Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE4183
2009-01-15 18:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

Strategic Expansion of USAID Through 2012

Tags:  EAID AMGT APER KCOM KMRS 
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DE RUEHC #4183/01 0151823
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O 151815Z JAN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AID WORLDWIDE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 5156
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 004183 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AMGT APER KCOM KMRS
SUBJECT: Strategic Expansion of USAID Through 2012

SUMMARY: To better meet national security and
development requirements worldwide, USAID is growing and
evolving. With the strong support and endorsement of
the Secretary and Congress, USAID hired 157 additional
Foreign Service officers in the past year. These
officers will be trained for two years at USAID field
missions, with some already deployed overseas for their
training assignments. USAID?s planning goal is to
double its Foreign Service workforce by 2012 and the
Agency expects to continue hiring with an additional 300
with FY09 funds. Recognizing the serious space,
security, and administrative support constraints at most
posts, USAID Mission and Embassy staff are requested to
begin contingency planning for this projected expansion,
including through the Mission Strategic Plans. END
SUMMARY.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 004183

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AMGT APER KCOM KMRS
SUBJECT: Strategic Expansion of USAID Through 2012

SUMMARY: To better meet national security and
development requirements worldwide, USAID is growing and
evolving. With the strong support and endorsement of
the Secretary and Congress, USAID hired 157 additional
Foreign Service officers in the past year. These
officers will be trained for two years at USAID field
missions, with some already deployed overseas for their
training assignments. USAID?s planning goal is to
double its Foreign Service workforce by 2012 and the
Agency expects to continue hiring with an additional 300
with FY09 funds. Recognizing the serious space,
security, and administrative support constraints at most
posts, USAID Mission and Embassy staff are requested to
begin contingency planning for this projected expansion,
including through the Mission Strategic Plans. END
SUMMARY.


1. With the strong support and endorsement of The White
House, Secretary Rice, and Congress, USAID is being
strengthened and revitalized to better meet national
security and development goals of the United States.
USAID proposes to address these current and new
challenges by:

- Expanding the size of its Foreign Service Officer
(FSO) cadre;
- Strengthening Foreign Service National (FSN) and Civil
Service workforces;
- Adding depth and breadth in technical areas;
- Increasing capacity to conduct business in foreign
languages;
- Enhancing impact through Regional Centers, as well as
expanded bilateral missions;
- Complementing USG investment through partnerships;
and,
- Increasing public diplomacy.


2. This growth would enable the expansion of USAID?s
direct hire presence from 87 cities in 84 countries to
approximately 113 cities in 105 countries. USAID has
developed lists of cities and countries in which a new
or expanded presence is projected, pending full funding.
These new positions will need to be included in the
annual capital security cost sharing position count.


3. Expanding the USAID Foreign Service through the
Development Leadership Initiative (DLI) is well underway
with the hiring of 157 FSOs ? a 13 percent increase.
The President?s FY09 budget request, with bipartisan
support from the current Congress, includes funds to
hire approximately 300 additional officers, with the
planning goal of reaching 1200 additional Foreign
Service Officers by 2012. The funding, already
appropriated by Congress and contained in the FY09
requests, includes a package of support costs, including
ICASS, for each officer as they are deployed to the
field for training.


4. USAID builds the skills of new officers through
approximately two years of on-the-job overseas training
while working alongside experienced development
professionals. Once these new officers complete their
two-year training, they will be assigned to an expanded
number of regular overseas positions. USAID?s revised
workforce planning process places our Foreign Service
Officers according to strategic and development
priorities as well as where financial stewardship
requirements demand. We need FSOs and FSNs based in
critical countries to effect change, as well as manage
program funds.


5. We recognize that many embassies have serious space,
security, and administrative support constraints. We
intend to form a joint USAID and State Department
working group in Washington to begin to address the
increased requirements, to place the FSO trainees in
FY08 and FY09, and also to plan for the continued growth
of USAID?s FSO workforce in future years including
potential capital asset resource requests necessary.
Embassy and USAID Mission staff are asked to work
jointly to begin to address the challenges associated
with this expansion.


6. As required by NSDD-38 and the President?s Letter of
Instruction, USAID will link new staffing proposals to
U.S. mission goals, ensuring there is no duplication of
overseas positions or programs. As always, USAID will

STATE 00004183 002 OF 002


propose individual positions via the NSDD-38 process,
and individual Chiefs of Mission will make the final
staffing decisions. USAID Washington will be sharing
with each Mission proposed staffing increases based on
the workforce planning model. These figures should
become the basis for discussing the estimates included
in the upcoming Mission Strategic Plans. USAID
Washington will work with State and its Overseas
Building Operations bureau to develop subsequent capital
asset requests that may be necessary to support
expansion. USAID Washington will also work with State
and post management to implement administrative
consolidation in order to achieve efficiencies and cost
savings and to enable posts to better absorb workload
increases.


7. Additional general information on the strategy and
process for the strategic expansion of USAID can be
found on the USAID Intranet at
http://wip.inside.usaid.gov/COO/USAID2012.htm l.

END TEXT.


8. Minimize considered.
RICE