The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2021

AFSA NEWS 60 JULY-AUGUST 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL • The AFSA bias survey asked respondents to list the priority issues for AFSA advocacy. The top one was gender-neutral, name-free EERs. AFSA should support their use if the results of the remaining years of the Meritorious Service Increase pilot program point to clear benefits from such a step. Targeted, Early Mentor- ship. AFSA endorses early mentorship, such as the Thursday Luncheon Group’s Perkins Mentorship pro- gram. The 2020 Government Accountability Office studies on diversity, equity and inclu- sion in the State Department found that minority FS officers were disadvantaged when competing for promotion from FS-4 to FS-3. The Perkins Mentorship Programwould be open to all FS-4 and FS-3 offi- cers, whether or not they are Pickering or Rangel Fellows. Leadership Account- ability through 360s. AFSA recommends the use of a new 360 proposal, primarily for professional development of Foreign Service leaders. Twice a year, in October and March, ePerformance or the non-State agency equiva- lent would ensure that the following question is posed to employees in each supervi- Retention Recommendations Continued from page 57 sory chain: Please agree or disagree with the following statement(s) with regard to your supervisor, using a 1-5 scale: “The employee models the behaviors described in the department’s leadership and management principles as defined in 3 FAM 1214.” Although the information is primarily to be used for developmental purposes, if there are repeated red flags, the information could be mentioned in the employee’s EER. Well-Resourced CDIO. AFSA urges that the chief diversity and inclusion officer be well-resourced and staffed adequately to bring about real change. This would mean, at a minimum, a viable budget and senior line authority. The CDIO should ensure that existing, effective bureau programs are not diminished in the creation of a common approach across the department. AFSA appreciates mem- bers’ thoughtful survey answers, participation in focus groups, and comments sent to us. They have been enlightening and extremely helpful in our effort to recommend changes that will have a lasting, benefi- cial impact on the Foreign Service. Please continue to let us know your thoughts at member@afsa.org. n