Foreign Policy Goals in IVLP Projects

Transcription

1 Foreign Policy Goals in IVLP Projects S E S S I O N F O R O I V P R O G R A M P R O F E S S I O N A L S F A C I L I T A T O R S : W E N D Y B A R T O N, R Y A N M A T H E N Y A N D V A L E R I E W H E A T J U L Y

2 Purpose This session: Provides guidance to OIV programming professionals on designing IVLP projects that reflect and address U.S. foreign policy goals and priorities; Demonstrates how to articulate those goals to our partners and audiences

3 This session will help you: Plan project themes for the next fiscal year based on U.S. foreign policy priorities; Draft project abstracts/blurbs and concept papers which address relevant foreign policy priorities; Communicate to the NPA what the foreign policy justifications for the project are.

4 Who benefits from this session? The audience for this session is anyone in OIV who works IVLP projects in programming, coordinating, and/or communicating capacities. These training materials are for internal OIV reference and skill development

5 Why do NPAs need to understand policy goals? Communicating the State Department s goals to the NPA establishes the collaborative design of the project. The NPA s ability to articulate U.S. policy goals to gatekeepers is important in building Federal agencies understanding of why it s worth their time to meet with IVLP participants and enables them to justify this use of resources to their leadership.

6 WHY? Department Mission Statement Shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere.

7 WHY? Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (R) Mission Statement : The mission of American public diplomacy is to support the achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advance national interests, and enhance national security by informing and influencing foreign publics and by expanding and strengthening the relationship between the people and Government of the United States and citizens of the rest of the world.

8 But what about Mutual Understanding? Fostering Mutual Understanding builds the foundation for the achievement of U.S. priorities around the world by: Establishing an understanding of our values. Developing the conditions for foreign populations to view the United States, our actions, and our motivations with open minds. Ultimately creating a willingness to hear and consider the U.S. position, hopefully to defend it, and ideally to advocate for it.

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10 Where do I look for current U.S. policy? White House State Department (public site) State Department internal site

11 Where do I look for region-specific policy?

12 Geographic Policy Documents State/USAID Joint Regional Strategies Integrated Country Strategies (formerly known as Mission Strategic Plans etc. ---specific to each post): _Documents_for_Current_Budget_Year_(FY_2016)#EAST_ASIA _.26_PACIFIC_.28EAP.29 Project teams also obtain foreign policy priorities from post-specific documents submitted when requesting a project. The is particularly true for VolVis projects, which always have short lead times, but also happens for RP programs also and any new initiative. Post should have opportunities to provide because there may be new/changing circumstances in the country/region.

13 Internal PE guidance on goals In addition to doing your own research and asking Missions to clarify their goals, bookmark the ECA/PE reference: FP Goals. Also consider timely or hot topics in ECA and how these intersect or overlap with broader policy goals for your project. (E.G. youth, women disabilities, etc.)

14 Incorporating Foreign Policy Goals into IVLP Project Planning Branches determine project themes for the next fiscal year based on regional and ECA goals POs draft project abstracts/blurbs POs draft concept papers PO communicates to the NPA PO the overarching foreign policy goals to be addressed by the project (why are we doing this project?) EVDBE categories need to be updated (this is being looked into---but shouldn t impact PO planning.)

15 Why is educating the NPA on foreign policy priorities so important? Sharing these priorities with the NPA: Adds value that only the DOS project team can provide in an up-to-date capacity; Enables the NPA to share and understand the vision for the project; Elicits a more focused presentation and an engaging interaction with the visitors; Assists the NPA in drafting more cogent social media plans Assures that the meetings set up by the NPA are in line with the FP goals.

16 Applying this strategy: Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Multi-Regional Project Promoting economic and social entrepreneurship globally is a vital element of the U.S. Government s foreign economic and development policy a policy that fosters economic growth, creates jobs, promotes civil society and provides new economic opportunities. To advance that policy, this project will highlight the social, economic and political factors that encourage the development of private enterprise and small or medium-sized businesses in the United States. The project will cover examples of new and growing businesses and will focus on the explosion of business opportunities created by the Internet, social media and the expansion of the global marketplace. Participants will explore the important role of small business in driving local economic development and examine U.S. efforts to promote small business development and innovation, both domestically and internationally Climate Change and Renewable Energy Multi Regional Project The U.S. Government s three-part Climate Action Plan calls for reducing carbon pollution; preparing the United States for the impacts of climate change; and leading international efforts to address global climate change. The Plan advances practical, on-the-ground solutions worldwide and helps countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resiliency to climate change impacts. In support of this policy imperative, this project will examine myriad issues surrounding climate change, including the development of renewable energy resources and technologies. Participants will explore how U.S. federal energy policy is shaped, familiarizing them with the players involved, including private industry, non-profit organizations, and state and local governments.

17 As a result of keeping foreign policy priorities present: OIV projects articulate U.S. foreign policy goals more clearly; Our partners are better informed and able to implement better projects and outreach; Our work stays current and is in line with events and policy nuances that are changing to reflect changing circumstances in countries and regions; Our work is more engaging; The participants receive fresh, vibrant projects that address critical issues of the day.