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<p>Our records do not cover training provided over the last five years nor differentiate
between fast stream and main stream civil servants. However, since July 2015, over
350 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff and over 300 from other Government
departments have learnt about devolution as part of the Diplomatic Academy's Foundation
Level and Practitioner Levels. Of these, five are senior civil servants.</p><p>In
November 2017, the FCO in partnership with the Open University launched a new online
Devolution and Foreign Policy Practitioner Level learning module providing a deeper
understanding of how devolution relates to every day foreign policy work. The pilot
saw over 40 staff in London, North America and Asia Pacific undertake training, and
the learning will be rolled out across the network in 2018.</p><p>All fast stream
new entrants to the FCO have since last year been required to study for and pass a
City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in UK Foreign Policy and Diplomacy, as do some staff
to obtain promotion. This diploma includes material on devolution. A briefing on devolution
is also provided to all new Fast Stream entrants as part of their induction.</p><p>Heads
of Mission routinely visit a devolved administration as part of the Overseas Leadership
Development Programme. This aims to increase engagement and equip Heads of Mission
to better understand and represent the interests and priorities of devolved administrations
as well as inter-governmental relationships and devolved structures, and to highlight
how the FCO works with other Government departments and delivers support for the whole
of the UK. Since June 2016, 56 new Heads of Mission have undertaken such a visit.</p>
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