The Foreign Service Journal, April 2005

F AS is in the midst of a strategic organizational review. This is a beneficial andwell-timed exercise. And it offers the Foreign Agricultural Service an opportunity, if we are willing to take it. Maybe I’m biased, but I think most would agree that the network of agricultural counselors, attachés and trade officers wemaintainaround theworld is a valuable resource. We pro- vide an array of services that supportU.S. agricultural exports, including analyzingmar- kets, identifying impediments to trade, supporting efforts to lower trade barriers through negotiations, andpromoting exports throughmarket development, foodaidand export credit programs. However, there are several factors that call into question our tradi- tional focus on expanding exports and our reliance on increased exports as an indica- tor of success. The United States is on the verge of becoming a net food importer for the first time in 40 years. Low-cost competitors are continuing to gain market share at the expense of U.S. exports. Changes in U.S. farm policy, dating back to the 1996 farmbill, are eroding the political foundation for export promotion programs. There is pressure fromtheWTOto revise or eliminate some of our programs. U.S. exporters are facing an expanding array of scientific and technical barriers. Likewise, agencies are under increasing pressure to showmeasurable results or risk budget cuts. What does all this mean for FAS? It’s an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. FAS leadership isdevelopinga strategicdirection forour future andwelcomes employee input. AFSAwould like to encourage FAS FSOs to continue to share their ideas and concerns as we move ahead. Many of the changes currently being discussed reflect recommen- dations AFSA solicited fromyou last year: the need to reinvigorate ourselves as a source ofmarket intelligence on, insight into and influence over the agricultural and foodpoli- cies of developing countries; to effectively address growing scientific and technical bar- riers to trade; for our trade capacity-building activities to better support our trade pol- icy agenda; and to be more strategic and focused when it comes to bothmarket intelli- gence and market development. Defining the strategic direction of the agency is a good first step. Yet for FAS to succeed as a high-performing organization, wemust workwithmanagement on efforts to go further. We need a solid understanding of our value proposition— the distinc- tive capabilities that make us unique. We need a clear understanding of expected out- comes and specific strategies for achieving our objectives. These strategies must be a living component of the agency. They should be well understood and acted upon at every level. Posts need to contribute to the development of these strategies as well as proactively identify specific action steps to implement them in the field. Likewise, the agency needs to define a balanced set of useful metrics to help deci- sion-makers evaluate whether or not our strategies are working. We need a frame- work for reporting results that reflects such diverse areas as core business areas, cus- tomer service, cost efficiency, employee development and technology enablement. Moreover, the agency shoulddevelopan integratedperformancemanagement andmea- surement systemthat captures the contributions of FSOs andholds employees account- able for achieving results. Finally, we need to clearly communicate our results both internally and externally. This approach will help build amore rewarding and endur- ing foundation for the agency. We are being presentedwith an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. Your contribu- tions and input are important. ▫ V.P. VOICE: FAS ■ BY LAURA SCANDURRA The Way Forward APRIL 2005 • AFSA NEWS 5 states. Active-duty employees will consti- tute the “ActiveResponseCorps;” retirees will bepart of a “StandbyResponseCorps” of second responders. The Active and Standby Corps will train and exercise together, augment task force staff or regional and functional bureaus, and reinforce ongoing “R&S” missions. The department is preparing to launch anew, interactiveWeb site for bothdepart- ment annuitants and employees prepar- ing to retire. WAE and Response Corps informationwill bepostedon thenewsite. Annuitants will be able to receive annuity pay statements online, aswell as forms and reports. The department will communi- cate directlywith annuitants about access- ing the new Web site and the other new programs. ▫ Continued from page 2 AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Rice Swears in Class of Specialists AFSA acknowledges and appreciates the fact that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took the time on Feb. 11, between her trips abroad, to swear in a new class of specialists at the department. We welcome this kind of recognition for Foreign Service specialists. Security Points: You Don’t Want Them Having too many DS “security points” can keep you out of the run- ning for promotion or for DCM or principal officer positions. To find out howmany DS “security points” you have, send an e-mail message to DS Security History, or go to the following link on the Intranet: http://isp.ds.state.gov/requestform. html. This is an Intranet site, avail- able only to those with access to State’s (misnamed) “Open Net.” Briefs • Continued on page 6