The Foreign Service Journal, May 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2022 61 AFSA NEWS A Talk with Former USAID Counselor Chris Milligan Chris Milligan brought three decades of experience to the role of counselor at USAID, a position he held for three years, advising several admin- istrators and many front office leaders through some of the agency’s most rigorous challenges before retiring in 2021. On Feb. 15, he shared his wealth of experience in a virtual Q&A session hosted by AFSA USAID Vice President Jason Singer. Milligan began by dis- cussing how the agency has evolved since he began his career there in 1990. “I have seen how USAID’s identity and role have been shaped by the major periods of our national history, from the Cold War to the aftermath of 9/11,” he said. “We are at another inflection point now, which is once again redefin- ing the role of development in promoting national security.” As the 21st century is marked by the growing ambitions of authoritarian regimes, accelerating climate change and shifting power dynamics, Milligan noted that there is a heightened awareness of the importance of USAID’s work and a greater emphasis on how the agency can engage in the interagency and foreign policy space. “I believe there is a far greater appreciation of USAID as a national security agency than ever before,” he stated. When asked about the qualities necessary for suc- cess in a USAID career, he said interpersonal skills such as empathy and humility are key, and that officers should learn to write and communi- cate clearly. He also advised FSOs to make strategic bid- ding decisions. “Go overseas, gain that experience—that is an important component of your USAID career,” he advised. “But plan for that Washington tour at the midpoint of your career. You need to know how Washington works, get to know the key staffers on the Hill, key State counterparts and interagency colleagues. For me, my time in D.C. was essential to my career. I was promoted much more rapidly and [had] a great opportunity to build [my] network.” At the end of the day, he said, a career at the develop- ment agency is as rewarding as it is challenging. “What I love about working for USAID is that it is unlike much else in public service,” he concluded. “I am envi- ous of those joining the C3 classes and would gladly do it all over again.” n Former USAID Counselor Chris Milligan spoke with AFSA about a career with the development agency on Feb. 15. USAID Director Ahmed said S/P is making it a priority to con- sult around the department to ensure that novel ideas are informed by the people who are experts on those topics. “S/P needs to be a force multiplier in the building,” said Ahmed, “and we want to be available to the bureaus and offices to make sure the views of the career profes- sionals help set the agenda.” Ahmed pointed out that many of the issues handled by his office are of a cross- cutting nature and might not have a neat, bureaucratic home.While it would be easy to be consumed by day-to-day events at the State Depart- ment, the role of the policy planning staff is to focus on long-term and strategic ele- ments of U.S. foreign policy. With authoritarianism on the rise, geopolitical competi- tion increasing and national security strategies evolving, Ahmed believes the U.S. must marshal its “tremen- dous resilience and innova- tive capacity” to face today’s foreign policy challenges. “We need our best and brightest minds on the case,” Policy Planning Director Continued from page 55 he said, “and they are our career professionals in the Foreign and the Civil Service. This means the Policy Ideas and Dissent channels will become all the more impor- tant. The Secretary wants an avenue for those ideas to come to him directly. It’s about a cultural change in which dissent and idea gener- ation are elevated to the level at which they need to live.” During a question-and- answer session, Barnes asked the director how to ensure the channels endure. “They will live on if they’re useful, so we have to demon- strate the integrity of these channels,” he said. “Confiden- tiality must be protected. The seriousness of the response [to the submissions we receive] will build and sustain institutional support from within.” AFSA welcomes the engagement with Salman Ahmed and the S/P staff and looks forward to future collaboration. For questions regarding the use of the Policy Ideas Channel, please email ideaschannel@state. gov. n