The Foreign Service Journal, October 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2013 45 AFSA NEWS Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA USAID VP. Contact: swayne@usaid.gov or (202) 712-1631 USAID VP VOICE | BY SHARON WAYNE Numerous factors have eroded the long-term career Foreign Service cadre neces- sary to properly represent the U.S. government and provide the core leader- ship needed to promote our foreign policy objectives. With bipartisan agreement and strong AFSA support, the Development Leadership Initiative was launched by USAID to remedy this situa- tion. The initiative, focused on hiring new Foreign Service officers to invigorate the Ser- vice, and re-establish United States’ primacy in the global development arena, was completed in 2012. As the premier devel- opment agency, further- ing America's interests and improving lives in the developing world, USAID has attracted the best in its field. Between 2008 and 2011, USAID received more than 35,000 applications, with approximately 4 percent of applicants receiving offers, and more than 800 hired at last count. The success of the initiative has resulted in approximately half of USAID’s Foreign Service being hired in the last five years. That is a great deal for any agency to absorb, and based on the feedback I’ve been getting, it appears USAID is going through some growing pains. Such sudden growth would be challenging for any agency, and for USAID, it may be more complicated than most. Not only do we Growing Pains at USAID have a huge surge in new employees, but we also have the dichotomy of different generations, different levels of experience, two different personnel systems within the agency (Civil Service and Foreign Service) and the complexities and logistics involved with managing a worldwide staff. This era of a changing work force in the U.S., and at USAID, indicates that retain- ing talent is an ongoing chal- lenge. Work-life balance and transparency in the decisions affecting employees are both paramount to today’s work force. If the agency does not try to align individual employ- ees’ needs with its objectives, talented people will leave. The hurdle of doubling USAID’s staff may be nearly complete. However, getting a diverse group of employees to act as a cohort, particu- larly when doubling in size, without a glitch is simply an unrealistic expectation. It takes skillful teambuilding, training and work-force plan- ning to do it right. USAID is undergoing the strains and stresses of rapid expansion, learning curves and cultural clashes. In the long run, I have no doubt that the struggles to address the concerns on all sides will pay off. As long as it strives to remain the premier U.S. overseas development agency, and keeps the lines of communication open, At USAID, Sixty-Plus is the New Forty Dear AFSA, After re-entering the For- eign Service as an FS-limited appointee in December 2011, I had the privilege of work- ing at the U.S. Agency for International Development mission in Islamabad for 15 months. It was one of the highest-pressure environ- ments I have been in, par- ticularly given regular State Department and congressio- nal involvement in influenc- ing funding decisions. This might be expected for the second-largest civilian assis- tance program in the world, but kept me wondering how much real authority USAID retains in directing assis- tance flows.    Despite these frustrations, there were many rewards to working in Pakistan, but one struck me as especially important. Most of those pictured here have accrued decades of oversees experi- ence. Indeed, roughly a third of U.S. staff, direct-hire or contracted, are 60 years old or more. I find this significant for several reasons.    First, it indicates the bene- fits and uniqueness of experi- ence. The officers shown here spent most of their careers in the developing world, dealing with instability and transi- tions in many countries. Our presence here reflects how many of us are drawn to these difficult places, where Sixty-Plus continued on page 53 ACT I VE AFTER ACT I VE- DUTY USAID is undergoing the strains and stresses of rapid expansion, learning curves and cultural clashes. then USAID will see its way through these growing pains. But this requires employees who are willing to learn from each other, admit fault when wrong, and adapt to chang- ing conditions and demands. “Everything works out in the end; if it’s not all right, it’s not the end,” to paraphrase a quote from the movie, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” USAID has made great strides in returning to its rightful place in global development leadership by strengthening its For- eign Service numbers, but the real work in adjusting to this growth and mov- ing forward in strength is happening now. I look forward to hearing about your experiences, ideas and concerns, so please contact me at swayne@usaid.gov or (202) 712-1631. n