Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021
This bill establishes measures related to public diplomacy conducted by the Department of State.
Specifically, the bill directs the State Department to appoint a Director of Research and Evaluation in the State Department's Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The director's responsibilities shall include (1) overseeing research to improve State Department public diplomacy strategy and tactics, and (2) developing guidance and training for public diplomacy officers on interpreting and implementing public diplomacy-related research.
The bill permanently reauthorizes the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy and directs the commission to establish the Subcommittee for Research and Evaluation. The subcommittee shall provide advice regarding audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluation for State Department activities.
The bill directs the State Department to establish a working group to analyze a potential transition to a shared-services model for human resources, travel, purchasing, and all other executive support functions for all bureaus that report to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.
The State Department shall adopt certain guidelines related to collecting and utilizing information in the event of a closure or consolidation of a public diplomacy facility.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1253 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1253
To modernize and streamline the public diplomacy capabilities of the
Department of State, increase evaluation of public diplomacy
programming, enhance strategic planning for the Department's public
diplomacy physical presence abroad, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 23, 2021
Mr. Meuser (for himself and Mr. McCaul) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To modernize and streamline the public diplomacy capabilities of the
Department of State, increase evaluation of public diplomacy
programming, enhance strategic planning for the Department's public
diplomacy physical presence abroad, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Public Diplomacy Modernization Act
of 2021''.
SEC. 2. AVOIDING DUPLICATION OF PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS.
The Secretary of State shall--
(1) identify opportunities for greater efficiency of
operations, including through improved coordination of efforts
across public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department
of State; and
(2) maximize shared use of resources between, and within,
such public diplomacy bureaus and offices in cases in which
programs, facilities, or administrative functions are
duplicative or substantially overlapping.
SEC. 3. IMPROVING RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.
(a) Research and Evaluation Activities.--The Secretary of State,
acting through the Director of Research and Evaluation appointed
pursuant to subsection (b), shall--
(1) 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
(2) make available to Congress the findings of the research
and evaluations conducted under paragraph (1).
(b) Director of Research and Evaluation.--
(1) Appointment.--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
of the Department.
(2) Limitation on appointment.--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.
(3) Responsibilities.--The Director shall--
(A) coordinate and oversee the research and
evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities
of the Department of State in order to--
(i) improve public diplomacy strategies and
tactics; and
(ii) ensure that such programs and
activities are increasing the knowledge,
understanding, and trust of the United States
by relevant target audiences;
(B) routinely organize and oversee audience
research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations
across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the
Department;
(C) support United States diplomatic posts' public
affairs sections;
(D) share appropriate public diplomacy research and
evaluation information within the Department and with
other appropriate Federal departments and agencies;
(E) regularly design and coordinate standardized
research questions, methodologies, and procedures to
ensure that public diplomacy programs and activities
across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices are
designed to meet appropriate foreign policy objectives;
and
(F) report biannually to the United States Advisory
Commission on Public Diplomacy, through the
Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation established
pursuant to subsection (f), regarding the research and
evaluation of all public diplomacy bureaus and offices.
(4) Guidance and training.--Not later than one year after
the appointment of the Director pursuant to paragraph (1), the
Director shall develop guidance and training, including
curriculum for use by the Foreign Service Institute, for all
public diplomacy officers of the Department regarding the
reading and interpretation of public diplomacy program and
activity evaluation findings to ensure that such findings and
related lessons learned are implemented in the planning and
evaluation of all public diplomacy programs and activities of
the Department.
(c) Prioritizing Research and Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--The head of the Office of Policy,
Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
of the Department of State shall ensure that research and
evaluation of public diplomacy and activities of the
Department, as coordinated and overseen by the Director
pursuant to subsection (b), supports strategic planning and
resource allocation across all public diplomacy bureaus and
offices of the Department.
(2) Allocation of resources.--Amounts allocated for the
purpose of research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs
and activities of the Department of State 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.
(3) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Department of State should gradually increase its
allocation of funds made available under the headings
``Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs'' and ``Diplomatic
Programs'' for research and evaluation of public diplomacy
programs and activities of the Department pursuant to
subsection (b) to a percentage of program funds that is
commensurate with Federal Government best practices.
(d) Limited Exemption Relating to the Paperwork Reduction Act.--
Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the
``Paperwork Reduction Act'') shall not apply to the collection 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 any of the following:
(1) The Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).
(2) Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
(3) The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et
seq.).
(e) Limited Exemption Relating to the Privacy Act.--
(1) In general.--The Department of State shall maintain,
collect, use, and disseminate records (as such term is defined
in section 552a(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code) for
audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluation of
communications related to public diplomacy efforts intended for
foreign audiences.
(2) Conditions.--Audience research, digital analytics, and
impact evaluations under paragraph (1) shall be--
(A) reasonably tailored to meet the purposes of
this subsection; and
(B) carried out with due regard for privacy and
civil liberties guidance and oversight.
(f) United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.--
(1) Subcommittee for research and evaluation.--The United
States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy shall establish
a Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation to monitor and advise
regarding audience research, digital analytics, and impact
evaluations carried out by the Department of State and the
United States Agency for Global Media.
(2) Annual report.--The Subcommittee on Research and
Evaluation established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall submit
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate an annual report, in conjunction with the United States
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy's Comprehensive Annual
Report on the performance of the Department of State and the
United States Agency for Global Media, describing all actions
taken by the Subcommittee pursuant to paragraph (1) and any
findings made as a result of such actions.
SEC. 4. PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES ADVISORY
COMMISSION ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.
Section 1334 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6553) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``sunset'' and
inserting ``continuation''; and
(2) by striking ``until October 1, 2021''.
SEC. 5. STREAMLINING OF SUPPORT FUNCTIONS.
(a) Working Group Established.--Not later than 60 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
establish a working group to explore the possibilities and cost-benefit
analysis of transitioning to a shared services model as such pertains
to human resources, travel, purchasing, budgetary planning, and all
other executive support functions for all bureaus of the Department of
State that report to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy of the
Department.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a plan to implement any
such findings of the working group established under subsection (a).
SEC. 6. GUIDANCE FOR CLOSURE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY FACILITIES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall adopt, and include
in the Foreign Affairs Manual, guidelines to collect and utilize
information from each diplomatic post at which the construction of a
new embassy compound or new consulate compound would result in the
closure or co-location of an American Space, American Center, American
Corner, or any other public diplomacy facility under the Secure Embassy
Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (22 U.S.C. 4865 et seq.).
(b) Requirements.--The guidelines required by subsection (a) shall
include the following:
(1) Standardized notification to each chief of mission at a
diplomatic post describing the requirements of the Secure
Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 and the
impact on the mission footprint of such requirements.
(2) An assessment and recommendations from each chief of
mission of potential impacts to public diplomacy programming at
such diplomatic post if any public diplomacy facility referred
to in section (a) is closed or staff is co-located in
accordance with such Act.
(3) A process by which assessments and recommendations
under paragraph (2) are considered by the Secretary of State
and the appropriate Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries
of the Department of State.
(4) Notification to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations
of the Senate, prior to the initiation of a new embassy
compound or new consulate compound design, of the intent to
close any such public diplomacy facility or co-locate public
diplomacy staff in accordance with such Act.
(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report containing the
guidelines required under subsection (a) and any recommendations for
any modifications to such guidelines.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Audience research.--The term ``audience research''
means research conducted at the outset of a public diplomacy
program or the outset of campaign planning and design regarding
specific audience segments to understand the attitudes,
interests, knowledge, and behaviors of such audience segments.
(2) Digital analytics.--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.
(3) Impact evaluation.--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.
(4) Public diplomacy bureaus and offices.--The term
``public diplomacy bureaus and offices'' means, with respect to
the Department, the following:
(A) The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
(B) The Bureau of Global Public Affairs.
(C) The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources
for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
(D) The Global Engagement Center.
(E) The public diplomacy functions within the
regional and functional bureaus.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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