The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2021

50 JULY-AUGUST 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL program). Participants with a Ph.D. could pursue further doc- toral credits or serve on the faculty of a university international affairs or related program. Waivers could be given to those officers for whom further professional education is deemed of little benefit. Participants could attend one of the universities State is already associated with (through the Diplomats in Residence program), one of the existing security studies programs at a Defense Department facility, or write a justification to attend any accredited program in the United States. In fact, State should encourage participants to spread out across the country. Participants would be expected to perform public outreach and subnational diplomacy functions, in addition to successfully completing coursework. Participation in the program would be done through the nor- mal competitive bidding process. As successful completion of State U would be a requirement for entry into the Senior Foreign Service, the department would choose bidders who demonstrate the potential to serve in the senior ranks; low-ranking officers would likely not get their bids for these assignments. Costs and Other Considerations The cost of implementing such a program would essentially entail tuition/books, domestic travel and personnel hiring to cre- ate a “training float.” As all officers would be assigned domesti- cally, there would be no requirement for per diem or housing. Because funds would have to be appropriated by Congress, it might seem easy to dismiss the concept as impossible given financial constraints. However, with a new administration able to set new priorities, such a programmight not be as unattain- able as one would imagine. Recently, members of Congress have expressed interest in providing State with the budget it needs to stay ahead of today’s competition. In mid-March, a group of progressive House and Senate Democrats announced a proposal that called for nearly $13 billion in new money in the coming foreign affairs budget cycle. This included money to boost the diplomatic corps, and explicitly noted that members “are calling for the hiring of 1,200 more diplomats for the State Department in fiscal 2022 at a cost of $480 million.” Further, the Murphy subnational bill cited above includes specific language that would authorize “no fewer than 30 total Foreign Service officers and members of the Civil Ser- vice each year to [be assigned to] state, county and municipal governments”—a signal that congressional support for dispatch- ing State officials domestically may be ripe. In addition to cost, one important issue to address would be how to adapt the department’s promotion practices to affirm the value of professional diplomatic education. The employee evalu- ation report (EER) should be amended to account for the dif- ferent nature of such an assignment and include ways to assess performance during the year of State U. Those who excel at their coursework, or perform exceptional outreach during the year, should be recognized by promotion panels in the same way any officer would be for exceptional work. If, like the Department of Defense, selection for this academic training is a strong indicator for future promotion to leadership ranks, and the State Depart- ment demonstrates it values the program year as much as other assignments, buy-in should be wide and quick. State does not have to reinvent the wheel to establish such a program. State could consult with DOD, where, as mentioned, there is a long tradition of professional education and well- established management practices. There shouldn’t be any unforeseeable devil in the details. Modernize and Rebuild So, what’s the goal? To build a workforce that—on both the individual and institutional levels—is able to think strategically about America’s foreign policy, in touch with the American pub- lic, for the purpose of optimizing America’s diplomacy. How will it be measured? Within 10 years, 100 percent of career Senior FSOs have graduate level degrees in foreign affairs or a related field. Contact between Foreign Services officers and the American public is 300 times greater than current baselines. And outreach to American companies domestically increases by 500 percent compared to current baselines. The bottom line is that professional education is just one part, albeit a critical part, of greater reforms the State Department needs to make. This project could be the most visible example from the incoming administration of its investment in its people, an enduring legacy that transforms our diplomacy. n At the same time, the lack of a recognizable domestic constituency harms the Department of State, both in building support for policies and in the battle for resources fromCongress.