The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2015

20 JULY-AUGUST 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL the necessary direction and resources. It also requires action on the part of every member of the Foreign Service. Here are some of the actions I believe are necessary. Establish a system of professional education for the Foreign Service . Develop a long-term academic training program in diplomacy—either at the Foreign Service Institute or through a cooperative agreement with a university or universities in the Washington, D.C., area—designed to prepare members of the Foreign Service for senior diplomatic responsibilities. There should be training opportun- ities post-tenuring and at the mid-level designed to increase individual skills in primary career tracks, while also offering education in diplomacy and leadership. Every member of the Foreign Service should be required to complete a year of academic study relevant to his or her career track before being eligible for pro- motion to the Senior Foreign Service. The department should create a true “training float” of 10 to 15 percent above the level required to staff all authorized positions, to allow Foreign Service personnel to take long-term training without posts and bureaus having to suffer long gaps. This will require a com- mitment by the department’s leadership not to use these positions to meet future manpower requirements—a practice that consumed the two previous autho- rizations. Ensure opportunities for professional development through assignments. In coordination with the White House, the department should ensure that an adequate number of senior positions (assistant secretary, ambassador, deputy assistant secretary, etc.) are designated to be filled by Foreign Service personnel. Priority should also be given to