52. Explain the role of action point summary.

This summary is related to making record of discussion, conversation - An action point summary, which concentrates only on the substantive points on which action is to be taken. This is highly summarized and brief. This is very important to be made as long as it emphasizes main action points that should be made in result of the discussion. That is to say its role is in making clear conclusion of the conversation by sorting and allocation of actions from entire dialog information.

53. Identify the main factors that determine the size of the representational budget.

It is needed because: One reason is that optimal functioning of the embassy depends partly on well-organized outreach. Another reason is that in our age of openness and public accountability, the media and those connected with the international affairs community pay considerable attention to how embassies entertain and socialize. It is part of the champagne and caviar image of diplomacy. The envoys of France or Japan or the United Kingdom are given exceptionally large funds to project an image of glamour;

The factors are as following:

The status of the country (developed, developing or underdeveloped);

The existence of sponsorship

The Image

Ways of entertainment

Usually representational funds are not of big amount of money.

54. Tell about the basic principles of giving a press conference.

Preparation for a press conference begins with an anticipation of the issues that will interest the media, plus a clear “brief,” the essence of what one has to state. If this brief is unclear, the encounter with the press can lead to disaster. A friendly, relaxed attitude is best. One may pause to think, but excessive hesitation is bad. One should keep statements brief and concise. One should anticipate the way one’s own side of the story can be captured in a “sound bite” that will be picked up by the media, and cut out excessive verbiage. Sticking to one’s brief is essential. It is the job of the media to catch the spokesperson off guard and to say something that is sensational and often indiscreet. A skill that comes with practice and effort is to answer the question one wants to answer, which may not be the one actually asked. It also means avoiding the verbal traps or even the context that a question may impose, and to respond in the context of one’s own standpoint. At the same time, if carried too far this method becomes unproductive. It is vital to convey a friendly spirit, not to take personal offence at the questioner, or to respond in a manner that is combative or aggressive, which is a frequent failing, especially if one is not sure of what to say. Nor should one patronize the questioner. “No comment,” “I have no information on that point,” or “I will need to check further on that” are perfectly valid responses, if one is pushed beyond one’s brief, or genuinely does not have the information that is sought. A spokesperson is not expected to have all answers. The language in which a question is put is akin to a box, covering the matter of interest to the questioner. In handling this, one has to think and act outside that box, in effect using the question to say what one wishes to say on that particular subject. A simple way to practice such “outside-the-box” responses is to eschew the language of the question, and to reply in one’s own words.