3 FAM 1320
THE BOARD OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Office of Origin: HR/DGHR/PC)
3 FAM 1321 PURPOSE AND MEMBERSHIP
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM/Labor)
(Approved by the Board of the Foreign Service on December 9, 1982)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Pursuant to section 210 of the Foreign Service Act (22
U.S.C. 3930), the President must establish a Board of the Foreign Service to
advise the Secretary of State on matters relating to the Service, including
furtherance of the objectives of maximum compatibility among agencies
authorized by law to utilize the Foreign Service personnel system and compatibility
between the Foreign Service personnel system and the other personnel systems of
the U.S. Government.
b. The membership of the Board of the Foreign Service
(hereinafter the Board) is defined in 22 U.S.C. 3930, as well as in Executive
Order 12293 as amended in pertinent part by Executive Order 12363 and Executive
Order 13118.
c. The Board of the Foreign Service must be chaired by
an individual appointed by the President. There must be an Executive Secretary
of the Board (hereinafter Executive Secretary) who will be responsible for
administrative, technical, and related matters.
d. The Secretary of State must designate State
Department members and no more than two alternate members for each member. At
least three of the Departments members must be career members of the Senior
Foreign Service (SFS). All other agency heads must designate the members and
no more than two alternate members for each member from their respective
agencies and so inform the Chairperson of the Board in writing.
e. In accordance with Executive Order 12293, as
amended, certain members should have the rank of Assistant Secretary or higher
or occupy a position of comparable responsibility. In the case of agencies
having more than one member on the Board, the additional member(s) should be a
career member of the Senior Foreign Service and, if necessary, can be of lower
rank. Alternates should be of the same rank as the member if possible. The
alternates for the Senior Foreign Service members should also be career members
of the Senior Foreign Service.
f. It is expected that all board members (or their
alternates) will attend all meetings. However, if a Board member or alternate
is unable to attend a meeting, the member or alternate (or the agency head if
circumstances so warrant) must designate, in writing, an ad hoc alternate
member for that meeting so as to maintain an appropriately balanced
representation and voting. The level of representation and authority of the ad
hoc alternate should be reasonably consistent with the criteria employed in the
selection of regular alternates.
g. A copy of the letter of designation of an ad hoc
alternate must be forwarded to the Chairperson of the Board through the
Executive Secretary at or before the meeting to which it applies.
3 FAM 1322 MEETINGS
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM/Labor)
(Approved by the Board of the Foreign Service on December 9, 1982)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The Executive Secretary will notify members of the
Board when a meeting is scheduled. That notice will include information
related to the date, time, place, and agenda of the meeting. Normally, a
meeting will be held twice a year at a time and place designated by the
Chairperson. Special meetings may be held from time to time as circumstances
warrant.
b. The Board may, at the discretion of its Chairperson,
invite nonmembers of the Board to make verbal or written presentations on
matters before the Board.
c. Meetings may be attended by the following persons
only:
(1) Board members, alternates, or ad hoc alternates;
(2) One person to advise or assist each member,
alternate, or ad hoc alternate on the subject matter. Such persons may not
participate in the deliberations of the Board unless the principal first seeks
and obtains appropriate recognition from the Chairperson;
(3) The Executive Secretary; and
(4) Legal counsel or others, as approved by or invited
by the Chairperson. Authorization for others to attend the meeting must be
obtained from the Chairperson through the Executive Secretary.
d. The Chairperson or, in the Chairpersons absence,
the Vice Chairperson (Acting Chairperson), must preside at all meetings of
the Board. In the absence of both of them, the senior member or alternate attending
should preside.
e. A quorum at a meeting of the Board must consist of
10 members (or alternates), at least seven of whom must be from the foreign
affairs agencies.
f. A meeting of the Board can be convened only by the
Chairperson or Acting Chairperson. The Chairperson will consider requests for
meetings by an individual Board member or group of members, but the decision to
call or not to call a meeting remains with the Chairperson. If three members
of the Board request a meeting on a particular issue, however, the Chairperson
will be obliged to schedule a meeting within 30 days of the date of the
request, or within 30 days of the date of the third members request, should
the three requests not be submitted simultaneously.
g. The Board will meet with the Secretary of State
annually to discuss matters relating to the Foreign Service and to offer advice
as appropriate.
3 FAM 1323 AGENDA AND DOCUMENTATION
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM/Labor)
(Approved by the Board of the Foreign Service on December 9, 1982)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. A fixed agenda will be established for each meeting
by the Chairperson and circulated in advance to each member of the Board,
unless because of unforeseen circumstances an emergency meeting must be
convened on an urgent matter. Members who wish to suggest agenda topics may do
so at a Board meeting (for the agenda of a future meeting) or by a letter to
the Chairperson, through the Executive Secretary. When possible, a brief
period for free discussion of topics of interest or concern to members will be
included as the last item on each agenda. The Board will not normally take
action on matters introduced during this free discussion period, but may
schedule them for full consideration at a later meeting.
b. Minutes of each meeting must be drafted by the
Executive Secretary and circulated to the members. Appropriate parties will
receive decisions, findings, recommendations, or advice from the Board in
writing. Those individuals or agency representatives who are invited to appear
before the Board will have access to the written record of that part of the
meeting related to their appearance.
c. Position papers and other related documents that
interested parties (if invited to do so by the Chairperson) or members of the
Board wish to provide as a basis for discussion at a meeting should be
submitted to the Executive Secretary in 20 copies at least 10 days prior to the
date of the meeting so that the Executive Secretary may circulate the documents
to the members in sufficient time for review. The 10-day rule for distribution
of documents may be waived by the Executive Secretary if, in the Executive
Secretarys opinion, the situation so demands.
3 FAM 1324 VOTING AND DECISIONS
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM/Labor)
(Approved by the Board of the Foreign Service on December 9, 1982)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Each Board member, including the Chairperson, alternate
or ad hoc alternate, has one vote.
b. As a general rule, proxy voting will not be
permitted. If someone participates in the major portion of the discussion and
must leave shortly before the actual voting takes place, however, that person,
at the Chairpersons discretion, may leave his or her proxy vote with the
Chairperson.
c. When a recommendation of the Board is to be
conveyed to the head of a foreign affairs agency, the Executive Secretary will
prepare for the Chairpersons signature a memorandum to the head of the agency
affected, transmitting the Boards recommendation and seeking the comments of
the agency head.
3 FAM 1325 MISCELLANEOUS
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM/Labor)
(Approved by the Board of the Foreign Service on December 9, 1982)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Each member of the Board should appoint a liaison officer
of his or her choosing to serve as the members point of contact with the
Executive Secretary on administrative, technical, or other matters related to
the Board.
3 FAM 1326 THROUGH 1329 UNASSIGNED