WASHINGTON — Thomas R. Pickering, former ambassador to the U.N. and member of the PNSR Guiding Coalition, will appear before the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia. The hearing, entitled National Security Reform: Implementing a National Security Service Workforce, will examine current national security professional development programs, and the challenges of creating and improving the current national security workforce.

Thursday April 30, 2009,
2:30 p.m.
Room 342
Dirksen Senate Office Building

Ambassador Pickering will call for improving the national security workforce as an essential element for addressing the increasing and evolving threats of the 21st century. Pickering makes a series of proposals to improve the current workforce based on the Project’s report, Forging a New Shield. The recommendations envision a system in which workforce issues are thought about strategically, a common culture is developed, investment is made in the workforce, and strategic leadership is encouraged.

The report’s recommendations, include: developing a National Security Human Capital Strategy and a accompanying implementation plan; creating a Human Capital Advisory Board to assist the President and National Security Council; enacting career planning processes and requiring national security professionals to fulfill rotational assignments; training and educational requirements; creating career professional development programs such as a national security fellowship; enacting and enhancing the National Security Education and Training Consortium; recruiting talent through tuition reimbursement and loan repayment plans; and building a personnel float to enable career development opportunities.

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The Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization working to modernize and improve the U.S. national security system to better protect the American people against 21st century dangers.

Contact

media@pnsr.org
Jordan Smith
(703) 387-7628 (o)
(202) 569-0099 (c)