The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2009

16 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 9 guage instruction is needed, as are pro- gram management and functional training for areas such as climate change and natural resources that are becoming more important parts of the policy agenda. State’s Foreign Service Institute is ready to meet such needs, and the gen- eral skepticism about most training in the FS corps may be moderating. But resources must be radically increased, and a thorough review of what compe- tences and training today’s circum- stances require is essential. On the Civil Service side, State has significantly depleted its technical competence and institutional memory. So considerable rebuilding is needed there, as well. Assignment reform on the Foreign Service side may be the toughest prob- lem. State has always emphasized a broad range of assignments to prepare personnel for senior responsibilities and, not incidentally, to give themwhat they want. But this approach often comes at the expense of using specific expertise where it is most needed. To train an officer in Japanese and eco- nomics, only to assign him to the Netherlands for consular work, may be broadening, but it is a poor use of scarce resources. Greater assignment discipline should be accompanied by a signifi- cant expansion of the creative use of incentives (e.g., serve a tour now where most needed, with the promise of an assignment desired by the offi- cer later) —not only to fill positions in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also to pro- mote maximum utilization of scarce critical skills. The current approach is sometimes viewed by exasperated State managers as “letting the inmates run the asylum.” 5. Facilitate Overall Activities While Minimizing Turf Battles Many in State forget the first law of S P E A K I N G O U T State should reclaim natural functions from other departments, while handing off those that do not fit.