New Report on Data-Driven Public Diplomacy

On September 16, the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy released a study on public diplomacy and impact evaluation. The report, Data-Driven Public Diplomacy: Progress Towards Measuring the Impact of Public Diplomacy and International Broadcasting Activities, provides key recommendations on how to better support data-driven programs and campaigns that engage foreign audiences.

CPD Director Dr. Jay Wang was part of the research group that completed the appraisal of current evaluation efforts and made recommendations based on the findings. Dr. Nicholas Cull, director of the USC Master of Public Diplomacy Program and CPD University Fellow contributed a historical preface to the report tracing the evolution of evaluation and measurement of U.S. public diplomacy. CPD also provided institutional support for the project.

The report is based on an analysis of nearly 100 State Department and BBG (Broadcasting Board of Governors) research and evaluation documents, in addition to dozens of interviews with the staff responsible for them. It makes suggestions on structures and methodologies needed to make foreign audience research more robust, impact assessment more institutionalized, and feedback loops for strategy and tactics more systematic.

The report's findings were presented to the public, members of the staff of Congress, federal government officials, the media and representatives from other governmental and NGO organizations at the Capitol Visitor's Center in Washington, D.C.

More information about the report and the research group convened by the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy can be found here.

Click here to download the report.