The Foreign Service Journal, June 2003

6 AFSA NEWS • JUNE 2003 S everalmembers have askedwhy thenewmissiondirec- tor anddeputymissiondirector positions in Iraqwere not advertised. Why, insteadof tapping an active-duty officer, was a retired officer recalled? While recognizing the stellar qualifications of the officers chosen, it is important to challenge the agency for the lack of transparency in manag- ing the Senior Management Group. “No foreign affairs agency except USAID has a formally structureddual assignments systemfor senior officers that sys- tematically divides an ‘out-group’ from a priestly caste ‘in-group.’” That’s how the select grouping of overseas and Washington leadership positions was characterized in the July-August 2001 AFSA News . Why does USAID choose to select and man- age its senior career executives through a caste system? Howdoes this process affect career planning for the rest of us? Shouldn’t the system be transparent? USAID’s direct-hire cadre is around 2,100, and only half of those are Foreign Service. Of thosewho are ForeignService members, about 120are inSMGpositions. We have a separate-but-not-equal assign- ment system composed of select SMG members for just a small fraction of our cadre. Wequestionwhyauthority for eval- uating and selecting people to fill the most senior positions is vested in a group that meets part time and is composed of people who are executives, not human resources professionals. Members of such a group tend to substitute personal factors for pro- fessional human resources factors indecision-making, studies of similar practices have shown. Shouldn’t the precious limited time of these executives be put toward men- toring and training? With the steady attrition in theHumanResourcesOffice over the past several years, how can the agency afford to support two assignment systems? Finally, what hap- pens to those who presently fall out of the SMG after an initial go? Do they become pariahs? Why should it be so? Would it not be possible to factor SMG-type assign- ments into career paths such that, for example, promotion to FS-1 or SFS requires service in an SMG position? Promotion into the Senior ForeignService has become virtually impossible for any- one not serving in an SMGposition. This perverse inversion has effectively taken the power of promotion out of the hands of the panels and put it into the hands of the secretive SMG. This situationhas significantlydisadvantaged thosewhohave themore technical backstop experience. The panels view a well-written evaluation on a mis- sion director or deputymission director awinner every time over awell-written eval- uation of a “techie.” Is this fair? Is this in the best interest of the agency in its search for top talent? Or does it merely favor the best schmoozers among us while destroy- ing the enthusiasm and motivation of the rest? It is time formore transparencyabout thecriteriausedtoselectpeople forSMGposi- tions. Ataminimum,theUSAIDdirect-hirecadre(especiallythoseintheForeignService) as well as HR need such information for career planning and succession planning. As of this writing, AFSA USAID has requested a briefing on Iraq staffing. ▫ It is time for more transparency about the criteria used to select people for SMG positions. V.P. VOICE: USAID ■ BY JOE PASTIC SMG: A Call for Transparency AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Continued from page 2 Notes from the Foreign Service Youth Foundation The Foreign Service Youth Foundation spon- sors the Around the World in a Lifetime (AWAL, for 13- to 19-year olds) and Globe Trotters (for 9- to 12-year olds) youth develop- ment programs for Foreign Service kids who share the experience of living overseas. In April, the FSYF launched a new newsletter for FS parents called FS Youth on the Move. FSYF has also revamped its other newsletters, Here- There-Everywhere and Wings of AWAL , and will now be mailing quarterly issues to members. Mark your calendars for these teen summer activities: June 14 — Baseball Game (Prince William County Potomac Cannons); July 4 — FSYF/AAFSW Independence Day Potluck/Picnic July 19 — Manassas Splashdown Waterpark August 20 — Six Flags America Adventure Theme Park Sept. 21 — Welcome Back Family Picnic, Lubber Run Park Newcomers are always welcome at events. For more information about the Foreign Service Youth Foundation, AWAL and Globe Trotters, contact FSYF at (301) 404-6655 or e- mail fsyf@fsyf.org . Web site: www.fsyf.org . Financial support is always welcome: desig- nate CFC Participant #8488. AAFES Online Shopping Foreign Service members stationed abroad can sign up for online ordering from the Army and Air Force Exchange Service cata- log (AAFES) by faxing a written request (e.g., “I am an overseas Foreign Service member applying for online ordering authorization”). Include a photocopy of your embassy or consulate ID badge (front and back) and a copy of your assignment orders plus, if the information is not already listed on those documents, the name of your post, your date of birth, and Social Security number. Fax the docs to (800) 446-0163 (toll-free) or (214) 583-5135, or mail them to Exchange Catalog Sales, Attn: Internet, P.O. Box 660211, Dallas TX 75266-0211. Foreign Service shoppers must renew their registration every 12 months by faxing a copy of their embassy or consulate ID badge and giving the month and year that their overseas tour is scheduled to end. Orders fromAAFES, like shipments from other ven- dors, cannot be delivered if they exceed size or other limitations imposed on your post’s mail service by APO or State regulations. There is still a question about whether AAFES can ship to the 20189 (pouch) ZIP code, but AFSA is working with AAFES HQ to set this up. ▫