Q&A 6.11.pdf

Questions and Answers – June 11

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BUREAU OF GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT

OFFICE OF TALENT ACQUISITION

Nancy Pelosi Fellowship Program

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DFOP0016559

Question #1: The NOFO states up to approximately $18,000 for each intern to cover related costs for summer internship placement, including a stipend and full support for travel and temporary housing expenses for a domestic summer internship hosted by a foreign affairs think tank, foundation, or non-education institution. Can you provide guidance on how much of this $18K is a direct stipend, given your experience with providing such stipends for the USFSIP program (and the regular State internship program)?

DOS Response: The budgeted amount is intended to cover direct expenses for interns to complete a summer internship placement, including providing paid compensation at an equivalent of the GS-4, Washington, D.C. locality direct-hire rate, travel expenses, and temporary housing costs for the duration of the program.

Question #2: The NOFO states that expenses up to $7,000 annually for each intern to cover an in-person program orientation or seminar; professional local enrichment engagements, including visits to foreign affairs organizations; and professional development and mentoring from a senior foreign service-level officer. For the $7000 allocated to orientation, site visits, mentoring, etc., none of that goes directly to the students, correct?

DOS Response: The budgeted amount is intended to cover all organizational, including logistical and programmatic, costs associated with delivery of the program orientation and professional development components of program.

Question #3: For the "internship hosted by a foreign affairs think tank, foundation, or non-education institution": It mentions elsewhere that some of the Nancy Pelosi Fellows might intern at State -- is there any more sense of how many, and how that would be decided? Are internships at other USG agencies/the Hill allowed? Or only the types of intl. affairs non-profits you mentioned?

DOS Response: As indicated in the NOFO, all Nancy Pelosi Fellows will be encouraged and favorably considered to complete a second paid internship with an office of the Department of State, directly managed through the Department’s Student Internship Program. All other proposed internship placements during the first internship placement within the period of performance will be considered according to the objectives indicated in the NOFO and subject to DOS approval.

Question #4: Section A.4 under Main Activities of the NOFO includes expenses to cover a program evaluation conducted by a third-party monitor. How is “Third Party” defined – can it be internal to our institution, but external to the project?

DOS Response: Third party typically is considered an outside expert: e.g., evaluator, consultant, etc.

Question #5: Section C of the NOFO indicates “All documents are single-spaced, 14-point Calibri font, with 1-inch margins.” Is that font size correct?

DOS Response: Documents should be in 12-point Calibri font. Please see section C page

10 of the amended Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI’s).

Question #6:

The M&E plan should draw on the objectives, activities and expected changes from the logic model, and link those areas to indicators with output- and outcome-based indicators. It explains how data will be collected (data collection methods) to show that certain changes occurred. It outlines baselines (where your project is starting) and quarterly targets (what you would like to achieve) for each indicator. Please see “Sample Monitoring Indicator Tracker” included as an attachment to the NOFO. Is there a sample monitoring indicator tracker? Is there a link to the logic model template? It was not referenced in the NOFO. but it is mentioned in the PSI. There are several versions on the DOS website, and we want to be sure we are using the correct one.

DOS Response: Please see section C.4, page 19 of the amended PSI’s. Program applicants may provide their individually established monitoring and indicator trackers and logic model methods.