RELATED August 16, 2023 Presidential Transitions are a Perilous Moment for National Security May 31, 2023 The State of Public Trust in Government 2023 May 17, 2023 The Good Government Connection: Linking the Employee and Customer Experiences Back to Reports State Dept: Staffing Shortfalls and Ineffective Assignment System Compromise Diplomatic Readiness June 7, 2002 In this report, GAO examined (1) the number, experience, and skills of staff in hardship positions and how these may affect diplomatic readiness and (2) how well State’s assignment system is meeting the staffing requirements of hardship posts. This report makes recommendations to the Secretary of State to improve State’s human resources data, determine staffing priorities, consider a targeted hiring strategy, and develop incentives and implement actions to steer Foreign Service employees toward serving in hardship posts. Download (879k)