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Overview of the USAID Junior Officer (JO) Program
USAID has embarked upon a major recruitment initiative to enhance the Agency’s capability to deliver U.S. foreign assistance and to strengthen its technical leadership role in the international development arena. This initiative is referred to as the Development Leadership Initiative (DLI). Through the DLI, USAID plans to double the number of Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) from approximately 1,100 in 2009 to 2,200 by 2012. The majority of DLI recruitment will be through the Foreign Service Junior Officer (JO) program with additional recruitment of mid-career FSOs in selected technical and support areas.
I. Description of the JO Program
The Junior Officer (JO) program is USAID's primary mechanism for recruiting entry-level career candidates into the Foreign Service (FS). The program seeks the best qualified junior professional candidates who are willing to make a long-term commitment to the Foreign Service and international development. USAID recruits candidates for specific occupational categories called “backstops” through separate vacancy announcements. Agency policy is to recruit and select the best candidates without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, color, age, religion, ethnic origin, disability, marital status, or political affiliation.
The JO program is designed to prepare Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for tenure through an individually adapted training program. The total orientation and training program will be approximately three years with an initial four months in Washington D.C. or, if foreign language training is needed, up to 12 months in Washington D.C. Training in Washington D.C. is followed by approximately 24 months of broad-based on-the-job training through rotational assignments at an overseas USAID office. All JOs must meet USAID foreign language tenuring requirements before departing for assignment overseas. Foreign language capability will be tested at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute.
Tenure criteria include three years as a career candidate in the FS, at least 18 months of overseas service with USAID, foreign language proficiency at an Foreign Service Institute tested level of S3/R3 (French, Spanish, Portuguese) or S2/R0 or 1 in all other languages qualifying for USAID tenure, a top-secret security clearance, level one medical clearance and certification of availability for worldwide service. All FSOs must achieve tenure within five years of their entry on duty (EOD) date.
JOs will be considered for graduation from the program at the end of their first overseas tour of duty (24 months overseas) or their three-year anniversary, whichever comes first.
II. General Qualifications and Requirements
In general, entry to the JO Program will require an advanced degree in the appropriate technical area and one year of relevant work experience. Relevant international professional experience and foreign language skills are desirable. USAID is recruiting in a wide range of professional areas, including agriculture, economics, environment, private enterprise development, engineering, administration, contracting, financial management, health, education, democracy and governance, food aid, disaster management and conflict mitigation. The following is a link to a short description of all the USAID Foreign Service Officer positions — ”Description of USAID Foreign Service Officer Positions”.
Junior Officers must be at least 18 years of age and not more than 59 years of age (see section 812 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended) and a U.S. citizen at time of application, available for worldwide assignment and service, medically cleared for worldwide assignment and service, have received a top secret security clearance, and registered with the Selective Service (for male applicants). In addition, all applicants selected for USAID positions are subject to drug testing.
III. The Recruitment/Selection Process:
Based on assessments of present and projected personnel resources and organizational and programmatic needs, USAID plans to recruit up to six DLI classes of approximately 50 FSOs per year. Classes are contingent upon availability of funds for hiring and organizational priorities. These classes consist of various occupational categories such as Program/Project Development Officers, Agriculturalists, Environmentalists, Contract Officers, Controllers, Population, Health and Nutrition Officers, etc.
Specific technical and administrative JO Program openings are advertised on an as-needed basis. After the vacancy closes, qualified candidates’ applications are reviewed, rated and ranked by technical specialists. A Technical Selection Panel (TSP) then conducts an on-site candidate assessment of the highest ranking applicants. The on-site assessment consists of a written exercise, a group discussion exercise and an individual interview. Candidates are rated and ranked based on pre-established criteria. Candidates recommended for hiring will undergo reference checks and pre-employment processes, e.g., medical and security clearances. All candidates who have completed clearances will be entered on a register, and offered entrance into a DLI class based on their ranking and hiring needs in their backstop. The entire process from time of application to entry on duty will normally take from 6 to 12 months.
In general, USAID is hiring Junior Officers at the FS-06 level with a salary range from $38,394 to $56,383; this does not include applicable U.S. locality pay for work while in Washington, DC, or other salary differentials or benefits provided while serving overseas (2010 pay scale). USAID follows Federal Salary setting guidelines. Three factors are used to set salary: academic and professional training, years of relevant experience and salary history.
IV. Training and Promotion
Candidates entering the Foreign Service through the JO program are in a training position for approximately three years. Much of this is on-the-job training at an overseas office. At the end of the three-year period, the JO will be reviewed by a graduation panel to determine whether the candidate is ready for graduation based on annual performance evaluations and the recommendations of management staff in the Bureau, Office or Missions in which they have worked.
All new FSOs begin their USAID careers with a formal training/orientation program in Washington that lasts approximately five weeks. Further JO training is guided by an Individual Development Plan (IDP), which is a framework and tool to detail training needs. In most cases, officers will spend an additional three to four months in Washington DC for further required training and backstop-specific orientation; if foreign language training is required, the time in Washington may be up to a year. (Note: some backstops require more training in the U.S., including Contracting Officers who are required to obtain a warrant prior to overseas service.) The knowledge, skills and abilities to be developed are in line with the Foreign Service skills matrix that applies to all FSOs at USAID. (See the Foreign Service Skills Matrix [MS Word:63KB or PDF:126KB.) The skills matrix is the basis for annually determining whether an employee is performing at or above grade and is the basis for promotions. At the FS-06 level, a set of related competencies have been defined as the basis for establishing the IDPs. These competencies cover a range of behavioral, occupational and professional skills deemed critical to the successful functioning of entry-level FSOs.
During the training time in USAID/Washington and overseas, each JO will have a supervisor of record who is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the IDP, mentoring, and evaluating annual performance. Each JO is also assigned a coach to help develop the IDP, learn about working in USAID, and help with the transition into the FS and the first assignment overseas. Coaches are retired FSOs that serve as a confidant and advisor supporting JOs as they navigate through the USAID culture.
The IDP is based on the JO's supervisor and coach's assessment of the JO's previous experience and training and its relationship to required skills and competencies. Training will be designed to provide the JO with the skills necessary for his or her first overseas assignment in the shortest possible time. To develop the necessary skills, each JO will attend formal and informal training sessions, carry out work in his/her home offices and perform on-the-job training in other Washington offices under rotational supervisors. This training will continue during the JO’s initial overseas assignment, which will be for two years.
During the three-year training period, JOs will be considered for two administrative promotions via a performance review process linked to the JO Program. Each JO will have an initial performance review after the first 11 months and second performance review 12 months after the initial review. Promotions will be recommended after each satisfactory review. Timing of the first two JO performance reviews is determined by the JO's Entry on Duty (EOD) date. For example, an EOD date in May 2010 would result in an initial evaluation period of May 2010 through March 2011 (11 months). The second evaluation will cover a period from March 2011 to February 2012 (12 months). In order to be promoted, JO's must demonstrate satisfactory performance, i.e., they must meet the standards of their class. Accomplishing work objectives and demonstrating requisite skills proficiency meets the class standards.
Beginning with the third annual performance review, all JOs will be considered for promotion through the normal Foreign Service Performance Review process, for which the rating period is April 1st through March 31st of every year. This promotion process is competitive, as Promotion Panels consider all candidates in all backstops against the Foreign Service Skills Matrix and performance objectives; actual promotions are based on the candidate’s rank on a promotion list and the number of positions available.
V. Initial Overseas Assignment
The Office of Human Resources will direct all initial assignments of Junior Officers. Junior Officers, Supervisors, Coaches, Bureaus and Missions may be consulted and to the extent possible their views will be taken into consideration. However, it should be noted that all FSOs are required to be worldwide available and assignments are ultimately the prerogative of Agency management. The Agency will make every effort to arrange an appropriate initial assignment which matches the needs and abilities of the JO with the needs of the Agency.
For further information, please see Foreign Service Officer Frequently Asked Questions.
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