Is A Foreign Service Officer A Government Official

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Foreign Service Officeholder (FSO) Overview

Foreign Service Officers can exist sent anywhere in the earth, at any time, to serve the diplomatic needs of the United States. They are the front end-line personnel of all U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic missions.

Historically, FSOs have been generalists who could expect to exist assigned to various kinds of jobs, in different parts of the world in the course of their careers. For most FSOs, this is still the case.

Just international diplomacy has changed. Today, the Strange Service seeks candidates interested in more than than political scientific discipline or international relations to assistance accept American diplomacy into the 21st century; we need people who can manage programs and personnel. Likewise transnational issues will narrate the affairs of the future. Among these new priorities are: science and applied science, including the global fight confronting diseases such as AIDS, and efforts to salve the environment, anti-narcotics efforts and merchandise.

The US Department of State also has an increasing need for candidates with training and feel in administration and management. The Department of State requires that applicants select a "Functional Area of Specialization," or, "cone" when applying to take the written examination. . The Strange Service cones are: Administrative, Consular, Economical, Political and Public Diplomacy. Regardless of your choice of cone, all officers may represent the U.S. at selected official functions, ceremonies, and meetings, and will likely participate in varied activities such as serving every bit duty officer, assisting with high-level visits, providing assistance to VIPs, reporting to Washington, and assisting the Ambassador in assessing U.S. policies and programs, and in developing policy proposals.

The choice of a cone is the first important determination potential Foreign Service Officers must brand. Career candidates can wait to spend most, if not all, of their Foreign Service careers in the cone selected when registering for the examination. Prospective candidates are urged to read advisedly the following descriptions of the 5 cones earlier making a decision.

What practice FSOs Exercise?

Administrative Cone
Consular Cone
Economical Cone
Political Cone
Public Diplomacy Cone
Prerequisites for Performing Well in the Cones
Salary Levels

Administrative Cone

The Department of State is the nation'southward oldest "multinational corporation," with representation in over 160 countries, supported past a relatively small staff of professionals headquartered in Washington, DC. Officers who work in the administrative cone showroom and develop the same skills and abilities their counterparts do in a private sector multinational company: resourcefulness, initiative and leadership, equally well as organizational and negotiating skills. Unlike their private sector colleagues, FSOs report to a primary operating officer and CEO who are known throughout the earth--the Secretary of Country and the President of the United States.

Authoritative Officers are the Resource Managers for the Foreign Service. They manage the belongings, financial, and man resource that keep our Diplomatic and Consular Missions functioning. Authoritative Officers often have greater and broader contacts with host country officials earlier in their careers than exercise officers working in other sections of the embassy. Supervising the host state national employees in an embassy, they have an excellent opportunity to either use the language skills they bring to the service, or develop new foreign language skills.

These officers interact with every department and every agency at a Mission, gaining more insight than most into the inner workings of that Mission, besides as a greater understanding of how all the elements must piece of work together to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives in the well-nigh efficient, effective, and economical manner. Based on information received from embassy colleagues, the Administrative Officer identifies resources requirements for achieving foreign policy objectives and directs preparation of budget submissions and staffing plans. They do this by utilizing their cognition of mission goals and available resources.

General Duties

The Authoritative Officeholder serves as manager of the mail service's human being and textile resources and as advisor to the Chief of Mission (Administrator), Deputy Master of Mission or Main Officeholder, also as heads of other agencies represented at the Mission--who together make up the embassy's land team--on all aspects of direction and post assistants. The Authoritative Officer is a key fellow member of the Ambassador's direction squad. He/She must take the ability to develop new perspectives and directions in management practices, often in response to circuitous or sensitive situations, and learn to discover resolution among offices competing for limited resources.

A typical administrative section is comprised of the following units: general services, budget and fiscal, personnel, communications, and security (including Marine Guards, where applicative). The responsibilities will include, but are non limited to, financial analysis; leasing, buying and structure of facilities; supervision, maintenance and upgrading of buildings and fleets of vehicles; procurement of goods and services; issuance of travel orders for official travel; management of loftier-level official visits; and updating of computers and telecommunications. He/She volition demand to learn the labor laws of the country regarding employment of local personnel as well every bit U.S. regulations governing salaries and benefits.

Authoritative Officers must plant and maintain contact with officials at all levels in both the local and national governments, other diplomatic missions, banks, airlines, and local business organisation organizations, on a variety of official matters. Officers solve problems or accomplish mission objectives concerning community regulations, immunities and privileges, tax laws, contracts, leases and high-level visits. Administrative Officers likewise use such contacts to stay beside of exchange rates, banking laws, and local employment practices.

Some other duty of Administrative Officers is to develop and direct a broad variety of staff support activities designed to promote the morale and well being of U.South. Authorities employees and their dependents. Such activities may include recreation, health care, and U.Due south. Government-supported schools and commissaries. The administrative officer also negotiates administrative support arrangelments with the chiefs of other U.Southward. agencies serviced by the authoritative department and resolves any questions arising from services requested and services received. These Officers play a leadership role in the local American community (both official and private) to foster proficient will and cooperation on matters of mutual interest. This is specially of import for employee morale at posts where living conditions are difficult and community facilities are limited. The Administrative Officer may as well perform a similar function in the larger international community when it is in the all-time interest of the Mission.

Consular Cone

Consular work is one of the oldest forms of diplomatic service. Traditionally, Consular Officers were appointed to look after U.S. commercial and aircraft interests overseas. Gradually this role evolved into looking after the interests of U.S. citizens abroad, issuing visas to foreign applicants, and monitoring migration problems.

A Consular Officer provides both emergency and not-emergency services to American citizens residing or traveling abroad. He/She will aid with replacing a passport, finding medical assistance, securing funds from family members for citizens in need, locating citizens in an emergency, visiting an arrested American, making arrangements in the event of the decease of an American citizen, and helping in a disaster or evacuation. The Consular Officer serves equally a "life raft" for American citizens who experience problems while overseas.

In non-emergency situations the Consular Officer will study the birth of an American citizen away and result a Consular written report that serves every bit proof of citizenship. He/She will issue a passport if one expires or is lost or stolen, distribute federal benefits checks such every bit social security or pension, help in child custody disputes, issue U.S. voting registration materials, supply taxation forms and serve in other means that make living overseas easier for American citizens.

Consular Officers play leadership roles in the local American community (both official and private) to foster skillful will and cooperation on matters of mutual involvement.

Consular Officers must master a complex set of laws and regulations, develop the interpersonal and investigative skills to be able to combat fraud, empathise and manage new technologies, and write clearly and persuasively on a wide variety of issues. The Officer ofttimes meets a broad range of host country residents, maintaining official contacts not but with the foreign ministry, but also with people in the immigration, justice, customs, health and social service ministries. Important contacts are nurtured also inside local business, trade, legal, education, and religious institutions, likewise as with the departer, immigrant or refugee populations.

A Consular Officer'south daily workload may appear formidable, with big numbers of visa or U.S. denizen services applications and inquiries to process. Practiced Consular Officers must exist resourceful and know how to prioritize, equally well equally how to make bachelor technical and personnel resources to embrace the workload. In many cases, professional-level strange language skill is required in society to interview clients or to speak in public. An ability to read documents in the local language is always beneficial. Knowledge of one's locale and the ability to quickly analyze and written report on situations inside or exterior the function are essential. In addition to routine duties, the Consular Officer works with embassy colleagues on the visits of U.S. officials, international conferences, and meetings. Logistics, besides as preparing information for and working with the principal visitors, fall within each officeholder's duties on these occasions.

Many consular functions--passports, visas and federal benefits payments--follow strict guidelines and regulations. Other functions, such as profitable American citizens in distress, depend on judgment, ingenuity, common sense, cultural sensitivity, and potent interpersonal skills. Consular work combines the skills of lawyers, judges, social workers, reporters and investigators in addressing the vast range of human interactions and issues requiring a consular response. The Consular Officer is oft the only U.S. official with whom strange nationals or U.S. citizens come into contact and has an important public, representational role.

Full general DUTIES

Consular Officers at U.Due south. missions oversee a variety of tasks, many involving providing services to U.S. citizens. The officeholder must determine an applicant'south eligibility or non-eligibility for the consular services requested, and he/she explicate whatsoever legal and documentary requirements.

Consular Officers review applications for passports and passport renewals, extensions, and amendments. They verify the information presented and provide or refuse to provide the requested passport service based on all bachelor facts, applicable laws, and regulations.

Consular Officers register births and marriages of U.S. citizens, maintain locator information on resident American citizens in compliance with the post'southward emergency and evacuation requirements, visit U.S. citizens in prison, provide services in connection with affliction and death, assist destitute Americans, and provide notarial services.

Almost all Foreign Service Officers serve their showtime tour as Vice Consuls adjudicating visa applications. Consular Officers review visa applications (normally by conducting a brief interview with the bidder), verify the information presented, and upshot or refuse visas based on all the available facts, applicative U.Due south. laws, and regulations.

After a morning of adjudicating visas, a Consular Officer volition likely spend the afternoon drafting replies to inquiries regarding consular activities from U.Southward. citizens, attorneys, U.S. government agencies, members of Congress and other interested parties. Consular Officers may confer with appropriate host government officials on consular matters, maintain cordial relations with officials and consular officers of other nations, and institute and maintain working relationships with the resident American community in general.

Finally, a Consular Officer advises embassy colleagues on significant developments in current consular piece of work. An officer also provides appropriate advice regarding all areas of consular affairs, including local clearing laws affecting U.S. citizens and all other pertinent laws, policy regulations, and processing procedures. A Consular Officer will, as appropriate, ready written reports on matters affecting U.S. citizens in the host country, such equally travel warnings or instances of mistreatment of U.South. citizens.

Economic Cone

Economic Officers concentrate on issues such equally coin and banking, merchandise and commerce, communication and transportation, economic development, and authorities finance, reporting significant developments to the State Department. In addition, Economical Officers deal with environmental, scientific and technology matters such as ocean fisheries, cooperation in infinite, acid rain, global warming, population, wellness, biodiversity, and intellectual property rights. In addition to dealing with these issues bilaterally they also deal with them multilaterally when assigned to or attending international organziations or conferences..

These officers are alert to the promotion of U.S. national interests in many areas, and arbitrate with foreign governments and multilateral organziations when circumstances warrant. Sometimes they are given precise instructions on an intervention; sometimes they are left to their own ingenuity.

Economic Officers may also accompany more than senior diplomatic mission officials as note-takers at high level meetings. Economic Officers are expected to exist knowledgeable in all aspects of economics and in how economic systems work, in policy problems that are important in an economic context, in how the U.S. economy and U.S. authorities function, and in host land commercial practices and opportunities. They must sympathize the civilisation of the host state and be conversant in its linguistic communication in order to come across the globe through its eyes. This may also involve trade within the country. Economic Officers stationed abroad are both data gatherers and analysts, informing Washington agencies of important developments and their implications.

In Washington, Economic Officers piece of work with various policy elements of the State Department, and with other agencies (Treasury, U.S. Trade Representative, the White House, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Ecology Protection Bureau, Federal Aviation Agency, the Congress, etc.) and organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the local and/or U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other merchandise entities. At home and abroad, Economical Officers demand to develop extensive public and private sector contacts to be effective in their piece of work. To do this well, they need good inter-personal skills and common sense in add-on to formal training in economics.

GENERAL DUTIES

Economic Officers are responsible for providing the post and Washington with information and analysis on pregnant economical developments in the host country and for advancing U.Due south. economic and commercial policies, interests, and goals, including assistance to U.S. business representatives.

Full general duties of an Economic Officer include developing published and unpublished sources of information on significant economical and commercial developments in the host country, establishing and maintaining contacts with knowledgeable host land officials and key members of public and individual institutions and enterprises. Economic Officers as well engage in in-depth economic analyses of macro and microeconomic problems involving important sectors of the host economy and report to other mail service officers and to Washington through cables, memoranda and oral briefings. An Economic Officer recommends alternative courses of U.S. Authorities action and new policy directions in lodge to come across changing economic and commercial circumstances in the host state. An Economic Officer serves every bit the postal service'south working level practiced from whom senior officers at the post seek information and guidance on economic and commercial developments.

Economical officers are ofttimes required to convey official statements or requests for information from the U.S. Government to officials of the host government. The proper handling of the bulletin is among the about important duties an Economic Officer has. It must be presented accurately and completely, and the response must exist reported precisely to avoid potential international misunderstanding. If negotiation is required, the Economic Officeholder must carefully adhere to instructions from Washington.

The Economic Officer provides assistance to the local American and foreign business communities and is often the first contact for local business representatives interested in doing business organisation with the U.Due south. He/She may cursory visiting American business representatives on economic and commercial weather and developments in the host country and assist them in developing their marketing and investment goals. The Economic Officeholder speaks for the U.S. Regime on economical and commercial issues to host government officials, individual sector interests, and newspaper or other media representatives.

Economical Officers may back up or conduct bilateral negotiations on economic and commercial issues; participate in the development of the Embassy's export promotion efforts; provide back up for specific U.S. trade promotion programs; supervise the Embassy'south commercial library; and participate in other post activities. The Economic Officeholder works with the Political Officer and the Public Diplomacy Officer at post to evaluate local media reports, to develop programs to influence public stance, and to identify actual and potential local leaders to be reached through the postal service'due south International Visitors Programme. Economical Officers write analytical reports on the significance and influence of economic, fiscal, and business figures and travel with the country to establish and maintain contact with local officials and others in social club to report significant economic developments.

Political Cone

A Political Officeholder's chief responsibility is to follow political events inside the host country and to report significant developments to the State Section. These officers are alert to the promotion of U.S. national interests in many areas, and intervene with foreign governments and entities when circumstances warrant. Political Officers too convey official communications from the U.South. Government to host state officials and may back-trail more senior officials of the Embassy as note-takers when they meet with host government officials. Similar functions are performed inside multilateral organizations.

Equally all Foreign Service Officers, a Political Officer must know the people and customs of the host state, travel widely within that land, and exist able to speak the local linguistic communication. He/She needs non simply to report accurately what happened but also to explain why events unfolded as they did. Reporting is often washed under considerable time pressure. To study successfully, a Political Officer must know informed host state individuals in politics, authorities, academia, journalism, the legal profession, business, and labor, to proper name just some sources of political data. A proficient Political Officer must be able to distinguish among the many who have opinions, the few who tin can analyze developments thoughtfully, and the rare private who can provide accurate accelerate information.

Political Officers are ofttimes required to convey official statements or requests for data from the U.Due south. Government to officials of the host government. The proper treatment of the message is amidst the about important duties a Political Officer has. It must be presented accurately and completely, and the response must be reported precisely to avoid potential international misunderstanding. If negotiation is required, the Political Officer must carefully adhere to instructions from Washington.

Finally, a Political Officer must be prepared to assist visiting U.S. officials. Every attribute of a visit, from hotel reservations to requested meetings to social events, must exist planned and executed. The official visitor may be of any rank, including the President and/or Secretary of State. If the visit is at such a loftier level, the Political Officer will be a vital office of a coordinated embassy effort.

General DUTIES

Political Officers follow, clarify, and study political developments in the host country or in multilateral organizations. They promote U.South. policy objectives with cardinal government officials, members of influential organizations, leaders in the individual sector, and counterparts in international multilateral organizations. Political Officers maintain contact at an appropriate level with host government officials, political party leaders, merchandise unionists, other diplomatic missions, and private individuals.

The Political Officer monitors and/or consults with host authorities officials and reports information and recommendations on international and bilateral agreements or programs in which the U.Due south. participates or has an interest. Political Officers negotiate, equally required, with advisable officials in the host government on issues of concern to the U.Due south. Regime.

The Political Officer works with Economic Officers and Public Diplomacy Officers at mail service to evaluate local media reports, to develop programs to influence public opinion, and to identify bodily and potential local leaders to be reached through the post's International Visitors Programme. Political Officers write belittling reports on the significance and influence of political figures and travel within the country to constitute and maintain contact with local officials and others in gild to study pregnant political developments.

Public Affairs Cone

Officers who serve in the Public Diplomacy cone are charged with building bridges of communication between the United States and the host country in support of U.Due south. national interests. They carry out both cultural and data programs to explain to foreign audiences the complexities of U.South. society and culture and the electric current Administration'southward strange policy agenda. The overall management of the public diplomacy program at an diplomatic mission is in the hands of the Public Affairs Officer (PAO). The Information Officer (IO) is charged with explaining and defending the content of U.S. foreign policy. The Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO) provides audiences with an agreement of the social and cultural context of U.S. foreign policy by presenting a fuller picture of the values, beliefs, and principles held past Americans which influence not just domestic political life but foreign policy decisions as well.

Much of what a Public Diplomacy Officer does depends on the size and location of the Embassy in which the officer is serving. Many posts around the world are staffed by just ane Public Diplomacy Officer, the PAO, who handles both information and cultural affairs functions, and who, with the help of locally hired staff, carries out the entire range of public affairs programs in the host country. The PAO in any mail is responsible for advising the Ambassador and the land team on the result of public opinion on U.Southward. interest and on means that public diplomacy can advance those interests. The PAO works with the Political and Economical Officers at post to evaluate local media reports, to develop programs to influence public stance, and to identify actual and potential leaders to exist reached through the post'southward International Visitors Program.

The Information Officer (IO), sometimes also known as the Press Attach�, serves as the Embassy spokesperson, and handles all media inquiries concerning official U.S. government policy. Data Officers set up and conduct press conferences for the Ambassador and other high-level officials, place textile with local TV, radio, and print media, and maintain an agile dialogue with both information media officials and opinion-makers and the wider public of the host land. The IO is frequently assigned the chore of writing speeches for the Ambassador, and setting up media coverage of events in which the Ambassador or other high-level U.S. government officials take role. During bilateral negotiations, international conferences, residential, Secretary of Land, or other VIP visits, the IO becomes the chief signal of contact for both the host country media and the traveling U.S. press who accompany the President or the Secretary.

Data Officers must be prepared to respond to questions from the local media on a diverseness of issues, most of them germane to U.S. policy in the host state, but many far afield. The IO is tasked with closely post-obit local media coverage every bit it pertains to U.Due south. presence in the host country and keeping the Diplomatic mission'due south country team, also as appropriate offices in Washington, abreast of media reaction. Successful IOs must have a good grasp of the local language, a solid understanding of the customs and culture of the host land, and an ability to leave and meet personally with reporters, editors, news anchors, officials at the Ministry of Data or equivalent institution, and others who can be potentially influential in presenting the U.Southward. point of view to a mass audience.

It falls to the Cultural Diplomacy Officeholder (CAO) to put U.S. strange policy into context. The CAO arranges and conducts programs that accost specific themes identified at the beginning of the programming twelvemonth as cardinal problems in either a bilateral or multilateral context. Traditionally, the CAO employs visiting American lecturers with special expertise to speak straight to selected audiences on these topics, and American academic or cultural specialists to piece of work with a specific academy or organization on programs lasting from 2-12 weeks. Increasingly, CAOs are turning to electronic means to meet the challenges of the new telecommunications environs. Officers routinely apply Worldnet Dialogues--audio and video linkups betwixt the host country and the United States--and other forms of both audio and video teleconferencing to interpret and explicate U.S. policy for both aristocracy and mass audiences. In a different medium, Public Affairs Officers have pioneered the use of the World wide web every bit a direct and efficient communications tool for reaching self-selecting audiences. The public diplomacy section is responsible for maintaining and coordinating the home pages for all embassy offices and functions, and the CAO'south input is important in shaping the overall U.S. message in a way that will be intelligible to an overseas audition.

Because a fundamental role of the CAO is to establish linkages at personal, institutional, and governmental levels, exchanges continue to be a master expanse of interest on the CAO agenda. Among the most important programs managed directly or indirectly from the cultural affairs office are:

The International Visitors Plan, which sends selected Embassy contacts--current or potential leaders in government, politics, economics and business, the media, education, labor relations, the arts, and other fields--to the U.s.a. on thirty-day programs to acquire more than well-nigh U.S. authorities, institutions, and society. They also meet with their professional counterparts.
The Fulbright Program, which provides opportunities for U.S. and host country professors and graduate students to spend an academic twelvemonth in each other'due south country for study or research.
The Humphrey Fellows Program, which brings achieved host land professionals at a midpoint in their careers to the U.Southward. for a year of study and related professional experiences.
English Language Programs, which promote the evolution of English pedagogy curricula, textbooks, and teacher grooming, while stimulating and reinforcing academic commutation programs.

The overarching goal of all such substitution programs is a multiplier effect; the CAO seeks to build relationships, to encourage the expansion of bilateral networks, and to develop influential support for programs linking the U.S. with the host country. The CAO meets many challenges from obtaining support for cantankerous-cultural communications to seeking out individual sector co-sponsors for programs ranging from speakers to performing artists.

The work of a Public Diplomacy Officer is varied and demanding. It involves a high degree of exterior contact work across a broad spectrum of endeavors, dealing with the independent media, Ministry of Data, universities, cultural and arts institutions, libraries, call up tanks, and non-governmental organizations. A skilful Public Diplomacy Officeholder must be resourceful, politically sensitive, and flexible, with the ability to sympathize a culture apace and to deal easily with a variety of people. Strong interpersonal skills are vitally important for success in the Public Diplomacy cone.

Prerequisites for Performing Well in the Cones

A 1997 Job Analysis of the Department of State identified certain knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that prospective Foreign Service Officers should possess prior to entry into the Foreign Service. The KSAs are considered essential for success on the task, regardless of which cone is selected.

Cognition of the following areas was identified as essential for success on the job beyond all cones: proper English language usage; U.Due south. society, civilization, history, authorities, political systems, and the Constitution; and world geography, historical antecedents of international affairs, and globe political and social issues. In improver, all Foreign Service Officers should know basic bookkeeping, statistics and mathematics, principles of management, interpersonal communication, and bones economical principles and trends.

The 1997 Job Analysis as well identified the post-obit skills and abilities as important in the work of a Foreign Service Officeholder beyond all cones: strong interpersonal and communication skills; adjustability and stress tolerance; good problem solving and determination making; integrity and dependability; ability to plan and set priorities; and initiative and leadership.

Salary Levels

Please refer to our "Salary and Benefits" page for more data.

The Department of State is committed to equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment for all without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, disabling condition, political affiliation, marital status, or prior statutory, constitutionally protected activity.

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