AFSA USAID Vice President Update: June 6, 2006

Here is your update from USAID Vice President Bill Carter. Please send any comments and questions to wcarter@usaid.gov

One lesson from the Enron trial may be that even the smartest guys in the room can go to jail.

1. Tenure Evaluation Form (TEF): These forms are due in HR by the end of the week. So far, approximately 40 out of 67 forms have been submitted, so there is still work to be done. Tenure Boards will be convening in early July. Please do not "accidentally overlook" this form or submit it late. All completed, signed and scanned TEFs must be submitted to M/HR/EPM, Darren Shanks, via e-mail attachment, no later than Friday, June 9, 2006.

2. More on Operating Expenses (OE): Last week AFSA and others attended a meeting designed to explain an OE chart from a recent Senior Staff meeting. The chart showed that the OE to program ratio was supposedly the highest in 30 years. Intuitively, AFSA questions how this can be the case when attrition is outstripping hiring, when the training budget is being slashed, when the student loans repayment program is on hold and when awards and bonuses are threatened. The consensus from the meeting was that more analysis needed to be done and a better metric found.

3. Change of Address: On June 5, an initial 49 USAID employees, mostly from PPC, were relocated to the Harry S. Truman Building. These employees have been dedicated to the Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance (S/F). The USAID-State Agreement regarding the move indicated that this deployment is for an initial 120 days, but can be amended, extended or terminated. AFSA will be keeping an eye on any issues that may arise from this move.

4. Performance Boards: Since May 30, the USAID Performance Boards have been hard at work poring over the Foreign Service evaluation files.

5. Your Money - An Update: The House and the Senate look ready to fight over the proposed federal pay raise to be enacted in January 2007. The Senate is amenable to sticking to the proposed White House figure of 2.2%, while a House appropriations committee has entered a 2.7% pay raise proposal into the FY07 Transportation-Treasury appropriations bill. We will follow this as it chugs along through the legislative process.

6. Honoring American Diplomats: On May 30, the U.S. Postal Service released a new series of stamps depicting American diplomats. The collection, entitled "Distinguished American Diplomats," honor the following Foreign Service Officers: Hiram Bingham IV, while serving as a diplomat in France during World War II, defied official U.S. policy by issuing visas that saved the lives of more than 2,000 Jews and other refugees. Frances E. Willis was the first female Foreign Service Officer to rise through the ranks to become an ambassador, and the first woman to be named a Career Ambassador. Robert D. Murphy, a skilled troubleshooter, played a key role in facilitating the Allied invasion of North Africa during World War II, and later served as Ambassador to Japan and Under Secretary of State. Clifton R. Wharton, Sr., the first African American Foreign Service Officer, was also the first African American diplomat to lead an American mission to a European country (Romania). Charles E. Bohlen, a renowned expert on the Soviet Union, helped to shape foreign policy during World War II and the Cold War. He was present at key wartime meetings with the Soviets, and served as Ambassador in Moscow during the 1950s. Philip C. Habib used his diplomatic skills in some of the world's most dangerous flash points. Habib was an authority on Southeast Asia, a peace negotiator in the Middle East, and a special envoy to Central America. We hope you will contribute to making this set a best seller, as the USPS decision to print additional series full depends upon the success of this one.

7. At Your Service: The AFSA staff is always ready to be called on, so if you're in the neighborhood you should visit us at RRB 2.10-C. I'm always available by phone at 202-712-0677 or by e-mail at wcarter@usaid.gov. Senior Labor Management Advisor Doug Broome is now on his part-time summer schedule, but he's always available to speak with any comers. Doug is at 202-712-0947 or dbroome@usaid.gov. The AFSA/USAID number is 202-712-1941, while the AFSA HQ number is 202-338-4045.