Simon Fraser
Permanent Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Which events or policies have dominated your attention during 2012?
The biggest event last year was the Olympics. We organised about 120 visits to the UK by foreign heads of state. That’s never been done before. Our posts around the world were massively involved in the ‘GREAT’ campaign, which led up to the Olympics. And all that came after the Diamond Jubilee. So 2012 was a huge year for projecting Britain to the world.
Outside that, our top priority has been supporting the economy through commercial diplomacy. That included helping UKTI bring 3000 business leaders to the Olympics British Business Embassy. In foreign policy, Europe and the Eurozone has been front and centre. We have grappled with tragedy in Syria, diplomacy on Iran’s nuclear programme, the aftermath of the Arab uprising and rebuilding Libya.
We have delivered specific British achievements too: leading on Somalia and cyber security; focusing on the Falklands in the 30th anniversary of the war; supporting change in Burma and peace in the Philippines; launching an initiative to prevent sexual violence in conflict. It has been a good year for British diplomacy.
How have the shape and capabilities of your department changed during 2012?
Despite a lower budget, we are expanding our diplomatic presence in the world. We are on course to open 20 new posts by 2015. We are sending 300 more frontline staff to more than 22 emerging countries, from Kyrgyzstan to Madagascar and, above all, to India and China. We are funding this through savings in our workforce structure, our T&Cs and our corporate services. Our ‘Diplomatic Excellence’ programme is about strengthening our policy making, our people management and our global network. Our capability lies in our people, and they are great; that includes the two thirds of our staff who are employed locally in countries around the world.
Which aspects of the Civil Service Reform Plan are most important to improving the capabilities and operations of your department?
Our objective is to be the best diplomatic service in the world. The themes of the Civil Service Reform Plan closely match the course we have set through Diplomatic Excellence. We want to be big-thinking, bold, more focused, more open, less hierarchical, pacier, and more joined up with ourselves and others. We are working with the Cabinet Office on shared services and transactional processing. We are thinking hard about shared policy services and how the FCO can serve the whole of HMG.
What are the main challenges facing your department in 2013?
It’s still the economy. Our diplomacy needs to support UK economic recovery. Diplomats need to have an economic understanding of the drivers of foreign policy and support commercial objectives. I expect big foreign policy challenges in Europe and the Middle East. It would be great to get a powerful new initiative in the Middle East peace process. In foreign policy you always need to be ready for the unexpected: conflict, natural disasters, consular crises. Iran is a worry. I learnt in 2011 how crises can all come at once. On the corporate side, we will focus on improving our IT and the diversity of our UK workforce.
Tell your colleagues a good Christmas joke
How did Good King Wenceslas like his pizza?
Deep pan, crisp and even.