§ 2732b — Improving Research And Evaluation Of Public Diplomacy

(a) The Secretary, 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). (1) Not later than 90 days after December 27, 2021, the Secretary 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) 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. (3) The Director shall— (A) coordinate and oversee the research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department 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) Not later than 1 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. (1) The head of the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of the Department 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) Amounts allocated for the purpose of research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department 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) It is the sense of Congress that the Department 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) Chapter 35 of title 44 (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.). (1) The Department shall maintain, collect, use, and disseminate records (as such term is defined in section 552a(a)(4) of title 5) for audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluation of communications related to public diplomacy efforts intended for foreign audiences. (2) 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. (1) 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 and the United States Agency for Global Media. (2) The Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an annual report, in conjunction with the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s Comprehensive Annual Report on the performance of the Department 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.