FY24 GSMP POGI.pdf

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)

FY 2024 Global Sports Mentoring Program

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0010307

Office of Citizen Exchanges, Sports Diplomacy Division

The POGI guidelines apply specifically to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued by the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Sports Diplomacy Division for the FY 2024 Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP). 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 solicitation is to be the dominant reference.

I. STATEMENT OF WORK

The Sports Diplomacy Division in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) expects to award one cooperative agreement for the administration of the FY 2024 GSMP. Pending the availability of funds and successful implementation, this cooperative agreement will have one base year plus two 12-month Non-Competitive Continuations for a total of three years. The GSMP directly supports U.S. foreign policy by increasing opportunities for girls, women, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities to fully participate in society through sports-focused programs and policies. Leveraging public-private partnerships, a mentorship model, extensive alumni engagement, and participant-led action plans, the GSMP is composed of two distinct professional development mentorship programs: the Sport for Community GSMP on disability rights and the espnW GSMP on women’s empowerment.

The Sports Diplomacy Division has outlined approximate participant and unique number of cohorts below. The applicant is highly encouraged to go beyond these numbers should their expertise lead to cost-efficiencies. The applicant is required to obtain approval of significant program changes in advance of their implementation. The activities and the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Department of State and the applicant are outlined below.

Set for the spring of 2025, the Sport for Community GSMP will pair approximately 15 emerging leader participants with 15 to 20 American executives in the disability sports sector for a roughly five-week exchange in the United States. In the fall of 2025, the espnW GSMP will connect approximately 15 female emerging leader participants from overseas with approximately 15 to 20 American mentors dedicated to advancing gender equity for a roughly five-week program in the United States. Approximately five American mentors of the espnW

GSMP will be part of the reciprocal exchange developing Academies of Women Changemakers in Sports alongside alumnae focused on alumni engagement and building social entrepreneurship skillset in emerging leaders overseas. Approximately five Americans involved in Sport for Community will be a part of the reciprocal exchange focused on alumni engagement, long-term significance, and monitoring and evaluation. A total of approximately 70 to 80 participants (30 international participants and 40 to 50 American mentors) will be directly engaged through these two mentorship programs.

The goals of the GSMP are to:

1. Develop a cadre of leaders from public, private, and non-profit sport-based organizations in countries worldwide who possess the knowledge, skills, and networks to generate positive and long-lasting community-based change through sports.

2. Provide representatives from U.S. host organizations with the opportunity to work with and support delegates and local organizations that promote programs and policies engendering greater sports opportunities for underserved populations.

3. Promote American competitiveness, highlight the positive effects on American society that have resulted from Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and showcase American leadership in social entrepreneurship and innovation.

4. Promote mutual understanding and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships between the people of the United States and countries around the world.

All international participants will travel on a U.S. Government designation for the J Exchange Visitor Program. ECA will work directly with our U.S. missions overseas to facilitate the participants’ application for J-1 visas for entry to the United States.

The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:

1. In consultation with ECA, the recipient is expected to design, plan, implement, and follow-up on two approximately five-week U.S.-based mentorship programs and one reciprocal international mentor exchange, providing timely reporting of progress to ECA, and complying with financial and program reporting requirements;

2. Develop an opening orientation and closing with at least one leg in Washington, DC totaling approximately one week for both mentorship programs and providing emerging leaders with a significant introduction to the respective themes of each mentorship (i.e.

women’s rights and Title IX, social entrepreneurship, disability rights and ADA, and empowerment of underserved populations).

3. Recruit, in coordination with ECA, mentor host sites for the Sport for Community GSMP.

As for the espnW GSMP, recruitment of mentors and mentor organizations is covered through the public-private partnership with ESPN/espnW but an ability to manage complex communication flows, mentor relations, and complex logistics are paramount.

4. Strategically match emerging leader participants with American mentors (for both programs) at least two months in advance of program implementation while facilitating and supporting the relationship through, but not limited to, the following:

a. Interviews and selection

b. Virtual introductions and orientations for international participants

c. Provision of program materials for pre, mid, and post activities

d. A mentor orientation workshop for Americans for each GSMP

e. Development of a leadership curriculum and action plan framework

f. Briefing and clarification of expectations for international delegate and mentor

5. Provide U.S. Embassy Public Affairs staff with program materials and logistical information in advance of pre-departure orientations;

6. Issue participant DS-2019 forms for inbound participants;

7. Maintain and enhance a pre-existent, collective GSMP website, as well as continually create social media highlights on international participants, mentors, alumni, and program success stories; and

8. Conduct follow-on activities to engage with and support over 260 GSMP alumni since program inception with a dedicated alumni coordinator, including

a. Surveying and tracking alumni, supporting action plans, virtual communication, follow-on grant allotments, and social media storytelling updates;

b. Providing participants with follow-on guidance and resources, including informing them of State Department Alumni opportunities;

c. Creating and maintaining a shared alumni database of the latest activities/accomplishments and contact information;

d. Maintaining and further cultivating the GSMP alumni network that includes international delegates and mentors from past years and provides a platform for cross-year and cross-country linkages (including integrating approximately 260 international emerging leaders and over 125 American mentor alumni into future alumni engagement activities);

e. Capitalizing on mega-events (Olympic and Paralympic Games, Special Olympics, Deaflympics, World Cup, etc.) as opportunities for programming to feature mentors and alumni;

f. Managing a small grants competition (approximately $2,500-$5,000 each) open to individual alums from the Sport for Community GSMP and espnW GSMP.

Small grants in the amount of $10,000 to $12,000 are open to groups of alumni representing both the Sport for Community GSMP and espnW GSMP. These individual and group grants support approximately 15-20 emerging leaders’ action plans. The FY 2024 proposal should include a process for accepting applications, selecting award recipients, and disbursing funds.

g. Designing and implementing a monitoring and evaluation plan that assesses the positive effects of the program along with maintaining communication with GSMP alumni from at least FY 2020, FY 2021, FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024 programs. This plan is designed to complement the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework(see section D.10. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in the NOFO).

9. Implement mentorship exchange activities;

a. Coordinate logistical and administrative arrangements and day-to-day oversight of approximately 30 international delegates in total from both mentorship programs, including international and domestic travel, ground transportation, lodging, medical treatment (if needed), the disbursement of per-diem funds, and any misunderstandings or adjustment issues that may arise;

b. Support overseas travel of approximately five American mentors of the espnW GSMP who will develop, alongside alumnae, Academies of Women Changemakers in Sports that would offer emerging women leaders in one to three countries social entrepreneurship courses and bring together local NGOs, universities, and local mentors for speed mentoring, pitch competitions, and social entrepreneurship fairs;

c. Support overseas travel of approximately five Americans involved in Sport for Community GSMP to follow-up on participant action plans and engage in other activities overseas;

d. Manage all financial aspects of the program, including stipend disbursements to the participants and sub-award relationships with any sub-recipients; and

e. Engage participants in at least one facilitated community service and one sports innovation session during the U.S. based program.

10. Prepare necessary educational and promotional materials that support the program. 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. All ECA Award Recipients must adhere to the requirements in ECA’s Communications Guidance on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

Substantial Involvement:

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

1. Collaborate with the award recipient on the outreach and selection of mentors and host organizations and facilitation of relationship with espnW;

2. Approve of host institutions and organizations;

3. Agree on the final selection of participants.

II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

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

Guidelines specific to the Sport for Community GSMP and espnW GSMP are included below and in section A.3. Program Specific Guidelines of the NOFO.

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/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 significance)

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

d. Fields covered

e. Anticipated results (short and long-term)

Narrative In twenty 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. Participating Organizations

3. Program Activities (advertisement, recruitment, orientation, academic component, cultural program, participant monitoring)

4. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation

5. Follow-on

6. Project Management

7. Work Plan/Time Frame

• Additional Information to be Submitted Detailed Budget as outlined in section D.14.

Budget Format of the NOFO. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

• Calendar of activities/itinerary

• Letters of endorsement

• Resumes and CVs – Resumes of all staff should be included in the submission; no resume should exceed two pages.

• First Time Applicant Attachments, if applicable.

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, email Debbie Drucker, Sports Diplomacy Division;

druckerds@state.gov, (202) 890-9996.

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