The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

60 JUNE 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS ISSUE BRIEF AFSA Submits Its View on State Department Workforce Development to Congress Every four years the Department of State submits a Section 326 report to Congress on the status of its Foreign Service workforce. The department is obligated, per statute, to include the views of the exclusive representative of the Foreign Service, AFSA, “on any and all aspects of the report and the informa- tion contained in such report.” Below, reprinted in full, is AFSA’s addendum to the Section 326 report, which discusses career path analysis, elimination of the mid-level deficit, peer-consti- tuted Selection Boards, assignment process reform, retention and diversity. Report to Congress on Status of Workforce Planning for Foreign Service Personnel Addendum: View of Exclusive Representative The State Department submits the following addendum to its 2013 report, which represents the view of the exclusive representative of the Foreign Service, the American Foreign Service Association, on workforce planning as called for in 22 U.S. Code § 4173 (c). This report comments on informa- tion contained in the original report as well as the Five-Year Workforce and Leadership Succession Plan (Fiscal Years 2014- 2018) published in June 2014. Career Path Analysis: AFSA appreciates Congress’ previous support for the Diplomatic Readiness Initiative and Diplo- macy 3.0 hiring initiatives, which have enabled the agency to nearly eliminate the well-documented mid-level deficits that were created as a result of the downsizing in the 1990s. The first DRI officer cohort is now approaching the FS-1 level, and the initial D3.0 officer cohort is on the cusp of FS-2 eligibil- ity. AFSA has focused its attention on the “Pig in the Python” problem and on ensuring that the department is able to provide a “regular, predictable flow of talent through the ranks into the Senior Foreign Service” as mandated in Section 601 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended. Two-thirds of respondents to a recent AFSA member survey indicated that they were concerned by the personal impact of the depart- ment’s failure to fully recognize and address the “Pig in the Python” problem. One of AFSA’s seven Quadrennial Diplomacy and Develop- ment Review thought papers addressed career paths and professional development. The department has begun to address the impact of the DRI/D3.0 cohorts on promotions and assignments in the Foreign Service. AFSA recommends that the department continue its efforts to analyze and, for the first time, publish the promotion projections for all cones and specialties. A cursory review indicates that employees will spend more time in grade, be faced with declining promotion rates and have more limited upward mobility.While the department is meeting cur- rent position and assignment needs at the mid-levels, the five- year challenge is accommodating the DRI/D3.0 cohorts at the senior levels (01 and beyond). AFSA recommends the depart- ment review the positions and number of individuals serving in Schedule B positions, which have increased significantly in the last six years, to determine whether these positions are all needed and, if so, convert them to the career Foreign Service as part of a long-term structural fix. Review Mid-Level Deficit Programs: The elimination of the mid-level position deficit provides AFSA and the department an opportunity to review the status and structure of programs created to address said deficits. In 2012, the Government Accountability Office described several department efforts to meet the temporary mid-level position deficit, including an enhanced pilot program for Civil Service overseas excur- sion tours (the Overseas Development Program) and relaxed requirements for conversion from the Civil to the Foreign Service (GAO-12-721) . AFSA recommends that the rationale and effectiveness for these two programs be reviewed in light of the elimination of their raison d’être, i.e., the mid-level posi- tion deficit. AFSA is concerned by the impact of conversions of positions and people on existing members of the Service and has submitted an information request to the department in this regard (see October 2014 FSJ ) . Performance Management and Selection Boards: AFSA is encouraged by the department’s efforts to improve per- formance management policy and procedures, which are currently being reviewed by the two parties. AFSA and the department understand that the increased size of the Foreign Service will impact the performance-related workload, with a recommendation to review staffing included in the March 2010 OIG report (ISP-I-10-47). AFSA wants to ensure that employees continue to receive a full and comprehensive review of their potential for increased levels of responsibility. AFSA has filed implementation disputes against the depart-