Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy

In fiscal 2014, the State Department spent $1.069 billion of public diplomacy funding.³

• Serves as the principal advisor to the secretary and deputy secretaries in the formulation, conduct and coordination of a comprehensive outreach and public affairs strategy in support of key diplomatic policies, priorities and initiatives worldwide
• Provides direction and coordination in the areas of international educational, academic and professional exchanges, international cultural diplomacy, international information policy, public affairs, foreign public opinion and U.S. government international civilian broadcasting
• Oversees the execution of such policies and programs, and chairs the interagency policy coordinating committee on public diplomacy and strategic communications
• Reconciles policy differences among assistant secretaries before presenting unified proposals to the secretary and deputy secretaries
• Testifies before congressional committees and appears in the media
• Coordinates closely with the White House communications director, the deputy secretary of defense for public information, the assistant secretary for legislative affairs, the broadcasting board of governors and other senior officials from departments and agencies⁴
• Prepares an annual strategic plan for public diplomacy in collaboration with overseas posts and in consultation with the department’s regional and functional bureaus
• Ensures the design and implementation of appropriate program evaluation methodologies
• Provides guidance to department personnel in the U.S. and overseas who conduct or implement public diplomacy policies, programs and activities
• Submits statements of U.S. policy and editorial material to the Broadcasting Board of Governors for broadcast consideration (22 U.S.C. 2651a)

[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]