Rebuilding the Supply Chain of Foreign Affairs Leaders
Abstract
The United States was facing a long-term shortage of foreign affairs expertise long before the events of September 11, 2001, further complicated the nation's policy agenda. But September 11 added a special urgency to rebuilding the "supply chain" of talented foreign affairs leaders. The United States is fighting the war on terrorism on many fronts, at home and abroad, on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, and through a dense thicket of public, private, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental partnerships. It must have leaders who bring talent, creativity, judgment, and courage to the task. Such leaders do not spring fully prepared from graduate schools, government agencies, private firms, or non-profit organizations, however. They must be recruited, trained, retained, and seasoned. Unfortunately, September 11 revealed significant weaknesses throughout the supply chain. On the production end of the chain, too many students see foreign affairs as a destination of last resort, too few graduate programs offer the kind of rounded training that employers so clearly want, and even fewer undergraduate curricula have kept pace with the rapidly changing world. On the deployment end of the supply chain, too many recruits end up in dead-end jobs in overlayered, undersupported organizations, too few believe they are making a difference for their country, and even fewer have the option to move from sector to sector as their careers advance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA425361
Entities
People
- Paul C. Light
Organizations
- RAND Corporation