The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2014

52 JULY-AUGUST 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS performance. Our intent at the outset of the project was to launch it publicly at a time when there were few if any pending nominations, in the hope that it wouldn’t be seen as politically motivated or aimed at any individuals. As luck would have it, however, several ambassadorial nomi- nations drew intense negative media attention in January, and our project got caught up in that flurry of coverage. The plus side, I suppose, is that it ensured our guidelines received more public attention than they might have in a less volatile environment. Why Not the Best? The Guidelines for Successful Performance as a Chief of Mission were never designed as a cure for every flaw in the ambassadorial nomination process. Nor were they intended to replace existing laws and regulations. They were meant to supplement existing rules, and to be easy to understand and apply to the process of assessing whether those selected to be the president’s representatives abroad are truly up to the job. As such, the guidelines are a first step in enhancing the professionalism of the practice of American diplomacy. We live in a complex world that is in many ways even more dangerous than the age of nuclear standoff that characterized the Cold War. If the United States is to thrive in the 21st century, it is imperative that we effectively use every available instrument of national power, including diplomacy. Toward that end, chiefs of mission, as the leaders of our overseas diplomatic missions, are key to their effective functioning. AFSA is under no illusions that the document will solve all of the problems associated with the COM selection process. Its adoption would, however, bring a greater degree of transpar- ency and consistency to the process, ensuring that all nomi- nees are judged according to a common set of standards. No document, no matter how well-intended, can guarantee success. But, the criteria set out in these guidelines are good determinants of effective performance. They are based upon the collective experiences of the 10 members of the working group, all of whom have served successfully as ambassa- dors—several at more than one post, and in some of our most challenging overseas environments. Still, any set of guidelines can only be effective if those involved in the ambassadorial selection process commit to using them as a uniform set of standards against which to assess nominees. It remains our hope that will turn out to be the case. n The guidelines are a first step in enhancing the professionalism of the practice of American diplomacy.