The Foreign Service Journal, November 2011

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 fice of the Secretary of State and the personal influence on Capitol Hill of Secretary Clinton. The QDDR was announced in mid-2009 with a target for publication at the end of 2009. However, the release date was repeatedly postponed, so the report was not pub- lished until December 2010. The “back story” for the de- lays is widely believed to be the reopening of the debate between the “whole of government” proponents (the Sec- retary and her advisers) and some development practi- tioners (including some USAID personnel) and various supporters. In the end, the QDDR did what it was supposed to do. It spotlighted the tough issues, leading to decisions that are now being promulgated. In early 2011, there was a lull in the process. Since April, however, 19 separate commit- tees in State and USAID have been working on QDDR implementation. Principal QDDR Action Items • Enhancing the role of chiefs of mission . As Sec. Clinton states in her cover letter for the QDDR report, the reforms begin with the “chiefs of mission in our em- bassies around the world,” who will be given the tools to serve as “chief executive officers of multiagency missions.” These will include enhancing their training, empowering them to contribute to the evaluation of all post personnel, and engaging them more fully in policymaking back in Washington. The Foreign Affairs Council strongly supports this ini- tiative and the reforms discussed below and will assist in achieving them, particularly where legislation is required. •Development concentrations. The U.S. govern- ment will focus its efforts in six development areas: food se- curity, global health, global climate change, sustainable economic growth, democracy and governance, and hu- manitarian assistance. •Making USAID the premier development agency. The U.S. Agency for International Development is immediately vested with responsibility for food security programs and will lead global health initiatives pending C OVER S TORY