TURKMENISTAN FY 2010 IVLP PROPOSAL

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000909 SIPDIS STATE FOR ECA/A/S/A (ATTN: MATHILDE ANDRADE, COLLEEN FLEMING), SCA/PPD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP OEXC SCUL KPAO TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN FY 2010 IVLP PROPOSAL ¶I. (SBU) SUMMAQ Post is pleased to submit its project nominations for the FY 2010 International Visitors Leadership Program, as selected by Mission's IVLP selection committee and approved by the Charge d'AffaiQ. Post proposes seven (7) programs with 24 slots for FY 2010. END SUMMARY. II. The list of approved projects in chronological order: ¶1. Education, focus on adult education, community colleges four (4) slots, approximate date November 2009 This project, designed for academic administrators, civic leaders, student advisors/counselors, and ministry officials involved in education issues, will examine the variety of programs and services offered by community colleges, universities, vocational schools, and other institutions geared to the needs of adult learners. Participants will examine the role of community colleges and adult education networks in meeting the needs of a diverse population seeking continuing education, language learning, skill development, or retraining. Through school visits and meetings with curriculum designers, social scientists, and economists, participants will examine curriculum models that aim to serve the changing needs of a population facing an increasingly competitive global economy. ¶2. Preservation of National Historical Sites - three (3) slots - December, 2009 Turkmenistan is home to a host of World Heritage sites that are languishing from lack of attention and visitors. This program would bring Turkmenistan's administrators of national historical sites to the US to meet with federal-level officials, such as those from the Department of the Interior, to discuss budgeting for preservation, followed by visits to several U.S. national historical sites to see how U.S. sites balance preservation and access. Use of private contractors/vendors to provide services that make the visitors' experience more pleasant would also be an issue of discussion. This program should be designed for Turkmen representatives of the Ministry of Culture and cultural workers dealing with preservation of ancient historical sites. ¶3. Traffic planning - three (3) slots - February 2009 Ashgabat and other regional capitals are growing into urban centers. However, growth without a plan leads to unmanageable chaos and isQtimately unsustainable. Some negative Qsequences are traffic jams, pollution and lack of adequate utility service to support the growth. This program would take national officials and local offQals/planners to the U.S. to meet with their counterparts, for example, in the Washington, DC area or other metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and Kansas City to discuss rational, long-term growth plans, while also looking at how to facilitate the flow of people and traffic through the city via traffic light timing, one-way streets and the like. ¶4. Public-Private partnerships or contracts in managing major public facilities, airports, and buildings, or services provided in National Parks - four(4) slots - March, 2010 This program would inform Turkmenistan about U.S. practices in administering government-managed, long-term service contracts for publicly-owned facilities. A broad overview of the benefits of public-private business relationship should be an integral part of the program -- perhaps with input from a university or business council - due to Turkmenistan's relative inexperience with such arrangements. Other training might include working-level contract training, including the basics of public remuneration and "profitability" contract design, with the National Park Service, similar-sized city airport authority, stadiums or other public venues, for the provision of concessions, transportation, lodging and other services through private contractors. ¶5. Small business development program - four (4) slots - April 2010 This multi-regional project, designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, government officials promoting economic development, and others involved in promoting small business development, will highlight the social, economic, and political factors that influence and encourage the development of private enterprise in the U.S. The program will provide examples of small businesses in the U.S. and will explore the growth of business opportunities created by the Internet and the expansion of the global marketplace. This MRP would provide a template for Turkmen entrepreneurs to apply on a local market. ¶6. Stock/commodities/merQtile exchange program - three (3) slots - May 2010 The President has stated the goal several times of increasing the private sector's Qre of the economy to 70 percent by 2020, due to the SovietQperience and isolation, there is little capacity in the country to make this goal a reality. As a result, Turkmenistan's State Commodities and Raw Materials Exchange displays the same commodity prices on television day after day. However, young up-and-comers at the Exchange suggested this program themselves, indicating that the will is there to see how Western-style trading works. This visit could also include a visit to the Mercantile Exchange in Chicago and visits with regulatory agencies in Washington, DC. ¶7. Emergency medical services - three (3) slots - June 2010 This project will enable Turkmen emergency medical personnel to learn about the procedures in place in U.S. hospitals and in use by emergency teams. This program would be specified for emergency call teams, emergency room doctors, nurses and other personnel. Nominations would include representatives from the Ministry of Health and other health offices. III. Please contact Education Program Assistant Maysa Niyazova with questions. MILES