Other American schools

Bentley School of Accounting & Finance Mary-of-the-Woods College

EXHIBIT VII

A CAREER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

(Department of State Paper, 1963, Supplied to the Subcommittee by Deputy Under Secretary of State Crockett)

From the Report of the Secretary of State Public Committee on Personnel, June 1954

"If the Department's management of the Foreign Service is fully to meet the demands of present conditions, there must be a fundamental reorientation in both its thinking and structure. It must, in the process of reestablishing itself more firmly in the context of American domestic policy and thinking, also open its ranks to a large number of people with a high degree of specialization in other than the general practice of diplomacy.

"It should be a major premise of any career development plan that every form of specialization is of value to the Government; that there should be equal opportunities for advancement within all career situations; and that specialists should have confidence that, while their careers will tend to center upon their specialities, they will be given equal opportunity to broaden their experience into other appropriate fields."

From Personnel for the New Diplomacy, December 1962

"The variety of professional skills required for the conduct of foreign affairs is in direct proportion to the greatly increased scope, complexity, and magnitude of the U.S. role in foreign affairs. Unless the need for specialized competences is fully recognized, especially in initial selection of personnel and in their subsequent assignment, promotion, development, and training, our successes may be more than matched by our failures. It is particularly important that the foreign affairs agencies draw on the best professional resources of the United States and that professional skills not readily obtainable on the outside be nurtured and strengthened by imaginative in-service programs of training and development."

At many different times and in a variety of ways, the Department's managers have, since the end of World War II, attempted to improve the caliber of the Foreign Service. The time has arrived when we should consolidate the gains, assess our present status and undertake further refinements to strengthen the Service.

An objective analysis of the current Foreign Service indicates the availability of a large number of specialists. This is not surprising in light of the everincreasing complexity of foreign affairs. The fact is and will remain that the preponderance of positions in the Foreign Service can only be adequately filled by men and women with considerable specialized experience and training.

The same analysis will also reveal that to some extent the existing specialization has developed by accident rather than design. Considerably more attention must be devoted to the development of both required specialists, and officers who are competent in two or more functional fields. This is the basic objective of the career management program.

This program incorporates the following features:

(a) A well-conceived, individually tailored career development program for each Foreign Service employee.

(b) A recruitment program which recognized the role of specialization in the Foreign Service.

(c) The establishment of a number of well defined career management fields: administration, commercial, consular, economic, labor, political as well as area and language and a large number of highly technical skills.

(d) The vigorous development of the Foreign Service Staff Corps as envisaged by FAMC 48 of February 14, 1962, to provide broader career opportunities for officers in certain specialized and technical fields. (See annex 1.)

(e) A greater emphasis on training in general and selected training for specific assignments.

(f) Continued emphasis on the rotational assignment features of the junior

officer program.

(g) A promotion system modified to reflect the new emphasis on specialization. (See annex 2.)

(h) Decreased emphasis on time-in-grade requirement as a basis for selection-out at higher grades.

(i) A manpower planning system which will project requirements by career fields at various grade levels.

The establishment of career management fields contemplates the interchange of personnel among functional areas as it is essential for most personnel to have some experience in fields other than their areas of specialization. (See annex 3.) The performance of those officers who move from a narrow specialty to a broader career field will be judged by the more exacting standards of the versatile group with which they will then compete.

At the same time the concept of career fields accommodates the need of the Service for a large number of specialists. It recognizes that officers may have satisfying careers in the Service by devoting a preponderance of their employment to one career field. By enabling officers to compete for promotions with their functional colleagues, it tends to mitigate any inequities that the current system may include. The functional specialist may therefore, if he desires and is capable of sustained adequate performance, look forward to a challenging, rewarding and satisfying career in the career field for which he is best suited.

ANNEX 1

FOREIGN SERVICE STAFF OFFICERS

Foreign Affairs Manual Circular No. 48 of February 14, 1962, stated the Department's policy with respect to the appointment and conditions of service of Foreign Service Staff officers. The significance of this policy was its recognition of the need for a body of Staff officers, complementary to Foreign Service officers and Foreign Service Reserve officers, to provide depth, stability, and continuity, as well as technical skills, to the Service as a whole. It should remove any doubts which may have arisen in recent years due to the frequent changes in policy with respect to Staff officers and Staff officer positions in the Service. What remains to be done is the inauguration of a program for a strong, well-qualified body of Staff officers.

It has been decided that the Department will rely largely on Foreign Service Staff officers to fill overseas positions in certain specialized consular and administrative fields such as passports, visas, protection and welfare, special consular services, general services, communications, budget, fiscal and disbursing, personnel, security, and other special technical services. This will require a positive and comprehensive program for the recruiting, training, and career management of Staff officers. This program will be similar to the existing program for Foreign Service officers.

Recruiting

There will be three principal sources for recruitment of Foreign Service Staff officers:

1. The college and university level.-A number of colleges and universities offer courses of study in fields which are excellent background and training for the specialties to be staffed by Staff officers, e.g., accounting and statistics, business and public administration, personnel management. Regular studies in liberal arts, social sciences and prelaw provide a good background for further training and work in the consular specialties.

The Office of Personnel, in conjunction with appropriate colleges and universities, will undertake a positive program to develop interest in careers as Foreign Service Staff officers. Candidates will be carefully selected on the basis of scholastic record, motivation, and suitability for the Foreign Service and such examinations as may be appropriate. There will be close consultation with college and university faculties about individual candidates. Appointment as a Foreign Service Staff officer will be made by the Department under the authority of the Foreign Service Act.

2. The Department and other Government agencies.-Civil service personnel in the Department of other Government agencies will continue to