FY 2027 International Visitor Leadership Program’s National Program Agencies

This document outlines the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) template for applicants of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) federal programs. The plan utilizes the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework, which establishes standardized objectives, indicators, and survey questions to ensure consistent performance measurement across all ECA-funded and BridgeUSA exchange programs. Applicants are required to customize the PMP by cross-referencing their specific solicitation, retaining relevant MODE indicators, and deleting non-applicable rows. The framework is structured around key ECA objectives: * **Objective 1 (Cross-Cultural Competence):** Measures participant and host community mutual understanding, changes in perceptions of the U.S. government and the American people, and alignment with democratic values. * **Objective 2 (Community Impact):** Tracks participant volunteer hours and confidence in civic engagement. * **Objective 3 (Engagement & Networks):** Assesses alumni network growth, connection to State Department digital platforms, and resource awareness. * **Objective 4 (Skills & Abilities):** Measures increases in personal, professional, technical, and language skills, alongside administrative metrics like participant totals, cohorts, and fellowships. * **Objective 8 (Program Effectiveness):** Mandates a target 60% response rate for participant surveys. Recipients must collect data during the award's performance period, primarily through mandatory post-program participant surveys conducted within six weeks of completion, while administrative data is reported semi-annually or annually. Target values for each retained indicator must be defined by the applicant to establish clear benchmarks for program success.

This document outlines the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) template and guidelines for applicants of the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) programs. It utilizes the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework, which establishes standardized objectives, performance indicators, and mandatory survey questions to ensure consistent measurement across all federal exchange initiatives. Applicants must customize the PMP by reviewing solicitation-specific requirements, selecting relevant MODE indicators, and setting feasible performance targets. The framework measures demographic data and evaluates key program goals across several core objectives: - **ECA Objective 1:** Advancing cross-cultural competence, global perspectives, and mutual understanding between foreign and American participants and their host communities. - **ECA Objective 2:** Increasing the civic and volunteer impact of participants and alumni on their communities and countries. - **ECA Objective 3:** Strengthening sustained personal, professional, and digital networks among alumni, participants, and Department of State platforms. - **ECA Objective 4:** Enhancing the personal, professional, technical, and language skills of participants through academic, professional, and virtual exchange (VE) programming. - **ECA Objective 8:** Improving program effectiveness by achieving a target 60% survey response rate. Data collection is divided between self-reported participant surveys administered post-program (within six weeks of completion) and administrative data tracked annually or semi-annually by the award recipient. The document also provides precise calculation formulas and standard definitions for key terminology, including host communities, virtual exchanges, and professional placements.

This document outlines the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) template for applicants of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) federal programs. Guided by the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework, the PMP establishes standardized performance indicators, definitions, and survey questions to ensure consistent data collection across all ECA-funded and BridgeUSA exchange programs. Applicants must customize the PMP by aligning it with the specific indicators requested in their solicitation, deleting irrelevant rows, and inserting target metrics. The plan captures demographic data alongside key performance indicators organized under four major ECA Objectives: 1. **Cross-Cultural Competence:** Measures changes in participant and host community mutual understanding, views of the U.S. government and American people, and appreciation for democratic values. 2. **Community Impact:** Evaluates civic engagement and volunteerism within host communities. 3. **Engagement and Networking:** Tracks the growth of personal and professional networks, connection to State Department digital platforms, and participant identity. 4. **Skills and Aptitude Development:** Assesses gains in soft, technical, language, and digital skills, alongside tracking administrative outputs such as participant totals, cohorts, professional placements, and scholarships. The plan details precise calculation formulas, data sources, disaggregation categories, and collection timelines. Standard survey data must be collected from participants post-program (within six weeks of completion), while administrative data is reported semi-annually or annually. Additionally, a target response rate of 60% is established for participant surveys to ensure data reliability and program effectiveness.