From the handbook on EU and security:

THE EU strategic review:

The strategic review, however, does not primarily address overall shortfalls in legal, budgetary,staffing or organisational terms but for each policy area.

Where real political courage is needed: EEAS and EU delegations requires more staff and more clear negative priorities. Insist on impact assessment ex ante!

Essential for any strategic approach - negative priorities:

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From the House of Lords

Essential twitter flows for the further EEAS review: priorities, planning and training

Who are the actors?

I will focus on these page ins particular on the HR/VP Mogherini, on the external relations Commissioners, on the role of the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and of course the key services; EEAS, Directorate generals and cabinets. 
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When will an updated organigram be published?

Factsheet on EU intcen

Uncertain times  for EU staff

Around 40% of European Commission staff is affected by current reorganisation packages. A limited adjustment of the structure of the external action service  is expected for the end of March. 

Many categories of staff work under uncertain conditions: as a case in point a number of EU special representatives have had their mandates prolonged for periods much less than a year in the recent month. This does not help them to plan strategically. The European Union still lacks one of several high-level troubleshooters for the Southern neighbourhood despite several important policy initiatives in this area in the last weeks: the review of the European neighbourhood  as a whole and the joint communication on Syria, Iraq and Daesh. 

In such a situation it is truly vital that  the staffing the institutions are encouraged and empowered to do their best. In this regard the new High Representative and Vice President  Mogherini seems to have made a strong  and positive impression on her collaborators in many different  contexts ranging from CSDP  to various multilateral and geographic contexts. Her problem  will start of course when it's time to set negative priorities in order to be able to focus on truly strategic things. 

 I am personally  convinced that a clearer link between objectives and resources will be necessary  also in the foreign affairs area in the coming years. 

So far impact assessments have as a role not been made ex ante. increased support hopefully not only from the European Commission president but notably also from the president of the European Council with his substantial interest in foreign policy should bring the staff necessary to  properly implement programs and operations.

 Wishful thinking? Let's see.

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