Reform efforts drive fiscal 2013 hiring plans at USAID, State

At the U.S. Agency for International Development, the reform wheel continues to influence the agency’s human resource requirements for the near future. The agency looks to add 16 positions in fiscal 2013, all for its ambitious reform initiative USAID Forward, as per the latest budget request from the White House. USAID Forward aims to transform the bilateral donor organization into a modern development enterprise through innovation, procurement reform and partnerships. For USAID’s operations, the Obama administration is asking for $1.5 billion next year. The overall request for the country’s international affairs budget in fiscal 2013, including for the State Department, amounts to $51.6 billion. But that’s it for possible new hires at USAID in fiscal 2013. There won’t be any additional positions under the Development Leadership Initiative, which was established in 2008 to boost the pool of foreign service officers at the agency. USAID has recruited 820 officers through the program since then, although some have yet to be placed for overseas posts. “Given on-going challenges to train and place existing DLIs, many inside and in Congress believe a break from more hiring is a good decision,” the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition notes in its analysis of Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget request for foreign affairs programs. For Americans seeking positions for U.S. overseas operations, the State Department provides more hope: The department plans a hiring surge in fiscal 2013, with 121 new positions. Here’s a breakdown: - Bureau of Intelligence and Research: three positions to improve coordination and analysis of cyber issues. - Bureau of Energy Resources: 22 positions to reach the staffing level of 75 for the new bureau. - Bureau of Counterterrorism : 12 positions to support expanding responsibilities of the newly formed bureau, which was formerly the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. - For developing 21st century skills: 50 positions, especially foreign service officers proficient in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Urdu. - For global outreach: 24 positions for various overseas posts in policy development and program coordination particularly on civilian capacity building, climate change and energy, democracy and good governance, economic development and humanitarian assistance, food security, global health, global security and nonproliferation, and public diplomacy. - Office of the Haiti Special Coordinator: eight positions. - U.S. embassy in Juba: two positions to staff the new ambassadorial office in newly independent state South Sudan. Much of the staffing increase (first five above) follows through the recommendations under the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, which represents a blueprint to elevate U.S. civilian power, including diplomats and development experts, in advancing U.S. national interests. QDDR also aims to streamline State and USAID operations. But, the department is also expecting to downsize staffing for some of its operations. State sees a reduction in personnel for overseas programs by 120 and diplomatic policy and support by 11 in fiscal 2013, to align activities with consular and other revenues. The department’s human resources unit acknowledges that implementing HR reforms to meet QDDR objectives are a challenge. “Due to budget constraints, the Department has slowed the intake of new employees and extended its timeline for closing the staffing gap by an additional five years,” the State Department says in its budget justification document. Nonetheless, the bureau is only requesting a “modest” increase ($490,000) from the fiscal 2012 estimated level, to $155.1 million, saying it has accumulated savings through the department’s aggressive campaign to cut waste. The proposed staffing increase at State and USAID presents a big departure from fiscal 2012’s proposed hiring level. Under the proposal for the current fiscal year, the government sought to employ an additional 165 for USAID and 197 for the State Department. Read more international development career advice.