State Department Workers Cite Numerous Concerns in Survey by Felicia Schwartz - Wall Street Journal

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson commissioned a survey of employees and officials of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, which found concerns among many of them.

Here is a sampling of comments made by employees in response to survey questions and questions from the study’s interviewers, according to a report on the research seen by The Wall Street Journal:

“Militarizing of diplomacy continues. [there are] more military folks in non-[Department of Defense] offices & [Department of State] budget is cut while DOD is increased by $54 [billion]. We will rush to cut budgets, but [we will] still be asked to be all things in all countries. We will be left with only the resources to coordinate among ourselves and write reports. It will be a short political win over long-term strategy.”

“If USAID loses its independence, I worry we will not be able to effectively assist other countries in promoting democracy and economic growth, our approach to improving U.S. national security and prosperity.”

“People need more leadership—We have vacancies at the highest levels—no one there to make the decisions that need to be made. People can continue to do their jobs, but the guidance is outdated—what are our priorities? No one knows.”

“There is nothing about this [work] that inspires me except for getting my paycheck. When [you are] getting treated as just a number, you lose all respect.”

“Our technology is a disaster. We have days where we can’t send an email…the generation [of employees younger than] me laugh—they don’t want to work in that kind of environment.”

“We spend hours generating reports that Congress demands, and then you hear from someone well placed on the Hill, “We don’t actually read those reports.” …

Read on.