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[Federal Register: May 23, 2002
(Volume 67, Number 100)]
[Notices]
[DOCID:fr23my02-123]
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
Combating Child Labor Through Education in Bolivia and Peru
AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Department of
Labor.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for
Cooperative Agreement Applications (SGA 02-04).
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THIS NOTICE CONTAINS ALL OF THE NECESSARY INFORMATION AND
FORMS NEEDED TO APPLY FOR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FUNDING. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
The U. S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor
Affairs (ILAB), will award up to US $3 million through a cooperative
agreement(s) to an organization or organizations to develop and implement
educational and vocational programs as a means to combat the worst forms of
child labor as defined in International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No.
182. The programs, to take place in the Department of Potosí in Bolivia
and the Department of Puno in Perú, should complement as appropriate
USDOL-funded child labor programs being implemented by the ILO's International
Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) in artisan mining communities.
ILAB is seeking applications from qualified organizations for implementation of
an educational initiative to improve access to basic quality education for
children working or at risk of working. The programs should include components
of awareness raising, teacher training, development and distribution of locally
relevant educational materials, vocational training, institutional
strengthening, and mobilization of resources for education. Applicants may
submit applications for implementation in one or both countries.
DATE: The closing date for receipt of applications is July
7, 2002. Applications must be received by 4:45 p.m. (Eastern Time) at the
address below. No exceptions to the mailing and hand-delivery conditions set
forth in this notice will be granted.
ADDRESS: Application forms will not be mailed. They are
published in this Federal Register Notice, and in the Federal Register that may
be obtained from your nearest U.S. Government office or public library or
online at http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/nfpubs.html.
Applications must be delivered to: U.S. Department of Labor,
Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-5416,
Attention: Lisa Harvey, Reference: SGA 02-04, Washington, DC 20210.
Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted.
Applications sent by other delivery services, such as Federal
Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted, however, the applicant bears the
responsibility for timely submission.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harvey. E-mail
address: harvey-lisa@dol.gov. All applicants are advised that U.S. mail
delivery in the Washington, D.C. area has been slow and erratic due to the
recent concerns involving anthrax contamination. All applicants must take this
into consideration when preparing to meet the application deadline. It is
recommended that you confirm receipt of your application by contacting Lisa
Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, telephone (202)
693-4570 (this is not a toll-free number), prior to the closing deadline. All
inquiries should reference SGA 02- 04. See Section III.C for additional
information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of International
Labor Affairs, USDOL, announces the availability of funds to be granted by
cooperative agreement to one or more qualifying organizations for the purpose
of preventing and combating the worst forms of child labor through primary,
secondary, and/or vocational education in Bolivia and Peru. The cooperative
agreement(s) will be managed by ILAB's International Child Labor Program (ICLP)
through its Child Labor Education Initiative (EI), to assure achievement of the
stated goals. Applicants are encouraged to be creative in proposing
cost-effective interventions that will have a demonstrable impact in improving
education for children working or at risk of working in the target areas.
I. BACKGROUND AND PROGRAM SCOPE
A. USDOL Support to the Global Elimination of Child Labor and
Expanding Access to Education.
Since 1995 and as mandated by the U.S. Congress, USDOL has
supported a worldwide technical assistance program implemented by the
International Labor Organization's International Program on the Elimination of
Child Labor (ILO/IPEC). USDOL contributions to date to ILO/IPEC have amounted
to over $112 million, making the United States the program's largest donor and
the leader in global efforts to combat child labor. USDOL has supported
ILO/IPEC projects that target child trafficking in various countries, including
in West and Central Africa, as described in Appendix D.
In USDOL's FY 2001 appropriations, in addition to US $45 million
in funds earmarked for ILO/IPEC, the Department received US $37 million for a
Child Labor Education Initiative that will fund programs that increase access
to quality, basic education in areas with a high incidence of abusive and
exploitative child labor. The cooperative agreement(s) awarded under this
solicitation will be funded by this new initiative. USDOL's Child Labor
Education Initiative nurtures the development, health, safety and enhanced
future employability of children around the world by increasing access to basic
education for children removed from child labor or at risk of entering it.
Child labor elimination will depend in part on improving access to, quality of,
and relevance of education. Without improving educational quality and
relevance, children withdrawn from child labor may not have viable alternatives
and could resort to other forms of hazardous work.
The Child Labor Education Initiative has the following four
goals:
1. Raise awareness of the importance of education for all children
and mobilize a wide array of actors to improve and expand education
infrastructures;
2. Strengthen formal and transitional education systems that
encourage working children and those at risk of working to attend school;
3. Strengthen national institutions and policies on education and
child labor; and
4. Ensure the long-term sustainability of these efforts.
B. USDOL/ILAB Efforts to Combat Child Labor in Bolivia and Peru
In 2000, USDOL/ILAB, through ILO/IPEC, funded the Program to
Prevent and Progressively Eliminate Child Labor in Small-scale Traditional Gold
Mining in South America (hereafter referred to as ``ILAB/IPEC South America
Small-scale Mining Project''--see Appendix E) that includes Peru and Bolivia as
implementing countries.
The project targets mining, a worst form of
child labor as defined by ILO Convention No.182, because it harms the health
and safety of children under 18. In determining the types of work likely to
harm the health and safety of children, ILO Convention No. 182 considers work
that exposes a child to physical abuse; work underground, underwater, at
dangerous heights or in confined workplaces; work with dangerous machinery,
equipment and tools or handling or transporting heavy loads; work in an
unhealthy environment including exposure to hazardous substances, agents or
processes, or to temperatures, noise levels or vibrations damaging to the
health; and work for long hours or night work where the child is unreasonably
confined to the premises.
A second phase of the ILAB/IPEC South America
Small-scale Mining project is planned, but not yet confirmed. At this time, the
applicant is not required to account for this project in the application,
however, USDOL/ILAB reserves the right to modify any project which may
duplicate the second phase of this ILAB/IPEC project.
The education
activities that would be undertaken by the applicant awarded the cooperative
agreement (hereafter referred to as ``Grantee'') need to address the major
obstacles and gaps that currently serve as barriers to the education of
children living in the areas of the ILAB/IPEC South America Small-scale Mining
Project. In addressing the obstacles and barriers to quality basic education,
the Grantee will work within the parameters of the broader implementing
environment including the national educational reforms operating in each
country (described in more detail in Appendices C and D). In preparing
responses to this solicitation, applicants should show a thorough understanding
of the realities and constraints operating in the mining communities that are
being targeted.
In Bolivia, the education program funded under this
cooperative agreement should build on activities begun by the USDOL-funded
ILAB/ IPEC project in the Department of Potosí, in the communities of
Llallagua and Potosí. This area has been chosen because it has the
largest known concentration of children working in mine-related activities. The
1992 National Census projected that in 1998 there would be approximately
124,000 inhabitants in the city of Potosí, more than 35,000 (29 percent)
of which belong to the local mining community (Study on Cerro Rico,
Potosí, 2001). Of these 35,000, more than 6,000 are children involved in
mine-related labor, but exact data on their school attendance or educational
needs are not fully known. The same study shows that Potosí has a 51
percent level of poverty, which is above the national average. In the mining
areas, the poverty level is significantly higher.
In Perú, the
focus should be in the Department of Puno, Province of San Antonio de Putina,
in the district of Ananea and the surrounding mining communities of Ananea/La
Rinconada/Cerro Lunar, and selected areas in the districts of Putina and/or
Sandia. The project should build on activities begun by the USDOL-funded
ILAB/IPEC project in La Rinconada. Some of the communities are located at an
altitude of 5,400 meters (17,550 feet), and the Grantee will be confronted with
limited services and a challenging work environment. This area has been chosen
because it has one of the largest populations of child miners in the country.
It is estimated that there are 26,264 children working in gold mining in the
Ananea area of Puno where several mining communities are located(Piazza,
Children Working in Small-scale Traditional Gold Mining in Perú, 2001).
It is also estimated that of approximately 5,000 children living in La
Rinconada, only about 1,000 attend school.
C. Barriers to Quality
Education for Child Laborers
Experts agree that improvements in the
quality of education are an essential component in the variety of interventions
that can be successful in eliminating child labor. Whereas the USDOL-funded
ILAB/ IPEC project aims to address many of the causes of child labor, the
activities funded under this solicitation should complement and supplement them
by addressing the numerous barriers to education confronted by the children.
Although ongoing efforts exist in Bolivia and Perú to withdraw current
and prevent future generations of children and adolescents from leaving school
and entering the work force (see Appendices C and D), many of these efforts are
isolated, or fail to directly address the needs of the children targeted by
this project. Most of these barriers are common to both countries, and they
have been categorized relative to the broad goals of the Child Labor Education
Initiative.
- Insufficient awareness on the importance of education for all
children and inadequate mobilization of a wide array of actors to improve and
expand education infrastructures.
There are a number of barriers and
challenges in efforts to raise awareness which include:
- Parents/families in the Andean highlands, often as a
byproduct of cultural beliefs and societal norms, view work as a better option
than school. This view can become more ingrained when the quality of education
is poor, classes are irrelevant and few alternative recreational opportunities
exist for children.
- Teachers, health providers and authorities often do not
understand the social, educational, nutritional, emotional, and/or health needs
of child laborers. If these needs were satisfied, children would have more of a
chance to attend school.
- Child labor laws are not known and therefore not enforced.
In addition, some children believe in the need and the right to work as minors,
and have organized to demand better working conditions.
- Low quality formal and transitional education systems that
discourage working children and those at risk of working from attending school.
The low quality of education found in project target areas is a result of
many factors. These include:
- Poorly trained, poorly paid and poorly motivated teachers
with little understanding of the realities of working children.
- Curricula that are irrelevant to children living in these
regions.
- Lack of learning and teaching materials. Limited budget
earmarks for education.
- Poor educational infrastructure in remote rural areas such
as those of this project.
- Lack of understanding by teachers of the goals and
strategies of education reform, and/or lack of willingness of teachers to
accept it.
- Few opportunities for vocational education and training,
particularly for adolescents and families of adolescents working in the worst
forms of child labor. In addition, existing vocational training programs are
not always based on an analysis of future employment opportunities.
- Inadequate National Institutions and Policies on Education and
Child Labor.
There are a number of gaps that contribute to the weaknesses
of institutions. These in turn affect the quality of implementation of policies
and/or programs on education and child labor. Institutional and policy
constraints include:
- Lack of national, departmental and local level data/
information on the extent/nature of child/adolescent labor. The collection of
reliable data is hampered by differing definitions of what constitutes work,
limited candor in discussing a sensitive topic, and limited funds and/or
political will for in-depth studies.
- Lack of baseline information on education achievement and
needs of child/adolescent labor population in target areas. For example, the
link between child labor, formal school dropout, and access to and attendance
in non-formal school is still not well understood. Studies to date on working
and night school students present contradictory evidence. A study conducted by
UNICEF in 2001, La Escuela Nocturna: Educacin Nocturna para Ni$os y
Adolescentes en El Alto (Night School: Night Education for Children and
Adolescents in El Alto), found, contrary to expectation that only about 56% of
students were working, while Gottret, et al., in La Escuela: Educacin para
ni$os y adolescentes trabajadores en Bolivia (A study on education for children
and adolescent workers in Bolivia), reported that 80% of night school students
were working.
- Lack of methods to gauge the educational achievement of
working children.
- Lack of information on community demographics, which limits
local officials in their ability to program and distribute scarce budget
resources for many social services including education. Additions to existing
infrastructure or teacher appointments are often denied by regional authorities
that maintain that the need is non- existent or smaller than that estimated by
local residents.
- Missing linkages between health and education services.
Children who go to school hungry have trouble concentrating on their lessons,
and children who work in mine-related labor face specific threats and
side-effects to their health that are not being addressed (including exposure
to mercury, dust, and damp and cold working spaces) and the possible effect of
these exposures to their cognitive development and educational performance.
- Community institutions have inherent weaknesses that hamper
their effectiveness or potential impact. For example, school committees have
proven to be good at making improvements to education infrastructure but have
not developed any expertise in the area of oversight and monitoring of quality
education.
- Inexperienced municipal organizations are becoming
increasingly responsible for making education-related decisions as education
decentralization strategies take hold. With little prior experience or
training, decisions are often not cost-effective or do not follow good
educational principles.
- Challenges to achieving long-term sustainability of efforts.
Sustainability is ultimately linked to project impact and the ability of
individuals, communities and a nation to ensure that the activities or changes
implemented by a project endure. A project's impact is manifested at the level
of individuals, organizations, and systems. For individual children and their
families this would mean a positive and enduring change in their life
conditions as a result of project interventions. At the level of organizations
and systems, sustained impact would involve continued commitment and ability
(including [[Page 36231]] financial commitment and policy change) to continue
the actions generated by the project as long as they are still needed,
including enforcement of existing policies that target child labor and school
attendance. In both Bolivia and Peru, there are a number of factors that affect
the ability of a project to achieve sustainable impact at these multiple
levels:
- Poverty of families and lack of other income alternatives
to child labor.
- Insufficient organizational commitment due to lack of
skills, resources or ability to raise resources. Lack of enforcement of child
labor and education laws, and related policy reforms.
- Low levels of exchange and use of ``lessons learned'' from
current and previously implemented projects.
II. Authority
ILAB is authorized to award and
administer this program by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001, Public
Law 106-554, 114 Stat. 2763A-10 (2000).
III. Application Process
A. Eligible Applicants
Any commercial, international, or non-profit organization capable
of successfully developing and implementing education programs for child
victims of trafficking or children at risk is eligible to apply for this
cooperative agreement. Partnerships of more than one organization are also
eligible, and applicants are strongly encouraged to work with organizations
already undertaking projects in Bolivia and Perú, including local NGOs
(see Appendix E). The capability of an applicant or applicants to perform
necessary aspects of this solicitation will be determined under Section V.B
Rating Criteria and Selection.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ELIGIBLE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT APPLICANTS MUST
NOT BE CLASSIFIED UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE AS A 501(c)(4) ENTITY. See 26
U.S.C. 501(c)(4). According to Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995, an organization, as described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, that engages in lobbying activities will not be eligible
for the receipt of federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.
B. Submission of Applications
One (1) ink-signed original, complete application in English plus
two (2) copies of the application must be submitted to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-5416,
Washington, D.C. 20210, not later than 4:45 p.m. ET, June 3, 2002. Accompanying
documents should also be in English. To aid with review of applications, USDOL
also encourages applicants to submit two additional paper copies of the
application (five total). Applicants who do not provide additional copies will
not be penalized.
The application must consist of two (2) separate parts. Part I of
the application must contain the Standard Form (SF) 424, "Application for
Federal Assistance" (Appendix A) (The entry on SF 424 for the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA) is 17.700) and sections A-F of the
Budget Information Form SF 424A (Appendix B). Part II must contain a technical
application that demonstrates capabilities in accordance with the Statement of
Work and the selection criteria.
To be considered responsive to this solicitation, the application
must consist of the above-mentioned separate sections not to exceed 25
single-sided (8-1/2" x 11"), double-spaced, 10 to 12 pitch typed pages. ANY
APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT CONFORM TO THESE STANDARDS MAY BE DEEMED
NON-RESPONSIVE TO THIS SOLICITATION AND MAY NOT BE EVALUATED. Standard forms
and attachments are not included in the page limit. Each application must
include a table of contents and an abstract summarizing the application in not
more than two (2) pages. These pages are also not included in the page limits.
Upon completion of negotiations, the individual signing the SF 424
on behalf of the applicant must be authorized to bind the applicant.
C. Acceptable Methods of Submission
The grant application package must be received at the designated
place by the date and time specified or it will not be considered. Any
application received at the Office of Procurement Services after 4:45 pm EST,
July 7, 2002 will not be considered unless it is received before the award is
made and:
1. it was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the
fifth calendar day before July 7, 2002;
2. it is determined by the Government that the late receipt was
due solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the U.S.
Department of Labor at the address indicated; or
3. it was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5:00 pm at the place of
mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, prior to
July 7, 2002.
The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. Postal
Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt from
the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, an application
received after the above closing time and date shall be processed as if mailed
late. "Postmark" means a printed, stamped or otherwise placed impression (not a
postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable without further
action as having been applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal
Service on the date of mailing. Therefore applicants should request that the
postal clerk place a legible hand cancellation "bull's-eye" postmark on both
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of
a late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day
Service-Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post Office
receiving clerk on the "Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee"
label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt
from the U.S. Postal Service. "Postmark" has the same meaning as defined above.
Therefore, applicants should request that the postal clerk place a legible hand
cancellation "bull's-eye" postmark on both the receipt and the envelope or
wrapper.
The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at
the U.S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Procurement Services
Center on the application wrapper or other documentary evidence or receipt
maintained by that office.
Applications may be sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX)
will not be accepted. Applications sent by other delivery services, such as
Federal Express, UPS, etc., will be accepted, however, the applicant bears the
responsibility for timely submission. Because of delay in the receipt of mail
in the Washington, D.C. area, it is recommended that you confirm receipt of
your application by contacting Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor,
Procurement Services Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free
number), prior to the closing deadline. All inquiries should reference SGA
02-04.
D. Funding levels
Up to US $3 million is available
for implementation in the two countries, approximately US $1.5 million for
Perú, and US $1.5 million for Bolivia. USDOL/ILAB will award up to two
cooperative agreements, one for each country, but if one organization submits
the best applications for both countries, then only one cooperative agreement
will be awarded. An organization may apply for one or both projects.
Partnerships of more than one organization may also apply to implement one or
both programs.
E. Program Duration
The duration of the program(s) funded by this SGA is four (4)
years. The start date of program activities will be negotiated upon awarding of
grant. .
IV. Requirements
The applicant will propose innovative and cost-effective
approaches that will meet the education needs of children living in the
communities targeted by the project in each country. In proposing approaches,
applicants should support the goals of USDOL/ILAB's EI: (1) Raise awareness of
the importance of education for all children and mobilize a wide array of
actors to improve and expand education infrastructures; (2) Strengthen formal
and transitional education systems that encourage working children and those at
risk of working to attend school; (3) Strengthen national institutions and
policies on education and child labor; and (4) Ensure the long-term
sustainability of these efforts.
Project key personnel should work closely with the ILO/IPEC's
project manager of the USDOL-funded ILAB/IPEC project. The requirements listed
below are the basis from which the Grantee(s) will develop a project document
after award. In developing responses, applicants should take into account
information available in Appendices C and D, and project documents and
supporting documentation available on-line (and listed in Appendix E). Below is
a listing of country-specific requirements to guide applicants in the
development of responses to this solicitation.
A. Statement of Work
For each country which the
applicant is submitting an application, the application should suggest
approaches to address the barriers to quality education for child laborers
identified in Section I.C above, while taking into account the implementing
environment and resources available from programs or activities already
existing in the country. Activities in general should not duplicate existing
efforts in target communities but rather, should complement them. Also, the
education activities proposed in this solicitation should coordinate closely
with and complement, but not duplicate, activities of the ILAB/IPEC South
America Small-scale Mining Project in Bolivia and Perú.
Bolivia
The EI project should build on initial work done by
ILO/IPEC in Potosí and Llallagua. The applicant should propose creative
and innovative approaches to improve access, quality, and relevance of
education for working children, especially child/adolescent miners and children
at risk of working in mining-related activities in the Department of
Potosí.
The proposed project should aim to improve education
access and quality. Project interventions should try to increase enrollment and
attendance in target schools, reduce dropout rates, and increase promotion to
the next grade. The project could include a number of interventions such as
awareness raising, school management/teacher training, school committee
strengthening, and educational materials to target schools in rural areas (see
Appendix C for implementing environment in Bolivia).
Because of the
limited resources available to this project, the applicant might consider
improving the quality of night schools in the Department of Potosí,
where most working children/adolescents who study receive their education. At
the same time, the applicant is encouraged to suggest other ways to improve
educational quality for this target population.
In developing proposed
project interventions, where relevant, applicants may consider suggesting
innovative approaches to work with local communities, faith-based
organizations, and governmental organizations at the local and national level.
Perú
The applicant should propose creative and
innovative approaches to improve access, quality, and relevance of primary and
secondary education for working children, especially child/adolescent miners
and children at risk of working in mining in the Department of Puno in the area
surrounding the mining communities of Ananea/La Rinconada/Cerro Lunar and
including selected schools in the districts of Putina and/or Sandia. Project
interventions should increase enrollment and attendance in target schools,
reduce dropout, and increase promotion.
The applicant should suggest a
strategy and logistics for improving the quality of education in the target
mining communities and other nearby rural communities in the Department of
Puno. The application should elaborate on how schools will be selected, how
collaboration with local educational authorities will be undertaken, and the
number of teachers to be included in the intervention. Target schools should be
strategically selected to balance the project's goal of making sustainable
improvements in the quality of education for working children. By the end of
the project, improvements in the achievement levels of students in target
schools should be evident in scores on standardized (preferably Ministry of
Education) achievement tests.
In developing interventions, where
relevant, applicants may consider suggesting innovative approaches to work with
local communities, faith-based organizations, and governmental organizations at
the local and national level.
B. Deliverables
Unless otherwise indicated, the Grantee(s) must submit copies of
all required reports to ILAB by the specified due dates.
1. Project Designs. A project document in a format to be
established by ILAB in the logical framework format will be used, and will
include a background/justification section, project strategy (objectives,
outputs, activities, indicators, means of verification), project implementation
timetable and project budget. The project design will be drawn from the
proposal written in response to this solicitation. The document will also
include sections that address coordination strategies, project management and
sustainability. The time for delivery of this document will be negotiated at
the time of the award.
2. Technical and Financial Progress Reports. The Grantee
must furnish a typed technical report to ILAB on a quarterly basis by 31 March,
30 June, 30 September, and 31 December. The Grantee must also furnish a
separate financial report (SF 272) to ICLP on the quarterly basis mentioned
above. The format for the technical progress report will be the format
developed by ICLP and must contain the following information:
- For each project objective, an accurate account of activities
carried out under that objective during the reporting period;
- An accounting of staff and any subcontractor hours expended;
- An accounting of travel performed under the cooperative
agreement during the reporting period, including purpose of trip, persons or
organizations contacted, and benefits derived;
- A description of current problems that may impede performance,
and proposed corrective action;
- Future actions planned in support of each project objective;
- Aggregate amount of costs incurred during the reporting
period; and
- Progress on indicators (to be reported annually).
3. Annual Work Plan. An annual work plan will be
developed within three months of project award and approved by ILAB to ensure
coordination with other relevant social actors in Bolivia and Perú.
Subsequent annual work plans will be delivered no later than one year after the
previous one.
4. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. A monitoring
and evaluation plan will be developed, in collaboration with ILAB, including
beginning and ending dates for the project, planned and actual dates for
mid-term review, and final end of project evaluations. The monitoring plan will
be prepared after completion of baseline surveys, including revision of
indicators provided in project document, targets, and means of verification.
Progress on indicators will be reported semi-annually.
5. Evaluation
Reports. The Grantee[s] and the Grant Officer's Technical Representative
(GOTR) will determine on a case-by-case basis whether mid-term evaluations will
be conducted by an internal or external evaluation team. All final evaluations
will be external in nature. The Grantee must respond to any comments and
recommendations resulting from the review of the mid-term report.
C. Production of Deliverables
1. Materials Prepared Under the
Cooperative Agreement. The Grantee must submit to ILAB all media-related
and educational materials developed by it or its sub-contractors before they
are reproduced, published, or used. ILAB considers that education materials
include brochures, pamphlets, videotapes, slide-tape shows, curricula, and any
other training materials used in the program. ILAB will review materials for
technical accuracy. The Grantee must obtain prior approval from the Grant
Officer for all materials developed or purchased under this cooperative
agreement. All materials produced by the Grantee must be provided to ILAB in a
digital format for possible publication by ILAB.
2. Acknowledgment
of USDOL Funding. In all circumstances the following must be displayed on
printed materials:
"Preparation of this item was funded by the
United States Department of Labor under Cooperative Agreement No.
E-9-X-X-XXXX."
When issuing statements, press releases, requests
for proposals, bid solicitations, and other documents describing projects or
programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all Grantees receiving
Federal funds, including State and local governments and recipients of Federal
research grants, must clearly state:
- The percentage of the total costs of the program or project
which will be financed with Federal money;
- The dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program;
and
- The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the
project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
In consultation with ILAB, USDOL's role will be identified as one of the following:
- The USDOL logo may be applied to USDOL funded material prepared
for world?wide distribution, including posters, videos, pamphlets, research
documents, national survey results, impact evaluations, best practice reports,
and other publications of global interest. The Grantee will consult with USDOL
on whether the logo should be used on any such items prior to final draft or
final preparation for distribution. In no event will the USDOL logo be placed
on any item until USDOL has given the Grantee written permission to use the
logo, after obtaining appropriate internal USDOL approval for use of the logo
on the item.
- If ILAB determines that the use of the logo is not appropriate
and does not give written permission, the following notice must appear on the
document: "This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of
the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial
products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government."
D. Administrative requirements
1. General. Grantee organizations are subject to applicable
Federal laws (including provisions of appropriations law) and the applicable
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. Determinations of allowable
costs will be made in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles.
The cooperative agreement(s) awarded under this SGA are subject to the
following administrative standards and provisions, if applicable:
29 CFR Part 36 - Federal Standards for Nondiscrimination on the
Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial
Assistance.
29 CFR Part 93 - New Restrictions on Lobbying.
29 CFR Part 95 - Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants
and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other
Non-Profit Organizations, and with Commercial Organizations, Foreign
Governments, Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments and
International Organizations.
29 CFR Part 96 - Federal Standards for Audit of Federally Funded
Grants, Contracts and Agreements.
29 CFR Part 98 - Federal Standards for Governmentwide Debarment
and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free
Workplace (Grants).
29 CFR Part 99 - Federal Standards for Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.
2. Sub-contracts. Sub-contracts must be awarded in
accordance with 29 CFR 95.40-48. In compliance with Executive Orders 12876 as
amended, 13230, 12928 and 13021 as amended, the Grantee is strongly encouraged
to provide sub-contracting opportunities to Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges and
Universities.
3. Key Personnel. The applicant shall list individual(s)
who has (have) been designated as having primary responsibility for the conduct
and completion of all project work. The applicant will submit written proof
that key personnel will be available to begin work on the project no later than
three weeks after award. The Grantee agrees to inform the GOTR whenever it
appears impossible for these individual(s) to continue work on the project as
planned. The Grantee may nominate substitute personnel and submit the
nominations to the GOTR; however, the Grantee must obtain prior approval from
the Grant Officer for all key personnel. If the Grant Officer is unable to
approve the personnel change, he/she reserves the right to terminate the
cooperative agreement.
4. Encumbrance of Cooperative Agreement Funds. Cooperative
agreement funds may not be encumbered/obligated by the Grantee before or after
the cooperative agreement period of performance. Encumbrances/obligations
outstanding as of the end of the cooperative agreement period may be liquidated
(paid out) after the end of the cooperative agreement period. Such
encumbrances/obligations shall involve only specified commitments for which a
need existed during the grant period and which are supported by approved
contracts, purchase orders, requisitions, invoices, bills, or other evidence of
liability consistent with the Grantee's purchasing procedures and incurred
within the cooperative agreement period. All encumbrances/obligations incurred
during the cooperative agreement period shall be liquidated within 90 days
after the end of the grant period, if practicable.
5. Site Visits. USDOL, through its authorized
representatives, has the right, at all reasonable times, to make site visits to
review project accomplishments and management control systems and to provide
such technical assistance as may be required. If USDOL makes any site visit on
the premises of the Grantee or a sub-contractor(s) under this grant(s), the
Grantee shall provide and shall require its sub-contractors to provide all
reasonable facilities and assistance for the safety and convenience of the
Government representatives in the performance of their duties. All site visits
and evaluations shall be performed in a manner that will not unduly delay the
work.
V. Review and Selection of Applications for the Grant
Award
A. The Review Process
USDOL will screen all applications to determine
whether all required elements are present and clearly identifiable. Each
complete application will be objectively rated by a technical panel against the
criteria described in this announcement. Applicants are advised that the panel
recommendations to the Grant Officer are advisory in nature. The Grant Officer
may elect to select a Grantee on the basis of the initial proposal submission;
or, the Grant Officer may establish a competitive or technically acceptable
range for the purpose of selecting qualified applicants. If deemed appropriate,
following the Grant Officer's call for the preparation and receipt of final
revisions of proposals, the evaluation process described above will be repeated
to consider such revisions. The Grant Officer will make final selection
determination based on what is most advantageous to the Government, considering
factors such as panel findings and the availability of funds. The Grant
Officer's determination for award under this SGA is final.
NOTE: Selection of an organization as a cooperative
agreement recipient does not constitute approval of the cooperative agreement
application as submitted. Before the actual cooperative agreement is awarded,
USDOL may enter into negotiations about such items as program components,
funding levels, and administrative systems. If the negotiations do not result
in an acceptable submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate
the negotiation and decline to fund the proposal.
B. Rating Criteria and Selection
The technical panel will review applications against the various
criteria on the basis of 100 points with an additional 5 points available for
non-federal or leveraged resources.
The factors are presented in the order of emphasis that they will
receive.
- Approach, Understanding of the Issue, and Budget Plan
(40 points).
- Overview. This section of the proposal must explain:
- The applicant's proposed innovative methods for performing
all the specific areas of work requirements presented in this solicitation.
- The expected outcomes over the period of performance for
each of the tasks; and
- The approach for producing the expected outcomes.
The applicant should describe in detail the proposed
approach to comply with each requirement in Section IV.A of this solicitation,
including all tasks and methods to be utilized to implement the project. Also,
the applicant should explain the rationale for using this approach. In
addition, this section of the application should demonstrate the applicant's
thorough knowledge and understanding of the issues involved in providing
education to working children; best-practice solutions to address their needs;
and the implementing environment in Bolivia and/or Perú.
- Implementation Plan. The applicant must submit an
implementation plan, preferably with a visual such as a Gantt chart, for the
project in Bolivia and Perú. The implementation plan should list the
outcomes, objectives and activities during the life of the project, and
scheduling of time and staff starting with the execution of the cooperative
agreement and ending with the final report. In describing the implementation
plan, the applicant should address the following points:
- Describe the use of existing or potential infrastructure
and use of qualified personnel, including qualified nationals, to implement the
project. The applicant should also include a project organizational chart,
demonstrating management structure, key personnel positions, and indicating
proposed links with Government, civil society leaders, educators, and other
significant local actors.
- Develop a list of activities and explain how each relates
to the overall development objective of reducing labor through education.
- Explain how appropriate awareness raising, training, and
pedagogic materials will be developed.
- Demonstrate how the organization will strengthen national
institutions and policies on education and combating child labor.
- Demonstrate how the organization would systematically
report on project performance to measure the achievement of the project
objective(s).
- Demonstrate how the organization would build national and
local capacity to ensure that project efforts to reduce child labor and the
effects of child labor through the provision of education are sustained after
completion of the project.
- Budget Plan. The applicant must develop a budget of up
to US $1.5 million for the Bolivia project and US$ 1.5 million for the
Perú project. This section of the proposal should explain the costs for
performing all of the requirements presented in this solicitation and for
producing all required reports and other deliverables presented in this
solicitation; costs must include labor, equipment, travel, and other related
costs. Preference may be given to applicants with lower administrative costs.
- Management and Staff Loading Plan. This section also
must include a management and staff loading plan. The management plan is to
include the following:
- A project organization chart and accompanying narrative
which differentiates between elements of the applicant's staff and
subcontractors or consultants who will be retained;
- A description of the functional relationship between
elements of the project's organization; and
- The identity of the individual responsible for project
management and the lines of authority between this individual and other
elements of the project.
- A description of how the implementation plan will be
integrated into and support the projects being financed by USDOL through
ILAB/IPEC.
The staff-loading plan must identify all key tasks and the
person- days required to complete each task. Labor estimates for each task must
be broken down by individuals assigned to the task, including subcontractors
and consultants. All key tasks must be charted to show time required to perform
them by months or weeks. This section will be evaluated in accordance with
applicable Federal laws and regulations. The budget must comply with Federal
cost principles (which can be found in the applicable OMB Circulars) and with
ILAB budget requirements contained in the application instructions in Section
III of this solicitation.
2. Experience and Qualifications of the Organization (35
points).
The evaluation criteria in this category are as follows:
- The applicant has international experience in the Latin
American region implementing basic and vocational education programs that
address issues of access and quality for disadvantaged children including
working children. The applicant should provide ILAB with a listing of all its
offices in the region and country or how the applicant plans to establish the
necessary field presence for the projects.
- The applicant must show ability to support a field office
through infrastructure, communication systems, technical assistance, and other
systems that enhance capacity to perform in a difficult field environment. The
applicant should also establish an office that gives it the capability to work
directly with government ministries, educators, civil society leaders, and
other local organizations, e.g., community-based or faith-based groups; the
applicant can document that it has already established relations of this nature
in the target country or can show that it has the capacity to readily establish
such relations.
The application should include information about previous
grants or contracts relevant to this solicitation including:
- The organization for which the work was done;
- A contact person in that organization with their current phone
number;
- The dollar value of the grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement for the project;
- The time frame and professional effort involved in the
project;
- A brief summary of the work performed; and
- A brief summary of accomplishments.
This information on previous grants and contracts shall be
provided in appendices and will not count in the 25-page maximum page
requirement.
3. Experience and Qualifications of Key Personnel
(25 points)
This section of the application must include sufficient
information to judge the quality and competence of staff proposed to be
assigned to the project to assure that they meet the required qualifications.
Successful performance of the proposed work depends heavily on the
qualifications of the individuals who will be working on this project.
Accordingly, in its evaluation of the applicant's application, USDOL will place
emphasis on the applicant's commitment of personnel qualified for the work
involved in accomplishing the assigned tasks. Information provided on the
experience and educational background of personnel must indicate the following:
- The identity of key personnel assigned to the project. ``Key
personnel'' are staff who are essential to the successful operation of the
project and completion of the proposed work and, therefore, may not be replaced
or have their hours reduced without the approval of the Grant Officer.
- The educational background and experience of all staff to be
assigned to the project.
- The special capabilities of staff that demonstrate prior
experience in organizing, managing and performing similar efforts.
- The current employment status of staff and availability for
this project. The applicant must also indicate whether the proposed work will
be performed by persons currently employed or is dependent upon planned
recruitment or subcontracting.
Note that management and professional technical staff members
comprising the applicant's proposed team should be individuals who have prior
experience with organizations working in similar efforts, and are fully
qualified to perform work specified in the Statement of Work. Where
sub-contractors or outside assistance are proposed, organizational control must
be clearly delineated to ensure responsiveness to the needs of USDOL. Key
personnel must sign letters of agreement to serve on the project, and indicate
availability to commence work within three weeks of grant award. The following
information must be furnished:
- The applicant must designate a regionally located Project
Director for each country (Key Personnel) to oversee the project and be
responsible for implementation of the requirements of the cooperative agreement
in each country. The Project Director must have an FRS 4 written and spoken
level of Spanish and English as translation/ interpretation services are scarce
in targeted communities. The Project Director must also have a minimum of three
years of professional experience in a leadership role in implementation of
complex education or training programs in developing countries in areas such as
education policy; improving educational quality and access; teacher training
and materials development; educational assessment of disadvantaged students;
development of community participation in the improvement of basic education;
and monitoring and evaluation of education or training (or similar) projects.
Preferred candidates will also have knowledge of child labor eradication.
- The applicant must also designate an Education Specialist (Key
Personnel) who will provide leadership in developing the technical aspects of
this project in collaboration with the Project Director. Given the scarce
availability of translation/interpretation services in the targeted
communities, this person must have at least an advanced working knowledge of
Spanish and English. The Education Specialist must also have at least three
years experience in basic education projects in developing countries in areas
including student assessment, teacher training, educational materials
development, educational management, and educational monitoring and information
systems. This person must have experience in working successfully with
ministries of education, networks of educators, employers' organizations and
trade union representatives or comparable entities. Additional experience with
child labor, psychosocial counseling, and education monitoring and evaluation
is an asset.
- The applicant must specify other personnel proposed to carry
out the requirements of this solicitation.
- The applicant must include a description of the roles and
responsibilities of all personnel proposed for this project and a resume for
each professional person to be assigned to the program. Resumes will be
attached in an appendix. At a minimum, each resume must include: the
individual's current employment status and previous work experience, including
position title, duties performed, dates in position, and employing
organizations and educational background. Duties must be clearly defined in
terms of role performed, e.g., manager, team leader, consultant, etc. It should
be whether the individual is currently employed by the applicant, and (if so)
for how long.
- The applicant must indicate whether proposed personnel are
currently employed by the organization or are dependent upon planned
recruitment or sub-contracting. Note that management and professional technical
staff members comprising the applicant's proposed team should be [[Page 36236]]
individuals who have prior experience with organizations working in similar
efforts, and are fully qualified to perform work specified in the Statement of
Work. Where sub-contractors or outside assistance are proposed, organizational
control must be clearly delineated to ensure responsiveness to the needs of
USDOL.
4. Leverage of Funding (5 points).
The Department
will give up to five (5) additional rating points to applications that include
non-Federal resources that significantly expand the dollar amount, size and
scope of the proposal. Of special interest is an organization's ability to
provide income-generation and/or credit programs in support of families of
target children, or for older children who complete education programs and are
ready for self-employment. These programs will not be financed by the project,
but can complement and enhance project objectives. The applicant may include
any leveraging or co-funding anticipated. To be eligible for the additional
points in the criterion, the applicant must list the source(s) of funds, the
nature, and possible activities anticipated with these funds under this
cooperative agreement and any partnerships, linkages or coordination of
activities, cooperative funding, etc.
Signed at Washington, DC, this
17th day of May, 2002.
Lawrence J. Kuss, Grant Officer.
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