VZCZCXRO8068
OO RUEHAG RUEHAO RUEHAP RUEHAST RUEHAT RUEHBC RUEHBI RUEHBL RUEHBZ
RUEHCD RUEHCHI RUEHCI RUEHCN RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDT RUEHDU RUEHED
RUEHEL RUEHFK RUEHFL RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGH RUEHGI RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHM
RUEHHO RUEHHT RUEHIHL RUEHIK RUEHJO RUEHJS RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHKSO
RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHMC RUEHMJ RUEHMR
RUEHMRE RUEHMT RUEHNAG RUEHNEH RUEHNG RUEHNH RUEHNL RUEHNP RUEHNZ
RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHPD RUEHPOD RUEHPT RUEHPW RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRN
RUEHROV RUEHRS RUEHSK RUEHTM RUEHTRO RUEHVC RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHC #4183/01 0151823
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151815Z JAN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AID WORLDWIDE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 5156

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 004183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID AMGT APER KCOM KMRS
SUBJECT: Strategic Expansion of USAID Through 2012 
 
SUMMARY:  To better meet national security and 
development requirements worldwide, USAID is growing and 
evolving.  With the strong support and endorsement of 
the Secretary and Congress, USAID hired 157 additional 
Foreign Service officers in the past year.  These 
officers will be trained for two years at USAID field 
missions, with some already deployed overseas for their 
training assignments.  USAID?s planning goal is to 
double its Foreign Service workforce by 2012 and the 
Agency expects to continue hiring with an additional 300 
with FY09 funds.  Recognizing the serious space, 
security, and administrative support constraints at most 
posts, USAID Mission and Embassy staff are requested to 
begin contingency planning for this projected expansion, 
including through the Mission Strategic Plans.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶1. With the strong support and endorsement of The White 
House, Secretary Rice, and Congress, USAID is being 
strengthened and revitalized to better meet national 
security and development goals of the United States. 
USAID proposes to address these current and new 
challenges by: 
 
- Expanding the size of its Foreign Service Officer 
(FSO) cadre; 
- Strengthening Foreign Service National (FSN) and Civil 
Service workforces; 
- Adding depth and breadth in technical areas; 
- Increasing capacity to conduct business in foreign 
languages; 
- Enhancing impact through Regional Centers, as well as 
expanded bilateral missions; 
- Complementing USG investment through partnerships; 
and, 
- Increasing public diplomacy. 
 
¶2.  This growth would enable the expansion of USAID?s 
direct hire presence from 87 cities in 84 countries to 
approximately 113 cities in 105 countries.  USAID has 
developed lists of cities and countries in which a new 
or expanded presence is projected, pending full funding. 
These new positions will need to be included in the 
annual capital security cost sharing position count. 
 
¶3.  Expanding the USAID Foreign Service through the 
Development Leadership Initiative (DLI) is well underway 
with the hiring of 157 FSOs ? a 13 percent increase. 
The President?s FY09 budget request, with bipartisan 
support from the current Congress, includes funds to 
hire approximately 300 additional officers, with the 
planning goal of reaching 1200 additional Foreign 
Service Officers by 2012.  The funding, already 
appropriated by Congress and contained in the FY09 
requests, includes a package of support costs, including 
ICASS, for each officer as they are deployed to the 
field for training. 
 
¶4. USAID builds the skills of new officers through 
approximately two years of on-the-job overseas training 
while working alongside experienced development 
professionals.  Once these new officers complete their 
two-year training, they will be assigned to an expanded 
number of regular overseas positions.  USAID?s revised 
workforce planning process places our Foreign Service 
Officers according to strategic and development 
priorities as well as where financial stewardship 
requirements demand.  We need FSOs and FSNs based in 
critical countries to effect change, as well as manage 
program funds. 
 
¶5.  We recognize that many embassies have serious space, 
security, and administrative support constraints.  We 
intend to form a joint USAID and State Department 
working group in Washington to begin to address the 
increased requirements, to place the FSO trainees in 
FY08 and FY09, and also to plan for the continued growth 
of USAID?s FSO workforce in future years including 
potential capital asset resource requests necessary. 
Embassy and USAID Mission staff are asked to work 
jointly to begin to address the challenges associated 
with this expansion. 
 
¶6.  As required by NSDD-38 and the President?s Letter of 
Instruction, USAID will link new staffing proposals to 
U.S. mission goals, ensuring there is no duplication of 
overseas positions or programs.  As always, USAID will 
 
STATE 00004183  002 OF 002 
 
 
propose individual positions via the NSDD-38 process, 
and individual Chiefs of Mission will make the final 
staffing decisions.  USAID Washington will be sharing 
with each Mission proposed staffing increases based on 
the workforce planning model.  These figures should 
become the basis for discussing the estimates included 
in the upcoming Mission Strategic Plans.  USAID 
Washington will work with State and its Overseas 
Building Operations bureau to develop subsequent capital 
asset requests that may be necessary to support 
expansion.  USAID Washington will also work with State 
and post management to implement administrative 
consolidation in order to achieve efficiencies and cost 
savings and to enable posts to better absorb workload 
increases. 
 
¶7.  Additional general information on the strategy and 
process for the strategic expansion of USAID can be 
found on the USAID Intranet at 
http://wip.inside.usaid.gov/COO/USAID2012.htm l. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
¶8. Minimize considered. 
RICE