The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

cial functions without direct American supervision is sim- ply not fair to them. It’s the same reason that banks clear ATMs of all money before servicing them — not because the service personnel are corrupt, but to protect them in case of a discrepancy. Finally, the new system lacks accountability. Unlike American Foreign Service members, FSNs at our diplo- matic missions cannot be prosecuted by the United States government. Washington can only use the host govern- ment’s legal system—whether it is honest or corrupt, effi- cient or chaotic — to pursue a non-American member who violates the public trust. Let’s Empower Americans So are we doomed never to cut costs if we scrap the LES Empowerment proposal? No, but invoking mea- sures that will improve efficiency, save resources and not impair overall security will take work and considerable planning, including working with Congress. Perhaps a plan could be implemented called “American Empower- ment” to give U.S. government personnel the necessary resources and authority to carry out their functions at overseas missions. Over the course of the years, the authority of individ- ual decisionmakers within the Foreign Service structure to act has been gradually usurped by safe, non-confronta- tional committees and bureaucratic processes. Instead of creating a whole new set of problems, how about allowing management officers to operate like their counterparts in the corporate world? That approach works because those employees know that unless they make clear-cut, effective decisions, they’ll soon be unemployed. This is not a bad incentive to ensure good leadership and is probably more effective than mandatory training. But let’s not stop there. The infrastructure that has been created just to ensure that a Foreign Service employee is not being reimbursed $10 too much on a hotel bill is a ludicrous waste of funds. American person- nel are trusted not to walk out of the mission or the department with classified documents, yet they have to F O C U S J U N E 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 45 Interim Accommodations for Corporate and Government Markets Apartments, Townhouses & Single Family Homes “FOR THE EXECUTIVE ON THE MOVE” h finder5@IX.netcom.com Locations throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. Units fully furnished, equipped and accessorized Many “Walk to Metro” locations Pet Friendly 5105-L Backlick Road, Annandale, Virginia Tel: (703) 354-4070 Fax: (703) 642-3619 Executive Lodging Alternatives