184. Action Memorandum From the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Personnel (Barnes) and the Director of the Foreign Service Institute (Boeker) to the Under Secretary of State for Management (Read)1
SUBJECT
- Implementation of Career Development and Training Package
The President’s favorable decision on inclusion of the career development and training package in the proposed budget for FY ’82 takes us past the critical test we initially saw as clearing the way for implementation of the proposal (in particular for scheduling the mid-level program and assigning people to it). The transition team has indicated that the career development and training package is likely to survive [Page 736] the new Administration’s review of the FY ’82 budget. Therefore, while we should give the new Administration2 the final word on this multi-year program, we do not want to forego any steps that are required to make full implementation possible on schedule in FY ’82. This requires some resource decisions now.
In light of these considerations and our discussion of them December 16,3 our plan for implementation would be the following:
December ’80
—in the current assignment cycle designate 50–60 tenured O-6s and O-5s (with a minimum of 10 from each cone) for a first run of the mid-level program beginning in September ’81; we would simultaneously do a cable to the field on the nature and objectives of the mid-level program within the context of our broader professional development goals.
—provide FSI (from reprogramming within the Department) the 11 staff positions needed to complete development of the mid-level program by September as well as $154,000 for development costs in the second quarter.
—assign sufficient FSS personnel to new FAST language courses to achieve some overall increase in FSS language training (even though new training positions will not be available until FY ’82). We have discussed a target of 40 staff people each quarter for language training, compared to about 30 at present, but the actual level will depend on what gaps prove tolerable on the line.
February, March ’81
—if this has not been done earlier, get a final decision from the new Secretary on the plan in general and the September mid-level program in particular (if this is negative we would cancel or postpone the program and reassign the officers concerned).
May ’81
—report to the Congress on implementation of the entire program and resources needed for FY ’82 and ’83, as required by the Foreign Service Act of 1980, with intensive, continuing consultations with the Hill on the whole program.
[Page 737]September ’81
—mid-level course begins (if the new Secretary has approved).
October ’81
—further increase assignments of FSS personnel to language training when the Congress acts on the budget, allowing establishment of training positions.
January ’82
—senior threshold management training begins as a two-part program offered every quarter for 75 FSO-3s annually (in separate two-week and three-week segments). This is our tentative thinking at this stage.
—second run of mid-level program for 75 FSO-5s, with course repeated every 6 months thereafter, starting in January and July/August.
If you agree, FSI will need 11 positions now (described in the attachment)4 to complete the staff required to develop and launch the mid-level program, as well as $154,000 over and above our continuing resolution level to continue development through the second (January–March) quarter. (The additional funds needed in the third and fourth quarters, $122,000 and $45,000 respectively, will bring the total within the estimates we provided to the PPG last summer.) The 11 positions are all ones included in the 119 for the FY ’82 budget and are, therefore, an advance of that portion of FSI’s ’82 requirements. The positions are listed and described in the attachment.
Recommendations
That you approve immediate reprogramming of 11 staff positions to FSI.
Approve5Disapprove
That you approve an increase in FSI’s second quarter allotment of $154,000 over the continuing resolution level, for continuing development of the mid-level program.
ApproveDisapprove6
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of the Under Secretary for Management (M), 1980, Box 8, Chron December 22–31, 1980. No classification marking. Drafted by Paul Boeker on December 17. Read wrote at the top of the memorandum: “OK, 9 new positions. BR 12/31.” A typed notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “12/31—Approved.”↩
- Ronald Reagan was elected President on November 4.↩
- No minutes of the meeting were found.↩
- Attached but not printed.↩
- Read changed the number of positions to 9 and checked the “Approve” line. His initials are stamped beside the check mark.↩
- Read did not check either option, writing “N/A” in the adjacent margin.↩