<![CDATA[This study examined the effectiveness of protocol and leadership communication in supporting the performance of the regional head in Southeast Aceh Regency and identified the factors that facilitated or constrained that effectiveness. A qualitative descriptive-analytical approach was employed. Informants were selected purposively on the basis of their involvement, knowledge, and experience, while data were obtained through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. The evidence was analyzed interactively through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing, with source and technique triangulation used to strengthen credibility. The findings showed that the Protocol and Leadership Communication Section had performed its basic functions but had not yet achieved fully institutionalized effectiveness. Of 144 regional-head activities in 2025, 109 met protocol standards, 21 experienced delays of 15-25 minutes, eight underwent sudden agenda changes, and six encountered documentation problems. Effectiveness was further constrained by limited resources, manually managed cross-agency coordination, fragmented information flows, and informal post-event evaluation. The study concluded that stronger standardization, workload and competency mapping, resource reinforcement, integrated information management, and systematic evaluation were required to make organizational support more anticipatory, consistent, and less dependent on individual improvisation]]>
