The Foreign Service Journal, September 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2015 43 T he Foreign Service Act of 1980 prepared the way for some fundamental changes in the opera- tions of the Service. Some of these changes have already begun to be felt after the first year of the act’s implementation, but much unfinished business remains. The main purpose of the act was to develop a Foreign Service structure that could meet the challenges of the next century. To that end, the provisions of the act reflect a philosophy of the Service which, although it may not be understood or shared by some diplomatic personnel, is held by Congress and, one hopes, the majority of the Service. A number of assumptions underlie this philosophy: ■ First, the complex challenges of modern diplomacy and international relations require more flexibility in the use of diplomatic skills and talents. ■ Second, the Foreign Service must deal with the fact that almost all governmental activities and many private activities now have international components. ■ Third, the unique demands of U.S. foreign policy and the fundamentally different conditions of service required for its conduct demand a specially organized, trained and disciplined group of professionals who are willing to accept burdens and risks unknown to any other professional group. ■ Fourth, the Foreign Service cone system must be made more flexible to deal with the new realities of diplomatic opera- tions. ■ Fifth, Foreign Service operations need to recognize the recent changes in American family life. ■ And, last, regardless of parent agency, members of the Foreign Service must work as a unit when the issue or problem requires it. Fragmentation among agencies in Washington jeopardizes U.S. policies and imperils the country team con- cept overseas. The centerpiece of the Foreign Service Act is a group of provisions that reflect these assumptions. If implemented imaginatively, they will produce a dynamic, flexible and effec- tive Service. These provisions include those on career develop- ment and training, the Senior Foreign Service, allowances and benefits, and compatibility among the foreign affairs agencies. Career Development Of these, the most vital are contained in Chapter 7, which governs career development, training and orientation, and the operations of the Foreign Service Institute. The institute’s new programs will combine core professional training to develop substantive and management skills and expertise, with special- ized training in a variety of fields to develop mastery of new areas of foreign policy. The latter should include the areas such as science and technology, energy, multilateral diplomacy, systems analysis, economics and trade, and international communications and information. For Foreign Service personnel whose training in the past has fallen short, the development of functional and management training, including language training, is vital to permit effective career patterns. Meanwhile, to reflect the changes in American society, provisions will be made for orientation, lan- guage training and job training to help family members function effectively abroad, whether employed or not. For the Foreign Service member, the goal of career develop- ment should be effective use of his or her expertise. It should prepare that individual for challenges that may not have been anticipated when the career path was chosen. To this end, specialized training at the Foreign Service Institute is helpful and desirable. Equally important, however, are the use of the act’s Chapter 5 authorities to assign members of the Service outside their parent agencies or Washington, the creative use of out-of-cone assignments, the use of Chapter 7 authorities that permit training at outside institutions at agency expense and the provision of university degree credit where possible. One problem with career development, however, is the method of recruitment. Under the present system, the Foreign Service examination does not test for the talents and skills actually used in the Foreign Service. It focuses almost exclu- sively on analytical skills, without testing for those needed for the technical and managerial positions in the Service. It is easier to take an individual with commercial experience and train him or her for the Foreign Service than it is to train an individual with little or no experience to be a commercial officer. The same holds true for budget and fiscal experts, personnel experts, communications and security officers, and The View fromCongress in 1982: Much Unfinished Business Remains