Please send any questions or comments to AFSA/USAID Vice President Francisco Zamora at fzamora@usaid.gov.

(1)   New Format: We are trying out a new format for our AFSANET, attempting to move from the world of “text-only” to a more visually appealing look. However, we will be happy to send a text-only version to you, if you request it.  Please send us your comments at fzamora@usaid.gov.

(2)   USAID in the News: The Agency received a positive mention in the Washington Post’s Federal Diary columndated January 31, 2007, in a report on OPM’s 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey. USAID placed ninth in the top 10U.S. government agencies to work for. AFSA welcomes this news.  While thisseems to contradict our recent AFSA survey results, which showed poor morale at the agency, we believe, however, that there is a difference between people’s jobsatisfaction (which the OPM survey measures) and overall morale. The OPM study confirms this as certain questions also showed dissatisfaction with thepolicies of the agency.The AFSA survey also points out that there are many areas for improvement such as overseas comparability pay, travel benefits, student loan reimbursement, and per diem issues which USAID needs to address.  In spite of this, employees believe that their work is making a difference in the world andfeel satisfaction with their contributions.  USAID is a great place to work in and we all want to make it even better.  For those who are interested, here is a link to the story, as well as the list of top ten “places to be.” You can access the full report here.

(3)   New ID Badges: USAID and the State Department are transitioning to new identification badges as required by new homeland security regulations. Access for USAID employees to DOS facilities may be affected. We urge you to read the Agency notice of January 23 on this subject.

(4)   Mind Your Ps and Qs: The Agency has published a refresher notice on government ethics rules, which we agree is a worthy reminder. Please read the full Agency notice of January 29 for detailed information. It might also be worthwhile to get acquainted with the Hatch Act, which governs rules on political activity by government employees.

(5)   The Journal is Coming: The February edition of the Foreign Service Journal will be out soon, with a focus on U.S. foreign policy over the next two years. Remember that all AFSA members are able to read the full Journal online by visiting www.fsjournal.org.

(6)   Assignment Update: If you are an eligible, as-yet unassigned bidder, you are required to bid on Update 1, which will be open for bids until February 12, 2007. You can find the list of available positions online on the HR web site.

(7)   Overseas Briefing Center: The Overseas Briefing Center recently launched Post Info To Go, an improved “one-stop shop” featuring electronic materials received from posts, plus links to Post Reports, Post Profiles, Family Member Employment Reports, Child Care Reports, Health Handbooks, and more. USAID employees with links to the State Department OpenNet system can reach the service online. Those with access can easily e-mail files to family members or employees without OpenNet, dramatically increasing availability of materials when and where needed. OBC welcomes materials from USAID; just send them to postinfotogo@state.gov, which takes only a few seconds. Those who cannot access the State OpenNet and do not have a personal contact to help them can request materials by e-mail at FSIOBCInfoCenter@state.gov.

(8)   Data You Can Use:  The following graphs show the distribution of Civil Service and Foreign Service Grades at USAID.  I thought you might find it interesting to know how our staff is distributed along grades.  Let me know if you have any comments.

(9)   Come on Down: As always, we welcome visitors at the AFSA office, which is located in RRB 2.10-C. I am available via phone at 202-712-1631 and via e-mail at fzamora@usaid.gov. Senior Labor Management Advisor Doug Broome is at 202-712-0947 or dbroome@usaid.gov. The main AFSA/USAID number is 202-712-1941, while AFSA HQ is at 202-338-4540.