fp21的动态

Check out my newest article in War on the Rocks about STRATEGY at the U.S. Department of State (with coauthor Peter Lohman, who just finished a tour at the National Security Council, The White House). I know some folks in the national security arena are not in the mood to discuss reform, but I am convinced that experts need to drive the conversation about the future of our foreign policy institutions. Simply defending the status quo is insufficient. During a time of increased pressure on public servants, I recognize the challenges and risks here. I hope this article will be received in its intended spirit: as a constructive proposal for improving the quality of US foreign policy. As always, I welcome your thoughts on what we may have missed here. THE PROBLEM - The State Department emphasizes the art of foreign policymaking at the expense of disciplined methods. Continued gaps in diplomatic tradecraft and culture hinder turning expertise into policy action. - The State Department’s policy process is heavy on planning but light on coordinated action. Hundreds of "strategic plans" are developed every few years, but the plans typically fail to drive the day-to-day actions of diplomats. - Without a method of translating expertise into action, department staff are overwhelmed with information and pulled in divergent directions, challenging everyone’s ability to focus on the most important tasks. This might be termed "exhausted mediocrity." THE SOLUTION We propose a three step process to address this challenge: 1?? Policy design. Bureaus and embassies should specify a limited set of 6–12 months objectives to advance high-level goals (drawn from the National Security Strategy and political leaders). Goals must be proximate, concrete definitions of success paired with key results that could be reasonably assessed and achieved. The design phase must identify resources and action officers to power implementation. 2?? Policy Implementation. Turn design into action by executing the plan: deliver demarches, negotiate treaties, implement new projects, etc. With clear policy designs guiding their work, diplomats in the field would be empowered to solve problems that arise during implementation. 3?? Policy Adaptation. Officials should continually adjust policy designs based on evidence, feedback, and evaluations of progress gathered throughout implementation. (Clearly, these steps must be dynamic and iterative rather than strictly linear and sequential) Effective foreign policymaking does not merely spring from the Department’s wealth of knowledge and experience. While recent modernization efforts have rightly focused on helping the department develop, acquire, and retain expertise, that expertise needs an organizational culture that prioritizes action. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eqRnykiH