Sir Simon Fraser
Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
How did you tackle the biggest challenges facing your organisation in 2014?
For the FCO, 2014 has been a year of managing major crises and delivering major events. A lot of that peaked over the summer just as Philip Hammond took over from William Hague as foreign secretary. We were managing crises in Ukraine, Gaza, Iraq and Syria (ISIL), Libya, and the Ebola outbreak in Africa. And of course Europe has been constantly on our minds.
Learning from our experiences in 2011, we have radically improved our crisis management. This summer we were at one point managing three simultaneous crises in our new Crisis Centre. The keys to success are clear lines of leadership, flexible workforce arrangements, and integrated working with embassies and across Whitehall.
As for events, the summit on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict in May was an unprecedented experiment in public and digital diplomacy. We mobilised the UN, NGOs, government departments, social media, other governments and the power of celebrity to make an extraordinary international impact. And the NATO Summit in September in Wales was the biggest international event we have ever staged in the UK. A big thank you to everyone who made this work.
What did we learn from all this? The importance of careful planning, professionalism, attention to detail, prioritisation, and recognising people for outstanding contributions.
What are your department’s top priorities in the last months before the general election?
Our priorities in the run-up to the election will remain as before: working in London and across the world to promote the security and prosperity of the UK, and to provide first class consular service to British people. Many of the issues I have mentioned will stay high on the agenda.
Like other departments, we are beginning preparations for the election and the next period of government, making sure we are ready to serve the next government effectively from day one. Thinking about the major challenges in foreign policy over the next five years. Considering the models that will deliver the best results across Whitehall in international policy and diplomacy.
What’s your favourite Christmas treat? And what makes you say: ‘Bah, humbug!’?
My favourite Christmas treat is to go with the family to the panto at the Hackney Empire. This year it’s Mother Goose. I strongly recommend it.