The bill aims for a more professional diplomatic corps, with a clear link between required employee training and promotional opportunities and assignments. Image: 72westy/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffLanguage to better focus State Department training courses, methods and programs toward qualifying foreign service employees for promotional opportunities and assignments was included in the DoD authorization bill that is awaiting President Biden’s signature.
The provisions further would establish a position to serve as the principal director of training and academic programs across all disciplines within the department; create a financial incentive for diplomats to retain their fluency in critical foreign languages when they move to other posts; and create two new bodies to provide advice and recommendations on issues including training and career development.
Sponsors said the language “will foster a more professional diplomatic corps, with a clear link between required employee training and promotional opportunities and assignments. It establishes a new Board of Visitors of experienced national security and diplomatic professionals that will serve to offer recommendations to improve and modernize the Foreign Service Institute, as well as adding requirements for expanded trainings in press freedom, climate issue and commercial diplomacy – critical issues for engaging with foreign audiences.”
They further will establish an independent legislative commission “to examine all aspects of American diplomacy and identify areas for improvement and modernization in the organizational structure, personnel, facilities, and policy of the State Department and make recommendations to the President and Congress,” they said.
The provisions further lengthen from one to three years a “cooling off” period during which certain former Senate-confirmed officials cannot represent foreign governments before the U.S. government.
The language is part of a State Department authorization bill that had cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and that was attached, along with numerous other provisions, to the defense bill, considered a “must-pass” measure for Congress.
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