as well as weekly updates to the program office during the Institute;

9. Providing participants with follow-on guidance and resources and facilitating continued interaction among participants and U.S. students after the conclusion of the Institute; and

10. Providing reasonable accommodations for participant needs, including disability accommodations if needed, in support of ECA’s commitment to diversity and the involvement of participants from traditionally underrepresented audiences (see budget template for guidance).

B. Department of State Responsibilities for this Cooperative Agreement include:

1. Providing advice and assistance to the award recipient and Institute staff including final approvals of key project plans and activities;

2. Coordinating all communications with the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan, including the recruitment and selection of participants;

3. Issuing participant DS-2019 forms for this program and issuing the participants’ J-1 visas;

4. Enrolling the participants in an accident and sickness health benefits program for the duration of the

Institute and issuing health benefits identification cards for each participant. The program office will instruct the award recipient how to access informational brochures and claim forms;

5. Disbursing international travel allowances prior to departure to the United States;

6. Monitoring the Institute through regular communication with the award recipient and host institutions and a possible site visit; and

7. Conducting a formal debriefing session with the participants during their Washington, D.C. portion of the program

II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

A. Overview

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State invites proposal submissions for the design and implementation of one (1) six-week Study of the U.S. Institute for Student

Leaders on Comparative Public Policymaking. The Institute should be designed for a group of approximately

30 students from Pakistan as specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Proposals should present an integrated and imaginatively designed academic residency that includes an integrated educational travel component, as well as community service activities, leadership development, cultural activities, and homestays and robust opportunities to interact with Americans. The Institute should include up to 20 U.S. students in the academic coursework at no cost to ECA. The Institute should focus on the theme of comparative public policymaking while also illuminating the history and evolution of U.S. society, culture, and values. The NOFO for this competition gives further direction on the substance of the program.

All aspects of the program, including presentations and other class work, readings, writing assignments, leadership skills building, community service, and site visits should be integrated so as to illuminate the overall

Institute theme of comparative public policymaking and contribute to building participants’ understanding of the United States. The conception and structure of the Institute is the responsibility of the recipient. It is essential that proposals provide a full, detailed, and comprehensive narrative describing how the recipient will achieve the objectives of the Institute. A tentative academic program, including lectures, discussions, presentations, etc. should be included. The proposal will be reviewed on the basis of the review criteria in the

NOFO.

Please note: ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets and number of participants based on program needs and the availability of U.S. Government funding. In the event that the levels of

Economic Support Funds (ESF) change, ECA reserves the right to increase or modify the composition of the final award, as well as the final funding levels based upon the quality of proposals submitted, the availability of funds, and other factors impacting long-term foreign policy objectives.

B. Program Dates

The Institute should last approximately 42 days (including arrival and departure days). The Institute is expected to take place in June and July 2018. ECA reserves the right to changes these dates based on the needs of the program.

C. Program Administration

Each proposal should discuss the award recipient’s capacity to successfully manage international exchange programs, including institutional strengths such as faculty, libraries, relevant departments, and major administrative units. Proposals should include a staffing pattern that details how staff will share responsibilities and allocate their time to the Institute.

The award recipient must designate an academic director at the Institute who will be present throughout the program in its entirety to ensure the continuity, coherence, and integration of all aspects of the academic program, including the study tour. The academic director will plan and implement the program, oversee its day-to-day management, and monitor program participants. Also, the academic director should regularly address the participants to ensure continuity, coherence, and integration of all aspects of the Institute. In addition, an administrative director or coordinator must be assigned to oversee all student support services, including supervision of the program participants, budget, logistical support, financial and program reporting, and other administrative aspects of the Institute. Typically, the administrative director also serves as ECA’s primary point of contact.

Other staff may be designated as appropriate. Applicant organizations may choose to incorporate qualified

“cultural ambassadors” or “graduate mentors” (or another appropriate name) at each Institute who exhibit cultural sensitivity, an understanding of the program’s objectives, and a willingness to accompany the students throughout the program. Graduate student assistants may be employed to carry out clerical duties and to assist with the day-to-day concerns and needs of participants, but should not be the principal point of contact for participants’ administrative concerns.

D. Participants

The Institute will host approximately 30 participants from Pakistan. The participants will be highly motivated undergraduates from colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Their fields of study will be varied, and will include the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, education, business, and other fields. Every effort will be made to select a balanced mix of male and female participants, and to recruit participants who are from non-elite or underprivileged backgrounds, from both rural and urban sectors, and have had little or no prior experience in the United States or elsewhere outside their home country.

E. Academic Residency Program

The Institute should include a four-week academic residency component and a two-week educational study component. Applicants are encouraged to design creative, thematically coherent programs that draw upon institutional strengths, including faculty and other resources. The academic residency component should be a specially designed and well-integrated seminar that imaginatively combines lectures, discussions, readings, debates, and site visits and regional travel into a coherent program.

Applicant institutions must provide a comprehensive narrative, no more than 20 double spaced pages, describing the program objectives. There also should be a calendar or itinerary of all program activities. The overall program should be supported by a bibliography and a syllabus that indicates the subject of each class session and explains how assigned readings and other materials support the session. The readings should relate directly to the Institute theme.

Additionally, the academic residency program of each Institute should:

Be designed around the Institute theme of comparative public policymaking and contribute to participants’ deeper understanding of the United States, while at the same time providing useful skills and concepts for future leaders. The program should not simply replicate any existing lecture course, survey, or seminar designed for U.S. students. To encourage interaction with Americans, it is acceptable for applicants to create a course for participants in this program that is also offered to U.S. students for credit. It is expected that up to 20 U.S. students will partake in the course so as to maximize interaction between Pakistani and American students in a classroom setting. The cost for U.S. students to take this course may not be included in the funding request from ECA.

Consist of a carefully integrated series of lectures, panel presentations, seminar discussions, debates, individual and group classroom activities, site visits, and reading assignments. Sessions should be interactive and allow time for the exchange of views among participants and presenters.

Be tailored for the particular group of Pakistani students and include a discussion of relevant issues facing their country and region, as well as the United States. Efforts should be made to encourage active student participation in the educational process. Classes should take into account that the participants may have little or no prior knowledge of the United States and varying degrees of experience in expressing their opinions, and consider that participants might have different levels of proficiency in

English.

Expose participants to a variety of presenters representing diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, and occupational fields on the topics and issues to be explored. In addition to host colleges or university faculty and professionals from the region where the Institute takes place (e.g., in government, media, religious and civic organizations), course presenters should include outstanding scholars and other professional experts from throughout the United States, as appropriate.

Include time for discussion at each session and throughout the program to allow for questions and answers and for a collegial exchange of views among participants, presenters, and panelists.

Include a bibliography of readings for the various program components. It should include at least one survey text or reader, as well as a number of interpretative readings directly related to the Institute themes.

Include at least one leadership skills building session per week that should serve to both develop and enhance participants’ leadership and collective problem-solving skills, and inspire participants to apply them. These workshops should be creative, highly interactive, and team-oriented. They should require input and contribution from all participants, and provide students with basic leadership skills. The recipient may decide to recruit qualified instructors for these sessions from other organizations.

Include at least one hands-on volunteer activity per week with local community service organizations to provide the participants the opportunity to experience first-hand the U.S. tradition of grassroots approaches to solving community problems, as well as additional opportunities to meet and interact with diverse Americans outside an academic setting.

Include day trips or optional weekend excursions, designed to reinforce the academic curriculum, to various local and nearby locations, including historical sites, schools, places of worship, newspapers, etc.

Be intensive, yet leave sufficient free time for pursuing individual interests, socializing with fellow participants and U.S. students, exercising, and relaxing. The program schedule should include adequate time for reading and preparation of class assignments. Supervised cultural and weekend activities (such as group nights at the theater, concerts, sporting events, and city tours) are encouraged and should offer the students opportunities to experience the diversity of the United States, while fostering group cohesion.

F. Integrated Educational Travel Component

The integrated educational travel component should:

Be an integral part of the Institute that directly complements and reinforces the academic residency program and the overall Institute theme of comparative public policymaking.

Be arranged and led by the Institute’s academic director and principal staff. All staff that will be working on this component as managers or escorts should be clearly identified in the proposal.

Be approximately two weeks long, including a minimum of three days in Washington, D.C. It should include a trip to at least one other region within the United States different from the host institution’s region. The agenda for these educational visits should include an appropriate mix of professional-level meetings (local, state, and/or federal government offices, international organizations, NGOs, etc.), visits to cultural institutions, and recreational activities.

Indicate the cities or other destinations to be visited, as well as the specific sites. Day trips or optional weekend excursions to various local and nearby locations, including historical sites, schools, churches, newspapers, etc., are encouraged. Proposals should explain how the site visits and presentations included in the educational travel program relate to the Institute’s academic objectives and subject matter.

The conclusion of the program in Washington, D.C. should include a three-hour session with

Department of State officials; the program officer responsible for the Institute will assist in making the arrangements for this session.

Please note: The Study of the U.S. Branch may request that the recipient modify the academic residency and/or educational travel program. Similarly, the recipient, in consultation with the Study of the U.S. Branch, may also wish to make program modifications.

G. Logistical Considerations

The proposal should discuss your institution’s capacities to successfully manage this international exchange program and should include institutional strengths, such as faculty, libraries, relevant departments, and major administrative units.

Housing and meal arrangements are an important dimension of program planning and must be discussed in detail in the proposal. In general, participants should be housed on campus in university dorms or similar designated university housing. When feasible, it is encouraged to host participants with American roommates. Walking distance to daily classes should be taken into account, as well as accommodations for participants with disabilities. If possible, participants will have access to kitchen facilities, either in their own rooms or in a common room. A cafeteria meal plan combined with a cash allowance for food that will permit participants to cook or eat at local restaurants is strongly recommended. In many cases, participants may experience difficulties with American eating customs due to religious or other dietary restrictions, cultural differences, and availability of familiar foods. Care should be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied. Institute staff should be prepared to discuss such problems with the participants and seek solutions. To the extent permitted by budget limitations, participants should receive up to the USG per diem rate for meals and incidental expenses at the various program locales. See http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem for current U.S. government per diem rates.

Pre-departure materials should be available to participants via an Institute website or email at least six weeks before the start of the program. For participants who do not have Internet access, your institution should make arrangements to send hard copies of these materials by express mail to the U.S. Embassy or directly to the participants, as appropriate. Program websites should be updated regularly to provide changes in the program schedule, readings, photos of Institute activities, and other useful information.

An administrative orientation to the United States and to the host campus for the participants should address administrative details of the program, identify campus and local resources, review safety and security procedures, and provide general information that will facilitate the participants’ adjustment to daily life in a new cultural environment. Important topics will be security, medical issues, and availability of foods to which participants are accustomed, or which meet specific dietary requirements.

An academic orientation should provide participants with a concise overview of the program, including principal objectives and major themes. The academic director should also use this opportunity to discuss guidelines for class participation that encourage active participation by all class members, respect for the views of other participants, concise comments and questions that keep the students on-topic, and other ground rules that will promote effective class discussion throughout the program.

Opening and closing events (e.g., luncheon, dinner or reception) should formally inaugurate the program, inviting interested college/university and community representatives and ECA staff.

Access to resources should be arranged, including campus libraries, computer and internet facilities, on-campus disability and counseling resources, local and national newspapers and periodicals, as well as radio and television. A formal orientation to library services should be conducted during the first week of the program, and computer training and technical support should be provided for those participants who require it.

Evaluations should be conducted on a regular basis to ensure that academic, administrative, and personal problems are acted upon promptly. At the conclusion of the Institute, a formal evaluation session should permit participants to comment on all aspects of the program.

H. Fostering Mutual Understanding

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange that assist in the development of peaceful relations.

In order to promote this mission, the program should provide ample opportunities to attend informal and formal gatherings of ordinary Americans from a variety of ethnic, social, and professional backgrounds, as well as with http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem

U.S. college students. Programs should strive to include as many of the following program components as possible:

o The inclusion of up to 20 U.S. students in the four-week academic program;

o A weekend-long home stay with a local family;

o A structured way for participants to present their country’s history and culture to diverse groups of

Americans;

o A peer system where international participants are paired with U.S. students for individualized recreational evening and weekend activities;

o Accommodations with U.S. roommates, if possible;

o Informal group activities, between the participants and members of the local community; and o To the extent possible, mentoring relationships between participants and academically-appropriate host institution professors.

I. Alumni Outreach/Follow-on Activities

Proposals should provide plans for continued follow-on activity (with minimal ECA support) that ensures that

ECA-supported programs are not isolated events. Proposed follow-on activities for alumni must reflect the goals and objectives of the program and must contribute to ECA’s mission to foster mutual understanding between the people of other countries and the people of the United States. The proposal should include an outline of follow-on alumni programming (including a timeline), information on how it will be coordinated with existing alumni efforts, and a description of how long-term linkages with alumni will be fostered and maintained. Examples of successful past follow-on activities include, but are not limited to, structured mentoring programs, small grant competitions, alumni reunions or workshops, monthly web discussions, reverse exchanges, cooperative publications by participants and their American peers, and distance learning opportunities for alumni. Applicants should incorporate the online community on the International Exchange

Alumni website (Alumni.State.Gov) into their alumni outreach plans.

Follow-on activities should be well developed, but also remain flexible enough to allow for changes based on the needs of the participants. Alumni activities should be financed using the line item budgeted for follow-on activities as well as significant cost-sharing by the applicant organization.

Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional information.

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 review 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)

ASCII Text

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG images)

Proposals should include the following items under the section headings in the GrantSolutions Application

Checklist. 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”

Include other attachments, if applicable, such as indirect agreements, form 990, SF-LLL, etc.

Program Narrative

Executive Summary (One page)

In one double-spaced page and size 12 Times New Roman font, provide the following information about the project:

1. Name of organization/participating institutions

2. Beginning and ending dates of the program

3. Proposed theme

4. Nature of activity

5. Funding level requested from ECA, total program cost, total cost-sharing from applicant and other sources

6. Scope and Goals

a. Number and description of participants

b. Wider audience benefiting from program (overall impact)

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

d. Fields covered

e. Anticipated results (short and long-term)

Narrative

In 20 double-spaced, single-sided pages and size 12 Times New Roman font, provide a detailed description of the project addressing the areas listed below, as well as other review criteria, as applicable.

1. Vision (statement of need, objectives, goals, benefits)

2. Participating Organizations

3. Program Activities

4. Program Evaluation

5. Follow-on

6. Support for Diversity

7. Institutional Capacity

8. Project Management

9. Work Plan/Time Frame

Additional Information to be Submitted

Detailed Budgets, Summary Budget, and Budget Narrative

All budget guidelines must be followed. The budget should indicate any cost sharing in the form of in-kind or cash contributions to the program from sources other than the Department of State.

See standard guidelines (PSI) in the Solicitation Package for information on cost sharing and the cost of audits.

A sample budget is provided as an excel document download as part of the application package for this solicitation. You may request this budget template by contacting Macon Barrow, at

BarrowME@state.gov; 202-632-9435. Please note there are five tabs in this document, the

Sample Budget Instructions, the Total Cost by Grant Category, the Summary Budget, the Admin

Detailed Budget, and the Program Detailed Budget. Applicants must complete tabs 2-5. The sample budget includes an explanation of specific budget categories and line items. Unless otherwise indicated, each of the line items should appear in the proposed budget. You are urged to be as detailed and specific as possible, adding line items if needed.

Please be sure to include a Summary Budget on a separate page before the Detailed Budgets.

The Summary Budget should clearly indicate the number of program participants and provide an overall unit cost per participant, as well as a unit cost breakdown by program and administrative costs. A sample of this format is provided on the third tab of the sample budget. Please note, the summary budget includes estimated cost projections for the non-competitive continuations of the award. You are not required to provide a detailed budget for the subsequent years until ECA decides to exercise the non-competitive continuation.

Following the Detailed Budget, please include a Budget Narrative that concisely explains how costs were calculated and the rationale for including them in the budget. Please make note of the following in the Budget Narrative:

If you do not have an established indirect cost rate agreement, please explain what costs are excluded when calculating the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) base in accordance with 2 CFR 200.68 and 2 CFR 200.414.

List and explain the participant support costs.

State if the above two questions are part of your organization’s existing policies and if they are consistently applied in all budgets throughout your organization.

Applicant institutions should attempt to maximize cost-sharing throughout the program by enlisting the support of the U.S. private sector, including foundations and corporations. ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets based on program needs and the availability of U.S. Government funding.

Calendar of activities/itinerary

Letters of endorsement

Resumes and CVs (resumes of all new staff should be included in the submission; no resume should exceed two pages.)

First Time Applicant Attachments (if applicable).

Please note: All applicants for ECA federal assistance awards must include in their application the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation). In fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one of the following ways:

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

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

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

As part of final program reporting requirements, award recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived from their program reports, listing and describing their grant activities. For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as the one-page description of grant activities, will be transmitted by the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by the

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

ECA’s FFATA reporting requirements.

IV. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The NOFO 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 competition, call Macon Barrow at (202) 632-9435, Study of the U.S. Branch; email:

BarrowME@state.gov.