The digitalization of diplomacy maturity model (DD-MM): A new model for optimizing diplomatic digitalization
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp441-473Abstract
This paper introduces the Digitalization of Diplomacy Maturity Model (DD-MM), a comprehensive framework designed to assess and enhance the digital capabilities of diplomatic institutions. The DD-MM encompasses four critical dimensions: people, digital visibility, technology and security, and policies, providing a structured approach to evaluate and advance the maturity of digital diplomacy practices. In the people dimension, the model emphasizes role definitions, change management, and specialized training programs, highlighting the need for diplomats to acquire digital literacy and competency. The digital visibility dimension focuses on the strategic use of social media and other online platforms to enhance a nation's presence and influence in the digital sphere, emphasizing engagement with a global audience and proactive digital communications management. The technology and security dimension addresses ICT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data management, advocating for the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies to support diplomatic activities and ensure the security of sensitive information. The policies dimension underscores the necessity for clear guidelines and regulatory frameworks to govern the use of digital tools in diplomacy, including the formulation of policies that align with international standards and promote ethical practices. The DD-MM outlines a clear pathway for continuous improvement, guiding institutions from the initial stages of digital integration to advanced levels of optimization and strategic alignment.
Keywords: Digitalization of diplomacy, maturity model, model development, digital public diplomacy.
References
Anderson, M. S. (2014). The rise of modern diplomacy 1450—1919. Routledge.
Barston, R. P. (2019). Modern diplomacy (5th ed.). Routledge.
Bjola, C. (2016). Diplomatic ethics. In C.M. Constantinou, P. Kerr, & P. Sharp (Eds.), SAGE handbook of diplomacy (pp. 123–132). Sage.
Bjola, C., & Holmes, M. (2015). Digital diplomacy. Taylor & Francis.
Bjola, C., & Cassidy, J. (2015). Gone digital: Digital diplomacy at the University of Oxford. DiplomaticMagazine,1(2), 10–12.
Bjola, C., & Kornprobst, M. (2018). Understanding international diplomacy: Theory, practice and ethics (2nd ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Bjola, C., & Manor, I. (2022). The rise of hybrid diplomacy: From digital adaptation to digital adoption. International Affairs, 98(2), 471–491.
de Bruin, T., & Rosemann, M. (2005). Understanding the main phases of developing a maturity assessment model. Association for Information Systems.
Faĭzullaev, A. A. (2022). Diplomacy for professionals and everyone. Brill.
Freeman, C. W., & Marks, S. (2024). Diplomacy. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/diplomacy
Gilboa, E. (2008). Searching for a theory of public diplomacy. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616(1), 55–77.
Gilboa, E. (2016). Digital diplomacy. In C.M. Constantinou, P. Kerr, & P. Sharp (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of diplomacy (pp. 540–551). Sage.
Hedling, E., & Bremberg, N. (2021). Practice approaches to the digital transformations of diplomacy: Toward a new research agenda. International Studies Review, 23(4), 1595–1618.
Huijgh, E. (2017). Indonesia’s “intermestic” public diplomacy: Features and future. Politics & Policy, 45(5), 762–792.
Kos-Stanišić, L., & Car, V. (2021). The use of soft power in digital public diplomacy: The cases of Brazil and India in the EU. Politička Misao, 58(2), 113–140.
Kumar, A. (2022). Cyber diplomacy - The concept, evolution and its applicability. International Journal of Cyber Diplomacy, 3, 23–32.
Manor, I. (2019). The digitalization of public diplomacy. Springer International Publishing.
Manor, I., & Pamment, J. (2019). Towards prestige mobility? Diplomatic prestige and digital diplomacy. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 32(2), 93–131.
Manor, I., & Segev, E. (2020). Social media mobility: Leveraging twitter networks in online diplomacy. Global Policy, 11(2), 233–244.
Nye, J. (2004). Soft power: The means to success in world politics. Public Affairs.
Nye, J. (2011). Power: Hard, soft, and smart. In D.J. Christie (Ed.), The encyclopedia of peace psychology (pp. 559-574). Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Park, S., Chung, D., & Park, H. W. (2019). Analytical framework for evaluating digital diplomacy using network analysis and topic modeling: Comparing South Korea and Japan. Information Processing & Management, 56(4), 1468–1483.
Pilegaard, J. (2017). Virtually virtual? The new frontiers of diplomacy. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 12(4), 316–336.
Rashica, V. (2018). The benefits and risks of digital diplomacy. SEEU Review, 13(1), 75–89.
Reshetnikova, L., & Samokhina, I. (2023). Digital diplomacy and social media networks: Contemporary practices of innovation in foreign policy. Science Journal of Volgograd State University, 28(2), 205–213.
Riordan, S. (2007). Reforming foreign services for the twenty-first century. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 2(2), 161–173.
Röglinger, M., Pöppelbuß, J., & Becker, J. (2012). Maturity models in business process management. Business Process Management Journal, 18(2), 328–346.
Vevera, V. A. (2022). Promoting digital diplomacy through education. Bulletin of “Carol I” National Defence University, 10(4), 22–27.
Wallin, M. (2013). The challenges of the internet and social media in public diplomacy. American Security Project.