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would not involve any extra money, (e) could involve additional FCO
expenditure, (f) would have to be considered on a case-by-case basis, and would need to be kept under review with all the Governors.
17. If arrangements on these lines were worked out, there would need
to be close liaison on career planning between the coordinators of
Dependent Territories staffing in HKGD and POD.
Conclusions
18.
Existing sources of experienced manpower are drying up.
Service
in Dependent Territories offers a worthwhile challenge for Diplomatic
Service officers, provided they can acquire the necessary skills by
(a) training, and (b) on-the-job experience under supervision. There is
no major alternative source of manpower to the Diplomatic Service,
although some specialised.(e.g. financial) posts could be filled from
outside. Service in a Dependent Territory need not and should not be
an impediment to advancement within the Diplomatic Service. It will be
some years before all the posts affected by the recommendations in this
paper are in fact filled by Diplomatic Service officers, as there is
still a small residue of HMOCS and ex-HMOCS talent on which we can call.
It is in the interests of the Dependent Territories that this talent
be used wherever possible in order to give the Diplomatic Service the
maximum amount of time in which to develop its ability to meet this additional call on its resources. The appointment at some stage of an
Adviser would assist in the smooth transition of staffing of the
Dependent Territories from the HMOCS to the Diplomatic Service.
Recommendations
19.
a)
b)
c)
Existing HMOCS and ex-HMOCS contract officers should be
employed on Dependent Territories work where they meet the requirements of the post. But more Diplomatic Service officers.
must be earmarked.
Suitable posts should be used as on-the-job training slots
for future Governors. (Those readily identifiable are Deputy
Governor, Bermuda; Colonial Secretary, St Helena; Chief
Secretary, Turks and Caicos Islands; and Chief Secretary,
Falkland Islands, but some previous DT experience would be
desirable in this latter case). Such posts are not immutable. One officer of the appropriate grade (5/4) should be selected for Dependent Territories training and posting in 1982 (e.g.
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