Using the web more imaginatively

digital diplomacy using the web to solve foreign policy problems 1

Using the web more imaginatively

What do we mean by using the web?We mean that we can use the web to solve problems. Specifically, we can use the web to work more fluidly with those outside the FCO to tackle complex foreign policy problems.

In other words, digital diplomacy is not about making fancier websites, or opening virtual embassies in Second Life. It is about using the web to find and collate the information we need; share it with those outside; and then work collaboratively with small groups of stakeholders who can help us implement actionable policy recommendations.

different visionsHow should we approach digital diplomacy? There are those who:

• think that using the web is about creating better content on our website, and allowing the public to ‘have their say’ on it;

• want to use the web to intuitively sift information relevant to their policy area;

• see digital diplomacy as creating one-stop-shop websites for all our transactions with the public;

• want our web strategy to be about getting onto other web sites and forums –where our policy audience is;

• believe that digital diplomacy is about the FCO collaborating with a select group of outside stakeholders on our own web forums.

In practice, digital diplomacy is all of these things.

Better interactive content on

FCO website

Post website

Post website

Post website

Foreign policy site

Relevant external forum

Key external

stakeholder

External stakeholder

External stakeholder

Productive online collaboration with

stakeholders

Authoritative contributions on

other sites

‘One-stop-shop’ for customers on country websites

More intuitive sifting of

information


Alternative strategies for Digital Diplomacy

Static info boothsFCO websites provide static information for (mainly) the British public; topical info kept updated

Multimedia info boothsAll FCO website content is up-to-date, easy to share, includes multimedia, and is aimed at multiple global audiences

Interactive info boothsAll FCO websites also allow online public comment and suggestions throughout, moderated by FCO comms officers. But FCO policy process untouched

Coordination network

FCO uses its own websites – and gets involved in the websites of other foreign policy stakeholders – to coordinate action. As a result we increase the impact of our existing activity

Collaboration hub

FCO collaborates online with stakeholders at every stage in the policy cycle. We complement traditional forms of engagement by using the web to work with those outside London to better analyse situations; devise and implement more innovative policy options; and then evaluate what we have done togetherOld FCO and

post websites

FCO main site; No10’s website

Canada’s e-policy discussions

NGO campaign websites

No-one has tried to do this, yet

Our strategy is to use the web to deliver better foreign policy not just change the way the public perceives the foreign office

we were

here in 2007 Public get all

info they need and a better perception of FCO

Stakeholders use FCO web presence to coordinate their action in support of FCO objectives

Public get basic info

digital diplomacy

Outcomes

Description of type of digital diplomacy strategy

Examples

Global public get - and share –multimedia info

Our stakeholders collaborate with us online to create and deliver more innovative policy outcomes, as well as coordinating action

we are here in 2008

we want to be

here in 2010


Using the web at every stage in the Policy cycle

3. Deliver

2. Make

1. Analyse

4. Review

1. Analyse: Find out what others are doing in a way that doesn’t clog up your email inbox. See page 4 for a case study.

2. Make policy: Consult selected stakeholders to test ideas and get new ones. Consult while our thinking is still work-in-progress, without the hassle of setting up frequent meetings (although there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings to complement online engagement). See page 5 for a case study

3. Deliver policy: Use the FCO web platform, and get involved in other organisations’ websites, to coordinate our campaigns with what others are doing. See page 6 for a case study.

4. Review policy: Using the web is cheap. Try out policy ideas and delivery mechanisms quickly to see what works best. And change it very quickly if it doesn’t. See page 7 for a case study.

The policy cycle


What can using the Web give us that email cannot?

1. Analyse. We know what all our relevant stakeholders are doing, and our analysis is better, because we receive their RSS updates. And our blog search tool tells us what they think about FCO policy. Over time we subscribe only to updates that are useful. Our email load is therefore less.

2. Make policy. We uncover new policy ideas to put to ministers because we invite comment on work-in-progress from stakeholders outside of government. Those invited can comment on what others are saying online (no strings of unrelated emails). Our policy recommendations are better considered too because our stakeholders comment early, without the hassle of us having to arrange frequent meetings.3. Deliver policy. Our face-to-face meetings with stakeholders are more focused. We have used the web to keep everyone updated, and have asked certain stakeholders to collaborate online with us on policy ideas. Therefore those stakeholders can already see how to align their own work before we have a face-to-face meeting with them to discuss how best to coordinate delivery.

4. Review policy. We can use the web to track the impact of our policy and collaborate quickly on new ideas online with those who want to work with us.

2. Make policy: Most of the time we submit one practical option to Ministers, and then keep what we are doing to ourselves: it’s sensitive, after all. Our communications strategy – if any - kicks in once the policy is decided.

3. Deliver policy: Nothing useful comes out of ‘stakeholder meetings’ for us, but we think our stakeholders appreciate being updated on what we are going to do.

4. Review policy: What is policy evaluation?

We use email in our policy work in London

We collaborate with our stakeholders online

1. Analyse: We know what our usual stakeholders are doing in our policy area because every now and again they come to London to update us; at other times they send us emails.

Revie

wD

eliv

er

we are

here in

2008

we want to be

here in 2010

Make

An

aly

se

digital diplomacy using the web to solve foreign policy problems 5What we can do research sites that are commenting on our work, and sign up to their blogs and newsfeeds

iGoogle is your Google homepage, but with added functions. It will be accessible from F3G. On one page you can see the latest news and blog posts from any organisation or individual you subscribe to. You don’t need to go to their websites (or wait for an email). It will even give you the time in New York, London and New Delhi. It takes 10min to set up (ask eMedia Team) and saves you flicking between websites each morning.

We can use web tools to research policy options

1. AnalyseTool iGoogle

You need to present policy options on how to take forward a specific part of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). Your iGoogle dashboard (right) has kept you updated on the latest thinking on conflict intervention over the past few months. It has taken a while to filter the many feeds down to those you now subscribe to. But you now have easy access to an automated record of all the relevant news releases, blogs and forums from the UN, International Crisis Group, Stabilisation Unit and the NGOs you have found that are doing interesting work.

And your online policy forum – involving trusted stakeholders both inside and outside Government with whom you have frequent contact - has uploaded relevant documents onto your section on the FCO website. You try to meet them every quarter to discuss how you can collaborate better, and then follow up online without the email strings.

All the information, and a range of new ideas, is already there. You need to use your judgement to assess what to focus on, and put it together in a coherent form for ministers.

Case Study Conflict


We can work with others virtually to make policy

2.Make

The FCO needs a new approach to how we can increase the pool of credible candidates going for important UN leadership positions. Ministers want better coordination x-HMG; deeper engagement with non-Govt stakeholders; and they want innovative ideas from those the FCO doesn’t usually consult.

You have already updated your web content on the FCO site, and this has generated some useful feedback. But you now need to focus the comments. You ask your HMG colleagues, Posts, and most trusted stakeholders to collaborate on drafting a shared leadership reform strategy, using an online wiki (see left). And you set up a online forum (see right) on the FCO site – positioned by think pieces you and your stakeholders contribute; with links to alternative views. You ask some specific questions, and ask for opinions. Within a month you have a shared strategy across government; a clear idea of where other countries stand, at least in public; and some innovative, albeit contrasting, ideas about how to take policy forward.

Case Study Institutions UN Reform

A wiki is a document stored online that can be edited simultaneously by all those who have access to it (think shared area, but without lock outs). All the info is kept in one place, and updated in real time. Wikis eliminate cascades of email; takes away the risk of people working on multiple versions of track-change documents; and facilitates involvement of those outside the FCO. Wikis come into their own when managing crises. A well known free wiki is google docs.

Tool Wikis Online policy forums are time-bound, and set up in order to solve a specific problem. They contain discussion threads, relevant documents, and shared working spaces.

They are open only to those stakeholders you want to work with. Chose stakeholders to invite who have an interest in the solution, and a particular expertise to contribute.

Pubic discussion forums about a general issue never achieve anything. Their only value is PR.

Tool Forums

What we can do update your web content to include work-in-progress. Set up online forums for each new policy project. Seek comments so that our submissions reflect new thinking


We can consider partnering with any site, assuming the reputational risk is manageable. We should consider both subject specific sites (eg Greenpeace) and networking/portal sites (eg You Tube/bbc.co.uk).

The web enables us to partner to deliver policy

3. Deliver

India is hosting a global conference on climate change and the UK is going to be well represented. The FCO is coordinating HMG’s involvement. You have been asked to build public momentum behind the UK’s ideas for progress. You have already engaged most of the big NGOs, and partners x-HMG during the policy making stage. Most are keen to deliver a common agenda.

The FCO has the resources and facilitation skills to coordinate the campaigning across dozens of websites, and on-and offline communities. You do this by positioning the FCO website as the hub and a repository for everyone’s work. You work with eMedia Team to ensure that the information is accessible – it needs to be used by partners for their own campaigns. And you have a x-HMG team updating the website so that the media, OGDs, other governments, and non-Govt actors can all visit the FCO website for strategic guidance for their own complementary campaigns.

You coordinate public action by setting up a real-time unclassified wiki, hosted on the FCO site, but password protected to avoid casual sabotage. And your daily campaign blog prompts new ideas from stakeholders inside and outside the UK, which satisfies Ministers’ need for ‘real’ consultation with the public, even on complex issues. The sharing of resources enables fewer turf battles, and easier teamworking. It’s not necessary to be in the office to do a full day’s work. In fact, most of the work in the last week was done on a laptop in New Delhi’s airport.

Case Study Low Carbon, High Growth Economy Tool Partner sites

What we can do Which sites would make good partners? Form virtual groups to allow deeper discussion of policy ideas

If we deliver policy with others we multiply our impact. Traditionally we delivered policy jointly with other governments. But now we are delivering policy jointly with NGOs, individuals, and faith groups. Many of them are online – particularly those organisations who campaign. We can’t expect them to come to us. We need to go to their own sites, and the networking sites where they have a presence.


The web helps us review policy fast

4. Review

We need to counter the messages from Al Qaida (AQ). We need to keep challenging our assumptions about why people become radicalised. We need to provide alternative views to cast doubt in the minds of those who see radicalisation as the only way.

Those who might be radicalised are unlikely to visit the FCO website. We need to test our messages on other websites (like Al Jazeera, below); in Arabic, Urdu, and Farsi; and in real time. We can do this by using native speakers to blog on sites that influence those who might support the radicalisation agenda. We can put forward UK policy, and feedback the responses to those who are setting our counter-radicalisation policy. Instead of poring over long drafts we can test language in real time, and quickly discover which arguments carry more weight.

Case Study Counter Terrorism

A Blog is an online diary. It is public, and encourages comments (usually moderated). Some blogs have a very wide readership.

The Cabinet Office is about to publish a Code of Conduct on civil servants and blogging. They will encourage civil servants to comment on relevant blogsites as long as the have permission from their Head of Department and say who they are representing. Where possible civil servants should use their own names.

The FCO’s own blogging platform has an excellent reputation. Email eMedia Team if you want to blog.

Tool Blogging

What we can do Set up our own blog to seek ideas on a specific part of your work (don’t do a general diary; it’s boring)

Comment on relevant non-FCO blogs and forums (ask Head of Group first), linking to our own work online.


Digital Diplomacy in practice

So, in practice?The single most effective way of using the web to do our work better is to set up our policy projects on FCO-owned web forums. Invite stakeholders - inside and outside the office - to contribute to refining objectives; upload relevant information together in one place; and then work on a policy solution together using online collaborative working tools such as discussion threads and wikis.

Much of our work could benefit from this, with classified information being taken into account offline and during the time of submission.

How much extra work?Using the web can save us time and effort. But it won’t save us time unless we change the way we work.

1. set up online forums to manage who is doing what, rather than sending (and ploughing through) strings of unconnected emails.

2. involve non-FCO experts early in the policy process, so we can decide together who does what, rather than trying to persuade them to support us after we have decided what to do.

3. share our unclassified information on our (and others’) websites, rather than locking it up in Firecrest or on FCOnet.

Using the web more imaginatively

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