AFSA Awards
General Information | 2008 Award Winners | Past Award Winners | Nomination Procedures | Online Nominations Form
General Information
For over thirty years AFSA has sponsored a program to recognize and encourage constructive dissent and risk-taking in the Foreign Service. The AFSA Constructive Dissent Awards are unique for the following reasons:
1. They are not based solely on superior performance, for which numerous Department awards already exist.
2. No other government agency has a similar program.
3. These awards publicly recognize individuals who have demonstrated the intellectual courage to challenge the system from within, to question the status quo and take a stand, no matter the sensitivity of the issue or the consequences of their actions. The issue does not have to be related to foreign policy. It can relate to a management issue, consular policy, or, in the case of the newest award, the Tex Harris Award, to the willingness of a Foreign Service Specialist to take an unpopular stand, to go out on a limb, or to stick his/her neck out in a way that involves some risk.
Four awards are offered:
• The Tex Harris Award for a Foreign Service Specialist
• The Harriman Award for a junior officer (FS 6-FS 4)
• The Rivkin Award for a mid-career officer (FS 3-FS 1)
• The Herter Award for a member of the Senior Foreign Service (FE OC-FE CA)
AFSA also offers three additional awards for recognition of exemplary performance, extraordinary contributions to effectiveness, professionalism and morale.
• The Delavan Award recognizes the work of a Foreign Service Office Management Specialist who has made a significant contribution to post or office effectiveness and morale beyond the framework of her or his job responsibilities.
• The M. Juanita Guess Award is conferred on a Community Liaison Officer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, initiative or imagination in assisting the families of Americans serving at an overseas post.
• The Avis Bohlen Award honors the accomplishments of a family member of a Foreign Service employee whose relations with the American and foreign communities at post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States.Winners receive a monetary prize of $2,500 and are honored at a ceremony in late June in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the State Department.
For background information on AFSA Constructive Dissent Awards, click here.
For information on our Sinclaire Awards, click here.
For information on our Lifetime Contributions To American Diplomacy Award, click here.
AFSA 2008 Award Winners Nomination Procedures
Nominations should be submitted to: Awards Committee, AFSA, 2101 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, attention Barbara Berger, no later than
February 29, 2008. Any questions can be directed to Ms. Berger, Coordinator for Professional Issues, tel. 202-338-4045, ext. 521.CRITERIA FOR AWARDS
The following awards are for Foreign Service employees who have "exhibited extraordinary accomplishment involving initiative, integrity, intellectual courage and constructive dissent":
The Christian A. Herter Award, for members of the Senior Foreign Service.
The William R. Rivkin Award, for mid-career officers (FS 1-3).
The W. Averell Harriman Award, for junior officers (FS 4-6).
The Tex Harris Award, for a Foreign Service Specialist.
The Delavan Award recognizes a Foreign Service Office Management Specialist "who has made an extraordinary contribution to effectiveness, professionalism and morale."
The M. Juanita Guess Award honors a Community Liaison Officer "who has demonstrated outstanding dedication, energy and imagination in assisting the families of Americans serving at an overseas post."
The Avis Bohlen Award is conferred on a member of the family of a Foreign Service employee "whose relations with the American and foreign communities at a Foreign Service post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States."
The nomination must include the following elements:
--Part I: Name of the award for which the person is being nominated; the nominee's name, grade, agency, and position (or, for the Bohlen Award, the family relationship).
-- Part II: Nominator's name, grade, agency and position and description of association with the nominee.
-- Part III: Justification for nomination. The narrative should discuss the actions and qualities that qualify the nominee for the award, with specific examples of accomplishments that fulfill the criteria above. Part III should not exceed 700 words.ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR NOMINATIONS
A. Only career or career conditional members of the foreign affairs agencies are eligible to be nominated for an award: i.e., STATE, USAID, FCS, FAS or IBB employees. Exceptions to this are the M. Juanita Guess Award for a Community Liaison officer at an overseas post, and the Avis Bohlen Award for a family member of a Foreign Service employee at post.
B. A person may be nominated more than once in different years for the same award, providing that they have never won.
C. The time period during which the events attributed to the nominee took place does not have to be within the most recent calendar year. However, they should have occurred no more than 4 years from the time of the nomination.
D. Nominations for all AFSA awards should go directly to AFSA.
E. With respect to the Avis Bohlen Award to a family member at post, only those activities of a voluntary nature will be considered. If the nominee receives any type of monetary compensation for her/his work, they cannot be considered.
F. Since the purpose of the Dissent Awards is to encourage Foreign Service career employees to speak out frankly and honestly, non-career ambassadors or other political appointees are not eligible for nomination.
G. AFSA Board members may not be nominated for their activities while serving on the Board, but may be nominated for any actions which occurred prior to serving, within the time period mentioned in statement C.
H. Nominations for any of the awards may be submitted by anyone with knowledge of the nominee's accomplishments, and does not necessarily need to be a government employee. As noted in Part II of the Format guidelines, the nominator must describe the relationship or association with the nominee. Self-nominations are not eligible.
I. The Awards and Plaque Committee has final authority over decisions by all judging panels to ensure consistent standards.The Constructive Dissent Awards are not for performance of assigned duties, however exceptional. They offer an opportunity to publicly recognize and honor the courageous and thoughtful actions of our colleagues, over and above their responsibilities. Submissions that do not meet the dissent criteria above will not be considered.
Nominations may be submitted online or by e-mail to berger@afsa.org. Any questions may be directed to Barbara Berger, AFSA Coordinator for Professional Issues, tel: 202-719-9700, ext. 521, fax and e-mail as above.
