1. GREETINGS from AFSA FCS VP Donald Businger and Representative Stephen Anderson: As we prepare for the summer transition and PCS moves as SCOs to Bern Switzerland and Dublin, Ireland, respectively, we are working under difficult circumstances to wrap up unfinished business.

2. SURVEY RESULTS FROM JANUARY 2008: After waiting to brief management on our findings, we decided to post the results as originally presented to OIO DAS. A powerpoint presentation and pdf file with the raw data can be found on the AFSA website under current issues (http://www.afsa.org/FCS/) as well attached below. We found that Commercial Officers fully support AFSA’s number one priority of getting legislation for comparability or locality pay for FS-01s and below, and back FCS AFSA’s issues with the bidding and assignment system and domestic assignments to USEACs (the 7-year rule).

3. ASSIGNMENTS UPDATE: AFSA VP AND REP POSITION OPEN: As noted in AFSANETs of December 21 and January 4, the AFSA VP position was never placed on the FCS bidding system and all likely candidates have been assigned to other positions, so there is risk of it becoming vacant from July 15, 2008 until the next election. Once the current VP resigns to take up his 2008 assignment, the AFSA Board would appoint any qualified available and interested successor. Basic qualifications are that the officer: (a) be located within 50 miles of Washington, D.C. to be available for Board meetings; (b) not be in an FCS management position; and (c) be able to spend at least 50 percent of his/her time on AFSA duties. In addition, the AFSA rep position will be available to qualified and interested officers. The only requirements are that the officer: (a) be located within 50 miles of Washington, D.C. and (b) not be in an FCS management position; and (c) be able to spend only from 10-20 percent of his/her time on AFSA duties. Please send any expressions of interest for either position to the current VP and AFSA Rep as soon as possible.

4. SUMMER CONSULTATIONS AND TRAININGS: During summer transition, AFSA plans to host a luncheon for the SCO and JCO orientation program scheduled for August 2008.

Summary of FCS Survey Results - January 2008 (powerpoint)

FCS Survey Results - January 2008 (pdf)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AFSANET is a free service of the American Foreign Service Association
designed to provide updates on items of interest to the foreign affairs
community.

To become a member of AFSA, visit
<http://www.afsa.org/mbr/index.cfm>.

To subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter go to
<http://www.afsa.org/forms/maillist.cfm>.