Beginning in 2002, State  introduced three key initiatives focused on reaching younger and broader  Muslim audiences to supplement the standard exchange and information  programs used by most embassies; these initiatives have been largely  terminated or suspended. Specifically, we noted that while State’s  Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs received the largest overall share  of overseas public diplomacy resources, the largest percentage increases in  such resources occurred in regions with significant Muslim populations. 2). The YES and PLUS programs, with a  combined budget of $25 million, remain active in fiscal year 2006. In addition, posts are  not required to develop in-depth analysis to better inform and support their  program decisions or country-specific communication plans to help inform  and guide their implementation efforts. Target Audiences Have Not Been Clearly Defined

Private sector best practices suggest that analyzing target markets in depth  and segmenting these markets are critical to developing effective  information campaigns. The reviewers suggested that exchange programs could be  reinforced with targeted strategic information programs. In 2004,  the National Security Council and the department created the Muslim  World Outreach Policy Coordinating Committee to develop an interagency  strategy to marginalize extremists. Staffing Challenges at Posts in the Muslim World: Tour Length, Time, and Language Capability

Insufficient numbers of public diplomacy staff and staff time hinder  outreach efforts at posts in the Muslim world. To address  these challenges, State has taken several steps, both at the department and  post level, highlighted by the Secretary’s transformational diplomacy  initiative, but it is too early to evaluate the effectiveness of this initiative. According  to data provided by State, in countries with significant Muslim populations,  30 percent of language-designated public diplomacy positions are filled by  officers without the requisite proficiency in those languages, compared  with 24 percent elsewhere. State’s efforts will  focus on critical languages spoken in the Muslim world, such as Arabic,  Farsi, Turkish, and Urdu, among others. State Lacks Systematic Means for Communicating Best Practices

While individual posts have devised innovative approaches to overcome  the challenges their public diplomacy programs face, State generally lacks  a systematic, comprehensive means of communicating these practices and  transferring knowledge and experience across posts. Conclusions

In recent years, State has shifted public diplomacy resources to the Muslim  world, but three of its new initiatives specifically designed to reach Muslim  audiences have been short-lived. These are all positive steps. State currently lacks a systematic  mechanism for sharing best practices, which could help address some of  these challenges. Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve the delivery of public diplomacy messages to Muslim audiences  around the world, we recommend that the Secretary of State direct the  Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs to take  the following two actions:  To increase the sophistication and effectiveness of U.S. outreach efforts,  develop written guidance detailing how the department intends to  implement its public diplomacy goals as they apply to the Muslim world  and incorporates the strategic communication best practices discussed  in this report. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

To determine what public diplomacy resources and programs the State  Department (State) has directed to the Muslim world, we reviewed State  budget requests, annual performance and accountability reports, and other  documents. To assess whether posts adopted a strategic approach to implementing  public diplomacy, we reviewed Washington-produced mission performance  planning guidance prepared by the Office of Policy, Planning, and  Resources (located within the Office of the Under Secretary for Public  Diplomacy and Public Affairs), the results of a fiscal year 2005 review of  mission performance plans conducted by the Bureau of Resource  Management, public opinion polling results prepared by the Bureau of  Intelligence and Research, and related strategic planning and evaluation  documents prepared by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and  the Bureau of International Information Programs. The United States has no clearly defined strategic framework, themes, or  messages.
Why GAO Did This Study

Public opinion polls have shown continued negative sentiments toward the United States in the Muslim world. Public diplomacy activities--led by the State Department (State)--are designed to counter such sentiments by explaining U.S. foreign policy actions, countering misinformation, and advancing mutual understanding between nations. GAO was asked to examine (1) what public diplomacy resources and programs State has directed to the Muslim world, (2) whether posts have adopted a strategic approach to implementing public diplomacy, and (3) what challenges remain to be addressed.

What GAO Found

State has increased public diplomacy resources to countries with significant Muslim populations in recent years and launched three major initiatives directed at the Muslim world. Comparing data for fiscal years 2004 and 2006, overseas operations budgets have increased, with the largest percentage increases going to regional bureaus with significant Muslim populations. However, the number of authorized overseas positions in all regional bureaus increased slightly or not at all. As part of the Secretary of State's newly announced transformational diplomacy initiative, the department intends to reposition staff to better align with policy priorities. Since 2002, State has initiated three public diplomacy activities focused on the Muslim world--a media campaign, a youth-oriented magazine, and a group of youth-focused exchange programs--but these initiatives have been largely terminated or suspended. However, several exchange programs continue to target youth in the Muslim world. In addition, posts in the Muslim world use a range of standard programs and tools which the Under Secretary plans to supplement with several new initiatives. GAO's fieldwork revealed that posts' public diplomacy efforts generally lacked important strategic communication elements found in the private sector, which GAO and others have suggested adopting as a means to better communicate with target audiences. These elements include having core messages, segmented target audiences, in-depth research and analysis to monitor and evaluate results, and an integrated communication plan that brings all these elements together. These findings were reinforced by State's own post-level review. State established a new strategic framework for public diplomacy in fiscal year 2006, calling for, among other things, marginalizing extremists and demonstrating respect for Muslim cultures. However, posts have not been given written guidance on how to implement this strategy. Such guidance is a critical first step to developing in-depth communication plans in the field. Posts in the Muslim world face several challenges in implementing their public diplomacy programs, including the need to balance security with public outreach and concerns related to staff numbers and language capabilities. For example, we found that 30 percent of language designated public diplomacy positions in the Muslim world were filled by officers without the requisite language skills. State has begun to address many of these challenges, but it is too early to evaluate the effectiveness of many of these efforts. Further, State lacks a systematic, comprehensive means of sharing best practices in public diplomacy, which could help transfer knowledge and experience across posts.