The grievant in FSGB Case No. 2017-051, who was slated for separation, contested statements in an EER relied upon by Commissioning and Tenure Boards (CTBs) that deferred and ultimately denied him tenure. He also challenged the conclusions of the second CTB, as indicated in its counseling statement, on procedural grounds. The Board found one statement in the EER to be falsely prejudicial and ordered it redacted. It also found the second CTB had violated the precepts by failing to take into account that earlier performance weaknesses had been overcome. The Board ordered that the CTB decisions to defer and deny tenure be rescinded.
The grievant in this case raised a third issue that was advanced in several other cases. He claimed that the Department failed to follow required procedures by having CTBs composed of only five members, rather than the six required by the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) (including one non-State member). The Department argued that a five-member CTB was a long-running practice to which AFSA had agreed. The Board found that the five-member CTB did not comply with the applicable FAM requirements and provided another ground for relief. The Department has requested reconsideration of this aspect of the decision, which is pending. The Department has since amended the FAM to require only five members.
On April 16, 2019, the State Department updated the composition of the CTB to consist only of five members:
(CT:POH-216; 04-16-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Only)
The Commissioning and Tenure Board (Board) will consist of five members of the Foreign Service of the Department of State, one from each of the five skill codes/occupational categories (management, consular, economic, political, and public diplomacy), of class FS-01 and above. The most senior member will serve as the chairperson. Among the members, at least one will be a member of a minority group and one a woman.