The Foreign Service Journal, April 2013

40 april 2013 | the foreign Service journal Review. That process prompted a number of organizational changes and realignments that show initial promise. Those reforms are still a work in progress, and will require several years of continued effort to ensure a permanent impact on departmental operations. Fortunately, the Senate now has mandated that the QDDR be submitted to Congress every four years, giving the process institutional longevity and the potential for achieving genuine long-term change and reform at State. Time for a New SOS? As the new Secretary of State, John Kerry brings a depth of personal and professional experience to Foggy Bottom unmatched by most of his predecessors. From his tenure in the Senate and as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he should be well versed in the department’s budgetary and staffing shortfalls. Hopefully, he will engage as vigorously on those essential management concerns as with policy issues. Writing in the October 2012 issue of The Foreign Service Journal , Shawn Dorman explains that the new Foreign Service generation (those hired after 9/11) confronts many of the same problems we addressed in our call to action 13 years ago. She quotes new hires who describe a “stifling State Department culture” where “new ideas never go anywhere” and change pro- ceeds at a “snail’s pace,” and notes the need for “outside-the-box responsiveness.” Perhaps the time has come for another SOS for DOS cam- paign. Fundamental change at State depends first and foremost on action by its own personnel. We remain convinced that it is still possible for individuals to make a difference when they come together. Back in 2000, we tapped into the underlying spirit, enthusi- asm and dedication of all State Department employees, Foreign and Civil Service alike, to maintain and strengthen the nation’s premier foreign policy establishment. We leave it to those who follow after us to carry on that role. n