Study of AID participant support program

PES covers the period 10/81-1/82 and is based on document review and interviews with S&T/IT and support service contractor staff. Each of the 4 support service contractors - the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA), the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV), the American Language Institute, Georgetown University (ALIGU), and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) - has provided useful services to S&T/IT and participants. Each contract should be continued, with reference however, to the following recommendations. (1) NAFSA needs more policy direction from S&T/IT. Perhaps activities should focus more on public relations and direct services, while surveys and studies might be limited and funded only in coordination with S&T/IT"s own evaluation activities. (2) NCIV could use more direction in providing services to partcipants and in the planning, focus, and content of midwinter seminars. Also, communications should be improved among local communities, sponsors, organizations, participants and S&T/IT, and the Bureau should participate directly in more NCIV activities. (3) ALIGU, which provides English-language training to participants, is a valuable resource which would be difficult to duplicate. However, to promote program continuity and participant social adjustment, it may be preferable in some cases to provide English-language training at the same institution that is to provide the academic training. S&T/IT will need to consider carefully the level of continuing services needed from AACRAO, as more participant training will be arranged in the future by a single outside contractor (Partners for International Training and Education). Included with this document is an evaluation (in PES format) of the evaluation contractor"s performance in evaluating the project.