On September 28, 2007, AFSA submitted two mid-term proposals to FCS Management and reiterated its great regret that FCS Management has failed to be timely responsive to our Spring 2006, Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 proposals. Moreover, in a meeting of newly-elected AFSA President John Naland with FCS Chief of Staff and then Acting DDG Gabe Pellathy, it was emphasized that AFSA does not mind so much whether its proposals to Commerce Management get a YES or a NO so much as simply a timely but formal response of any kind.

The first Fall 2007 mid-term issue concerned the need for more transparency and better “records management” in the handling of officer appraisals in cases where the rating or reviewing officers are in Washington Headquarters. AFSA noted that despite clear procedures promulgated by OFSHR to rating and reviewing officials so as to avoid delinquencies and respect deadlines, rated officers are often in the dark about who has had their appraisal and for how long, when it was signed, and when returned to them. AFSA therefore proposed the simple measure of requiring the ITA-233 “Concurrence Record” to accompany all appraisal forms (ITA-723,738) that require the signature of any rating or reviewing official at HQ in Washington, D.C.

The second Fall 2007 mid-term issue concerned a request by AFSA for greater consultations between AFSA and FCS Management on better ways to ensure diversity, especially regional diversity but also gender and racial diversity, on the Four Selection and Promotion Boards. Under current policy, FCS Management shares with AFSA a list of potential Board members. We understand that in general Management attempts to achieve geographic, gender, racial and other forms of diversity when choosing from this list the actual Board members. AFSA did receive concerns from officers both in the field and HQ about the lack of sufficient diversity – especially geographic or regional diversity – on the 2007 as well as 2006 Boards. Moreover, the current “Precepts” do not mention “diversity” in any form in Board representation as an element desirable in the composition of the Boards, and AFSA feels this should be addressed in cooperation with Management.

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