The Foreign Service Journal, September 2012

22 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2 perience can only go so far; without a systematic way of processing inter- views, even the most senior officers can make mistakes. The consular sys- tems help focus one’s attention; but in all fairness, they do not appear to have been designed with usability as a pri- mary consideration. Leadership on this issue has largely come from the field. Embassy Reyk- javik, for instance, has created a series of checklists for non-immigrant visa in- terviews. While simple and geared to busy officers, the document has space to collect more detailed information where needed. Other posts may have drawn up similar resources, as well, but it is dif- ficult to know for sure absent a clear- inghouse for this type of information. In addition, many embassies and con- sulates have created checklists for lo- cally employed staff who perform an initial review of applications for com- pleteness. The same techniques can assist with immigrant visa adjudication, as well. My first supervisor in the Foreign Service, the consular section chief in Praia, taught me a technique based on the same model as Dr. Pronovost’s: harness a standardized method to avoid careless error. For each applicant, I would verify his or her ID, administer the oath, take fingerprints, collect signatures, verify fee payment, confirm basic informa- tion, ask other necessary questions, write my case notes and adjudicate the case. This methodical process ensured that I chose the right visa class, col- lected the appropriate fees and did not miss any ineligibilities. Moreover, by placing the documents in the same order in every case, if I had to pick up the file again later I could quickly tell if all documentation was complete. I would encourage all consular su- pervisors to consider using checklists at their posts, to both train new officers and provide experienced hands with a useful refresher. The content of such checklists would, of course, vary de- pending on the specific needs and con- ditions at each post. Such a tool may seem overly simple to visa line veterans, but research sug- gests that it adds value, even for the most seasoned officer. It also helps promote what Assistant Secretary Ja- cobs identifies as our core mission: to protect U.S. citizens. In a field where just one mistake can make headlines, the usefulness of checklists as a training tool should not be ignored. Jeffrey E. Zinsmeister, a former com- mercial litigator, is a second-tour, polit- ical-coned Foreign Service officer in the narcotics affairs section inMexico City. His first assignment was as a consular officer in Praia. The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. government. F S K N O W - H O W Leadership on this issue has largely come from the field.