Comments on: Finding Tomorrow’s Diplomats http://greatdiversions.com/2007/07/30/finding-tomorrows-diplomats/ Interesting sights along the road of life. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:22:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Prince Roy http://greatdiversions.com/2007/07/30/finding-tomorrows-diplomats/comment-page-1/#comment-3112 Prince Roy Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:04:29 +0000 http://greatdiversions.com/2007/07/30/finding-tomorrows-diplomats/#comment-3112 IMO this "qualifications evaluation panel" is bad news. This will end up politicizing the assessment process and there is a real danger the Department will find itself awash in yes-men. The whole promise and allure of the Foreign Service exam process was that it was a meritocracy--as long as a candidate possessed the knowledge and skills to pass the exams, she had as much a legit shot as any one. Now, she had also better have the correct pedigree and resume desired by whichever political party controls the executive branch. I am very disappointed that AFSA signed off on this. IMO this “qualifications evaluation panel” is bad news. This will end up politicizing the assessment process and there is a real danger the Department will find itself awash in yes-men.

The whole promise and allure of the Foreign Service exam process was that it was a meritocracy–as long as a candidate possessed the knowledge and skills to pass the exams, she had as much a legit shot as any one. Now, she had also better have the correct pedigree and resume desired by whichever political party controls the executive branch.

I am very disappointed that AFSA signed off on this.

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