The Foreign Service Journal, May 2007

Deservedly or not, the standing of the United States in the world is at an historic low. Underprioritizing posi- tions in the very countries where this trend can (and must) be reversed is a mistake. A Possible Solution In closing, I would be remiss if I failed to offer any solutions to this problem. Perhaps the Bureau of Human Resources could develop a “Diplomatic Opportunity Index” that divides open positions into groups to be filled over several assignment sea- sons. An overarching theme for such an index should be the feasibility of getting the job done on the ground in the country. Criteria for selecting such positions could include promo- tion performance or major awards earned by incumbents. Another approach would be for assistant secretaries in each geo- graphic bureau to designate 10 to 15 positions in their region for priority assignment. Toward that end, a radi- cal idea might be to align or connect the assignments process, the new Mission Strategic Plans and work 14 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 0 7 S P E A K I N G O U T The department’s current emphasis on the degree of crisis in determining staffing priorities fails to address many promising diplomatic opportunities.