THE HAGUE'S FY 2008 DIRECT FUNDING INITIATIVE PROPOSAL

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001960 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE (TSMITH),FSI/SLS/EUA (BKLODA) STATE ALSO FOR FSI/SLS/CTT (WATKINS, KLOPEZ) STATE ALSO FOR EUR/EX/PMO (LOIS PRICE ASCROFT) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AFSI AMGT KFLO NL SUBJECT: THE HAGUE'S FY 2008 DIRECT FUNDING INITIATIVE PROPOSAL REF: STATE 138169 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. Post is pleased to submit a FY 2008 Direct Funding Initiative (DFI) proposal for 19,036 dollars to fund Dutch language training and materials. This represents an increase of 6,530 dollars, or 52% over the FY 2007 DFI proposal for 12,506 dollars. Post's language program has experienced a near doubling of enrollments and a resulting increase in class sizes and classes taught. Meanwhile, structural changes have increased consistency, quality, and value per dollar spent. Post's FY 2007 suggested FSI funding was 7,558 dollars with a final DFI award of 4,535 dollars. Post's program fund budget was 10,500 dollars. END SUMMARY. FY 2007 Program in Brief -------------- ¶2. (U) In FY 2007, Post dramatically expanded its already active language program to include job-specific training for the Consulate in Amsterdam and Post's Marines, who are self-funded. Total classes increased from five to six per week, taught by two contract language instructors leading beginner advanced classes in the Embassy's two unclassified conference rooms and out and about classes in downtown SIPDIS The Hague. Post continued to make materials available through its language library, consisting of textbooks (CODE Nederlands and others),software (Rosetta Stone and others),audio media, fiction novels, and videos. ¶3. (SBU) Post initiated three other changes to increase program quality and value per teaching dollar spent: First, in response to funding pressure and security concerns, post did not renew the contract for the less-utilized teacher and consolidated her students and classes under the remaining instructor. Second, Post started using a standard approach and materials across classes and students at the same level. Third, Post made substantial material investments, including a CD player, dry-erase whiteboard, and self study materials, to increase teaching effectiveness. These changes -- which incorporated student feedback -- coupled with a summer marketing campaign, resulted in a near doubling in enrollments from 28 in FY 2007 to 49 for FY 2008. ¶4. (U) In FY 2007, post budgeted 10,500 dollars for the language program, and spent a total of 10,568. Post requested 12,506 from DFI; FSI suggested 7,558 dollars, and awarded 4,535. Post spent 100 percent of FSI's award. Request for FY 2008 -------------- ¶5. (U) Post proposes the following DFI-funded courses and materials for FY 2008: -- Three Advanced Proficiency Courses. This includes two "Back to 3" courses for students that did not receive the full FSI course and those graduating from the basic courses offered at the Embassy, and one "Beyond 3" course for PD, ECON, GLO, POL, and other officers that received the full 23 weeks of FSI Dutch. These courses will be offered weekly in sessions of 1.5 hours each. Funds requested for the Advanced Proficiency courses will fund the instructor's time. -- Job Specific Immersion: Chemical Weapons Delegation. Post seeks to offer FY 2008 job-specific training to State employees at the U.S. Delegation to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWDEL). CWDEL is inconveniently located away from the Chancery, many officers have not had the full course of FSI training, and the language requirements are specific and task-related. The course would be an intensive, on-site immersion program of eight three-hour sessions. Funds requested for the CWDEL course will fund the instructor's time and travel expenses. -- Out and About: This highly successful course was developed in 2002 using DFI funds. To accommodate increased demand, two Out and About courses will be taught in FY 2008, each using six two-hour classroom and field trip sessions over two weeks. This intensive method gives students the chance to use their classroom knowledge in everyday situations, increase their comfort level, and to develop a survival language capability. It is targeted toward new State Officers, Specialists, spouses and other EFMs, and other personnel as appropriate. Funds requested for the Out and About course will fund the instructor's time and travel expenses. -- Consular Dutch: Developed in FY 2007, post seeks to continue this successful course taught at the Consulate in Amsterdam. This course is taught in small group settings and involves a one-month program of six 1.5 hour sessions that includes job and task specific instructions followed by simulations at the consular window. Funds requested for these courses will pay for the instructor's time and travel expenses. -- Shopping/Chores Field Trip: A much more specific course using Out and About principles, this course teaches shopping and accomplishing chores in Dutch using Dutch customs, expressions, and European sizes, etc. for the purpose of survival language training and to increase the comfort level among Officers and spouses. Post seeks to offer one shopping/chores field trip in FY 2008, and fnds requested will pay for the instructor's time and travel expenses. -- Materials for the Post Language Library: Post would like to purchase 6 sets of the copies the Taal Vitaal text book CD, work book CD, and multimedia CD-ROM. These materials will augment the Taal Vitaal materials purchased in FY 2007 and offer students a way to augment what they learn in the courses with a program of self-study. Post seeks five copies of the new CODE series along with the supplemental audio and video to ensure consistency with the FSI Dutch program and offer students who did not attend FSI an opportunity to benefit from the same materials. In addition, post seeks 20 Taal Vitaal Textbooks and Workbooks to accommodate the surge in enrollments. FY 2008 Proposal Budget -------------- ¶6. (U) The total proposal for items described in paragraph five is 19,036 dollars, distributed as follows. Note: all costs are in U.S. dollars at an exchange rate of 0.694 euros to 1 dollar, hourly instructor charges are 35 euros, and travel expenses are 17 euros per session. -- Two Back to 3 Courses. Sessions: 104 at 1.5 hours each. Hours: ¶156. Instructor cost: 7,867. Travel cost: 0. Total cost: 7,867. -- One Beyond 4 Course. Sessions: 52 at 1.5 hours each. Hours: 78. Instructor cost: 3,934. Travel cost: 0. Total cost: 3,934. -- One CWDEL Immersion. Sessions: 8 at 3 hours each. Hours: 24. Instructor cost: 1,210. Travel cost: 196. Total cost: 1,406. -- Two Out and About Courses. Sessions: 12 at 2 hours each. Hours: ¶24. Instructor cost: 1,210. Travel cost: 294. Total cost: 1,504. -- One Consular Dutch Course. Sessions: 6 at 1.5 hours each. Hours: ¶9. Instructor cost: 454. Travel cost: 147. Total cost: 601. -- One Shopping/Chores Field Trip. Sessions: 1 at 6 hours each. Hours: 6. Instructor cost: 303. Travel cost: 49. Total cost: ¶352. -- 6 Taal Vitaal textbook CDs (35.66 each),workbook CDs (32.78 each),Multimedia CD-ROMs (41.79 each),and five CODE 1 & 2 series textbook, workbook, CD-ROM, and video (203.46 for each series),and 20 sets of Taal Vitaal Textbooks and Workbooks (84.65 for each set) Total cost: 3,372 ¶7. (U) Point of Contact for Post's language program and this proposal is: Jay Heung, Post Language Officer. Phone: +31 70 310-2339. Email: heungj2@state.gov GALLAGHER