Sec. 209. Improving research and evaluation of public diplomacy
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The Secretary shall— conduct regular research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department, including through the routine use of audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations, to plan and execute such programs and activities; and make the findings of the research and evaluations conducted under paragraph
(1)available to Congress. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall appoint a Director of Research and Evaluation in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The appointment of a Director of Research and Evaluation pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall not result in an increase in the overall full-time equivalent positions within the Department. The Director of Research and Evaluation shall— coordinate and oversee the research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs of the Department— to improve public diplomacy strategies and tactics; and to ensure that programs are increasing the knowledge, understanding, and trust of the United States by relevant target audiences; report to the Director of Policy and Planning; routinely organize and oversee audience research, digital analytics and impact evaluations across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department; support embassy public affairs sections; share appropriate public diplomacy research and evaluation information within the Department and with other Federal departments and agencies; regularly design and coordinate standardized research questions, methodologies, and procedures to ensure that public diplomacy activities across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices are designed to meet appropriate foreign policy objectives; and report quarterly to the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, through the Commission’s Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation established pursuant to subsection (e), regarding the research and evaluation of all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department. Not later than 180 days after his or her appointment pursuant to paragraph (1), the Director of Research and Evaluation shall create guidance and training for all public diplomacy officers regarding the reading and interpretation of public diplomacy program evaluation findings to ensure that such findings and lessons learned are implemented in the planning and evaluation of all public diplomacy programs and activities throughout the Department. The Director of Policy, Planning, and Resources shall ensure that research and evaluation, as coordinated and overseen by the Director of Research and Evaluation, supports strategic planning and resource allocation across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department. Amounts allocated for the purposes of research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities pursuant to subsection
(a)shall be made available to be disbursed at the direction of the Director of Research and Evaluation among the research and evaluation staff across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department. It is the sense of Congress that the Department should allocate, for the purposes of research and evaluation of public diplomacy activities and programs pursuant to subsection (a)— 3 to 5 percent of program funds made available under the heading ; and educational and cultural exchange programs 3 to 5 percent of program funds allocated for public diplomacy programs under the heading . diplomatic and consular programs The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 ( 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. ) shall not apply to collections of information directed at foreign individuals conducted by, or on behalf of, the Department for the purpose of audience research and impact evaluations, in accordance with the requirements under this section and in connection with the Department’s activities conducted pursuant to the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act ( 22 U.S.C. 1431 et seq. ) or the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq. ). The Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy shall establish a Subcommittee for Research and Evaluation to monitor and advise on the research and evaluation activities of the Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The Subcommittee for Research and Evaluation established pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall submit an annual report to Congress in conjunction with the Commission on Public Diplomacy’s Comprehensive Annual Report on the performance of the Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors in carrying out research and evaluations of their respective public diplomacy programming. Section 1334 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6553 ) is amended by striking October 1, 2015 and inserting October 1, 2020 . In this section: The term audience research means research conducted at the outset of public diplomacy program or campaign planning and design on specific audience segments to understand the attitudes, interests, knowledge and behaviors of such audience segments. The term digital analytics means the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, accumulated in digital format, to indicate the outputs and outcomes of a public diplomacy program or campaign. The term impact evaluation means an assessment of the changes in the audience targeted by a public diplomacy program or campaign that can be attributed to such program or campaign.
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Sec. 209
Improving research and evaluation of public diplomacy
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