The Foreign Service Journal, April 2020

34 APRIL 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The Six Promotion Decision Factors tions with AFSA and a three-day promotion process pilot test. This collaborative, data-driven approach produced systems that are practical as well as innovative. The first task the stakeholder group tackled was to integrate the FS Skills Matrix and the SFS Skills Model into what is now our FS/SFS Skills Framework. The differences across the FS and SFS core skills and subskills suggested that, suddenly, as one entered the SFS different skills were required, when in fact what our work- ing group determined was that skills required for success are the same; what changes is the expected level of proficiency and the sphere of influence and context in which the critical skills are demonstrated. The FS/SFS Framework now provides a solid foundation for both performance management and promotion processes across an individual’s career at USAID. In addition, the behavioral exam- ples developed to illustrate how expected proficiency levels in the four core skills change as FSOs progress in their careers help both supervisors and promotion boards anchor their expectations. Next, stakeholders charted a vision for what our performance management system should look and feel like. We named the new system “Employee Performance and Development,” leaving no doubt that developing our people was the primary objec- tive. The actual requirements of the system are minimal, yet the redesign represents a major shift in our culture—from a focus on end-of-year documentation to year-round conversations. Here are the new requirements: • Quarterly conversations between supervisor and employees. • Skill development objectives, along with performance/task expectations, for every FSO. • A skills assessment review and discussion conducted by supervisors at the end of every performance appraisal cycle. • A satisfactory/unsatisfactory end-of-year evaluation, with no written narrative. • An Annual Accomplishment Record consisting of five entries of 75 words (or fewer) where employees summarize their contributions to the team or mission and then supervisors review, suggest revisions if appropriate and sign. • Counseling and Performance Improvement Plans for under- performers. Training and guidebooks highlight the importance of honest two-way conversations about progress, performance and priori- ties. They emphasize supervisors’ responsibility to employees’ advancement by developing their own coaching, feedback and communication skills. And they underline the need for supervi- sors to seek and share timely, relevant and development-oriented 360-degree feedback on the people they supervise throughout the year. All of these changes were rolled out and communicated to the USAID workforce in 2018 and 2019, along with the promise that every element of the new process would be evaluated—and refined—in the coming years based on employee feedback. The Year One Evaluation was comprehensive, including promotion board member interviews and surveys, as well as an October 2019 Workforce Survey completed by more than 500 FSOs (repre- senting nearly one-third of the FS USAID workforce). We have learned that we are clearly on the right track, but still have work to do. The good news is that two-thirds of our respon- dents reported having had both required quarterly conversa- tions in the first two quarters of the appraisal cycle. Given all the summer assignment transitions, these are pretty good numbers; however, there is room for improvement in how quarterly conver- sations are used. Only half of all FSO respondents felt that their supervisor had “used quarterly conversations effectively to clarify expectations and priorities”; and only half said they had established a skill development objective with their supervisor. This year, HCTM and senior leaders need to do a better job communicating the value of skill development objectives. These objectives not only keep attention focused on specific developmental goals; they also create relatively nonthreatening opportunities to practice the art of asking for, giving and acting on constructive feedback. Never- theless, it is encouraging that fully 85 percent of our respondents agreed that quarterly conversations were a good investment of time for employees and supervisors. Promotions The changes to the promotion systemwere even more dramatic than the changes to our performance management processes. In rethinking what boards need to see to make wise COURTESYOFMARTHALAPPIN