The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2004

O ne of the major challenges facing the Foreign Agricultural Service is the impending shortageof Foreign Service officers. Over the past several years, the attri- tion rate for FSOs has significantly exceeded the intake rate. Since 1995, 70 FSOs have left the FAS Foreign Service while only 39 have joined. Even more worrisome, 20 percent of FAS FSOs are eligible to retire immediately and 54 percent will be eligible in five years. Unlike other foreign affairs agencies, FAS relies on an in- house recruitment process to fill our ranks. Civil servants at the GS-11 level and above are eligible to apply after working for USDA for 18months, 12 of whichmust be with FAS. This system has worked well in that it effectively screens employees before they apply for the FAS Foreign Service, which helps ensure qualified appli- cants and provides employees with the opportunity to assess whether or not there is a good long-term fit with the agency. This minimizes attrition, and allows employ- ees to gain work experience so that they are better prepared to represent U.S. agri- cultural interests abroad. But while the FAS in-house recruiting systemhas its advantages, fewCivil Service employees are showing an interest in the Foreign Service. In 2003, only 11 people applied and eight were accepted. In contrast, last year the ForeignCommercial Service, which recruits from the outside, invited 114 applicants to the assessment exam, of which, 38 passed and 20 were given conditional offers. Why the limited number of applicants at FAS? The answer could be our own outreach and hiring practices: we advertise and hire for specific job vacancies. While the Recruitment Committee screens applicants to ensure that they have the right general skill set for FAS, the selecting official hires a person to fill a particular Civil Service position vacancy. Job advertisements make no mention of the potential to join the Foreign Service. As a result, applicants may not be aware that FAS offers a Foreign Service option. The lengthy process associated with hiring for Civil Service positions, which routinely takes up to six months and, in some cases, up to a year, is also problematic. Finally, periodic disruptions caused by hiring freezes send the Recruitment Committee into spells of relative inactivity. After the hiring freeze between 1998 and 2000, the Recruitment Committee almost went dormant. Although it didn’t go underground for as long as the 17-year cicadas, the committee did take a while to revive. What can FAS do to stimulate interest in the Foreign Service? FASmanagement has already taken a number of steps to address some of the recruitment challenges including an initiative to streamline the hiring process and enhancedworkforce plan- ning. In addition, the FAS Recruitment Committee is now led by an FSO. Will these steps achieve results? Should we be doing more? What is being done to expand outreach? Should we modify our hiring practices so that we can hire Schedule B employees and employees that are currently working for FAS under a personal services contract? Should we follow the lead of other foreign affairs agen- cies and recruit from the outside? These are questions that need to be debated. Given the significant percentage of FAS FSOs that are near retirement, this is an increas- ingly urgent task. We wouldwelcome the opportunity to work with the Recruitment Committee to achieve the objective of attracting people that have both the right skills and a strong interest in the Foreign Service. ▫ V.P. VOICE: FAS BY LAURA SCANDURRA Managing a Shortage 12 AFSA NEWS • JULY-AUGUST 2004 USAA Reconfirms Policy of Membership Denial The ongoing problemwith USAA continues. Since 2002, USAA has refused to accept newmembership applications from FS employees of FCS, FAS and USAID. AFSA has been arguing for a change in this new policy, and has tried a number of approaches. Most recently, AFSA facilitated the sending of a letter fromCommerce Department Secretary Evans to the chairman of USAA. At its annual board meeting in May, USAA reconfirmed their com- mitment not to allow these non- State Department Foreign Service members to join. AFSA will keep pushing until the policy is changed. FCS AFSA News In April, AFSA FCS sponsored a welcome reception for U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Director General Rhonda Keenum Newman. Over 20 Washington-based members and a few members on temporary duty in Washington attended. AFSA FCS has had a successful mid- term bargaining session. At AFSA’s request, Commerce management agreed to sign on to the State Department “Members of Household” policy. In addi- tion, with urging from AFSA, FCS manage- ment announced in April that all officers are now eligible to participate in the American Foreign Service Protective Association open season for the new Immediate Benefit Plan, a term life insur- ance policy that has been available to State employees since last year. The plan is also being offered to USAID members as well. Additional information can be found at http://www.afspa.org. Continued from page 3 AFSA NEWS BRIEFS