Funding Opportunity Title: Create Interactive Content to Complement English Language Radio Scripts
Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-KHARTOUM-FY20-01
Deadline for Applications: June 25, 2020
CFDA Number: 19.040
Total Amount Available: $5,000.00
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION/EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy Khartoum announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to manage and develop an online interactive platform for the FY 2020 Sudanese Folktale Project. The Sudanese Folktale Project is a multi-tiered program that supports English Language teaching. The project involves two primary components: a series of short radio shows, and a series of complementary online activities. The radio programs are being produced under the auspices of a separate grant agreement. This Notice of Funding Opportunity invites proposals solely for the development of the online platform.
The purpose of the online platform is to actively engage listeners of the radio programs by providing audiences with opportunities for continued English language learning and assessment. Project development and planning should begin within one week of the receipt of audio files containing the radio programs. The online content, ideally should be ready when the radio scripts are ready to be broadcast. Some coordination with our partner radio Station and the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section will be necessary to confirm the exact timeline. Content for the online platform will be supplied by the Public Affairs Section. The online platform will provide interactive assessments for uses and real-time data collection for formative assessment by the Public Affairs Section.
Product Description
The Sudanese Folktale Project is a series of 21 short radio plays based on Sudanese folktales translated into English. The radio plays are designed to help English language learners improve their ability to comprehend English, primarily spoken English.
Each radio play is 5-12 minutes long. These radio plays are being recorded in Khartoum, Sudan. Audio files of the radio plays will be supplied to the online developer. . The online developer is responsible for naming the files in a way that is compatible for production.
Online functionality
After learners listen to each radio play, we want them to go online and complete comprehension questions to assess how much they understood. Therefore, we are writing manuscripts of comprehension activities that can be turned into digital interactions. Each folktale will have 15 comprehension questions. We think the questions should appear one-by-one on a mobile device. The awardee/online developer should outline the best platform for presenting the online content for the intended Sudanese audience. The online developer will be provided text content, developed by English language teaching experts, the online developer will create the most engaging format to present them interactively and for users to track their progress, as well as allow PAS Khartoum to see the results in aggregate.
The text content will follow these patterns:
- A learner is using his phone and logs in to his account. They select the name of the folktale he listened to on the radio.
- They select the quiz for that folktale and see one question at a time appear on screen.
- They answers the question, click “next”, answers a question, and so on until all 15 items are complete.
- The learner then sees their score as the number correct (8/15).
- The data is collected and saved. The next time the learner logs in and takes the same quiz, they should see the score as the new number correct (11/15) and the data for both scores should be saved. We want to be able to assess improvement.
Online interactive activities
The manuscript of the online comprehension quizzes will be supplied to the digital producer by U.S. Embassy Khartoum. The manuscript will be written in MS Word with no formatting unless otherwise requested. The Digital Producer is responsible for naming the files in a way that is compatible for production purposes.
A set number of interaction item types will be used and answers will be indicated in the manuscript. Normally, the digital producer and content writer would agree on the item types, but the content will be written first and the digital production will come at a later date. Therefore, only widely-used interaction types are being proposed for the content of the quizzes.
Proposed interaction types and examples
Multiple choice: text prompt / text answers with vertical radio buttons
One prompt with up to four answer choices. The answer choices are arranged as words, phrases, or sentences that appear vertically under the prompt. True / False questions fall into this category.
Example
1 This person looked everywhere for friends.
*Abd Al Salam
Mother
the son of the merchant
the woodcutter’s son
Multiple choice: audio prompt / text answers with vertical radio buttons
One prompt with up to four answer choices. The answer choices are arranged as words, phrases, or sentences that appear vertically under the prompt.
Example
1 audio file button [This person looked everywhere for friends.]
*Abd Al Salam
Mother
the son of the merchant
the woodcutter’s son
Multiple choice: text prompt / audio answers with vertical radio buttons
One prompt with up to four answer choices. The answer choices are arranged as words, phrases, or sentences that appear vertically under the prompt.
Example
1 This person looked everywhere for friends.
*audio file [Abd Al Salam]
audio file [Mother]
audio file [the son of the merchant]
audio file [the woodcutter’s son]
Drop down menu: text prompt / text answer choices in drop down menu
One prompt appears with up to six answers in a drop down menu.
Example
1 This person looked everywhere for friends.
*Abd Al Salam
Mother
the son of the merchant
the woodcutter’s son
Click to match: text prompt / text answers
Two sets of texts are shown. An item in wordpool 1 is clicked. It is matched by clicking an item in wordpool 2.
Example
wordpool 1 [wordpool 2 match]
the son of the high official [ate one egg]
the son of the judge [ate all the eggs]
the son of the merchant [ate no eggs]
Type in answer: text prompt / type in answer
A text prompt appears. The learner types in a letter or word. This item type will be used only for short answers to avoid the burden of typing long strings – it’s hard to match to keyed answers.
Example
1 How many eggs did the son of the judge eat? [three]
Type in answer: audio prompt / type in answer
A audio prompt appears. The learner types in a letter or word. This item type will be used only for short answers to avoid the burden of typing long strings – it’s hard to match to keyed answers. This item type is useful for “missing word” dictations.
Example
1 audio file [How many eggs did the son of the judge eat?] [three]
Order the sentences: text prompts / type in numbers to order the sentences
A series of sentences appear vertically. Users type in numbers to place the sentences in the correct order. If this can be done as a drag and drop interaction, that’s better, but I don’t think this is easy or possible to do on a phone.
Example
1 Put the sentences in order. What happened first?
[1] The son of the high official ate one egg.
[2] The son of the judge at three eggs.
[3] The son of the merchant ate no eggs.
[4] The woodcutter’s son divided the eggs equally.
Online Non-Interactive material
Each folktale will have a list of vocabulary for the episode. This is not interactive. It is merely a static list of words that learners can refer to – a handy reference. The vocabulary lists will be supplied as MS Word documents unless requested in a different format.
Supplied to the Online Developer
21 radio play audio files in a common audio format. The finished audio files will be sent to the digital producer in the format the digital producer requires. The digital producer must communicate the required format to U.S. Embassy Khartoum. One audio file per folktale episode.
21 transcripts of the radio plays in MS Word or other format as needed. One transcript per folktale episode.
21 manuscripts of digital interaction quizzes. 15 items per folktale for a total of 315 items.
21 vocabulary lists in MS Word or other format as needed. One vocabulary list per folktale episode.
Audio assets that are used with the digital interaction quizzes. It is possible that we will need separate recordings of the audio files needed for the interactive quizzes. The estimate is 5 audio files per folktale for a total of 105 audio assets.
Participants and Audiences:
The audience for this project will initially be for radio listeners who wish to improve their English language listening comprehension and vocabulary. This demographic tends to be under 35 and already conversant in English.
When the entire series is completed, Embassy Khartoum will donate the package to the Sudanese Ministry of Education as a supplement to their new Sudanese Modern Integrated Learning of English (SMILE) curriculum. The audience for this will be between third and twelfth grades.
B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
Length of performance period: 12 months
Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $5,000
Total available funding: $5,000
Type of Funding: FY20 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds
Anticipated program start date: 08-June-2020
This notice is subject to availability of funding.
Funding Instrument Type: Fixed Amount Award
Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in six months or less.
C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
- Eligible Applicants
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Public and private educational institutions
- Individuals
- Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
- Cost Sharing or Matching
N/A.
- Other Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Address to Request Application Package: HughesKE@state.gov
Application forms required below are available at: grants.gov
Content and Form of Application Submission
Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.
Content of Application
Please ensure:
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
- All documents are in English
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars
- All pages are numbered
- All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and
- All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
The following documents are required:
Mandatory application forms
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance ) at: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_2_1-V2.1.pdf
- SF424A(Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424A-V1.0.pdf
- SF424B(Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424B-V1.1.pdf
Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.
Proposal (30 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.
- Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.
- Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.
- Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed
- Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.
- Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.
- Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.
- Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.
- Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?
- Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.
- Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?
- Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.
Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.
Attachments :
- 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program
- Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner
- If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.
Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)
Required Registrations:
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.
All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:
- Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)
- NCAGE/CAGE code
- SAM.gov registration
Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)
DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform
NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx
Instructions for the NCAGE application process:
https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf
For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423
For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766
Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.
Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.
Submission Dates and Times
Applications are due no later than June25, 2020
Funding Restrictions
N/A
Other Submission Requirements
All application materials must be submitted by email to HughesKE@state.gov
E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
Criteria
Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below.
Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 25 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.
Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 25 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.
Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.
Budget – 10 points: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.
Monitoring and evaluation plan – 15 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured.
Sustainability – 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.
Review and Selection Process
A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.
Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)
For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:
i. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
ii.That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;
iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.
F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
Federal Award Notices
The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.
If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.
Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.
Payment Method: Payment will be made by electronic funds transfer in two installments. The first payment will be 80% of the award, and the remaining 20% will be made upon completion of the project.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include:
2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions which are available at: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/.
Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.
Reporting
Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.
G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: HughesKE@state.gov.
H. OTHER INFORMATION
Guidelines for Budget Justification
Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.
Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.
Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.
Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.
Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.
Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.
Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.
“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.
Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.
