13 FAM 100
INTRODUCTION
13 FAM 101
Overview
GENERAL POLICies AND AUTHORITIES
(CT:TPD-24; 01-29-2024)
(Office of Origin: FSI)
13 FAM 101.1-1 TRAINING POLICY
(CT:TPD-24; 01-29-2024)
(Uniform State/USAID)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
The Department is fully committed to the career development of all its employees, consistent with organizational needs, to improve service, increase efficiency and economy, and build and maintain a force of skilled and effective employees.
13 FAM 101.1-2 DEPARTMENT LEARNING POLICY
(CT:TPD-24; 01-29-2024)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. The Learning Policy aims to foster a culture of career-long learning where Department employees are offered, and encouraged to engage in, a broad range of training and development opportunities to acquire new skills, expand their experiences, and grow personally and professionally throughout their careers.
b. The learning policy makes provisions for Dedicated Learning Hours, expanded use of Individual Development Plans (IDPs), and the Core Curriculum.
c. Visit Learning@State for more information about the learning policy and its provisions.
(1) Dedicated Learning Hours:
(a) The Department provides up to 40 hours of Dedicated Learning Hours per employee each rating cycle for professional development, above and beyond mandatory training requirements for their position;
(b) The learning hours may be applied to a range of development activities from classroom training to online resources, such as webinars and podcasts, to collaborative mechanisms such as communities of practice, job shadowing and mentoring, to details, rotations, and special projects; and
(c) Dedicated Learning Hours may be used in increments as small as 15 minutes up to a 40-hour course.
(2) Individual Development Plans (IDPs):
The Department encourages the adoption of IDPs (DS-1922) for Civil Service and Foreign Service employees to develop and communicate training plans between employees and their supervisors.
(3) Core Curriculum:
(a) The Core Curriculum is a recommended set of courses for mid-career Civil Service and Foreign Service professionals designed to cultivate a common foreign affairs skillset and doctrine at the Department of State;
(b) The Core Curriculum includes leadership courses and a variety of courses in critical skills such as strategic planning, negotiation, working in the interagency, and congressional relations; and
(c) The series of courses is to be taken over the course of an employee's mid-career span. It is not intended to be taken at one time or in quick succession.
13 FAM 101.1-3 RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITIES
(CT:TPD-24; 01-29-2024)
(Uniform State/USAID)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) has the responsibility for developing training policies and facilitating necessary training and tools for personnel of the Department of State and other foreign affairs agencies, to the extent that resources permit.
b. Chapter 7 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 as amended, 22 U.S.C. 4021, et seq., contains the basic authority for training. Subject to certain restrictions, it includes authority to train:
(1) Members of the Foreign Service;
(2) Employees of the Department;
(3) Employees of other U.S. Government agencies;
(4) Family members of Foreign Service personnel, of employees of the Department, or employees of other U.S. Government agencies in anticipation of assignment abroad or while abroad;
(5) A U.S. person under contract to provide services to the U.S. Government or to any employee thereof that is performing such services;
(6) Any U.S. person (or any employee or family member thereof) that is engaged in business abroad, in other than foreign language training;
(7) Members of Congress or the Judiciary, and employees of the legislative and judicial branches; and
(8) When in the national interest of the United States, employees of foreign governments, particularly emerging democratic nations.
c. Chapter 41, of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 as amended, 5 U.S.C. 4101, et seq., and Executive Order 11348 contain the basic authority for training Civil Service personnel.
d. 68 Comptroller General 127 (B-226380, December 5, 1988).