The Foreign Service Journal, December 2015

38 DECEMBER 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL or increase revenue. There is no doubt that the best course of action is to increase the revenue side of the equation. Global Ties U.S. and other organizations like the Alliance for International Exchange have turned up the volume on advocacy efforts for exchange program funding. We have shifted the conversation to emphasize the strategic role exchange programs play in advanc- ing economic development at home and abroad and in helping support national security objectives. These messages are resonating, especially when we are able to draw a direct line between current foreign policy goals by country or region like Iran, Ukraine and Cuba or by issue area, such as climate change, countering violent extremismor entrepreneurship. We will continue to forge ahead to find and cultivate congressional champions. Given the environment on Capitol Hill, however, we consider holding the line on current funding levels a victory. We are left with cutting costs. The Department of State has taken a number of steps, such as having fewer projects with more participants. This approach decreases the per-person cost. In addition, projects are going to fewer cities, decreasing transpor- tation costs. Cost-effective alternatives are also being pursued. Where appropriate, the IVLP partners with businesses and professional associations to enhance exchange projects at little or no cost. In addition to cuts in logistics expenses, a number of individu- als recommended finding savings by streamlining the roles of the different program partners. Some suggested carving out more defined areas of focus to help reduce the overlap and perceived redundancy between the Department of State program officers and nonprofit programming partners. One idea is to give the Department of State an even higher-level strategic, policymaking and evaluation role, while relying on national and local partners to implement IVLP itineraries on the ground. Reexamination of the length of the program is another proposal. In the 1940s, visits to the United States required three months of a guest’s time. Today, program length averages three weeks. Most of those interviewed agreed that many participants have difficulty being away from their jobs for extended periods. The Role of Technology Most stakeholders we interviewed recognize the need to better leverage technology to enhance rather than replace the exchange experience. At the same time, they note that we as a community have not quite found the sweet spot of how and where to effectively insert virtual elements into the experience. One of the national program partners, Cultural Vistas, designed and implemented the first all-virtual IVLP in 2014. A new name could be the signal of a new era for the program and a rallying cry for recommitment to its next phase. MARK ROBERTSON/PIEDMONT TRIAD COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS/COURTESY OF GLOBAL TIES U.S. Thai IVLP participants Amarit Charoenphan (left) and Teerawat Charoenrat (right) meet Ms. Pat Chatley, owner of Pad Thai Restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina.