Lawmakers tackle interagency reform

For years, various think tanks and blue-ribbon panels have advised Congress to address the infighting and poor coordination and collaboration among federal agencies supporting security missions and foreign aid operations overseas. This week, lawmakers took a stab at tackling the problems with legislation that would create an interagency personnel system that rewards individuals and agencies for developing and integrating critical skills across government.

Introduced Thursday by Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., and Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., the 2010 Interagency National Security Professional Education, Administration and Development System Act aims to break down agency-centric cultures, incentives and structures within the national security system.

"When it comes to interagency collaboration on national security, our system is inefficient, ineffective and often downright broken," Skelton said. At a press conference Thursday, he cited coordination problems between the Defense Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development in Afghanistan, where conflicting goals have undermined credibility and wasted money.

"And who can forget the serious problems we faced during post-combat operations in Iraq? DoD and the State Department never worked out a stabilization and reconstruction plan and never found a way to coordinate their programs when forced to act," Skelton said.

Modeled in part after the 1986 Goldwater Nichols Defense Reorganization Act, the legislation would create an education and professional development system for top federal security. Specific positions within agencies at the Senior Executive Service, Senior Foreign Service and Senior Intelligence Service levels would be designated as interagency national security positions that would be centrally managed and staffed by a cadre of trained professionals.

Goldwater-Nichols is credited with changing the service-centric cultures of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force by requiring military officers to obtain joint experience and education for promotion. The requirements have fostered better-rounded senior officers with greater understanding of the strengths and limitations of each service.

"Just like Goldwater-Nichols, our bill will create a new program that offers opportunities for national security professionals to undertake interagency training, education and rotational assignments, and it provides incentives for them to do so," Skelton said.

The bill also authorizes a consortium of colleges and universities to develop curriculum and training programs and creates a separate funding stream to pay for the new personnel system.

A pilot group of at least four agencies would be required to fully adopt the bill's provisions within 24 months of enactment. Eventually, however, the program would apply across government. A 2009 report on foreign aid and reform by the Government Accountability Office noted there are 36 federal agencies with foreign aid responsibilities.

It is unlikely the legislation will be taken up this year, Skelton said.