Planning for Foreign Policy: A Framework for Analysis

Abstract

What has made the difference between success and failure for the Policy Planning Staff over time? Why has it had an impact on policy in some situations but not in others? More generally, what does the staff's experience tell us about the conditions under which planners can influence the direction of foreign policy? These questions are not new. From its formation in 1947, through its enlargement and bureaucratic upgrading in 1961 and its transformation during 1969, to its rejuvenation in 1973 with Henry Kissinger's move to the Department of State and Winston Lord's appointment as director, the Policy Planning Staff has generated extensive discussion, research, and commentary concerning its effectiveness in the policy-making process. Staff members and directors, secretaries of state, academic observers, and government reformers on numerous occasions have evaluated the State planning group. What consensus can be identified suggests a mixed record of performance since the resignation of George Kennan in September 1949 over the issue of independent S/P access to the secretary of state. 4