246. Paper Prepared in the Department of State1
Washington, November 4, 1980
HABIB RECOMMENDATIONS: UPDATE ON PROGRESS
November 4, 1980
The following is a tabular representation of the Habib Committee’s 63 recommendations, with an indication of their disposition.2
| DONE | IN TRAIN | OTHER STATUS, COMMENTS | |
| A. Recruitment | |||
| 1. Consolidate State recruitment in one office. | X | ||
| 2. Office director to be Deputy Asst. Secretary. | Studied and amended | ||
| 3. Necessary staff and budget for new office. | X | ||
| 4. Close liaison with I.C.A. | X | Continuing program | |
| 5. Ask M/EEO for advice and suggestions on recruitment. | X | ||
| 6. Utilize Pearson, Dip. in Res. and Univ. Trainees. | X | ||
| 7. Provide recruitment materials to speakers. | X | Continuing program | |
| 8. PA and CPL to include recruitment in programs. | X | ||
| 9. Target scholar-diplomat program on special colleges. | X | ||
| 10. Ask for mid-level candidates from P.C., Pearson,3 etc. | X | ||
| 11. Open mid-level to State domestic employees. | X | ||
| 12. M/DG to assign personnel to new office promptly. | X | ||
| 13. Ask all officers to recruit during travel. | X | Continuing program | |
| 14. Rewrite exam booklet. | X | ||
| 15. Write general booklet on FS careers. | X | ||
| 16. Place in media articles on FS women and minorities. | X | Continuing program | |
| 17. Advertising to stress FS exam as means of entry. | X | Continuing program | |
| 18. New office to research dates, places, and organizations. | X | ||
| 19. Hire consultant to train office staff recruiters. | Studied; funds disapproved | ||
| 20. Set up training program for part-time recruiters. | X | ||
| B. Written Examination | |||
| 1. Retain written exam. | X | ||
| 2. Hire consultants to exam tests for bias. | X | To be repeated | |
| 3. Set up research capability to monitor exam and job analysis. | Funds disapproved | ||
| 4. Ask for bids on FY 81 and FY 82 exams. | X | For FY 81 | |
| 5. Give equal weight to EE and FB sections. | X | ||
| 6. Eliminate FF section, increase FB section. | X | ||
| 7. Tap pool of near-passers. | X | ||
| 8. Beginning 12/80 use differential cut score. | Studied and amended | ||
| 9. Study giving exam more than once per year. | Studied and rejected | ||
| 10. Avoid conflict of exam dates with LSAT, etc. | Studied and rejected | ||
| C. Affirmative Action Junior Officer Program | |||
| 1. For FY 80, catch-up goal is 43, later about 15%. | X | Goal exceeded for FY 80 | |
| 2. Recapture 35 minority assessment passers. | X | ||
| 3. Consider differential cut-score on assessment. | Studied and rejected | ||
| 4. Rewrite FRP standards and give credit for strength. | X | ||
| 5. Maintain single register for minority candidates. | X | By choice | |
| 6. More thorough entry-level training. | X | ||
| 7. Rotate assignments for career candidates. | X | ||
| 8. PER to alert supervisors to develop career candidates. | X | ||
| 9. Eliminate second oral for AAJOP. | X | ||
| 10. Set up coordinator for intern programs in REE. | X | ||
| 11. Reduce number of disparate entry routes into FS. | X | Under review. FS Act of 1980 relates.4 | |
| D. Assessment Center | |||
| 1. Retain center. | X | ||
| 2. Remove in-basket from FS setting, 1 hour. | X | ||
| 3. Interview to be one hour, 3 on 1. | X | Studied and amended | |
| 4. Improve content of group exercise. | X | ||
| 5. Inform candidates of dimensions observed. | X | ||
| 6. Improve physical setting of center. | X | ||
| 7. Select well-qualified deputy examiners. | X | Continuing program, hampered by problems of availability and image. | |
| 8. Dept. and I.C.A. to assign appropriate personnel. | X | Some admin support positions in center still vacant. | |
| E. Mid-Level Program | |||
| 1. Goal of 33 for FY 80. | Achieved 25, which is considerable improvement; moreover pipeline looks promising for FY 81. | ||
| 2. Approve qualifications standards for M/L screening. | X | ||
| 3. Approve standards for evaluation panels. | X | ||
| 4. PER to take over ARC function. | X | ||
| 5. Recruitment personnel should counsel candidates. | X | Continuing program | |
| 6. Review oral exam for FS bias. | X | Under review | |
| 7. BEX to develop plan for assessment of candidates. | X | ||
| 8. Provide training for M/L entrants. | X | Continuing program | |
| 9. Rewrite, clarify and distribute material on program. | X | ||
| 10. Explain reasons for rejection to all candidates. | X | Continuing program | |
| 11. Expedite security clearance for M/L. | X | Continuing program | |
| 12. Eliminate second oral. | X | Being negotiated with AFSA | |
| 13. Restrict number of FSR-3 entries. | Disapproved | ||
| 14. M/EEO to keep statistics on program. | X |
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of the Under Secretary for Management (M), 1980, Box 8, Chron November 17–22, 1980. No classification marking.↩
- Regarding the Habib Committee report, see footnote 2, Document 231 and Document 238.↩
- See footnote 3, Document 128.↩
- P.L. 96–465. See Documents 181 and 183.↩