Is the State Department so full of problems today that it requires rebuilding from scratch if there is to be effective civilian leadership of America’s foreign affairs? From the recent report on the dysfunction within the Africa Bureau (which ignored the failure of intra-agency integration), the militarization of foreign aid and situation with USAID, to the continuing problem of the militarization of public diplomacy and strategic communication underlying the question of who represents America to the world, are we seeing more of the iceberg?
If change is necessary, are the Secretary of State’s authorities and leadership enough to push the necessary changes without creating a paralyzing backlash from within? Must change come from Congress in a modern (and more sweeping) version of the Goldwater-Nichols Act (which would beg the question of who would be the modern Goldwater)?
What are your thoughts?
Related:
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- What is the purpose of Public Diplomacy if not to influence?
- Public Diplomacy is not an influence activity and the DOD can only use PSYOP to engage foreign audiences
- New Defense Department Plan on Strategic Communication and Science and Technology
- Broadcasting Board of Governors: empty seats at the public diplomacy table
- Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy is at Odds with Social Media, and What to Do about It: an interview with Matt Armstrong
- Defining Public Diplomacy (again)
- In America? Smith-Mundt means no SMS updates on the President’s Ghana speech for you!
- Debating the Theory vs Practice of Public Diplomacy
- Report on the Smith-Mundt Symposium
- Must. Be. AWESOME! by Chris DuFour
- Government reports on public diplomacy you may have missed
State has been “broken” for a long time. See my 2003 article in the NSSJ:”Unfinished Business:
Foreign Affairs Consolidation was
only the Beginning
William P. Kiehl
© National Security Studies Quarterly Volume VII, Issue 1 (Winter 2001).
O N 1 OCTOBER 1999, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE ABSORBED THE
formerly independent United States Information Agency (USIA),
concluding a consolidation of the foreign affairs agencies agreed upon
by both the Clinton administration and Congress. The consolidation also
brought the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) into the De-
partment of State and brought the Agency for International Development
(AID) under closer State Department control.1 Unfortunately for the Depart-
ment of State and for the foreign policy interests of the United States, the
consolidation missed a unique opportunity to reform the “host” agency itself.
There is no one close to the foreign policy process who can fail to recog-
nize the Department of State is a troubled cabinet agency. Indeed the depart-
ment that often talks about “failed “ or “failing” states is a failed—or at least
failing—cabinet department. Starved for resources for a generation and an-
nually expected to “do more with less,” the department’s failings are all too
evident. Problems include an antiquated and over-centralized financial ac-
counting system; three incompatible e-mail systems and serious weaknesses
across the cyberspace spectrum; little serious training or emphasis on man-
agement and planning; very serious morale, retention, and recruitment prob-
lems; appalling security lapses; decreased relevance in the interagency pro-
cess, especially in economic and political-military matters; a culture fixated
on process rather than product; and a reputation for both arrogance and du-
plicity on Capitol Hill which belies the reality that the Department of State …”
Perhaps I will post the whole thing (13 pages) on my website or blog if there is interest. But, of course, this was written 8 years ago so some update will be necessary. Nevertheless, many of the basic problems described herein remain.
2001 not 2003.
Bill – I think you should republish the whole piece. Has anything much changed since 2001? Not that I’ve seen.
Bill, whatever year it was, please repost it. I will read avidly.And, just going on your short post…spot on.
Absolutely it’s time to overhaul the Byzantine organization that is the State Dept! While Congress is at it, it should fund the State Dept so it can carry out its mission!
The answer to the question is, Yes.