Diplomatic Training in Economic and Commercial Statecraft
Levan Mikeladze Diplomatic Research and Training institute (LMDTRI);
Georgia;
US Embassy in Georgia;
17.10.2022
17.05.2024
Caucasus;
The program aims to support the capacity development of the Levan Mikeladze Diplomatic Training and Research Institute (LMDTRI) in economic and commercial diplomacy, and to enhance the engagement of Georgian embassies in the process of FDI attraction, as well as export and trade promotion.
Specifically, it ensures the continuity of economic and commercial diplomacy activities by boosting the capacities of diplomats, giving them the practical knowledge and skillsets to attract investments and trade by providing training in technical subject-matter areas such as investment planning, export and trade, economic and market analysis, intellectual property protection, communication strategy development, as well as so-called “power” skills (e.g., negotiations, networking, and presentation skills).
To achieve the program’s goals, the team is:
- Reviewing and analyzing similar programs previously implemented;
- Developing economic and commercial diplomacy curricula;
- Implementing training of trainers (ToT) sessions for selected trainers;
- Developing online training courses and supports the LMDTRI’s online training capacity development;
- Organizing a study tour to the US for sharing practical experience in the economic and commercial diplomacy area; and
- Conducting instructor-led online training.
In the course of the program, the team is developing basic training materials to be permanently updated based on the results of the initial trainings and feedback received from Georgian diplomats, new theoretical and practical materials, and case studies of successful investment and export support projects. In addition, the implemented ToT activities will create a basic pool of professionals specializing on economic and commercial diplomacy. These experts will then ensure the sustainability of the economic and commercial diplomacy trainings by transferring the knowledge and experience they have acquired on to Georgian diplomats and the LMDTRI.
