SCOPE AND LEVELS OF TRAINING
(CT:FSIH-51; 02-04-2025)
(Office of Origin: FSI)
13 FAH-1 H-131 SCOPE OF TRAINING
13 FAH-1 H-131.1 Levels of Training
(CT:FSIH-27; 09-25-2019)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
Training for professional development of members of the Civil Service and Foreign Service is structured to meet the needs of personnel at entry, middle, and senior levels to fulfill the core responsibilities of their specialty and assignment. Participation in the programs described in this subchapter is arranged either through the Foreign Service assignments process (see 13 FAM 102), and/or as determined by an employee’s supervisor and/or training officer.
13 FAH-1 H-131.2 Eligibility for Training
(CT:FSIH-14; 11-28-2016)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
The programs described in this subchapter are available to Civil Service personnel, including members of the Senior Executive Service; to Foreign Service generalists (Foreign Service officers, Foreign Service officer career candidates, and members of the Senior Foreign Service); to Foreign Service specialists; and to locally employed staff (LE staff) as noted (see 13 FAM 500).
13 FAH-1 H-131.3 Selection and Assignment to Training
(CT:FSIH-51; 02-04-2025)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
a. Supervisors and bureau and/or post training officers are primarily responsible for identifying training needs, selecting employees for training, and determining and scheduling training deemed appropriate.
b. Additionally, the Office of Career Development and Assignments (GTM/CDA) is responsible for scheduling appropriate training for Foreign Service officers, officer career candidates, specialists, and non-career Foreign Service appointees preparing for their onward assignments. GTM/CDA establishes criteria for the fair selection and assignment of employees to training.
c. The employee shares the responsibility for identifying training needs and is primarily responsible for making training requests to supervisors and bureau training officers and otherwise ensuring that their training needs are properly assessed and met.
d. Employees also may apply for additional training they feel will improve their skills or enhance their careers, subject to the approval of their supervisor, their bureau/post training officer and/or assignments officer, and the availability of funds.
13 FAH-1 H-132 ENTRY-LEVEL TRAINING
13 FAH-1 H-132.1 Objectives
(CT:FSIH-01; 12-20-2007)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
Entry-level training programs are intended to provide an orientation to the work assignments and environment of the Department of State and to instill in Civil Service and Foreign Service personnel the knowledge and skills that will enable them to perform their duties.
13 FAH-1 H-132.2 Orientation
(CT:FSIH-48; 12-05-2023)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
a. As directed by the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Global Talent Management, all new direct-hire State Department Civil Service and Foreign Service personnel serving on permanent-type appointments are required to complete the applicable orientation program provided by FSI. These programs are designed to introduce employees to the functions and responsibilities of the State Department and familiarize them with the basic rules, responsibilities, and nature of their employment. For further information, see 13 FAM 301.2-2.
b. The orientation program is open to newly hired employees. Personnel of agencies other than the Department may be enrolled subject to agreement between the Department and the agency concerned.
13 FAH-1 H-132.3 Functional Training
(CT:FSIH-01; 12-20-2007)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
a. Civil Service employees will receive functional training, as needed, to perform their duties. This can consist of training available through FSI, or, if FSI does not provide the training, from external training sources, and/or on-the-job training.
b. Prior to each assignment, Foreign Service officer and specialist career candidates will receive preparatory training appropriate to the position to be occupied. Subsequent training is, as a general rule, programmed at the time each onward assignment is made.
13 FAH-1 H-132.4 Language Training and Area Studies
13 FAH-1 H-132.4-1 Language Training for Foreign Service Personnel
(CT:FSIH-48; 12-05-2023)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service)
a. The Office of Career Development and Assignments (GTM/CDA) schedules appropriate language and area studies training for Foreign Service career candidates assigned to language-designated positions (LDPs). If, at the time of appointment, a candidate lacks the language proficiency required by 13 FAM 201.2, GTM/CDA will arrange training in conjunction with assignment to a language-designated position (LDP).
b. Familiarization and/or short-term (FAST) language courses and related area studies are provided for Foreign Service career candidates assigned to language-preferred positions (LPPs) and, to the extent that resources permit, are available for personnel proceeding to non-LPPs or non-LDPs (see 13 FAM 200).
13 FAH-1 H-132.4-2 Language Training for Civil Service Personnel
(CT:FSIH-27; 09-25-2019)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
a. A formal foreign-language proficiency requirement, if applicable, is normally a qualification requirement for Civil Service personnel filling a specific position and therefore generally must be demonstrated at the time of hire. Language training is not provided in order to meet a qualification requirement.
b. See also 13 FAM 201.1-1(B), “Language Training for Civil Service Personnel.” Other language training opportunities for Civil Service personnel are also described in the FSI Course Catalog and through Department Notices.
13 FAH-1 H-133 MID-LEVEL TRAINING
13 FAH-1 H-133.1 Objectives
(CT:FSIH-51; 02-04-2025)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
Mid-level training programs are intended to enable personnel to enhance and broaden their qualifications in their individual professional fields. For officers and specialists in both the Civil Service and Foreign Service, mid-level training is an essential element in preparation for management and senior responsibilities. The emphasis in mid-level training is on:
(1) Skills and knowledge pertinent to the major tradecraft functions (i.e., management, consular, economic and/or commercial, public diplomacy, and political) of foreign affairs professionals;
(2) Advanced instruction for Foreign and Civil Service specialists in their particular areas of expertise, specialization, and/or position of assignment;
(3) Overall management and leadership ability;
(4) Policy analysis and formulation, including a practical appreciation of the roles played by key elements of the U.S. Government and U.S. society in the conduct of U.S. foreign relations;
(5) Specialized expertise (including, where needed, language proficiency) in foreign countries and regions; and
(6) The Core Curriculum to cultivate a common foreign affairs skillset and doctrine at the Department of State.
13 FAH-1 H-133.2 Mandatory Training and Core Curriculum
(CT:FSIH-51; 02-04-2025)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
a. Depending on grade and individual position designation (e.g., supervisory), there are mandatory training requirements for mid-level personnel in leadership and management and other topics. See 13 FAM 300.
b. The Core Curriculum is a recommended set of courses for Civil Service and Foreign Service generalists and specialists, designed to cultivate a common foreign affairs skillset and doctrine at the Department of State. The series of courses focus on a broad spectrum of critical skills, ranging from leadership to strategic planning, negotiation, and working in the interagency. The Core Curriculum is to be taken over the course of an employee's mid-career span. See the Core Curriculum tab in the Student Information System for the list of courses.
13 FAH-1 H-133.3 Long-Term Training and Professional Development Programs
(CT:FSIH-51; 02-04-2025)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
a. Long-term training and professional development programs are available from many sources, including U.S. Government training organizations, universities, and private corporations. Information on many of the professional training and development programs available to Department employees may be found in the GTM/CSTM Civil Service Career Programs website and in the GTM/CDA/PDU Professional Development Unit (PDU) Applicant Portal.
b. FSI, GTM/CDA, and GTM/CSTM are responsible for long-term development programs. The specific programs available to Department employees vary from year to year and are reflected in the annual Long-Term Training and Details announcement as well as Department Notices on specific training and development opportunities. Eligibility guidance and procedures are outlined in the announcements and are available on the respective websites, including the appropriate point of contact in the Department. GTM establishes criteria for fair selection and assignment.
c. For the purposes of this section only, long-term training means training opportunities that are announced in the Long-Term Training Announcement, or that are otherwise designated as long-term training by FSI, GTM/CDA, or GTM/CSTM/CD (generally training in excess of 6 weeks' duration).
d. University training: Long-term training for individual employees at universities in the United States may be provided in various subjects such as area studies, economics, management and public administration, national security, cyber diplomacy and emerging technology, political-military affairs, communications, natural resources, labor movements, and other issues pertinent to foreign relations.
e. Training abroad: Long-term training and exchange programs at institutions abroad offer unique opportunities to develop area expertise and improve language skills.
f. U.S. Government-sponsored programs with bureau funding: GTM/CSTM and GTM/CDA also announce and coordinate a number of external training opportunities for Department employees, most of which are funded by the participating employees’ bureaus. These may include the Graduate School leadership development programs (e.g., the Executive Leadership Program for Mid-Level Employees), Congressional fellowships, and various academic degree programs per 5 U.S.C. 4017 (see 13 FAM 701.1-1).
g. Individual study (e.g., fellowships and sabbaticals): Through various organizations and universities, fellowships are available to Department employees for individual study programs.
h. External assignments: professional development assignments to other Federal agencies, the Congress, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and to State and local governments provide an additional means to achieve training goals. Information about these opportunities is available on GTM/CDA’s Professional Development Unit website and GTM/CSTM's Civil Service Career Programs website.
13 FAH-1 H-134 SENIOR-LEVEL TRAINING
13 FAH-1 H-134.1 Objectives
(CT:FSIH-48; 12-05-2023)
(State Only)
(Civil Service and Foreign Service Employees)
a. Senior-level training programs provide Department employees, both Foreign Service and Civil Service, with preparation for executive responsibilities. Participants include employees who are members of the Senior Foreign Service (SFS), the Senior Executive Service (SES), or those who are competitive for entry into the SFS and SES. The emphasis in senior-level training is on:
(1) policy formulation
(2) leadership
(3) program direction
(4) stakeholder engagement, and
(5) expanding professional networks.
13 FAH-1 H-134.2 Mandatory Training
(CT:FSIH-51; 02-04-2025)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
Depending on grade and individual position designation (e.g., supervisory), there are mandatory training requirements for senior-level personnel in leadership and management. The course, Leading at the Executive Level (PT801), is mandatory for newly-promoted Senior Foreign Service and Senior Executive Service personnel (see 13 FAM 300).
13 FAH-1 H-134.3 Executive Development Program
(CT:FSIH-48; 12-05-2023)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees)
The Department's Executive Development Program ensures Civil Service executives and potential executives develop the competencies necessary to accomplish current and future organizational requirements. See 3 FAM 2750.
13 FAH-1 H-134.4 Training at non-Department Institutions for Senior Representatives
(CT:FSIH-48; 12-05-2023)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
These programs are for Foreign Service personnel at the FS-1 level and for Civil Service employees at the GS-15 level who have demonstrated potential to rise to the senior ranks of the Department. Selected participants receive training at institutions such as the National Defense University (including the National War College and the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy), the war colleges of the individual Armed Services, universities, or other academic institutions. Selection procedures and specifics on each year’s program are announced annually in the Long-Term Training announcement. Information about these opportunities is available on GTM/CDA's Professional Development Unit website and GTM/CSTM's Civil Service Career Programs website.
13 FAH-1 H-135 THROUGH H-139 UNASSIGNED