Transitioning to 2010

As we transition into Fiscal Year 2010, I’ve identified three priority issues that need to be resolved as we move toward the agency’s strategic goals.

First is the world-wide review of the security cooperation staffing requirements. This effort has only just begun, yet we intend to be complete in about 6 months.

Second is ensuring at least 95% of the folks who work in the domain of security cooperation are trained. Historically, my instincts tell me it was not that much of an issue – but now, with an explosion in scope, it is an issue. About a month ago, as I looked at the data, nearly half of the folks forward in Iraq and Afghanistan working security cooperation have no experience and no training. One of our first challenges is to clarify which billets require what security cooperation training. We have begun that task, but like many things, it is more complicated than it appears at first glance.

Our third priority is to operationalize our strategic plan. Several weeks ago, I signed the Strategic Plan. Our Chief Performance Officer Freda Lodge wanted to go beyond that. So, over the past few months, each of the directorates in DSCA developed detailed action plans on how they would execute their part of the Strategic Plan. Last week, the DSCA leadership team traveled to an off-site and reviewed, critiqued, and made recommendations. We left, inspired, energized, and determined to operationalize the Strategic Plan. I look forward to keeping you appraised of our progress.