The Foreign Service Journal, December 2007

The Embassy of the Future Commission identified 10 practi- cal recommendations to make U.S. diplomacy more effective: • Invest in people. The State Department must hire more than 1,000 additional diplomats so that it can fill positions at home and abroad while providing the education and develop- ment programs that 21st-century diplomats need. • Integrate technology and business practices. Senior department leadership needs to raise the profile of technology within the State Department and use it more effectively in the ser- vice of business practices. • Expand knowledge and information-sharing. As an infor- mation-producing, knowledge-rich organization, the State Department must do a much better job of sharing both. • Embrace new communications tools. The State Depart- ment must exploit Internet-based media, which are changing the way people interact with one another around the world. • Operate beyond embassy walls. U.S. diplomats must work effectively and routinely outside the embassy compound. • Strengthen platform and presence options. The commis- sion recommends a comprehensive, distributed presence around the world that will allow for a broader and deeper engage- ment with governments, opinion leaders and the global public. • Strengthen the country team. Interagency cooperation at overseas posts is essential for the embassy of the future. • Manage risk. To support a diplomatic presence that is dis- tributed, the department’s security culture and practices must continue to transition from risk avoidance to risk management. • Promote secure borders and open doors. With the post- 9/11 removal of the waiver for personal appearances for nonim- migrant visas, together with increased visa workloads, embassies face big challenges in managing their visitors. • Streamline administrative functions. The State Department must continue the process of streamlining and standardizing its administrative functions and consolidating them regionally. and women in uniform. The more diplomats we have engaged further forward and deeper into societies, the more likely it is that even best efforts to protect them will sometimes fail. Threats will be more prevalent in more places. Many American diplomats have been killed in the course of their work. They should never be forgotten. As even more of America’s diplomats operate in harm’s way, we will need to provide them new kinds of training and protection: the better able they are to work in troubled lands, the more secure our nation will be. American diplomacy can help our country defeat our enemies, support our allies, and make new friends. What follows are practical recommendations the commission believes necessary to create the philosophy as well as the foundation for 21st-century diplomacy. Carrying out our recommendations will take resources and the continuing commitment of both the executive branch and Congress. The commission urges that this effort start today. On the Front Lines of the New Diplomacy Our embassies and the people who work in them are on the front lines of the new diplomacy. The State Department has made significant strides in the last sever- al years toward meeting new challenges, with improve- ments in training capacity, construction of new buildings and technological advances. Nevertheless, if the State Department is to effectively meet tomorrow’s challenges, much more must be done. The commission built its approach on three premises: • First, diplomacy is the first line of America’s defense and engagement. Diplomats cannot accomplish their work from Washington. U.S. diplomats overseas engage in a complex environment where national interests are at stake. More than ever, they need to be able to understand and influence societies abroad. • Second, the power of non-state actors and new audi- ences is growing. With the spread of democracy, advances in communications capabilities and globalization, many actors affect and influence U.S. interests. The State Department and its people must be able to engage with a wider audience and new centers of influence. • Third, operating in a higher-threat environment is ever more part of the job. America’s men and women overseas today operate in an environment of increased risk. Threats to their security and safety are higher and more prevalent than in the past. Acts of terrorism can occur anywhere, as we have seen — from Nairobi to Karachi to London. We must plan for a future in which the threat of terrorism will continue and likely grow. The commission envisions an embassy presence in which U.S. officials reach out broadly, engage societies comprehensively, and build relationships with key audi- ences effectively. Resources, technology, a well-trained work force and a culture that is more tolerant of risk will offer opportunities to expand the capabilities of U.S. per- F O C U S 40 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 Final Recommendations