LAUNCH OF THE WHA ENTRY LEVEL OUTREACH WEBSITE

UNCLAS STATE 014932 SIPDIS FOR CHIEFS OF MISSION DEPUTY CHIEFS OF MISSION AND PRINCIPAL OFFICERS FROM A/S ARTURO VALENZUELA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: APER AMGT AFSI MX SUBJECT: LAUNCH OF THE WHA ENTRY LEVEL OUTREACH WEBSITE SUMMARY: THIS CABLE ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE WHA ENTRY LEVEL OUTREACH PROGRAM, A SHAREPOINT RESOURCE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE BUREAU'S ENTRY LEVEL GENERALISTS AND SPECIALISTS WITH A BASELINE EXPOSURE TO THE SUBSTANTIVE POLICY WORK ACROSS ALL CONES OF THE WHA BUREAU. END SUMMARY. ¶1. WHA LEADERSHIP HAS CONSISTENTLY WELCOMED INNOVATION IN ITS QUEST FOR THE OPTIMAL STAFFING OF ITS EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES. OVER THE YEARS OUR BUREAU HAS BEEN A TESTING GROUND FOR BOLD MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE BUREAU'S ABILITY TO BETTER SERVE ITS EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC. THE RECENT SURGE IN THE ENTRY LEVEL RANKS HAS RESULTED IN LARGER NUMBERS OF FIRST AND SECOND TOUR GENERALISTS AND SPECIALISTS ASSIGNED TO WHA EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES. TO BEST SERVE THIS GROWING POPULATION, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE ROLL OUT OF THE WHA ENTRY LEVEL OUTREACH (ELO) PROGRAM, AN INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO MORE EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE, INFORM AND MENTOR OUR EXPANDING ENTRY LEVEL CADRE. ¶2. EFFECTIVE MENTORING IS ESSENTIAL TO A SUCCESSFUL FOREIGN SERVICE CAREER. IT IS NOT THE EXCLUSIVE PURVIEW OF A DCM OR A PO - IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL MIDLEVEL AND SENIOR LEVEL OFFICERS. WHA IS BREAKING NEW GROUND WITH THIS PROJECT, ONE WE TRUST WILL BENEFIT THE BUREAU'S ENTRY LEVEL CORPS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. ¶3. THE WHA ELO PROGRAM IS A JOINT COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN WHA AND HR/CDA. DEPLOYED THROUGH THE SHAREPOINT IT PLATFORM, OUR AIM IS TO BUILD AN ENTRY LEVEL EMPLOYEE'S KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CURRENT THEMES AND TRENDS IN THE HEMISPHERE VIA WEB-BASED MATERIALS SUCH AS DOWNLOADABLE INTERVIEWS WITH BUREAU, DEPARTMENT AND REGIONAL EXPERTS, INTERACTIVE CHATS, DVCS AND A LIVING LIBRARY OF CURRENT UNCLASSIFIED POLICY DOCUMENTS. ¶4. OUR WHA ELO PROJECT COORDINATOR, CHERIE FEELEY, IS BASED IN MEXICO CITY. SHE, IN COORDINATION WITH WHA DEPUTY CHIEFS OF MISSION, PRINCIPAL OFFICERS, OFFICE DIRECTORS AND DEPUTY DIRECTORS, WILL HELP PRODUCE THESE PRODUCTS AND OTHER MENTORING TOOLS. ¶5. A KEY GOAL OF THIS EFFORT IS THAT ENTRY LEVEL PERSONNEL AT YOUR POST DEVELOP A MORE IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF WHA'S DOMESTIC OFFICES AND THEIR ISSUES AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE 7TH FLOOR AND THE INTERAGENCY. ADDITIONALLY, WE SEEK TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION ON TRADITIONAL FOREIGN SERVICE MENTORING ISSUES. FINALLY, WE HOPE DCMS AND POS WILL HELP WHA IDENTIFY THOSE ENTRY LEVEL GENERALISTS AND SPECIALISTS WHO SEEK POSITIONS OF INCREASING RESPONSIBILITY IN OUR BUREAU. ¶6. THIS INITIATIVE HAS THE WHA FRONT OFFICE'S FULL SUPPORT, AS WELL AS THAT OF HR/CDA. I ENCOURAGE DCMS AND POS TO CONTINUE TO SEND SUGGESTIONS AND PROVIDE CONTENT TO THE WHA EL SHAREPOINT DCM-PO GAL ADDRESS (WHASPDCMPO@STATE.GOV) AND FOR ENTRY LEVEL GENERALISTS AND SPECIALISTS TO SEND THEIR INPUT TO THE WHA EL SHAREPOINT ENTRY LEVEL GAL ADDRESS (WHASPEL@STATE.GOV). CLINTON