Foreign Assistance: Actions Needed to Better Assess the Impact of Agencies' Marking and Publicizing Efforts
Highlights
The negative perceptions of the United States associated with U.S. foreign policy initiatives have underscored the importance of the United States presenting a complete portrayal of the benefits that many in the world derive from U.S. foreign assistance efforts. Congress has expressed concerns that the United States has frequently understated or not publicized information about its foreign assistance programs. As requested, this report (1) describes the policies, regulations, and guidelines that agencies have established to mark and publicize foreign assistance; (2) describes how State, USAID, and other agencies mark and publicize foreign assistance; and (3) identifies key challenges that agencies face in marking and publicizing foreign assistance.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | To enhance U.S. marking and pubicity efforts, and to improve the information used to measure the impact of U.S. marking and publicizing programs, the Secretary of State should, in consultation with other U.S. executive agencies, develop a strategy, which appropriately utilizes techniques such as surveys and focus groups, to better assess the impact of U.S. marking and publicity programs and acitivities on public awareness. |
According to State's Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, the Department of State has not developed a formal strategy for assessing the impact of U.S. marking and publicity programs and activities on public awareness.
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| Department of State | To facilitate State's effort to implement its planned governmentwide guidance for marking and publicizing all U.S. foreign assistance programs and activities, the Secretary of State should, in consultation with other U.S. executive agencies, establish interagency agreements for marking and publicizing all U.S. foreign assistance. |
According to State's Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, while there have been interagency discussions regarding marking and labeling policy, there is not governmentwide guidance on this issue.
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