The Foreign Service Journal, October 2006

other as much as they are connect- ing to information on the Web. Putting your message out there offers no guarantee that the audi- ence will receive it. On the other hand, Internet search technology, blogs and syndi- cation have greatly simplified com- munication with people who are receptive to your message. Religious extremists are an excellent example of the phenomenon. Al-Qaida exploits the Internet to market its ideology as well as to operate. It is difficult to find impartial evaluation of public diplomacy’s success with online media; full evaluation is probably not possible without active data collection at the embassy level, where IIP articles, journals and other products are promoted and distributed to local embassy contacts. The Web chats may be fine things to do, but they are mere tactics; they mean nothing until their effect can be evaluated. USAID’s low-tech repository of foreign assistance success stories ( www.usaid.gov/stories/) might even claim more cost-effective results. ECA: Technological Advantage Can Threaten Bureaucracy The Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau is in some respects the leader in the intelligent use of tech- nology. The bureau has developed multiple databases to hold information about exchanges alumni, and it is work- ing to integrate those databases so as to evaluate exchange programs. The bureau has been conducting program evaluation for more than 10 years using data processing, and the results are beginning to show. The Office of Management and Budget describes its pro- grams as “effective,” its highest rating, explaining: “[The Bureau of] Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department use performance data and tools to make management decisions. They are now focused on meet- ing with staff regularly and have adapted tracking systems to better monitor and evaluate ongoing activities.” At a tactical level, the bureau has established a Web site for former exchange participants at https://alumni. state.gov/, where ex-Fulbrighters and others can network. The site is private, but its description speaks of “a global community.” The CultureConnect arts program (http:// cultureconnect.state.gov/) aims to link aspiring artists around the globe with U.S.-sponsored artistic ambas- sadors. It is surprising that we’re not hearing more about initiatives like those. Both are in sync with current media consumption trends (think of Facebook.com) and both magnify other PD programs. The spread of access to the Internet is enabling distance learn- ing and collaborative academic research, which will be a windfall for international edu- cation. To examine in detail what emerging technologies may offer, it is worth consulting the New Media Consortium’s annual Horizon Report, which describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact in higher education over the next one to five years (see www.nmc.org/pdf/2006_Horizon_Report.pdf ). However, to exploit these trends intelligently, ECA will have to streamline its own bureaucracy. The bureau took a first step when it conducted a review of its information architecture two years ago. (Infor- mation architecture describes how information is man- aged within an organization and how that affects needs for computing.) To understand why this is a critical issue, visit www.exchanges.state.gov, which lists 29 separate pro- grams for Americans and foreigners — several of them named after members of Congress. That complexity is matched by the numerous IT systems supporting the programs, each tweaked to match a different set of pro- cedures. The perennial squeeze on ECA’s administrative overhead places a premium on standardizing paperwork. Tedious though they are, tasks like business-process modernization can save significant resources. Broadcasting: Are They Really Listening? Since the U.S. government began radio broadcasts to foreign audiences during WorldWar II, government-paid newsmen have jealously guarded their editorial freedom from interference by diplomats. Today, the Broadcasting Board of Governors oversees seven different radio and television organizations. The Secretary of State holds one seat on a board of private-sector members from both major parties. The board’s Web site speaks of its “fire- wall” function to insulate foreign broadcasters from polit- ical interference. Yet no other element of public diplo- macy experiences as much political conflict as the broad- casting board, which often winds up on the pages of the F O C U S 46 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 On balance, technology is making public affairs and public communication harder, not easier.