AFSANET from the USAID Vice President
June 27 , 2007
This AFSANET message is of interest to USAID members only. Please disregard if you are not a USAID employee/retiree.
(1) Thank You : The election results for AFSA are now in and I would like to thank you for re-electing me to the VP Position. I will continue to do everything to serve your interests as well as I can. For a complete picture of the overall election results, visit our website.
(2) AFSA Meets with Acting Administrator Fore : On Monday, June 25, USAID VP Francisco Zamora, AFSA President Ambassador J. Anthony Holmes and Legislative Director Ian Houston met with Acting Administrator Henrietta Holsman Fore. Also in attendance were Agency counselor Mosina Jordan and Frank McDonough, Chief of HR’s Labor-Employee Relations. We had a productive meeting, which touched on such subjects as the OE funding, Agency “reforms,” the “F” Office, FSLs and diversity. Stay tuned for a comprehensive report on this meeting in the July issue of The Vanguard.
(3) FrontLines Revived : Sometime during the month of July, USAID employees will receive a brand-new edition of our long-dormant in-house publication, FrontLines. AFSA is extremely pleased to see the revival of this newsletter, and are happy to have played a part in its return by publishing a “replacement” in The Vanguard. Speaking of which, The Vanguard will continue to be published, but with a greater focus on USAID human interest stories. So, if you have any articles and photos to contribute now is the time to send them to us at asigfusson@usaid.gov.
(4) Update on the Boards : The boards began their hard work on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 and will conclude all reviews by June 29, 2007. I have been involved in briefing the boards and attending in turn their debriefings. So far, everything has been progressing well even though this is the first time all AEFs are now in electronic form. Panel members have been reading the AEFs from a computer screen and despite a few glitches in the beginning the system has worked. We expect that announcements of promotions will take place as usual around mid-August.
(5) Promotions: We are pleased that our meetings and calls to Senate staffers and USAID and State Department principals finally resulted in the Senior Foreign Service promotions being confirmed by the Senate and attested by the President. This successfully concludes a sad saga the was completely avoidable, and which created unnecessary problems for a significant number of USAID officers. We believe that the problem won't recur during this current promotion cycle.
(6) The Blog is Back : I am very pleased to be able to report that my USAID VP blog is now up and running again. At the request of AFSA’s election committee, it was disabled during the AFSA election season, which is now over. I invite you to visit the blog, where the first new topic is already up for discussion (see next item).
(7) AWS Changes? An AFSA member has suggested that USAID increase the flexibility in the rules for Alternative Work Schedules. Among their suggestions was the possibility of beginning work at 6:30 am and working a 10-hour day, as well as expanding the opportunities for telecommuting. Other federal agencies, notably the Foreign Agricultural Service and our RRB neighbor the EPA, allow such options. What do you think? Should AFSA approach management with suggestions to change the AWS rules? Let us know, either on the blog or by e-mailing fzamora@usaid.gov.
(8) M/MED Survey : A General Notice will be going out soon about a survey which M/MED and the Family Liaison Office are conducting of Foreign Service Officers (State and USAID) who have served in Unaccompanied and Critical Priority Countries within the past 5 years. The information gathered from this survey will be used to better inform the Department’s policies and programs to support those on Unaccompanied Tours around the world. All responses are ANONYMOUS and will be gathered and reported in aggregate. Your answers will not be associated in any way with your e-mail address. You must log on through the Agency Intranet either directly or using your token. We encourage USAID staff to complete the survey. It will generate valuable information to help improve support services for you. Please take the time to answer each question as completely as possible. The survey will remain open from June 1, 2007 through July 1, 2007. Please visit this site to access the survey.
(9) AFSA Awards Ceremony : The annual AFSA awards will be presented at a ceremony in the Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room at the Department of State at 4:00 pm on Thursday, June 28. Lawrence Eagleburger will present AFSA’s aw ard for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy to Ambassador Joan M. Clark. Awards will also be presented for constructive dissent, exemplary performance, and volunteer work.
(10) Stop By : 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, but please be aware that I will be away on vacation beginning July 2. I will return on July 16. Senior Labor Management Advisor Doug Broome is on his summer schedule, but you may e-mail him at dbroome@usaid.gov. The main AFSA/USAID number is 202-712-1941, which I encourage you to use in my absence.