The Foreign Service Journal, June 2005

ments in this category, speaking two languages at the 3/3 level seems to me a reasonable expectation for diplo- mats. I am often quite impressed by colleagues from other nations’ diplo- matic corps who can easily operate in three or four languages. We, too, should be so skillful. We need officers who can convey our message, or we lose the war for public opinion. I would even suggest we aim for three 3/3s, but that would be some real work. While I support increasing the availability of training as a good practice, I also call on my fellow officers to do their part. FSI o ffers a wide range of language-learn- ing resources. We need to make use of them. C ross-functional experience. This elective piece of “Operational Effectiveness” really should not be a great concern for most officers. The experience one gains from an inter- functional position or doing something outside one’s cone is tough to match. Having had a taste of all the sections in an embassy can make running one as a senior officer that much easier. Certainly, all new officers will continue to work in a consular section before tenuring (although this won’t meet the requirement of the program). Many more are now taking advantage of pub- lic diplomacy training and then putting that training to use, whether assigned to a public affairs section or not. We need more officers who can operate in all areas; i.e., true general- ists. We also need DCMs who under- stand what’s going on in consular sec- tions, as that matters to the United States more than manyrealize. Major and minor in regional assignments. The mandatory “Oper- ational Effectiveness” requirement that each officer develop a major and minor in regional assignments at first glance seems a bit restrictive. Why focus on only two regions? Conven- tional wisdom holds that maintaining contacts in at least two regional bureaus will help an officer get assign- ments and advance more quickly. But this wisdom may not apply as broadly to certain cones; consular officers may o ffer more specialization in job-relat- ed knowledge and less in geographic a rea-specific experience. Perhaps the requirement will b roaden with time to allow majors and minors that are simply experience- related and less tied to actual parts of the world. The “minor” element can already be satisfied by work within some of the under secretariats or with- in certain functional bureaus. Some may complain that ultra-specialization (e.g., “Middle East experts”) is what is really needed. I disagree. Years of ser- vice in the same region leaves one blind to critical events elsewhere. We need officers with a global view. Professional development. A year outside the department can be valuable, yet some officers may see this as time wasted in terms of pursu- ing a promotion. Working on the Hill, earning a master’s degree, or serving in another agency can all bring bene- fits back to the department. By including professional development specifically as an elective, State acknowledges this and rewards it. The key will be in defining whose development will count and how to open those opportunities to all. If I go get anMBA, is that relevant to my suc- cess as a diplomat? What if I want to take three years of leave without pay to go to law school? We all need development as professionals, but we 16 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 5 S P E A K I N G O U T u In order to be eligible for consideration for promotion into the Senior Foreign Service, the employee must demonstrate over the course of his/her career from entry through tenure and up to consideration for promo- tion at the senior threshold: 1) Operational effectiveness, including a breadth of experience over several regions and functions; 2) Leadership and management effective- ness; 3) Sustained professional language profi- ciency; and 4) Responsiveness to Service needs. The following categories are mandatory: 1) OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: A major and minor in regional (includ- ing IO) or functional assignments (from entryinto service). 2) LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS: Leadership and management training at each grade. 3) LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: One language at 3/3, tested within seven years before opening the window for consideration for promotion into the Senior Foreign Service. 4) SERVICE NEEDS: Service at a 15-percent or greater (hardship) differential/danger pay post (one tour after tenure, or two before tenure). In addition, depending on the employee’s grade and/or tenure status as of Jan. 1, 2005, he/she will be asked to complete either three, four or five of the seven elec- tives listed below: OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: 1) Professional development (one tour/one academic year, cumulative, after tenure). 2) Cross-functional experience or out-of- cone assignment (one year, after tenure). 3) Operational/crisis response (six months, cumulative, from entry). LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS: 4) Significant and substantial supervisory responsibility (one tour, after tenure). LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: 5) One additional language at 3/3 (tested after tenure) OR One FSI-designated superhard language at 3/3 (tested after tenure) OR One language at 4/4. SERVICE NEEDS: 6) Service in an officially designated critical needs position (one tour, after tenure). 7) Service at an unaccompanied post (one tour, from entry). CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: THE REQUIREMENTS