Policy Briefs | 02 November 2010

A digital DFAT: joining the 21st century

Ediplomacy is no longer a boutique extra. Serious foreign ministries are embracing it to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. Australia’s own Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a lot of catching up to do. It also has a lot to gain.  

  • Fergus Hanson

Ediplomacy is no longer a boutique extra. Serious foreign ministries are embracing it to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. Australia’s own Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a lot of catching up to do. It also has a lot to gain.  

  • Fergus Hanson
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Key Findings

  • A root and branch ediplomacy overhaul is needed if DFAT is to stay relevant and keep pace with other benchmark foreign ministries.
  • Perhaps as a result of sustained under-resourcing, DFAT has only more recently moved beyond the use of simple website technology.
  • While there is a tendency to associate ediplomacy with social networking platforms these form only one (limited) aspect of ediplomacy.

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Executive Summary

This policy brief looks at the latest ediplomacy innovations being pioneered by the US, UK and Canadian foreign ministries, drawing on meetings with their ediplomacy units.

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