A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF A COUNTRY’S PUBLIC DIPLOMACY STRATEGY

Mission

Strengthen influence, reputation and relationships internationally by promoting a clear, creative and confident vision for international policy agenda that reflects the country’s national interests.

Objectives

To advance targeted public diplomacy initiatives which promote economic, creative and cultural, sporting, innovation and science, and education assets to underline the country’s credentials as a destination for innovation, business, investment, tourism and study.

The objectives of the public diplomacy strategy should be to:

• Promote the country’s competitive investment environment, open and resilient economy, predictable regulatory framework and commitment to trade liberalization, tourism investment opportunities, strong education and training credentials, and excellence in innovation, science and technology.
• Strengthen the country’s influence in shaping the international political and security architecture in ways which advance the country’s national interests.
• Promote the country as an attractive place to study, work, visit, live and invest.

Goals

1. Promote the country’s economic credentials and support its economic diplomacy objectives

• Trade: pursue regional and global trade agreements that provide new opportunities for the country’s exporters and sustain a strong, rules-based architecture for global trade.
• Growth: support global growth and assist developing countries to address internal constraints to economic growth, such as restrictive regulations, poor infrastructure and lack of capacity in the private sector.
• Investment: promote investment into the country and the country’s investment internationally.
• Business: advance the interests of the country’s business abroad and the development of a stronger private sector as well as promote the country’s tourism.

Employ soft power for trade, investment and economic prosperity promotion.

Audience: Government; business; NGOs; science, medical and research institutions; education bodies; commentators; host countries.

3. Advocate the country’s vision for the international policy agenda

4. Promote the country’s development credentials

Highlight the country’s commitment to supporting partner countries to accelerate economic growth, enhancing stability, the impacts of climate change and reducing poverty through effective development and humanitarian assistance.

Audience: Government; NGOs; business; local beneficiaries;  think tanks; commentators.

5. Champion the country

Promote the country’s culture of resourcefulness, entrepreneurship and ingenuity; and its creative industries, scientific research organizations and education system.

Foster enduring people-to-people ties and institutional links across all levels of government and civil society.

Audience: Government; business; NGOs; research institutions; think tanks; diaspora communities; commentators; cultural and arts sector; sports and education sectors.

2. Approach

Public Diplomacy goals and objectives should be pursued through approaches which engage audiences on the country and which facilitate networks, collaboration and connections between people and institutions to build understanding, trust and influence in advancing the country’s national interests.

Cultural diplomacy

Culture provides a unique and critical forum for fostering mutual understanding and relationship-building. Cultural diplomacy has a vital role to play in international relations. Alliances are just as likely to be forged along the lines of cultural understanding as they are on economic or geographic ones.

• Establish networks and promote collaboration and exchange between the country’s artists/arts organizations and their international partners.
• Recognize the role of cultural actors as authentic and accessible barometers and agents of social change.
• Influence perceptions of the country at home and abroad.

Media engagement

Media engagement work provides significant opportunities to inform and influence audiences. Draw on a range of advocacy opportunities and tools, including official visits, informal briefings, interviews, news conferences and social media channels. Publicizing  policy developments, achievements, new services and significant statistics as well as human interest stories. International media visits to support implementation of  key foreign and trade policy objectives by providing participant journalists and their readers with an increased understanding of the country. International media visits should be targeted towards promoting international understanding of the country’s innovation, science and research capabilities and infrastructure; investment environment; and sporting assets and capabilities to host major events.

Sports diplomacy

Inform, engage and influence key groups, particularly youth, emerging leaders and women and girls.

• Build institutional and people-to-people linkages.
• Promote the country’s reputation for excellence in performance and training, sports governance and domestic participation.
• Support for development initiatives.
• Showcase major events capabilities.

Science diplomacy

Promote the country’s national innovation and science credentials; identify opportunities for collaboration; and further institutional and people-to-people links.

The strategy should be to:

• Enhance the country’s international competitiveness and economic diplomacy in innovation, science and technology.
• Promote the country as a destination for education and training.
• Lift the country’s profile as a partner for science center capacity building, research collaboration and international exchanges, including climate science.
• Facilitate greater international engagement and collaboration in innovation.

Engagement of audiences

Engage audiences on the country and facilitate international networks, collaboration and connections between institutions and communities to build understanding, trust and influence through eminent business and community leaders, advisory groups for brokering ideas on how to advance business, education, science, media, arts, culture and sporting links with key bilateral and regional partners interest.

• Expand efforts on economic diplomacy including through facilitating dialogue between business leaders and business media exchanges, as well as cultural exchange.
• Enhance engagement with diaspora communities abroad.
• Support enhanced use of digital communications including social media platforms to advocate, listen to and engage with domestic audiences.
• Promote stronger private sector partnerships to secure funding, partnerships and support.

Building networks of influence

A priority should be to build and nurture networks of influence and strengthening engagement with domestic and international stakeholders.

• Strengthen engagement with key institutions (domestically and abroad) including, NGOs, universities, science infrastructure and business groups and peak bodies to amplify public diplomacy messaging, including in political and business circles.
• Strengthen engagement with key private sector organizations, philanthropists and NGOs including in-kind sponsorship and financial support for public diplomacy events and outreach to broaden audiences through partner networks.
• Foster international cultural relationships to enhance global standing through culture and support market development for creative industries.
• Cultivate foreign influencers and 'local voices' across the political, business and cultural spheres, including youth representatives.
• Use expatriate networks abroad to strengthen relations and reinforce messages.
• Establish connections with the youth population through targeted activities using communication platforms where youth engage

Investing in public diplomacy content

• Make more effective use of communication technologies, including active use of online and social media as public diplomacy tools  through a new digital media strategy, expanded social media initiatives, co-branded social media campaigns, refreshed online media presence (post and public diplomacy websites) and clear, coordinated guidance in public diplomacy best practice and techniques.
• Plan public diplomacy campaigns, drawing on the programs of major cultural, sports, innovation and science, NGO and education partners, portfolio partners to anticipate and capitalize on visits, tours and events of major partners.
• Enhance approach to branding, including the development of corporate visibility guidelines to strengthen the country’s international profile
• Launch a dynamic Public Diplomacy Portal–a current and information-rich internal resource with communications products and content which can be adapted for local audiences and context.
• Build creative and strategic partnerships, including with media organizations  domestically and abroad (media partners for conferences and events, sponsoring media representatives to cover programs.