US-China Training Programs for Afghan Cooperation and Reconstruction

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The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, announces an open competition for an assistance award through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a cooperative agreement to implement: 1) A two-week training program in the U.S. for up to 15 Afghan professionals in a specific sector of Afghan development (e.g. agriculture). 2) A second, preferably concurrent, two-week training program in the U.S. for up to 15 Afghan professionals in a separate development sector (e.g. public health). For the sake of the proposal, please consider possible program activities in agriculture (focusing specifically on agricultural packaging of dried fruits and nuts) and public health (focusing specifically on women’s health). These topics, however, are subject to change and will be confirmed by PAS Kabul after the award has been made. Other thematic areas—e.g. education, cultural heritage, women’s empowerment, local governance—may be selected. These two programs should take place no later than November 2016. For each of the two programs, the U.S. portion of the program will be one phase of a joint U.S.-Chinese training program in support of Afghan reconstruction. The second phase may be sponsored by the Government of China, may take place in Beijing or elsewhere, and may precede or follow the activities funded by this cooperative agreement. The proposal should focus on the U.S. program only, with awareness of the Chinese element to the program. To this end, two groups of Afghan professionals—up to fifteen participants in each group—will participate in two thematically-distinct training programs in the U.S., centered in Washington, D.C., and possibly including some days in a second U.S. city. The timing of these two training groups should preferably overlap to maximize participation at joint events. Since this is part of a cooperative effort between the U.S. and China to build capacity among professionals working on Afghan development efforts, a visit to the Chinese Embassy in Washington should be built into the program and Chinese officials should be invited to the opening and/or final sessions. The program format should consist of a mixture of presentations, discussions, site visits, and/or practical exercises at a conference-style facility in the Washington, D.C. area suitable for groups of this size and offering space for both large and small group activities. Competitive proposals will: emphasize practical skills development; provide opportunities for both observation and hands-on experience; and frame the theme or topic in the context of U.S. foreign policy. Also included in the program will be site visits to the Department of State and other U.S. government agencies, the Embassies of Afghanistan and China, and other foreign policy stakeholders. Cultural and social events on certain weekday evenings and the weekend between the two training weeks are desirable supplements. Awardees are encouraged to include participation in a social service activity alongside American volunteers, or perhaps a cultural activity.

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