SOW.docx

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL AND AREA STUDIES

STATEMENT OF WORK

FOR COURSE COORDINATORS FOR AREA STUDIES COURSES

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Department of State's National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Service Institute (FSI) provides training and professional development to personnel of the Department of State and the foreign affairs community. The mission of the Area Studies Division of the School of Professional and Area Studies at FSI is to provide members of the foreign affairs community with the essential knowledge of the theme, region, sub-region or country in which they work in order that they may advance the foreign policy objectives of the United States of America. Area Studies is committed to enhancing the capacity of United States Government (USG) personnel to understand, interpret, and affect international relations. We believe that the functional, linguistic and cross-cultural skills of the foreign affairs practitioner must be fully integrated into knowledge of the social, political, cultural, economic, religious, and government policy dimensions of foreign countries and regions.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The Area Studies Division's courses cover history, governance, politics, civil society, economics, human geography, religion and culture, with an emphasis on relevant global/thematic issues and United States interests and challenges. We intend to establish a community of contractors to teach a variety of Area Studies courses.

The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a multiple award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ). This solicitation is not for United States Government Civil Service jobs. Performance of these services will occur only as authorized by specific task orders detailing dates, tasks, and schedules. There is no specific commitment by either party, until dates, tasks, and schedules are mutually negotiated by individual order. Orders will be issued under the resulting IDIQ based upon the government's need and according to FSI's determination of what is most advantageous to the USG.

3.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

For the foreign affairs professional, engaged in protecting U.S. citizen lives and national interests abroad while shaping, explaining and advancing U.S. diplomatic priorities in a whole of government approach, Area Studies courses serve to:

· Facilitate effective interaction with key actors at the local, national, and regional level;

· Facilitate an understanding of the decisions or behaviors of key actors and organizations;

· Explain an acute or chronic issue in the local and national context;

· Facilitate comprehension of U.S. actors and organizations and their key roles in foreign policy implementation;

· Facilitate comprehension of foreign actors and organizations and their key roles in the implementation of U.S. foreign policy;

· Facilitate explanation of the behaviors, decision-making, and reactions of key stakeholders at home and abroad; and

· Facilitate prediction of the behaviors, decision-making, and reactions of key stakeholders at home and abroad.

These objectives are subject to change.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

The Area Studies Division is organized into the following seven programmatic areas: Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and Pacific, South and Central Asia, Near East/North Africa, Europe, Western Hemisphere, and Global Issues. Area Studies courses highlight key thematic, historical, political, economic, and socio-cultural themes for the region, sub-region or country, American interests and policy issues and how the U.S. and USG policy are perceived. FSI is seeking contractors for professional teaching services to design and conduct thematic, regional, sub-regional and/or country-specific courses and parts of courses.

4.1 ADULT LEARNING APPROACH

Area Studies courses prepare foreign affairs professionals to work effectively in the countries and cultures to which they are assigned. Designed for experienced, adult learners, courses therefore require instructional formats involving active participation of the students facilitated by the person coordinating the course. Instructional formats do not preclude some or all of the following types of activities: presentations, discussions, field trips, participatory activities by class members, readings, audio-visual materials, homework, papers, tests, quizzes and independent study, in order to accomplish course learning objectives.

4.2 COURSE COORDINATION

Course coordinators will:

· Organize and conduct an Area Studies Course or part of a course during the contracted period based on knowledge of the area or theme;

· Provide course design support;

· Create materials and presentations required for courses;

· Submit a course schedule and syllabus for each course or part of a course by the deadline specified by FSI;

· Provide material for the students to read and view before the course starts, with the pre-reading/viewing material serving as the basis for class discussion;

· Facilitate seminar sessions;

· Introduce guest subject matter experts, lead class discussions, present study materials, and evaluate student participation;

· Make presentations as part of the course;

· Meet with Area Studies Chairs on a regular basis, with regard to the course planning or problem areas;

· Meet once per course with Contracting Officer Representative (COR);

· Provide updated and timely reading lists that include audio-visual and web-based materials as well as bibliographies that will allow foreign affairs professionals to remain up to date in the study of the theme, region, sub-region, or country on which the course is taught.

· Attend all in-class activities. In the rare event that a contractor course coordinator cannot be present, he or she must provide the COR a minimum of three weeks in advance, with a written request for permission to be absent. This request must include the reason for the absence, and if the absence is approved, the name of the person to whom the contractor has subcontracted the session. The contractor must cover this absence by subcontracting to a qualified substitute course coordinator to fulfill all terms of this contract during the absence. Substitutions for the instructor must receive prior approval by the Area Studies Chair or Division Deputy Director or Director and all substitutions must have equivalent verifiable experience.

· Counsel students on information sources and other matters related to their thematic or geographic interest;

· Prepare evaluations of students according to current FSI policy; and

· Review the design of the course and recommend improvements based in part on student evaluations.

4.3 COURSE ADMINISTRATION

Course coordinators will provide the following administrative services:

· Identify presenters in the course, guest subject matter experts who are recognized authorities from government, academic, diplomatic and business fields;

· Coordinate presentations by guest lecturers, ensuring they are informed as to the necessary scope and objectives for their presentations to fulfill the requirements of the course design;

· Process any required honoraria and/or fees for presenters, speakers, and guest lecturers;

· Advise the support staff of the Area Studies Division immediately when there is a change of guest subject matter experts;

· Ensure that the classroom has adequate resource materials such as maps, videos, and readings;

· When course and audio-visual materials are taken to a classroom, ensure that they are returned to their stored area;

· Maintain a regular record of student attendance on a roster provided by the Area Studies Division. The roster will be returned to the Area Studies Division after each class session and remain there for confirming student attendance;

· Administer in class evaluations in accordance with FSI requirements;

· Produce an evaluation of each student in accordance with FSI requirements;

· Ensure that course evaluations are turned in by each participant prior to the course conclusion;

· Review with the Area Studies Chair and/or Area Studies budget staff the course financial plan spreadsheet and operate the course within budget projections. Discuss in advance with the Area Studies Chair any situation / request that does not conform to the course financial plan and obtain advance approval for any such requests;

· Submit identification information and a request for guest speaker access to the FSI campus to the support staff for processing one week in advance of the event; and

· Meet with the Area Studies Director or Deputy Director and/or COR at least once a month to undertake an after action review of the most recent courses and discuss course planning and revisions.

4.4 COURSE MATERIALS

All materials developed under this contract become the property of the U.S. Government. All materials developed and/or used by the contractor remain the property of the Department of State and may not be published, shared, and or used in any way outside of the authorized Department of State training contexts. Multimedia and library services at the Foreign Service Institute provide multimedia equipment and technology based materials. All equipment is inventoried and materials catalogued. The contractor must ensure the security of all equipment, peripherals, and materials.

4.5 COURSE DURATION

The Area Studies Division currently offers approximately 141 one-week long course sessions each year:

· 16 sessions of a one-week global themes/issues course. Four sessions of the global themes/issues course are run concurrently four times a year;

· 88 sessions of one-week regional, sub-regional, and country courses. Twenty-two sessions are run concurrently four times a year; and

· 37 sessions of one-week Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan country courses. Iraq and Afghanistan courses are offered monthly or twice monthly throughout the year, while the Pakistan is offered monthly from May to June each year.

Class time is estimated to be 6-7 hours per day between 8:30am – 4:30pm. The contractor must be available before and after class time to ensure the classroom is ready and all administrative tasks required to hold the course are complete.

This schedule is subject to change and may expand, particularly in the global themes/issues programmatic area.

4.6 COURSE CANCELLATION

If a course is cancelled, the contractor would have to prove to the COR how much preparation has been completed. The COR would approve the percentage of the per session rate to which the contractor is entitled.

5.0 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFERER

A course equals the number of class days plus the preparation and administrative time that accompanies them. Some offerings will require more preparation and administrative time than other offerings. However, on average we anticipate preparation time will be 1-2 times the amount of class time. For example, one week-long course would require 40-80 hours of preparatory or administrative time. Bid rates should be fully loaded and preparation time should be built into this rate.

A course also includes 5-10 presenters/speakers other than the course coordinator. Presenters/speakers are used for course modules with a typical duration of 1-2 hours. These presenters/speakers may require payments of honoraria and/or fees. The contractor is responsible for securing presenters/speakers for each course and processing any required honoraria and/or fees. Bid rates should be fully loaded and presenter/speaker honoraria and/or fees should be built into this rate.

The Area Studies Division seeks country specific expertise from its contractors, even if a given course is taught at the thematic, regional or sub-regional level; or expertise on a given lecture topic. Offerors should submit sample resumes of proposed individuals who are available to perform on the contract that clearly identify relevant expertise. Bidder should supply also sample course syllabi.

The list of courses taught by the Area Studies Division of the Foreign Service Institute can be found in the attachment in www.fbo.gov entitled "Foreign Service Institute, Area Studies Division Courses." All courses are five weekdays in length unless otherwise specified.