The challenge of professionalism

G.K. Ananda Kumarasiri

In dealing with the international community which has revolutionised the whole character of inter-state relations in recent decades, the diplomat treads an area where professionalism and training have become so obviously essential.

Despite years of sovereign independence, many developing countries continue to remain nonchalant, or having in fact moved away, from ensuring professionalism in international relations.

This has resulted in gaps and lapses in the competence and performance of their respective governments in safeguarding and promoting the country’s interests in the international arena.

Sri Lanka, a small, developing country, is a good example of the serious plight it suffered in the international arena over the past several decades as a result of succeeding Governments’ disregard for professionalism and the downgrading of its career diplomatic service.

Third World challenge

Developing nations are the very ones which have to depend on diplomacy and efficient management of their foreign affairs to ensure their survival. It is an irony of sorts that Third World countries which are in great need of effective and efficient conduct of diplomacy and foreign affairs, yet paradoxically, deny themselves the benefits of professional training in these fields.

In a number of cases, the sheer lack of resources renders it difficult to afford extensive professional training.

A number of developed countries too are guilty of similar neglect. A notable case is the United States, where a acrimonious debate has been raging for several decades on the merits and demerits of having professionals as opposed to amateurs or non-career, political appointees to accomplish the professional tasks. Admittedly, the practice of appointing persons who are not career diplomats to ambassadorial positions is resorted to by a number of governments.

Not surprisingly, the progressive encroachment of non-career political appointees into the ranks of the professionals has led to a deepening sense of frustration in their individual foreign services.

British approach to professional training

Two approaches to professional training based essentially on the British and French foreign services merit examination. The British approach relies on gauging the potential capabilities of newly recruited diplomatic officers and grooming them in professional responsibilities and work skills while carrying out their tasks.

This method of “training by doing”, or what is known in training technology as “on-the-job-training”, is based on the medieval concept of training an uninitiated apprentice under the expert guidance and experience of a master craftsman.

It has been an entrenched tradition of the British Foreign Service first to size up the “cream of high intelligence”, accept them into the fold and to then train them in the art and craft of diplomacy.

The thrust is to put new recruits to work as speedily as possible. However, it is not a “sink or swim” formula. In times of difficulty, superiors are there to lend professional assistance and guidance.

Observation

Formal training starts with the diplomat’s very first assignment and covers practice in writing memos and other diplomatic formats.

It is for the immediate superior to treat the drafts seriously in order to generate pride in authorship. The novice diplomats are also called upon to give their views on certain matters currently under consideration. They are also expected to progressively widen their knowledge and work skills through personal study and observation of the performance of their more experienced superiors.

Certain inherent drawbacks are apparent in the learning-by-doing training method. Its effectiveness depends almost exclusively on the extend and quality of professional guidance provided by the supervising officers whose training capability and capacity vary considerably.

Most superiors are so engrossed in their own work that they hardly have time to supervise and train junior officers. Another limitation is that thought the senior diplomats may be experts in their jobs, they are not necessarily skilled in imparting the professional skills and providing guidance to junior officers.

Also, superiors tend to differ in the degree of commitment to their responsibility to train subordinates.

In view of these cogent factors, a greater attention began to be given to formal training. New entrants into the Foreign Service now follow a “familiarization” training program on British diplomacy, the various departments of the Foreign Office and on major aspects and issues of international affairs, before being assigned their jobs.

In addition they attend short courses at various stages of their careers. Specialised Training, such as immersion programs in commerce, is reinforced with an attachment to relevant operating ministry or agency.

Other major components of training include (a) vocational or functional training for specific areas of work, like information, economic affairs, administration and consular work; (b) career development training, such as the general civil service courses, sabbaticals and (c) foreign language training.

French method of formal training

The French approach focuses on formal training, especially of newly recruited officers, in the Cole National of Administration (CNA) - a long-established training institution for French civil servants and diplomats. Selection into the French Public Service is a highly competitive process.

Professional training is intensive and involves rigorous formal instruction lasting 29 months, in an institutional setting. From the time of admission, trainees are salaried public officials who are expected to observe service rules, regulations and procedures. Posting is largely decided on an order of merit, based on performance throughout the training. The first-rank cadet officers are normally posed to the powerful Treasury while the next best aspirants are absorbed into the Foreign Ministry.

International affairs

The formal training encompasses aspects of government and administration, public management and international affairs. The first year is spent in the prefectures and local offices of the central public agencies and consists largely of practical training. Assignments include the submission of reports and other tests which are evaluated and graded.

The rest of the training is conducted at the ENA where instructional guidance takes place in tutorial groups on subjects such as economics, international relations, administrative matters, national affairs, business management, modern history and European Affairs.

Foreign language instruction forms an important component of the training. A stage (attachment) program provides trainees the opportunity to work in French embassies and in neighbouring European administrations.

Professional training adopted by other countries, by and large, is a variant of either the British or French approach. Entrants into the German Foreign Service, for example, undergo compulsory training for two years, spent alternatively in the country and its diplomatic missions abroad. Like their French counterparts, the trainees are salaried officers.