FY2018 ELFS NOFO.pdf

Department of State

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

(NOFO): FY 2018 English Language Fellow and Specialist Program

Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA-ECAALW-18-001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.421

Application Deadline: November 17, 2017

Program Description/Executive Summary:

The Office of English Language Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs announces an open competition for proposals to advance the Bureau’s objectives through support of academic exchanges that will result in the improvement of English teaching capacity around the world and the enhancement of mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through exchanges of U.S. English language educators to all regions of the world.

The EL Fellow and Specialist Program builds bridges of mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through exchanges of

U.S. English language educators. The EL Fellow and Specialist Program sends talented, highly qualified U.S. citizens in the area of Teaching English to Speakers of Other

Languages (TESOL) or a closely related field on approximately ten month Fellow exchanges or short-term (two-weeks or more) Specialist assignments at educational institutions in all regions of the world. Through U.S. embassy-designated projects, EL

Fellows and Specialists share their expertise, build English teaching capacity abroad, hone their skills, and gain international experience. Upon returning to the United States, they share their experiences and acquired knowledge with their communities and professional colleagues. Projects are carried out with host country ministries of education, universities, teacher-training institutions, NGOs, binational centers, and other

English language teaching institutions.

The program allows students, teachers, administrators, and officials at host institutions to benefit from the U.S. participants’ knowledge and perspectives on pedagogical issues and to gain a better understanding of U.S. culture and values, representative government, free enterprise, and the rule of law. EL Fellows and Specialists provide foreign educators, professionals, and students with the communication skills they need to participate in the global economy and build ties with the United States. The program can also provide online video conferences or webinars, as a stand-alone program or one element of a multi-part program.

Pending the availability of Fiscal Year 2018 funds, the Bureau anticipates the placement of approximately 200 Fellows, 200 Specialists, and 50 post-funded Fellows and

Specialists overseas in Academic Year 2018-2019. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code, Section 26

U.S.C 501 (c) (3) may submit proposals to administer and manage the FY 2018 EL

Fellow and Specialist Program for academic year 2018-2019.

Background:

It is the Bureau’s intent to award one Cooperative Agreement in the amount of

$16,000,000, pending the availability of FY 2018 funds, to an applicant that has the ability to achieve these objectives and the necessary infrastructure and experience conducting academic exchange programs. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets and participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

A. Program Description:

Overall Grant and Agreement-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.

Program Categories:

English Language (EL) Fellow Program EL Fellows serve as full-time educators and have at least a master’s degree, preferably with a focus on TESOL, or other project related field; a minimum of two years of professional experience in the field of TESOL; and personal qualities deemed necessary for a successful project, e.g., patience, determination, teamwork, adaptability, and flexibility. Typical duties during the Fellow assignment are 20 classroom contact hours per week plus a minimum of 10 hours of preparation per week. The remaining 10 hours a week can be dedicated to secondary duties, such as: teacher training; curriculum, materials, and/or test development; and extracurricular English language activities and programs. All duties must not exceed 40 hours per week and must not include administrative work. Fellows are requested by U.S. embassies overseas in an annual call for proposals.

EL Fellow requirements:

U.S. citizenship

Have a master’s degree or Ph.D. in TESOL, Applied Linguistics or a field related to English language teaching.

Minimum of two years of full-time classroom TESOL teaching experience

Cross cultural sensitivity and respect for different cultures

A demonstrated commitment to the field of English language teaching

English Language (EL) Specialist Program

EL Specialists are highly experienced U.S. academics and professionals in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or related disciplines that work on programs that contribute to the host country’s capacity to teach English. EL Specialist assignments are usually a minimum of two weeks in length, and the projects may take place at a variety of academic institutions.

Specialist projects under 10-working days in length may be considered under extenuating circumstances.

Examples of assignments include in-person, virtual and hybrid multi-phase programs such as: international conference plenary presentations, intensive teacher training workshops, advising ministries of education or other high-level educational consultations, university curriculum development, or other English capacity building activities. The EL Specialist Program is an on-demand program, which means that proposals are accepted all year round and Specialists are sent on projects all year round.

EL Specialist requirements:

U.S. citizenship

A master’s degree, Ph.D., or equivalent graduate-level degree in TESOL or a closely related field

Minimum of 10 years conducting English language teacher training

Cross cultural sensitivity and respect for different cultures

A demonstrated commitment to the field of English language teaching

Experience presenting at English language teaching conferences

Publications of refereed presentations, journal articles, or books in the field of

TESOL

Purpose:

In a cooperative agreement, ECA/A/L is substantially involved in the program activities above and beyond routine monitoring.

ECA/A/L activities and responsibilities for this Program are as follows:

Providing overall program and policy design and direction based on plans and strategies proposed by the recipient organization;

Inviting U.S. embassies to submit EL Fellow and Specialist proposals;

Reviewing and analyzing the potential of projects to improve teaching capacity overseas and to promote the Bureau’s goals;

Analyzing the prospective impact of projects on host-country English teaching institutions and the likelihood of projects meeting host-country institutional needs;

Prioritizing and finalizing selection of projects for which the recipient organization will recruit EL Fellow and Specialist candidates;

Collaborating with the recipient organization on the design and development of the outreach strategy to cultivate relationships with TESOL communities, including educational institutions, organizations, and professional associations;

Reviewing and approving the selection criteria for accepting applicants into the program;

Reviewing and approving the procedures for matching selected participants to appropriate approved projects;

Reviewing and approving a health screening procedure for selected participants and retaining final approving authority for medical clearances;

Reviewing and approving appropriate health benefits for selected participants;

Monitoring participants and program activities;

Communicating and working with U.S. embassies to resolve Fellow and

Specialist issues (academic, health, security, etc.);

Reviewing reports of Fellows’ and Specialists’ activities and projects in host countries and evaluating both the work of the Fellows and Specialists and the impact of the project;

Providing direction for virtual events to be implemented by the recipient organization;

Collaborating on an effort to motivate Fellows and Specialists to submit content to be used for the EL Program site (see ELPrograms.org) as well as for print and digital publication, including English Teaching Forum and the American English website: AmericanEnglish.state.gov;

Identifying the need for consultants to be hired by the recipient organization to create, curate, and copy edit content for publication and social media purposes;

Identifying the need for outside firms to be contracted by the recipient organization for digital and print design and layouts for English Teaching Forum, the American English website, and other publications as well as for printing such publications and shipping to embassies overseas and to domestic and international contacts.

U.S. embassies are responsible for managing the EL Fellow and Specialist Program in-country. The role of the U.S. Embassies includes:

Establishing viable partnerships with prospective in-country host institutions that have critical English language programming needs;

Selecting host institutions, including evaluating the security of prospective sites;

Developing project proposals in consultation with in-country host institutions to be implemented by Fellows and Specialists;

Submitting proposals to the Bureau for review and approval;

Reviewing selected applicants’ qualifications and making the final choice among approved Fellow and Specialist candidates, in consultation with in-country host institutions;

Confirming that appropriate medical facilities are available for the needs of selected Fellows and Specialists;

Working to maximize participants’ safety and well-being, assisting with locating and securing quality housing, ensuring that the Fellows’ and Specialists’ visa/residency status is adjusted immediately after arrival in host country to https://elprograms.org/ https://www.americanenglish.state.gov/ comply with host-country immigration regulations, and acting as the Fellows’ and

Specialists’ and Bureau's direct point of contact;

Contacting Fellows and Specialists prior to their arrival to answer questions and resolve issues related to their professional assignments, and to ensure that they have accurate information regarding housing, visa requirements, security, and other on-site needs;

Conducting an in-country arrival orientation and ensuring that the Fellows and

Specialists receive a security briefing by the embassy’s Regional Security Officer;

Conducting site visits and jointly monitoring Fellows’ and Specialists’ programs and activities with the recipient organization and sharing of information with the recipient organization;

Nominating participants for virtual events and presenting certificates, as appropriate.

The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:

1. Outreach Strategy:

Designing and developing an outreach strategy for the EL Fellow and Specialist

Program to raise the profile of the program within the U.S. TESOL community.

The strategy must incorporate up-to-date social media tools as well as the participation of and lessons learned from alumni of the program and partners in the academic community.

Creating an outreach plan for FY 2018 cycle (2018-2019 academic year) in consultation with the Bureau that communicates the program’s objectives, emphasizes the professional development opportunity these programs offer, and explains the Department’s goal of increasing mutual understanding.

Implementing the recruitment strategy for the FY 2018 cycle (2018-2019 academic year) by conducting an extensive, comprehensive, and ongoing promotional campaign to recruit qualified and experienced candidates for the EL

Fellow and Specialist Program. Ensure that there is a sufficient number of qualified applicants in order to select approximately 200 Fellows, approximately

200 Specialists, and approximately 50 post funded Fellows or Specialists.

Conducting year-round promotional activities that increase awareness of the EL

Fellow and Specialist Program in the TESOL community, making full use of the program alumni and the program’s online presence. Recruitment for the EL

Fellow and Specialist Program is an ongoing activity with fall being the most active time for recruitment for target Fellow applicants. Conduct specific additional recruitment as needed to fill unexpected vacancies and for specific projects identified by the Bureau.

Designing and developing an alumni strategy and conducting alumni events in order to strengthen the alumni community and create a network of alumni volunteers for the program, including a specific strategy for the 2019 50th anniversary of the EL Fellow program.

Cultivating relationships with TESOL communities including universities, organizations, and professional associations.

2. Selection and Placement of Candidates:

With the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language

Programs, and U.S. embassies, identifying and reviewing candidates for approximately 200 ECA-funded EL Fellow projects, approximately 200 ECA-funded EL Specialist projects, and 50 post-funded EL Fellow and Specialist projects selected by the U.S. Department of State.

Vetting and selecting the eligible candidates for both program categories through transparent and merit-based competition. The recipient organization must screen candidates for criteria established by the Bureau, review candidates, and match candidates with appropriate projects. The vetting process should include both written applications and oral interviews.

Matching candidates’ skills to the requirements of specific projects. Interviews and matching should be conducted by staff members who are qualified and experienced in the field of TESOL and familiar with the EL Fellow and Specialist

Program and the Office of English Language Programs. ECA retains the final authority on placement of Fellows and Specialists.

Developing a protocol for medical clearance, subject to ECA approval. Ensure all

Fellows and Specialists, with assignments 60 days or longer, have medical clearance by a qualified medical practitioner to carry out the duties of their project in the country of assignment.

Drafting, finalizing and signing an agreement with each participant that includes the program’s terms and conditions that will serve as a binding contract between the recipient organization and the EL Fellow or Specialist.

Developing and updating EL Fellow and Specialist Program Policy Handbooks which outline the program roles and responsibilities, policy, guidance, and the terms and conditions.

Providing U.S. embassies with a copy of the signed terms and conditions agreement for each EL Fellow and Specialist and a link to the online handbook.

3. Pre-Departure Orientation:

Planning and conducting a pre-departure orientation to be held in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in 2018 for Fellows, and in-person or virtual orientations for Specialists as well as for Fellows unable to attend the in-person orientation at any time during this cooperative agreement.

4. Financial Management:

Conducting all financial management aspects of the EL Fellow and Specialist

Program, including processing of all Fellow and Specialist grant payments electronically to Fellows’ and Specialists’ designated bank accounts. Maintain a

Program budget spreadsheet for the EL Fellow and Specialist Program.

Providing fiscal management for Fellows’ professional development activities during their assignments. These activities are proposed by the RELOs and approved by the Bureau.

5. Travel and Logistical Management:

Making all necessary international travel arrangements for the EL Fellows and

Specialists for departure to and return from their fellowship or project sites.

When using cooperative agreement funds for travel, the recipient organization is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Fly America Act.

Providing Fellows with visa information from U.S. embassies.

Making all necessary domestic and international travel arrangements for the EL

Fellows participating in the pre-departure orientation in the Washington, D.C.

area.

Enrolling the selected program participants in the Bureau Accident and Sickness

Program for Exchanges (ASPE) Benefit Plan or other health benefit plan, as directed by the Bureau. This may include the purchase of health insurance for program participants as appropriate.

6. Monitoring the EL Fellow and Specialist Program:

Providing the EL Fellows and Specialists with in-country arrival information, from U.S. embassies. Providing a copy of travel itineraries to the U.S. embassies and to the Bureau so that U.S. embassies can make arrangements to meet the EL

Fellow or Specialist upon arrival. Providing EL Fellows and Specialists with points of contact at the U.S. embassy in the country of their project site.

Supervising day-to-day administration and management of the EL Fellow and

Specialist Program. Maintaining communication with U.S. embassy staff, ECA/A/L, and the EL Fellow or Specialist regarding issues such as security, performance, health, termination of the project, termination of the EL Fellow or

Specialist and other matters that may be of concern. Establishing an “EL Fellow and Specialist Incident Report” log to document issues and concerns.

7. Evaluation:

Developing an evaluation strategy to measure the impact and outcome of the EL

Fellow and Specialist Program and each project subject to ECA approval. Please refer to section D.3.j. for more detail.

8. Information Management:

Maintaining information-sharing tools (e.g., website, program database, video conferencing/webinars, social media, Community of Practice), for the management of the EL Fellow and Specialist Program as well as for outreach and abiding by the Bureau guidance found at https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance.

The information-sharing tools must be easy to access and updates must be made in a timely manner. Data must be maintained in a way that will enable the recipient organization to provide the Bureau with information on the EL Fellows and Specialists immediately upon request.

Developing and maintaining a website and Community of Practice for current and former EL Fellows and Specialists. Ensure that the website and all social media sites are branded as U.S. Department of State programs. Maintain an active alumni database to engage former EL Fellows and Specialists in the recruitment process and as a resource for new EL Fellows and Specialists. Post the reports and photographs from EL Fellows and Specialists in the database and as https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance appropriate on the website.

Providing current EL Fellows’ and Specialists’ information to the Bureau’s Office of Alumni Affairs. Consult with the Bureau's Office of Alumni Affairs to ensure maximum compatibility of the recipient organization’s and Bureau's databases.

9. Virtual exchanges:

Carrying out a series of webinars or virtual events for overseas English teachers, prospective participants, and alumni as directed by ECA and manage a social networking community for the participants in conjunction with other ECA programs. This will include purchasing appropriate video conferencing and social media software, recruiting and selecting Virtual EL Specialists, registering participants, emailing certificates, and providing sufficient staff to manage the relevant software, interact with participants during the virtual events and act as moderators. Please see D.3k. Virtual Exchange Component for additional information.

10. TESOL Convention Related Activities:

Organizing and implementing the participation of the Bureau in the annual

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Convention.

Selecting and renting appropriate exhibit booth spaces and equipment. Providing staff and materials to manage the exhibit booth and recruit for potential EL

Fellows and Specialists. Registering Office of English Language Programs staff and Regional English Language Officers (RELOs). Arranging for information sessions on the EL Fellow and Specialist Program and make presentations jointly with ECA staff. Arranging hotel reservations for Office of English Language

Programs staff, Regional English Language Officers (RELOs), and Regional

English Language Assistants as well as other participants sponsored by ECA.

Organizing and implementing networking events to be hosted by the recipient organization at the convention.

11. Content and Design for Print and Digital Materials:

Motivating EL Fellows and Specialists to submit content to be used on the

Community of Practice as well as for print and digital publication, including for

English Teaching Forum and the American English website.

Curating such content.

Hiring consultants, as directed by ECA, for identifying, creating, curating, and copy editing content for publication and social media purposes.

Contracting consultants or outside firms, as directed by ECA, for digital and print design and layouts for English Teaching Forum, the American English website

(AmericanEnglish.state.gov), and any other publications as well as for printing such publications and shipping to embassies overseas and to domestic and international contacts.

Subscribing to necessary tools and resources for production of digital and print content.

12. Timeline:

https://www.americanenglish.state.gov/

Providing a timeline for the EL Fellow and Specialist Program program, specifying anticipated dates for program activities.

Because the FY 2018 award overlaps with the FY 2017 award, the recipient organization of this award is expected to work with the recipient organization of the FY 2017 award to ensure a smooth transition. Applicants should have sufficient staff with relevant qualifications and experience in TESOL or Applied Linguistics to manage the program.

Due to the breadth of responsibilities for administering the Cooperative Agreement, the

Bureau welcomes the submission of proposals involving subrecipients. In addition to the primary award recipient, these other organizations may be subrecipients responsible for carrying out specific activities or components of the EL Fellow and Specialist Program, such as recruitment of participants, financial and logistical management, reporting requirements, pre-departure orientation, evaluations, clearance of health verification records, TESOL 2018 International Convention and English Language Expo related activities, etc. Applications involving subrecipients, if applicable, must clearly delineate the role each subrecipient will play and its responsibilities. Letters of commitment from any potential subrecipient(s) must be included.

B. Federal Award Information

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

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2018, pending the availability of funds.

Approximate Total Funding: $16,000,000, pending the availability of FY 2018 funds.

Approximate Number of Awards: 1

Approximate Average Award: $16,000,000, pending the availability of FY 2018 funds.

Floor of Award Range: N/A

Ceiling of Award Range: $16,000,000, pending the availability of FY 2018 funds

Anticipated Award Date: February 1, 2018, pending the availability of FY 2018 funds.

Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2022.

Additional Information: The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets and participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

Pending successful implementation of the EL Fellow and Specialist Program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is the Bureau’s intent to renew this

Cooperative Agreement for two additional fiscal years before openly competing it again.

C. Eligibility Information:

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

26 USC 501(c)(3).

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.

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

Cooperative Agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, the applicant must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as 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 Office of Management and Budget 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 will be reduced in like proportion.

C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements:

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

Bureau funding. ECA anticipates making one award, in an amount up to

$16,000,000, pending the availability of FY 2018 funds, to support program and administrative 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.

b) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the following or they will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process:

- Eligible applicants may not submit more than one proposal in this competition.

If more than one proposal is received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared technically ineligible and will receive no further consideration in the review process. Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and

EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document.

D. Application and Submission Information:

Note: Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the NOFO deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

D.1. Contact Information to Request an Application Package:

Please contact Paulette Estep or Jennifer Hodgson, Office of English Language

Programs, ECA/A/L, U.S. Department of State, SA-5, 2200 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20522, telephone (202) 632-9268 or (202) 632-9286, fax (202) 632-9464, email

EstepPJ@state.gov or HodgsonJM@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package.

Please specify ECA/A/L Program Officers Paulette Estep or Jennifer Hodgson and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.

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

D.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet:

The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding or from the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov.

Please read all information before downloading.

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

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

D.3p. “Application Deadline and Methods of Submission” section below.

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

Identifier (UEI) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S.

Government. This number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a UEI number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a UEI (DUNS) number, access http://www.dnb.com or call 1-866-705-5711.

Please ensure that your UEI (Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS) number is included in the appropriate box of the SF– 424 which is part of the formal application package. For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI (DUNS) number, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

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

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 mailto:EstepPJ@state.gov mailto:HodgsonJM@state.gov http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

- 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 Control 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, 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 the Bureau, 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, provide a detailed description of the project addressing the areas listed below.

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

2. Name of Participating Organizations (including any U.S. subrecipients).

Applications with consortia, if applicable, must clearly delineate the role each subrecipient will play and its responsibilities. Letters of commitment from any potential subrecipient(s) must be included.

3. Outreach/Selection:

a. Outreach: Describe plans for the development of an outreach strategy and for scheduling the various stages of recruitment.

Provide samples of Fellow and Specialist applications.

b. Selection: Describe the selection process, including various stages and criteria.

4. Pre-departure Orientation: Describe a plan including administrative, academic, and cultural components. Develop an evaluation strategy designed to measure the impact and outcome of the orientation.

5. Program Management: Using the responsibilities above under Program

Description/Executive Summary, demonstrate a plan for implementation of the program.

6. Organizational capacity: Describe staff needed to manage the program.

Include sufficient staff with relevant qualifications and experience in the field of TESOL, Applied Linguistics or a closely related field. Provide a resume for each program staff person, and identify each person’s roles and responsibilities.

7. Monitoring and Program Support: Describe how the applicant organization will maintain on-going communication with the Bureau, U.S.

embassies, Fellows, Specialists, and other organizations during all phases of the Cooperative Agreement.

8. Program Evaluation: Provide evaluation strategies designed to measure the impact and outcome of the EL Fellow and Specialist Program.

9. Follow-on: Describe how the applicant organization will develop and maintain a dedicated database on candidates (recruited, selected, and not-selected). As outlined in the PSI, “ECA’s General Policy Guidance on

Alumni Outreach/Follow-on and Engagement,” the proposal must include a plan outlining alumni outreach/follow-on and engagement.

10. Project Management

11. Work Plan/Time Frame

Additional Information to be Submitted:

Detailed Budget: Please refer to D.3.o for allowable costs.

Calendar of activities

Letters of endorsement

Resumes and CVs (resumes of all new staff should be included in the submission;

no resume should exceed two pages.)

Draft agenda/plan for the EL Fellow pre-departure orientation

Draft evaluation plan Draft plan for the TESOL Convention participation and related activities

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.

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

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

D.3c. Required Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM): All federal award applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to submit a proposal in response to an open competition on Grants.gov.

All federal award recipients must maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in www.SAM.gov until all program and financial activity and reporting have been completed. Recipients must review and update the information at least annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required information changes or another award is granted. There is no cost associated with registering or updating SAM.gov accounts.

Failure to register in SAM.gov will render applicants ineligible to receive funding.

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

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

D.3d. Non-Profit Status: You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. 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:

1) Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, "Return of Organization http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

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

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

D.3e. FFATA Report: In addition to final program reporting requirements, award recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived from their program reports, listing and describing their 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.

D.3f. Verifying Non-Profit Status: If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.

D.3g. GrantSolutions: All ECA awards recipient organizations must be registered with

GrantSolutions by accessing www.GrantSolutions.gov. To register as a first time user of

GrantSolutions, please scroll to the bottom of the home page and click “Getting Started-

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

GrantSolutions.gov Help Desk for help in gaining access.

Support for Grantee Organizations is available from 8 AM – 6 PM Washington, DC time, Monday – Friday and can be reached at help@grantsolutions.gov or 1-866-577-0771.

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

FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY:

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

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important emphases on the security and proper administration of the Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by award recipients and sponsors to all regulations governing the J visa. A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://j1visa.state.gov or from:

http://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/home/customer-support/getting-started/ http://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/home/customer-support/getting-started/ http://j1visa.state.gov/

Office of Designation, Private Sector Programs Division

U.S. Department of State

SA-44, Suite 668

301 4 th

Street, SW

Washington, DC 20547

Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.

D.3i. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of political, social and cultural life in the

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

DIVERSITY, FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY section in the “Proposal Submission

Instructions” document for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.

Public Law 104-319 provides that "in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy," the

Bureau "shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries." Public Law 106 -

113 requires that the governments of the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.

D.3j. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the recipient organization will track participants or subrecipients and be able to respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as well as substantive knowledge.

Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation plan should include a description of your project’s objectives, your anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are "smart"

(specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link to the goals of the program described in this NOFO.

Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services delivered, often stated as an amount.

Output information is important to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.

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

1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange experience.

2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive

(subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.

3. Participant behavior, such as concrete actions to apply knowledge in work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community members, and others.

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

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

Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be judged on how well it

1) specifies intended outcomes; 2) gives clear descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; 3) identifies when particular outcomes will be measured; and 4) provides a clear description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)

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

D.3k. Virtual Exchange Component: ECA welcomes innovative ideas on how organizations can leverage appropriate mobile and/or online technologies to maintain engagement among exchange participants, encourage project collaboration and widen participation in the overall project to a broader audience. ECA strongly encourages organizations submitting proposals in response to this solicitation to suggest one or more virtual exchange components to complement the in-person exchange. The virtual exchange component(s) could come before, during and/or after the physical exchange.

The objective for the virtual exchange component(s), defined as technology-enabled, sustainable, people-to-people, cross-cultural exchanges, is to augment the impact of the in-person exchange described in this solicitation. ECA encourages organizations to propose virtual exchange ideas that take advantage of ECA’s existing web and social networking platforms, including our International Exchange Alumni space. Virtual exchange components would be coordinated with and approved by the ECA program office and U.S. missions abroad on a project by project basis.

D.3l. Communications Guidance for ECA Grant Recipients: All ECA Grant

Recipients must adhere to the requirements in ECA’s Communications Guidance on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

D.3m. Please take the following information into consideration when preparing the budget:

D.3n. Applicants must submit SF-424A – “Budget Information – Non-Construction

Programs” along with a comprehensive budget for the entire program. The budget request may not exceed $16,000,000, pending the availability of FY 2018 funds. There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.

D.3o. Allowable costs:

Allowable costs for the EL Fellows and Specialists include but are not limited to the following:

EL Fellows:

1. Stipend

2. Dependent allowance

3. Living allowance

4. Settling in allowance

5. Round trip travel (estimate)

6. Pre-departure orientation in Washington

7. Pre-departure allowance

8. Shipping allowance

9. Post-arrival orientation allowance

10. Program activities allowance

Specialists:

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

2. Living Allowance

3. Baggage/shipping allowance

4. Round trip travel (estimate)

5. Post-arrival orientation allowance (long-term projects only)

6. Educational materials allowance

Program Costs:

1. Outreach and Recruitment;

2. Pre-departure orientation;

3. Professional development activities;

4. Staff travel and per diem (annual and U.S. regional TESOL conferences);

5. Clearance of Health Verification Records; and

6. Activities related to the Annual TESOL Convention

Administrative Costs:

1. Staff Salaries and benefits. Each staff person, his/her position and location must be listed separately. Provide the percentage of his/her total time spent on the program.

2. Facilities;

3. Communications (i.e., telephone, fax, postage, email, Digital Video

Conferencing); and

4. Office supplies.

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

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

Application Deadline Date: November 17, 2017

Method of Submission: Applications may only be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available at Grants.gov in the “Search Grants” portion of the system.

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

Eligible organizations should follow the instructions available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of the site…