State Dept sees record hiring, but seeks higher budgets through 2030 to fully replenish ranks

Federal News Network

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2023/11/state-dept-sees-record-hiring-but-seeks-higher-budgets-through-2030-to-fully-replenish-ranks/ 

NGFO Financial Newsletter - December 2023 Issue

“…Related to M/OAA matters, at the November 9th PSC Council of International Development’s Annual Development Conference, there were two updating questions asked by PSC’s Vice President Paul Foldi. The first concerned the waiver for Section 889. He asked a question pertinent for several IT contractors on the status of the waiver for other Federal agencies. Dennis Vega, USAID Chief of Staff and the Conference Keynote Speaker, answered that “USAID is working to keep that waiver and to implement it in a way that allows us to do the work that we need to do. Also, there are continuing discussions on this, and there are multiple viewpoints on this, at the National Security Council.”

Another question asked related to the Contracting Officer situation. Vega gave a rundown of the Agency’s progress in recruiting COs by reporting: “We have onboarded 27 new Civil Service Contract Specialists and have another 17 are in process of onboarding. We hired another 55 new Career Candidate Core Officers; 9 are currently now warranted and another 46 are in their job training waiting to be warranted. USAID has also established a new USAID-sponsored Eligible Family Member Program for A&A backstop in 11 of our Missions. We have also increased the ability for our Foreign Service Nationals [FSNs] to do more of the contracting work. FSNs have moved from 19 warrant holders to now 47.”