Rangel_2027_SOW_Selection_1.docx

2027 CHARLES B. RANGEL INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

BUREAU OF HUMAN RESOURCES

OFFICE OF OUTREACH, FELLOWSHIPS, AND INTERNSHIPS

SCOPE OF WORK

PROGRAM GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

Effective management of the Charles B. Rangel Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program is fundamental to their overall success. The Department is fully invested in these programs and seeks to maintain programs of integrity and high quality. The goals and objectives of the program include, but are not limited to:

A. Program Goals

The overarching goals of the Charles B. Rangel Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program is to:

· Contribute to a Foreign Service that is “representative of the American people.”[footnoteRef:2].

[2: Foreign Service Act of 1980, Section 101(a)(4).]

· Develop new talent for the Department of State’s Foreign Service at the undergraduate and graduate levels; individuals who are dedicated to pursuing Foreign Service careers, can effectively “respond to the complex challenges of modern diplomacy and international relations,”[footnoteRef:3] and can “provide the highest caliber of representation”[footnoteRef:4] for America’s interests abroad.

[3: FSA 1980, 101(a)(3).] [4: FSA 1980, Sec. 101(b)(10).]

· Bring in top talent to fill critical skill needs for current and projected foreign policy priorities.

B. Program Objectives

The objectives of the Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program include but are not limited to:

· Attract and recruit highly talented and qualified candidates from across the United States to a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State through a program of educational support and professional development.

· Provide candidates, fellows and scholars with information on the service elements, benefits, challenges, and requirements of a Foreign Service career.

· Provide candidates and fellows with information on the benefits and obligations of the fellowship and need to complete Foreign Service entry requirements including obtaining and maintaining required clearances (security, suitability and medical) and taking the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) and passing the Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA).

· Provide funding to assist fellows towards completing graduate degrees in academic disciplines representing the skill needs of the Department’s Foreign Service.

· Enhance fellows’ understanding of U.S. foreign policy and the work and lifestyle of the Foreign Service through a congressional internship in Washington D.C. and an overseas internship at an embassy, consulate or mission.

· Provide Fellows with one-on-one mentoring and professional development training to expose them to information that will help to prepare them to be successful Foreign Service Officers. To assist Fellows with career track selection, emphasis will be placed on the important contributions of all five career tracks to the Department’s mission

· Provide Rangel SEP participants (Rangel Scholars) with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of career opportunities in international affairs, particularly the Foreign Service and Civil Service of the U.S. Department of State, and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers.

· Administer the program in a strategic and efficient way that produces the intended results.

C. Expected Results

Based on the goals and objectives of the programs, expected results include, but are not limited to the following:

· 10 Rangel Fellows will be selected through a highly competitive nationwide selection process.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

General Recipient Responsibilities

· Adhere to all HR/OFI guidance and procedures.

· The Recipient will need to be attentive and responsive to Fellows’ and Scholars’ needs and those of the Department.

· The Recipient will need to demonstrate dedication and commitment in pursuing the goals of the programs as well as the ability to engage and work closely with HR/OFI in meeting all requirements.

· The Recipient must have sufficient staff with relevant qualification to administer the program and liaise with HR/OFI on all aspects of the programs. Knowledge of the Department’s Foreign Service career system and/or recruitment experience is preferred.

· A senior level program manager with decision-making authority must be readily available and responsive to HR/OFI requests during the period of performance.

· The Recipient must submit to HR/OFI in draft, for review and final approval, a milestone schedule for the 2027 cohort. Key activities to be identified in the milestone schedule should include, but are not limited to:

· Dates associated with the selection process (when applications are sent to panelists for review, date by which applications must be read and scores submitted, dates panelists meet, when selection interviews occur, when finalists are notified, etc.)

· The Recipient will be responsible for submitting required quarterly reports on all aspects of the programs as well as timely ad-hoc reports as requested by the Department.

· Recipient must develop an evaluation strategy to measure the impact and outcomes of the Rangel Fellowship. Recipient must submit proposed evaluation strategy to HR/OFI for prior approval.

· Recipient must conduct surveys of the cohort to elicit opinions on effectiveness of program components and program administration and submit to HR/OFI via performance progress quarterly reports and final report.

· Recipient will consent to meetings, as requested, with HR/OFI leadership participation to review status of the programs.

· Recipient agrees that HR/OFI has proprietary rights to all databases, surveys, statistics and related information regarding cohorts under its management. If, during an open competition, this grant was awarded to another entity, the Recipient will be required to relinquish said information to HR/OFI.

Substantial Involvement

The Rangel Fellowship is administered via a cooperative agreement. HR/OFI, as the grantor, is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. HR/OFI activities and responsibilities include but are not limited to, the following:

· Provide overall program and policy design and direction to Recipient regarding the administration of the fellowship.

· Ensure that the Recipient complies with the stated program goals and objectives.

· Review and analyze the Recipient’s promotion of the Fellowship program goals.

· Monitor and evaluate Recipient’s delivery of the desired product.

· Review Recipient’s budget submissions to ensure they meet HR/OFI’s requirements for the program.

· Review Recipient reports of program activities, evaluating the effectiveness of the Recipient and its ability to favorably impact the programs.

· Review and approve annual milestone schedule and any programmatic date changes.

· Selection

· Provide selection criteria and review selection procedures prior to implementation.

· Provide criteria for selection of panel members; approve and designate selection panelists.

· Draft interview and essay questions in collaboration with Recipient.

· Final approval selection interview and essay questions.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND GUIDELINES

Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program The Rangel Fellowship provides outstanding candidates entering graduate school with funding to assist in the completion of a two-year master’s degree in an area relevant to the Foreign Service of the Department of State. Fellows complete a congressional internship in Washington D.C. and an overseas summer internship at a U.S embassy, consulate or mission. In addition, Fellows receive mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer and professional development training during the program. Fellows who successfully complete the fellowship program and Foreign Service entry requirements receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy. Fellows are obligated to complete a minimum of five years of service as a Foreign Service Generalist. Fellows who do not successfully complete the fellowship program and the subsequent five-year service obligation may be subject to a reimbursement obligation.

This award will provide for the selection of 10 fellows and will cover approved program expenses for the program period. Recipient will be advised of the final number of fellows prior to the selection cycle. The current model allocates: 1) up to $55,000 per academic year per Fellow for actual expenses for tuition and mandatory fees during the first and second years of graduate school, 2) a stipend for up to $33,000 per academic year, for each of the two years of graduate study to help cover room and board, books/laboratory fees, other academic fees not covered by tuition, and travel between the Fellow’s residence and the academic institution and 3) up to $11,000 per summer for costs related to the summer congressional internship and overseas summer internship– stipend, housing during the congressional internship, domestic and overseas travel, visa fees, mandatory inoculation fees, and emergency medical evacuation insurance.

Fellowship Applicant Criteria The Rangel Fellowship Program requirements include: 1) proof of US citizenship at time of application; 2) seeking admission to a two-year full time master’s degree program for the following academic year (fall entrance) in selected fields of study representing the needs of the Department including public policy, public administration, international relations, business administration, economics, history, political science, communications, foreign languages, management science, and organizational development/leadership (degrees must have an international component); 3) minimum 3.2 undergraduate grade point average or higher on a 4.0 scale; ; and 4) in addition to outstanding leadership and academic achievement, demonstration of financial need.

Projected Fellowship Program Timeline

HR/OFI envisions the Rangel Fellowship Program timeline as follows:

· Mid-January 2027: Application deadline

· January – February 2027: Selection review (eligibility and selection of finalists)

· February – March 2027: Rangel Fellowship Selection (interview/written exercise) – 10 Fellows finalists selected and alternates

· February 2027: Fellows onboarded to program – clearance process begins, agreements signed

Fellowship Program Specific Guidelines

The specific responsibilities of the Recipient are detailed below:

In consultation with HR/OFI, the Recipient will be responsible for the programmatic, financial, and administrative activities for the Rangel Fellowship. HR/OFI will work collaboratively with the Recipient in administering the program. The Recipient will be responsible for conducting the day-to-day activities associated with the management of the program and must consult with HR/OFI, which will have final approval in consultation with the Grants Officer, on all policy matters affecting the program.

B. Screening and Selection In collaboration with HR/OFI, Recipient will organize the screening and selection process. The Rangel Fellowship final selection takes place in January.

· Structure of Selection Committees: Committees consist of 12 panel members who will conduct interviews and six panel members who will review the essays. HR/OFI will select eight of the eighteen panelists (four for interviews and four for writing) and the Recipient will select ten panelists (eight for interview and two for writing). HR/OFI designated panelist will chair the panels. HR/OFI will provide the criteria for selection of panel members. Initial designations and renewals must be approved by HR/OFI. Panelists serve one-year terms, which are renewable. For budgeting purposes, estimated honorarium per panel member is $500 per day. Depending on the overall number of eligible applications, additional panels may be needed to review applications, conduct interviews, and review essays. Selection of additional panelists would be comparable to the practice outlined above.

· Candidate Selection Process: The candidate selection process for the graduate program is conducted once a year and is done in three phases. The first phase is the initial review conducted by the Recipient. The initial review screens candidates’ applications for adherence to eligibility criteria and completeness. Following the initial review, in the second phase, the Recipient forwards eligible applications to the selection committee members. After completing training conducted by HR/OFI in collaboration with the Department of State Board of Examiners, the selection committee scores candidate application based on the rubric and identifies 90 semi-finalists. In the third and final phase, semi-finalists undergo interviews and a written exercise. The interview selection committee meets virtually which includes a half-day mandatory training with the Board of Examers and candidate interviews. The writing panel meets virtually for a two-day meeting – a mandatory training and 1.5 days of scoring finalists’ essays. Selection committee members make their final 45 Fellow selections, based on the scoring of the interview and the essay.

Recipient is responsible for the following tasks:

· Conducting initial screening of candidates’ applications for adherence to eligibility criteria and completeness.

· Submitting to HR/OFI, in a timely fashion, the names and biographies of proposed panel members. HR/OFI will provide the criteria for selection of panel members.

· Keeping HR/OFI informed of all instructions and information provided to panelists with regards to the selection process.

· Providing panelists with electronic access to applications and scoring sheets for selection of finalists. Copying and distributing hard copies of application packets if asked.

· Contacting all finalists prior to selection and brief them on selection process and fellowship benefits and obligations.

· Coordinating all administrative functions associated with the selection process, to include but not limited to:

· Processing honoraria for designated panelists. Honoraria may be provided only to: 1) those panelists who do not receive a full time U.S. Government salary, and 2) those with an active Reemployed Annuitant (REA) status appointment with the Department of State but who are not receiving compensation for their work as an REA while serving as a panelist. The daily estimated honorarium is $500 per day.

· Preparing a selection program and scheduling time for presentations regarding Fellowship obligations and clearances.

· With HR/OFI, preparing selection questions, for interviews and writing exercise.

· Preparing a user guide for each panelist.

· Distributing and with HR/OFI, explaining the agreement Fellows will sign upon accepting the Fellowship.

· Notifying in writing those finalists selected for the Fellowship, securing written acceptances from finalists and forwarding final list of Fellows to HR/OFI.

· Preparing lists of selected fellows, alternates, non-selected candidates with panelist scores for HR/OFI for review prior to notifying candidates.

· Notifying in writing those applicants not selected and alternates of their status within two working days of decision by selection committee.

· Notifying in writing HR/OFI Recruitment team of selected finalists and fellows.

Preparing a list of non-selected candidates for the HR/OFI.

C. Tracking

· Maintain institutional databases for recruitment.

· Perform other related tracking activities as needed by HR/OFI.

D. Monitoring The Recipient should monitor and report on performance indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time bound. Performance targets for each expected result should be established and details should be included on what sources of data will be used to document performance. Indicators should be relevant to the goals or objectives of the program.

Indicators may include but are not limited to:

· Program elements completed on time and within budget