[Withdrawn] Foreign and Commonwealth Office single departmental plan: December 2017
Updated 27 June 2019
© Crown copyright 2019
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-and-commonwealth-office-single-departmental-plan/foreign-and-commonwealth-office-single-departmental-plan
This publication was withdrawn on 23 May 2018
It has been replaced by a new version
Our single departmental plan sets out our objectives and how we will achieve them.
Foreign Secretary
Permanent Under Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service
Local Knowledge, National Interest, Global Britain
Our vision is to build a truly Global Britain, outward-looking and confident on the world stage. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is central to delivering a successful Global Britain. We hold fast to a vision of a Global Britain that is respected abroad, tolerant at home, engaged in the world and working with our international partners to advance the prosperity and security of our nation for generations to come.
Our objectives
We will:
- Protect our people
- Project our global influence
- Promote our prosperity
- Manage our business
1. Protect our people
Lead officials
Philip Barton, Director General, Consular and Security
Lewis Neal, Director National Security
Julia Longbottom, Director Consular Services
1.1 Safeguard our national security by countering terrorism, extremism, weapons proliferation, and other state and non-state threats in co-operation with allies and partners
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Reduce threats to the UK and its interests overseas from Daesh, extremism & terrorism |
| Limit the impact of cyber threats to the UK and our interests overseas, including from hostile state activity |
| Constrain weapons proliferation |
1.2 Assist British people living, travelling and working around the world when they are most in need
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Provide high quality, accessible consular services provided globally, focused on those most in need. Respond rapidly to all overseas crises, leading cross-government action |
| Reduce preventable incidents affecting British people overseas through collaboration with partners and governments |
2. Project our global influence
Lead officials
Karen Pierce CMG, Director General, Political
Angus Lapsley, Director for Defence, International Security and South East Europe
Paul Williams, Multilateral Policy Director
2.1 Strengthen Euro-Atlantic Security
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Ensure a strengthened, more cohesive NATO through UK leadership based on a close transatlantic relationship and increased defence contributions from European Allies |
| Shape an effective Western response to Russian security challenges, based on deterrence and effective dialogue |
| Build a more resilient European neighbourhood. Maintaining western support for a sovereign, stable Ukraine. Countering Russian interference in the Western Balkans |
2.2 Project our influence to reduce conflict and create stability
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Promote human rights, good governance and the rule of law; reducing conflict, modern slavery and irregular migration |
| Strengthen the rules based international system, including more credible UN action to resolve conflict, by working with the new UN Secretary General and effective use of UN Security Council membership |
3. Promote our prosperity
Lead officials
Deborah Bronnert CMG, Director General, Economic and Global Issues
Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby, Director General, EU Exit
3.1 Promote our partnership with Europe and deliver a deep and special partnership with a strong European Union that contributes to the prosperity, security and global power of our continent
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Bolster bilateral relationships and people to people links with European partners |
| Support DExEU to achieve negotiating objectives for exit. Make preparations for a future outside the EU |
| Advance British national interests on foreign, security and defence policy within the EU |
3.2 Work around the world to strengthen our prosperity
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Showcase global leadership of free trade; develop and deliver the UK’s trade policy; Increase UK influence in the World Trade Organisation; deepen dialogues with future Free Trade Agreement partners |
| Achieve, with DIT, UK government targets to support UK companies to export and to bring in foreign direct investment |
| Promote economic development, sustainable growth and better business environments in key markets by utilising overseas posts and programme funds |
4. Manage our business
Lead officials
Peter Jones, Chief Operating Officer
4.1 Develop a more expert and agile FCO supported by a world class platform through Diplomacy 20:20
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Deliver a new organisational structure for the FCO aligning resources with policy priorities |
| A new Local Staff Charter that sets out a clear and consistent offer to our local staff |
| Deliver a digitally enabled department, transforming services and business processes |
How we manage our performance
The FCO is committed to measuring progress against our objectives.
Our priority objectives (1.1,1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2 above) are selected to deliver the Government’s manifesto and Strategic Defence and Security Review commitments and reflect the FCO Board’s key areas of focus for in-depth reporting. A senior official is accountable for each priority objective.
The FCO Board oversees quarterly impact monitoring of our priority objectives, recording significant contributions that the FCO makes towards achieving wider foreign policy objectives. Impact is rated according to whether the action was ‘strategic’ or ‘tactical’ and whether the FCO’s contribution was ‘vital’ or ‘significant’.
We produce biannual reviews of our business plans, with our senior officials providing both a written update and a rating of progress towards annual and four-year goals.
Our finances
Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) – £2.3 billion
Resource DEL (including depreciation) – £2.1 billion
Capital DEL – £134 million
Annually Managed Expenditure – £100 million
Control totals included in this document are in line with the latest voted by Parliament in the Main Supply Estimates 2017 to 18