Addressing Staffing Challenges

Despite some progress in addressing staffing shortfalls, human capital issues continue to hamper the Department of State's ability to carry out U.S. foreign policy priorities and objectives, particularly at posts central to the war on terror.

• State’s efforts to improve overseas operations face several challenges, including the need for better cost and performance data, and communication and technical issues.
  
  Highlights of GAO-06-829 (PDF), Highlights of GAO-06-641 (PDF)
• Staffing shortfalls remain a problem, particularly at critical hardship posts—many of which are of significant strategic importance.
  
  Highlights of GAO-06-894 (PDF), Highlights of GAO-09-874 (PDF)
• Significant language proficiency gaps—particularly in Arabic and Chinese—remain, compromising State’s ability to execute critical duties.
  
  Highlights of GAO-09-955 (PDF), Highlights of GAO-06-894 (PDF)

Until the department takes further actions to ensure its personnel are appropriately skilled and assigned where needed, staffing and language proficiency gaps will continue to compromise State's ability to carry out its foreign policy objectives and execute critical mission functions.

^ Back to topWhat Needs to Be Done

State needs to take several important actions, including the following:

• Prioritize its limited language skill resources to meet the most critical gaps, based on a risk assessment and projection of needs.
  Highlights of GAO-06-894 (PDF)
• Minimize the experience gap at hardship posts by making the assignment of at-grade, mid-level officers to such posts an explicit priority consideration.
  Highlights of GAO-09-874 (PDF)
• Develop a comprehensive strategic plan with measurable goals, objectives, milestones, and feedback mechanisms that links all of State's efforts to meet its foreign language requirements.
  Highlights of GAO-09-955 (PDF)

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