22 U.S.C. § 2734f — Strategic staffing plan for the Department of State

(a) Within 18 months after December 27, 2021, the Secretary must submit to the appropriate committees and Appropriations Committees a comprehensive five-year staffing plan aligned with and advancing the December 2017 National Security Strategy, or a later strategy issued within that period. It must include: (1) a comprehensive workforce dataset, including GAO-19-220 shortages, for current and planned Department employees, broken down by (A) Foreign Service officer and specialist rank, (B) civil-service skill code, grade, and bureau, (C) contractors and equivalent skill code and bureau, (D) schedule-C employees and equivalent grade, skill code, and bureau, and (E) overseas region; (2) recommendations, by service cone, for the number of Foreign Service officers at each diplomatic post and in Washington, with detailed reasons; and (3) recommendations for the number of civil-service officers, with detailed reasons. (b) The dataset must be regularly maintained and updated. (c) The Secretary leads the plan but may consult or partner with private entities expert in labor economics, management, or human resources and organizations familiar with Department workforce needs. (d) Within 120 days after December 27, 2021, the Secretary must report on root causes of Foreign Service and civil-service shortages, their effect on national-security objectives, and the Department’s plan to implement GAO-19-220 recommendations.