The Foreign Service Journal, January 2004

D ating back to the early 1990s, at least eight (and per- haps more) internal and external reports from the General AccountingOffice, the Inspector General and others have tried with monotonous consistency to hammer home USAID’s need to undertake strategic workforce plan- ning. Simply put, USAIDwas being begged frommany sides to put emphasis on human resource development — on its people. Instead, top agency management in each successive administration has consistently opted for a strategy of “patch the tire.” After losing a generation of Foreign Service officers because of a hiatus in hiring, USAID recruitment restarted in the late 1990s with the New Entry Professional pro- gram. This was a patch, because it meant hiring Foreign Service officers only at mid- level, neglecting the entry level and thus not measurably changing the demographics of anorganization that is patently skewed toward a Methuselah profile. After many years of conducting little or no training, management used the leadership- development training patch, while at the same time eliminating more practical on-the-job training and mentoring slots in field missions. When field leadership gaps were perceived, USAIDmanagement turned to theoutside-the- service patch. Then, of course, there was themanagement de-layering patch, which, rather than putting more emphasis on human resources, buried the office and its director deeper down in USAID’s bureaucratic weeds. And sometimes the agency has chosen the no-patch approach, andpermitteda slow leak togounchecked, as in the case ofHRstaffing, where a whole office has been left chronically understaffed and thus unable to meet recruit- ment goals. Well, you ask, if the agency has not been “investing in people,” where has it been investing its time and money? A partial litany would include re-engineering, reorga- nization, a newmanagement system(called theNMS), reblocking and competitive out- sourcing. It has evendecapitalizedhumanresourceswithaReduction inForce. Employees have been “BTEC’ed” and “Quick Hit” and, most recently, another right-sizing patch has been applied that the agency is calling a “template.” This is a wholly (I might say unholy) ineffective patch, because it fails to cover all the bureaus. Now there is a new patch that agency management has inmind— the non-career hiring patch, bringing in non-career officers at mid-level. In AFSA’s view, this is just anothermisguided half-measure to try to undo a decade of strategic planning inaction on human resources issues. We believe this will further delay needed strategic work- force planning, andwill sowpalpable discontent and foster corrosivemorale problems among employees, especiallyNEPs, who see their career development andpromotions jeopardized. If you have read this far, you know what the punch line is: Yes, it is time to spend the money and buy a new tire — and I sure hope this cockeyed patchwork of a tire doesn’t hit a pothole before then. ▫ This latest patch envisions bringing in non-career officers at mid-level. We believe this will further delay needed strategic workforce planning ... V.P. VOICE: USAID BY BILL CARTER A Tired Patchwork ForeignServiceemployeesputtheirlives (andoften their families’ lives) at risk every day to serve their country. Help AFSA show those who have questioned the loy- alty, dedicationandabilitiesof themenand women of the Foreign Service that the FS exemplifies the best in public service, and that colleagues who demonstrate the courage of their convictions and the com- mitment towork for positive changewith- in the system should be honored. Presenting AFSA’s Lifetime Contrib- utions to American Diplomacy Award to George Shultz last June, Secretary Colin Powell congratulatedall of the awardwin- ners and said, “I thank you for what you have done for the department and for the culture of the department…by speaking out, having thecourageof your convictions. …. It is my job to integrate it and decide how best to use that information, but I encourage all ofmypeople to standup for what they believe, speak out, let us know what they think.” Informationon submitting a nomina- tion was detailed in the December 2003 AFSANews , and is also on theAFSAWeb site at www.afsa.org/awards. T he nomi- nationformis alsopostedontheAFSAsite. Please send in your nomination now. The deadline for submissions is February 26. Helphonor thosewho rock the boat! ▫ 6 AFSA NEWS • JANUARY 2004 New Retiree Directory Published by AFSA R etireemembers should keep an eye out for the new edition of the Retiree Directory, published in December 2003. All AFSA retireemem- bers receive a copy of this valuable direc- tory. This edition includes a new fea- ture, a resource section in the center of the book catering to the needs of Foreign Service retirees. Just one more reason to keep your membership active even after retirement! ▫ Dissent Awards • Continued from page 1