The Foreign Service Journal, December 2005

Dividends of Proposed Reforms Employees should be proactive in planning their careers, but the system must facilitate the efforts of individ- ual employees to develop and imple- ment reasonable plans. I would like to see a frank and open discussion of the assignments system. Manage- ment should brainstorm with the Foreign Service on possible improve- ments, vet all the options with an open discussion of merits and disad- vantages of various schemes put for- ward, and select a way forward from among the available options. The reforms to the assignments system that I propose would correct long-standing inequities in the system that have disadvantaged certain cones and created disincentives for employ- ees to meet service needs by serving in hardship tours. Dual cones, pref- erences for out-of-cone bidders and Individual Development Plans are ways to enhance employee morale and job satisfaction by giving all offi- cers a realistic chance to serve in sev- eral generalist functions. Those offi- cers who demonstrate their commit- ment to meeting service needs through a series of tough assignments would be favored for promotion and for the most desirable assignments. Real incentives for hardship service should encourage bids on such jobs, providing the department with a robust selection of qualified and motivated candidates. Moreover, these reforms would facilitate the Career Development Program’s fundamental purpose: training and developing a cadre of officers with broad experience com- peting for promotion to the Senior Foreign Service. n Camille Hill, an FSO since 1991, has served in Sao Paulo, Lagos, Douala, Tunis, Beirut and Washington. She is currently refugee coordinator in Baghdad. 20 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 5 S P E A K I N G O U T u