The Foreign Service Journal, January 2013

16 JANUARY 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Amore rational integration of talent and resources would enhance our common mission of creating jobs through exports and inbound investment. A series of cables instructed ambas- sadors to gather up statistics on any activities related to business and report them—even when they have nothing to do with State. And while several high- profile events have showcased State’s newfound zeal for commercial work, confusion, suspicion and needless fric- tion have been notable results of the “statecraft” initiative to date. Those who have been laboring in the commercial vineyards for decades welcome the extra hands, but find themselves elbowed aside when it comes time for the photo op. Is this statecraft or stagecraft? Has State decided to grab the business constituency and hope that FCS will wither away? Whatever State’s motives, no Com- merce official above the level of the acting director general has seriously engaged it on the Commercial Service’s mandate from Congress. The muted response from Commerce has shocked FCS officers into thinking the unthink- able with renewed urgency. A New Agency? The ideal future for the FCS would lie in the creation of a Cabinet-level agency devoted to promoting and protecting U.S. commercial and economic interests. FCS would drive the trade promotion func- tions of a visible, coherent agency with a clearly defined mission to create Ameri- can jobs through exports of American goods, services and remittances, and by attracting foreign direct investment. President Obama’s proposal to con- solidate the functions of a dozen or more agencies would be a great step forward, provided it could draw bipartisan coop- eration. Can We Make a Deal? Crafting a “win-win” deal on reor- ganizing the commercial function will require a clear understanding of each party’s motives and interests. So let’s look at what FCS, State and the business com- munity would each stand to gain. What would it take for the officers and staff of the Commercial Service to merge will- ingly and productively with State? First and foremost, the Commercial Service has been starved of funds for nearly a decade. Staff numbers have declined while new responsibilities for inbound investment and ever higher export success goals have been added. Some posts have been closed, not because they were underperforming, but because FCS could not afford them. Though our people often surprise and delight clients, we are unable to meet all the demands of both business and gov- ernment stakeholders with the consistent high quality that has been our hallmark. Meanwhile, through a decade when Commerce has allowed the Commercial AFSPA www.afspa.org AKA Hotel residences stay-aka.com Clements Worldwide clements.com Diplomatic Automobile www.diplosales.com Embassy Risk Management Embassyrisk.com The Hirshorn Company hirshorn.com/afsa Tetratech Tetratech.com WJD wjdpm.com