The Foreign Service Journal, December 2004

N o poetry here, just some stark prose prompted by sev- eral recent situations that make it clear to us that we need to reiterate a few fundamental lessons having to dowith financialmanagement and ethics. It is also an almost- purely selfish effort to lighten our own future workload. So, consider this your refresher course on some of the knowledge youweremeant to ingest during your earliest days as a fresh-faced New Entry Professional or International Development Intern. Wehere atUSAIDcarry added responsibilities incomparisonwith someof our coun- terparts at other foreign affairs agencies in thatmost of usmanage substantial resources, of both the financial and material kind. Scrupulous adherence to the stewardship of and fiduciary responsibilities for these resources ismore than just important; it is absolute- ly necessary. This means taking personal responsibility, not delegating it toothers, such as a Foreign ServiceNational or a contractor. Ultimately, it will be your signature on any document that you submit. For instance, if youneed to sign a voucher for project expen- ditures or personal travel, youmustmake sure that the amounts andall supporting informa- tion are correct. Time pressures and shoddy past practices are not valid excuses formis- takes. Any lapses in proper procedure and good judgment may lead to a letter of rep- rimand or — even worse — to separation. Whenever a potential conflict of interest arises, or even the appearance of a conflict of interest, the safe and wise thing to do is to recuse yourself. In some cases, especial- ly involving the possible employment of a familymember, youmay be tempted toover- step proper bounds and exert pressure or influence over the outcome. In these cases, an arm’s length is rarely far enough. Whenever you bump up against a sensitive case like this, please err on the side of caution. Similarly, on the security front, vigilance ismore important than ever, aswe all know. The safetyof our colleagues and familiesmaybe at stake. Despite briefings by the region- al security officer upon arrival at post, we at AFSAhave seen toomany instances of offi- cers not heeding security advice andguidance. As a consequence, theseofficers—almost without fail—face serious problems, often leading to curtailment, reprimand and sep- aration. Any kind of security lapse — including inappropriate contacts and mishan- dling of or carelessness with classified documents—can lead to the revocation of one’s security clearance. Finally, I would be remiss, as the holiday season approaches, if I did not mention one further issue that often seems to confuse people: the ethics of receiving gifts. Please be aware of the limitations on the value of gifts that federal employeesmay accept. The general rule is that employeesmay not accept food, refreshments, entertainment or any other thing of value from a prohibited source or from a person or entity offering the gift because of the employee’s position. A “prohibited source” includes any person or entity seeking or doing businesswith theUSAID. Sorry if this columnmakesme sound like a grinch, but, after all, it is Christmas. I wish you all well in this season of the yule- tide bell. Happy holidays from all of us here at AFSA/AID! ▫ V.P. VOICE: USAID BY BILL CARTER The Importance of Being Honest 4 AFSA NEWS • DECEMBER 2004 release following the death of Ed Seitz: “We are deeply saddened by the death of StateDepartment Special Agent Edward Seitz, who was killed in a rocket attack Oct. 24 in Iraq. This brutal terrorist attack underlines themortal dangers facedby the men and women of the U.S. Foreign Servicewhoareworking toestablishoppor- tunity and freedomfor the people of Iraq, and advance our nation’s vital interests around the globe. Onbehalf of all his col- leagues, I extendmy heartfelt condolences and prayers to Mr. Seitz’s family,” states John W. Limbert, president of the American Foreign Service Association. “AFSA recognizes that it is impossible toprovide 100-percent protection for our personnel who staff the front lines of Americandiplomacy. Since the 1998East Africa embassy bombings, in which 224 died (including 53 U.S. government employees), progress has been made in bringingouroverseas embassies, consulates andothermissionsup tosecurity standards, but much work remains to be done. “We strongly encourage the govern- ment to review the security arrangements protecting our dedicated colleagues, and toprovide themthe fullestmeasureof pro- tection possible.” The AFSA statement was quoted by numerous media sources, including AP, CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Times . ▫ Iraq Security • Continued from page 1 This brutal terrorist attack underlines the mortal dangers faced by the men and women of the U.S. Foreign Service who are working to establish opportunity and freedom for the people of Iraq, and advance our nation’s vital interests around the globe. Whenever a potential conflict of interest arises, the safe and wise thing to do is to recuse yourself.