Diplomatic training is key if you want to be influential in international relations. That is why most countries have a diplomatic academy that offers the skills and knowledge a diplomat needs to be successful. But where do you begin if you are off to a good start, but are not sure how to take it to the next level?

Capacity building mission

From 10 to 12 November Foppe Wiersma, former Training & Research Fellow at the Clingendael Academy, travelled to Podgorica on a capacity building mission to the Diplomatic Academy of Montenegro.

He provided a one-day training on presentation skills and on how to be an effective influencer. Together with the director of the academy and her staff he also carried out an extensive SWOT-analysis of the Diplomatic Academy of Montenegro on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Intense but rewarding

Doing such an analysis is always an intense, but in the end rewarding process. After an extensive brainstorm on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the academy, the most prominent amongst them were identified. Then the question was raised: How can we connect these ideas?

For instance, how can we use our strengths (e.g. an eager and loyal staff) to make use of the opportunities we have identified (e.g. making use of existing international expertise at the ministry)?

From paper to practice

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"4758","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"295","style":"width: 350px; height: 215px; float: right;","width":"480"}}]]The final step was to translate the answers to the strategy-questions to concrete actions. The result? A clear perspective by all involved on the priorities for the (near) future and a comprehensive action plan covering key aspects of building a diplomatic academy: How will we increase our network? How can we further develop our training activities? How will we spread the word about the ambition of the academy? How do we increase the capacities of our staff?

For each element of the plan a clear time path was worked out, as well as who would be the one carrying it out and what results it should yield. In short, in just 1,5 days 100s of ideas and possibilities were reduced to a comprehensive plan of action.

More capacity building

The Diplomatic Academy of Montenegro is not the first diplomatic academy with whom Clingendael experts have worked on increasing their capacity, setting priorities and drafting concrete action plans. If you would like to know more about our work, visit our page on capacity building.

20 November 2014