How to raise risk, protect yourself, and protect the institution

What this appendix is

This appendix is a practical protection and escalation guide for Locally Employed Staff (LES) working in Public Diplomacy and related sections.

It explains:

  • how LES should escalate concerns safely,
  • how to document risk without overstepping,
  • how to communicate under pressure without absorbing institutional liability,
  • and how to protect themselves when authority is unclear or shifting.

This is not about distrust.
It is about structural reality.

Who this is for

  • LES in PD and cross-cutting roles
  • Newly promoted LES supervisors
  • FSOs supervising LES
  • Trainers and mentors

Core Reality LES Must Understand

LES are often closest to risk — but farthest from formal authority.

This creates a recurring danger:

  • LES identify problems early,
  • pressure arrives externally,
  • decisions are made higher up,
  • and LES are later asked to “explain” outcomes they did not control.

This appendix exists to prevent that outcome.

What LES Are Responsible For (And What They Are Not)

LES are responsible for:

  • flagging risk early,
  • documenting what they observe,
  • escalating concerns appropriately,
  • executing cleared guidance accurately.

LES are not responsible for:

  • final decisions,
  • policy positions,
  • authorization,
  • absorbing fallout for leadership choices.

If these lines blur, escalation is required.

How LES Should Escalate (Mechanically)

Step 1: Name the Issue, Not the Solution

Do not say:

“We should respond this way.”

Instead say:

“This request raises X risk because Y.”

This frames escalation as analysis, not defiance.

Step 2: Use Written Escalation Early

Verbal warnings disappear under pressure.

When risk feels real:

  • send a short, factual email,
  • state concern clearly,
  • copy your supervisor.

Example:

“Flagging potential attribution risk.
Journalist is asking for confirmation language.”

This protects you later.

Step 3: Separate Observation from Judgment

Good escalation language distinguishes:

  • what happened from
  • why it may matter.

Avoid emotional framing.

Step 4: Ask for Direction Explicitly

When authority is unclear, ask:

“How would you like me to proceed?”

This places ownership where it belongs.

When LES Must Pause and Escalate Immediately

LES should stop and escalate if:

  • asked to confirm unverified information,
  • asked to speak on policy,
  • asked to reassure without clearance,
  • asked to “just send something clean”,
  • asked to take responsibility for decisions they did not make.

Pausing is not insubordination.
It is risk control.

Documentation as Protection

What LES should document

  • external inquiries,
  • internal guidance received,
  • concerns raised,
  • language used.

Why this matters

Documentation:

  • prevents memory distortion,
  • protects against blame,
  • demonstrates reasonable judgment.

Keep documentation factual and unemotional.

How to Push Back Safely

LES should not argue.
LES should re-frame.

Unsafe pushback

“That’s risky / wrong.”

Safe pushback

“This could be interpreted as X.
Would you like to proceed anyway?”

This preserves hierarchy while surfacing risk.

LES and Authority Gaps

LES must understand:

  • FSOs rotate,
  • supervisors may be new,
  • guidance may change quickly.

This does not remove LES responsibility to flag risk.

When authority gaps appear:

  • name them neutrally,
  • document,
  • escalate.

What LES Must Never Do

  • Do not claim authority you do not hold.
  • Do not allow your words to be used as institutional endorsement.
  • Do not rely on “everyone knows” as protection.
  • Do not absorb risk silently.

What Supervisors Owe LES (Explicit)

Supervisors should:

  • welcome risk flags,
  • respond in writing when possible,
  • clarify authority,
  • protect LES who escalate appropriately.

Silencing escalation is an institutional failure.

Bottom Line

LES protect institutions by:

  • noticing early,
  • documenting clearly,
  • escalating calmly.

If escalation feels uncomfortable, that often means it is working.

This appendix exists so LES do not have to choose between:

  • being helpful, and
  • being safe.