US embassy cable - 02AMMAN2802

UNCLAS AMMAN 002802 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR ECA A/S PATRICIA HARRISON FROM AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. 
GHNEM 
FOR ECA/A/L (WILGUS, JANET), NEA/PPD (BAROODY, JUDITH), 
NEA/ARN, NEA/EX 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, JO 
SUBJECT: CHIEF OF MISSION SUPPORT FOR AMMAN AMERICAN 
LANGUAGE CENTER 
 
1.   I STRONGLY SUPPORT AMERICAN EMBASSY AMMAN'S DIRECT 
  ENGLISH TEACHING PROGRAM AND THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF 
  THE  AMERICAN  LANGUAGE  CENTER  (ALC)  AS  A  PUBLIC 
  DIPLOMACY TOOL.  THE ALC'S GOAL TO BECOME A MODEL  OF 
  ENGLISH TEACHING IN THE REGION WILL INCREASE THE ALC'S 
  ABILITY  TO  CHANNEL TUITION PROFITS INTO  DISCOUNTED 
  ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS FOR TARGETED AUDIENCES SUCH 
  AS THE MEDIA AND MINISTRY OF EDUCATION TEACHERS.  THIS 
  GOAL DIRECTLY ADVANCES MPP GOALS AND IS WHY POST WOULD 
  LIKE TO SEE THE ALC CONTINUE AS PART OF THE MISSION. 
 
2.     MY  PREDECESSOR,  NOW  NEA  ASSISTANT  SECRETARY 
  WILLIAM BURNS, HELD A SIMILAR VIEW.  IN A FEBRUARY 2000 
  MEMO TO ECA, HE WROTE: "THIS PROGRAM DIRECTLY FURTHERS 
  OUR MPP GOALS, INCLUDING SUPPORT FOR JORDAN'S POLITICAL 
  LIBERALIZATION EFFORT, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, 
  AND   INSTITUTION   BUILDING.    THE   ALC   PROVIDES 
  PROFESSIONAL,  SPECIALIZED,  ISSUE-SPECIFIC  LANGUAGE 
  INSTRUCTION  TO  POTENTIAL  DECISION-MAKERS  IN   THE 
  JORDANIAN  BODY  POLITIC, INCLUDING PARLIAMENTARIANS, 
  MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND CIVIL SERVANTS FROM 
  THE MINISTRIES OF FINANCE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS." 
 
3.    TWO  YEARS LATER, THE ALC CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN 
  ITS  ALREADY EFFECTIVE PROGRAM.  ITS LATEST  AMERICAN 
  TEACHING  METHODS, UPDATED COMPUTER LAB AND  INTERNET 
  STATIONS,  AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF ENABLE THE  ALC  TO 
  PROVIDE STATE-OF-THE-ART ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING TO 
  JORDANIANS  THAT  ASSISTS THEM  IN  PARTICIPATING  IN 
  TODAY'S  GLOBAL  ECONOMY. THE ALC'S  EDUCATIONAL  AND 
  CULTURAL  OUTREACH EFFORTS ALSO HAVE THE  ABILITY  TO 
  REMAIN  ABOVE  THE POLITICAL FRAY IN THIS  PERIOD  OF 
  INCREASING REGIONAL TENSIONS.  ENROLLMENT IS ACTUALLY 
  GROWING.   ON APRIL 14, 2002, THE BEGINNING OF  ALC'S 
  MOST  RECENT SESSION AND DURING THE PEAK OF  REGIONAL 
  CRISIS, THE ALC ENROLLED 448 STUDENTS - A RECORD NUMBER 
  FOR JUST ONE 8-WEEK SESSION. 
 
4.    I  UNDERSTAND THE ALC MUST TRANSITION FROM  USING 
  BLANKET  PURCHASE AGREEMENTS (BPA'S)  TO  NEW  HIRING 
  PROCEDURES TO COMPLY WITH IRS REGULATIONS.   JULY  1, 
  2002 IMPLEMENTATION DATE FOR CONVERSION OF 5 FULL-TIME 
  AND  11 PART-TIME EMPLOYEES TO PSA WOULD INCREASE THE 
  ALC PORTION OF PD'S ICASS BILL BY ABOUT 11,200 DOLS IN 
  FY-2002 (PARTIAL YEAR).  THE FULL-YEAR INCREASE  (FY- 
  2003) IS ESTIMATED AT $16,600.  NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT THE 
  FULL-YEAR  ESTIMATE DEVELOPED BY THE  ICASS  SOFTWARE 
  COULD BE UNDERSTATED BY AS MUCH AS 40 PERCENT BECAUSE 
  INSUFFICIENT  INFORMATION  EXISTS  AT  THIS  TIME  TO 
  CALCULATE ITEMS SUCH AS OVERHEAD AND DISTRIBUTED COSTS. 
  POST BELIEVES THAT THE ALC CAN SUPPORT THE ADDED COSTS 
  OF  HIRING TEACHERS USING PERSONAL SERVICE AGREEMENTS 
  (PSA).  THE ALC HAD MORE THAN A $100,000 CARRY OVER IN 
  FY-01. 
 
5.     AN  INCREASE  IN THE SIZE OF THE  MISSION  ICASS 
  STAFF MIGHT/MIGHT BE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE NEW PAS ALC 
  POSITIONS, DEPENDING UPON THE TIMING.  ACCORDING TO THE 
  ICASS  NSDD-38  MODULE,  THE  CONVERSION  OF  16  ALC 
  EMPLOYEES  TO PAS WOULD RESULT IN A NEED  FOR  A  .48 
  (POINT FORTY-EIGHT) INCREASE IN THE LES SUPPORT STAFF. 
  WHICH  AGENCY  PAYS  THE  FIRST-YEAR  COSTS  FOR  THE 
  ADDITIONAL POSITION(S) WILL DEPEND UPON THE ORDER  IN 
  WHICH   THE   STAFFING  INCREASES  ARE   IMPLEMENTED. 
  WHICHEVER STAFFING INCREASE RESULTS IN THE NEED FOR AN 
  ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME LES POSITION WILL PAY THE  COSTS 
  FOR THE FIRST YEAR.  SINCE THE POSITION COSTS WOULD BE 
  SPREAD  AMONG ALL ICASS PARTICIPANTS IN THE FOLLOWING 
  FISCAL YEAR, THE POST ICASS COUNCIL MUST APPROVE  ANY 
  STAFF INCREASES. 
 
6.    IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE ALC IS AN EFFICIENT AND 
  EFFECTIVE  PUBLIC  DIPLOMACY  TOOL  THAT   WORKS.   I 
  APPRECIATE  EFFORTS BY THE BUREAU  OF  EDUCATION  AND 
  CULTURAL  AFFAIRS (ECA) TO FIND WAYS  TO  ENSURE  THE 
  CONTINUED VIABILITY OF THE ALC IN AMMAN. 
 
GNEHM