Hosts sought for visiting Pakistani administrators

This spring, the cities of Lowell, Melrose and Newton and the towns of Andover, Canton, Dedham, Easton, Great Barrington, Reading, and Westwood hosted 10 Pakistani professionals visiting the United States.

The MMA is now seeking communities to host the next round of 20 government officials from Pakistan who will be visiting Massachusetts this fall.

In partnership with the Institute for Training and Development, the MMA won a $1.5 million grant from the State Department for the Pakistan exchange program. The grant will fund visits by 75 Pakistani public administrators, who will take part in short-term programs consisting of training sessions and “professional attachments” (shadow internships) in communities around Massachusetts.

Information sessions for communities interested in hosting will be held during the last week of July.

The next visit will take place from Sept. 24 through Oct. 19 and will include four weeks of professional attachment. Pakistani participants will have two two-week placements (i.e., a community would host two Pakistani officials for two weeks).

Part of this program is for Massachusetts public administrators to visit Pakistan in November or December of this year. Hosts will be given first priority for this State Department-sponsored trip.

During the professional attachments, participants will reside in local hotels and spend each day with a town or city department or at a relevant event. Hosts will be asked to place the participants in a variety of municipal offices so they can gain an understanding of how professional services are coordinated and delivered.

In addition to building their professional capacities, the goal is to have the Pakistani government professionals build professional and personal relationships with their American counterparts.

In preparation for the professional attachments, the MMA and the ITD, a nonprofit based in Amherst (www.itd-amherst.org), will provide host communities with detailed suggestions. Support will be offered throughout the placements, and a hosting stipend will be awarded to offset expenses of the community and the local coordinator assigned to the Pakistani guests.

The first week of the entire six-week program features an orientation to U.S. public administration, including lectures from practitioners and academics and site visits to local organizations and government offices. The last week begins with individual and group reflection on the professional attachments and preparation of action plan projects that the participants are expected to implement on their return home.

Lastly, the participants travel to Washington, D.C., for more site visits and a debriefing at the State Department.

The Pakistani participants were recruited by the Fulbright Commission in Pakistan. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad vets the participants, including thorough background checks, and assists them in obtaining U.S. visas.

The project’s objectives are to assure that:

• The Pakistanis gain knowledge of the U.S. public administration system and approaches.

• Pakistani and U.S. public administrators discuss a number of strategies for countering corruption and minimizing bureaucratic entanglements.

• Pakistani participants develop professional and personal relationships with U.S. counterparts that may last beyond the exchange programs.

• Pakistani participants develop and carry out plans to introduce new projects or methods in their home communities.

All expenses for the Pakistani participants are covered by the grant, including travel, accommodations, meals and materials.

The project is funded by the Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs of the State Department and is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.

Local officials interested in participating in this program should contact Paul Bockelman at (617) 426-7272, ext. 111, or pbockelman@mma.org.