FCO Fellowship - Gregory Messenger
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Law
Abstract
This call is limited to the FCO and designed to meet the distinct needs of the Diplomatic Service, which differ from many parts of the Home Civil Service. The FCO requires security vetting, the highest levels of discretion and confidentiality and agile, subject-specific advice. The FCO has an almost limitless demand for expert specialist knowledge of foreign countries, international institutions and global policy challenges.
This call will provide the opportunity for each intake of fellows to be seconded into the FCO to work alongside, advise and influence policymakers. Fellows will bring fresh thinking, depth and breadth of expert knowledge and apply their learning to policy challenges. This is not a call to support research projects about the FCO. It will build new capacity in the FCO and across the UK research base.
Fellows will report to a line manager either from the RA Cadre or the generalist body of the FCO. Additional support and mentoring will be provided by both senior Generalists (Directors; Ambassadors; Heads of Department; Deputy Heads) and by senior Research Analysts. Work-planning, as for permanent Research Analysts, will be a mixture of demand and self-tasking based on evolving FCO needs. An indicative list of tasks include: writing papers and shorter notes, oral briefings for senior officials and ministers, meeting external and cross-Whitehall partners, research visits overseas as well as organising and running masterclasses.
The individual fellows will acquire:
a) A deep, broad and practical understanding of foreign policy-making and Government work which will underpin their own research, research supervision and teaching over their careers;
b) Networks of trusted connections across Government and internationally on which they can draw throughout their career;
c) Opportunities for career development.
This call will provide the opportunity for each intake of fellows to be seconded into the FCO to work alongside, advise and influence policymakers. Fellows will bring fresh thinking, depth and breadth of expert knowledge and apply their learning to policy challenges. This is not a call to support research projects about the FCO. It will build new capacity in the FCO and across the UK research base.
Fellows will report to a line manager either from the RA Cadre or the generalist body of the FCO. Additional support and mentoring will be provided by both senior Generalists (Directors; Ambassadors; Heads of Department; Deputy Heads) and by senior Research Analysts. Work-planning, as for permanent Research Analysts, will be a mixture of demand and self-tasking based on evolving FCO needs. An indicative list of tasks include: writing papers and shorter notes, oral briefings for senior officials and ministers, meeting external and cross-Whitehall partners, research visits overseas as well as organising and running masterclasses.
The individual fellows will acquire:
a) A deep, broad and practical understanding of foreign policy-making and Government work which will underpin their own research, research supervision and teaching over their careers;
b) Networks of trusted connections across Government and internationally on which they can draw throughout their career;
c) Opportunities for career development.
Planned Impact
The main benefit anticipated from this call for the FCO will be more robust and better- informed foreign policy. The fellowship call will over time create a small group of highly- trained, specialised and policy-aware academics that will act as a resource on which policymakers can continue to draw long after the formal fellowship is completed. They will also, in the normal course of events, download their understanding of the FCO policymaking environment to students, cascading knowledge to others who may themselves in due course be channels for knowledge exchange.
| Description | This award related to a part-time secondment to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office where I worked on issues relating to trade policy. It offered a unique opportunity to learn about - and participate in - the workings of government, the policy-development process, and the relationship between government policy-development and academia. It has also enabled the creation of networks of expertise that bridge academia and policy. |
| Exploitation Route | For government and academia to build on the design of the fellowship to continue to provide opportunities for knowledge exchange between the two. The principal public facing outcome has been the co-founding of the Trade & Public Policy (TaPP) Network. Funding for this website and the work to build the network came (in part) from the underspend from this fellowship (a result of covid and a lack of commuting costs). The website is available here: https://tappnetwork.org This is now the largest network of academics working on UK trade policy, allowing academics and policy makers working on trade policy to connect more easily and build their own projects. We are considering how to expand the network and enhance collaborations between policy makers and academics, as well as between academics themselves. |
| Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy,Other |
| Description | My work at the FCDO has contributed to capability building in government on topics within my area of expertise, as well as supporting the development and implementation of policies in government. I have also actively supported links between officials and other academics working in my area of expertise. |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | RA |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | Contributing detailed analysis within my areas of expertise to inform the decision-making process within Whitehall as appropriate. |
| Description | TF |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Involved in the design and delivery of large training programme to civil servants across different departments within Whitehall and UK network of overseas posts. |
| Description | FCO |
| Organisation | Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | As part of the fellowship, I provide analysis, contribute to policy work, and training taking place within the FCO. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The FCO provides me with the resources to support my work during the fellowship, a supportive environment to ensure that I am fully integrated into my role, and an opportunity-rich environment within which I can contribute my expertise to the work of the department. Though the fellowship has since ended, I have continued to work with the FCDO on matters of trade policy, supporting the longevity and sustainability of the partnership. |
| Impact | Outputs are not to be made publicly available. |
| Start Year | 2018 |