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CLO Program 


About FLO | Education | Employment | Family Support | Publications | Resources

 

    Community Liaison Office Overview

    The Community Liaison program provides support to U.S. government employees and family members who are assigned to American embassies and consulates abroad.

    The commitment of the Department of State to the well-being of personnel and their families is manifested in its support of Community Liaison Office Coordinators at overseas posts. The CLO works with community members to maintain high morale through orientation activities, cultural and recreational programs, dissemination of information, counseling and referral, and assistance with security, education, and employment for family members. FLO manages the program worldwide, providing training, program and staffing guidance, resources, and advocacy.

    This material is specific to Foreign Service employees and their families.

    These are generic guidelines for CLO services; they may be adapted at post, taking into consideration size of post, community needs, and the number of hours worked by the CLO Coordinator.
     

S E R V I C E

S T A N D A R D

Welcome and Orientation

Provide welcome information to new personnel and families, coordinate sponsorship program and post orientation activities.

Send pre-arrival information to all newly assigned personnel and families within a week of receipt of TM assignment cable.
  1. Provide post specific, current information to newcomers upon arrival at post.
  2. Coordinate and monitor sponsor program by identifying sponsors for all employees and providing specific guidelines for sponsorŐs responsibilities.
  3. Schedule and coordinate post orientation programs quarterly and survey community for customer satisfaction and effectiveness.
  4. Organize quarterly orientation tours and cross-cultural programs to integrate new arrivals into the mission community and familiarize them with the surroundings and the host culture.

Community Liaison

    Establish contact with community organizations and be an integral part of the mission community as a member of various committees and boards (e.g., employment, housing, Emergency Action, employees association).

Attend weekly country team and Admin staff meetings.
  1. Serve as a member of the Employment, Housing, and Emergency Action Committees as a community advocate and maintain contact with all agencies and sections of the mission.
  2. Identify and maintain contact with community organizations (American and international, social, cultural, recreational) and keep the mission community informed about their activities through post newsletter and mailings.

Program Management

    Develop social, cultural and recreational programs designed to meet the needs of all segments of the mission community and to enhance post morale.

Annually assess and identify community needs and demographics.
  1. Plan and coordinate biweekly activities to meet post needs with workshops, tours, sport or cultural events, lectures.
  2. Advertise activities and programs throughout the mission community.
  3. Conduct periodic surveys of all CLO programs to measure customer satisfaction

Information and Resource Management

    Maintain an information center for the mission community, provide information on post to Family Liaison Office (FLO) and Overseas Briefing Center (OBC), and contribute to or publish post newsletter.

Set up community accessible resources and files on the post, the host country, family member employment, education, security, and reentry to the U.S.
  1. Contribute to weekly post newsletter, with information on CLO services, activities, and other resources available in the CLO office.
  2. Provide up-to-date post information to OBC annually (for those assigned to or bidding on the post).
  3. Submit semi-annual CLO activity report to FLO.

Family Member Employment

    Provide information to Eligible Family Members (EFM) on employment opportunities within the mission and outside the mission, serve on the post employment committee, and contribute to annual Family Member Employment Report (FAMER).

Provide information to EFMs on employment within the mission as well as information on federal employment and post employment regulations.
  1. Identify appropriate opportunities (including volunteer) outside of the mission by contacting business and private organizations and advise family members.
  2. Attend all meetings of post employment committee as community advocate.
  3. Work with post Personnel Officer to promote EFM employment and to submit annual FAMER.

Education Liaison

    Maintain contact with schools at post, provide education information to mission community, and help to prepare families for return to the U.S. Provide FLO with post specific education information as requested.

Keep in regular contact with schools at post attended by mission children.
  1. Through workshops and personal contacts, provide current educational information and reentry assistance to families at post.
  2. Support FS youth programs by advertising awards and Washington programs.
  3. Provide information on post education to OBC and FLO annually.

Security Liaison

    Work with the Regional Security Officer to keep the community informed of security issues, serve on the Emergency Action Committee, and provide community support during crises.

Attend all meetings of the Emergency Action Committee to represent community needs, and provide and receive information.
  1. Assist RSO in providing contingency planning and security information to the mission community via newsletter or quarterly workshops.
  2. Assist RSO in coordinating mission emergency notification system and testing the system quarterly.

Counseling and Referral

    Identify community resources, listen to community members concerns and make appropriate referrals. Represent community concerns to management as necessary.

Advertise hours of operation in the weekly newsletter in order to be available for listening to community concerns.
  1. Identify and annually update community resources including medical personnel, counselors, and clergy in the community.
  2. Refer clients to appropriate resources within the bounds of confidentiality.
  3. Represent community concerns to management as appropriate.
  4. Provide confidential support to community members during personal crises.

This material is specific to Foreign Service employees and their families.

    Our materials are in the public domain. We ask that you credit our office if you use them.

 

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