Have you ever wanted to be in the shoes of a Foreign Service Officer?

Well, here's your chance!

[[Let's begin!->Trade Summit]]

Alrighty then - it's time to pick - whose shoes would you like to fill in?

[[Economic Affairs Officer ->ET]]
[[Management Affairs Officer->MT]]
[[Consular Affairs Officer->CT]]
[[Political Affairs Officer->PT]]
[[Public Diplomacy Officer->PDT]]

Welcome to the earthquake senario!

The story takes place in Chimelia, located on the tropical coast of Zouda, 400 miles north of the equator. Chimelia is a tourist hotspot and is abundant in exotic animals. It is located near a mountain range that extends through the entire country. The climate is tropical and, being at sea level, the country receives plenty of rain. The country is a developing nation, although Chimelia hosts many global industries and interests. Because of its exotic allure, many U.S. citizens call it home and U.S. tourists frequent it. There are also extensive bilateral exchanges between the two countries.

[[Sounds neat!]]

Let's participate in the Maya City trade summit

The story takes place in Maya City, located in the temperate inland of Vendurasaca, 800 miles north of the tropic of Cancer. Maya City is always flooded with tourists as the cheap prices for comodities lure them in.Maya city excels in the fashion industry as it locals produce creative, novel designs, further attracting tourists, especially from the United States. The country is a developing nation, although Maya City hosts many global industries and interests. There are also extensive bilateral exchanges between the U.S. and Sueland.

It’s an unusual afternoon staff meeting, and you listen as the Ambassador lists what she knows about the summit to finalize a new regional free trade agreement scheduled to start a month from now in Alva City. She received a call from the Department of State in Washington, D.C. last night – it’s going to happen. The Economic Officer had discussed the agreement in an earlier staff meeting, so you know generally what is going on. It will be a new treaty similar to NAFTA and CAFTA, and will involve the United States, Vendurasaca, and three neighboring countries.

The Ambassador says that the U.S Trade Representative will lead the U.S. delegation, which will also include representatives from the Department of State; details are vague. You have been through these events before, and you wonder whether private Americans will be visiting during the summit – perhaps business leaders, perhaps protesters. You know already that many Americans will be in town at the same time for a major international athletic event. Your Economic Officer colleague will have the lead as control officer, but you volunteer to be in charge of special sites outside the embassy, if needed. The Ambassador asks for a progress report in three days. As you are leaving, the Economic Officer asks to meet with you and other section chiefs in 24 hours. You face a pile of paperwork – mostly routine stuff, but if you don’t tackle it soon, you’ll fall quickly behind as planning for the summit will start to dominate your agenda. Then again, perhaps you should call a special staff meeting in the Consular Section to discuss the summit. Walking back to your office, you decide what to do next.

[[Immediately start on the growing pile of paperwork]]
[[Summon staff for an important meeting]]

The story takes place in Alva City, located on the tropical coast of Vendurasaca, 200 miles south of the equator. Alva City is the country’s cosmopolitan center, nestled at the foot of a mountain range that extends through the entire country. The lush countryside is easily accessible from downtown. The climate is tropical and, being at sea level, the country receives plenty of rain. The country is a developing nation, although Alva City hosts many global industries and interests. Because of its exotic allure, many U.S. citizens call it home and U.S. tourists frequent it. There are also extensive bilateral exchanges between the two countries.

[[Nice to hear!]]

The story takes place in Alva City, located on the tropical coast of Vendurasaca, 200 miles south of the equator. Alva City is the country’s cosmopolitan center, nestled at the foot of a mountain range that extends through the entire country. The lush countryside is easily accessible from downtown. The climate is tropical and, being at sea level, the country receives plenty of rain. The country is a developing nation although Alva City hosts many global industries and interests. Because of its exotic allure, many U.S. citizens call it home and U.S. tourists frequent it. There are also extensive bilateral exchanges between the two countries.

[[Sounds good - I'm ready!]]

As you walk back to your office, you consider priorities. You’ve been working on several projects, including an important environmental report that is due soon, and you have the privatization issue to research, while earlier this morning your main concern was the dinner you are hosting tonight for local aviation authorities. You might be able to help the local U.S. airline representatives whose landing rights fees just increased 100 percent. Right now, though, it would be best to review the status of this new trade agreement that you have been working on for months. After many meetings with the Trade Ministry and with economic officers from the other embassies involved, wording is fairly tight, but still there is ambiguity. You know you need more information from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, but also you need to consult further in the Trade Ministry and with other countries involved.

[[Call U.S. Trade Representative's Office]]
[[Contact the Ministry and other embassies]]

Alva City, Vendurasaca is in the same time zone as Washington, D.C., so it is fairly easy to find the Representative’s staff aide in her office. This will be the first of many conversations over coming weeks, as you both work through the details of the negotiation and the travel arrangements. You bring her up to speed about embassy staffing and local conditions, particularly your take on the leaders within the Trade Ministry with whom the U.S. Trade Representative will work. In turn, she tells you that word is getting out about this new treaty, and her office is starting to field tough questions. She would appreciate fresh guidance from you outlining perceptions of the treaty in Vendurasaca and in the region. Then she notes that the U.S. Trade Representative’s husband will accompany her to Vendurasaca. She just has time to tell you that he is a major international art importer interested in Native American art before she is called to a meeting. It is getting very late in the day.

[[Contact the Public Affairs Officer]]
[[Send a collective email updating embassy officers]]

You make some quick calls to your colleagues in the embassies of the neighboring countries involved in the treaty. Apparently no one is around – there’s a special program at the international school and they all have children enrolled there – so you leave messages. Your call to the trade officer handling the treaty in the Trade Ministry is more successful but brings problems. You thought you had an agreement on provisions for textile exports, but it appears that it has fallen through. You agree to meet tomorrow morning to discuss the treaty. Just as you hang up, calls come in from the other embassies. Their economic officers handling the treaty want to meet with you tomorrow as early as possible.

[[First meet with the Ministry of Trade officer]]
[[First meet with the neighboring country embassy officer]]

Good idea, but it won’t work. Apparently he is out, perhaps even gone for the day. You want to let him know about the U.S. Trade Representative’s request and get his help in writing a response. Also, you are hoping that he will take over the program for the U.S. Trade Representative’s husband. You leave a message in the Public Affairs Officer’s voicemail and head home, thinking about all you must get done before the planning meeting tomorrow afternoon – but then there’s this evening’s dinner with Vendurasacan aviation authorities. The local U.S. airlines representative has been calling daily – you really need good information on the hike in landing fees. It’s going to be a long evening.

[[Play again?->start]]

It is late in the day and you don’t want to disturb others needlessly, but coordination is vital. As the control officer for the meeting, you need to tell your colleagues what the U.S. Trade Representative is thinking. As you send an email summarizing your conversation to the Political, Management, Consular, and Public Affairs Officers, you start to think of better ways to share information. Perhaps a Sharepoint site specifically for the Summit on the embassy’s Intranet? This is something else to discuss at tomorrow’s planning meeting. You add it to your growing list of things to do as you lock your safe and head out the door to the dinner you are hosting – and you hope that this new catering company does a better job than the last one.

[[Wanna try another senario?->start]]

You make a quick call back and arrange to meet over breakfast. Over toast and coffee, you bring each other up to date. He’s gotten the news from his embassy in Washington, and, like you, he will have the lead in arranging events for the meeting, but there’s much he needs to know. Who exactly is coming from Washington? Whom will they want to meet? Where will they be staying? Will there be press? What is this Congressional delegation? You comment that you, too, need to know all of these details and promise answers within the week – but what’s this about problems with provisions for textile exports? The Department and the U.S. Trade Representative will need to know immediately, and key Congressional leaders are involved. He’ll need to check and will get back to you by the end of the day – you hope.

[[Back To Start?->start]]

In addition to Vendurasaca, three neighboring countries will be part of this regional free trade agreement. Although main negotiations have been taking place directly between their governments and Washington, you have been meeting regularly with your counterparts in their embassies in Alva City in order to improve coordination and cooperation. After a quick round of calls, you agree to meet over lunch – your treat. They report no difficulties with the wording of the treaty, and they are eager for what information you have. They have heard that following the summit in Alva City, the head of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will be visiting the other countries involved in the agreement. Is this true? You hadn’t heard this but certainly it is possible. You promise to get back to them quickly – but as you leave, you get a call on your Blackberry from a close local contact. A major power plant has gone down once again, and it looks like Alva City might have brown-outs. What will this mean for the trade summit? You need to find out.

[[Back to Start?->start]]

There’s no doubt that a rough month is coming, but it will be fun to work through the problems. As the Embassy lead, you are the control officer, and you will need to coordinate the work of all your colleagues as well as coordinate work with the other embassies involved and with the delegation from Washington. You think of what you need to get done before tomorrow’s meeting. You need to finish the aviation section for the embassy’s emergency action plan. Also the Ambassador has asked for background material for your yearly employee evaluation report, which has a firm deadline in Washington this month. You can do this writing in the time remaining today, but it might be a good idea to meet with the Management Officer and the Public Affairs Officer before the meeting tomorrow afternoon. That way you will have a better sense of what is happening within and outside of the embassy.

[[Turn to the Public Affairs Officer first]]
[[Turn to the Management Officer first]]

You are very aware that no matter the economic worth of this regional free trade agreement, public perception will play a big role in its final acceptance. The Public Affairs Officer and his staff can help you survey the local media – something that office does daily – and of course he will be handling the local press and any visiting media. Undoubtedly the U.S. Trade Representative will want to visit famous Vendurasacan cultural sites, and the Public Affairs Officer’s help will be essential. However, the Public Affairs Officer says that he has to go out and he’s not certain that he can help you until after your planning meeting tomorrow. You know that he has a very competent local staff of Foreign Service National employees. Perhaps the Press Assistant could help you.

[[Wait to meet the Public Affairs Officer]]
[[Find the Press Assistant]]

You may be the control officer for this coming summit, but without the constant active support of the Management Officer, you know that it will be all words with no action. She manages the embassy budget, communications, transportation, and security office, and has perhaps the largest staff of American and Foreign Service National employees in the embassy. You make the call, but before you get to discuss the visit, she reminds you that you are on the committee that will review all embassy employee evaluation reports. You volunteered a week ago. And, she asks, where is your own evaluation report? You mention the Ambassador has it – which reminds her, will there be a big embassy reception for the American trade delegation? Something to think about. The Management Officer has visitors in her office, but she suggests contacting the General Services Officer and the Regional Security Officer to brief them.

[[Start working on transportation]]
[[Get more information on the security situation]]

You know that not every problem can be solved immediately, and that during the coming month, you will run into many conflicting priorities. All officers will concentrate more of their time on the summit as it comes closer – it is important that everyone have time to finish routine work now, before the inevitable pressure rises. You put your press questions aside and turn to other items on your to-do list. On top is the call back to a Congressional staffer. He had called late yesterday and you promised a call-back today. Provisions for textile exports in the treaty are a subject of concern to key Congressional leaders. This could hinder approval of the agreement in Congress. You really don’t have much new information, but you promised the call. You expect that this won’t be a comfortable conversation.

[[Play again?->start]]

The Public Affairs Officer encourages you to contact his Foreign Service National deputy. His press assistant has worked for the embassy for twenty years and seems to know everyone important in the Vendurasacan media. So you call, and it is a good thing that you do. She was listening to the radio. The local leftist media have heard about the treaty, and they are editorializing against this new example of American imperialism, calling for demonstrations during the coming meeting. She hasn’t had a chance to report this to anyone, but you promise to make some immediate calls. Then she asks if you know the latest in the Alva City financial press on privatization. The United States has been advocating liberalized investment rules, but the press reported that opponents of the privatization plan will try to use meetings outside the summit as a means to delay and ultimately derail the process. You need facts – perhaps a call to the journalist who wrote the report? But there is no time left today, you need to get home to the dinner you are hosting.

[[Back to start->start]]

Among many other things, the General Services Officer, a Foreign Service Specialist, is in charge of all transportation for the embassy. He’s glad you called, for any news can help him start planning an expansion of the motor pool, but he needs to know the obvious – when will the delegation arrive, how many people are involved, where will they be going, are there any special needs, like wheelchair access? These are all good questions, and you know you will need answers soon. You ask him to research the costs for hired cars and drivers, and suggest contacting the embassy Regional Security Officer. Perhaps there are concerns with local cars for hire companies, and the Regional Security Officer can get answers. As you lock your safe and leave, you consider how you will keep track of all these details in the coming month.

[[Back to start?->start]]

You call the Regional Security Officer who mentions that she has already heard about the dates from her boss. She needs facts though – where will the meetings be held, for instance – and she thinks that she will try to call her close contact with the Vendurasacan National Police, before the end of the day. She mentions that the security threat to Americans is low at the moment, but of course that could change, and probably will, if there is a strong protest against the treaty. During the next month, you know that she’ll be in close contact with her security colleagues in the Department and with the local police. Security for the meeting will be a constant concern, but fortunately the Regional Security Officer is completely involved.

[[Back to start?->start]]

You’re meeting with an embassy Foreign Service National, that is, a locally-hired embassy employee, when suddenly your coffee cup, along with your desk, your chair, and everything else, jumps three inches. Cement grinding on cement follows rumbling and a large popping sound – earthquake. You tell your colleague to get his people out of the embassy. Your main concerns are for the personnel, both locals and Americans who work at the post, as well as the embassy building itself; you are responsible for embassy operations and in crisis situations, a return to normal facility functions. As you lock up your classified material, grab your Blackberry and head for the street, questions arise. How bad is the embassy damaged? Will you need to relocate the embassy? Are personnel safe, or hurt? Have they lost their homes?

[[Tend to the building]]
[[Tend to the personnel]]

At a special afternoon staff meeting, the Ambassador reports on last night’s phone call from the Vendurasaca desk officer in Washington. It is final: Vendurasaca will be hosting a much-anticipated summit in Alva City in one month. The goal of this major meeting is to finalize a new regional free trade agreement, which is to be signed by the President at a regional summit in six weeks. Similar to NAFTA and CAFTA, this trade agreement involves the United States, Vendurasaca, and three neighboring countries.

The Ambassador has learned that the U.S Trade Representative will lead the U.S. delegation, which will also include representatives from the Department’s Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs. The Representative will be coming with her husband. It could be a large delegation, but details are vague. Representatives from the neighboring countries will be coming as well, and there’s the possibility of a Congressional Delegation. You have worked on details for this agreement for months, and the Ambassador asks you to take the lead to organize the event. You will be the control officer. Time is short and the Ambassador asks for a progress report in three days. Coming out of the meeting, you arrange to meet with your colleagues in 24 hours. Walking back to your office, you decide what to do next.

[[Quickly look over the status of the free trade agreement]]
[[Start working on logistics]]

One of your pressing responsibilities is U.S. government property. Outside you locate some of the embassy’s Foreign Service Information Management technical specialists and gather a team to do damage assessment. You check in with Washington to give them an initial report based upon your findings. You collaborate with the Facilities Management Specialist who helps manage the upkeep of embassy facilities, and ask a General Services Officer to work on restoring the post’s physical resources and logistics and develop a plan to deal with the property, facilities, and motor pool. An aftershock rumbles through and parts of the embassy are damaged. The General Services Officer suggests moving the motor pool to a safer location. They also report the loss of power and, to begin repairs, the Facilities Management Specialist needs generators.

[[Find power resources]]
[[Tend to the personnel]]

Embassy personnel, their families and property are in need of assistance. Injuries have occurred and reports of looting where U.S. employees reside have been confirmed. You need to get assistance to those who require it. The Deputy Chief of Mission, the Ambassador’s deputy who is ultimately responsible for the welfare and protection of all U.S. Government personnel and their dependents, asks you to pull together a team to help deal with the disaster. You contact the Department’s Operations Center in Washington and advise them of the embassy’s situation. You turn to your technical staff for support.

[[Check on the injured]]
[[Secure supplies and shelter]]

The post has some generators available, but you need more. Meanwhile, the Facilities Management Specialist reports that the General Services Officer advises you to move embassy operations to a temporary location. You request the Consular officer to help relocate embassy operations to that location, and, once there, to help draft a situation report to send to Washington. You negotiate with a local business to rent the needed generators. A task group of local engineers and U.S. Security Engineering Officers are working to reinforce the existing embassy. The temporary facility will need a communications center. The extra generators arrive and work begins.

[[Relocate]]
[[Stay at the embassy]]

You move some personnel from surveying the post grounds to driving the Embassy’s motorpool to safety. Your drivers are Foreign Service Nationals, some General Services Officers and a Regional Security Officer. You enlist security because you never know, especially under crisis situations, what they will encounter on the way. A General Services Officer wants to move the cars to the embassy’s emergency storage area, but the Regional Security Officer suggests somewhere else because there are reports of looting and lawlessness in the area.

[[Proceed with planned action]]
[[Improvise]]

The local business negotiations were successful, resulting in enough generators to temporarily restore somewhat normal Embassy operations. The embassy computer and communication specialists establish communications with Washington. After further study, the Security Engineering Officers and Technical Specialists and the General Services Officer change their initial structural assessment. The damage to the embassy is largely external, and the office may be re-opened in the next week depending upon aftershocks. Until then, you arrange for mobile units and a makeshift command room on U.S. Government property outside the embassy building.

Good work today.

[[Back to Start->start]]

On the way to the Embassy’s emergency storage area, you encounter chaos in the area that had reported looting. Someone runs a red light and accidentally rams a car in the motorcade. The Regional Security Officer stops the motorcade and assists the embassy driver. She also checks to make sure the other driver is ok. It’s a fender bender, but the embassy car is out of commission. Arrangements will be made to have the Foreign Service National checked out by medical personnel back at post. The rest of the group continues on to the storage area.

[[Play again?->start]]

Change of plan. You have to adapt in order to lead the embassy in times of crisis. Your success relies on clear thinking and prioritization under immense pressure. The priority here is to get the motorpool to a safe location and avoid any unwanted confrontations. You ask the General Services Officer to find an alternative location, and proceed at his suggestion. The cars are moved and relocated without incident. Good work!

[[Try again?->start]]

Embassy personnel family members, who live in an embassy apartment complex, and an adjacent school, report injuries. Your Regional Medical Officer will organize the health unit to assist the injured. You ask your Community Liaison Officer, husband of the Economic officer, to look after family members who are traumatized, while a Security Engineering Officer checks on the buildings’ structure. They report back that the quake damaged the plumbing, and all apartments in the complex are without running water.

[[Set up a distribution center]]
[[Evacuate the building]]

You ask the Regional Security Officer to help secure areas of concern. The quake hard-hit a neighborhood where many embassy personnel and their families reside, and looters from other areas have entered the neighborhood to ransack homes and businesses. The Regional Security Officer and her local staff are able to guard the personnel and property for the moment, but they are spread thin. It is too dangerous to stay in the area until the local forces can regain control of the populace.

[[Find local dwellings]]
[[Relocate people back to the U.S.]]

You set up a station for distributing water. By working with local disaster centers, you are able to establish contacts and procure water from a local vendor whose plant is outside the city and received minimal damage. You are guaranteed a week’s supply. This is enough time, the Construction Engineers and Facility Management Officers assure you, to repair the damaged plumbing and restore water to the complex and school.

Time to turn in for the day. Well done.

[[Play again?->start]]

At the housing complex there is considerable water damage and flooding, and about 50 injured people need to be moved. You devise a creative solution – school buses. You ask a few of the Foreign Service Nationals to help relocate the injured to the hospital and take the others safely back to the Embassy. You send out a notice inquiring if anyone in the Embassy can temporarily house a fellow employee or their family. The sun has set - it's time to head home.

[[Try again?->start]]

You have established good relationships with Chimelia City’s hospitality industry. Whenever dignitaries or U.S. personnel are visiting, they are housed in local hotels which consider U.S. business important. You call on them now in a time of need. With some juggling and compromising, you are able to confirm enough hotel rooms to serve as temporary housing.

You head back home, proud of your positive impact.

[[Try again?->start]]

Due to an overwhelming demand for temporary housing, there are no vacancies in the city. All hotels and shelters are booked. With Washington’s approval, you make the decision to send non-essential personnel who haven’t any lodging back to the U.S. You direct them to the temporary embassy location where the staff is arranging outbound flights, in conjunction with the Department’s Operations Center in Washington. Essential employees who remain will have to be flexible and share accommodations.

Good work.

[[Play again?->start]]

You run one of the bigger sections in the embassy – staffed by several first tour, entry-level Foreign Service Officers, Consular assistants and Foreign Service National employees - and your office is the only one that actually makes money for the U.S. Government from the various fees people pay for notary services, visas, and passport fees. Each day brings new challenges, but naturally there are reports and memos to write, meetings to attend, and cases to research. Attending to employee training needs and morale in the face of a rising workload is always on your mind. At this moment it seems you have two immediate choices. You can work on the mandatory employee evaluation reports for your Foreign Service Officers but it is also time for you to make one of your periodic visits to imprisoned Americans. You don’t want the events of the coming weeks to delay either of these.

[[Attack the Evaluation Reports]]
[[Make the visit to the prison your first priority]]

You decide to get together with your staff. They need to know what you know in order to do their work effectively. Although some members of your staff always seem to be quiet, especially some of the Foreign Service National employees, this is a time when ideas can be shared freely. You first go over normal business – visa appointment bookings, recent fraud trends, the latest instructions from Washington on passport applications - and then turn to the upcoming summit. This will be an important event for the embassy. You ask that everyone review leave plans, for you know that the Ambassador will expect all embassy employees to be present for the visit. You are closing the meeting when the phone rings – a call from the embassy operator. The local hospital has called to say it has admitted an American patient. Just then, one of your first tour officers asks to talk with you privately. He’s been nervous throughout the meeting.

[[Call a meeting with your first tour officer]]
[[Contact the hospital for details]]

You have read through the daily group of cables and reports, and now you turn to your Employee Evaluation Reports. You need to write reports on two first-tour officers, that is, Foreign Service Officers who have recently joined the Department of State. You know that a Foreign Service Officer, regardless of the career track in which they serve, must have exceptional managerial skills, especially interpersonal skills – and a Consular Officer must demonstrate this ability each day. Consular work is tough - especially when you have to say “no” to many unqualified visa applicants, or convey sad news about the death of an American to family members back in the United States. But it is rewarding to know that the work you do is important and touches peoples’ lives. You have already put your thoughts for the reports on paper, and now you want to talk with your first-tour officers. You have spoken with them about their performance several times over the months, so they should find few surprises, but still these discussions can reveal unexpected strengths or problems. One officer seems to be fitting in well, but another definitely has problems. You contemplate who you should speak with first.

[[Call the high performer into your office]]
[[Meet with the problem person]]

Events will be happening fast and there is the chance that more Americans will be arrested if there are anti-treaty demonstrations during the summit. Perhaps it is best that you make a prison visit. This isn’t exactly something you would do in the United States, but as a Consular Officer abroad, it is part of your job to make periodic visits to American prisoners in Vendurasacan jails to make sure that they are being treated properly. The Americans are in jail for various reasons: fraud, disorderly conduct, drug smuggling – the whole range of human error. As much as you dislike going into the prisons, they do give you a unique view of Vendurasacan society, one far removed from the office environment downtown. It will also be a good opportunity to touch base with your contacts at the prison prior to the summit. You have two choices. You can go across town to visit the American doing 20 years for drug smuggling, or you can visit the American who was picked up last weekend for disorderly conduct. Who do you visit first?

[[Visit with the drug smuggler first]]
[[Start with the disorderly conduct case]]

The discussion goes well. This officer seems to love the challenge of visa work. He takes complex U.S. immigration law and applies it accurately, quickly, and politely to a long line of visa applicants each day. He has thought up several ways to make visa handling more efficient, and is the most productive interviewer as well as the one with the best judgment in visa decisions.

You notice that his usually high level of performance has slipped a little and that he has lost his temper with colleagues on two occasions. These are recent problems, and you wonder what has happened. He’s not certain, perhaps it is just fatigue. He says that he could use a change, so you mention the upcoming U.S. – Vendurasaca Trade Summit. Perhaps he can get involved – you suggest that he contact the Economic Officer. Finally, you discuss next assignments, since it is time for him to think about bidding for that next job after Alva City. This will be an easy report to write, you think, as you turn back to your computer.

[[Play again?->start]]

This is difficult. You often deliver bad news; it comes with the job as a Consular Officer. But in the case of this first tour Officer – Alva City is his first assignment following training in Washington - there seems to be a basic incompatibility with life in the Foreign Service. You are not certain why. It is extremely competitive to get into the Foreign Service, and surely the Department tries to explain the realities of the work and lifestyle. Still, he complains about the hardships of working in Alva City.

He doesn’t seem to like the people and has made no attempt to improve his language skills. Generally he does his job adequately, but just that. As you discuss these problems with him, you can’t help but notice the real edge in his voice. Clearly he does not take criticism well. You discuss whether the Foreign Service is really the career he would like for the next 20 years – after all, it is a career, a way of life, not just a 9 to 5 job, and it isn’t a good fit for everyone. After he leaves, you decide to discuss his performance further with the Deputy Chief of Mission before you finish your evaluation.

[[Back to start ->start]]

This prisoner always appreciates getting something from the United States to read, so you pick up some magazines from the Consular waiting room and head to the prison. There is not much to say. The American admitted committing the crime and pled guilty at his trial. He says that he is being treated fairly, but then you both know that the conversation is being monitored. He seems healthy, and he comments that he considers himself lucky to have gotten caught on the Vendurasacan side of the border – the prisons in the neighboring country are really rough, he says. You let the prisoner know when to expect the next visit, then thank the prison officials and head back to the embassy. As you drive through the embassy gates, the guard says that the Regional Security Officer has been searching for you – something about protesters. What could this mean? Guess you'll find out later.

[[Play again?->start]]

Usually you have one of your first-tour Foreign Service Officers handle these simple cases, which arise only too frequently after a night out visiting the famous clubs in Alva City. But it’s been a while since you’ve visited this particular jail and you like to pay a personal visit periodically both to signal your interest and to appraise the conditions for yourself. The American asks for your advice – does he need a lawyer, for instance.

You give him a list of advocates who have worked with the embassy in the past, and suggest that he seek professional help. He’s embarrassed, and says that he does not want the embassy to contact his family. His brother is a staff member on a Congressional Committee in Washington, and he does not want his brother to know. You tell him that you can’t and won’t discuss the problem with any of his relatives without his permission – the Privacy Act is quite specific.

You tell him that usually Americans in his situation are released after paying a fine, but are asked to leave the country immediately. You tell him that your office will help if needed. As you get up to leave, he mentions that there are several other Americans in the lockup with him. You had not heard about them yet. This is bothersome as Vendurasaca usually complies with its treaty obligations to promptly notify the embassy of the arrest of an American citizen. You wonder whether this is a one-time slip-up or the sign of a more significant change. Either way, you need to find out more about these Americans. Looks like you won’t get out of jail soon, either.

[[Play again?->start]]

You ask another staff member to call back the hospital and get the details. You then close the door so that you can talk freely with the first tour officer. Alva City is his first assignment in the Foreign Service following lengthy training in Washington, D.C. He tells you his problem. He has aging parents and they are not well – recently his father fell and broke his hip. Hip replacement may be in the works. His sister has been looking after their parents, but she can’t continue. Your officer describes considerable tension in the family, and some resentment that he is overseas supposedly having a good time while others must deal with what they call real problems at home. It’s now been decided: the parents will move to a nursing home in a month. The officer has already bought an airline ticket for the United States, and it is non-refundable. He just realized during the staff meeting that he will be gone during the U.S. – Vendurasaca Trade Summit. After listening to his problems, he is confident that you will grant him leave.

[[Grant leave - family must come first]]
[[Deny leave - America needs his help]]

You are about to have someone else handle the call from the hospital when the operator says that the American has been in a serious car accident and is in grave condition. You decide to leave for the hospital immediately, and to bring your first tour officer along. You can talk in the car. The problem is aging parents – he thinks that he will have to return to the United States to help his family during the trade summit. You both are almost at the hospital when you get a call from the Regional Security Officer on your Blackberry. The security officer tells you that she just learned about some Americans in jail, one of whom appears to be politically well connected in the United States. You can either deal with the situation at the jail or at the hospital, but not both.

[[Continue to your first priority - the hospital]]
[[Place the situation at the jail at the top of your agenda]]

This is difficult. You know you are going to need all the help you can get during the U.S – Vendurasaca Trade Summit. The normal work of the Consular section must continue, even though some of your staff will be pulled away to help elsewhere in the embassy during this time. You also are not happy that the officer simply assumed that you would grant leave and committed to a ticket without checking with you.

You know that no one is truly indispensable – what would you do if the officer became sick during the summit, for instance? You tell the officer that he should explain his situation to his colleagues so that no one thinks that you are playing favorites. You also mention that the Department of State has an elder care program. He definitely should get in touch with the Family Liaison Office, and you tell him how. Under some circumstances, they even pay for round trip tickets to handle situations such as his.

[[Try again->start]]

This is a tough call, but you are responsible for the entire Consular Section and you know that you cannot always make the easy or popular decision. You dislike this part of your career, but you are going to have to deny the leave, and you tell the officer why. The U.S. – Vendurasaca Trade Summit will place unexpected demands upon the Consular Section. Staff will be pulled away to other work in the embassy, you expect American protesters to come, undoubtedly some American will be thrown in jail, and, of course, the daily steady press of business won’t go away.

You agree to grant leave as soon as the delegation is wheels up, meaning a delay of a week or so. There is nothing you can do about the pre-paid ticket. In the back of your mind, you are concerned about the officer’s morale – can he continue to work well while worrying about his parents? You mention that the Department of State has several offices that he might want to call – there’s an eldercare program and you also mention that Department’s consultation services were a great help to you when your mother died. He leaves, but you think that maybe you will let the Deputy Chief of Mission know what is happening.

[[Play again?->start]]

You are not too concerned about supposed political connections, but the life or death of an American citizen is an obvious immediate need. At the hospital, you tell your Consular colleague to take the car and to continue on to the prison. He’s to find out what is happening there and to give you a call. You find the emergency room and talk with the doctor. Very bad news – the American just died. He has a local driver’s license and from the photos in his wallet and ring on his finger, it looks like he is married. You call your office – he’s registered with the embassy – and you get a contact telephone number. This is the worst part of your career, you think, as you get ready to call his wife.

[[Try again?->start]]

You ask your colleague to handle the situation at the hospital and to give you a call when something is known. The Regional Security Officer seemed tense on the phone, so you decide to deal with the prison problem personally. You think that it is simply too early for anti-economic globalization protesters to have arrived in the country – they will come later, during the summit. Once you get to the jail, you find a group of young Americans being held for disorderly conduct. Apparently they are members of a well-known American organization that tries to prevent cruelty to animals.

The Americans were loudly protesting outside the annual Alva City fur market, a regional auction venue where expensive furs are traded, and they tried to force their way inside. You find that they actually wanted to be arrested in order to create publicity, but now the leader of the group wants embassy assistance. She’s very loud and aggressive and she tells you that she must call her brother, a staff member on a Congressional appropriations committee, immediately. As you turn to speak with the local police about the status of the charges, you can well understand why the Regional Security Officer was concerned.

[[Back to start->start]]

At a special meeting, the Ambassador reports on last night’s phone call from Washington. She announces that Vendurasaca will be hosting a summit in Alva City in one month in order to finalize a new regional free trade agreement. You had heard about this in earlier Country Team meetings, but you have not been directly involved. You understand that the new treaty will be similar to NAFTA and CAFTA, and will involve the United States, Vendurasaca, and three neighboring countries. The Ambassador says that the U.S Trade Representative will lead the U.S. delegation, which will also include representatives from the Department’s Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs office.

It could be a large delegation overall, but details are vague. Representatives from the neighboring countries will be coming as well, and there’s the possibility of a Congressional staff delegation (CODEL). Your Economic Officer colleague will have the lead as control officer, but you volunteer to work with the Congressional delegation and those coming from Washington while she concentrates on the U.S. Trade Representative and overall planning. The Ambassador asks for a progress report in three days, so you need to get working. As you are leaving, the Economic Officer asks to meet with you and other section chiefs in 24 hours. Walking back to your office, you decide what to do next.

[[Turn first to the Congressional delegation]]
[[Contact the office of State's Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Businees Affairs]]

As a Political Officer, you analyze political trends in the country, reporting back to Washington what you have learned. You also frequently talk with Vendurasacan ministry officials, especially those in the Foreign Ministry, conveying the U.S. government position, so you have extensive personal contacts throughout the government. You also supervise a first-tour officer and an Office Management Specialist – and, not to be forgotten, their employee evaluation reports are due in Washington soon. In many ways, their careers depend upon what you write. This is very important, but you put that task aside for the moment. During an earlier assignment in Washington, you were detailed to work as a staff member on a foreign affairs committee on Capitol Hill and you’ve kept in touch with your former colleagues. You need to know more about this delegation – will any members be coming, what are their concerns, with whom will they want to meet? You need more information before you can make decisions

[[Contact a former colleague on the Hill]]
[[Try to find the head of the delegation]]

Normally this call would be made by the Economic Officer, who has close professional and personal ties with the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs. The Under Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs serves as the senior economic official at the Department which is responsible for integrating U.S. economic interests with foreign policy goals so that U.S. firms and investors can compete on an equal basis overseas. You want to get details so you start up high and you call the staff aide to the Under Secretary. You ask what’s actually been announced, who is coming, who is coordinating the trip within the Department? She’ll know more in a day, she says, but suggests that in the interest of time you contact either the Department’s Public Affairs Office or the Bureau’s staff - perhaps both - to get a quick update.

[[Try the Public Affairs Office]]
[[Call the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs]]

The Ambassador says that the U.S Trade Representative will lead the U.S. delegation, which will also include representatives from the Department’s Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs office. It could be a large delegation overall, but details are vague. Representatives from the neighboring countries will be coming as well, and there’s the possibility of a Congressional staff delegation (CODEL). Your Economic Officer colleague will have the lead as control officer, but you volunteer to work with the Congressional delegation and those coming from Washington while she concentrates on the U.S. Trade Representative and overall planning. The Ambassador asks for a progress report in three days, so you need to get working. As you are leaving, the Economic Officer asks to meet with you and other section chiefs in 24 hours. Walking back to your office, you decide what to do next.

It might be time to rethink your decision

[[Turn first to the Congressional delegation]]
[[Contact the office of State's Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Businees Affairs]]

Department’s Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs office. It could be a large delegation overall, but details are vague. Representatives from the neighboring countries will be coming as well, and there’s the possibility of a Congressional staff delegation (CODEL). Your Economic Officer colleague will have the lead as control officer, but you volunteer to work with the Congressional delegation and those coming from Washington while she concentrates on the U.S. Trade Representative and overall planning. The Ambassador asks for a progress report in three days, so you need to get working. As you are leaving, the Economic Officer asks to meet with you and other section chiefs in 24 hours. Walking back to your office, you decide what to do next.

[[Turn first to the Congressional delegation]]
[[Contact the office of State's Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Businees Affairs]]

You try calling the Public Affairs office for an hour. However there is no reply. You try other means of contacting the Public Affairs Office to no avail. In the hassle, you lose track of time.

It's time for you to head home

[[Play again?->start]]

Finally you strike gold. The staff aide to the Assistant Secretary of the bureau knows what is going on – she’s good at her job. She tells you that the Department will be sending only a small group – this is the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s show. Probably her boss, the Assistant Secretary, will come with one aide, plus the Foreign Service Officer in the Department that directly works with Vendurasaca each day. She notes that her boss has dietary restrictions, but otherwise no special accommodations are needed. She’d like to know more about venues for the event in Alva City, and her boss would appreciate an updated treaty text once the Vendurasacan government has cleared it. Otherwise things look good for the moment. Thanking her, you decide what to do next.

[[Get in touch with the Management Officer]]
[[Quit for the day]]

This would be an excellent idea but your career never really ends. It’s just the way it is – your inbox is always full of material to read, new requests for reports or information, cables to answer, information to discuss with Vendurasacan officials. You’ve learned to pace yourself and get outside the office at a reasonable hour. However, at this time of year, you must write the employee evaluation reports on the first-tour Foreign Service Officer and Office Management Specialist who work for you. Their chances for upward career development essentially depend upon what you write. You’ve discussed their performance several times during the year, so there are no surprises. Nevertheless, complete honesty is difficult, and you want to find just those exact words to describe their strengths and weaknesses. You are tired, a lot has happened today, but still it is best to get something down on paper now and edit it in the morning when you are fresh. You pull up the form on your computer and start typing.

[[Play again?->start]]

Certainly it would be a good idea to let the Management Officer know about the size of the delegation and any special needs, but then perhaps others need to know, too – good information to have before tomorrow’s next organizational meeting. Rather than call around, you decide on a group email to all officers involved, including the Regional Security Officer. You hit the send button, and as soon as your computer screen clears, there’s an incoming note from the Management Officer reminding you the employee evaluation reports for those that you supervise, the first-tour Foreign Service Officer and the Office Management Specialist, are due soon. You promise yourself to get those written – and to discuss them with the staff – first thing in the morning. Now it’s time to go off to your evening class at the university.

[[Back to Start?->start]]

We're in an earthquake senario. You’re meeting with foreign affairs editors from the leading daily newspaper, and the main television news program, to discuss the U.S. President’s latest foreign policy speech. You meet with the editors at a popular café every week. They get to hear the embassy’s point of view from a senior spokesperson, and you are able to deal immediately with misperceptions before they creep into the news. Suddenly, spoons and plates begin clattering violently as shelves full of glasses and cups collapse and the street window shatters - earthquake. You and the editors run for the street. Outside you call your family - they are safe - and then check in with the embassy.

It’s difficult to gauge the extent of the damage and safety of citizens and embassy personnel. How much damage occurred locally and in what condition is the embassy? You also think about a multi-million dollar American Impressionist art exhibit going up in the national art museum - is it damaged? The Ambassador is deeply involved in the exhibit and will want to know what happened, yet you know you are needed immediately at the Embassy.

[[Go to the museum]]
[[Go to the embassy]]

The Ambassador used her influence with close friends in the American art community to bring this important exhibit to Alva City. Your office arranged transportation and the venue at the Alva City Art Institute. The Ambassador wants to create a better understanding of American culture in the country. It will be an important relationship builder after a U.S. mayor had a controversial Alva City artist’s painting removed from a show in the United States last year. That incident caused frequent caustic comment in the local Vendurasacan press. You call your Foreign Service National press assistant on your Blackberry as you walk to the exhibit.

He and his family are ok, and he reports that calls are starting to come in from American media and concerned tourists. You tell him to check with the Deputy Chief of Mission and the Consular officer and to start putting a press announcement together. At the Art Institute, you find the Director and together you check the exhibit. You find that some of the packing cases used to ship the art are damaged, and the American curator, who had been working on the exhibit, seems to be in shock. Then the Director hands you his cell – a call from the American organizer behind the exhibit, he says.

[[Take the call]]
[[Look after the curator]]

The foreign affairs editors offer you a ride back to the embassy. They want to see firsthand what is happening there; the embassy is an important local institution. When you finally arrive, you see that the post received some damage. The General Services Officer is overseeing Facilities Management Specialists who are developing a plan to restore facility operations. Embassy Information Management Technical Specialists have reestablished communication with Washington, but for precautionary reasons the Deputy Chief of Mission has moved operations to a temporary location.

Your Foreign Service National staff seems ok and willing to stay to help. You ask your Foreign Service National cultural assistant to get in touch with the Art Institute Director and check on the exhibit. You find your Foreign Service National press assistant and learn that a local newspaper has called asking about the welfare of some U.S. scientists. He tells you that there is a strange rumor spreading through town that the U.S. embassy is predicting an aftershock tomorrow at noon, and hands you a list of those who have called asking for help. He also tells you that the Consular section chief wants you to get an announcement out to the American citizens in Vendurasaca.

[[Consult with the consular section chief]]
[[Deal first with the disturbing aftershock rumor]]

The call is from the American philanthropist who pulled together the exhibit for the Ambassador. She asks after the art. You report what you see. When the quake hit, some of the art fell from the walls and other pieces were damaged by the falling paintings and sculptures. The museum has called in some local contractors to survey the structure, but it is too early to tell if repair is needed. The American organizer asks you to call back within a day, but she is very concerned about the safety of the exhibit.

The Art Institute Director has taken the American curator to the Institute’s clinic and she appears to be ok for the moment. The Art Institute Director is a close contact of the embassy – you sent him to the U.S. on an International Visitor’s grant last year. Knowing the importance of the exhibit to the Ambassador and to the American philanthropist, he asks you back to his office to discuss next steps.

[[Keep the exhibit at the Institute]]
[[Disucss moving the exhibit]]

You ask the Director to describe the situation to the American philanthropist while you help the American curator. She was up on a ladder at the time of the quake and fell. She’s not in shock; she hit her head and received a concussion, and there may be other minor injuries.

You know that the American Embassy Healthcare Practitioner will be swamped and unable to help, so you work with the Art Institute Director to get good local medical help for the curator. But work on the million-dollar exhibit must continue and damages should be addressed swiftly. Knowing that once you leave the Institute and go back to the embassy, you will be expected to address other immediate tasks, the Director wants to discuss the need to find a replacement for the curator in order to finish the installation.

[[Replace the curator]]
[[Ask for the museum's assistance]]

The Art Institute was built to withstand earthquakes and you learn that there was almost no damage to the building. Although some works of art were damaged, the Institute has an excellent conservation staff, and you believe that the lenders may allow repairs in country. To remove the exhibit now would damage the Institute’s prestige and inevitably convey a message of a lack of American confidence in Vendurasacan institutions.

You tell the Director that you need to consult with the Ambassador, but that your recommendation to the American lenders will be to keep the exhibit in country. The exhibit will stay but will be postponed for at least two weeks, perhaps longer, depending upon the general situation in the city following the earthquake.

[[Back to Start->start]]

The quake caused considerable damage to the façade of the museum, and significant cosmetic work needs to be done. A reputable art conservator needs to examine the damaged pieces. Since millions of dollars in art are at stake, the Director recommends moving to another, smaller museum in the city which will provide a safe place to work. Things are moving fast, but this looks good. You get agreement on the move from the American lenders in order to keep the exhibit in-country for the moment, but then an inventory reveals that some pieces are missing.

You learn that looters apparently stole two paintings. You call back the American organizers of the traveling exhibit and recommend that the exhibit be postponed or canceled while an investigation takes place. They decide to cancel it. You discuss next steps with the Institute Director, and then get back to the Embassy to talk with the Ambassador so that she won’t be blindsided. Next step - write talking points for the Ambassador to use in case the local media raises any questions.

[[Back to start?->start]]

The American curator has been working closely for weeks with the museum’s professional staff. The locally hired curator’s assistant wasn’t hurt and can take over. After getting the Ambassador’s agreement, you call the American philanthropist and strongly recommend that the exhibit be allowed to open in Alva City. Although delayed because of general damage in the city from the earthquake, the eventual opening is a success. Attendance is high and the exhibit goes on to be very successful with both the local community and Americans living in Alva City. A Washington Post critic hails it as a must see for travelers.

[[Back to start->start]]

You persuade the Ambassador and the American lender to keep the exhibit in-country and to rely upon the Institute’s staff. This will only generate more goodwill between Vendurasaca and the U.S. at this time of trouble following the earthquake. The American-trained head of the museum’s professional staff is more than adequately experienced to curate the show, having helped arrange the last major foreign exhibition at the museum. While continuing the installation, an aftershock causes extensive damage to an important piece. Although it’s insured, you will have to get in touch with the owner of the piece to explain what happened. It won’t be a pleasant call.

[[Back to start->start]]

The chief of the Consular section wants you to arrange an immediate announcement in the local media requesting American citizens to check in with the Embassy. You then call a Consular officer who is out in the field assisting U.S. citizens. He tells you about the scientists and their location. The local paper is interested because the U.S. scientists are sponsored by the local university. The building the lab was in collapsed and two of the scientists were killed. Reporters from the paper are calling to ask if the United States will hold the local university responsible for the structure of the building. They also ask probing questions about what the scientists actually were doing in the country.

[[Call the local newspaper]]
[[Arrange the announcement]]

The Ambassador and you want any information attributed to the embassy to be as true and factual as possible. False rumors need to be addressed immediately. The foreign affairs editors want to follow up on the aftershock rumor and a TV editor would like to arrange a crew to get an on-the-record interview with you. Both media outlets will provide an efficient way to quash the rumor. You ask the Foreign Service National press assistant to get the text of the consular announcement from the head of the Consular section while you deal with the rumor.

[[Talk to the media]]
[[Get the word out yourself]]

After receiving confirmation that the scientist’s next of kin have been notified, you call the lead editorial writer of the newspaper that is making the inquiries. You outline what you know, based upon first-person accounts from the Consular officer in the embassy, and from other American officers out in the field. You note that perhaps an investigation will be undertaken to see why the building collapsed as it did, but you cannot speculate on the outcome. You refuse to comment about why the scientists are in the country, suggesting that the newspaper will want to discuss that directly with the university. As you hang up, a call comes in from an American philanthropist asking for an update on that art exhibit you are sponsoring at the Art Institute.

[[Play again?->start]]

You ask your Foreign Service National press assistant to call back the paper and tell them that you are checking facts. You sit down with the Consular section chief and work out the wording of the announcement, including embassy numbers to call. You consider posting the announcement on the embassy’s website, but that’s rather passive and can wait. You and your press assistant use the Public Affairs electronic outreach system to send the announcement to the editorial staff of media outlets around the country. You and your press assistant then quickly call the local television and radio stations and ask that the announcement be broadcast. You then turn to deal with the call to the newspaper about the death of the American scientists, as the phone rings with a call from an American television station requesting information. It will be a very long day.

[[Back to Start->start]]

Double checking with a U.S.-sponsored seismology center in Vendurasaca, you confirm what you suspected: aftershocks cannot be predicted. You call your luncheon friends, the foreign affairs editors, and tell them that the rumor is clearly false, citing your sources, and suggest that they double-check, too. You ask that they run the story immediately so as to lessen possible panic in the city, noting that if aftershocks could be detected, earthquakes could be timed exactly. They can’t. The TV crew shows up and you do the interview. The phones keep ringing.

[[Play again?-->start]]

[[Try again?->start]]

[[Great! Can't wait to begin!]]