Strategic Assessment of Public Diplomacy

摘要

Just as the end of the Cold War forced the U.S. military to reexamine its role, it also has forced a reevaluation of the role of public diplomacy in furthering U.S. national goals and interests. Compounding the impact of a changing geopolitical framework are reductions in manpower and budget and rapidly changing technology. Such turmoil does not impact the overarching role of public diplomacy, but it significantly affects the specific application and execution of it. Attempts to assess the role and value of public diplomacy must begin with a clear definition of this instrument and a framework for assessment. The author defines public diplomacy as a government's attempt to shape foreign public opinion through overt, structured dissemination of truthful information to support its own national objectives, interests, and goals. An appropriate methodology for analysis is a 'top down' strategic planning strategy that answers certain fundamental questions. If the United States properly executed public diplomacy through a structured strategic approach, would this instrument work best alone or in conjunction with other instruments. How much time would be needed to create and field this form of power. Would public diplomacy be usable for multiple kinds of strategic objectives. And what would be the strengths and weaknesses of this instrument. These questions do not lend themselves to simple answers because the proper application of public diplomacy is situation and context dependent. No 'universal' public diplomacy template exists that is equally applicable in all countries. The strategic planning framework used in this paper is a structured, top-down approach to public diplomacy strategy development and execution that links specific activities to a hierarchy of objectives. The steps include developing the strategic estimate, establishing objectives, developing a resource constrained strategy, and developing supporting tasks and measures of merit.