The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2014 47 The 2013-2015 AFSA Govern- ing Board is committed to seeking parity in benefits for members of the Foreign Service across all five foreign affairs agencies. As part of this effort, we are creating a benefits comparison document that includes information on benefits and policies from the different agencies to illus- trate the disparities. It will be a “living” document, includ- ing testimonials from FS members, and will be posted on the AFSA website for use as a tool to advocate for equality and to track prog- ress in achieving the goal. The comparison of State and USAID, as shown in the accompanying chart, is a first step. For space reasons, the chart does not include the personal commentary and testimonials that are important for making our case. Those “live” in the online document at afsa.org/ benefitschart. The entire package—chart and testimonials—has been shared with USAID’s Office of Human Resources. The next steps will be to monetize what it would cost to begin closing these gaps, and push for having USAID budget sub- missions reflect these needs. Thanks to all of you who responded to my request to share your experiences with inequality in Foreign Service benefits and poli- cies between USAID and the State Department. Utilizing real examples has always been the most effective way of telling the USAID story; I believe that document- ing these inequalities and their effects on individual employees is the best way to advocate for change. As this is meant to be a living document, please con- tinue to send any comments to swayne@usaid.gov . The more accurate and complete this chart, the more effective it will be. It is already advanc- ing the cause by generating conversation and gaining management attention and support. Future articles will take a deeper dive into specific issues and track progress in the quest for equality. n Foreign Service Benefits Across Agencies: How Do State and USAID Compare? As part of this effort, we are creating a benefits comparison document that includes information on benefits and policies from the different agencies to illustrate the disparities. Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA USAID VP. Contact: swayne@usaid.gov or (202) 712-1631 USAID VP VOICE | BY SHARON WAYNE AFSA NEWS