The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2019 23 and State bureaus would feed into the consolidated FSI account, providing it pre- dictability and prominence, and bolster- ing its capacity to better use resources and provide equal training for all department employees. State rightly asserts that its strength lies in its people. To work effectively, employees must believe they are valued, trusted and empowered to carry out their responsibilities and have opportunities to grow professionally. Recent conversations and studies of job satisfaction show that this faith has been seriously eroded and, no matter what the Secretary may wish, has not yet been restored. Naturally, State would immeasurably benefit from a robust budget, long-term fiscal certainty and a true training float, all of which we strongly endorse. Responsi- bility for these lie with the administration and Congress; we concentrated on areas where State has authority to make changes on its own. Significant Steps Irrespective of the budget, the depart- ment can, and must, do better by and for its employees. Our proposals will not fix all the problems of personnel, some of which are governmentwide and emanate from outside State. But we believe they mark significant steps toward a stronger Ameri- can diplomatic tool. They are designed to help employees and their professional development, and to assist management in fulfilling its responsibilities to its people and its national security mission. State is subject to falling behind other U.S. government agencies in the compe- tition for talent at home just as the risks, challenges and threats to U.S. global leadership intensify abroad. Bold, urgent action is necessary to inspire, shape and support a workforce empowered, equipped and prepared to conduct suc- cessful U.S. diplomacy. n Speaking Out is the Journal ’s opinion forum, a place for lively discussion of issues affecting the U.S. Foreign Service and American diplomacy. The views expressed are those of the author alone; their publication here does not imply endorsement by the American Foreign Service Association.