You now have your assigned role in the Embassy Country Team and the Ambassador wants to know how you and your section can help pursue U.S. interests that are important in Germany.
Your section includes three American Foreign Service Officers and three German experts in the area (Locally Employed Staff), so your plan can include how you would manage and organize them to assist you with the priority goals.
Draw on the interviews with Professor Bierling and Ambassador Bindenagel in this Module, articles and other sources provided in the earlier modules (Ambassador Michael Polt), and your own sources that help you develop your plan.
Instructions
Identify and explain how you will work to support priority U.S. goals in your Country Team role with the German Government, opinion leaders, stakeholders, the Germany media and the German people.
Write a one page (maximum) briefing memo for Ambassador O'Donnell identifying:
- the priority goals you have chosen
- the stakeholders and Government offices you will work with
- areas where we can cooperate
- any differences of opinion or disagreement that you may have to be overcome
I would like to see at least two sources from the information provided in this course and also at least one source that you have developed in your research.
Examples:
Political Officers could write about how we get more support and develop bilateral programs to discuss discrimination and violations of human rights in Iran and/or China. This could be seminars in selected German cities, at universities, think tanks or interviews with the German press.
Economic Officers could write about how the U.S. embassy increases U.S. exports to Germany in one or two specific products and services where we have a comparative advantage.
The Defense Attache can analyze how the U.S. encourages Germany to accelerate delivery of weapons systems to Ukraine.
Public Affairs Officers can describe a program to improve German understanding of U.S. people and our society, our system of Government. This could be exchange programs between specific groups of Americans and Germans, conferences in Germany or seminars or social media posts.
Requirements
- Use the provided memo format.
- Evidence of four sources may be linked in your memo.
- Maximum one page in length.
Be creative!!!
Date
BRIEFING MEMORANDUM
TO: President Biden or Ambassador O'Donnell (final memo to President Biden - other assignments to Ambassador O'Donnell)
FROM: (your name)
SUBJECT: (assignment name)
______________________________________________________________________________
Summary: (2-3 short sentences of the issue and your recommendation if appropriate)
Issue: (State the assigned issue, question or prompt)
Background: (Short, concise description of the major issues and facts, events that are relevant)
Discussion: (If there are various views on what options to US has and what US policy should be, state that with pros and cons of each option and what reaction would be in Germany, among our allies and in the United States among stakeholders, politicians, business community, policy based NGOs, etc. What are chances of success and what are longer term implications.)
Recommendation: (What is your bottom line proposal on what US policy and programs/actions should be and how should your ideas be implemented?)