The Foreign Service Journal, November 2005

6 AFSA NEWS • NOVEMBER 2005 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% NO YES Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Promotion panels place too much emphasis on service at danger and greater hardship posts instead of the quality of performance, wherever performed. 20% 37% 37% 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% NO YES While all FS members should be worldwide-available, there should be more flexibility in granting waivers of the 6/8-year rule for people who have compelling personal reasons to remain in Washington. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree (9 / 34 / 40 / 17) 9% 34% 40% 17% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% NO YES Overseas locality pay is an important financial benefit that AFSA should pursue vigorously. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree 69% 26% 1% 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% NO YES Per-diem rates for long-term TDY in the Washington, D.C., area are inadequate and should be modified. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree (44 / 39 / 16 / 1) 39% 44% 16% 1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% NO YES AFSA should press for action to increase employment opportunities for family members overseas. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree 69% (28 / 55 / 15 / 3) 15% 2% 55% 28% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% NO YES At a time when we have more unaccompanied posts than ever, AFSA should work to get the Separate Maintenance Allowance significantly increased. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree (36 / 52 / 11 / 1) 36% 52% 11% 1% 8,000-member target group. Respond- ents, who came fromvirtually every over- seas post and every domestic bureau, broke down as follows: • Overseas: 71 percent • Domestic: 29 percent • FS generalists: 67 percent • FS specialists: 33 percent Respondents were asked to rank order priorities for AFSA. The survey revealed clearly what State active-duty members want AFSA’s top four priorities to be, in the following order: 1. Lobbying for overseas locality pay and better benefits. 2. Fighting for fairness in assign- ments/promotions. 3. Assistingmemberswithindividual labor-managementproblems, concerns, inequities,disciplinaryissues,grievances, etc. 4. Defending the reputation of the professional ForeignService and its role in the foreign policy-making process. Other AFSA activities, such as publish- ing the Foreign Service Journal and pro- viding services such as scholarships, awards and insurance, are also important to themembership, but constitute a some- what lower priority. On the major specific issues of con- cern to the Foreign Service, the poll revealed mostly unequivocal consensus views—but some differences of opinion as well — as illustrated in the accompa- nying graphs. Overseas comparability (locality) pay remains “an important benefit which AFSA should pursue vigorously,” accord- ing to95percent of respondents. Increasing the Separate Maintenance Allowance, Washington-area per-diem rates, and employment opportunities for family members overseas all receivedhighmarks. Some 70percent believe that AFSAshould challenge unqualified political appointees at all levels. Evenmore interesting than these target- ed questions on key high-profile issues, however, are theoftenelaborate comments entered by nearly 1,000 respondents on Survey • Continued from page 1