The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2013

50 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS STATE VP VOICE | BY DANIEL HIRSCH AFSA NEWS Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA State VP. Sometime in the past two years AFSA added a dis- claimer to the VP columns, stating that the views described therein were solely those of the writer. I think it fair to end my term by taking advantage of that disclaimer to voice my own opinion on an issue other AFSA Govern- ing Board members have addressed differently. In my opinion, the biggest impediment to a greater foreign policy leadership role for the Foreign Service is not competition from the Civil Service or political appoin- tees, but the shortage of FS members qualified to make policy, rather than expertly carry it out. Our Values The values advanced by our meritocracy do not produce enough FS members with the skill sets to recog- nize the larger issues for our country, define and shape those issues as “require- ments” and identify—in an integrated interagency con- text—the agents, processes and resources necessary to meet those requirements. We must be as knowledge- able about our government's policymaking structure as we are about foreign affairs, the issue of the day or the cultural fine points of our country of assignment. When there are not enough FS members to do those things, someone else has to do them. That will either be a Civil Service member who has developed a deep understanding of the organization or government through years of Washing- ton service, or it will be an appointee who has the trust, for whatever reason, of the highest-level officials. It may be shortsighted of the orga- nization to put its own need for operational effectiveness ahead of our need to develop qualifications, but it is neither surprising nor conspiratorial. FS members are as much to blame as any other factor. Outside Influences Certainly, outside influ- ences have played their roles. Years of suboptimal hiring rates did not allow a training float, while resource issues resulted in just-in-time train- ing over employee develop- ment. Wartime politics, par- tisan politics and the greater familiarity of some members of Congress with the military shifted some roles. Different administrations empha- sized different planning tools, which affected the way some FS members view planning in general. And for the past decade, the needs of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan have forced many upper and upper-mid-level FS members to focus on issues other than their own profes- sional development. Assignment Process Career development offi- cers are frequently unable to provide real developmental counseling, while the bureau assignment process focuses primarily on putting people into positions for which they are already fully qualified. Through a combination of understaffing, underfunding and failure to recognize the need to develop leadership skills as a key part of the FS member skillset, the Foreign Service (including some in positions with the author- ity to ameliorate the issues) has lagged in its collective responsibility to develop future leaders. Realistically, our own habits have worsened the problem. Many of us bid on positions where we will fur- ther refine skills we already possess, and view training or a Washington assignment as a detour rather than a stepping stone. We pride ourselves on the depth, rather than the breadth, of our subject-matter expertise. We choose posts based on personal preference, family or financial needs, with little thought to whether they will teach us the skills we will need to climb the ladder and assume leadership roles. Significant Strides The good news is that things have begun to change. With AFSA’s support, the department has made signifi- cant strides in offering train- ing in leadership, supervision and personnel development. The promotion precepts negotiated with AFSA have begun to reward the neces- sary skill sets. But change will be slow, as it always is. Each evaluation season, I am amazed by the number of FS employees who com- plain about taking time out of their important work to evaluate the performance of their subordinates. I am also dismayed by the number of courses or conferences can- celed by the department due to insufficient enrollment— either because employees don't want to attend, or their posts/supervisors/bureaus can't afford to give them the time to learn something new. If we don't think about our own professional develop- ment, or that of our most tal- ented subordinates, who will? So who is really to blame if— lacking enough FS members with the skill sets needed to formulate policy—our agency fills vacancies with others who possess those skills? Honor to Serve It has been an honor and a privilege serving the Foreign Service for the past 30 years, and as your AFSA State vice president for the past four years. It is my most fervent hope that the next AFSA Governing Board will focus, as I have tried to do, on ways to make FS members better supervisors, managers, plan- ners and leaders. We have the other skills covered. n On Becoming Foreign Service Policymakers