US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO228

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