Last month, Itad had the honour of hosting a session at PeaceCon 2024, an annual event organised by the Alliance for Peacebuilding. This year’s conference took place from 10-12 September at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus, bringing together thought leaders, practitioners, and stakeholders from around the globe to exchange ideas on promoting peace and conflict prevention.
Our session, titled “Informing Effective Diplomacy: Measuring Diplomatic Engagement for Effective Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention under the US Global Fragility Act,” focused on an emerging and critical area: how to measure diplomatic engagement in ways that are both practical and insightful for policymakers and practitioners.
Key themes from the session
The session explored innovative tools and approaches for measuring diplomatic engagement, drawing from Itad’s collaborative work with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). We introduced practical frameworks such as the Political Access and Influence (PAI) Framework and Outcome Harvesting to support Global Fragility Act goals. These tools aim to offer light-touch but effective ways to assess whether diplomatic interventions are truly making a difference.
As highlighted in our discussion, diplomacy often faces measurement challenges – success can go beyond simple outputs (like meetings held) to more nuanced outcomes (such as policy changes or operational impact). Through case studies and practical examples, we showed that an outcome-focused approach can generate meaningful insights that inform future strategies for conflict prevention and stabilization.
Takeaways and insights
Participating in the conference was a unique opportunity to engage with experts and stakeholders from organisations such as USAID, the US Department of State, and academia. We delved into discussions about how low-burden, yet effective measurement practices can help identify what works (and what doesn’t) in diplomatic contexts. The exchange of ideas with practitioners and policymakers provided new perspectives on how to navigate the complexities of diplomacy while staying aligned with strategic goals.
On a personal note, organising and hosting this session was both exciting and rewarding. From planning and preparation to interacting with participants, it was an opportunity to learn, share, and grow – not just as facilitators but also as participants in the dialogue on how diplomacy can be better measured and improved.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, Itad will continue its collaboration with USIP to advance the measurement of diplomatic engagement. Before the end of the year, we’ll be conducting a training session for Global Fragility Act stakeholders, providing hands-on guidance on how these measurement tools can be applied to enhance peacebuilding efforts. We’re excited to see how these approaches will evolve and contribute to more impactful and evidence-driven diplomatic efforts.
PeaceCon 2024 gave us a valuable platform to share, learn, and connect with peers who are equally passionate about making diplomacy more effective. We are grateful for the opportunity to present our work, engage with stakeholders, and receive feedback that will shape the future of our efforts. As we continue working on measuring diplomatic engagement in partnership with USIP and others, we look forward to building on the momentum gained at this event.
