NOFO - FY Ngawang Choephel Fellows Program.pdf

Department of State

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

(NOFO): FY 2019 Ngawang Choephel Fellows Program

Announcement Type: New Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0005690

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415

Key Date/Application Deadline: May 28, 2019

Program Description/Executive Summary: The Professional Fellows Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs (ECA) invites proposal submissions for the FY 2019 Ngawang Choephel Fellows

Program from U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). The Ngawang Choephel Fellows Program is a two-way exchange program designed to expand sustainable, inclusive economic development opportunities within the Tibetan communities of China.

ECA intends to issue two grant awards, each for approximately $300,000, to support administrative and program costs required to implement this program. Pending successful implementation of this program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, ECA intends to renew the grant awards for two additional consecutive fiscal years before openly competing it again. For additional details on awards, please see Section B. “Federal Award

Information” below.

Applicants must submit only one proposal under this competition. If multiple proposals are received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared ineligible and receive no further consideration in the review process.

ECA reserves the right to modify the composition of the final awards and funding levels based upon the quality of proposals submitted, the availability of funds, and other factors impacting long-term foreign policy objectives.

A. Program Description:

Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and

Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-

Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is "to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United

States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world." The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation.

A.1. Purpose:

The Ngawang Choephel Fellows Program supports the following broad goals:

1. Promote mutual understanding and lasting partnerships between emerging leaders from

Tibetan communities in China and the United States;

2. Provide opportunities for Tibetan and American professionals to collaborate and share ideas, approaches, and strategies regarding pressing challenges;

3. Enhance leadership and professional skills for both Tibetan and American professionals in order to expand economic development opportunities; and

4. Build a network of like-minded Tibetan and American professionals who recognize the role of preserving cultural traditions and environmental resources within the context of economic development.

Focusing on the theme of Economic Empowerment, the FY 2019 Ngawang Choephel Fellows

Program offers Tibetans living in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibetans living in other Tibetan areas of China, and Americans opportunities to share best practices, enhance their professional business and/or managerial skills, and generate new business, community, and/or organizational initiatives.

Proposals should focus on private and/or public sector professionals involved with business

(such as business and/or workforce development trainers, ecotourism operators, entrepreneurs, small and medium business managers and/or owners, social entrepreneurs) and/or professionals working in sustainable development (such as agricultural operators, community planners, ecotourism operators, natural resource and/or energy managers, pastoral nomads, public health practitioners, soil and water conservationists, wildlife specialists).

Private and/or public sector professionals involved in cultural heritage (such as archeologists, architects, artisans, crafters, builders, collection specialists, curators, conservators, designers, and restorers) may also be considered for program participation in cases where there is a strong justification for cross-collaboration with professionals in the business and sustainable development sectors, and a direct correlation to the economic empowerment theme.

Proposals should focus on conditions that allow for and promote economic growth and increased participation in the global economy, as well as promote sustainable and inclusive community economic development.

Proposals could, for example, emphasize:

starting or growing small and medium enterprises;

leveraging cultural and/or environmental resources to promote economic activity;

social and business innovation;

community-based and educational training programs;

global competency and employment readiness; transparency and accountability; the role of government and/or NGOs in spurring economic growth; or the economic empowerment of women, children, and minorities (to include indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and marginalized populations).

Proposals should provide all participants opportunities to: learn best practices in creating, growing, managing, and supporting successful organizations; incorporate technology into their organizational strategy; and utilize economic tools to enhance their immediate communities.

Proposals should also pay special attention to concrete outcomes such as job creation, market readiness, small business growth, enhanced professional skills, and workforce participation.

Proposals must support two-way exchanges involving both Tibetan and U.S. Fellows that should take place over a two-year period. Proposals must also include alternate plans for exchange into their narrative should travel not be possible. Applicants should design alternate plans to maximize Tibetan professionals’ engagement with American professionals. The alternate plans may include professional development activities in locations outside of the U.S. and/or China, and/or virtual programming activities (see D.3k. Virtual Exchange Component) as long as participant privacy is adequately addressed.

Applicants must submit only one proposal under this competition. If multiple proposals are received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared ineligible and receive no further consideration in the review process. ECA anticipates award amounts to be approximately

$300,000 and will support approximately 20 to 30 total exchange participants each. Proposals should include approximately two Tibetan Fellows for every one U.S. Fellow.

A.2. Participants

“Program participants,” referred to as “Fellows” in this program, are defined as those individuals who travel under award funding from their country of origin to a designated exchange country.

Employees of the award recipient or any sub-award recipients are not eligible to participate in the Ngawang Choephel Fellows Program and cannot be included as program participants.

Tibetan Fellows should be selected through a merit-based, competitive process in consultation with ECA and the Public Affairs Section (PAS) in Beijing or Chengdu, China. Tibetan Fellows should represent the business, sustainable development and/or cultural heritage sectors as described in Section A.2. Tibetan Fellows should be professionals, 25 to 40 years old at the time of participation in the program, who, at a minimum, are currently employed and have two or more years of relevant professional work experience. Tibetan Fellows must be self-directed, able to work effectively in a cross-cultural setting, and have demonstrated leadership abilities.

U.S. Fellows should have demonstrated expertise to enhance the proposed program model, contribute to the program goals, and have significant engagement with the Tibetan Fellows during their U.S.-based exchanges.

A.3. Partner Organizations

Grant applicants must identify the U.S.-based and foreign-based organizations and individuals with whom they propose to collaborate and describe previous cooperative activities, if any. ECA reserves the rights to approve U.S.-based and foreign-based organizations.

A.4. Program Activities

Successful grant applicants must fully demonstrate the capacity to provide the following program activities:

A.4a. Recruit Participants

The grant recipients will recruit and select qualified individuals from throughout the Tibet

Autonomous Region or the other Tibetan areas of China and the United States as U.S. and

Tibetan Fellows. The recipients should select Tibetan Fellows, with the approval of ECA and the Public Affairs Section (PAS) in Beijing or Chengdu through a merit-based, competitive process. Unless recipients have their own representative in China, they should designate an in-country or regional partner organization to coordinate participant screening, selection, and orientation prior to the Tibetan Fellows’ departure for the United States. While ECA and the

Public Affairs Section should be informed of — and where possible, involved in — participant selection, full responsibility for project coordination and implementation lies with the grant recipients.

A.4b. Pre-departure and U.S.-based Orientation

The grant recipients will be responsible for conducting a pre-departure orientation for both

Tibetan and U.S. Fellows prior to their departure from their home countries. Topics should include an overview of travel and logistics, airport arrival information, and visa regulations. A review of the program schedule and discussion of cultural norms should also be included. A comprehensive orientation for Tibetan Fellows upon their arrival in the United States is also highly recommended. The orientation should provide not only information on the program schedule and logistics but also cover life in the United States, such as information on the local community, cross-cultural issues, U.S.-focused professional standards of conduct, etc. The grant recipients should review project goals, performance measurements, and participant expectations and responsibilities.

A.4c. Exchange Components

Exchanges for both Tibetan and U.S. Fellows should be two to six weeks in length. Exchanges for Tibetan Fellows should offer practical information and experiential learning opportunities that will help them more effectively address issues related to economic empowerment in their communities. The grant recipient should expose Tibetan Fellows to professional practices and environments through job shadowing, internships, workshops, site visits and other activities designed to provide an in-depth review of how relevant organizations and industries operate in the United States. Specific areas of focus might be, but are not limited to, developing a business plan, marketing, managing growth, social entrepreneurship, organizational leadership, networking and coalition building, working with and lobbying elected officials, media and public relations strategies, fund-raising, volunteerism, mediating conflict, financial management, and budget development. Building mutual understanding through participants’ shared social and cultural experiences with a wide variety of Americans is equally important. In support of the cultural component of the exchange, grant recipients are encouraged to arrange home-stays of any practical length for the participants. The U.S. Fellows’ exchange component should be at the same level of detail as that for the Tibetan Fellows, and should enhance participant understanding of Tibetan professional, cultural, and social norms. The grant recipients should integrate the Bureau’s policy on Support of Diversity into all aspects of the project including, but not limited to, participant selection, program materials, and training methodology. Applicants should make a special effort to recruit and include women and persons with disabilities in the exchange program. Please refer to guidance in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) under

“Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines” and to item 17 on Reasonable

Accommodations under Section D.3n.

A.4d. Visas and International Travel

The proposal must address the grant applicant’s willingness to comply with all Federal travel regulations regarding the use of U.S. government funds including the Fly America Act and the applicant’s willingness to work with ECA and U.S. Embassies overseas to procure U.S. visas for the foreign participants. The grant recipient will also need to facilitate the procurement of visas for U.S. staff representatives and participants traveling overseas. Note: All Tibetan Fellows must travel on a J-1 visa issued by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or the U.S. Consulate in

Chengdu, China.

A.4e. D.C.-based and Re-entry Meeting

The proposal should include plans for an informal meeting in Washington, D.C. and a re-entry seminar or “debrief” for all returning Tibetan Fellows. If possible, the dates of the meetings should coincide with the Tibetan Fellows’ travel schedules to ensure good stewardship of

Federal funds. Meetings should be interactive in nature with a special emphasis on creating a forum for Tibetan Fellows to share their reflections and observations of their U.S. exchange experience. As appropriate and possible, grant recipients are also encouraged to organize a

“debrief” or meeting to allow U.S. Fellows to discuss their exchange with the Public Affairs

Staff at the U.S. Embassy. This could be conducted via webinar or teleconference.

A.4f. Post-Fellowship Engagement and Alumni Programming

The grant recipients will develop enhancement activities that reinforce project goals after the

Tibetan Fellows return to their home country. This could include in-country follow-on workshops, small grants competitions, professional coaching, outreach to and engagement with the broader alumni community, and support to deepen ties with Fellowship placement organizations. Competitive proposals will exercise creativity in the conceptualization of the follow-on component and its support for the broader program goals.

The tracking of alumni is crucial for the evaluation of the program and for the implementation of follow-on programs. The proposal must provide a clear plan for alumni tracking and cite how it will be coordinated with ECA and the PAS. All statistical information gathered and compiled by the grant recipients on the participants should be transferable to the database maintained at ECA.

The grant recipients will be required to provide quarterly data submissions via electronic data transfer to the ECA database that are compatible with and meet ECA database standards. The grant recipients will be expected to meet all statistical requirements including the submission of all grantee data for the Bureau’s annual statistical report.

A.5. Proposal Content

A.5a. Executive Summary: The Executive Summary should be one page in length and include:

project title (should be descriptive in nature), goals of the project, names of all partner organizations responsible for project implementation, numbers of Fellows (both Tibetan and

U.S.), number and approximate dates of the proposed exchanges, and possible placement cities/sites in both the U.S. and overseas.

A.5b. Proposal Narrative: In 20 double-spaced pages the narrative should include/address all items specifically referenced in this NOFO, in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI), and those items noted below:

Project Goals, Objectives, Anticipated Outcomes Proposals should include a clear, succinct statement of project goals, objectives, and anticipated outcomes that expand upon the FY 2019 Ngawang Choephel Fellows

Program’s goals as stated in Section A of this NOFO. Proposals should describe objectives in specific, measurable, and realistic terms that are achievable within the scope of the project, both in terms of time and funding.

Roles and Responsibilities

A clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of any and all partner organizations as they pertain to program activities, logistics, management, and oversight.

Working with the ECA and the Public Affairs Section

Proposals should include an articulated plan on how the grant recipients plan to work closely with ECA and keep the Public Affairs Section (PAS) in Beijing or Chengdu, China informed of program activities and project implementation.

Background Information on the applicant organization and all subaward recipient organizations (both U.S.-based organizations and foreign-based organizations) For each organization, applicants should describe the organization’s mission, the date of its establishment, relevant expertise, past programmatic work, and ongoing programmatic work. Previous awards from the Bureau since 2004 (especially those involving the exchange of young professionals), including both grants and cooperative agreements, should be listed by office (Citizen Exchanges, International Visitors, Academic

Exchanges, etc.), project name, countries, year, and amount. Proposals should describe previous collaboration with proposed partner organizations, as well as clearly delineate a division of responsibilities between all organizations that will be involved in the project.

ECA reserves the rights to approve U.S.-based and foreign-based organizations.

Support of Diversity

A description on how the Bureau’s policy on Support of Diversity will be integrated into all aspects of the project including but not limited to recruitment and selection, Fellowship placements and activities, program materials, training methodology, cultural competencies, etc. Applications should give special attention to including women and individuals with disabilities in the exchange program. Please refer to guidance in D.3i

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the NOFO and the PSI under

“Diversity, Freedom, and Democracy Guidelines.”

Post-Fellowship and Alumni Engagement

The grant recipients will develop enhancement activities that expand the impact of the program within the greater community, maximize the multiplier effect, and reinforce project goals after the individuals return to their home countries. Proposals should include a defined strategy for alumni engagement that supports the goals of the Ngawang

Choephel Fellows Program and ECA. The proposal must include an outline of proposed activities for alumni engagement, strategies to connect newly returned alumni with past program participants, if applicable; and a plan for supporting long-term linkages within the alumni community.

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

Proposals should describe in detail the applicant organization’s proposed approach for monitoring and evaluation. The plan should measure the impact of the program on key stakeholders including Tibetan Fellows, U.S. Fellows and homestay hosts, outline the methodology applied, and clearly articulate how and when this data will be collected.

Please refer to D.3j. for more information concerning Program Monitoring and

Evaluation. As appropriate, for objectivity and precision, the grant recipients may employ a professional evaluator not associated with the grant recipient’s organization to collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations when warranted.

When utilizing organizational or in-house expertise, proposals should explain the expertise of the evaluator in conducting programmatic evaluations.

Budget

Please refer to section D.3n. in this document for allowable costs and the PSI for guidance on formatting your budget. Proposals should describe how the grant recipients will conduct budget oversight as it relates to project management. In addition, proposals must include a detailed budget narrative.

Alternate Plans for Exchange Should Travel Not be Possible Proposals must include alternate plans for exchange into their narrative should travel not be possible. Applicants should design alternate plans to maximize Tibetan professionals’ engagement with American professionals. The alternate plans may include professional development activities in locations outside of the U.S. and/or China, or virtual programming activities (see D.3k. Virtual Exchange Component) as long as participant privacy is adequately addressed.

Attachments The items below may be included as attachments. Please label each attachment in a clear and concise manner (i.e. Program Management Plan; Letters of Support, etc.).

A Project Management Plan for the entire life of the project that lists, in table format, outputs (major tasks that will be implemented by the award recipient and partner organizations), dates, and the organization/staff responsible

A well-articulated plan outlining actions and/or procedures that the award recipient will undertake to ensure the safety and well-being of Tibetan and U.S.

Fellows throughout the duration of the program;

Letters of commitment and/or letters of support from: 1) proposed sub-recipient organizations (both U.S.-based and foreign-based); 2) proposed or past

Fellowship placement organizations; and 3) preferably, from past exchange program participants

Resumes (no more than two pages in length) of proposed key staff at the applicant organization and all partner organizations that will be involved in the implementation of the project

Draft program implementation materials such as the U.S. program schedule, the

U.S. Fellow program schedule, the program announcement, the program application, the agenda for the pre-departure orientation and the arrival orientation, and materials on any other key program elements

Draft agendas of professional workshops, conferences, and seminars including pre-departure, orientation, final conference activities, and proposed in-country trainings

Draft application and recruitment materials

Draft selection and interview materials

Outline of proposed alumni programming including sample of small grant applications, if applicable

Sample evaluation and survey instruments

Project management plan

Project promotional materials

Online/virtual exchange component models – if proposed

Unsolicited Documents: Attachments that do not directly support the proposed project (i.e., organization brochures, pamphlets, unsolicited reports) are strongly discouraged.

B. Federal Award Information:

Type of Award: Grant Agreement

Fiscal Year Funds: 2019

Approximate Total Funding: $600,000

Approximate Number of Awards: 2 (two)

Approximate Average Award: $300,000

Floor of Award Range: $300,000

Ceiling of Award Range: $300,000

Anticipated Award Date: September 15, 2019

Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 30, 2021

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. The Bureau reserves the right to modify the location of exchange activities in accordance with the needs of the program.

Pending successful implementation of this program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA's intent to renew these grants for two additional consecutive 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 agreement.

Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with the Office of

Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution 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 will not be making an award of less than $300,000 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 requirements stated in the

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

c.) 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 Chris Remsen, U.S. Department of State, Office of Citizen Exchanges, Professional Fellows Division, SA-5, 3rd

Floor, 2200 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, phone: (202) 632-9432, email:

RemsenCM@state.gov.

The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission mailto:RemsenCM@state.gov

Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.

Please specify ECA Program Officer Chris Remsen and refer to the Funding Opportunity

Number located at the top of this announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.

D.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding or from the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov.

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.3o.

“Application Deadline and Method 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 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.

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

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 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. Required Registration with SAMS Domestic: All ECA award recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories must be registered with the U.S. Department of State’s

SAMS Domestic by accessing https://mygrants.service-now.com and clicking the “create an account” link. SAMS Domestic is the U.S. Department of State’s grants management system and is supported by the Department’s Integrated Logistics Management System

(ILMS). Recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories that have previously used

SAMS Domestic as a U.S. Department of State award recipient do not need to register again. If the organization is not able to access the system, please contact the ILMS Help Desk for help in gaining access.

Support for Recipient Organizations and recipient contacts and signatories is available 24 hours, 7 days a week (except federal holidays), and can be reached at 1-888-313-ILMS (4567) or through the ILMS Self Service Portal at https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home.

In the event the ILMS Help Desk is unable to provide you with assistance in a timely manner, please contact ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov and copy the program officer associated with the solicitation.

https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmygrants.service-now.com&data=02%7C01%7Ccorey.self%40accenturefederal.com%7C7b1594b15ac6485a371d08d5ab966d03%7C0ee6c63b4eab4748b74ad1dc22fc1a24%7C0%7C0%7C636603584922133235&sdata=Vv4ZnsYbdz5E5cz8wjQPFw4EHVzxlyeW1Jw7%2Fv13KNc%3D&reserved=0 https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fafsitsm.service-now.com%2Films%2Fhome&data=02%7C01%7Ccorey.self%40accenturefederal.com%7C7b1594b15ac6485a371d08d5ab966d03%7C0ee6c63b4eab4748b74ad1dc22fc1a24%7C0%7C0%7C636603584922133235&sdata=JsxtCDvJQyu0QvF5N5jsfVckX2tSNN3o4gYJ2CW1ts8%3D&reserved=0 mailto:ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov

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

D.3h. ADHERENCE TO ALL REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE J VISA: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered by this NOFO, and an employee of the Bureau will be the "Responsible Officer" for the program under the terms of 22 CFR 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR

62, organizations receiving awards (either a grant or cooperative agreement) under this NOFO will be third parties "cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program." The actions of recipient organizations shall be "imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with" 22 CFR 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving an award under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable the

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 62 et seq.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by recipient organizations and program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62. If your organization has experience as a designated

Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of compliance with

22 CFR 62 et. seq., including the oversight of their 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 Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA 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 Designation, Private Sector Programs Division

U.S. Department of State

SA-4E (Bldg. 3)

2430 E Street, NW

Washington, DC 20037

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 partners 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. Virtual exchange components must adequately address participant privacy, and would be coordinated with and approved by the

ECA program office and U.S. missions abroad on a project by project basis.

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

D.3m. Applicants must submit SF-424A – “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs” along with a comprehensive budget for the entire program. 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.3n. Allowable costs for the program include the following:

1. International and Domestic Air Fares; Visas; Transit Costs; Ground Transportation

Costs. The grant recipients will arrange all aspects of international travel for both U.S. and foreign participants. All travel arrangements must comply with federal regulations regarding the use of U.S. government funds including the Fly America Act. These regulations apply to both

U.S. and foreign travelers. There is no charge for J-1 visas for participants in Bureau-sponsored programs. Costs for visas for U.S. participants should be included in the budget.

2. In-country Travel Costs for Visa Processing Purposes. Visas for non-U.S. Fellows are provided by DOS and should not be included in the budget. Given the requirements associated with obtaining J-1 visas for ECA-supported participants, applicants should include costs for any travel associated with procuring visas, including travel for interviews, delivering or picking up passports, etc.

3. Travel Allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for participants may be included in the budget. The allowance may be used for incidental expenses incurred during international travel.

4. Insurance. Participants will be covered under the terms of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored health insurance policy—Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE). The premium is paid by the U.S. Department of State directly to the insurance company. Applicants are permitted to include costs for travel insurance for participants in the budget.

5. Interpreters. If interpreters are necessary for participants while in the U.S. or overseas, grant recipients are strongly encouraged to hire their own locally-based interpreters. One interpreter is typically needed for every four participants who require interpretation. When an applicant proposes to use interpreters, federal per diem rates (both "lodging" and "M&IE") and transportation costs per interpreter should be included in the budget. Bureau funds cannot support interpreters who accompany delegations from their home country or travel internationally.

6. Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should refer to the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at:

http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104877. ECA requests applicants to budget realistic costs that reflect the local economy and do not exceed federal per diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can be accessed at: https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

7. Book and Cultural Allowance. Participants are entitled to a one-time cultural allowance of

$200 per person, plus a book allowance of $150. U.S. program staff members are not eligible to receive these benefits.

8. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized expertise or to make presentations. For simple presentations, honoraria rates should not exceed $250 per day per person. A contractor may also be used, in which case the written agreement between the prospective grant recipient and contractor should be included in the proposal. Subawards should http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/103191 http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104877 https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp detail the division of responsibilities and proposed costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget. Contracts should be itemized in the budget.

9. Room Rental. Room rental may not exceed $250 per day per conference room or what is reasonable within a given geographic region.

10. Materials Development. Your proposal may contain costs to purchase, develop, and translate materials for participants.

11. Supplies. Proposals may contain costs to purchase equipment for programming such as computers, fax machines. Costs for furniture are not allowed. Supply costs for the purchase of equipment must be kept to a minimum.

12. Working Meal. No more than two working meals may be provided for each program component. At least one working meal should be budgeted for the D.C. final workshop. The cost per person should not exceed $45 for the working meal. No charges may be made against

U.S. Government funds for alcoholic beverages. The number of invited guests should not exceed the number of funded program participants by more than a factor of two (i.e., no more than 20 invited guests for a working meal involving ten funded program participants).

13. Alumni Activities. The applicant organization should anticipate and include costs related to alumni activities. Proposed funding for alumni activities must be clearly tied to in-country programming and explained in narrative form. If possible, proposals should demonstrate how the grant recipients will creatively utilize technology to enhance and amplify alumni programming.

14. Re-Entry Seminars. Costs related to providing non-U.S. Fellows a re-entry seminar may include per diem, hotel accommodations, material development, and other related expenses.

15. Web Technology. As appropriate, the applicant organizations may budget for technology to support the broader program goals.

16. Wire Transfer Fees. When necessary, applicants may include costs to transfer funds to partner organizations overseas. Grant recipients are urged to research applicable taxes that may be imposed on these transfers by host governments.

17. Reasonable Accommodations. Applicants should include costs for the reasonable accommodations of participating individuals with disabilities. Proposals may allocate up to 5-

7% of the total requested ECA grant funds for this purpose.

18. Administrative Costs. Overhead and administrative costs in the proposal budget should be kept to a minimum. While there is no rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, proposals in which the administrative costs do not exceed 28% of the total requested ECA grant funds will be deemed more competitive under the cost effectiveness and cost-sharing criterion, per item E.1 in the NOFO. Proposals should show strong administrative cost-sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-country partner, and other sources.

19. Organizational meeting in Washington, D.C. Award recipients who will need to travel to

Washington, DC for this meeting should budget appropriately for travel, lodging, meals, and incidental expenses. The meeting will be held on a mutually agreed upon date within 60 days of the issuance of the award.

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

D.3o. Application Deadline and Method of Submission:

Application Deadline Date: Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Method of Submission:

Applications may only be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov).