There's a reason Americans are confused about the value of overseas development assistance. And there's also a fix -- if the State Department gets serious about the next QDDR.

At this invitation-only policy roundtable, State Department Policy Planning Director Anne-Marie Slaughter shares her views on America's international engagement -- particularly regarding the world's crisis regions and those that are teetering on the edge.

Whether one supports or finds fault with current (and envisioned) U.S. diplomacy and international development processes and practices, most foreign policy analysts and academics will recognize the first Quadrennial Diplomatic and Development Review (QDDR) as a landmark document.

On Dec. 15, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rolled out the State Department's first ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) at an internal town hall meeting -- a year behind schedule. No surprise, it turns out to be more of a public relations document than a disciplined strategic review.

In a bid to streamline diplomacy and foreign aid, the State Department will "fundamentally change our management approach by turning to the expertise of other federal agencies where appropriate -- before engaging private contractors," according to the department's inaugural quadrennial review.

The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), was led by the state department and USAid to look at how diplomacy and development can work together more effectively. It was leaked ahead of schedule last month.

Last week’s unveiling of the State Department’s first-ever comprehensive strategic review – titled the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) – has been a long time coming. After a full year of delay, the department has finally admitted what government officials, academics, civilian workers and others have been saying for decades: the U.S. foreign policy apparatus is failing.

China has dominated South Korea’s foreign relations in the 21st century. Redefining the nation’s relationship with China, which is growing in power and its assertiveness in relation to its economic might, poses as the biggest conundrum for government officials on the diplomatic scene. South Korea relies heavily on the Chinese market to run its economy.