The Foreign Service Journal, November 2010

12 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 O ver the next decade, our country’s most important na- tional security missions will continue to include helping countries like Iraq and Afghanistan create effec- tive democratic institutions. Other- wise, these countries are likely to revert to authoritarian rule, or even worse, become failed states — breeding grounds and base camps for Islamist extremism and the terrorism it gener- ates. This critical mission is the responsi- bility of the State Department, which carries it out in Iraq and Afghanistan through Provincial Reconstruction Teams. Modest in size, and staffed by military personnel alongside civilians largely hired from outside the depart- ment, these teams have had mixed suc- cess. The future of the PRT program is uncertain: while they will continue to operate throughout Afghanistan, all PRTs in Iraq will be closed by the end of 2011, and key functions will be transferred to two embassy branch of- fices and two consulates. Regardless of whether they continue to be a sig- nificant part of our diplomatic and de- velopment arsenal, there are many lessons to be drawn from these exper- iments in nationbuilding. These in- sights are relevant not just to those involved with Provincial Reconstruc- tion Teams, but also to employees of the U.S. Agency for International De- velopment and the State Department’s Office of the Coordinator for Recon- struction and Stabilization, including the nascent Civilian Response Corps. The main lesson is that we have failed far too often to staff these teams with qualified and effective personnel. To rectify this shortcoming, we must recruit the “best and brightest,” pre- pare them for the job, and provide the leadership they need to succeed. Proactive Recruitment Needed Nationbuilding requires a wide range of specific technical expertise (e.g., public management, business de- velopment, engineering, the rule of law). It also calls for consulting, cross- cultural and diplomatic skills. More- over, those who engage in this work represent our country in direct and lasting ways in some of the most strate- gically important places in the world. Put simply, the job requires a deep and diverse set of skills, yet the current re- cruitment process is not consistently attracting the requisite talent. First of all, the process is largely passive. There is little or no head- hunting or proactive outreach, so ap- plicants hear about the jobs primarily through word of mouth and Web searches. There is also insufficient screening of applicants. They complete a ques- tionnaire detailing their credentials as part of an application process con- ducted via www.usajobs.gov , but there are few in-person interviews to verify their experience and gauge interper- sonal, cross-cultural and diplomatic skills, or to explore their motivations. (It was clear to me and many of my col- leagues in Iraq that money was the principal driver for many applicants.) Recommendations are required, but the candidates select individuals to submit them. Once candidates make it through the process, they are assigned to a PRT with only limited prior engagement with that team’s leadership — even though work in such incredibly de- manding environments calls for strong team chemistry and cohesion. Employing regionally based teams of recruiters, who proactively recruit, screen and interview candidates via a Making Provincial Reconstruction Teams More Effective B Y P ATRICIA T HOMSON S PEAKING O UT State must recruit the “best and brightest” for PRTs, prepare them for the job, and provide the leadership they need to succeed.