Reinvention Reinvention is a fact of life at State, and a dynamic process. The Secretary has called for continual reinvention of State's operations in the face of declining budgets, increasing demands, novel challenges, and new technologies. With the introduction of new expertise and backgrounds, integration will be a very significant step forward in making our foreign policy more agile, coherent, and relevant for the new challenges of the 21st century. It is commonplace to note changes in the world. But it is worth highlighting those that directly affect the context in which State operates.
Information moves faster and with fewer restrictions than ever before.
Thankfully, citizens around the world have become more important than ever in the formulation, execution, and evaluation of the way governments operate. Our discretionary Economic Support Fund budget has been cut by two-thirds, leaving us with minimal funds to respond to unanticipated emergencies. Meanwhile, turbulence around the world from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf to Central Africa and East Asia has generated new threats to American interests and new demands on America's international affairs resources. The current reorganization builds on efforts undertaken throughout the 1990's to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of State operations. These initiatives reflect an ongoing, continuous effort within the Department to eliminate duplication, ensure accountability, set clear strategic goals and achieve results.