The Foreign Service Journal, January 2009

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 59 A F S A N E W S the regular FSOs, who felt cheated as FSLs jumped ahead of them in rank and salary. The latest assault on morale has been the attempt to bring in mid-level hires at the FS-3 and FS-2 grades, many of whom would be FSL employees. The good news is that we now have bipartisan and executive-level support for doubling our FS staff numbers through the Development Leadership Initiative, from the cur- rent level of 1,200 officers to over 2,000. The bad news is that the agency leadership has been using the DLI to bring in too many mid- level applicants without regard for the career Foreign Service. AFSA has protested that move, insisting that the agency hire mid-level em- ployees only as a last resort. Recommendation: Resist the urge to bring in mid-level hires un- less absolutely necessary. Many cur- rent employees took a pay cut to join USAID and are more qualified than outside professionals to per- form at the higher levels of the agency. Eventually, as intake in- creases at the junior levels andmore officers are promoted, the staffing pyramid will normalize. Recommendation: Establish more Civil Service positions, not only inHR but in the other bureaus. Backstopping support for our over- seas programs will increase as we draw in more Foreign Service offi- cers. In fact, many of the FSL em- ployees in Washington, whose limited five-year terms are ending, will gladly apply and compete for these headquarters-based Civil Ser- vice jobs. This is an exciting time for all of us at USAID as we look forward to positive changes to come. Although somewhat battered from past events, we are still optimistic and dedicated to doing a great job for our country. AFSA Issue Brief Filling New Mid-Level Positions BY JOHN K. NALAND, AFSA PRESIDENT D uring the presidential campaign, Senator Barack Obama repeat- edly endorsed the expansion of Foreign Service staffing, which would enable U.S. diplomacy and development assistance to meet the challenges of the 21st century. As we await the inaugura- tion of President-elect Obama and the convening of the newCongress, AFSA is cautiously optimistic that the Depart- ment of State andUSAIDwill see signif- icant Foreign Service staffing growth in the coming years. An analysis of those staffing needs is contained in the October 2008 Ameri- can Academy of Diplomacy study, “A Foreign Affairs Budget for the Future.” AFSA participated in the preparation of that report, which documented the need to increase staffing at State by 3,441 and at USAID by 1,250 over the next five years. Whilemany of those are positions to be filled by new entry-level employ- ees, some jobs require skills, knowledge, seasoning and judgment that justify clas- sifying them as mid-level work. But where can many new mid-level employees be found? One place not to look is outside of the Foreign Service. The State Department has tried mid- level hiring several times over the past decades with poor results. Even people with successful careers in related fields do not have the knowledge and experience needed to step into mid-level Foreign Service jobs, such as those that involve leading a section in an embassy or con- sulate. It is also unfair to bring in some- one“off the street”and put himor her in charge of employees who have spent up to 15 years gaining Foreign Service expe- rience — especially veteran employees who took a pay cut to join and then “paid their dues” serving at hardship posts. Instead of resorting to a problemati- cal mid-level hiring program,AFSA rec- ommends that newly created mid-level positions be filled with those who al- ready possess substantial Foreign Service experience. We suggest drawing from five pools of such people: 1. Increase promotions for existing employees into themid-level grades: Last year, State promoted about 70 percent of FS-4 generalists. In 2001, it was near 90 percent. Last year, State generalists pro- moted to FS-1 averaged 16 years of serv- ice. In 2002, it was 14.8 years. 2. Expanded use of WAE and“recall” appointments: Our “up or out” system forces the retirement of many highly tal- ented Foreign Service members. In- creasing the number of retired annuit- ants brought back to serve would re-em- ploy their overseas experience and for- eign language skills. 3. Temporarily increase the number of limited career extensions given to FS- 1s who would otherwise be required to retire: The same justification for Item 2, above, applies. 4. Increase the number of Eligible Family Member positions: In July 2008, State added 105 positions to the Profes- sional Associates Program for EFMs serving overseas. Most were entry-level, but many EFMs could successfully fill se- lect mid-level positions. 5. Raise the mandatory retirement age: Changes in human longevity and in federal retirement benefits argue for rais- ing the Foreign Service mandatory re- tirement age from 65 to 67 to match the age for receiving full Social Security ben- efits. This change would require legisla- tion. AFSA recommends that newly created mid-level positions be filled with those who already possess substantial Foreign Service experience.