Sec. 6. Improving research and evaluation of public diplomacy
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In this section: The term audience research means research conducted at the outset of a 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.
The term public diplomacy bureaus and offices means— the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; the Bureau of Public Affairs; the Bureau of International Information Programs; the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; the Global Engagement Center; and the public diplomacy functions within the regional and functional bureaus. The Secretary of State shall— conduct regular research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department of State, 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 of State shall appoint a Director of Research and Evaluation (referred to in this subsection as the Director ) in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The appointment of the Director pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall not result in an increase in the overall full-time equivalent positions within the Department of State. The Director shall— coordinate and oversee the research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs of the Department of State— 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 Planning in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; routinely organize and oversee audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department of State; support embassy public affairs sections; share appropriate public diplomacy research and evaluation information within the Department of State 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 biannually to the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, through the Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation established pursuant to subsection (g), regarding the research and evaluation of all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department of State. Not later than 1 year after the appointment of the Director pursuant to paragraph (1), the Director shall create guidance and training, including curriculum for use by the Foreign Service Institute, 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 of State. The Director of Policy Planning 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 of State. Amounts allocated for the purposes of research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities pursuant to subsection
(b)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 of State. It is the sense of Congress that the Department of State should gradually increase its allocation of funds made available under the headings and educational and cultural exchange programs for research and evaluation of public diplomacy activities and programs pursuant to subsection
(a)to a percentage of program funds that is commensurate with government best practices. diplomatic and consular programs Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the Paperwork Reduction Act ) shall not apply to collections of information directed at any individuals conducted by, or on behalf of, the Department of State for the purpose of audience research, monitoring, and evaluations, and in connection with the Department’s activities conducted pursuant to— the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 ( 22 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.); the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.); section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( Public Law 114–328 ; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note); or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.). The Department of State shall maintain, collect, use, and disseminate records (as defined in section 552a(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code) for research and data analysis of communications related to public diplomacy efforts intended for foreign audiences. Research and data analysis under paragraph
(1)shall be— reasonably tailored to meet the purposes of this subsection; and carried out with due regard for privacy and civil liberties guidance and oversight. The United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy shall establish a Subcommittee for Research and Evaluation to monitor and advise regarding the research and evaluation activities of the Department of State and the United States Agency for Global Media. 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 United States Agency for Global Media in carrying out research and evaluations of their respective public diplomacy programming.
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Sec. 6
Improving research and evaluation of public diplomacy
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