Primary Function

The class coordinator’s primary function is to assist the participants and visiting instructors. The class coordinator is the bridge between the participants, instructors and ILEA management. While here, the class coordinator is a part of the ILEA management team. As the class coordinator, you will brief the participants on current happenings and information updates daily. You will also liaise with visiting instructors and ensure they are prepared to present course materials. You will evaluate the entire course, incorporating any observations and comments into the class coordinator’s closing report. Your closing report and any recommendations for altering administrative procedures and improvement are given consideration when ILEA makes plans for future courses.

Class Instructor Briefing and Orientation

Before the course begins you will receive a detailed briefing from the ILEA Director or their designee on your role and responsibilities. You will also meet each ILEA staff member who you will interact with during your time here. During each meeting, the ILEA staff member will articulate who they are, what they do and how they will be able to assist you during the course. This will help prevent potential confusion in the event you need immediate assistance during any class. You are also required to attend a mandatory security briefing at the embassy. After the security briefing, you may be issued an embassy ID.

Arrival and Departure Dates

The class coordinator shall arrange to arrive in El Salvador on the Tuesday prior to the start of the program. Departure will be scheduled for the day after graduation. The class coordinator will be housed at a local hotel with other ILEA staff. Not only does this allow for an easier transition, it also is easier on the class coordinator as ILEA staff do not stay on site and the class coordinator would be on his/her own. During the course, the class coordinator will be housed with the participants in a hotel near the training facility.

Work Schedule

On all training days, the class coordinator’s work hours will generally be from one-half hour prior to the start of class to one-half hour after class has ended. Class hours run from 0800 to approximately 1700. This allows an appropriate amount of time for preparation and meeting with instructors, participants and delegation leaders.

Class Coordinator’s Cell Phone

Upon arrival, the class coordinator will be provided a cell phone and charger for the duration of the course. Because it is imperative the class coordinator can be reached at all times, this cell phone should always stay “on” except as noted below. Following graduation, the cell phone and charger must be returned to the ILEA Director or their designee. NOTE: Anytime the class coordinator enters the U. S. Embassy, the cell phone must be turned off and remain off until outside the Embassy compound.

Class Coordinator’s Reference Guide

The Reference Guide, provided to the class coordinator upon arrival, serves three purposes: 1) The guide contains the Incident Reports the class coordinator is responsible for completing and filing. The incident report need not be completed daily but is used to establish a written record and to advise the ILEA management team of unusual events or urgent problems. 2) It serves as a reference guide by spelling out the procedures for handling emergencies, illnesses and injuries that may arise during the course. 3) It is the repository for the Participant Background Information Sheets and the Instructor and Staff Emergency Data Sheets, both of which contain important information that may be required in an emergency situation.

Class Coordinator Office

Upon arrival, the class coordinator should obtain a key to the Class Coordinator’s office. Following graduation, the class coordinator shall return the key to the ILEA Director or their designee. The following items are provided: a desktop computer with printer, Internet access, and private telephone. Visiting instructors are also provided with the above equipment in adjoining rooms. You should consider this you personal office. Participants and visiting instructors should only be in your office when you are present. Feel free to lock your office when you are not in it.

Classroom

The class coordinator shall assist the ILEA staff in ensuring the classroom and all classroom equipment (LCD, computer, VCR, DVD player, overhead projector, flip charts, translation equipment, etc.) is set up and ready for use each day. If any of the classroom equipment malfunctions and cannot be made to operate, the class coordinator needs to advise the ILEA staff as soon as possible.

He/she also shares responsibility with the ILEA staff for ensuring the classroom is properly set up (chairs, name tents, classroom equipment, any handouts) prior to the arrival of the participants the following morning and assisting ILEA staff and visiting instructors with material and equipment.

Practical Exercises

While the instructors have the overall responsibility for conducting any practical exercises within their subject matter area(s), the class coordinator may be called upon to assist, work as a role player, or act as a facilitator during practical exercises.

Scheduled Events

Scheduled events are planned field trips or activities outside the normally scheduled class times. Unless other arrangements have been made with ILEA management, the class coordinator is required to participate in all of the scheduled events.

Transportation

Transportation for the participants will be coordinated by the class coordinator, the ILEA staff and the El Salvador National Police Service. ILEA has its own drivers who are responsible for all official ILEA errands and transportation of ILEA staff, the class coordinator, visiting instructors and participants when needed. The transportation coordinator should be used to transport any participants needing medical attention. He/she is the liaison person who, along with the class coordinator, and will accompany any participant to the medical facility if needed.

Prior to any portion of the course or a scheduled event requiring transportation, the class coordinator will work with the transportation coordinator and the ILEA staff to ensure adequate transportation is available. Driving time to the academy varies depending on traffic. ILEA does not provide shuttle services to the academy on Saturdays or Sundays. Visiting instructors arriving on the weekend will contact the class coordinator to arrange a briefing on duties and responsibilities and to review materials, etc.

Please note that ILEA has a limited number of staff drivers. Their primary responsibility is to transport instructors to ILEA before classes begin and return them to the hotel after classes end. Special requests for transportation will only be accommodated with respect to the needs of the ILEA operations.

Use of ILEA Translation Services

In addition to English, ILEA often present courses of instruction in both Spanish and Portuguese. The majority of instructor’s presentation material should have been translated into the required language well before they arrive in El Salvador. Due to complicated contract and billing procedures, translators will not perform any requested language services until ILEA management approves it – no matter how urgent the request may be. Ultimately, the parent organization is billed for this service and the request will require their approval before ILEA proceeds with any translation tasking. Due to their primary task of simultaneous interpreting classes in progress, ILEA translators can only translate small amounts of material in their non-working hours – not entire lessons or courses. This information is provided to the Class Coordinator in the event you are approached by any instructor requesting assistance with the translation of course material.

Class Coordinator’s Report

By the last day of the course the class coordinator is required to submit a draft report to: ILEA Director or their designee. Within 30 days the final report is to be submitted to the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of State, Navy Hill SA4, 2430 East Street NW, Washington, D.C., with copies to Director, ILEA El Salvador, and the Division Chief of FLETC, ITT. A sample format is attached.

Prior to departing El Salvador, the class coordinator shall discuss with ILEA management all incidents, comments, recommendations and conclusions that will appear in the class coordinator’s report.

Duties and Responsibilities as they relate to Participants

Liaison

The class coordinator serves as a liaison between the participants and the ILEA, and is the source for answers concerning the ILEA, the course schedule, U.S. law enforcement, and U.S. culture and practices. You will brief the LEMDP course participants as needed, usually in the morning before class commences and upon conclusion of the class in the afternoon. You are also expected to take your meals with the LEMDP participants, as this is an excellent time for you to be available in an unstructured, informal setting.

Participant Concerns and Problems

The class coordinator shall be available at all times to handle participants’ legitimate concerns and problems. The reference guide sets out specific procedures to be followed in cases of illness, injury, family emergency and where a participant has been the victim of a crime. For situations not addressed in the reference guide, the class coordinator shall use common sense in resolving the matter, and seek ILEA management’s input when appropriate.

Announcements

The class coordinator is responsible for making administrative and program announcements throughout the course. Normally, these announcements will be made when the class coordinator opens and closes each training day. In any event, a good rule is to always present yourself in front of the class each morning, in case the participants have any questions or concerns.

Attendance and Punctuality

The class coordinator shall monitor and enforce class attendance and punctuality in returning from scheduled breaks and lunch, bringing problems or concerns to the attention of the country delegation leaders and the entire class as needed. This factor is an important aspect for the course to be fully successful. Punctuality is an absolute requirement. If each beginning or resumption of class is delayed for several minutes, it will impact on the instructors in the afternoon. ILEA management looks to the class coordinator to delicately impress this requirement on the participants early in the course. This will prevent problems in the later weeks of training.

Proper Attire

The class coordinator shall ensure all participants are properly attired on training days. For Day 1 and graduation day, participants must be in proper business attire or in their official uniform. On all other training days, unless otherwise instructed, participants are expected to conform to the standard established by the director of the Academy.

Evaluations

There are two sets of evaluations the class coordinator is responsible for collecting throughout the course; Subject Matter Evaluations and Instructor Evaluations for each subject taught and for each instructor participating in the LEMDP. Upon the class coordinator’s arrival, the ILEA staff already should have both sets of evaluations ready; however, it is up to the class coordinator to ensure all evaluations are on-hand when needed. At the time each instructor completes his/her instructional duties, the participants should be given the Instructor Evaluation for that instructor. At the completion of each of the subject matter areas, the participants should be given the appropriate Subject Matter Area Evaluation to complete. The class coordinator will provide the completed evaluations to the ILEA staff for tabulation, recording and filing.

Participant Graduation Speaker

During the graduation ceremony the one participant whom his/her peers elect to do so gives a graduation speech on behalf of the entire class. The class coordinator is responsible for conducting this election, usually sometime during the end of the fourth week, using the ballot provided by the ILEA staff. As soon as the participant has been determined, the class coordinator shall advise the ILEA staff so the participant’s name can be entered on the graduation program. The class coordinator shall also work with the class representative to insure the appropriateness of his or her remarks.

Delegation Leaders

Each country delegation will have a delegation leader who serves as a liaison between the class coordinator and the participants. The class coordinator can utilize the delegation leaders to pass on information and requests to the participants. To help foster a good working relationship and better communication, the class coordinator may want to schedule at least one meal a week with all the delegation leaders. In the event that disciplinary action involving one of the participants becomes necessary, the respective delegation leader will be called on to assist.

Duties and Responsibilities as they relate to Instructors

Surveys and Questionnaires

Prior to their arrival, instructors may forward to the ILEA surveys or questionnaires to determine participants’ interests or skill levels. The class coordinator shall distribute and then collect the completed questionnaires in a timely fashion so they will be ready when the instructors arrive.

Instructor Briefings

The class coordinator is responsible for conducting an instructor briefing with every visiting instructor. This briefing should be accomplished as soon as possible after the instructor arrives; however, at the very latest, the briefing needs to take place one day prior to when the instructor is to begin instructing. If the instructor has not contacted the class coordinator on the instructor’s scheduled arrival date, the class coordinator needs to try to contact the instructor. If the class coordinator cannot verify the instructor’s arrival, then he/she needs to contact the instructor’s agency to determine where the instructor may be.

To assist in conducting the instructor briefings, the Visiting Instructor Information packet is provided. Each packet contains the instructor biography and emergency data sheet that need to be collected and filed. While conducting the instructor briefing, the class coordinator shall obtain one paper copy of every document to be provided to the participants, as well as an electronic version if possible, for the course materials library that the ILEA staff maintains.

Instructor ILEA Shirts

Instructors who are teaching for the first time at ILEA San Salvador are entitled to one instructor ILEA polo shirt which the class coordinator can obtain from the ILEA staff. Prior to dispensing any instructor ILEA shirts, the class coordinator shall check the Instructor Shirt List maintained by the ILEA staff to ensure the instructor has not received a shirt previously, and then add the instructor’s name to the list.

Course Materials

It is the responsibility of each instructor to ensure all course materials are available and distributed to participants. When conducting instructor briefings, the class coordinator needs to verify with each instructor that all materials, including translations, to be provided to the participants are on hand and ready to be distributed. Because some agencies ship the materials, it may be necessary to check with the ILEA staff to see whether those materials have been received and are in the ILEA storage room. Should there be a need; the ILEA staff will assist with any printing or photocopying of course materials.

Familiarizing Instructors with Classroom Equipment

Until an audiovisual specialist is hired, the class coordinator shall assist the ILEA staff in familiarizing the instructors with the classroom equipment they require for their presentation(s). Any equipment an instructor brings with him/her (for example a laptop computer) that will be used with the ILEA equipment should be tested for reliability as well as compatibility prior to delivery of the presentation.

Introducing Instructors

Utilizing the instructor biography obtained during the instructor briefing, the class coordinator will introduce each instructor prior to the first time they appear before the class.

Assisting Instructors

The class coordinator shall assist instructors with preparations or set-up to the extent necessary. He/she also may be requested to assist in practical exercises.

Duties and Responsibilities as they relate to ILEA Management

Chain of Command

The chain of command runs from the U. S. Ambassador to the ILEA Director or their designee, to the class coordinator.

Keeping ILEA Management Informed

The Class Coordinator shall keep ILEA management informed of any issues or developments as they arise. This includes, but is not limited to, any serious health, emergency, or disciplinary issues involving any of the participants or visiting instructors, as well as any significant problems related to equipment or training. All incidents and their eventual outcomes will be documented in the Duty Log and reported in the Class Coordinator’s daily log. If there is nothing to report you should indicate same in the log for that day. The class coordinator should feel free to call or visit the Director or Deputy Director during the normal course of the workday.

Assisting ILEA Management

Throughout the course, the class coordinator may be called upon to assist in such areas as pre-course preparation, orientation, and distribution of uniforms, pre-graduation preparation and graduation.

Graduation, Country Dinners, Extra Curricular Activities

The class coordinator does have a key role in the graduation dinner, graduation ceremony, weekend activities, country dinners, pre-graduation reception and other events scheduled by the Director ILEA San Salvador. He/she is responsible for providing important assistance to the ILEA Administrative staff and ensuring these activities are scheduled, coordinated and organized within sufficient time leading up to each event. They may be call upon to set the agenda for the graduation ceremony
and serve as facilitator during the ceremony.