Functional Training for Foreign Service Family Members

The Department of State is authorized to provide functional training to family members of U.S. Government direct-hire personnel anticipating an overseas assignment (section 704 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980). Functional training for anticipated prospective employment is offered to family members on a space available basis.

A family member must be a U.S. citizen whose spouse has been paneled for an overseas assignment to be eligible for most functional training. Family members may contact the Family Liaison Office for questions concerning training.

The functional training courses available to family members include Consular, General Services Operations, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, A dministrative and O fice M anagement, Computer End User and other IT courses.  Participants that complete a course of study in MS Office and some other IT courses are eligible to sit for exams which provide certification in the area of study.  Please visit the FSI/SAIT  website or contact the School of Applied Information Technology at the Foreign Service Institute for more information on available certifications.  Applicants should be prepared to devote the energy and study time necessary to learn technical material in a full-time course. Homework may be necessary in order to pass the required examinations in some of the courses.

Completion of any of the functional training classes does not guarantee a spouse a position at post, but may increase his/her employability.

Enrollment of family members in language training and area studies is coordinated through the Bureau of Human Resources / Career Development and Assignments. The employee should contact his/her Assignments Officer for further information about enrolling a spouse in language training.

FSI Functional Training Courses Available to Family Members on a Space-Available Basis

Basic Consular Course - (PC-530) 31 days
This course offers intensive training in immigration and nationality law and regulations and in consular policies, responsibilities and procedures. Rotating through different units at ConGen Rosslyn, students are introduced to the law and regulations through study guides, lectures, small group sessions, case studies and role-plays. Students also receive an introduction to the basic automated systems used in consular work. Participants are required to pass written examinations at the conclusion of each of four course modules.

Course Modules
PC535	American Citizen Services	7 days
PC536	Passports and Citizenship	6 days
PC537	Immigrant Visas	6 days
PC538	Non-Immigrant Visas	12 days

Financial Management Overseas - (PA-211) 18 days
This entry-level tradecraft course provides instruction in the fundamentals of budget and financial management in Foreign Service posts abroad, and in the basics of the legislative and budgetary process in Washington, D.C. Modes of instruction include lecture, discussion, individual and group exercises, self-study and embassy simulation activities. Additional essential information on training requirements for those employees seeking designations as principal or alternate certifying officers is in the subchapters of 4 FAH-3 H-065. Course modules include: Working with ICASS (PA214) (4 days), Principles of Appropriation Law (PA215) (4 days), Accounting, Vouchering and Certification (PA216) (5 days), and Supervising a Cashier (PT217) (5 days).  Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with MS Windows, MS Word and MS Excel.

General Services Operations - (PA-221) 10 weeks
This ten-week course provides basic training in overseas general services operations. Instructors introduce students to the applicable regulations and procedures and guide them through case studies, role-plays and other practical exercises in four areas: general management issues; acquisitions; real property management; and overseas logistics management (comprising travel, transportation, motor pool, and property management). Successful completion of the acquisitions portion of the course qualifies students for the standard overseas contracting officer's name warrant issued by the Office of the Procurement Executive. Students will be expected to use computers to prepare a variety of documents and to access online versions of various regulations during training.  In some cases, individuals may need only one or two modules of the course. PA221 Effective Operational Management for GSO MUST be taken before enrolling in any of the other 3 modules of the course. Prerequisite: Complete familiarity with PCs including MS Windows, MS Word, MS Excel and the Internet. FSNs must have professional-level competency in both spoken and written English at the 4/4 level.

Course Modules
PA221 EOM	Effective Operational Management for GSO	2 Weeks
PA221 ACQ	GSO - Acquisitions	4 Weeks
PA221 RE	GSO - Real Estate	2 Weeks
PA221 LMO	Logistics Management Overseas	2 Weeks

Human Resource Management  - (PA-231) 7 weeks
Through simulations and case studies, participants gain an operational knowledge of the principles of American and Foreign Service National human resource management. FSI strongly recommends that American Human Resource Management and Management Officers who will be responsible for the Human Resource function at post make every effort to enroll in the complete course to ensure that they will be equipped to manage adequately the full range of human resource related issues. Accordingly, those applications will be given preference.  Note: This course is not appropriate for clerical employees. It does not teach basic Human Resource clerical skills, processing personnel actions etc. Course modules include: PA232 FSN Position Classification and Compensation (2 weeks), PA235 American Human Resource Management (2 weeks), and PA236 Human Resource Management at Post  (3 weeks). Prerequisite: English at the 4/4 level. Basic computer skills, including word processing skills, spreadsheets and knowledge and use of OpenNet/Internet.

Foreign Service Office Management Specialist Training for Entering Personnel - (PK-102) 13 days
Through a series of hands-on activities, guest speakers and technical instruction participants are introduced to the culture of the Foreign Service and to the skills needed to be successful Office Management Specialists. The course provides realistic first-hand experience to reinforce the material presented. Office Management Specialists learn the fundamental skills required including “Tags & Terms,” State Department correspondence, management of official records, and the essentials of representational and Official Residence Expense vouchers. Students are also required to establish the classroom according to Diplomatic Security guidelines for a controlled access area, prepare oral presentations including a country briefing, recognize cultural sensitivity, learn appropriate protocol titles and language in a diplomatic setting, and work one day at the Department of State in their Bureau/country desk.

For a complete listing of courses, family members should check the FSI course catalog available in many CLO offices overseas, and in the Overseas Briefing Center at FSI. The course catalog is also available on the DOS Intranet web site. A copy of the course schedule may also be requested from FSI by sending an email to FSIRegistrar@state.gov  

Enrollment

Department of State Family Members
There is no charge for functional training for a Department of State family member. Family members should contact the Family Liaison Office for information on enrollment.

Non-Department of State Family Members
For spouses of employees of other agencies, the parent agency of the employee must agreed to pay the course fee before the EFM can be considered for enrollment. There is no mechanism at FSI for the spouse to pay directly for a course, nor is it allowed. The fee for the Basic Consular Course may be waived for non-Department of State spouses if post requests the tuition waiver and FSI approves. Non-Department of State family members should contact the Family Liaison Office for enrollment.Information

Information provided by the Family Liaison Office
Contact the Family Liaison Office