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5 Enhancing Organizational and Personnel Capabilities
Pages 73-94

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From page 73...
... THE CURRENT WORKFORCE The department has 72,000 employees, including 14,000 Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) , 11,000 civil servants, and 35,000 Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs)
From page 74...
... Chapter 1 identifies early steps taken by the department in response to several of the 12 major recommendations of the 1999 report, including those concerning organizational and human resource issues; and this chapter expands and updates that discussion. Among the organizational actions that were promptly taken by the department after the release of the 1999 report was the establishment of the Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary (STAS)
From page 75...
... advise the Secretary of State, through the appropriate Under Secretary of State, on international science and technology matters affecting the foreign policy of the United States; and (2) perform such duties, exercise such powers, and have such rank and status as the Secretary of State shall prescribe.
From page 76...
... STAS has effectively managed the AAAS and Jefferson Fellows programs, but this committee has no basis for commenting on accountability for expenditures of funds. Extensive informal feedback indicates deep satisfaction throughout the department with the performance over the years of AAAS Fellows.
From page 77...
... Given the foregoing, STAS has much greater potential to be a catalyst for bringing S&T considerations into the mainstream of foreign policy formulation and implementation. Recommendations in that regard are offered throughout this report and consolidated in Chapter 6.
From page 78...
... , two civil service positions (Deputy S&T Adviser and Administrative Specialist) , one FSO, two AAAS Fellows, one Franklin Fellow, and one paid graduate student intern.
From page 79...
... The designees often have a primary responsibility for coordination of all public diplomacy activities throughout the regional bureaus, and public diplomacy activities frequently have important S&T dimensions.
From page 80...
... 80 FIGURE 5-1 Units reporting to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. The Office of Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State were added to this figure to reflect the recommendation of the committee to provide the S&T Adviser with status equivalent to an Assistant Secretary.
From page 81...
... FIGURE 5-2 Organization of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES)
From page 82...
... In short, the current organizational structure within the department consolidates selected types of technical expertise in functional bureaus and helps ensure that the country-oriented bureaus have access to S&T expertise when needed. This report offers four organizational recommendations for continuing to strengthen the department's capabilities for drawing on S&T capabilities from within and outside the government on a regular basis.
From page 83...
... As to a senior science adviser with responsibility for all S&T activities, there are so many bureaus and offices with deeply rooted S&T activities -- based on legislative authorities and/or on well-proven departmental practices -- that funneling all S&T related issues
From page 84...
... In addition, functional bureaus and offices of the department have been drawing on a more frequent basis than in the past on technical personnel from private entities that are under contract with the department for support for specific activities requiring expertise that is not readily available within the department. The bureaus of the department that have primary responsibility for defenserelated issues have many experts addressing a wide range of S&T issues.
From page 85...
... They include the importance of ensuring that policies and programs related to recruitment, training, employment, leadership, retention, and career development of foreign service and civil service personnel give appropriate weight to the department's needs for special S&T skills. Also, there has been a widespread impression within the department that assignments of FSOs with S&T interests to functional bureaus may slow promotion opportunities in competition with colleagues working in regional bureaus, which control overseas assignments.
From page 86...
... Consults on scientific and technical aspects of forest carbon measurements and monitoring for SilvaCarbon, an interagency program on forest carbon. SilvaCarbon is also involved in implementation of the U.S.
From page 87...
... While career planning is the responsibility of individual FSOs, the department has 60 full-time career counselors who are prepared to work with interested FSOs in charting desired and feasible career patterns. But the department's Bureau of Human Resources notes that important advice for early and mid-career FSOs seeking to combine their interests in S&T and foreign policy can often be provided by more senior FSOs who have succeeded in this regard.
From page 88...
... backgrounds, interests in foreign affairs, and hiring preferences in competitions for civil service positions to seek permanent employment opportunities at the department; and (c) create new pathways for Jefferson Fellows to continue to respond to the department's needs for their S&T skills after they complete their commitments of permanent assignments in Washington of one academic year.
From page 89...
... As the need for more S&T-trained FSOs and Civil Servants continues to increase, the department should conduct an in-depth evaluation of the AAAS program, as previously noted, which might provide a persuasive basis for expanding the program. Presidential Management Fellows The government-wide program that sponsors an annual cadre of about 400 Presidential Management Fellows for service in a variety of departments and agencies has received approval for a pilot effort that will include in the cadre 50 Fellows with STEM degrees who are interested in government service.
From page 90...
... In short, broad generalizations in this area are no longer authoritative, if they ever were. EXPANDED ROLE FOR THE FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE Recommendation 5-6 Beginning with the recruitment of new FSOs and civil servants, the department should take advantage of the many opportunities to help them appreciate the integral role of S&T in the development and implementation of foreign policy and international programs of growing importance.
From page 91...
... 4. Briefings of new ESTH officers at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI)
From page 92...
... A byproduct of a successful pilot project that reached out to the broad analytical community could be increased recognition of the importance of the linkages of educational, research, and operational activities. An example of a successful approach in linking analytical research and pedagogy is the activity at the Combating Terrorism Center, co-located with the Department of Social Sciences at West Point.
From page 93...
... By taking advantage of such efforts in developing programs of the department, a realistic goal should be professional development opportunities for every department employee wherever located. END NOTES Department of State.
From page 94...
... Available at http://oig.state.gov/system/files/ 124796.pdf. Kennedy, Patrick, Undersecretary for Management of the Department, May 1, 2015, Public Comments to Retirees on Foreign Affairs Day, May 1, 2015.


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