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PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHFR #4243/01 1711615
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P 201615Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8755
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUCPDOC/DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 PARIS 004243 
 
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ATHENS PLEASE PASS DAVID RANK 
 
E.O.12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL ADIP AMGT ASEC BEXP CASC SCUL FR
SUBJECT:   MISSION FRANCE'S EXPERIENCE WITH THE AMERICAN PRESENCE 
POST (APP) CONCEPT 
 
Summary 
----------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU)   American Presence Posts (APP), active in France since 
1999, play a key role in this mission's transformational diplomacy 
efforts.  The concept is replicable in other countries, but Missions 
need to remain flexible as they adapt the APP concept to local 
conditions.  Key factors to consider include mission priorities, 
host country infrastructure, recruitment, security, and training. 
The US Mission in France is ready to assist colleagues in Washington 
and overseas in sharing our experience on APP establishment and 
management. 
 
Introduction 
-------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)   One-officer American Presence Posts (APPs) have been 
operating in France since 1999, but the term "APP" became 
considerably better known with the Secretary's January 18, 2006 
transformational diplomacy speech at Georgetown.   Embassy Paris and 
the five APPs in France (Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Rennes, and 
Toulouse) have since been approached by numerous colleagues 
elsewhere wanting to know more - what exactly is an APP?  How do 
they operate?  What factors need to be taken into consideration when 
deciding whether to establish one?  In the spirit of sharing what 
the US Mission in France has learned over the last seven years, this 
telegram aims not only to address such questions, but also to offer 
various resources to colleagues in both Washington and overseas who 
are considering the viability of an APP elsewhere.  The Department 
may wish to consider broader dissemination of this message to 
overseas posts. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)   This telegram focuses on the APPs in France - posts in 
other countries with different goals and/or considerations (such as 
different Mission priorities and a different level of host country 
infrastructure) may choose to handle things differently.  We provide 
specific details in certain sections to illustrate how our APPs 
function, but an Embassy in another country might very well find 
that a different model would better serve their needs. 
 
Why an APP? 
----------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)   One of the first questions to consider is whether an APP 
is the best response to Mission needs.  Is a Consulate more 
appropriate?  Is an APP being considered as a downsizing measure, or 
a new geographic presence for the Mission?  Is a Virtual Presence 
Post (VPP) or an American Corner more appropriate? 
 
¶5.  (SBU)   In the case of France, posts with a single American 
officer (the core of our APP concept) were chosen to meet a 
perceived need.  In the early 1990s, the State Department closed 
numerous small Western European constituent posts, including the 
Consulates General in Bordeaux and Lyon, in order to staff new 
Embassy requirements in the former Soviet republics.  By the late 
1990s, the Mission felt that the lack of American presence was 
harming efforts to reach media/opinion leaders and to advance U.S. 
commercial interests in France's important regional centers. 
 
The Development of France's APP Concept 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)   Budget and personnel resources in the late 1990s were 
extremely tight, and the Mission chose an approach that utilized 
only existing Mission personnel resources and involved little/no 
increase in Mission budget.  In addition to a lone American officer, 
the five APPs in France have between one and four LES employees. 
All were drawn from existing Mission personnel slots.  Resources 
such as vehicles were also reprogrammed from Paris so that the new 
APPs did not have to spend large sums of money on equipment and 
supplies.  One positive factor was the difference between the rental 
cost of apartments in Paris and Lyon (the site of the first APP) -- 
rental savings were so great that residential rental savings covered 
almost all of the "new" cost of renting office space in Lyon. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)   The Mission has worked diligently to maintain a lean 
agenda for these lean posts -- a fairly strict focus on public 
diplomacy, commercial advocacy and essential U.S. citizen consular 
services.  This effort requires a senior Embassy coordinator, to 
help ensure that "mission creep" is avoided, particularly in the 
area of required reporting, official visitor taskings, 
administrative requirements, etc.  In the case of France, the 
Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs serves as APP coordinator, 
in close cooperation with the Front Office, and in regular contact 
with FCS, PD, Consular and Management. 
 
What the APPs in France Do...And What They Don't Do 
 
PARIS 00004243  002 OF 006 
 
 
----------------------------------- 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)   The APPs in France are designed to shape outcomes rather 
than report on them.  As mentioned earlier, they have three primary 
missions: public diplomacy (PD), commercial diplomacy and American 
citizen services (ACS).  Our APPs do little "traditional" 
political/economic reporting, although officers and local employees 
occasionally e-mail updates on local events such as regional 
elections, urban unrest and student protests, to Embassy Paris for 
inclusion in post reporting. 
 
¶9.   (SBU)  The APPs have proven to be powerful vehicles for 
building and strengthening relationships with regional officials and 
organizations who can help advance our public diplomacy and 
commercial objectives.  Significantly enhanced relations with 
prefects, mayors, universities and chambers of commerce have flowed 
from APP activities, and these relations have improved the ability 
of Embassy Paris officers, and particularly the Ambassador, to reach 
quickly local officials and opinion leaders on matters of interest, 
including our global transformational diplomacy agenda. 
 
¶10.  (SBU)   To ease the burden on the APPs' limited resources, 
periodic reports (F-77, Consular Package, Overseas School Reports, 
Human Rights Report, Religious Freedom Report, etc.) are handled 
almost exclusively by Embassy Paris.  The Paris duty officer also 
handles all after-hours emergency calls for the APPs, although of 
course in a true emergency the Paris duty officer would then contact 
the APP officer. 
 
¶11.  (SBU)   Embassy Paris provides most of the management support 
for the APPs.  All vouchers, for example, are processed in Paris. 
It would be erroneous, however, to conclude that APP staff spend 
little time on management issues.  In the absence of a GSO, it is 
the APP staff themselves who must deal with the local telephone 
company, find repairmen to fix broken equipment, go to the store for 
supplies, and much more. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)   PD Paris provides a large part of the speaker and 
cultural programs as "offers" to the APPs following bi-annual 
strategy sessions with the APPs.  Adequate APP program support 
requires adequate personnel in Paris to handle this important 
country-wide program coordination.  Overall PD budgets for posts 
with APPs should consider the increased program value of APP 
programming and reflect these additions in the basic PD personnel 
and program, including travel, budget planning for a post. 
Initially, the APPs were designed to handle only a small percentage 
of American citizen services, with Embassy Paris providing more 
complicated services such as prison visits, but today the APPs in 
France handle a wider range of citizen services.  (There has been 
almost inevitable "mission creep" in this area as the APPs have 
become better established in their respective communities.) 
 
¶13.  (SBU)   None of the APPs in France can send or receive 
telegrams (although they do have access with OpenNet hookups to 
Webgram and the ALDACs), and none of them handle any classified 
material.  If a telegram needs to be sent, the officer e-mails the 
text to a Paris colleague. 
 
Regular Consultation in Capital is Key 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶14.  (SBU)   Embassy Paris hosts a semi-annual Principal Officers 
Conference for APP and ConGen chiefs in April and October of each 
year.  In addition, APP officers usually attend an in-country 
commercial and public diplomacy conference each year.  These visits, 
as well as other occasional TDY visits to Paris, provide important 
opportunities to review Mission MPP goals, review common 
concerns/challenges and give these lone officers in the field the 
chance to meet key counterparts in the Embassy.  A key benefit of 
these meetings is to enable the APP principal officers to share 
their "best practices" with one another -- a powerful learning tool, 
in our experience. 
 
The APP "Model"...Not a Strait-Jacket 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶15.  (SBU)   One of the key concepts to keep in mind when developing 
an APP is the importance of flexibility.  Mission needs, and 
personnel/budget realities loom large, as do regional differences 
between various APP sites.  The five APPs in France each have only 
one American officer and share the same three principal missions, 
but are structured differently: 
 
APP Bordeaux has two local employees.  One local employee covers 
both commerce and PD; the other covers both management and ACS. 
 
 
PARIS 00004243  003 OF 006 
 
 
APP Lille has one local employee who focuses primarily on commercial 
work, but who is not a Commerce Department employee.  Since Lille is 
only one hour by train from Paris, a Paris-based local employee 
handles most of Lille's PD programming. 
 
APP Lyon has four local employees.  One is paid by the Commerce 
Department, one is paid out of PD funds, one focuses exclusively on 
ACS, and one is responsible for management and secretarial matters. 
 
APP Rennes has two local employees.  One covers PD, ACS, and 
management; the other focuses primarily on commercial work but is 
not a Commerce Department employee. 
 
APP Toulouse has two local employees.  One is paid by the Commerce 
Department; the other covers PD and ACS. 
 
¶16.  (SBU)   As the above illustrates, there is not a specific "APP 
model" which should be copied - not even within France, where each 
of the five APPs was set up in response to regional specificities. 
(Rennes, for example, is home to France's largest regional daily, so 
APP Rennes tends to be more PD-focused.  Toulouse is home to Airbus, 
so APP Toulouse tends to focus more on commercial work.  APP Lyon 
has a much larger American citizen "constituency," and is thus the 
only APP with a full-time ACS local employee.)  Petty cash funds 
differ from post to post, as does the size of the territory covered. 
 One shape and size does not fit all, whether inside France or 
elsewhere. 
 
What Has Worked Well for APPs in France? 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶17.  (SBU)   Good communication is essential:  communication of APP 
priorities, communication between APP chiefs and the Embassy, good 
communication links between the APPs and their State Department 
colleagues.  (See next section for some of our lessons learned.) 
 
¶18.  (SBU)   APPs look for synergies to help accomplish their goals. 
 A day trip to an outlying city in an APP's "territory" can include 
a visit to an American company, meetings with local political 
figures, a media interview, a speech at a local school, and the 
provision of consular services to resident American citizens. 
During such a day, the officer may discover an International Visitor 
Program candidate, run across a potential distributor for American 
products, and inspire a class of French schoolchildren to set up an 
exchange program with a class of American schoolchildren. 
 
¶19.  (SBU)   APP work relies heavily not only on synergy, but also 
on creativity.  Maybe an APP cannot find a US speaker for an 
African-American History Month program, but knows a local university 
professor who has the appropriate background.  Maybe the APP cannot 
present a medal to a former member of the French resistance who 
served as a truck driver with Patton's Third Army, but they can 
invite him to share his wartime experience with a group of American 
students. 
 
¶20.  (SBU)   Each of the five APPs in France produces a monthly 
report highlighting key projects.  Any readers interested in more 
detailed examples of "APP results" are invited to contact us using 
the e-mail address in the final paragraph of this telegram. 
 
What Hasn't Worked So Well? 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶21.  (SBU)   The APPs originally attempted to rely strictly on 
commercial e-mail.  However, Internet-only connections made 
coordination with other State Department colleagues difficult.  The 
eventual connection (with adequate bandwidth) of the APPs to the 
State Department OpenNet system greatly improved matters, as well as 
providing access to an important array of OpenNet services, 
including Webgrams and ALDACs.  We probably waited too long to 
dedicate the necessary funding to this issue, but our subsequent 
investment in adequate bandwidth has paid off.  If post can fund 
adequate bandwidth and if local infrastructure permits, we believe 
that OpenNet is superior to an Internet-only connection. 
 
¶22.  (SBU)   Because of France-specific circumstances, different APP 
activities are funded from State/PROG, State/PD and/or FCS budget 
resources.  This has created some complications, as APPs and various 
fund managers sometimes have to sort through which expenditure is to 
be funded with which fund cite.  If possible at post, a single 
funding source would reduce administrative burdens on both APP and 
Mission B&F staffs. 
 
¶23.  (SBU)   Another ongoing issue that the APPs continue to 
struggle with is how to adjust USG accounting and control mechanisms 
to the small size of the posts, irrespective of where the funds 
originate.  Management controls are of course necessary, but many of 
 
PARIS 00004243  004 OF 006 
 
 
the current requirements (such as some of the procedures for 
reporting petty cash expenditures, for being reimbursed for toll 
fees on short day trips, and for documenting use of the official 
vehicle) can be particularly cumbersome for such small posts. 
Embassy Paris has already put in place a number of innovative pilot 
programs to address some of these issues and continues to explore 
other possible approaches to ease the administrative burden. 
 
Logistical Notes 
------------------- 
 
¶24.  (SBU)   Consular services: All visa operations are centered in 
Paris, and none of the APPs issue emergency passports (due to the 
controls that would need to be put in place in order to protect 
blank passport covers).  The APPs do, however, provide virtually all 
other citizen services (passport applications, reports of birth, 
notarial services, prison visits, mortuary certificates, etc.). 
Since the APPs have no ACS software, completed applications for 
passports and reports of birth are forwarded (after any oaths are 
taken) to AmEmb Paris or CG Marseille, who then enter cases in the 
ACS computer system, print the reports of birth (and death), etc. 
The APPs have no cashiers, so clients must pay by credit card or 
money order.  No cash is accepted.  Since the APP officer is often 
out of the office (either on official travel or at events), all APPs 
in France operate on a "by appointment only" system.  Some APPs 
designate certain days as "consular days" and concentrate their ACS 
appointments on those days; others give appointments whenever the 
officer is available. 
 
¶25.  (SBU)   Financial transactions: APP staff use a combination of 
petty cash and a government purchase card to handle most small 
financial transactions.  For larger purchases and bills, the APP 
officer signs off on the initial bill and forwards it to the Embassy 
for payment. 
 
¶26.  (SBU)   Office space: After an earlier failed experiment (in 
Lille) operating out of the officer's apartment, all APPs now lease 
commercial office space in buildings which have other offices also 
operating out of them.  APP Lyon originally operated out of the 
Chamber of Commerce, an excellent arrangement in terms of easy 
access to key contacts. 
 
¶27.  (SBU)   Ranks, titles, and privileges: All APP officers in 
France are at the 02 level and have the diplomatic title of Consul. 
For all intents and purposes, the French government treats the APPs 
as regular Consulates.  APP officers do not receive ORE. 
 
¶28.  (SBU)   Security: APPs are staffed by one local guard (with a 
backup guard available during the absence of the primary guard). 
The APPs have a hardline door that separates the exterior door from 
the interior offices, but once someone has cleared the initial 
security check, there is no separation between the visitor and the 
APP employees.  Additionally, each APP is equipped with a Mailscan 
XRay unit for mail screening and a Walk Though Metal Detector (WTMD) 
for visitor screening.  Obviously, what works in France -- a country 
with sophisticated security services and good cooperation with the 
U.S. and the U.S. Mission -- may not work similarly in other 
settings. 
 
¶29.  (SBU)   Supervision: APP officers report to the Embassy Paris 
Economic Minister-Counselor, who serves as a liaison between the 
APPs and the many Embassy offices (especially the Commercial 
Service, Consular Affairs, Management, and Public Diplomacy) that 
have claims on the APP's time.  The Paris DCM is their reviewing 
officer. 
 
¶30.  (SBU)   Switchboards: The APPs do not have switchboard 
operators or receptionists.  Instead, they use pre-recorded outgoing 
messages and voice mail when (as is often the case in such small 
posts) no one is in the office to answer the phone. 
 
Things to Keep In Mind When Considering Establishing an APP 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
----------------------- 
 
¶31.  (SBU)   The US Mission in France strongly believes that APPs 
are not just for France - the experience is certainly replicable in 
other countries.  Certain factors, however, should be kept in mind 
when considering whether an APP is the appropriate choice in a 
particular country. 
 
¶32.  (SBU)   Consular Commissions:  If consular work is part of the 
APP's mandate, a current consular commission will be required for 
the American officer.  Close coordination with CA is important to 
determine whether the officer has sufficient experience or requires 
current training. 
 
 
PARIS 00004243  005 OF 006 
 
 
¶33.  (SBU)   Host country infrastructure: The APPs in France rely 
heavily on the French postal system, courier services, France 
Telecom, ATMs, and local internet and cellphone service providers. 
APPs in countries with less-developed infrastructures would need to 
be more creative (a necessity for any APP officer) about how they 
conduct business. 
 
¶34.  (SBU)   Recruitment: It is vital that the American officer and 
the local employees be people who can work independently and who 
will do whatever it takes to get the job done, even if certain tasks 
do not appear in their job descriptions.  An FSN-10, for example, 
may also be responsible for taking the official vehicle to the 
mechanic or for stuffing envelopes in advance of the 4th of July 
reception.  The American officer must be willing not only to give 
speeches (which the officer often researches, writes, and translates 
on his or her own), but also to maintain the files, drive 2-3 hours 
(each way) to other cities on official business (often not returning 
until late at night), etc.  Heavy evening, weekend, and holiday work 
is the norm.  Fluency in the local language is crucial - outside the 
capital city, fewer contacts tend to speak English, and limited 
resources make it difficult for local employees to serve as 
interpreters.  Virtually all of the APP officers' meetings, 
speeches, and media interviews are in French - someone without at 
least a 3/3 (preferably a 3+/3+) would be unable to meet the basic 
requirements of the job. 
 
¶35.  (SBU)   Security: Security in the host country is one of the 
most important factors when considering whether to establish an APP. 
 How reliable are the host country security services should there be 
an incident at the APP?  How much of a threat exists against US 
interests in the host country?  Does a Consul who drives an 
unarmored car with no guard incur an unacceptable risk given the 
host country's security environment?  Competent local police and a 
stable security environment are critical to the success of an APP. 
 
¶36.  (SBU)   Training: Given that APP officers and local employees 
cover such a wide range of activities, it is best to provide as much 
training (and consultation time) as feasible in both Washington and 
the capital city (crucial for developing relationships with Embassy 
colleagues upon whom the APP relies heavily) before an employee 
begins a job at an APP.  Previous officers with limited commercial 
experience have found NFATC's export promotion and commercial 
diplomacy courses useful; the PAO training course is also an 
excellent introduction to PD resources.  Cross training is also key 
for local employees, who back each other up when one or more are on 
leave. 
 
APP Performance -- An OIG Assessment 
----------------------  -------------------------- 
 
¶37.  (SBU)   The Office of the Inspector General carried out an 
inspection of U.S. Embassy Paris in October and November 2004.  This 
was the OIG's first opportunity to examine a well-established 
American Presence Post program.  OIG findings are encouraging.  To 
quote from the OIG summary (see oigweb.state.gov):  QUOTE.  Embassy 
Paris's innovative use of one-officer American Presence Posts in 
provincial regions have proven highly effective in promoting trade, 
conducting public diplomacy programs, and providing American citizen 
services at a relatively low costs.  UNQUOTE. 
 
APP Lessons Learned - France 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶38.  (SBU)   Based on Embassy Paris experience: 
 
-- Choose an APP mission that reflects the realities of limited 
staffing and resources. 
-- Avoid mission creep.  A senior Embassy coordinator is helpful. 
-- Facilitate communications between APPs and capital, and among the 
APPs.  France found this to be our single most valuable 
non-personnel investment. 
-- Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment.  APP chiefs must be 
adaptive, low-maintenance and versatile.  Contact skills and 
language skills are key.  This job is not for everyone. 
-- Senior Embassy officials can be force-multipliers for the APP. 
Successive U.S. Ambassadors have made frequent visits a way to 
publicize and reinforce APP efforts locally. 
 
What Resources Can the US Mission in France Offer Others Considering 
APPs? 
------------------------------ --------------- 
--------------------------  --------------------- 
 
¶39.  (SBU)   We are already supporting numerous visits by Department 
officials who are interested in seeing an APP "in action," and would 
be happy to organize similar visits with officers from Embassies who 
are considering establishing an APP in their host country.  Another 
 
PARIS 00004243  006 OF 006 
 
 
option would be for one of our APP officers or local employees to 
travel either to another post or to the Department (for example, in 
conjunction with a PAO conference or the COM conference) to give 
presentations on the APP concept. 
 
¶40.  (SBU)   The US Mission in France would be pleased to respond to 
any additional queries concerning APPs, as well as to provide sample 
copies of the APPs' monthly reports.  The point of contact for such 
inquiries is Embassy Paris Economic Minister-Counselor Thomas J. 
White at whitetj@state.gov and/or APP Lyon Principal Officer Angie 
Bryan, who can be reached at bryana@state.gov.  Readers are also 
invited to consult the APP portions of the Embassy Paris website at 
www.amb-usa.fr. 
 
STAPLETON