Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 40
40
Accepted
Government's potential to pursue capacity-building programmes through Commonwealth organisations.
Conclusion
The Government could also seek to pursue programmes such as those suggested above [in the Capacity building chapter] through unifying organisations such as the Commonwealth grouping, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. (Paragraph 125) Freeing up movement
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, explaining that the FCDO already operates a flexible language learning system aiming for 80% of speaker slots to be filled by C1/C2 language speakers, and develops language capability through existing operational and developmental training.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
42. The Government partially agrees with the recommendation. The FCDO already operates a flexible language learning system for speaker slots in the Indo-Pacific region which is Directorate- and Post-guided. Our target is for 80% of speaker slots to be filled by a speaker with a valid C1 / C2 language exam pass. Post rotation length is based on a set of criteria reflecting circumstances at post. Focusing only on the language requirement would impact FCDO ability to fill speaker slots. Through operational language teaching for those at posts not in speaker slots and developmental language training in the FCDO’s priority languages, including Mandarin and Japanese, for UK-based staff, the FCDO develops its language capability.