Foreign Ministry Organisation and Management

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Foreign MinistryOrganisation and Management
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• The primary Institution through which a country
  conducts its relations with the outside world
• A Government Department responsible for the
  promotion of a countrys interests abroad
• An organisation that operates through a Head
  Office in the capital city and a network of
  Missions in cities abroad

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A set of Dualities

• Service Profession
• Policy Implementation
• Partner Leader
• Structure - Method

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Service - Profession

• Issue The nature of diplomacy
• Is it a specialized occupation requiring
  intensive academic training - Or is it a style or
  manner of action and behaviour
• Choice between the generalist and the specialist
• Relevance of issue to the human resource policy
  of the Foreign Ministry

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Policy - Implementation

• Issue The relationship between the political
  and the executive roles in Government
• Relevance of issue to allocation of
  responsibilities and tasks within the Foreign
  Ministry

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Partner - Leader

• Issue Multistaker roles in the conduct of
  foreign policy
• Relevance of issue to the capacity for
  consultation and outreach, and for public
  diplomacy, within the Foreign Ministry.

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Structure - Method

• Issue - the relationship between systems and
  processes
• Relevance of issue to questions of efficiency and
  effectiveness within the Foreign Ministry.

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Four Organisational Perspectives

• Tasks
• Structures
• Working Methods
• Human Resource Policy

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Tasks

• Enquire
• Inform
• Persuade
• Assist

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Enquire

• Objective External investigate trends, events
  and objectives/Internal ascertain policies and
  perspectives
• Responsibilities
• collecting information Intelligence gathering
  
• organising information - Analysis
• distributing information - Coordination
• storing information - Archives

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Inform

• Objective External present and explain
  national policies and objectives/Internal Keep
  team and stakeholders informed of developments
• Double role a counterpoint to the enquiry task
  and a prelude to the persuasion task
• Central role of team leaders Senior Staff and
  Heads of Mission
• Critical aspects coherence direction
  credibility

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Persuade

• Negotiation Negotiating teams and lone rangers
• Public Diplomacy question of time and resources

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Assist

• Consular Part of, or separate from,
  Embassies Honorary consular network
• Trade/Investment Promotion Portfolio
  responsibility Initiative/Support
• Development Assistance Donor or Recipient?
• Policy formulation - Links with Academic
  Establishment

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Structures

• Head Office and Missions
• Main Divisions Substantive Geographical
  Functional Consultative Advisory
• Internal Hierarchies and Relationships

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Head Office and Missions

• Rotation
• Teamwork

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Substantive

• Thematic National priorities Multilateral
  issues Regional concerns
• Institutional Regional/MultilateralInstitutions

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Geographical

• Bilateral relations
• Regional proximity
• Strategic interests

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Functional

• Administrative - Personnel, Finance, Archives,
  IT
• role in Management Integration within the
  service career structure
• Consular separate career stream
• Protocol involvement in substantive issues
• PR part of ministerial setup?
• Legal stand alone or part of a wider team?

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Consultative

• Three sets of clients
• Parliament Ministerial Responsibility?
• Governmental system Relationship with OPM
  Attaches Standing Structures
• Civil Society PR and beyond.

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Advisory

• Policy and Planning A distinct Setup?
• External Entities Wise Men Non-Resident
  Ambassadors Consultants Physical location
• Administrative support

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Hierarchies and Relationships

• Vertical/horizontal
• Cabinets Minister/ PS/Directors
• Internal Coordination systems ad hoc/formal
  regular/intermittent direct/indirect
• Ambassadors meetings

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Working Methods

• Reporting procedures style and frequency
• IT- Tools Basic applications email internet
  sites/virtual embassies online collaboration
  video conferencing databases.
• - Responsibility for Development and
  Maintenance

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Human Resource Policy

• Recruitment Who, When and How
• Training At the start/mid career On the
  job/academic specialised/general
• Career Issues Remuneration/ Progression/
  Postings
• Conditions of service