ACERs, for those of you who are trying to meet the deadline, don't give up!
Here are some Questions and Answers for the logistics areas.

        CONSORTIUM FOR EDUCATION PROPOSALS, Due May 19.
        www.ed.gov/free

     If you have questions, contact:

     Glynis Long, 202-205-4803
     [log in to unmask],

     Proposals for the Consortium for Education, not already sent:
        (You do NOT need to send a second time)
        Please add
        ATTN: CONSORTIUM FOR EDUCATION
              Joyce Mays, Supervisor

         in the mailing address.

      BELOW ARE Qs & As we've just finalized with GSA.

     If you're submitting a proposal,
     you may have noticed in the "Applications Delivered by Mail"
     section that there is a blank after "CFDA Number _____."
     Please do not fill this in.  Our grants office will fill in
     the CFDA number when it receives your application.  We
     apologize for not making this clear in the application.



     ============================================================
     Questions & Answers for Federal Agencies Selected to Receive
     an Award Under the "Invitation to Federal Agencies and
     Federal Organizations to Submit Proposals to Develop
     Internet-Based Learning Modules and Internet-Based Learning
     Communities" (May 14, 1998)
     ===========================================================

     NOTE: These questions and answers were developed by the
     Department of Education (ED) in consulation with the General
     Services Administration (GSA) to describe how the seven
     selected teams will receive funding and manage compensation.
     ED and GSA are working to make these processes as simple as
     possible and to keep paperwork for the seven teams to a
     minimum.

     1. If our team is selected for a $50,000 award, how will we
     receive the funds?

     General Services Administration (GSA) manages the fund from
     which the awards will be made, the Information Technology
     Innovation Fund.

     For costs incurred directly by a federal agency in
     developing its online learning module and community, the
     agency will submit an On-Line Payment and Collection (OPAC)
     document to GSA.  GSA will then reimburse the agency via
     OPAC, assuming that the agency has reimbursable authority,
     which most do.

     To compensate teachers and other team members for their
     participation and contributions to developing the online
     learning module and community, the lead federal agency will
     prepare invoices for work as soon as work or services are
     completed.  The agency will authorize those invoices, making
     sure that the work has been completed satisfactorily and in
     accordance with its own plan and budget for this project.
     The agency will then submit the invoices and/or a "receiving
     report," indicating that the work or product is acceptable,
     to GSA.  These invoices and receiving reports will need to
     be submitted to GSA as soon as possible after work has been
     completed in order to ensure prompt payment.

     Blank ordering documents and receiving reports for teams to
     use, along with guidance and other information, will be
     provided at the kickoff meeting for teams in July.  At that
     time, ED and GSA will walk selected teams through the
     invoice and payment process.  We are working to make these
     processes as streamlined as possible. And we will be "on
     call" to assist team leaders after the meeting.

     2. How will a team know "when work is finished"?

     Each team may want to perpare, collect, authorize, and
     submit its invoices and receiving reports to GSA as each
     "phase" of its work is completed.  These phases may include:

     * Completion of the initial learning module.  When the
     initial module is finalized (for pilot testing), approved by
     the agency and other team members, and placed on a server
     (and thereby made available on the web), the agency may want
     to submit invoices and receiving reports at that time.  It
     is estimated that, for many teams, this might happen some
     time between July and September 1998.

     * Completion of refinement learning module based on pilot
     testing.  When feedback  has been gathered from a first
     round of pilot testing the module with students in
     classrooms and when team members agree that the module has
     been satisfactorily revised and improved based on that
     feedback, the agency may want to submit invoices and
     receiving reports at that time.  It is estimated that, for
     many teams, this might happen some time between September
     and November 1998.

     * Community building.  As particular community building
     activities are completed, the agency may want to submit
     invoices and receiving reports as each is completed.
     Community building is essential to each team's success;
     however, ED will assist teams in disseminating their work
     and in building their communities through an array of robust
     ED-supported networks.  Consequently, it is anticipated
     that, for most teams, only modest amounts of funds under
     this award will be used for community building activities.

     * Creation of metadata records.  When metadata records have
     been created using the Gateway for Educational Materials
     (GEM), so that the team's module and components of the
     module are found (using GEM) to the satisfaction of the
     team, the agency will want to submit invoices and receiving
     reports at that time if any costs were incurred in creating
     these metadata records.  It is estimated that, for many
     teams, this might happen some time between September and
     November 1998.

     * Submission of quarterly reports.  When a team submits each
     of its quarterly reports to the Consortium for Education
     (CE), if the writing or production of that report requires
     compensation for teachers or other team members, the agency
     will want to submit invoices and receiving reports at the
     time the report is submitted.  (Quarterly reports, which
     articulate lessons learned by the team and share
     documentation of the team's work, are to be submitted to CE
     in September 1998, January 1999, and April 1999, with the
     final report submitted July 1999.)

     3. What about travel?

     Teams may use funds from their awards for three kinds of
     travel for teachers, regional federal employees, and other
     team members:

     * Consortium for Education (CE) meetings.  Teams may want
     1-2 teachers and/or other team members from outside
     Washington, D.C., to attend the July kickoff meeting in
     Washington, D.C.  There may be 1-2 other face-to-face
     meetings -- if determined necessary by teams and the CE --
     that teams want 1-2 team members outside Washington to
     attend.

     * Team meetings or work.  Developing or refining the module
     may necessitate teachers and/or other team members meeting
     face-to-face or visiting agency facilities.

     * Community building.  Community building is indispensable
     to the success of each team and to CE.  ED will help
     disseminate teams' work and assist in community building by
     bringing to teams a range of powerful, growing, and diverse
     networks.   Modest funds under this award may be used for
     travel necessary for community building.

     Rather than each team booking and processing travel and
     accommodations through its own agency, GSA has agreed to do
     this for all teams.  When travel is needed, only the team
     leader will initiate and authorize travel for specific
     members of the team.  Each teacher and other team member who
     is to travel will fill out GSA's standard form TDY-87 prior
     to traveling.  The agency will submit the original to GSA
     and a copy to SATO, GSA's travel agency.  The agency will
     coordinate travel for team members, but individual teachers
     and team members will be able to talk directly to SATO if
     they wish.  After the trip, the agency will collect,
     authorize, and submit to GSA receipts for the airline (or
     other) tickets, taxis, hotel, meals, parking, and telephone
     calls related to team work and standard form 1012 travel
     vouchers.

     GSA has arrangements with several hotels that will bill GSA
     directly for visiting teachers and other team members.
     Teachers will not have to use their own money "up front" for
     rooms or meals in the GSA-designated hotel (Washington, D.C.
     only), or for their airline (or train or bus) tickets.  All
     funds for travel, however, will come out of the team's
     award.

     CE will provide necessary GSA forms, guidance in filling
     them out, and guidance on teacher and team travel.  We will
     also be "on call" to help make this process as simple as
     possible for teams.

     4.  How will teams determine the level at which teachers or
     other team members will be compensated for their
     contributions?

     At least 70 percent of each team's award must be used to
     compensate teachers for their participation and
     contributions to the team's work.  Compensation should be
     provided at the time products are delivered or as work is
     completed (see Question 2).

     The terms of compensation -- how much each team member will
     be paid for completing what specific tasks -- should be
     agreed on in advance.  The team leader should have on file a
     written and signed agreement for each teacher and team
     member (or team member organization) that spells out tasks
     to be completed by each teacher or team member and how much
     that teacher or team member will receive in compensation for
     each task, product, or phase of work.  These agreements
     should also state any purchases of goods and services.

     One way each team may determine the level of compensation
     for each task, product, or phase of work for each teacher is
     to estimate the time it will take to complete.  Suggested
     compensation for teachers is $30.00 per hour (based on the
     average salary of teachers in the U.S.).

     5.  What is the role of the agency's team leader?

     The team leader is responsible for coordinating, managing,
     and leading the work of the team.  S/he...

     * makes sure that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
     accepting the award is signed by an individual in the agency
     who has authority to accept the award on behalf of  the
     agency.

     * creates and maintains written (and signed) agreements with
     teachers and other team members that spell out tasks to be
     completed by each teacher or team member and how much that
     teacher or team member will receive in compensation for each
     task, product, or phase of work.

     * informs teachers and other team members about the
     guidelines for invitational government travel, following the
     Federal Travel Regulation (FTR).

     * coordinates his/her agency's participation and support of
     this project.

     * is responsible for the preparation of  the invoices for
     the project, submission to GSA within 5 workdays and any
     follow-up activities on behalf of the teachers or other team
     members.

     * is responsible for meeting all CE deadlines (such as
     quarterly reports) and for managing the work of team
     members, making sure tasks and work are being completed
     satisfactorily and in accordance with the team's plan and
     timeline.

     * is the point of contact for communicating with CE.

     6.  Can a teacher purchase an item (such as a software
     product) for work on the learning module?  If so, how will
     teachers be reimbursed?

     Teachers may purchase software, hardware, or other items
     necessary for completing tasks on the team's module and
     products; however, any item that costs $400 or more must be
     ordered via GSA form 300 purchase order and approved by the
     federal agency's team leader.

     Teachers may purchase software, hardware, or other necessary
     items costing under $400 by receiving approval from the team
     leader and then submitting the invoice to their team leader
     immediately after the purchase.  The team leader must then
     send the approved invoices and receiving reports immediately
     to GSA, and the teacher will be reimbursed.

     7. What about planning awards?

     A federal agency that receives a planning award will follow
     the same general procedures; however, because the team is
     creating not an actual module and community but only a
     written description of module and community and a plan for
     how the module and community could be developed, many of the
     procedures do not apply.

     An agency receiving a planning award will prepare and
     authorize invoices for work as that work is completed and
     will submit the invoices and receiving reports to GSA as
     soon as possible.  If an agency wishes to use some of its
     award to support travel by teachers, in order to help
     develop its description or plan, the travel procedures in
     Question 3 apply. The level at which to compensate teachers
     can be determined using Question 4.  The role of the agency
     leader is similar to the role described in Question 5.

     A separate kickoff meeting for planning award leaders is
     anticipated for July 1998.