This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

160824Z Apr 06

UNCLAS AMMAN 002669 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/EX, AND HR/OE/PE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AFSN APER AMGT KSEP JO
SUBJECT: AMMAN'S NOMINATION FOR 2005 DEPARTMENT FSN 
OF THE YEAR AWARD 
 
 
¶1.   THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN AMMAN, JORDAN IS PROUD TO 
NOMINATE PROTOCOL ASSISTANT MAHA KALAJI FOR THE 2006 FOREIGN 
SERVICE NATIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LIAISON 
WITH HOST COUNTRY OFFICIALS WHICH FACILITATED THE WORK OF 
THE AMERICAN OFFICERS AND THE GOALS OF THE MISSION.  MS. 
KALAJI IS A FSN-8 AND HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE EMBASSY UNDER 
A PERSONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS. 
 
Ms. Kalaji's position is particularly vital to our mission 
here in Jordan, and she has repeatedly demonstrated what an 
invaluable asset she is to the entire Embassy. 
 
Liaison with the Royal Palace/GOJ: Due to its importance as 
a regional hub and its role as a support center for Iraq, 
Embassy Amman is literally awash with VIP visitors. From 
members of Congress, to four-star generals, to senior State 
Department officials, there is a never-ending stream of 
visitors to Amman, all of whom wish to meet with the King 
and/or Jordanian cabinet ministers. These meeting requests 
are at the top of the Embassy's priority list as they are 
essential to increasing U.S. understanding of the region, 
maintaining strong US-Jordan relations, and facilitating the 
goals of the mission.  When we receive such meeting 
requests, Maha is the one that everyone, including the Front 
Office, calls to make the meetings happen.  She enjoys 
direct access to senior government figures and is literally 
the "lifeline" between the Embassy and the palace in trying 
to arrange meetings with King Abdullah.  This means far more 
than a phone call.  Given the number of visitors, the 
incredibly tight schedules of all involved, and the 
inevitable last-minute changes, Maha is often in hourly 
contact with the royal court, including on weekends and when 
she is out of the country!  On more than one occasion, her 
diligence and outstanding interpersonal skills have managed 
to salvage meetings that would have otherwise been canceled 
due to late airplane arrivals, traffic problems, and people 
just plain running late.  The Embassy simply could not cope 
with its visitor workload without her. 
 
Outreach and representation: The Front Office here in Amman 
maintains a very active schedule, from large receptions to 
small dinners, to consolidate relations with important 
contacts and to increase understanding of American foreign 
policy interests.  Thanks to her incredible knowledge of 
Jordanian culture and personalities, Maha knows exactly who 
to invite no matter what the occasion or subject.  If there 
is an event centered on the arts, for example, Maha can 
almost instantly come up with a list of prominent singers, 
painters, writers and dancers, along with their contact 
information.  On the political front, it is quite astounding 
at how many noteworthy Jordanians she can recommend for 
representational activities.  It seems that she knows every 
current and former minister in the country! She also knows 
who gets along - or doesn't get along - with whom, so as to 
ensure that the mix of guests will get along smoothly. 
Thanks to Maha, our outreach activities reach the 
appropriate audience and our limited representational funds 
are used effectively. 
 
Other duties: Arranging meetings and representational events 
at Embassy Amman would keep just about any person busy full- 
time. But Maha does much more.  She receives, translates, 
and sends diplomatic notes.  She uses her incredible network 
of contacts to provide invaluable information on political 
and other themes.  And just as important, her hospitality, 
willingness to help, and warm personality help keeps morale 
in the Political Section - and elsewhere in the Embassy - 
high.  Despite the incredible stress she faces, Maha always 
has a smile and a kind word for everyone she sees.  This 
combination of devotion to her work, outstanding abilities, 
and strong interpersonal skills make her uniquely qualified 
to represent Embassy Amman as its nominee for the 2006 FSN 
of the Year Award. 
 
¶2.   THE EMPLOYEE'S POSITION DESCRIPTION AND PERFORMANCE 
STANDARDS FOR THE POSITION WERE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED BY THE 
JOINT COUNTRY AWARDS COMMITTEE.  THE COMMITTEE CERTIFIED 
THAT THE EMPLOYEE'S PERFORMANCE OF ALL IMPORTANT JOB 
ELEMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEEDED NORMAL REQUIREMENTS. 
 
HALE