ICASS AFSA Survey Results - American Foreign Service Association
ICASS AFSA Survey Results - American Foreign Service Association ICASS AFSA Survey Results - American Foreign Service Association
time. There seems to be no official way to seek resolve on this. Also, contractors and service providers see State as their mainclient and so prioritize work for them (travel agent, housing repairs, etc), leaving USAID to the last.Costs go up for USAID and quality of service goes down. Supposed cost savings are illusory and based on an assumption thatconsolidation equals efficiency. There appears to be no empirical basis for this conclusion and a lot of evidence pointing in theother direction. What cannot be argued, is that on quality of life issues -- particularly housing and GSO -- consolidation hasbeen harmful to USAID and a huge blow to morale in every post I've seen. USAID simply gets swamped and outvoted on thehousing board. The smaller, efficient operation USAID ran previously gets swallowed up by a larger, less efficient bureaucracyat State, unresponsive to the needs of USAID personnel.Consolidation has been driven too hard from Washington. It has caused friction between State officers (anxious to fulfillconsolidation mandates in their EERs) and USAID officers who are skeptical at best, and prefer a measured and slow approach.The "Joint Management Council" is 'Joint' only in name. We know in the field that our Washington USAID colleagues make onlyforced token appearances at JMC discussions. That thing is run by State. I for one, at USAID, do not buy the arguments that'whole of government' benefits will instantly redound from consolidation. The dollar savings analyses which I have seen areunconvincingly small, weak and speculative at best, and fail to include the non-financial costs of consolidation to USAID.Examples of non-financial costs are that staff arriving at a new overseas post have - with great frequency under consolidatedhousing - to go to a hotel or a temporary apartment because their house is not ready. This impedes the household fromsettling in quickly at post. Another non-financial cost is all the rigmarole of trying to make ICASS respond to USAID's needs.ICASS Service Providers rarely show up and 'walk around' to talk with their USAID customers. We feel remote from ICASS. Wedo not hang out around the Embassy water cooler, and so have less contact with the people taking actions that matter to us.When USAID turned over its entire fleet and drivers to ICASS in the Caucuses, suddenly we were being direct charged for abunch of taxi rides we had not used under the USAID motor pool. Very weird. Very telling. Since ICASS is now getting all thisrevenue from its USAID invoices, it makes me wonder - as State/ICASS is relatively 'flush' now, if some gross misappropriationof funds is occurring. ICASS Americans at our post have grown in number since USAID was consolidated. WhenUSAID ran those services, we had a greater proportion of FSNs doing the work. Now there are layers of ICASS Americans overthe FSNs. The overall labor efficiency of this approach is seriously questionable. The FSNs in ICASS seem mostly to be theassistants of the ICASS Americans, and not empowered enough to serve as customer service manager. It is a culturalcharacteristic of State. USAID still needs its EXOs, but the EXOs are marginalized with regard to shared services. They areunderutilized in part because ICASS took over the leasing, maintenance and warehouse management services that EXO used tosupervise among other duties.Poor service; for example, when VIPs come to town, which is often, the Motor Pool is totally occupied resulting in USAID staffrenting vehicles/drivers at our cost. After consolidation of the appliance pool for example, the original agreements of theconsolidated appliance pool were considered null and void. In one case, the FSN who came to repair an appliance told theUSAID resident that he would have to return to the warehouse to get a used appliance because the resident was a USAIDperson, and added if he was a State person he could give him a new appliance that he had in the truck! The workers on theground don't know the politics so they tell all. The ONLY time that we are treated respectfully is when it is ICASS survey time.Otherwise, we are dog poop.The disadvantage of consolidation is that service delivery (account payments) is excruciatingly slow. I can no longer be efficientand timely in work as it takes two to three MONTHS to get a copy of any payment processed by state. This has an adverseimpact on our Reconciling Items with Treasury.Delays of service delivery. Everything has to go all the way to high decision-makers. Internet sites are slow and delay requeststoo much regardless of the nature of the request/need.USAID pays more and gets less. There seems to be a presumption with State that services shall be provided by them, notUSAID, even though there is no demonstrable proof that State is the better or more cost-effective provider. Really, USAID hasa much larger fleet of vehicles and a smooth running motor pool. Why do we assume that State will do a better job? Why dowe no have to keep all of our vehicles parked at the Embassy (we are not collocated yet but motor pool is consolidated)? Itmakes no sense from a management perspective but is handled as an act of fiat. By giving State access to our vehicles, isn'tthat an illegal augmentation of their budget because USAID is now subsidizing States motor vehicle pool and paying for itthrough USAID's OE.Consolidation is impacting USAID's ability to get its job done. Staff can not visit projects due to lack of motor pooltransportation. USAID staff spend far more of their time dealing with administrative hassles that they did not have to deal withwhen USAID self provided services, impacting the time they can spend on implementing and managing projects. We are havingto de fund projects, that is take program dollars away from funding USAID's projects to pay for the higher costs of State'sadmin services when this money could have still been used to fund projects if USAID had continued providing the services.Service provision is based on State's objectives - having meetings and writing cables. There is no ability on the part of State toshift their way of thinking and accommodating another agency's objectives - managing and monitoring projects which are inthe field. State is not a flexible organization that can adapt its management style to accommodate another agency's objectives.DOD would have been a better service provider than State Department. Overall, the main disadvantage to the consolidation ofservices is that USAID's ability to get its work done - successfully develop and implement assistance projects -- will behindered, in some cases severely -- by a lack of administrative services. Perhaps some trade off would be worthwhile, butthese services almost always cost more.Consolidation is NOT eliminating duplication of services because for every denied request USAID has to go out and arrange for
its own services. We pay once for a service which we don't get from ICASS and a second time when paying a vendor we canprovide the service. Hence, we are also not reducing costs. They are increasing!!Costly. State hires USDH with high salaries and benefits. They almost never use FSNs except in the low paid jobs. The costs arephenomenal when you add one USDH.There is no check on expenditures. I review vouchers from GSO and the variations in costs for the same or similar work can beas much as 200% without explanation.The way consolidation is being accomplished completely ignores (or even has contempt for) the cultural differences betweenUSAID and DoS. USAID works with the people of our host countries. We empower them and include them in our organizationalstructure. They carry the institutional knowledge of our missions as Americans come and go. ICASS uses LES as a labor sourceonly. There are 6 direct hire Americans and 5 or 6 EFM Americans who oversee the same administrative functions as one USDHEXO, one LES DEXO and four LES functional supervisors. Embassies add USDH staff to manage the additional support load thatICASS is taking on as USAID and CDC consolidate. These are often two year tours, where USAID USDH commit to four yeartours when possible. Often they use the GSO and A/GSO positions as training positions, so the entire mission suffers as thejunior officer has a "learning opportunity" before moving on to a consular or political office role. This is not a money savingmove and resulting reduced levels of service do not support the growth of the Foreign Service. TO SUMMARIZE: Higher cost,fewer and lower quality services, damaged post/agency morale.For USAID, increased cost for less services. On the cost side, just give us more funding and the problem is fixed; on theservices side, ICASS needs to think differently. State employees see this post as a hardship post -- so they put up with thedifficulties for two years and move on... but this type of post is one of the better places for USAID and where USAID employeeswill send most of their career. Prior to consolidation, USAID EXO staff specialized in this environment and made the extraeffort. Now, we are fighting for basics...Fewer and slower services. Longer waits for key supplies and equipment affecting productivity of staff. No longer able to holdkey official functions because "pool" of dishes and glasses is gone, meaning higher cost for each event.1) Embassy running joint motor pool is problematic as they do not fully understand USAID's constant need to be in the fieldmonitoring programs and attending meetings with counterparts and therefore needing available and dependabletransportation; 2) USAID location within the Embassy walls has created problems for counterparts coming to our offices due toincreased security and less than diplomatic treatment when clearing security, resulting in many counterparts, particularly hostgovernment, refusing to come to USAID offices; 3) housing pool is poorly run, with more expensive rents and lower levelEmbassy employees having better housing than higher level USAID employees; 4) maintenance at residence was slower andless customer-friendly; 5) FSNs at USAID are typically higher level and are better treated by USAID, and moving them toEmbassy roles was demoralizing for many (I'm sure you will hear this from the FSNs).There appear to be almost no mechanisms in place to ensure that services are provided in a cost effective manner. GSOs tendto use some old approaches without ever seriously considering ways of cutting costs. The ICASS Budget Process is a farce. TheICASS committee rarely meets. When they do, they rarely discuss budget matters. State sends untrained junior officers tohead up Budget and Finance Offices. Under these conditions it is impossible to obtain maximum value for the dollar. (1) Staterelies too much on expats and doesn't recruit enough senior FSNs to oversee facilities maintenance and GSO services. (2)Motor pool is poorly run and unresponsive to our needs. Rides are frequently late. (3) Procurement through the embassy isextremely slow and unreliable. (4) Housing for USAID is second rate. State has no incentive to provide USAID with qualityhousing. USAID has only one member on InterAgency Housing Committee even though we have far more employees. As such,our needs are poorly addressed. Maintaining USAID Office building is often viewed as a low priority. We can't even get ourwindows washed. Though State has a "greening diplomacy initiative", State GSO and Facilities Maintenance have not beeninstructed to identify "greener" ways of supporting USDH overseas. As such, our motor pool has only 4x4 vehicles even thoughfuel efficient sedans could easily be used in this country. No attempts have been made to replace diesel thirst generators withsolar panels and batteries. The ICASS Council Arrangement of providing each agency with one voting member is totally flawed.Most of the smaller agencies don't give a hoot whether or not State overcharges or operates in an inefficient manner. Becausethey've never seen an alternative (like we at USAID have), these ICASS members have no basis for comparison. Because theyhave busy professional lives, they aren't willing to invest any time into making ICASS function better. As a result, theBehemoth that is has become just stumbles forward.Housing is not available when arrive, repairs take much longer, workers show up at your house without warning and ID.Several times more than one set of workers have shown up for the same repair (none fixing it). I am losing my house after 6weeks because the lease won't be renewed. State didn't check with the landlord before I moved in so now I have to move.Motor pool is never available when we need it.Biggest problem is the people doing the work are all STATE people and they don't give one hoot about USAID people - we arenot on their screen so we get the worst services, last. Also STATE drivers do not normally go out of the capital city so they arecompletely lost when it comes to finding USAID sites.Poor service. None responsiveness to USAID needs. Worse vehicles are assigned to USAID. Worse housing in the housing poolgoes to USAID staff.
- Page 1: News aboutUSAID and theForeign Serv
- Page 4 and 5: officers are collectors of informat
- Page 6 and 7: There has been a push by State to r
- Page 8: AFSA Vice President USAIDConsolidat
- Page 12 and 13: not sure why, other than they get i
- Page 14 and 15: My experience as an EXO at other po
- Page 18: The biggest disadvantage has been t
- Page 21 and 22: the OIG report on the Kabul Embassy
its own services. We pay once for a service which we don't get from <strong>ICASS</strong> and a second time when paying a vendor we canprovide the service. Hence, we are also not reducing costs. They are increasing!!Costly. State hires USDH with high salaries and benefits. They almost never use FSNs except in the low paid jobs. The costs arephenomenal when you add one USDH.There is no check on expenditures. I review vouchers from GSO and the variations in costs for the same or similar work can beas much as 200% without explanation.The way consolidation is being accomplished completely ignores (or even has contempt for) the cultural differences betweenUSAID and DoS. USAID works with the people of our host countries. We empower them and include them in our organizationalstructure. They carry the institutional knowledge of our missions as <strong>American</strong>s come and go. <strong>ICASS</strong> uses LES as a labor sourceonly. There are 6 direct hire <strong>American</strong>s and 5 or 6 EFM <strong>American</strong>s who oversee the same administrative functions as one USDHEXO, one LES DEXO and four LES functional supervisors. Embassies add USDH staff to manage the additional support load that<strong>ICASS</strong> is taking on as USAID and CDC consolidate. These are often two year tours, where USAID USDH commit to four yeartours when possible. Often they use the GSO and A/GSO positions as training positions, so the entire mission suffers as thejunior officer has a "learning opportunity" before moving on to a consular or political office role. This is not a money savingmove and resulting reduced levels of service do not support the growth of the <strong>Foreign</strong> <strong>Service</strong>. TO SUMMARIZE: Higher cost,fewer and lower quality services, damaged post/agency morale.For USAID, increased cost for less services. On the cost side, just give us more funding and the problem is fixed; on theservices side, <strong>ICASS</strong> needs to think differently. State employees see this post as a hardship post -- so they put up with thedifficulties for two years and move on... but this type of post is one of the better places for USAID and where USAID employeeswill send most of their career. Prior to consolidation, USAID EXO staff specialized in this environment and made the extraeffort. Now, we are fighting for basics...Fewer and slower services. Longer waits for key supplies and equipment affecting productivity of staff. No longer able to holdkey official functions because "pool" of dishes and glasses is gone, meaning higher cost for each event.1) Embassy running joint motor pool is problematic as they do not fully understand USAID's constant need to be in the fieldmonitoring programs and attending meetings with counterparts and therefore needing available and dependabletransportation; 2) USAID location within the Embassy walls has created problems for counterparts coming to our offices due toincreased security and less than diplomatic treatment when clearing security, resulting in many counterparts, particularly hostgovernment, refusing to come to USAID offices; 3) housing pool is poorly run, with more expensive rents and lower levelEmbassy employees having better housing than higher level USAID employees; 4) maintenance at residence was slower andless customer-friendly; 5) FSNs at USAID are typically higher level and are better treated by USAID, and moving them toEmbassy roles was demoralizing for many (I'm sure you will hear this from the FSNs).There appear to be almost no mechanisms in place to ensure that services are provided in a cost effective manner. GSOs tendto use some old approaches without ever seriously considering ways of cutting costs. The <strong>ICASS</strong> Budget Process is a farce. The<strong>ICASS</strong> committee rarely meets. When they do, they rarely discuss budget matters. State sends untrained junior officers tohead up Budget and Finance Offices. Under these conditions it is impossible to obtain maximum value for the dollar. (1) Staterelies too much on expats and doesn't recruit enough senior FSNs to oversee facilities maintenance and GSO services. (2)Motor pool is poorly run and unresponsive to our needs. Rides are frequently late. (3) Procurement through the embassy isextremely slow and unreliable. (4) Housing for USAID is second rate. State has no incentive to provide USAID with qualityhousing. USAID has only one member on InterAgency Housing Committee even though we have far more employees. As such,our needs are poorly addressed. Maintaining USAID Office building is often viewed as a low priority. We can't even get ourwindows washed. Though State has a "greening diplomacy initiative", State GSO and Facilities Maintenance have not beeninstructed to identify "greener" ways of supporting USDH overseas. As such, our motor pool has only 4x4 vehicles even thoughfuel efficient sedans could easily be used in this country. No attempts have been made to replace diesel thirst generators withsolar panels and batteries. The <strong>ICASS</strong> Council Arrangement of providing each agency with one voting member is totally flawed.Most of the smaller agencies don't give a hoot whether or not State overcharges or operates in an inefficient manner. Becausethey've never seen an alternative (like we at USAID have), these <strong>ICASS</strong> members have no basis for comparison. Because theyhave busy professional lives, they aren't willing to invest any time into making <strong>ICASS</strong> function better. As a result, theBehemoth that is has become just stumbles forward.Housing is not available when arrive, repairs take much longer, workers show up at your house without warning and ID.Several times more than one set of workers have shown up for the same repair (none fixing it). I am losing my house after 6weeks because the lease won't be renewed. State didn't check with the landlord before I moved in so now I have to move.Motor pool is never available when we need it.Biggest problem is the people doing the work are all STATE people and they don't give one hoot about USAID people - we arenot on their screen so we get the worst services, last. Also STATE drivers do not normally go out of the capital city so they arecompletely lost when it comes to finding USAID sites.Poor service. None responsiveness to USAID needs. Worse vehicles are assigned to USAID. Worse housing in the housing poolgoes to USAID staff.
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