The Foreign Service Journal, April 2009

A P R I L 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 9 strong mission integration with the fu- ture APP. However, VPPs are also important in many cases where American Pres- ence Posts are not currently in the cards, due to security concerns (Gaza, Somalia) or resource constraints. (There are obviously many important locales around the world where fund- ing limits will prevent the establish- ment of physical U.S. diplomatic facilities any time soon.) The Information Resource Man- agement Bureau’s Office of eDiplo- macy helps provide the department with the knowledge practices and technology tools needed for success- ful American diplomacy, and supports posts that establish and operate VPPs. We are proud of the progress and diplomatic productivity posts have achieved through their use of VPPs. eDiplomacy stands ready to assist any mission interested in exploring the use of VPPs to empower American diplomatic outreach and engagement in the information age. Dan Sheerin Acting Director Office of eDiplomacy Department of State Washington, D.C. IRM Should Hire the Best and Brightest It is refreshing to see President Barack Obama choose Cabinet mem- bers with impressive educational cre- dentials and work experience. He showed confidence in his own intel- lectual powers by nominating the best and the brightest for the benefit of the nation. My question is why we in Informa- tion Resource Management don’t do the same in our workplace? Why do we push people without proper qual- ifications into management positions based on time rather than merit? I have been in the government since 1999, and can attest that mediocrity within the rank and file is the rule, not the exception. I work in a technical field that is very competitive. If you do not keep up with changes by taking computer classes and reading technical manu- als, you become a dinosaur. The wrong management decision will have repercussions for decades to come, including wasting taxpayer money. I remember sitting in a room with Microsoft sales personnel and IRM senior managers. The State reps did not know enough about the subject to ask a single question; they just took the vendor presentation at face value. The technical field, even more than most others, requires education and expertise. If you want to deal ef- fectively with someone selling you a product, it is wise to know something about that product. The IRM rank and file who become managers do not have the experience or the educa- tional background to run a modern system. We need leaders for IRM who are not afraid of education or experience, and can inspire their employees. Oth- erwise, we will slide backward and be increasingly at the mercy of contrac- tors and vendors. Aram Wilson Retired IMO Miami, Fla. L E T T E R S