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Patrick F. Kennedy

Undersecretary for Management at the State Department (since November 2007)

(State Department)

Why He Matters

Kennedy has an unusual expertise; he is one of the federal government's resident human resources experts.

This career civil servant has coordinated reorganizations and led reform efforts for the State Department , the United Nations and in the office of the Director of National Intelligence. In the Obama administration, he will serve as under secretary for management at the State Department, a position he has held since 2007.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Director, Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing and Innovation (2007); Deputy Director for Management, Director of National Intelligence (2005 to 2007); Chief of Staff, Iraqi transition unit (May 2004 to Aug. 2004)
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Alma Mater: Georgetown School of Foreign Service, BSFS, 1973

Spouse: Mary Elizabeth Swope
Web site

Path to Power

Kennedy is a native of Chicago, Ill., and received a bachelor's in foreign service from Georgetown University in 1973. He joined the Foreign Service that year, and spent the next two decades serving a number of posts, including management counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and a Washington-based gig as executive director and deputy Executive secretary of the executive secretariat.

Kennedy joined the State Department's management team in 1993, when he was named assistant secretary of state for administration. From August 1996 to August 1997, he also served as state's acting under secretary for management. From 1997 to 2001, he led a reorganization of the foreign affairs agencies at the State Department.

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The Issues

The State Department has struggled for years to fill vacancies with talented, well-trained staffers. At his 2007 confirmation in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kennedy outlined his vision for addressing the problem, saying "I want to underline my commitment to recruiting, developing and retaining a highly skilled workforce representative of America's diversity. To recruit the people the country needs, the Department must continually expand its outreach to all parts of American society. We cannot afford to - and morally must not - leave any stone unturned."

Kennedy is also responsible for expanding the State Department's diplomatic efforts, a priority for Congress. "More than any time during my 20 years in Congress, diplomacy and development assistance are being viewed as key components of our national security," Rep Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) said in February 2008. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also called for an expansion in spending on civil-service officers who address national security, diplomacy and foreign assistance.

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During 2008, Kennedy oversaw the expansion of the State Department and the addition of about 1,500 new positions, increased funds for language training and a 20 percent budget increase.

Cyber-Security

When President Barack Obama's passport files were illegally accessed while Obama was running for president, Kennedy was forced to discipline the contract workers and explain the misdeed to the public.

The Department was criticized for failing to respond quickly to the event, and for lacking a plan for communicating information about the security break up the chain of command. In the aftermath, Kennedy was forced to explain the breach. "The State Department uses the same very, very appropriate technique in protecting privacy data as it uses in protecting classified information, and it's usually known by the principle of need-to-know," he said in a podcast.

The Budget

As under secretary, Kennedy is partly responsible for building strong relationships with members of Congress to secure their support the State's needs like personnel, technological and facilities improvements. This can be tough sell, and often involves hearings and some wrangling.

Congress has also complained that the State Department has not always been available to them. At a 2008 hearing on the State Department's budget, one congressman said, "the State Department is almost AWOL with regard to the Hill." The lawmaker told Kennedy that the undersecretary must make himself accessible on the Hill.

Iraq

When former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker sent a panicked 2007 cable to Washington saying he needed more staffers and less restrictive security rules for Foreign Service officers, Kennedy was asked to travel to Iraq to sketch a plan.

State had come under fire for not sending enough reconstruction specialists to Baghdad and for failing to adequately oversee its principal private security force, Blackwater USA, whose personnel were accused of using excessive force to protect U.S. diplomats.

In his 90-page memo from October 2007, Kennedy suggested doubling the personnel in Iraq dedicated to political and economic analysis. He also proposed hiring additional Arabic speakers and developing better communication with the Department of Defense. His recommendations were implemented by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shortly after their 2007 release.

Scandal in Afghanistan

In September 2009, CBS News reported that private contractors who were providing security to the Afghanistan embassy sexually hazed new members. In the weeks after this disclosure, Kennedy was accused of not doing enough to ensure that independent contractors are obeying the law across the world.

The Network

As a State Department under secretary, Kennedy will work closely with Undersecretary for Political Affairs William Burns and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton . He will also work with John Berry , who directs President Barack Obama 's Office of Presidential Personnel ; Steven N. Kosiak , the director for national security and international affairs at the Office of Management and Budget ; and the deputy director for administration at the Central Intelligence Agency.

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