Our Washington, DC Program Manager, Matt, provides a report on the global impact of compliance for the ELTP.
Any teacher will tell you that the job requires one to wear many hats. The skillset that educators bring to the table is that they are adaptive, present, and willing to step in. Having been a schoolteacher, I have brought these skills to my role as a Program Manager in Washington, DC. I do more than just manage our Test Prep Programs. I support our website, our internal operations at HQ, and our compliance across all our programs. This includes the English Language Training Program (ELTP) at Unit 871 in Hanoi, Vietnam. I have had the pleasure of serving as the program’s Compliance Officer for the July Oversight Visit.
July Oversight Visit
Every year, the United States Government (USG) sends representatives to our program for an oversight visit. During their visit, the USG checks in on our educational standards, or contract requirements, and our potential for contract renewal. The mission of our ELTP is to develop the English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of Vietnamese military officers. This satisfies mutual goals between the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in Vietnam, and the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Overall, the program provides key support for diplomacy between Vietnam and the United States.
To ensure that program goals are being met, the USG provides feedback on our program. My role has been to organize and maintain our documentation to ensure that we are compliant with standards set by DLIELC, AFSAT, and the Contract Office who all oversee our program.
Compliance: What’s it all about?
When I was the Program Coordinator for Lana Learn’s 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC), we underwent an oversight visit from both DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the Department of Education. Because of the success of our program and the compliance preparation we performed, we were labeled a “model program” by our visitors. Because of this experience, not only do I have extensive knowledge of acronyms, but of compliance with federally funded programs as well. This allows me to offer key insights to our program in Vietnam.
Because of how effectively our program is run in Vietnam, my job is simple: document our successes. The local team in Vietnam can focus on their expertise, which is executing the program, while I take care of presenting documentation to the USG. By working in the areas where we are most effective, we can create a streamlined experience for our visitors. As a result, the USG team’s job is also simplified. They have more time to ask higher-level questions and observe our program rather than spend time searching for the right documentation. I have taken the liberty of organizing our documentation into “trip books” that they can peruse. This practice has been extremely successful for previous oversight visits.
Impact: Continued Success and Global Cooperation
Ensuring that we are compliant with USG standards allows our program to continue delivering on our objectives. Continued funding allows us to operate our program and increase the English language skills of our students. Increased success with our students allows the mutual goals of the Vietnamese MND and US Military to be achieved. When these mutual goals are reached, diplomacy and cooperation between our two nations is enhanced.
I am proud to have served Lana Learn on this Oversight Visit. I have witnessed firsthand the impact that the ELTP has had on Vietnamese Military officers’ English language skills and cooperation between the Vietnamese MND and US DoD. Sharing a language is more than just sharing a line of communication; it is sharing culture, understanding, and friendship that ultimately fosters peace.