Cablegate: Upgrading Position, Irc Director, Colombo (N721-

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000228

SIPDIS

FROM AMBASSADOR WILLS TO C. BORYS (IIP/G/IR), R.
WINCHESTER (IIP/G/NEA-SA)
INFO: R. MCDUFF (NEW DELHI)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIRC OIIP
SUBJECT: UPGRADING POSITION, IRC DIRECTOR, COLOMBO (N721-
01), FROM FSN10 TO FSN11

1. IN NOVEMBER 2002, COLOMBO'S IRC DIRECTOR, MS. MANORANI
"MANO" KARUNANAYAKE, RETIRED AFTER 34 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING
SERVICE TO THE MISSION. THE DIFFICULT SEARCH FOR A
SUCCESSOR BROUGHT FORCIBLY TO OUR ATTENTION SOMETHING ON
WHICH, FRANKLY, WE SHOULD HAVE FOCUSED EARLIER: THE
POSITION IS GRADED AT FSN10. THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE. WE
NEED TO CORRECT IT. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS POSITION
TO OUR OBJECTIVES HERE, THE NEED TO ATTRACT THE HIGHEST
QUALITY EMPLOYEE, THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES
FOR WHICH THE DIRECTOR IS RESPONSIBLE, AND THE LEVEL OF
CONTACTS WITH WHOM HE/SHE REGULARLY INTERACTS, THE IRC
DIRECTOR POSITION SHOULD CARRY THE GRADE OF FSN11.

2. COLOMBO'S IRC IS THE INSTITUTIONAL PUBLIC FACE OF OUR
MISSION. IT IS OFTEN FIRST PORTAL FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE
OPINION-MAKING SRI LANKANS, AND JUST AS OFTEN WHERE THEY
RETURN FOR INFORMATION ON AMERICAN SOCIETY AND USG POLICY.
THAT IS WHY THE IRC DIRECTOR INTERACTS DAILY -- AND
FREQUENTLY SOLO -- WITH CULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, DIPLOMATIC,
GOVERNMENT, AND MEDIA CONTACTS, OFTEN AT THE HIGHEST
LEVEL. HE/SHE ALSO PLANS, DEVELOPS, AND EXECUTES IRC
ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING ITS ACQUISITION PROCEDURES, AND ITS
PROGRAMS OF OUTREACH TO THE MISSION'S CONTACTS AND OF
INREACH TO THE MISSION'S OFFICERS. THE DIRECTOR IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR IRC'S RESEARCH FACILITIES, AMONG THE MOST
SOPHISTICATED IN SRI LANKA, SUPERVISES THE IRC STAFF, AND
MANAGES ITS BUDGET. THROUGH THE PAO, THE DIRECTOR ADVISES
THE COUNTRY TEAM ON HOW TO USE IRC ASSETS TO FURTHER KEY
MPP GOALS.

3. MANO REMINDED US ABOUT THE IMPACT OF VALUED EMPLOYEES
ON THE JOBS THAT THEY OCCUPY; ABOUT HOW THE BEST FSNS NOT
ONLY GROW IN THE JOB BUT GROW THE JOB ITSELF. IN FINDING
HER REPLACEMENT, WE HAVE BECOME SADLY AWARE THAT FSN10
REMUNERATION LEVELS WILL NEITHER ATTRACT NOR RETAIN SRI
LANKANS WITH THE EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS
REQUIRED OF THIS IMPORTANT POSITION. SIMPLY PUT, WE
CANNOT COMPETE FOR THE TOP INDIVIDUALS WE WANT AND NEED.
WE, THEREFORE, STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE POSITION CARRY
THE GRADE IT DESERVES, TO WIT, THAT OF FSN11.

4. POSITION DESCRIPTION DETAILS FOLLOW:

5. BASIC FUNTION. USING HIGHLY DEVELOPED EXPERTISE AND
WORKING FROM A POSITION OF SENIOR RESPONSIBILITY, THE
INFORMATION RESOURCE CENTER DIRECTOR PLANS, DEVELOPS,
ADMINISTERS, AND EVALUATES THE DIVERSIFIED PROGRAMS OF THE
IRC, THEREBY PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE EXECUTION OF
THE MISSION'S PROGRAMMING ACTIVITIES.

6. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

6.A. MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP A FULL-SERVICE IRC WHOSE
RESOURCES ARE DIVERSE AND STATE-OF-THE-ART, WHOSE MPP-
DRIVEN ACTIVITIES DISSEMINATE AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION,
AND WHOSE ASSETS ARE READILY AVAILABLE TO THE MISSION'S
KEY AUDIENCES AS WELL AS TO ITS OFFICERS AND FSNS.

6.B. SUPERVISE EFFECTIVELY THE USE OF IRC FACILITIES,
INCLUDING ITS AUDIO-VISUAL ASSETS, AUDITORIUM,
COLLECTIONS, AND READING ROOMS.

6.C. DIRECT THE APPROPRIATE USE AND CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT
OF IRC COLLECTIONS -- INCLUDING ITS DATA-BASE, HARDCOPY,
AND ONLINE ASSETS -- TO FURTHER MISSION OBJECTIVES THROUGH
SERVICE TO MISSION CONTACTS.

6.D. PLAN, EXECUTE, AND EVALUATE AN OUTREACH PROGRAM --
INCLUDING SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION (SDI),
ARTICLE ALERT, FOCUS, AND OTHER INFORMATION PRODUCTS --
THAT PROVIDES TIMELY AND AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT
AMERICAN SOCIETY AND USG POLICY TO THE MISSION'S KEY
AUDIENCES.

6.E. PLAN, EXECUTE, AND EVALUATE AN INREACH PROGRAM --
INCLUDING SDI AND OTHER INFORMATION PRODUCTS -- GIVING
MISSION OFFICERS AND FSNS USER-FRIENDLY ACCESS TO IRC
FACILITIES.

6.F. PREPARE THE IRC ELEMENT OF THE PD BUDGET IN WAYS THAT
ENSURE ITS EFFECTIVE FUNDING WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF PD
RESOURCES.

6.G. DEVELOP THE IRC STAFF BY PROVIDING CLEARLY TARGETED
TRAINING, AND BY MANAGING ACTIVITIES EFFECTIVELY,
DELEGATING WORK APPROPRIATELY, AND EVALUATING PERFORMANCE
FAIRLY.

6.H. THROUGH THE PAO, KEEP THE COUNTRY TEAM FULLY AWARE OF
HOW THE IRC AND ITS ASSETS CAN FURTHER MPP GOALS.

7. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS.

7.A. EDUCATION: B.A./B.SC. IN THE HUMANITIES OR SOCIAL
SCIENCES, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS IN LIBRARY SCIENCE.

7.B. EXPERIENCE: AT LEAST 6-10 YEARS OF PROGRESSIVELY
RESPONSIBLE EXPERIENCE IN LIBRARY WORK, PREFERABLY WITH
SUBSTANTIAL FAMILIARITY WITH THE FIELD OF PUBLIC
DIPLOMACY.

7.C. LANGUAGE: FLUENCY (LEVEL IV, PREFERABLY LEVEL V) IN
ENGLISH. FLUENCY (LEVEL V) IN EITHER SINHALA OR TAMIL,
PREFERABLY WITH A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE OTHER LANGUAGE.

7.D. KNOWLEDGE: THE IRC DIRECTOR HAS A THOROUGH,
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF LIBRARY SCIENCE, INCLUDING
FAMILIARITY WITH ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RETRIEVAL. HE/SHE
IS ALSO FAMILIAR WITH AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, HISTORY, AND
SOCIETY, AND HAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF USG POLICY --
PARTICULARLY OF MISSION OBJECTIVES -- IN SRI LANKA. THE
DIRECTOR IS FAMILIAR WITH SRI LANKA'S ECONOMIC,
EDUCATIONAL, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE, AS WELL AS
ITS CULTURAL MOVEMENTS, INSTITUTIONS, AND POLITICAL
PARTIES. THE DIRECTOR HAS A THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF KEY
FIGURES IN ITS CULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL,
GOVERNMENT, MEDIA, MILITARY, AND PROFESSIONAL CIRCLES.

7.E. ABILITY: THE IRC DIRECTOR IS ABLE TO WORK
COOPERATIVELY WITH THE PAO, AND COLLEAGUES ON THE IRC
STAFF, AND MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP A STATE-OF-THE-ART
FACILITY THAT WILL SUPPORT ALL OF HIS/HER OTHER
RESPONSIBILITIES. HE/SHE CAN EXPLOIT, PERSONALLY AND
THROUGH IRC COLLEAGUES, THE ASSETS OF THE CENTER IN
FURTHERANCE OF MISSION OBJECTIVES. THE DIRECTOR INTERACTS
COMFORTABLY AND ROUTINELY WITH CULTURAL, COMMERCIAL,
DIPLOMATIC, EDUCATIONAL, GOVERNMENT, AND MEDIA CONTACTS AT
THE HIGHEST LEVEL. HE/SHE ALSO ENCOURAGES MISSION
OFFICERS AND FSNS TO DRAW UPON THE RESOURCES OF THE IRC,
KEEPING THEM FULLY AWARE OF IRC ASSETS AND THEIR
APPLICATION TO MPP GOALS. FINALLY, THE DIRECTOR IS
COMFORTABLE DRAFTING CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS, AS WELL
AS PREPARING BUDGETS AND OTHER FORMS OF RESOURCE
ALLOCATION.

8. PLEASE ADVISE.
WILLS

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