State Department: Staffing Shortfalls and Ineffective Assignment System Compromise Diplomatic Readiness at Hardship Posts

Abstract

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Foreign service employees often experience difficult environmental and living conditions while assigned to U.S. embassies and consulates that are designated as "hardship posts." These conditions include inadequate medical facilities, few opportunities for spousal employment, poor schools, high levels of crime, and severe climate. Because the State Department is understaffed, both in terms of the number and types of employees, it is difficult to ensure that it has the right people in the right place at the right time. The impact of these staffing shortfalls is felt most strongly at hardship posts, some of which are of strategic importance to the United States. As a result, diplomatic programs and management controls at hardship posts could be vulnerable and the posts' ability to carry out U.S. foreign policy objectives effectively could be weakened. State's assignment system is not effectively meeting the staffing needs of hardship posts. Although American Foreign Service employees are obligated to serve anywhere in the world, State rarely directs employees to serve in locations for which they have not shown interest by bidding on a position. Because few employees bid on these positions, State has difficulty filling them."