ICASS AFSA Survey Results - American Foreign Service Association

IV. Conclusion and Recommendation:The obvious conclusion we can make based on the results of this survey is that there IS aproblem. Without question, development programs are being harmed by the forcibleconsolidation. There is also a clash of cultures between State and USAID. It is evenpossible that State employees are feeling the stress of taking on more and incompatibleactivities they would prefer that USAID continue administering. The ICASS implementationwas not collaborative and there is a very good possibility that costs have increased andthat productivity has decreased.One has to ask what was the problem that ICASS was aiming to fix? USAID administrativeservices were not broken and yet they were targeted to be FIXED. ICASS principles werenot followed and the end result has been widespread dissatisfaction and even anger.While there may be some administrative services which make sense to combine, this canbe a highly individual country team decision and should never be forced on any oneMission.The best solution is to stop the consolidation, do a scientific review, audit or investigationby a neutral party, and return back to USAID control those services whose "consolidation" iscausing financial or operational harm. We have a new Administration at USAID which islooking at bringing us back to being the world's premier development agency. These willbe empty words, unless we listen to the needs of our staff. Staying the course will only bedetrimental to our mission.Francisco J. Zamora