15.1 | Civilian
personnel
680.
An initial
tour length of three months for the first wave of secondees to the
CPA
was
extended to six months in July 2003.446
681.
The FCO
pre‑deployment letter for November 2004 stated that: “In light of
the
dangers and
discomforts a posting to Iraq is six months with the option of a
further
six months
thereafter.” 447
In addition
to the FCO’s normal and overseas leave, staff
would be
entitled to an extra 10 days’ leave each year.
682.
DFID’s
November 2004 ‘Guide to Overseas Terms and Conditions for
Long‑term
Assignments
in Iraq’ explained that DFID postings were for up to 12 months with
a rota
of six
weeks on, two weeks off, away from Iraq.448
683.
In April 2005,
the MOD considered introducing longer tours to mitigate some
of
the effects
of the short tour length (six months with a 10‑day break half way
through).449
Mr Richard
Hatfield, MOD Personnel Director, reported that many MOD staff in
Iraq
were
willing to do a second tour, or suggesting that slightly longer
tours might be more
effective,
if more difficult to sell to potential volunteers. Mr Hatfield
recognised the
possible
advantages of longer tours, particularly where continuity or local
knowledge
was at a
premium. He proposed that the MOD take “a slightly more ‘mix and
match’
approach
about tour patterns, taking account of both the individual’s
circumstances/
desires and
the nature of the post”.
684.
In May 2006,
Mr Mark Etherington, Basra PRT Team Leader, reported
that:
“The
military component of the PRT – roughly a third – is invaluable,
but cannot act
as a
repository of expertise because tour lengths are short. This
civilian core must
be large
enough to withstand the turbulence of the six‑and‑two week leave
system
… or we
risk a loss of momentum.” 450
685.
In December
2007, Sir Peter Ricketts called for a reassessment of policy
on the
length of
postings to Baghdad.451
Many staff
were able to cope with an extra six months,
if not a
second year: “Quite a head of steam is building up on this issue
and it needs to
be
tackled.”
686.
Tour lengths
remained unchanged. The January 2008 version of the FCO
terms
and
conditions for postings to Iraq stated:
“In light
of the associated dangers and discomforts of living in Iraq, a
posting to Iraq
is six
months with the option of a further six month extension. As you
know, Iraq
446
Minutes, 10
July 2003, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
447
Letter [FCO
junior official], 17 November 2004, ‘Posting to British Diplomatic
Missions in Iraq’.
448
Paper DFID,
1 November 2004, ‘Working for DFID: Guide to Overseas Terms and
Conditions for
Long‑term
Assignments in Iraq’.
449
Minute
Hatfield to Loudon, 25 April 2005, ‘Visit to Iraq’.
450
Minute
Etherington to [Cabinet Office junior official], 17 May 2006,
‘Basra Provincial Reconstruction
Team (PRT):
Challenges and Opportunities’.
451
Minute
Ricketts to Baker, 12 December 2007, ‘Visit to Iraq: Administration
Points’.
361