Foreword

Your work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs really matters. Whether you are a consular officer, security specialist, management assistant, or diplomat, at one of the 156 missions somewhere in the world or in the Netherlands, you are contributing to a safer and more prosperous Kingdom and you are committed to creating a fair and sustainable world and to supporting all Dutch people who live, work, or travel abroad and need advice or help.

You can only do this if you have the right qualities and can rely on working with colleagues and teams who are also superbly equipped. This means staying up to date in terms of your job, continuing to encourage each other to grow, having an eye for everyone's talent, actively seeking out different perspectives, and sharing your knowledge, in every phase of your career, so that you not only know what you have to do today but are also prepared for the world of tomorrow and for the world of the day after tomorrow.

The team of the Academy for International Relations is committed to helping all staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other civil servants in international roles to continue developing as people in terms of their personal skills, specialist knowledge, and diplomatic expertise, so that they are prepared for the future no matter where in the world they might end up working.

Highlights 2023

Highlights

Together, we have achieved a great deal. In 2023, the Academy again offered a diverse and contemporary curriculum on knowledge, skills, and behaviour, as well as physical and online meetings to exchange knowledge and to boost everyone's network.

Our courses are for all our colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other civil servants in international roles, from newcomers and mid-career professionals to seniors and diplomats, experts, and colleagues involved in operations and support across the globe.

• The expansion of SkillsTown's e-learning curriculum means more and more employees, including those at the missions, are able to learn when and where they want around the world.
• In the context of civil service professionalism and strengthening professionalism in general, there was a considerable focus on leadership and management, intercultural sensitivity, language courses, and the preparation and training of new ambassadors prior to their placement.
• Regional study programmes are appreciated because of the direct link between strategy and daily practice. We launched a new course on Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, and that means the Academy now offers courses for all regions around the world.
• No fewer than two Foreign Affairs International Policy Officer (IBBZ) work and learning pathways were initiated.
• The structure of the Policy and Implementation course was updated and refined in cooperation with internal and external partners as a response to the developments around civil service professionalism, the European Union, and employee wishes and needs.
• Learning in practice, from and with each other is important, as is sharing knowledge and resources, and learning at organisational level. You can read about people's experiences on our website.
• The Academy has developed learning pathways for seven job groups at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Learning pathways serve as signposts within the Academy’s curriculum and provide a structured and orderly direction for the development and personal growth of staff within their current roles.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to be an organisation where everyone can express themselves and make the best use of the power to make a difference. Our learning activities on diversity and inclusion (D&I), safe working environment, and integrity have been further developed and expanded, partly as a result of the research report entitled ‘Racism at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: an exploratory study’ (Racisme bij het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken: een verkennend onderzoek), which was published in December 2022.
• In addition to all the learning activities, the academy organises various lectures on contemporary themes for all members of staff. The themes touch upon the work performed by our colleagues in The Hague and at the missions each and every day. Lectures are a source of inspiration. During a lecture you will gain knowledge and insights from external experts, learn more about our policy, meet colleagues involved in the issue, and hear about the practical experiences of colleagues at the missions.

The daily reality also poses challenges for us. Our ministry must constantly adapt to a rapidly changing world. That requires the Academy to be flexible and innovative, so that it can quickly scale up and adapt the courses on offer within a safe and stable technical environment. In 2023, a huge amount of work was done on designing and implementing a new Learning Management System (LMS). A new learning portal where staff and managers can easily find relevant learning activities which align with their learning needs, but which also provides relevant information for us as an organisation to manage learning and development in a data-driven way. At the end of 2023, the Academy was ready to go live on 15 January 2024.

There is also friction between the issues of the day our ministry has to deal with and the time and attention needed for the continuous development of the people who work there. Removing as many barriers as possible within the ministry enables learning, development, and knowledge sharing for all colleagues to become a structural element of the work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I am proud of everyone who has contributed to the Academy and the results we have achieved in recent years. We remain committed to the development of all members of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other civil servants in international roles, so that they can use all their knowledge, talents, and experience each and every day to work on creating a safer and more prosperous Kingdom and a fair and sustainable world.

Mirella van de Noort – Tijhaar

Head of the Academy for International Relations.
Prepared for the future, all over the world.