3 FAH-1 H-2240
Foreign Service Officer Career Candidate Program
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(Office of Origin: HR/CDA and HR/PE)
3 FAH-1 H-2241 CRITERIA AND OBJECTIVES
FOR ASSIGNMENTS
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. HR/CDA is guided by the following provisions in
assigning entry-level Foreign Service Officer (FSO) Career Candidates:
(1) Service needs, to include filling high-priority
entry-level positions and reducing or eliminating staffing gaps, or periods of
dual incumbency, at post;
(2) FSO career development goals, to include language
skills development, experience in different overseas assignments, and in-cone
experience wherever possible and within the context of service need and
available entry-level positions;
(3) Given that the majority of entry-level generalist
positions are consular, FSO career candidates must perform consular work abroad
for a minimum of one year, but no less than ten months.
(4) FSO career candidates are expected to complete at
least two entry-level directed tours; most will serve two initial assignments
abroad as required by the needs of the Foreign Service.
(5) Individual qualifications (e.g., language skills)
may also be considered where appropriate and consistent with service needs.
b. In assigning mid-level candidates, HR/CDA, within
the constraints of service needs and other limitations, will seek to provide
assignments within the first three years in two different postings, at least
one of which is abroad, which will enable the candidate to demonstrate
competency in the candidate's preferred functional field as well as the broader
capability to serve successfully as a Foreign Service Officer through the mid-ranks.
3 FAH-1 H-2242 PERFORMANCE REVIEWs FOR
OFFICER CANDIDATES
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. Supervisors of FSO Career Candidates should hold
Performance Review sessions with them at least twice during each annual rating
cycle at approximately 120-day intervals and no less than once during
assignments of less than one year.
b. In meeting with a career candidate, the rating
officer should prepare at least one written Performance Review statement on
form DS-1974 and present it to the candidate for discussion.
c. The DS-1974 is intended solely as a performance
review mechanism to provide employees with feedback on where they are doing
well and where they need to develop further; it will not be placed in the candidate's
performance file, and will in no way bind the rating officer in later judgments
on the candidates overall performance during the full rating period.
d. The DS-1974 is not required for assignments of six
months or less, but at least one oral session is required.
e. All career candidates should be counseled regarding
their strengths and weaknesses and ways to improve their performance, enhance
their professional development, and strengthen their potential for tenure and
advancement.
f. Reviewing officers should stay informed of
candidates' progress and make themselves available for counseling or mentoring,
as appropriate.
g. The principal officer, deputy chief of mission, or
deputy assistant secretary responsible for oversight of the candidate program
in the bureau or post will oversee the adequate, periodic counseling or
mentoring of candidates by the rating and reviewing officers.
3 FAH-1 H-2243 TYPES OF EVALUATION
MATERIAL
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. Foreign Service Officer Career Candidates are
evaluated on the Employee Evaluation Report (EER) Form DS-5055, prepared as
outlined in 3
FAM 2810, and the instructions for preparation of the EER form, except when
in training status (see 3 FAM 2813.7).
The rating and reviewing officers' appraisals of an officer candidate's
potential should directly assess the demonstrated potential of the candidate to
perform effectively as a Foreign Service Officer with normal development up to
and including class FS-01 and include a recommendation regarding whether the
candidate should be granted career status.
b. Other evaluation material, including commendations
and awards (but not Franklin Awards and Time-Off Awards) may be included in a
career candidates performance file. The same rules of admissibility will
apply to all evaluation material of career candidates as apply to evaluation
material prepared on other members of the Foreign Service. All career candidate
evaluation material will remain a permanent part of the individual's Official
Performance File (OPF). Should a candidate resign and subsequently return
to the Service, the evaluation material for the previous service will be
incorporated in the OPF.
3 FAH-1 H-2244 OFFICE of performance
evaluation (hr/pe)
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
The Office of Performance Evaluation (HR/PE) is
responsible for all performance management and Employee Evaluation Report (EER)
policy. HR/PE may return EERs of Foreign Service Officer Career Candidates in
cases where the reports are judged to be inadequate to permit a Commissioning
and Tenure Board to make a sound tenuring judgment. HR/PE may request the
originator to clarify or amplify any portion of it and return it in a timely
way to allow further consideration of that candidate by the CTB. Copies of all
such requests from HR/PE and of all responses thereto will be supplied to the
candidate, who may submit any desired comment or response.
3 FAH-1 H-2245 UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE
PROCEDURES
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. An unsatisfactory rating cannot be given to a
candidate unless the candidate received notice in writing of the areas of
performance that were deficient and had a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate
satisfactory performance. A period of 60 calendar days ordinarily will be
sufficient to demonstrate needed improvement. In some cases, however, a
shorter period may be dictated by safety or security concerns that could
overlap with performance issues, by the imminent departure of an employee from
post, or by other significant factors that necessitate such a decision. In all
cases, the employee will be advised of the timetable for improvement.
b. An EER in which the candidates performance is rated
as unsatisfactory must be submitted directly to HR/PE rather than through
ePerformance. HR/PE will refer the case to the Director General for review.
c. Upon being advised by the Director of HR/PE that a
candidates performance has been rated unsatisfactory, the Director General
will:
(1) Advise the candidate in writing of this decision
and grant a period of at least 10 working days for the candidate to offer
comment on the rating; and
(2) Conduct further review or inquiry regarding the
candidates performance as the Director General may deem appropriate. All
material generated by such a review or inquiry or otherwise considered by the
Director General will be made available to the candidate, who will be granted a
period of 10 working days from receipt of such material in which to offer
comment.
d. Upon completion of the above procedures, the
Director General will review all relevant and admissible material on file
regarding the candidates performance and will do one of the following:
(1) Advise the candidate that the rating of
unsatisfactory performance has been changed to satisfactory, and initiate
action to ensure that all personnel records reflect this determination; or
(2) Direct that the candidate be separated from the
Service under section 612 of the Act; or
(3) Withhold judgment regarding possible action for a
specified period of further on-the-job observation. The post or bureau must
submit to HR/PE the EER immediately following the additional period stating
that the candidates performance is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. The
Director General will readdress the question based on overall performance
history at that date.
e. When ordering separation under Section 612 of the
Foreign Service Act, the Director General will set the effective date, which
may be no less than 30 days following notification of that action, excluding
travel time required to return to Washington, DC, if abroad.
3 FAH-1 H-2246 THE COMMISSIONING AND
TENURE BOARD
3 FAH-1 H-2246.1 Composition
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
The Commissioning and Tenure Board (Board) will consist of
five members of the Foreign Service of the Department of State, one from each
of the five skill codes/occupational categories (management, consular,
economic, political, and public diplomacy), of class FS-01 and above. The most
senior member will serve as the chairperson. Among the members, at least one
will be a member of a minority group and one a woman.
3 FAH-1 H-2246.2 Appointment
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only
The Director General will appoint members of the Board who
have the same qualifications as Selection Board members as specified in 3 FAM 2326.1-2(a).
HR/PE will convene the Board four times per calendar year. Members are
appointed for one Board session only, but can serve consecutively. If a member
serves consecutively, the name will be shared with the exclusive bargaining
representative (AFSA). A list of the members under consideration for
appointment will be submitted to AFSA on an informational basis; AFSA may offer
comment. Such comments will be considered, but will not be binding in
making the final appointments. Language governing recusals of Board members
can be found in the Procedural Precepts regulating the Tenure Board process.
(The Tenure Board Precepts are available on the HR/PE website under All
Precepts.)
3 FAH-1 H-2246.3 Responsibilities
and Duties
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. The Board will meet quarterly to perform the duties
set forth in this subchapter and in the Foreign Service Career Candidate
Tenuring Board Precepts, also known as the Tenuring Board Precepts. (The
Tenuring Board Precepts are available on the HR/PE website under All
Precepts.) The Board will:
(1) Review and make recommendations on the conferral
of career status upon all FS-04 Foreign Service Officer candidates and upon
members of the Service appointed under the Mustang Program as soon as possible
after completion of 36 months of service. A second review will take place after
48 months. When the Board judges that additional evaluated experience may lead
to a favorable tenuring decision, the Board may recommend a third review six
months prior to expiration of the candidate's limited appointment;
(2) Review and make recommendations regarding
conferral of career status upon all FS-03, 02, and 01 mid-level candidates as
soon as practicable after their first three years of service, and again one
year later if career status is not recommended on first review. The Board will
conduct a third review approximately 60 days prior to expiration of the
candidate's limited appointment if it does not recommend conferral of career
status on second review. Mid-level candidates of class FS-02 and FS-03 who are
promoted will be referred to the next session of the Board for review
regardless of the date of their last review and of their period of service.
(3) Monitor all evaluation material prepared on
employees subject to review by the Board. The purpose of this monitoring is to
determine whether the material is adequate to assist meaningfully in the career
judgment that the Board must make at the prescribed time. At the direction of
the Chairperson, any evaluation material deemed inadequate for the Board's
purpose may be returned to the preparer for amplification and/or
clarification.
b. For those candidates not recommended for tenure who
will be considered at a subsequent session of the Board, the Board will write
notification statements with guidance to the candidates and should identify
areas for improvement. The Board will provide counseling statements for
those candidates whose chances of being recommended for tenure at a subsequent
session are in doubt due to an identifiable performance weakness. Any such
statements will be included in the official Board findings and will be given to
the candidates in question (and his/her respective Career Development Officers) and as part of the Board Report to the Director
General. The counseling statement will not become part of the Official
Performance Folder, unless the recipient so requests in writing.
3 FAH-1 H-2246.4 Board Action
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. Any action taken by
the Board requires the concurrence of at least four Tenure Board members. In
the case of tenure denial, no action unfavorable to the candidate under review
will be taken without consideration of the file by all members of the Board,
absent a recusal.
b. The Board will provide the Director General with the
following:
(1) An alphabetical list of names of those officer
candidates recommended for tenure and commissioning;
(2) An alphabetical list of names, accompanied by
counseling statements, of those officer candidates recommended for a second
tenure review;
(3) An alphabetical list of names, accompanied by
counseling statements, of those officer candidates recommended for a third and
final review;
(4) An alphabetical list of the names of those officer
candidates the Board does not recommend for tenure. Individuals who are not
recommended for tenure will be separated from the Service at the end of their
limited appointment, or earlier if the Board's recommendation for earlier
separation is approved by the Director General;
(5) The Board's observations on the operation of the
Officer Candidate Program, the Employee Evaluation Report (EER) form, and the
Tenuring Board Precepts and procedures with such recommendations as it may
desire to make. Such a report will be included in the official Board findings.
A copy of the report, including recommendations or comments, other than those
concerning individuals, will be made available to officials of AFSA on a
confidential basis. If the Board requests that a portion of its statement not
be disseminated and explains its reason for this request, those portions so
identified also will be deleted and the reasons explained to AFSA.
3 FAH-1 H-2247 TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT
REMOVAL OF NAMES FROM COMMISSIONING AND TENURE LISTS
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. The procedures outlined below for temporary or
permanent removal of names from tenure lists apply to all officer candidates
recommended for tenure by the Board. (See 3 FAM 2245.9).
b. The Director General will inform the candidate
concerned in writing of the action taken (unless subject to a do not notify
order) and will initiate, pursue, or monitor the inquiry, investigation or
proceeding that gave rise to the removal. The candidate will be given an
opportunity to submit whatever information or documents the candidate believes
are pertinent to the case. Upon disposition or resolution of the issue,
the Director General will either:
(1) Request that the necessary administrative action
be initiated to tenure the candidate as a career FSO and add the candidate to
the next list of appointments in the FS for confirmation and attestation; or
(2) In the case of disciplinary action, request the
Board that earlier recommended tenure to determine whether or not the candidate
is qualified to be tenured in view of the documents added to the performance
file. For the purposes of re-review of the candidate file, the Board will
receive no information regarding the candidate not previously supplied to it
other than material added as a result of an inquiry, investigation, or
proceeding that gave rise to the temporary removal. Prior to Board
re-review, the candidate will be supplied copies of all material added to the
file and will be accorded the opportunity to submit a response or rebuttal for
placement in the file.
c. The subsequent finding of the Board regarding the
candidate in question will be final and binding to the same extent as if made
at the initial session. If the Board concludes that the candidate is
qualified, based on the current record, to be tenured as an FSO, the Director
General will initiate action to tenure the candidate as an FSO. If the Board
concludes that the candidate is not qualified, on the current record, for
tenuring, the Director General will make permanent the prior exclusion of the
name from the specific list at issue.
3 FAH-1 H-2248 Details and Leave
Without Pay
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
a. As the goal of the Career Candidate Program is to
provide clear evidence of career Foreign Service potential within the time
period of the candidates limited appointment, details to other agencies will
generally be avoided.
b. Except for employee entitlements to leave without
pay (LWOP) under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (3 FAM 3530),
under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA),
and under Executive Order 5396 (disabled veterans seeking necessary medical
treatment) and requirements under 5 U.S.C. 8150 (regarding workers
compensation), the authorization of LWOP is a matter of administrative
discretion, as provided in 3 FAM 3510.
As the goal of the Officer Career Candidate Program is to provide clear
evidence of career Foreign Service potential within the time period of the
candidates limited appointment, HR/CDA does not recommend that candidates
request discretionary LWOP prior to tenure. However, bureaus/posts may
authorize officer career candidates up to 90 days LWOP under certain conditions
as defined in 3
FAM 3510.
3 FAH-1 H-2249 UNASSIGNED