Fall Forum 2022: Strategic Communications

The Problem

There is no single organization in the U.S. Government that is charged with enabling “consistent, ubiquitous strategic communications using all the venues and technologies available to the government”.  There is no top-level agency that oversees “all traditional and electronic messaging, including social media, all foreign policy-related public statements, and efforts by other departments”.

The Goal of First Gates Forum

In a budget austere environment, design and resource a strategic communications organization that controls and coordinates the expanded number of modern instruments/tools that can be deployed to support a strategic communications strategy.  Design policy or legislation that supports the creation of this organization.  

Conduct the research required to help answer the following questions

  • In addition to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, are there any other U.S. agencies or organizations focused on any of the elements, or tools, used in strategic communications?

  • What metrics will provide insights into the effectiveness, or futility, of any strategic communications effort or agency? Include leading as well as lagging metrics.

  • What are examples of successful strategic communications agencies/organizations around the world? China and Russia are sure to be two examples; however, are there others?

  • What are the strategic communications channels that the Russian and Chinese use in their strategic communications operations? Do we have to mirror, or replicate, those channels when conducting strategic communications operations?

  • Given the Russians use of cyber on social media, how do we separate, or do we, cyber operations from strategic communications? Should cyber be used in strategic communications?

  • Where in U.S. government agencies are there people and funding currently that could be redirected, or pulled, to create a top-level agency responsible for all components of strategic communications?

  • Could we adequately fund an agency to execute strategic communications and make it budget neutral?

  • What are the required components of any strategic communications agency?

  • Does the U.S. have, or has it ever had, an effective information operations strategy?

  • Is there a role for private sector universities, and the students that they send abroad, in strategic communications?