The Foreign Service Journal, October 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2021 21 CRS Reviews State Department Personnel Issues T he Congressional Research Service has issued a 37-page report highlight- ing a series of State Department personnel issues it recommends for consideration by the 117th Congress. The report, “State Department Person- nel: Background and Selected Issues for the 117th Congress,” notes that the Biden administration has indicated its commit- ment “to revitalizing the foreign policy workforce.” The report highlights the history of congressional involvement overseeing the Foreign Service, reviews State Department staffing levels and highlights options Con- gress might pursue to improve staffing. The report outlines options Congress could pursue to improve training for State Department personnel, including hiring enough new Foreign Service officers—at least 2,000—to create a “training float” of 15 percent above the level required to staff all State positions, or passing laws institut- ing training requirements for FSOs. The CRS report also reviews ambas- sadorial vacancies and suggests options Congress could pursue to increase the speed at which ambassadors are approved, such as reducing the number of positions for which the Senate is required to provide advice and consent. At the same time, however, the report notes that “some may caution Congress against taking such steps” and recom- mend that the Senate “should closely guard its current prerogatives” outlined in the Constitution. The report is available at bit.ly/ crs-state-report. AFSPA afspa.org/aip Clements Worldwide clements.com/MissionsAbroad Falcons Landing FalconsLanding.org Federal Employee Defense Services fedsprotection.com Promax Property Management Promaxmanagement.com Property Specialists, Inc. propertyspecialistsinc.com Richey Property Management richeypm.com Senior Living Foundation slfoundation.org Starr Wright USA swu.insure/FSJ WJD Management wjdpm.com NMAD Introduces Historical Diplomacy Simulation Program T he National Museum of American Diplomacy launched its Historical Diplomacy Simulation Program in June. The three new simulations offer educators the opportunity to bring the work of U.S. diplomats into the classroom. The Historical Diplomacy Simulation is a joint project with the Una Chapman Cox Foundation’s initiative on American Diplomacy and the Foreign Service. The program was developed along with partners National History Day and George Mason University’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and NewMedia. The program offers three simulations: • The Barbary Pirates Hostage Crisis: Negotiating Tribute and Trade • The Spanish and American Conflict of 1898: Treaties and Self-Determination • The Suez Canal Crisis: National Sovereignty vs. International Access to Waterways NMAD also offers several hypothetical diplomacy simulations, on topics such as international wildlife trafficking, peacebuilding, crisis in the oceans and border security. The simulations are available at https://diplomacy.state.gov/discover-diplomacy/ simulations.