VZCZCXRO9789
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0668/01 0741522
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151522Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4586
RUEHFSI/DIR FSINFATC
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAKAR 000668 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA, AF, AF/PDPA, AF/RSA AND AF/EX 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO AFSA 
FSI FOR DIRECTOR WHITESIDE, LMS, SLS AND SPAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CMGT APER CASC CVIS KPAO PHUM PTER SG
SUBJECT: THE CONSULAR ROLE IN TRANSFORMATIONAL DIPLOMACY 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  This year Embassy Dakar devoted our Consular 
Leadership Day (CLD) to exploring the consular section's 
role in transformational diplomacy.  Drawing on input from 
several American citizen wardens, staff from the Public 
Affairs Section (PAS), CA's PDAS, Charge and, most 
importantly, the consular section's staff, we concluded 
that consular employees play an central role in 
transformational diplomacy.  We identified several areas 
in which the consular role is most important -- modeling 
democratic values, providing and highlighting the 
provision of citizen services, promoting mutual 
understanding, and combating terrorism, especially through 
the visas viper process.  We discussed what additional 
training consular employees need in order to be more 
effective, focusing on public speaking, "beyond 3/3" 
language training, cross-cultural training, mutual 
understanding and demonstrating democratic values.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
APPLYING TRANSFORMATION DIPLOMACY TO CLD 
---------------------------------------- 
¶2.  Encouraged by the "think outside the box" nature of 
transformational diplomacy, we decided to expand our 2006 
CLD to include three American citizens who serve as 
Consular Wardens and who have decades of experience in 
education, cross-cultural understanding and Africa.  We 
also engaged the Charge, the Acting DCM and several 
officers and FSNs from the Public Affairs Section (PAS), 
who helped design and attended the training.  In his 
introduction, the Charge tied consular activities to seven 
of the eight Mission Performance Plan (MPP) goals.  CA 
PDAS Wanda Nesbitt featured in a lively, well-received 
digital video conference, providing the view from 
Washington and responding to questions and comments 
developed by the CLD attendees.  As a result, we had very 
fruitful discussions and generated several novel 
approaches to consular-related public diplomacy that we 
are already implementing here in Dakar.  We also 
determined how consular sections play a role in 
transformational diplomacy and identified additional 
training that would strengthen this role.  Since 
transformational diplomacy is still new, we wish to share 
our conclusions and suggestions with the Department and 
FSI. 
 
MODELING DEMOCRATIC VALUES 
-------------------------- 
¶3.  CLD participants all agreed that the consular 
section's most important role in transformational 
diplomacy is to serve as a model of democratic principles 
such as transparency, freedom of speech, rule of law, 
fairness, equality and respect for individuals.  Actions 
often speak louder than words, particularly in traditional 
societies such as Senegal.  While many local nationals are 
exposed to democratic values through the media and public 
outreach, the consular section is one of the only places 
most people will see these policies in action. 
 
SERVING OUR CITIZENS 
-------------------- 
¶4.  The way consular sections treat American citizens and 
the type of customer service we provide to visa applicants 
demonstrates how democratic governments serve their 
citizens and how citizens have a voice in their 
governments.  Consular employees demonstrate this to host 
government officials every time we intervene on behalf of 
an American citizen in trouble.  By including government 
officials in our distribution of warden messages and 
consular newsletters, we illustrate how a democratic 
government assists its citizens through the provision of 
information and how we strive to ensure there is no double 
standard.  Expanding consular newsletters to include 
frequently asked questions and soliciting feedback on our 
service would reveal how U.S. government officials are 
open to questions from citizens and do their best to 
provide appropriate answers. 
 
¶5.  CLD participants agreed that our greatest challenge is 
balancing openness with security needs.  We found that by 
limiting the number of individuals who need to come to the 
embassy (by encouraging online registration, shifting 
inquiries to a user-pays visa information service and 
responding to e-mails in a timely fashion) fewer people 
are exposed to the embassy security procedures.  By taking 
the embassy on the road through public outreach on 
consular issues, we can also display our openness and 
 
DAKAR 00000668  002 OF 003 
 
 
availability without our constituents having to visit the 
embassy.  For those who do visit the embassy, a welcoming 
and well-trained consular employee can work at the embassy 
entrance to direct those who need information to the 
appropriate resource and authorize entrance only to 
individuals who need to enter the consular section. 
 
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING 
-------------------- 
¶6.  Consular sections play a critical role in "mutual 
understanding," which is a MPP goal and a key aspect of 
transformational diplomacy.  Consular employees interact 
with more local nationals on a daily basis than any other 
embassy staff.  In order to make informed visa decisions, 
consular officers are obliged to learn about the local 
cultures and communities, ranging from commercial to 
religious to political groups.  Visa interviews, even 
those lasting two or three minutes, provide excellent 
opportunities to learn more about a local culture issue or 
for a consular officer to demonstrate his or her own 
awareness of cultural norms through the nature of 
questions posed. 
 
¶7.  How we communicate with applicants, whether it's our 
standard refusal letter or how we explain a decision, all 
contribute to mutual understanding.  When we explain our 
application of U.S. immigration law in a way applicants 
can understand, they are more likely to appreciate and 
want to adopt our commitment to rule of law.  We are 
redrafting all of our written material, particularly our 
214(b) refusal letter, to more accurately communicate our 
policies to applicants.  We are also developing standard 
talking points that consular employees, and other embassy 
staff, can use to explain visa refusals and other visa 
policies. 
 
¶8.  By keeping American citizens safe and informed, we 
expand the access local nationals have to American 
culture.  For example, Senegal has one of the largest 
groups of university exchange students in Africa.  By 
being actively engaged in the student exchange program 
through town meetings and outreach events, these programs 
are encouraged to expand and bring even more American 
students to Senegal.  Our proactive outreach in this 
regard will also, hopefully, favorably contribute to more 
eligible Senegalese students choosing to study in the U.S. 
 
OPEN DOORS AND SECURE BORDERS 
----------------------------- 
¶9.  A major aspect of transformational diplomacy is the 
policy of open doors and secure borders, and consular 
sections directly impact the implementation of this 
policy.  Every day, consular officers have to make 
informed and timely decisions about who is and is not 
eligible for a visa to ensure our doors are open to 
legitimate travelers and closed to those who wish us harm. 
Even in a two-minute visa interview, they can often detect 
criminal or terrorist related issues that are passed to 
the appropriate embassy officers and U.S. agencies for 
follow up.  By coordinating the Visas Viper Committee, 
consular officers ensure that all embassy sections and 
agencies are sharing information and cooperating on 
counter-terrorism efforts. 
 
MEDIA AND PUBLIC OUTREACH 
------------------------- 
¶10.  Effective use of the media and public outreach is 
critical to transformational diplomacy.  Many embassy 
personnel can gain access to an organization or senior 
officials, or reward a key contact, by bringing along a 
consular employee who will speak about U.S. visas.  Media 
events and interviews are excellent opportunities not just 
to distribute information but to also reinforce values 
such as honesty and individual responsibility.  Consular 
sections have access to an excellent network of American 
citizens who often live throughout a country and can help 
organize embassy outreach activities outside of the 
capital. 
 
TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FSOS 
------------------------------------ 
¶11.  Since all entry-level generalists are required to 
serve one consular tour, consular sections are literally 
training the next generation of FSOs.  By working in a 
consular section, these FSOs develop a myriad of skills, 
including interview techniques, representation and contact 
development, language skills, decision making, public 
speaking, leadership, crisis management, reporting and how 
 
DAKAR 00000668  003 OF 003 
 
 
to juggle multiple tasks and priorities.  Consular 
sections also teach FSOs to think outside the box.  Given 
our increased workload demands and limited resources, 
consular officers are often forced to explore innovative 
ways of doing business.  We are often now at the cutting 
edge of technology in areas such as call centers and 
Internet based communication and applications.  Hopefully, 
FSOs will continue this culture of creativity throughout 
their careers, even if they never work in a consular 
section again. 
 
TRAINING NEEDS 
-------------- 
¶12.  In order to maximize consular sections' contributions 
to transformational diplomacy, CLD participants identified 
several areas in which consular employees would benefit 
from additional training: public speaking and working with 
the media, superior language skills, cross-cultural 
understanding and democratic principles. 
 
¶13.  Public speaking and media: We suggest that FSI 
consider developing courses for consular officers on 
public speaking and working with the media.  Training on 
making presentations, holding press conferences and 
conducting radio and television interviews would encourage 
consular officers to aggressively pursue outreach and 
media opportunities that are key to effective 
transformational diplomacy. 
 
¶14.  Beyond 3/3 Language Training: Having sophisticated 
language skills is directly linked to the ability to 
conduct outreach and work with the media.  For example, 
while a 3/3 in French is sufficient in Dakar to conduct 
effective visa interviews, more advanced French skills are 
necessary to conduct effective media interviews and 
outreach activities, and to discuss complex consular 
issues with local government officials.  Unfortunately, 
funding for post language programs is limited and rarely 
available for language training for officers who already 
have the minimum required proficiency in a language.  We 
suggest that CA consider providing MRV funding for beyond 
3/3 language training for consular officers. 
 
¶15.  Cross-Cultural Understanding: Organizations, such as 
the Baobab Center in Dakar, specialize in cross-cultural 
training and place American students with local host 
families.  Consular sections could take advantage of this 
expertise to train new consular personnel and arrange host 
family linkages for newly arrived consular officers.  We 
suggest that CA consider providing MRV funds for cross- 
cultural training programs for consular staff. 
 
¶16.  Modeling Democratic Values: It is hard to explain and 
model democratic values without a good understanding of 
what these values are.  We encourage FSI to include 
training on democratic values in its consular courses, 
including FSN training courses. 
 
Jackson