In October 2021, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken launched the Modernization of American Diplomacy Initiative, which strives to advance American diplomacy by ensuring the Department of State’s work, resources, and priorities are aligned with a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. At the Office of Global Partnerships, we engage private sector actors through impactful discussions and implementation to complement the work done within the Department of State and advance the Administration’s priorities. These public-private partnerships harness the resources and capabilities of private companies, universities, foundations, and other organizations within civil society. We seek to advance the Modernization directive by looking at new, innovative, and collaborative ways to bring in the talent and knowledge of the private sector on key issues.
The Franklin Fellowship Program, originally launched in 2008, was a mechanism utilized by the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to tap into the expertise of individual U.S. citizens. In light of this Modernization agenda, the program was revamped and is now known as the Franklin Talent Exchange Partnership (FTEP)—a joint effort between the Department of State and private sector entities with the goal of creating partnerships to exchange knowledge and talent to advance foreign policy priorities.
Organizations who join the partner consortium will have the opportunity to host Civil Service or Foreign Service Department employees in their company for one year and send their employees on assignment to the Department of State to serve as a consultant for one year. The FTEP is not a 1:1 exchange program. Partner organizations may be asked to host a Department employee or send an employee on assignment to the Department. By hosting a Department employee, organizations gain a valuable team member to help navigate the realm of foreign policy and government operations.
Private sector participants will work in areas of new and emerging concerns where the Department lacks in-house expertise. Private sector participants return to their home organizations with an enhanced knowledge of foreign and development policy and government operations. If your organization has an international focus, nominating your employee to spend a year at the Department of State is the ideal way to develop their skills and lend their private sector expertise, while enhancing your organization’s understanding of how US foreign policy is developed and how your organization can help meet the global challenges we face today.
If you or your organization are interested in the Franklin Talent Exchange Partnership or would like additional information, contact the Office of Global Partnerships (GP) at FTEP@state.gov and refer to the Franklin Talent Exchange Partnership webpage.
