Foreign & Commonwealth Office Mir Wilton Park Provisional programme Diplomacy in the information age Wednesday 22 - Friday 24 February 2017 | WP1519 This forum will examine the changing nature of diplomacy in the information age. It will explore new opportunities for the FCO to make better use of data in diplomacy, but also emerging threats that challenge the current ways of working. While some new opportunities and threats are applicable to any large international organisation, the focus of the forum will be on those that are of particular application to the FCO’s role in diplomacy and making international policy. The framework for discussion will be the exploration of four inter-related themes; Networks: Diplomatic and social, Fusing insight and information in new data sources, Forecasting and Analytics, and Influence and Impact - ensuring effect. Discussion will look at recent trends and developments within these. There will be an element of futures exploration in considering a 10-20 year horizon scan. Within this framework there is also space for other topics of relevance to the core discussion. The intended outcomes of the forum are to: • Ideas and recommendations for the FCO to consider in making better use of data in foreign policy • Raise awareness of the threats and opportunities arising through the use of data in the areas of the conference themes, including through the sharing of experiences among likeminded international partners and to encourage further collaboration between experts and the FCO through the development of a community of thought leaders on Diplomacy in the Information Age In association with The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Wednesday 22 February 1500 1600 1615-1745 Participants arrive Welcome and introduction Mark Smith Programme Director, Wilton Park, Steyning Jonathan Allen Acting Director General, Defence and Intelligence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London 1. Networks: diplomatic and social How are networks evolving beyond traditional geographically centred relationships to align 200217 GF/IA with interests and ideologies? How do we understand, develop, and disrupt them? Carl Miller Research Director, Centre for the Analysis of Social Media, Demos, London AM Fisher Explorer of Extreme Realms, Human Cognition Limited, London Nico Prucha Researcher and Consultant, Human Cognition, University of Vienna Nishanth Sastry Senior Lecturer, King’s College, London 1745-1830 Photograph followed by tea/coffee 1830-1930 2. Fusing insight and information from new data sources How best do we combine open source, proprietary and privileged information to deliver powerful insights and deep understanding? With the vast quantities of big data at hand, how do we find the signal in the noise? Steve Herrmann Editorial Director, BBC Monitoring, Reading Vitaliy Shevchenko Editorial Lead, Russian Team, BBC Monitoring, Reading Marian Cramers Director, Global Network Agency Growth, Crimson Hexagon, London 1930 Reception followed by conference dinner Thursday 23 February 0800-0845 Breakfast 0915-1045 3. Forecasting and analytics How can data and data-driven decision making help us to anticipate issues and opportunities early and where possible take effective action to mitigate/exploit these? Michael Story Senior Consultant Director , Good Judgment, London Phil Cavanagh Solutions Technical Architect, Improbable, London 1045-1115 Tea/coffee. Close of breakout group voting. 1115-1245 4. Influence and impact How is the way people get information and form opinions changing? What impact are new phenomena that are emerging such as post-truth, echo-chambers, and filter bubbles having? What are effective influencing strategies that embrace these changes? What ways do we have of measuring the impact of diplomacy? How effective are they? How best to utilise findings? Kate Ferguson Director of Policy and Research, Protection Approaches, London Weijer Losecaat Vermeer Communications Advisor for Digital and Public Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague Carl Miller Research Director, Centre for the Analysis of Social Media, Demos, London 1300-1415 Lunch 1500-1700 5. Breakout groups Working groups on the 4 key themes, world cafe format. Chairs to be FCO representatives. 1700-1745 T ea/coffee 1745-1845 6. Breakout group feedback Report backs from the breakout group chairs/rapporteurs, focussing on recommendations for how data can be better employed in foreign policy. 1900 Reception followed by dinner Friday 24 February 0800-0845 Breakfast and checkout 0915-1045 7. Using data in campaigns - a case study Examining the application of data in the recent US Presidential election. David Wilkinson Data Scientist, SCL Elections (SCL Group), London Mark Turnbull Managing Director, SCL Elections (SCL Group), London 1045-1115 Tea/coffee 1115-1125 8. eQuestionnaire Completion of online eQuestionnaire 1125-1200 9. Conclusions Paul Gaskell Head, European Union and International Data, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London 1200 Lunch 1400 Participants depart This is a preview programme and as such may be subject to change. This is an invitation only conference. Enquiries about participation to: Gemma Funnell, Project Manager T: +44 (0)1903 817761 | F: +44 (0)1903 879849 | E: qemma.funnell@wiltonpark.org.uk Enquiries about the programme to: Mark Smith, Programme Director T: +44 (0)1903 879231 | F: +44 (0)1903 879231 I E: mark.smith@wiltonpark.org.uk