The Foreign Service Journal, March 2016

22 MARCH 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL revelation to me. These people care about you and the organization, and they are fiercely protective of the integrity of the assignments process. Explaining the Inexplicable So when a story emerges about the stretch assignment of a below-grade officer to a coveted position, implying a degree of elasticity at which even Mr. Fan- tastic would marvel, it disturbs the rank and file in HR. First of all, it is entirely possible that the officer in question was the best- qualified bidder, his lack of seniority notwithstanding. But even if that was not the case, we should bear in mind that the assignment was probably jammed down the bureau’s throat after someone on the seventh floor spoke to the Director Gen- eral and said, “Make this happen.” So the panel either holds its nose and votes to approve the assignment, or it stands on principle and then watches helplessly as the decision is overturned by the DG’s office. HR types often complain that only the bad-news stories ever get publicity, while the solid work HR does on behalf of its clients day in and day out garners scant attention. Aware that that is largely true, the current DG has rightly focused on strategic communication, informing the Foreign Service about the work HR does, what it is accomplishing and how it is addressing current staffing challenges. I think that is commendable. The problem, though, is this: In any endeavor, no matter how much you have accomplished, no matter how much good you have done, it only takes one mistake, one indiscretion, one bad call to destroy it. Politicians know better than anyone how fragile image and perception are. All the fantastic legislation you passed, all the assistance you secured for veterans and senior citizens, all the victories to establish equality for minorities—all of it goes out the window if you are caught cheating on your wife. So how do ridiculous stretch assign- ments happen, then? Why do positions mysteriously vanish off one bid list only to reappear days later on the list of a future cycle—or on the now list? Why are inquiries on jobs that are ostensibly open in FS Bid dismissed or unanswered? Why was some employee allowed to extend for a fourth year in a non-differential post when no one else was permitted to do the same? And how on earth did that officer get a language waiver, when the FS is filled with officers who speak that language? These anomalies are more likely to happen when HR is run by senior officers insufficiently committed to oversee- ing a system that is fair, just and above reproach. The fact is that far too often, those in the most important positions, the gatekeepers, aren’t serving out of any great love of personnel management work. Some are serving a domestic tour while awaiting a plum overseas deputy chief of mission or principal officer gig. Others find themselves serving domesti- cally for personal reasons, and believe HR provides a convenient landing spot. Restoring Faith in the System Fortunately, there are those who enjoy the work and are committed to it. But for some, the bureaucratically dense nature of the work, sometimes coupled with a deep frustration over not being able to make everything happen that every- one wants—due to pesky devotion to precedent, past practice and established procedures by subordinates who can’t seem to see the “big picture”—makes dealing with Foreign Service assignments