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| 2006
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| Higher Education Collaborative Partnership Program: Kosovo and Nigeria Date Issued: October 2, 2006 Through the new HED Higher Education Collaborative Partnership Program for economic and social development, USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade/Office of Education (EGAT/ED) is assisting USAID Missions to mobilize the expertise and resources of U.S. and local higher education institutions to address critical development challenges. The overall goal is to strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions to teach, train, conduct research, and promote community service. Higher education partnerships contribute to development by promoting professional development opportunities, institutional linkages and research programs. The USAID/Kosovo and USAID/Nigeria Missions are involved in this program’s first year. HED anticipates making three (3) awards, each for a three-year period, contingent on USAID funding. Up to two awards will be made for Kosovo while one award will be made for Nigeria. U.S. institutions applying for more than one award must submit a separate application for each.
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Higher Education for Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a Leader with Associate Cooperative Agreement in September 2005 to the American Council on Education (ACE), with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC). The agreement (AEG-A-00-05-00007-00) is sponsored by USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade, Office of Education, and administered by the Higher Education for Development (HED) office. U.S. Agency for International Development USAID’s historic partnership and collaboration with the higher education community has repeatedly demonstrated that institutions of higher education are important engines of development, economic growth, good governance, and healthy societies. The community’s contributions in the areas of training, applied research, program evaluation, policy analysis, and program implementation have been critical to USAID’s portfolio. USAID has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years. For more information on USAID, click here. 2. Higher Education Collaborative Partnership Program Kosovo: Accounting Education at the University of Pristina Kosovo: Accounting Education at the University Pristina HED expects to make one award of up to $350,000 for this three-year higher education partnership. Kosovar youth are faced with a high rate of unemployment – over 63% for those 15-24 years of age. This situation becomes even more dire considering that people under the age of 25 constitute 52% of the population. Despite the economic hardships, many young Kosovars pursue higher education – especially in the fields of business and economics – with the University of Pristina (UP) enrolling approximately 95% of all students. Unfortunately, administration, curriculum, and teaching methdologies at UP have not changed since they were first developed in accordance with the socialist systems of former Yugoslavia. The current tertiary education system is not providing the skills needed to make graduates competitive in an increasingly regional and global workforce. The primary goal for workforce development in Kosovo is to conform with and integrate into the regional trade and investment market and, eventually, the European Union labor market. USAID/Kosovo envisions a higher education partnership program to support the development and implementation of a one-year, graduate degree program in accounting and related education and training programs which meet the growing needs of the public and private sectors. Effective accounting practices in both the public and private sectors of Kosovo will increase understanding among Kosovar companies and foreign and regional counterparts and accelerate regional trade and investment. Greater understanding of accounting standards among public and private sector practitioners will help deter corruption. UP will coordinate with the Society of Certified Accountants and Auditors of Kosovo (SCAAK) to ensure that the course supports the Kosovo Accounting Standards, which are in line with international standards. This activity supports USAID/Kosovo’s Strategic Plan (2004-2008), Objective 1.3: Accelerated Growth of the Private Sector. USAID has pre-identified UP as the partner higher education institution in Kosovo. The U.S. partner(s) will work with the UP accounting staff in the Faculty of Economics, facilitate relationships with SCAAK, and coordinate with other donors to assess needs and identify the appropriate intervention to bring UP up to date in international accounting standards. Albanian is the language of instruction and communication at UP. Thus, translation and interpretation will be crucial for partnership efforts. Expected outcomes include:
Applications should demonstrate how the partnership will ensure that the new accounting program will be fully institutionalized by the end of the three-year award period. Donor coordination with the new European Agency for Reconstruction accounting project (up to 1.5 million euro) will be crucial. This project will provide assistance to SCAAK, UP (e.g., assessments of teaching, resources, and training needs, and a capacity building program for accounting and auditing training of university instructors), and the Kosovo Financial Reporting Board, which functions as the oversight body for accounting standards in Kosovo. The application must describe a monitoring and reporting plan for the partnership, including an initial baseline assessment, that shows how progress and results will be communicated and reported to USAID/Kosovo through HED, and an end-of-partnership impact assessment plan. The primary contacts at UP are (note: contact must be conducted in Albanian): Sabahudin Komoni Rrustem Asslani USAID/Kosovo expects the U.S. partner institution(s) to facilitate close coordination between UP and SCAAK to develop degree programs relevant to the needs of the economy. SCAAK has trained and certified accountants in Kosovo Accounting Standards, which are based on international accounting standards. The primary contact at SCAAK is: Adriana Bunjaku Kosovo: Establishment of a Center for Energy and Natural Resource Development HED expects to make one award of up to $400,000 for this three-year higher education partnership. Energy remains a major constraint to economic growth in Southeast Europe. Yet, Kosovo has the region’s largest reserves of high quality lignite. By World Bank estimates, more than half of new electricity generation capacity developed in Europe by 2020 will come from Kosovo. These opportunities are gaining significant prominence among international energy companies and venture capitalists. The energy sector is poised to become the major driver of growth in Kosovo and, hopefully, a positive force for prosperity in the Balkans. USAID seeks to ensure that Kosovo has the human capacity needed to spur innovation and to support entrepreneurship in this important sector. USAID/Kosovo envisions that a higher education partnership will accelerate the transfer of skills and knowledge required to develop the needed cadre of professionals. The establishment of a Center for Energy and Natural Resource Development – to be housed at the American University of Kosovo (AUK) – will create a space for the exchange of ideas and information among academics, practitioners, and government officials on relevant emerging issues. To that end, the higher education partnership is expected to foster cooperative programs and/or internships for students, publish research, and host workshops and conferences on significant issues. The three main objectives of the Center are: 1) Workforce development. Develop market-driven curriculum and provide education and training for the workforce in the energy and natural resource sector. 2) Research. Produce research on technical issues relevant to the sector and provide assistance to public sector officials in applying the research in policymaking. 3) Consulting. Provide high quality technical assistance to organizations engaged in the development of energy and natural resources. USAID/Kosovo anticipates that the Center will attract significant resources from the private sector, especially international energy companies pursuing lignite and power generation opportunities. This partnership will: 1) Establish a Center for Energy and Natural Resource Development that will provide:
2) Develop undergraduate courses in energy policy, utility management and natural resources management, and create a plan for extension coursework. Expected partnership outcomes:
The primary contact at AUK is: Robert Curis The application must describe a monitoring and reporting plan for the
partnership, including an initial baseline assessment, that shows how
progress and results will be communicated and reported to USAID/Kosovo
through HED, and an end-of-partnership impact assessment plan. Nigeria: Strengthening MBA Programs HED expects to make one award of up to $500,000 for this three-year higher education partnership. Nigeria has an impressive number of college and university graduates, many with post-graduate degrees. Unfortunately, the academic skills passed on through local colleges and universities do not appropriately match the practical skills demanded by the private sector. This disconnect between skills taught and skills needed has led to a growing population of underemployed, frustrated youth. By working with local business schools, USAID/Nigeria can strengthen struggling MBA programs, realign curriculum with private sector needs, and link graduates with attractive employment opportunities. The alignment of curriculum with private sector needs is especially important. A higher education partnership aimed at strengthening MBA programs and linking students with employment opportunities is consistent with USAID/Nigeria’s strategic objective to “Improve Livelihoods in Selected Areas” by “addressing the burden of unemployment...[and] seeking to foster productivity and to engage the private sector as the driver of economic growth and empowerment.” It is also consistent with another strategic objective to “Increase Demand for Quality Education and Training” by “fostering partnerships with U.S. universities, including historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs)...to strengthen administrative capacity...and build the next generation of Nigeria’s leaders.” Since representatives from companies such as Microsoft, Cadbury, and Nestlé have expressed their interest to USAID/Nigeria about building the capacity of local business schools, it will be critical that the partners work closely with the private sector towards this end. Proposals should demonstrate commitment to and capacity for such collaboration. For the initial phase, USAID has pre-identified the University of Lagos business school as the partner higher education institution in Nigeria. Based on further analysis, the second phase might include expansion of the program into additional Nigerian universities, including Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife and Ahmadu Bellow University in Zaria. Partnership activities should include:
The primary contact at the University of Lagos for business administration is: Sola Fajana The application must describe a monitoring and reporting plan for the partnership, including an initial baseline assessment, that shows how progress and results will be communicated and reported to USAID/Nigeria through HED, and an end-of-partnership impact assessment plan. The following USAID/Kosovo staff member may be contacted for further information on either of the two Kosovo cooperative partnerships: Jennifer Tikka The following USAID/Nigeria staff member may be contacted for further information on the Nigeria cooperative partnership: Nikhil Jaisinghani
Application Format Use the Application Checklist to ensure you have included all necessary elements. Please provide the contents of the application in the following order: 1. Title Page (Please complete HED form in full
and obtain signatures of authorized officials.) 3. Abstract (not to exceed 3 typed, double-spaced pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins). The abstract should contain a summary of the narrative, workplan and budget. 4. Narrative (not to exceed 20 typed, double-spaced pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins) Address the criteria listed in Application Review Guidelines I-V (see below). 5. Appendices (Attachments beyond the stated appendices will not be read nor taken into consideration):
Applications must be received at HED by 5:00PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), November 20, 2006. Faxed or electronically transmitted applications will not be accepted. All elements of the application must be received by the deadline. Faxed copies of the application title page and letters that include all necessary signatures may be used as a placeholder in the application, provided signed originals are received at HED within seven (7) calendar days of the deadline. Applications should be sent to: Collaborative Partnership Program Applicants should submit the original application plus seven (7) hard copies of the complete application package containing title page, abstract, table of contents, narrative, and appendices (all on loose-leaf paper, clipped together — no three-ring binders, staples, or plastic bindings), and a diskette or CD (with files saved as Microsoft Word/Excel for PC) containing the entire application, including all budget forms, budget narrative, and other appendices. Once an application has been received, there is to be no contact with the HED program office until the completion of the peer review process in order to ensure fairness to all parties concerned. Applications will be reviewed by panels comprised of higher education and international development experts and a representative of USAID. Awards will be made on the basis of reviewers’ recommendations of merit and USAID concurrence. Peer review of applications is slated for December 2006. Letters of communication from members of the U.S. Congress in support of an application are discouraged as these may be thought to prejudice the peer-review process. Such letters will not be forwarded to peer reviewers. Notification about the award is expected following the completion of peer review. Upon final announcement of award, the person named in the application as partnership director may submit a written request for copies of the peer reviewers’ scores for the application. No personal reviews will be granted, and no comparative score tabulations will be shared. Peer reviewers will use the following criteria to evaluate the applications: I. Partnership Design (50 points)
II. Partnership Results and Sustainability (20 points)
III. Cost Sharing and Cost Effectiveness of Overall Budget (10 points)
IV. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (20 points)
Total Points: 100 points Eligibility HED anticipates making three (3) awards, each for a three-year period, contingent on USAID funding. Up to two awards will be made for Kosovo while one award will be made for Nigeria. U.S. institutions applying for more than one award must submit a separate application for each. HED welcomes applications from the member institutions of ACE, AACC, AASCU, AAU, NAICU, and NASULGC, and from other regionally accredited, degree granting, U.S. higher education institutions. U.S. colleges and universities may apply individually, or in partnership with other institutions. HED encourages applications from or with the participation of minority-serving institutions. The minimum expected total cost share from all U.S. partners is 25 percent of the requested award amount. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate their ability to leverage additional resources from other sources. Reported cost share must be auditable. Non-auditable contributions may not be used to meet the minimum, but can be indicated separately and attached to the budget detail form. Both the quality and the quantity of cost sharing and other contributions proposed in the application will be taken into account by the peer reviewers. Partnerships among higher education institutions with private sector partners are encouraged. Applicants should itemize all cost sharing, including waivers of tuition and other academic costs, faculty release time, stipends, professional development funds, internship value, travel, supplies, equipment, other direct costs, indirect costs, etc. Cash and in-kind contributions will be accepted as part of the applicant’s cost sharing when such contributions are: (a) verifiable from the applicant’s records; (b) not included as contributions for any other federally-assisted program; (c) reasonable for the accomplishment of partnership objectives; and (d) not paid by the federal government under another grant. In-kind contributions may include, but are not limited to: waivers of
tuition and fees for students participating in academic exchanges; donation
of library and classroom materials to the partner; ICT infrastructure
and Internet Service Provider subscription subsidy for the partner and
exchange students; faculty salaries; travel and/or per diem for faculty
and administrators to participate in professional exchange and development
programs; provision of internships for students hosted by the U.S. partner(s)
and American students hosted by the partner(s); and, indirect costs. Contributions
not meeting the terms of “cost share” should be indicated
in a separate statement of contributions. Awards will be executed as subagreements between the designated U.S. university, college, community college, or consortium, and the American Council on Education (ACE), through the Higher Education for Development (HED) office, under USAID Cooperative Agreement AEG-A-00-05-00007-00. The institution recommended for award will receive a draft version of the subagreements to review. The Awardee will be expected to submit a marking plan as part of the subagreement that clearly indicates the support provided by USAID for activities conducted under the award. No HED award or any cost share funds may be expended prior to a fully executed (i.e., signed by both parties) subagreement between ACE/HED and the designated U.S. institution. Activities are expected to commence immediately after the subagreement is executed. Award funds will be disbursed to the designated U.S. university, college, community college, or consortium, based on the applicant’s implementation of the work plan, stated budget, and submission to ACE/HED of financial, tax, and narrative progress reports. It is the designated U.S. institution’s responsibility to provide disbursements (reimbursements) for its collaborating partner(s) in accordance with the agreed-upon activity schedule and budget. Applicants must budget funds (travel and per diem) to cover the required participation of at least one representative each from the U.S. and cooperating institution(s) in HED’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., once during the HED funding period. (Additional partnership personnel may attend if they are funded by other sources.) To comply with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Department of State regulations regarding tracking and monitoring of Exchange Visitors, foreign nationals whose costs are paid, fully or partially, directly or indirectly using USAID program funds for training, non-training, and invitational travel, must enter the U.S. on a J-1 visa (non-immigrant Exchange Visitor visa) processed under one of USAID’s two program numbers, unless otherwise waived according to the procedure in ADS 252.3. J-2 visa applications for family members are not supported per USAID policy. USAID expects that all DS-2019 documents (paperwork needed for J visas) and in-country or third country training be processed through the USAID Training, Results and Information Network (TraiNet) system. Institutions may not directly access the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to issue DS-2019 documents internally. Information regarding USAID’s J-1 visa requirements may be found on-line at the Participant Training website. Administrators must adhere to the regulations detailed under TraiNet, Visa Compliance System (VCS), the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), and USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 252-Visa Compliance for Exchange Visitors, and 253-Training for Development. U.S. institutions should allow at least 6-8 weeks for the processing of visas when planning activities in the United States. USAID Health and Accident Coverage (HAC) Insurance Program The U.S. institution is responsible for enrolling each participant traveling to the United States or a third country in the official USAID Health and Accident Coverage (HAC) insurance program. The cost of HAC for participants must be included in the budget. Awardees will be required to submit to HED:
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