The Foreign Service Journal, January 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY 2013 11 TALKING POINTS The FSJ : There’s an App for That! We’ve all become accustomed to seeing people walking around with their heads buried in the electronic device of their choice. Distressingly, most seem to be engaged in something less than pro- ductive: scanning their Facebook feeds, playing Angry Birds or downloading the latest episode of “The Amazing Race.” AFSA and The Foreign Service Journal are therefore proud to announce that you may now find something interesting and educational to add to your Apple devices: the brand-new app for the FSJ ! Most importantly, the app is free for AFSA members as a benefit of membership. Developed by Taoti Creative, the firm which also oversaw the redesign of the AFSA Web site a couple of years ago, the FSJ app is now pending final approval from Apple. At this writing (early Decem- ber), we expect it to be available to down- load from the iTunes store starting with the January issue. For now, the app is only available for Apple devices: iPads, iPhones, iPods and so on. Our recent survey of FSJ read- ers indicated that more than half of our members use Apple devices; hence our decision to start there. Another 30 per- cent use Android and Windows, and we hope to launch these versions very soon. To find the app, simply visit the iTunes store and search for “The Foreign Service Journal.” Press the “install” button, and the download will begin. The app will be updated automatically each month with the latest issue, and will also include a limited archive of recent issues. The app’s design has been optimized for tablet- sized devices, but it works just as well on smaller devices. The tool will include all the features you have become used to with the digital version of the magazine: Active links to advertisers and additional content, beau- tiful resolution and color, and a signifi- cantly enhanced page-flipping feature. As our readers become accustomed to the app version of the magazine, we plan to add even more online-only content to enhance the Web-based reading experi- ence. We would love to hear what you think about the app! Please send comments and suggestions for improvement to sigfusson@afsa.org. — Ásgeir Sigfússon, Director of Marketing and Outreach SITE OF THE MONTH: Office of the Inspector General Reports I n a Sept. 12 memorandum posted on the OIG page of the State Department Web site, Acting Inspector General How- ard Geisel notes that 25 percent of embassies and consulates have significant weaknesses that could warrant department intervention. Those looking for evidence of the shortcomings Geisel used to arrive at that disturbing estimate will find abundant material in the various post inspection reports that the OIG recently began publishing there. The inspection teams are comprised of seasoned Foreign and Civil Service officers who also rely on the OIG Hotline for confidential tips. Each report highlights shortcomings and success stories and offers recommendations for improving agency operations. One common thread is the fact that embassies headed by “campaign bundlers” and other large donors tend to receive low marks for efficiency and morale. Nicole Avant, a music industry executive before being appointed ambassador to the Bahamas, and political appointee Cyn- thia Stroum, ambassador to Luxembourg, are two caution- ary tales in that regard. Both resigned shortly before the OIG reports were posted. Such problems can also arise at missions headed by more qualified leaders, of course. In his Foreign Policy magazine blog, The Cable , Josh Rogin cites a wide variety of critiques found in recent OIG post inspections, ranging from mistreatment of foreign workers in Arab-world embas- sies to a sweeping condemnation of the management style of retired General Scott Gration, who served as U.S. ambassador to Kenya. Gration announced his resignation soon after viewing the OIG report, though he challenged its claims as “categorically false” and asserts the inspection system is flawed. Although coverage of the reports has focused on the negative, OIG teams gave glowing reviews to the embassy staffs in Bangkok and Brunei. — Emily A. Hawley, Editorial Intern