Office of eDiplomacy
Encyclopedia
The Office of eDiplomacy acts as an applied technology
think tank
for the United States Department of State
. As part of the Bureau of Information Resource Management, eDiplomacy serves as a liaison between Department of State IT
specialists and Department of State diplomats and other employees / end users. Its mission is to support U.S. diplomats and American diplomacy through collaborative technologies, and to promote other technologies that assist this diplomatic work.
started the eDiplomacy Task Force. In 2003, the task force was reorganized into the Office of eDiplomacy. Currently, eDiplomacy falls under the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Business, Management, and Planning.
Richard Boly
is the current Director, and Scott A. Smith is the Chief of eDiplomacy's Diplomatic Innovation Division.
Other previous eDiplomacy Directors at the U.S. Department of State include:
. A few of its current projects are:
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
for the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
. As part of the Bureau of Information Resource Management, eDiplomacy serves as a liaison between Department of State IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
specialists and Department of State diplomats and other employees / end users. Its mission is to support U.S. diplomats and American diplomacy through collaborative technologies, and to promote other technologies that assist this diplomatic work.
History
In 2002, Ambassador James HolmesJames Howard Holmes
James Howard Holmes was born April 1, 1943, the second son of the Rev. Robert Usher and Bertha Jeannette Cook Holmes. He is a 1965 graduate of Colgate University, as well as, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and the National War College...
started the eDiplomacy Task Force. In 2003, the task force was reorganized into the Office of eDiplomacy. Currently, eDiplomacy falls under the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Business, Management, and Planning.
Richard Boly
Richard Boly
is a career U.S. diplomat and currently the Director of the Office of eDiplomacy, an applied technology think tank for the U.S. Department of State. Previously, he was a National Security Affairs Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he launched the Global Entrepreneurship...
is the current Director, and Scott A. Smith is the Chief of eDiplomacy's Diplomatic Innovation Division.
Other previous eDiplomacy Directors at the U.S. Department of State include:
- Joe Johnson
- Gerry Gallucci
- Gary Galloway (acting)
- Thomas Niblock
- Stephen Smith
- Daniel P. Sheerin (acting)
Projects
eDiplomacy is actively developing a number of technologies which allow the diplomatic community to share and maintain institutional knowledgeKnowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
. A few of its current projects are:
- DiplopediaDiplopediaDiplopedia, billed as the Encyclopedia of the United States Department of State, is a wiki running on a State internal Intranet, called "OpenNet". It houses a unique collection of information pertaining to diplomacy, international relations, and Department of State tradecraft.The wiki may be used...
, a wikiWikiA wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
space that is the encyclopedia of the Department of State, currently containing over 10,000 entries - Virtual Presence Posts (VPPs), a new approach which allows for U.S. diplomatic presence in important cities, regions and communities without buildings or permanent staff. The technique involves regular travel, programs, media outreach, and new technology. There are currently more than 50 VPPs worldwide.
- Communities @ StateCommunities @ StateCommunities @ State is one of the U.S. government's internal blogs to promote inter-agency dialog. The sites in Communities @ State combine content with conversation. They allow easy publication of information, and let readers comment on the material...
, a series of communities of practice using web log (blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
) software that are designed to strengthen various types of communities within the Department. As of June 2009, there were over 70 existing and planned communities at State, with over 30,000 combined blog entries. - Virtual Work Environments: eDiplomacy is poised to play a leading role in the Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) adoption effort at State. The State Messaging and Archive Retrieval Toolset (SMART) program is heading the WSS deployment effort with deployment scheduled by September 2009.
- Remote access and teleworkingTelecommutingTelecommuting or telework is a work arrangement in which employees enjoy flexibility in working location and hours. In other words, the daily commute to a central place of work is replaced by telecommunication links...
. - ClassifiedClassified informationClassified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
web publishingWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
for sharing diplomatic reporting and analysis with the U.S. Government's foreign affairsUnited States Foreign ServiceThe United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
and national security communities. - After developing and launching the State Department Sounding BoardState Department Sounding BoardUS Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked for the creation of an online forum for State Department employees to submit ideas directly to the Secretary...
in 2009, Office of eDiplomacy staff actively contribute to this internal idea sharing forum, now managed by the Management Bureau and the Secretary of StateSecretary of StateSecretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
's cadre.
Other Media Mentions
- Updates on the Office of eDiplomacy
- State Department using Collaboration and Social for Operational Effectiveness
- eDiplomacy Ushers In a New Culture of Collaboration at State
- eDiplomacy on Twitter
- eDiplomacy on Facebook
See also
- State Department Sounding BoardState Department Sounding BoardUS Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked for the creation of an online forum for State Department employees to submit ideas directly to the Secretary...
- Transformational DiplomacyTransformational DiplomacyTransformational Diplomacy is a diplomacy initiative championed by former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for reinvigorating American Foreign Policy and the United States Foreign Service....
- United States Department of StateUnited States Department of StateThe United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...