September 2018
The Foreign Service Journal covers foreign affairs from an insider’s perspective, providing thought-provoking articles on international issues, the practice of diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service. Including the AFSA News section, The Journal is published monthly (January-February and July-August issues combined) by the American Foreign Service Association.
The September issue focuses on the current state and future of the Foreign Service.
We always welcome short, focused letters about FSJ content; please send them to journal@afsa.org.
BEYOND THE REDESIGN: CAN STATE DELIVER?
Blue-Ribbon Blues: Why So Many Great Reports and Good Ideas Go Nowhere
Reform efforts at State are perennial. Several critical institutional issues have been studied again and again for decades to scant effect. Why is change so difficult?
You Have a Strategy. Now What? — How to Turn Any U.S. Mission Strategy into Results
Today State has a unique opportunity to reassert leadership of foreign policy by focusing on delivering the outcomes promised by strategies that are now aligned across the department.
E-Hell: Is There a Way Out?
Efficient and secure information technology processes and platforms are the primary requirements for State’s operational modernization. Here is a candid look at the challenges and suggestions for a way forward.
Who Is the Future of the Foreign Service?
Career public servants at all levels and specialties make diplomacy work. How do we find them, keep them, grow them?
The Future of the Foreign Service—As Seen Through the Years
Selections from the FSJ Archive
MESSAGE FROM THE HILL
FEATURE
Practicing Environmental Diplomacy
Early childhood experiences and a commitment to environmental stewardship served this diplomat well throughout his career.