The Foreign Service Journal, May 2023

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2023 63 AFSA NEWS USAID VP VOICE | BY JASON SINGER AFSA NEWS Contact: jsinger@usaid.gov | (202) 712-5267 The Global Community Liaison Office— A Valuable Resource for All The Global Community Liai- son Office (GCLO), formerly called the Family Liaison Office, is a fantastic resource for the Foreign Service com- munity, providing a range of valuable services over the course of your career and life events. With so many new FSOs joining USAID, I wanted to use this column to raise awareness of GCLO and its offerings and to encourage all FSOs and their families to get to know their respective GCLO offices and colleagues. (Spoiler alert: I’m a fan of GCLO.) What is GCLO? Based at the State Department, GCLO serves U.S. govern- ment direct-hire employees and their family members, from all agencies under chief of mission authority, while they serve overseas and when they return to the United States. GCLO’s mission is to improve the quality of life of all demographics they serve by identifying issues and advocating for programs and solutions, providing a variety of client services, and extending services to overseas communities through the worldwide Com- munity Liaison Office (CLO) program. What kinds of services are offered? There are too many to list—and some I likely don’t know about—but here is a sample: telework overseas guidance for family members, family member employment, post evacua- tions, education and youth, unaccompanied tours, natu- ralization of foreign-born spouses, pregnancy, divorce and separation, eldercare, adding a family member to orders, and so much more. Support for tandem couples. Being a tandem couple has grown more complicated, challenging, and stressful in many ways. USAID offers some support and guidance for tandem couples, with appreciation. But our colleagues in the Office of Human Capital AFSAGoverning Board Meeting, March 15, 2023 The Governing Board met in person at AFSA headquar- ters. The Board approved applications for two new associate members. n AFSAGoverning Board Meeting, February 15, 2023 The Governing Board met in person at AFSA headquar- ters. The Board approved the AFSA Investment Policy and Procedures as amended. n and Talent Management (HCTM), which supports tandem needs, would benefit from more resources: Let AFSA know your ideas. That said, GCLO has many useful resources to help navigate these challenges in the spirit of a modern workforce. Where do I find more information? If you are at an overseas mission, drop into the CLO office and look for their events—I am sure you will find many. I will let GCLO speak for itself on the many other ways to keep in touch: “Stay informed by subscribing to the GCLOWeekly newslet- ter, liking GCLO’s Facebook page, and following GCLO’s YouTube channel. Check out GCLO’s webpage (www. state.gov/global-community- liaison-office/about-us/) for current information. Contact us with questions and feedback at GCLO@ state.gov. Wherever you are on your Foreign Service journey, let GCLO be your companion and help guide you along the way.” n