Program Data Sheet
523-xxx

USAID MISSION: Mexico
PROGRAM TITLE: Training, Internships, Education, and Scholarships (TIES) (Pillar: Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade)
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE AND NUMBER: Increased Opportunities for Mexicans in Further Education and Training, 523-XXX
STATUS: New
PLANNED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $1,000,000 (ESF)
PRIOR YEAR UNOBLIGATED AND FUNDING SOURCE: $ 0
PROPOSED FY 2003 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $3,000,000 (DA); $2,000,000 (ESF)
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 2002     ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2006

Summary: The overarching goal of the Training, Internships, Education, and Scholarships (TIES) program is to provide training opportunities in the United States for young Mexicans who work in areas that positively impact Mexico's economic growth and social development. This initiative will facilitate the pursuit of a common agenda for development that is emerging in the U.S.--Mexico bilateral relationship, and contribute to Mexico's ability to take advantage of opportunities created by NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), ultimately narrowing the social and economic gaps between Mexico and the United States. TIES will benefit many segments of U.S. and Mexican society-higher education institutions, civil society and other nongovernmental and community groups, the private sector, and national, state and local governments.

The initiative (of which USAID will fund 60%) will respond to strategic priorities of USAID and to new opportunities for cooperation arising from the strong Bush-Fox relationship and its resulting U.S.-Mexico development dialogue. It has two components:

• academic training in the United States (primarily master's degree-level training); and
• higher education partnerships (between Mexican and U.S. institutions)

Inputs, Outputs and Activities: FY 2002 Program: FY 2002 funds are being notified because this is a new program. USAID will use FY 2002 ESF resources to develop and begin implementation of this new human capital development initiative. Project design will emphasize the importance of higher education's role in supporting social and economic development and growth, and the benefits of joint U.S.-Mexico cooperative approaches. The main component of TIES, a significant investment in academic training in the United States, will rest on a solid foundation of U.S.-Mexico higher education institution partnerships. These partnerships will address Mexican development issues using collaborative research, joint degree programming, faculty and student exchanges, the internet, on-the-ground programs, and other forms of cooperation.

The private sector will be a significant partner as well. Corporations will benefit from internship programs and from research conducted by scholarship students that are relevant to business interests and objectives. Funding leveraged from firms, foundations, and from the higher education partnerships themselves will represent at least 40% of the total project amount. Many programs are expected to leverage several times the amount of USAID's investment, resulting in a greatly expanded program and impact.

Planned FY 2003 Program: In FY 2003, USAID will use DA and ESF resources to send 100 Mexicans to the United States for academic training in areas relevant to the social and economic development of Mexico. In addition, USAID will develop and fund a minimum of 20 linkages between U.S. and Mexican universities to work on Mexican development programs through faculty and student research and exchange, targeted development activities in Mexico, use of distance education and the internet to establish new courses, curricula and degree programs in Mexico, and other types of cooperation.

Performance and Results: The program is currently in the design stage.

With successful completion of the program in FY 2006, USAID anticipates that at least 35 U.S.-Mexican higher education institution partnerships will be established and operating, and that approximately 750 Mexican trainees will have received academic training in the United States. This training will be in areas including, but not limited to: basic education, human capital development, natural resources management and environmental science, public health, transparency, decentralization and public policy, microenterprise and small business development, trade promotion, agriculture, and humanitarian assistance.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Implementing contractors and grantees are not yet determined. Partners will include the Mexican and U.S. higher education community (technical and community colleges, institutes, universities, and research institutions) private sector institutions, and the local, state, and national governments of both countries. The Mission plans to use USAID's and the Embassy's rich higher education partnership, scholarship, and training experience, as well as the experiences of Mexican and U.S. universities, the Government of Mexico, and civil society as it develops, implements, monitors, and evaluates the TIES initiative.

US Financing in Thousands of Dollars