public diplomacy in practice

PD Foundations: Public Diplomacy in Practice

Paul Kruchoski

— 2 min read

This index provides navigation for "Public Diplomacy in Practice," the implementation volume of PD Foundations providing practitioners with foundational concepts, tools, and processes for day-to-day PD work.

Overview

"Public Diplomacy in Practice" provides a primer on the foundational concepts that practitioners need to implement and improve PD practices in missions in their day-to-day planning and work. The primary audience for this volume is PD practitioners in the field. The objective is to provide baseline definitions to support common understanding of the work of PD and specific actionable tools that practitioners can use in their day-to-day work.

This volume emphasizes policy-centered, audience-focused, data-informed public diplomacy and is organized around the five elements of the PD Framework: Apply Policy in Context, Analyze Audiences, Develop Plans, Manage Effectively, and Learn and Adapt.

Contents

Scope, Intent, and Executive Summary

The scope and purpose of this volume, and an executive summary outlining the major sections and their contributions to PD practice.

Section I: Introduction and Framework

Introduction and Core Concepts

Policy-centered, audience-focused, data-informed PD. Constraints and challenges in PD practice. Overview of the Public Diplomacy Framework.

The Five Framework Elements

Detailed guidance on each element: Apply Policy in Context, Analyze Audiences, Develop Plans, Manage Effectively, and Learn and Adapt.

Section II: Strategic Planning

Design Thinking for Strategic Planning

Design thinking overview and application to PD planning. The five-step design process for moving from strategic guidance to PD initiatives.

Audience Analysis and Problem Statements

Data-informed audience analysis. Developing effective problem statements that frame PD interventions.

Section III: Detailed Planning

Detailed Planning and Logic Models

Logic models as foundational planning and performance monitoring tools. Connecting inputs, actions, outputs, and outcomes.

Section IV: Implementation and Management

Teams, Knowledge, and Financial Management

Managing cross-functional PD teams. Knowledge management in PD sections. PD budgeting and financial management.

Monitoring

Overview and importance of monitoring in PD. The PD monitoring process and tools. Also consult the Monitoring Toolkit

Evaluation, Learning, and Adaptation

Evaluation types and principles. Conducting evaluations. After-action reviews. Reflecting and debriefing. Communicating best practices and lessons learned.

Appendices

Appendix A: Prioritization Tools

Linear scale, Eisenhower Matrix, Value v. Effort, and Prioritization Table tools for strategic decision-making.

Appendix B: Problem Statement Templates

Templates and guidance for developing effective problem statements.

Source: Public Diplomacy in Practice (Updated January 2025), Office of the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs

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