	State Faces Continuing Staffing and Experience Gaps at Hardship Posts

Despite some progress in addressing staffing shortfalls since 2006, State’s  diplomatic readiness remains at risk for two reasons: persistent staffing  vacancies and experience gaps at key hardship posts that are often on the  forefront of U.S. policy interests. During the course of our review we found a  number of examples of the effect of these staffing gaps on diplomatic  readiness, including the following. Moreover, despite State’s continued difficulty attracting  qualified staff to hardship posts, the department has not systematically  evaluated the effectiveness of its incentives for hardship service. State Faces Persistent Foreign Language Shortfalls

State continues to have notable gaps in its foreign language capabilities,  which could hinder U.S. overseas operations. State has defined its need for staff proficient in  some languages as “supercritical” or “critical,” based on criteria such as  the difficulty of the language and the number of language-designated  positions in that language, particularly at hard-to-staff posts. According to State, two main challenges are overall staffing shortages,  which limit the number of staff available for language training, and the  recent increase in language-designated positions. Common elements of comprehensive workforce planning— described by GAO as part of a large body of work on human capital  management—include setting strategic direction that includes measurable  performance goals and objectives and funding priorities, determining  critical skills and competencies that will be needed in the future,  developing an action plan to address gaps, and monitoring and evaluating  the success of the department’s progress toward meeting goals. To address State’s long-standing foreign language proficiency shortfalls,  we recommend that the Secretary of State develop a comprehensive  strategic plan with measurable goals, objectives, milestones, and feedback  mechanisms that links all of State’s efforts to meet its foreign language  requirements. Department of State: Additional Steps Needed to Address Continuing  Staffing and Experience Gaps at Hardship Posts. State Department: Staffing and Foreign Language Shortfalls Persist  Despite Initiatives to Address Gaps.
Why GAO Did This Study

This testimony discusses U.S. diplomatic readiness, and in particular the staffing and foreign language challenges facing the Foreign Service. The Department of State (State) faces an ongoing challenge of ensuring it has the right people, with the right skills, in the right places overseas to carry out the department's priorities. In particular, State has long had difficulty staffing its hardship posts overseas, which are places like Beruit and Lagos, where conditions are difficult and sometimes dangerous due to harsh environmental and extreme living conditions that often entail pervasive crime or war, but are nonetheless integral to foreign policy priorities and need a full complement of qualified staff. State has also faced persistent shortages of staff with critical language skills, despite the importance of foreign language proficiency in advancing U.S. foreign policy and economic interests overseas. In recent years GAO has issued a number of reports on human capital issues that have hampered State's ability to carry out the President's foreign policy objectives. This testimony discusses (1) State's progress in addressing staffing gaps at hardship posts, and (2) State's efforts to meet its foreign language requirements.

What GAO Found

Despite a number of steps taken over a number of years, the State Department continues to face persistent staffing and experience gaps at hardship posts, as well as notable shortfalls in foreign language capabilities. A common element of these problems has been a longstanding staffing and experience deficit, which has both contributed to the gaps at hardship posts and fueled the language shortfall by limiting the number of staff available for language training. State has undertaken several initiatives to address these shortages, including multiple staffing increases intended to fill the gaps. However, the department has not undertaken these initiatives in a comprehensive and strategic manner. As a result, it is unclear when the staffing and skill gaps that put diplomatic readiness at risk will close.