7
T
he 90th anniversary of the For-
eign Service and AFSA gave us
the chance to reflect with pride on
the work of USAID Foreign Service
members toward preserving human
dignity around the world while ad-
vancing U.S. security and prosperity.
AFSA plays a vital role in promot-
ing the value of the Foreign Service
and providing checks and balances
within the foreign affairs agencies.
I would like to highlight a few of the issues tackled this year at
AFSA USAID.
Parity
Extensive work was done to rectify the imbalance in benefits be-
tween the foreign affairs agencies, in particular the imbalance be-
tween USAID and State. We used benefits data collected from US-
AID members to educate agency management
and the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Develop-
ment Review team on this issue and its implica-
tions for the USAID Foreign Service. This work
has gotten traction on many levels, and Admin-
istrator Rajiv Shah directed the agency to address
the inequalities and cost-out the funds needed to
close the gap.
AFSA’s ability to push this issue to the fore
resulted in a number of positive steps by the
agency. For example, the Management Bureau
is researching a temporary housing program for
USAID that is much like the one already in place
at the State Department. Such a program would
remove the FS member as the middleman for bill
payment, and it would provide secondary ben-
efits, such as guaranteed housing should a lease
extension be needed because of visa delays or the
need for additional language testing.
USAID has secured funding for a pilot trial
of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global
Entry program. As pre-screened Global Entry
members, USAID travelers would benefit from
shorter processing lines and have access to ex-
pedited entry benefits, allowing for more effi-
cient use of travel. Although the Transportation
Security Administration’s PreCheck is currently
available at the State Department, Global Entry
will provide a more comprehensive benefit for replication among
foreign affairs agencies.
The QDDR team is particularly interested in the lack of par-
ity in language training provided to USAID FSOs and eligible
family members (EFMs) compared to opportunities available to
State FS members and EFMs because this has ramifications on
multiple levels, including safety, morale, efficiency of work and
public perception.
AFSA lobbied for more employment opportunities and lan-
guage training for EFMs, and a new USAID initiative is set to
address these issues. The overarching goal of the initiative is to
increase agency efficiency by tapping into an underutilized human
resource, the EFMs of FSOs stationed at USAID missions over-
seas. It also supports FSO retention by helping the agency offer
more professional employment options for family members.
Policy
AFSA worked to protect members this year in a number of dif-
ferent areas. For example, AFSA successfully intervened when
the Administrator doubled the length of service required, from
one year to two, in a critical priority country before an employee
is eligible for priority bidding status. AFSA USAID immediately
compiled member responses to this change and shared our mem-
bers’ concerns with agency management. This led directly to the
agency’s agreement to postpone any change and engage all stake-
holders to determine the best way forward.
AFSA encouraged further discussion on a decision to abruptly
change the eligibility requirements for FSOs bidding into senior
USAID Vice President’s Report:
Sharon Wayne
USAID Board Representative Andrew Levin, USAID VP Sharon Wayne and AFSA
President Bob Silverman meet with USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah (center left).