4. Recommendation

Establish procedures for the review and evaluation of training activities and results, at home and abroad.

Action taken. At all levels of training in the Foreign Service Institute, since the individuals being trained are without exception people to be depended upon for the responsible conduct of Government business, student evaluation of the training offered has been considered an appropriate method. The Institute has profited greatly in all of its courses at all levels from the generally responsible and thoughtful evaluations of the training and its effect upon them obtained from students at all levels. In the larger courses, such as the orientation courses, in which classes sometimes include as many as 100 trainees, evaluations are obtained through the circulation of standard forms. In the general career courses, where individuals commenting can easily consult with the other members of their class, a joint evaluation agreed upon by all members of the class is the usual procedure.

In view of the extensive use made of universities throughout the country and the faculty members of various universities, it is essential that the Institute maintain a current and detailed knowledge of university programs appropriate to the training of Foreign Service officers and of the faculty members of American universities who best can contribute to the programs offered by the Institute in Washington. To this end, the Institute maintains extensive correspondence with universities throughout the country, receives indirect word of programs particularly in the fields of area studies and economics from the external research staff of the Department of State (which forms part of the Department's College Relations Committee), and encourages visits by members of the Institute staff to universities throughout the country. These visits are often coincidental with the supervision of study activities being carried on by one or more Foreign Service officers at the university in question, but often expressly for the purpose of consulting with faculty members concerning programs or the improving of programs to meet Institute needs. In like manner, just as the Institute staff evaluates the university programs attended by Foreign Service officers and seeks university faculty members competent to handle the lectures and discussions included in Institute courses, it invites consultation with and criticism from the best academic specialists in the country in the field of foreign affairs, wherever these can be identified.

One of the first acts of the new Director of the Institute, upon entry on duty, was to meet with a broad cross section of the international affairs specialists of American universities in Charlottesville, Va., where he received advice and suggestions from faculty members of 25 different institutions located in every area of the Nation. Shortly thereafter, taking advantage of the presence in the Council on Foreign Relations of several academic specialists who have had a long experience of cooperation with the Department of State and interest in its training programs, the Director arranged for the creation of an ad hoc Committee on Foreign Affairs Training and a series of meetings between this committee, which included such distinguished academic specialists as Henry Wriston, John Dickey, Dean Rusk and Philip Mosely. Finally, and in specific compliance with the recommendations of the Public Committee, the Secretary reconstituted the Advisory Council, including therein individuals from the academic world, the executive and legislative branches of Government, and the business world, who were best qualified to evaluate the Foreign Service Institute's programs and to suggest improvements.

To formalize the function of review and evaluation within the Foreign Service Institute itself, in a further reorganization of the Institute which took effect on January 1, 1957, the office of Assistant Director for Planning and Coordination was established. A specific duty of this office is the review and evaluation of training activities and results at home and abroad. Members of this office, will continue the practice heretofor carried out on an ad hoc basis by members of the staff of the Institute, of visits to overseas posts where training activities are taking place and of visits to other posts where the results of the Institute's training activities may be observed.

Finally, and conceivably of greater long-term importance in response to the directive, the Institute has established a very close series of consultations with the Foreign Service inspectors enabling the inspectors to know at all times what the various programs of the Institute are, and to comment in their inspection reports not only on the training needs of individuals who may be required to take training under the Institute's auspices, but also upon the results of training as observed in the field.

The significant relationship between training and career development as regards the identification of training needs is discussed in a separate report. (See Report of Action Taken on Recommendations of the Secretary's Public Committee on Personnel Concerning Career Development.)

5. Recommendation

Require the participation of officers in advanced and specialized training as a condition for promotion in the upper grades.

"

Action taken. In acting on this recommendation the Secretary modified the committee's proposal by requesting the Under Secretary for Administration in June 1954 to "establish procedures in the promotion program to provide for full recognition of the participation by officers in advanced and specialized training.' The Department concluded that it would be inappropriate to impose a mandatory training requirement as a condition precedent to promotion largely for the following reasons:

(1) Section 621 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended, relating to the promotion of Foreign Service officers, stipulates that, "promotion shall be by selection on the basis of merit.' raises a serious question as to the appropriateness of imposing a requirement of It is the view of the Department that this clause completion of a training course as a condition for advancement.

(2) Such a procedure, even were it not inconsistent with section 621, would not be practicable until such time as the Department is in a position to give training to all officers who need it and to do so in such a way as not to unduly delay their possibilities for promotion.

In

any event the career training program has been developed with the various levels of officer in mind, so that if full compliance with the Committee's recommendations to "require the participation of officers in advanced and specialized training as a condition for promotion in the upper grades" were made possible and were put into effect, the Institute program would be adequate to handle the training involved. The Institute's proposal for a new revision of the general career curriculum taking into account the experience of the past 2 years is now receiving study in the Office of Personnel since the increased lengths of assignments to training will involve action by that office.

However, in keeping with the spirit of the Committee's proposals the Department has taken steps to assure that training is fully recognized in considering officers for promotion. One such step has been to obtain adequate reports on the officer's participation in training and an evaluation of his relative accomplishment. A second step has been to instruct selection boards regarding the significance of and weight to be attached to training. For example, the precepts for the 10th annual selection board contains the following pertinent injunction:

"Those officers who have completed or who are currently engaged in training assignments must be given full consideration for their efforts in the light of their reported accomplishments during such training. It is important to remember that inservice training is an essential ingredient to a successful Foreign Service and often to an individual career. to only a limited number of officers. The selection of these officers is made from Advanced training assignments can be given among those who possess the greatest potential for development, based on their past relative performances. Selection boards must recognize that an officer in training status frequently is unable to show a documented record of accomplishment comparable to other officers. Selection boards must not permit his imme diate promotional opportunities to be jeopardized for this reason. Service has a constant need for trained officers in the various areas of functional specialization, selection boards, through their recommendations, must make it Since the clearly evident to all officers that the successful pursuit of training is advantageous to the officer as well as to the Service."

6. Recommendation

Invite the continuing participation of other agencies in the Department's training program, but place first emphasis upon developing a program adequate to the Department's needs.

Action taken. The monthly meetings of the Informal Interdepartmental Committee on Training in Foreign Affairs, established by the Director, has proved to be one of the most fruitful activities of the staff of the Foreign Service Institute. Meeting under the chairmanship of the Director of the Institute, this group, in which are represented the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Commerce, Health, Education, and Welfare, ICA, USIA, and CIA affords an opportunity to

acquaint the training officers of the other Government agencies with the Institute's foreign affairs programs and language programs in general and in detail. Considerable impetus was lent to the participation of other Government agencies in the Foreign Service Institute's programs by a letter addressed by the Secretary to each of the other Cabinet members heading a part of the executive branch with foreign affairs responsibilities, and inviting such participation. The increase in interest and participation in the Institute's general-career programs, cautious at first, has now reached a point at which the Institute's career programs may be said to be beginning to provide healthly mutual acquaintanceship between senior officers in the various agencies which should promote smooth operations on foreign affairs both at home and overseas. There has been a most spectacular increase over the last 3 years in other agency participation in the Institute's interagency critical issues seminar program. Attendance at interagency seminars is shown in

the table below:

School of foreign affairs—Attendance at interagency seminars by agencies

1 In 1955, 16 areas of State represented. In 1956, 18 areas of State represented.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRAINING MADE IN THE THREE AUDIT REPORTS OF THE SECRETARY'S PUBLIC COMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL

In addition to recommendations discussed above which were incorporated in its initial report of May 1954 the Committee made a number of recommendations with regard to the Department's training program in the reports submitted on its three audit meetings. Those recommendations were as follows:

(NOTE. The numbers used refer to the numbers given to these items in the respective summary reports on the action taken on recommendations made by the Committee in its three audit meetings.)

Recommendation

A. FIRST AUDIT REPORT (OCTOBER 12, 1954)

1 (c) An appropriate Director of the Foreign Service Institute be named, and that the Institute be reorganized so as to minimize further delay in the establishment of a comprehensive training program.

Action tuken-As indicated above, Mr. Harold B. Hoskins was appointed as Director of the Institute on March 8, 1955. The Institute's final reorganization, which took place on January 1, 1957, for the purpose of "creating an organization which would be adequate to handle a comprehensive training program," contemplates the division of the Institute into three major sections under the Director: one to be headed by an Assistant Director for Planning and Coordination; a second to be headed by the dean of the School of Languages; and a third by the dean of the School of Foreign Affairs.

The Planning and Coordination Office will be concerned particularly with seeing to it that the Institute's programs meet the needs for foreign affairs instruction of the Department of State and the other agencies of Government both at home and abroad. This will include planning for new programs; the elimination of existing programs when that is advisable; the introduction of new and better techniques of training such as the case study method and the increased use of visual aids; and the constant analysis of the special needs of the various branches of Government in the field of foreign relations.

The School of Languages and the School of Foreign Affairs will be responsible, respectively, for the operation of training courses at all levels in the fields of languages and foreign affairs, including orientation, training, functional training, and the various types of specialization and substantive training at the graduate level. An office of administration headed by an Assistant Director for Administration is responsible for providing overall administrative support to the Institute's operations.

Recommendation

2 (f). That particular attention be given to expanding language and area training.

Action taken. In compliance with this recommendation, the Institute has taken the following steps:

(a) An expansion of the professional staff of scientific linguists has been budgeted for and recruitment is under way. As the School of Languages becomes adequately staffed, more attention will be devoted to research and the preparation of better teaching materials specifically designed to meet the needs of Foreign Service personnel.

(b) A linguistic consultant from Harvard is working with the staff on research projects and pedagogical problems. Even with the present limited staff, the preparation and revision of training materials has been considerably stepped up during the past year.

(c) The School of Languages has during the last year published a new spoken Japanese text and a basic Korean reader. A new spoken French text has been completed in mimeographed form and is in use. A new spoken Spanish course will be published within the next 6 months. New texts in spoken German and spoken Persian are near completion and work is under way on several other new basic spoken texts.

(d) It is planned for fiscal year 1958 that the School of Languages will have a full time senior scientific linguist to direct research, supervise the preparation of materials, and work on the improvement of pedagogical methods.

(e) With respect to training more Department of State personnel, the budget for fiscal year 1957 includes 83 man-years for training of area specialists, approximately 60 percent of this being devoted to full-time language training. This compares with 30 man-years in fiscal year 1955. Training in this program is budgeted to continue at the 83 man-year level in fiscal year 1958.

(f) Training in part-time programs at posts in the field has been expanded from 1,061 students at 99 posts in fiscal year 1955 to 2,076 students at 127 posts in fiscal year 1957. Further expansion is planned and budgeted for fiscal year

1958.

(g) A considerably expanded program in French, German, and Spanish is underway which, during fiscal year 1958, will provide training for 500 Foreign Service personnel. This program is designed to meet the critical situation shown by a recent survey of language skills in the Service, which indicates that approximately 50 percent of our Foreign Service personnel do not have a "useful" knowledge of any foreign language. This expanded program is planned for 5 years and, in

combination with other programs, is designed to provide everyone in the Service with a "useful" knowledge of at least one foreign language.

(h) The Institute is moving to extend the facilities of its language school to other agencies. A considerable increase in enrollment by other agencies' personnel (particularly USIA) is anticipated in fiscal year 1958.

Problems in full compliance with the objectives of the Foreign Service Act of 1946 and the Public Committee's recommendations relating to language and area training include (1) the difficulty in recruiting competent professional staff; (2) the inadequacy of present physical facilities; (3) the problem of obtaining full recognition of the Institute's Language School as the Government's language training center in Washington; and (4) the heavy demands placed upon the Service to meet program and operational needs.

Recommendation

B. SECOND AUDIT REPORT

7. That the training plans of the Foreign Service Institute be given high priority and that the advisory board be reconstituted and members promptly appointed and thereafter convened regularly.

Action taken. In the intervening period following the publication of the Public Committee's report the training program of the Foreign Service Institute has been given high priority as the yearly increase of its budget, the increase in Foreign Service officers assigned to its staff, and the actual increase in man-years of training adequately testify.

After careful study of available sources of citizens who might perform a useful service as members of the Advisory Committee, the Foreign Service Institute's Advisory Committee was reconstituted in January of 1956. Public members of the Advisory Committee are: Hamilton Fish Armstrong, editor of Foreign Affairs; Robert Cutler, chairman of the board of directors, Old Colony Trust Co.; Clyde K. Kluckhohn, director, Laboratory of Social Sciences, Harvard University; Charles E. Saltzman, general partner, Henry Sears & Co.; Henry M. Wriston, director, The American Assembly, Columbia University; Ellsworth Bunker, American Ambassador to India; Frances P. Bolton, Congresswoman, House of Representatives; Robert B. Calkins, president, Brookings Institution; William L. Langer, chairman, Committee on Regional Studies, Harvard University.

Meetings of the new committee were held on May 21, 1956, June 26, 1956, October 2, 1956, and the next meeting is scheduled for January 27, 1957. In its 3 all-day meetings, this Committee has demonstrated not only a desire to meet at every possible opportunity when its very busy members can be brought together, but also, at its meetings, displays the most lively interest in both general and detailed aspects of the Foreign Service Institute's training programs. Several members of the Committee have actually taken part in the Institute's programs, lecturing to courses. At the last meeting of the Committee, it was agreed that all members would like to do so and would be invited to do so as opportunity affords. This will enable the members of the Advisory Committee to have even more of a firsthand feeling of the concrete problems confronting the Institute. The Deputy Under Secretary for Administration, the Assistant Secretary of State-Controller, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Personnel, as well as the Director of the Foreign Service Institute, are ex officio members of the Committee. Recommendation

8. That training and educational services which can be adequately and economically performed elsewhere be put on a contract basis in other public or private academic institutions.

Action taken. In general, training which is entrusted to other public and private educational institutions is the sort of training at the advanced graduate level for which individual training assignments are made and to which, in general, large enough numbers of officers are not assigned to warrant a contract arrangement. An obvious exception to this is the arrangement with the defense colleges which might be termed a contract arrangement between agencies of the Government. Aside from the War College courses, the Department believes that general professional career instruction of the graduate level is more effectively and economically presented under the supervision of carefully selected Foreign Service officers who are keenly aware of the objectives and the end use of the training in question. On its own, and through the external research staff, the Foreign Service Institute is constantly scrutinizing the various area study programs available at all American universities. There are not enough officers preparing for area specialization in any one area to permit a contract arrangement, except as the assignment of officers