3 FAH-1 H-1400
ARRANGEMENTS FOR SENIOR AND PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEES
3 FAH-1 H-1410
ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEES
(CT:POH-182; 07-06-2016)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
(Office of Origin: HR/CDA)
This subchapter contains guidelines and procedures which
implement the regulations published in 3 FAM 1410 and
should be used in conjunction with that subchapter.
3 FAH-1 H-1411 PROCESSING OF PRESIDENTIAL
APPOINTMENTS
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Recommendations for Presidential nominations and
appointments under the jurisdiction of the Department of State are made by
memorandum from the Secretary of State to the President. These nominations and
appointments include not only ambassadors and principal officers of the
Department, but also top-level positions in the United Nations, the
Inter-American system, and other international commissions, organizations, and
conferences where membership requires Presidential appointment.
3 FAH-1 H-1412 RESPONSIBILITY
3 FAH-1 H-1412.1 Under Secretary
for Management
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
The Under Secretary for Management has responsibility for
assuring the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary that:
(1) Appropriate consultations and clearances within
the Department of State, including the Office of Inspector General, have been
completed before selectee recommendations are put forward for approval;
(2) That formal security, conflict-of-interest, and
medical clearance (if appropriate) are obtained once a selection is made and
White House approval has been received; and
(3) That (if appropriate) agreement of the host state
or international organization has been obtained.
3 FAH-1 H-1412.2 Director General
(CT:POH-182; 07-06-2016)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The Director General shares responsibility with the
Under Secretary for Management for ensuring that the items listed in section 3 FAH-1
H-1412.1 are completed. The completion of these items is carried out by
the Senior Level Division (HR/CDA/SL) and
the Presidential Appointments Staff (HR/PAS)
in the Bureau of Personnel, under the Director Generals authority.
b. In addition, the Director General has general
responsibility for ensuring that effective procedures are established and
followed in implementing the briefing program for chiefs of mission, including
the two-week Ambassadorial Seminar conducted by the Foreign Service Institute.
3 FAH-1 H-1412.3 Assistant
Secretary for the Bureau Concerned
3 FAH-1 H-1412.3-1 Briefing and
Consultations
(CT:POH-182; 07-06-2016)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. For new ambassadorial selectees, briefings and
consultations in the Department of State can begin once clearances are received
and the agrment has been
requested. These briefings can be expanded to other U.S. Government entities
once the White House announcement and nomination have been made. Briefings and
consultations outside of the U.S. Government cannot take place until after
Senate confirmation.
b. Responsibility for briefing and assisting the newly
appointed or returning chief of mission is assigned to the Assistant Secretary
of the bureau concerned, who may, in turn, delegate to the appropriate bureau
officer the planning and execution of substantive and administrative briefing,
debriefing, and consultation schedules on a departmental and government-wide
basis. Bureaus should ensure new chiefs of mission attend the two-week
Ambassadorial Seminar organized by the Foreign Service Institute.
c. Requests for appointments with the President, the
Secretary, the Under Secretaries, and the Assistant Secretaries are submitted
by memoranda through normal channels. Appointments with other officials are
requested by communications with the offices as indicated.
d. A list of the principal officers concerned with
envoy briefings and consultation is provided by the Presidential Appointments
Staff (HR/PAS).
e. The period of consultation in the Department prior
to departure for post, and during home leave, may be extended to permit a chief
of mission to carry out the briefing and debriefing set forth in 3 FAM 1410 and
this subchapter.
3 FAH-1 H-1412.3-2 Chief of
Mission Returning from Assignment
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Chiefs of mission returning for assignment to another
geographical area, for the purposes of 3 FAM 1410 and
this subchapter, remain the responsibility of the Assistant Secretary for the
geographic bureau controlling the terminating assignment until released to the
new area of assignment.
3 FAH-1 H-1413 MATERIALS TO BE MADE
AVAILABLE TO ENVOYS
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The senior desk officer makes available to a new
ambassadorial selectee (with appropriate security clearance) the following
documents:
(1) The latest post report;
(2) The current Office of Inspector General reports;
(3) Organizational material on the Department;
(4) Intelligence material;
(5) Copies of pertinent mission cable traffic;
(6) Such basic documentation, both legislative and
executive, as may be available in the Department for assistance in the form of
reports, manuals, or publications; and
(7) Biographic material on prominent figures of the
country or organization to which assigned.
b. The bureau executive director will provide
complete briefing material on administrative matters.
c. Incumbent chiefs of mission, while on
consultation in the Department, receive copies of current telegrams to and from
their mission.
3 FAH-1 H-1414 LANGUAGE PREPARATION
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The Department seeks to have chiefs of mission
proceeding to foreign areas where they have not previously served acquire
minimum language and area training prior to departure. Appropriate language
training is provided by the Foreign Service Institute. It is desirable that
during the language training the envoy be free from operational duties in order
to assure that the trainee has the opportunity to participate in a controlled
and supervised program which is free from interruption.
b. For the chief of mission who already has a
substantive knowledge of the language of the post, refresher training, if
desired, on an ad hoc basis may be arranged.
c. Dependents are urged, whenever possible, to
undertake language training by the Foreign Service Institute on the same basis.
3 FAH-1 H-1415 BRIEFINGS FOR
DEPENDENTS
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The schedule of briefings for a chief of mission
includes scheduling of briefings for spouses so that they may also make careful
preparation for overseas assignments. The Foreign Service Institute and the
regional bureau will provide briefings on:
(1) Government organization;
(2) Current foreign policy;
(3) Post problems;
(4) The nature and character of the country where
assigned, and its people;
(5) The embassy, the residence, and the staff.
b. Spouses are encouraged to attend, along with the new
ambassador, the two-week Ambassadorial Seminar organized by the Foreign Service
Institute.
c. The Family Liaison Office (M/DGP/FLO) seeks to
establish continuing relationships with the spouse of the chief of mission in
order to assist the spouse in arranging for departure and after arrival at the
post. M/DGP/FLO maintains current and comprehensive files on the contributions
of dependents on the economic, political, and social-welfare life of countries
of assignment. The Director and staff of M/DGP/FLO are prepared to discuss
community activities at the post and the availability of support for embassy
dependents projects with the chief of missions dependent(s). There are also
available files on previous experience of direct interest of a spouse.
3 FAH-1 H-1416 CONGRESSIONAL
APPEARANCE
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Once the President has nominated an individual for Senate
confirmation, the Office of Legislative Affairs becomes the focal point for
assisting the nominee through the Senate confirmation process. That office,
under the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, will:
(1) Brief the nominee on the Senate confirmation
process;
(2) Provide the names and biographic information on
appropriate members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and
(3) Assist the bureau in preparing a nominee for a
Senate hearing.
3 FAH-1 H-1417 SPEECH MAKING AND PRESS
CONFERENCES
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
As soon as the dates of the chief of missions return to
Washington are known, the senior desk officer will inform the Assistant
Secretary for Public Affairs, in writing, of those dates so that the Assistant
Secretary may:
(1) Ask the chief of mission is he/she would be
willing to make speeches; and
(2) Arrange appropriate informational activities;
(3) Arrange possible press conferences; and
(4) Arrange individual appointments with
correspondents.
3 FAH-1 H-1418 FACILITIES AND
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
The executive director of the geographic bureau will:
(1) Arrange for office space and secretarial
assistance during the chief of missions stay in the United States; and
(2) Process travel plans, reservations, passports,
visas, etc., for the chief of mission.
3 FAH-1 H-1419 DEBRIEFING
(TL:POH-14; 06-26-1996)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The Department regards debriefing as especially
important and urges the fullest advantage be taken of the chief of missions
knowledge of the country of past assignment. Therefore, on return to
Washington for consultation, leave, transfer, retirement, or other purposes,
the chief of mission is expected to be available on an extensive scale for such
debriefing.
b. Section 401(b) of the Foreign Service Act makes
chiefs of mission leaving the Foreign Service subject to perform such functions
as debriefing while on chief-of-mission salary.
c. Debriefing responsibility is assigned to the bureau
Assistant Secretary who may, in turn, delegate the preparation, planning, and
execution of the debriefing schedule to the appropriate bureau officer, working
in cooperation with the Office of the Director General and, when appropriate,
with the Bureau of Legislative Affairs.
d. After the debriefing schedule has been prepared, a
copy will be sent by the Assistant Secretary of the regional bureau to the
Director General.