The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has set out its plans to improve technology capacity in the department.

Publishing its e-diplomacy strategy for the next six years, the department said it aimed to "stay at the forefront of technological developments".

It also contained a pledge to boost the training of staff, accepting that an IT system is "only as good as its users".

The strategy includes a pledge to raise the level of IT skills among all FCO staff by helping people identify areas where they need to improve, making training more easily available through "floor-walking trainers", running best practice roadshows and publishing user guidance on the department's intranet.

And the strategy also tackled the tough task of ensuring that staff scattered across the globe remain securely connected to the internet and the latest developments in London.

Minister Bill Rammell, who is responsible for administration issues, said the key would be flexibility.

"We have a good IT system, connected by a global dedicated telecommunications network," he said.

"But the FCO faces challenges that can arise suddenly, for example setting up IT and communications in Kabul and Baghdad at short notice.

"We need a system that can cope with these situations, as well as the day to day traffic of normal diplomatic communications around the world."

The strategy also focuses on more flexible working, making use of mobile telephony, video-conferencing and remote access, as well as improved delivery of consular and visa services to the public.

The document said that by giving priority to investing in IT infrastructure, FCO staff were able to work efficiently and effectively as a global on-line organisation.

"The adoption of e-mail as an integral part of FCO communication worldwide has introduced savings in telephone, fax and communications staff costs," added the document.

But it accepted there had been "difficulties" with other projects, some of which had been delayed by around six months.

"And we have just taken the decision to defer the launch of our new intranet 'FCO-Net' by three months to ensure we get it right," said the strategy.

"IT projects are notoriously difficult to get right but we are committed to learning the lessons from these experiences."

Despite the difficulties, the report also contained quotes from FCO staff highlighting the difference that improved access to technology had made to their working practices.

"Classified email is an enormous benefit, and has changed working practices – e.g. it would have been simply impossible to organise the PM’s visit to W Africa the same way (linking with No. 10) without using it," a  deputy head of department in the Africa directorate is is quoted as saying.

An employee based in Pretoria added: "Access to the internet has dramatically increased my knowledge of FCO policy and I am able to access information on a wide variety of subjects that are pertinent to my job."

A contract will be awarded this autumn for delivering the next stage of the department's IT plans.