The Foreign Service Journal, December 2018

38 DECEMBER 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL All the while, FSNs continued to contribute local expertise to add to the agency’s overall credibility when partnering with host countries. FSNs with technical, financial, procurement, manage- ment and human resources skills have helped set up missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan and other countries, and have helped to train and mentor new FSOs, as well. Mohammed Yas- sein, a former FSN fromUSAID/Jordan who participated in one of the 2005 regional conferences, believes USAID’s response to the Arab Spring illustrates the value and expertise of FSNs who continue to work under dire circumstances, even after Americans are evacuated. When Rajiv Shah was appointed USAID Administrator in 2010, he immediately asked about the composition of the agency’s workforce. He said he was struck by howmuch of its mission was carried out by FSNs. In 2012 a global FSN conference involved brainstorming sessions on framing the relationship between management and the FSN workforce. One output was a global conference in November 2013, with every USAIDmission repre- sented, to explore the issues, concerns and creative ideas of the FSN workforce. As Abdul Sumara of USAID/Angola said, that was a groundbreaking “conference for FSNs by FSNs.” I didn’t attend the 2013 conference, but I understand it was a powerful gathering. The FSNs there asked for full recognition of their skills and competencies; they stressed the importance of hav- ing leadership roles in their missions and of having their leader- ship skills developed. FSNs also pinpointed the importance of the orientation between both American and FSN hires in the working environment and called for reconsideration of the Local Compen- The council is tasked with representing FSN views, ideas and concerns and promoting better understanding of, and engagement in, USAID operations and programmatic policy. Pictured from left to right are Shehla Rizwan, the 2017 Professional FSN of the Year; USAID Administrator Mark Green; Yooku Ata-Bedu, one of six 2017 Distinguished FSN Award recipients; and Linda Quamar, the 2017 Administrative FSN of the Year. USAID