NEA
REGIONAL OMS CONFERENCE
CAIRO
FEBRUARY
21- 23, 2005
Opening address
The Director of HR/CDA, Gary Pergl, gave the opening address.
There are 4 new objectives to be implemented by 2009. State hopes to have more IT training, in Microsoft Office Suite, Crisis Management or Operational Readiness, Leadership training, Protocol for the job, and more training in languages. Each employee will be responsible for keeping up the Profile Plus. This section will be "self certified."
Some possible DG proposals for OMSers, which have been considered, are placing the OMS in a whole different job series, or establishing an initial 4- year contract for new employees.
RSO Doug Rosenstein gave the security briefing and stressed the value of SiprNET (SN), which often is the only source of reference for DOD travelers.
EERS
Pat Keegan, the OMS (FS 3) at NEA/PDAS discussed her recent experience sitting on a Selection Board.
The board is comprised of at least 1 outside person, usually a teacher (who is supposed to make sure that there is no wheeling and dealing among the panel when reviewing EERS). EERs must be ranked with P (Promotable), M (Mid ranked) and L (low ranked). Keep your employee Profile up to date. The official report is now on line. The Panel has access to your whole file, back 5 years.
Remember that the first 15 pages of the precepts apply to OMSers. You should have something specific relating to each criterion of the precepts, not generalizations. Do whatever it takes, to work with your rater, to make sure your EER stands out. If your rating period is more than 120 days, submit a full EER; if less than that, you can submit an official memo. The memo can be free form, and will go in your file – no review panel.
Do not use "incumbent." Explain everything – especially for that teacher who will be reading your document. Don’t use job descriptions; instead comment on the level of the work. Do not forget to complete the "special circumstances." Any circumstances that made your job more difficult during this period. They hope eventually that all EERs forms will be like the new DS 5055, to make it more a self-certifying document. Remember CARS: The Challenge, your Action, and the Result. Take a Washington assignment after promotion. For page 4 of the EER, weave your area of improvement into your specific objectives for the future. Don’t mention any personality flaws – instead present your goals. Counseling sessions can be positive, present an agenda. Make sure the review statement does not repeat – only additional items. "My statement" should not be negative, only positive and upbeat, at least ½ a page. This is the "interview part."
Don’t make the panel dig for examples. Have more discussion of critical challenges in important roles and specific accomplishments. Use CARS.
Year in Review
OMT Director, Donna Stoffer, OMT instructor, Jaclyn Stein, and OMS coordinator Claudia Romeo reported on HR OMS accomplishments:
Everyone should take PK 250, the 7 Habits. This is one class that is not in danger of being dropped. Soon a cable will become out about the SAIT initiative. This will be a 2-week program for WORD specialists: including SN, Open Net, Excel, and Power Point. (See my handouts).
PK 205, Travel Manager, 8.0, is very important for Washington people, since everyone must do their own vouchers. The OMS web site has instructions to get on FAST TRAC (FT). There were several complaints that the program was too unwieldy and did not give clear instructions. Make sure your computer program is JRE enabled to allow you access to FT.
Leadership Skills – the Dept is recognizing that these classes should be available for all. Try to take classes during Home Leave and R and R. HR will pay for the per diem. Look at PK 330, and PK 302,
Bidding ? Email your resume to the Bureau’s Personnel Officer.
E-Diplomacy and the OMS Webpage
Theresa Tierney, who put together the page, urged everyone to check out the various sections. She reviewed each of the entries and challenged everyone to think how the material and web sites could apply to your section. She does not put a site on the page without checking it out first – contents and accuracy. Go the site below and click on the OMS Webpage.
http://www.extranet.state.gov/m/ediplomacy/index.cfm
OR select the link below:
See "library". She found in her research that it has the best websites for each country. It also contains the Congressional Directory. The locator is now on line. See Transitions under TRAVEL. For VIP visits, see the Pretoria manual, for any kind of visit.
Put together your own web page for your section. Think of common questions your supervisors ask, the frequently used websites, resources your section uses continually, and put your page together. Remember that your "favorites" are only under your profile and cannot be viewed by others in your section. See the following example created by a POL OMS in London:
HANDBOOK-PROC\POL Web Page by Linda Ingalls.doc
You can also create your section’s web page on the classified systems with frequently used web pages and useful web sites. Copy, file, and paste web hyper links in your document on a shared Directory.
Check out Rick Magnus’s web site.
On the State’s SBU site, is a list of other embassy sites. They often have up to date security/political information. In one instance on the Brits web site, she found a warning and class information that her RSO did not know about.
If searching for a cable, check out the "CARS" section on SiprNet. Remember, however, that it will not retrieve any cables with special captions.
The DS site sits on the DOD sbu server, for some odd reason. For help with the SiprNET site, look at the community of practice. See the User Guide.
Use Intel Link on SipreNET. It has a google engine. It also has a useful bulletin board. Use FBIS. It is good reporting tool and you can use a key word search to find information.
See the AF Medical Intel Center (AFMC), for environmental issues – like SARS, avian flu.
See blue line: for useful information on military flights. In one instance, she pulled up more specific flight arrival data for a milair flight for a panicked officer who called front office about the change in arrival and place for a CODEL.
Need a phone number at the Pentagon ? Look it up through the USG Blue Pages (Telephone Directories portal), search for Pentagon.
A panel discussion followed with several Cairo officers entitled: What
did we expect from each other in the past, and what should we expect from each
other in the future:
Use a common calendar in your section; know everyone’s schedule; keep track of logistics; know the political contacts, and your section’s political preferences, and make have teamwork. For CODELS, ask what tasks can I do ? Learn as much as possible about other sections. Know your section’s websites and their resources. Realize that an OMS can make political contacts and do outreach also.
Ambassador’s address:
Ambassador David Welch discussed his ideas on the OMS "A-team." Try to find opportunities to make a difference and not feel so marginalized. Overseas there is a sense of community much more so than in Washington. In the Arab world, face-to-face relationships are key. Try to network. If there is a problem, silence is damaging. Don’t take anything for granted. Bring professionalism to the job. Have commitment, courage and energy.
Update on Initiatives - Marc Grossman, Under Sec. of State for Political Affairs.
Marc stated: Passivity vs. Active in an employee is very important.
Leadership and Management training should be mandatory for everyone. If any one aspires to senior ranks, he/she must be a leader and have management skills. He sees the cones converging one day. The new Officer A-100 classes demand more than classes in the past: More technical training, upgraded technology (since many come from the private sector); a balance with their work and family life, and they will require leadership and manager training. How you treat people is a reflection of how or whether you move forward.
He discussed EERS briefly, specifically the Area of Improvement, which, he believes is not honest enough.
He discussed his novel idea: Tie the "recommendation " in the area of improvement – to the rater’s responsibility. In other words, the employee’s "area of improvement" should be written in to the rater’s work requirements so that the rater would be responsible for implementing the recommendation. The reviewer should evaluate the rater on how well he succeeded. .
MEPI: it is a good mechanism to support the economic/political initiates. It receives lots of rhetoric in the Congress, but the budget was cut for the program. Now we should point/stress the MEPI programs that were successful.
OMS Roundtable Discussion: The Parking Lot
ISSUES: Training, Promotions, OMS
initiatives, Y tours
This was a free for all to discuss issues that were significant to OMSEers.
A major issue brought up by all was the fact that OMSers need training for the
particular section they are working for. The officers have "cone
specific" training. Why aren’t we allowed the same opportunity? :
CONCERNS: Several concerns were written on white boards. We then broke up into groups to come up with recommendations under each, and then made a presentation to all.
Training: Ask your supervisor or DCM, if you can "shadow" the OMS in another section where you will be working – to learn the daily routines and responsibilities.
Try to initiate some sort of cross training for yourself to learn about other sections, especially before going to another section.
Cairo has FAST Track (?) working lunches on a monthly basis, where knowledge is shared and discussion of specific concerns. It was initially for entry level and specialists. Now it is open to all to come participate.
OMSers need and could benefit from more training. We could try to initiate regional training at posts such as in Microsoft training certification, or 7 habits, which is being taught regionally. This is much cheaper than bringing people to FSI classes in Arlington.
OMSers could present an MPP business plan of courses and training they need at post.
PK 302 and PK 330 are in danger of being cancelled. There were a lot of complaints about supervisors not allowing employees to leave for training or classes not being scheduled in prime times of transfer.
Presentations and Closing.
Training: try brown bag lunches/mission mandatory rotational requirements, adding skill codes
Present your supervisor with some options: rover, an EFM, etc., to get the training you want. Register for classes early – 6 months before. Look at courses NOW, and plan your R and R around them.
Everyone thought that “cone” days for employees not bureau days would be better for new employees. The 2-3 days spent in the bureau was a waste of time for most people. Training should be more job specific. Look at Best Practices on the OMS web site.
Front office OMSers are your allies; they should present your case for training or other concerns at post.
Donna Stouffer stressed that OMSers should establish credibility. Be courageous, do your homework, and have something to stand one when you present your wants.
Use E-Dip as a learning tool. AF and WHA bureaus all have dedicated web masters. Consult with the OMS in the bureau you are interested in.
Promotions: “6” should be the entry level. Create new OMS positions in the HR bureau, such as "conference coordinator." OMSers could be represented by their own bureau. We could be placed under IRM at State, so concerns and requests can go up to Admin, and by pass HR. We need to build alliances and come up with proposals. Continuing OMS concerns: Budgets, training, promotions, awards, MOS certification, Rep funds, Step 14 incentive pay.
OMS Representation: We should have a mission program plan for training. This leads to OMS core unity.
Professional Opportunities: VIP visits; Control officers
Y Tours: OMSers could do Y tours like officers. For example: an OMS inspector for the OIG; an OMS could be assigned to Capitol Hill; or take one year training in assignment to Pentagon. They could also be offered a 2nd year of a hard language.
One concern and big gripe expressed was that new, young officers are not educated about the role of OMSers at post. HR will implement the following: An OMS will address the A-100 class.
Cultural Diversity: The Mosaic of Life:
Two Cairo FSNs acted out a role play of several situations, to demonstrate how the Arabs and the Americans view requests for appointments, dinner invitations, etc. A discussion followed. .
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