FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on State Department Workforce Training

Original title: TRAINING THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S WORKFORCE FOR 21ST CENTURY DIPLOMACY

January 1, 2022

State Department USAID workforce development diplomacy professional training government modernization

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing sets the stage for potential future legislation or budget appropriations aimed at increasing federal investment in the training and professional development of State Department and USAID personnel.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

State Department employees

The workforce is the subject of proposed changes to training requirements and professional development programs.

USAID employees

The workforce is the subject of proposed changes to training requirements and professional development programs.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2022.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management held a hearing to discuss how to improve training and professional development for and employees. The discussion focused on modernizing the workforce to better address 21st-century global challenges like and climate change.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on November 2, 2021, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The subcommittee is evaluating training needs for both Foreign Service and Civil Service personnel.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently outlined five pillars for modernizing American diplomacy, with a primary focus on workforce development.
Key global challenges cited as requiring improved diplomatic training include great power competition, authoritarianism, the situation in Afghanistan, climate change, and the global pandemic.
The subcommittee aims to move toward a concrete plan for rebuilding and investing in the State Department's workforce.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

To discuss how the State Department and USAID can improve training and professional development to better recruit and retain a high-performing workforce.

Who participated in the hearing?

The hearing was led by Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and included testimony from officials from the Institute, the U.S. Diplomatic Studies Foundation, and private sector experts.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Modernization Focus

The hearing highlights a shift toward prioritizing 'entrepreneurial' and 'dynamic' workforce skills to counter modern geopolitical challenges.

Department of State Antony Blinken

Connected Entities

personDavid Miller, Jr.“President, U.S. Diplomatic Studies Foundation”Map →

personBenjamin L. Cardin“U.S. Senator from Maryland, Subcommittee Chairman”Map →

personJoshua Marcuse“Former Executive Director, Defense Innovation Board”Map →

personBill Hagerty“U.S. Senator from Tennessee, Ranking Member”Map →

personAntony Blinken“Secretary of State”Map →

organizationDepartment of State“Federal agency subject of the hearing”Map →

organizationUSAID“Federal agency subject of the hearing”Map →

personJoan Polaschik“Deputy Director, Foreign Service Institute”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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