Strategy Survival Guide

• Put a contact name, telephone number and e-mail address at the bottom of your request, and do not
send your email to a random name in the post.
• When in doubt, check with the FCO and seek our advice. Always keep us aware of what you are
doing.
• Please provide feedback to posts on how helpful the information has been and copy them the
results. It enables them to respond more effectively next time.
Other best practice tips include:
• The structure of embassies varies, as do titles/portfolios for individual posts, so a little research is
required to ensure you are contacting the correct person. It is probably best to start by contacting the
relevant FCO country desk officer in London, who can then direct you to the appropriate contact in
Post.
• The staffing levels of embassies varies greatly and needs to be taken into account when
commissioning work. Select which countries you really need examples from, consult FCO on likely
embassy capacity and ask posts to highlight any particular local issues.
• When commissioning work, it is best to provide details of background sources, with web addresses
where possible. Embassy contacts are usually not specialists and this helps them get up to speed on
the issue.
• Always provide details of the situation in the UK. This provides information for the embassy contact
to trade with local officials. Also, if you have asked for a return from the embassy, the UK details will
provide a template indicating desired coverage and level of detail.
• Initial requests should be copied to the relevant geographical department in the FCO, as well as any
subject-based FCO contact(s). This allows FCO to keep track of the non-FCO requests being put to
Embassies.
• The FCO are developing a 'Science and Technology’ network, with a UK-based hub which provides
advice and can act as a conduit for requests. Other networks being established include the
Environment network and the Energy network.
• Departments will have on-going contacts with embassies and sometimes have specialists in policy
interactions with particular markets. Ensure that you talk to all UK-based contacts in parallel with
posts.
• Ask Departmental and Embassy contacts about any in/formal bilaterals or conferences in your
subject area. It may be possible to attend or ask that specific questions be raised on your behalf.
• If it is likely that other international comparisons are to be requested in the future, it is worth sending
a warning to the relevant embassies. This will disappear in the maelstrom of paperwork in some
posts, but others will start thinking and collecting relevant information on what may not be a
specialist topic.
• Be aware that holiday seasons vary between countries. For example, Sweden takes its eight week
summer holiday from mid-June to mid-August, and so arranging meetings in July can be difficult.
UKREP contacts in Brussels recommend avoiding the first month of presidencies where possible.
Strengths
• Provides a real insight into strategy development and context in other countries.
• Provides a framework for assessing UK performance and strategy/policy gaps.
• Provides ideas to pursue in the policy development stage of a project.
• International comparisons are best used when the issue being addressed is very clear-cut (the
regulation of simple monopolies for example). They are least useful where important underlying
circumstances are radically different.
Weaknesses
• It's easy to get bogged down in irrelevant details whilst trying to get to grips with a new policy setting
– the trick is to isolate and focus on the most relevant facts.
• Having too many objectives and too wide a range of evidence you’re looking for – important to
clearly define and focus your enquiry.
Strategy Survival Guide – Strategy Skills
Page 148