Questions and Answers - Amended Communications Policy of the Government of Canada

1. What is the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada?
2. Why has the policy been amended?
3. What’s been amended?  What are the changes?
4. How much will it cost to implement the amended policy?
5. How will these changes help ensure that public opinion research and advertising are more transparent and not used for partisan or personal benefit?
6. When do the amendments take effect?
7. Who does the amended policy apply to?
8. Under what authority has the policy been issued?
9. Why does the government have such a policy?  What’s it designed to do?
10. Where can I get more information?

1.  What is the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada?

The Communications Policy of the Government of Canada is a statement of principles that provides departments and agencies of the Government of Canada with authoritative direction in a critical area of public administration– communications management.

Its purpose is to ensure that communications throughout the government are well coordinated, effectively managed and responsive to the diverse information needs of the public. Supporting these objectives are 10 policy commitments based on Canadian and public service values.

This principles-based policy provides departments and agencies with direction in 31 discrete areas of communications management. These include:  official languages, corporate identity, crisis and emergency communications, environment analysis, planning and evaluation, regional operations, advertising, partnering and collaborative arrangements, sponsorships, marketing, publishing, training and professional development.

2.  Why has the policy been amended?

In April 2006, the Government of Canada tabled the Federal Accountability Act and Action Plan, a key component of its plan to make government more accountable.  One of the commitments is to clean up government public opinion research and advertising by preventing public opinion research and advertising contracts from being used for partisan or personal benefit. The Action Plan proposes changes in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and its related procedures.

3.  What’s been amended?  What are the changes?

The Communications Policy has been amended to:

• Include a requirement for departments and agencies to provide public opinion research in writing directly to Library and Archives Canada within six months of the completion of fieldwork. Library and Archives Canada then makes them available to the public through its collection.
• Include a requirement that the bidding process for public opinion research and advertising activities be open, fair and transparent;
• Add a new definition of advertising to distinguish it from collateral services such as public relations or events management.

 The current Contracting Policy contained the definition of both advertising and public opinion research. The definition of advertising has been removed from the Contracting Policy, and has been replaced with the new definition of advertising in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada. The definition of public opinion research has been removed from the Contracting Policy and inserted in its current wording into the Communications Policy.

The Communications Policy integrates the policy guidance on public opinion research issued to departments on April 28, 2005. The titles of departments and programs, and reference to the wording of a new section in the Official Languages Act have been updated.

4.  How much will it cost to implement the amended policy?

New funds are not required to implement the amended policy. Any costs for implementing the amendments are projected to be small and will be borne by departments. Implementation of activities covered in the Communications Policy will be accomplished within existing departmental budgets.

5.  How will these changes help ensure that public opinion research and advertising are more transparent and not used for partisan or personal benefit?

The Communications Policy includes a new statement indicating that the bidding process for government public opinion research and for government advertising must be open, fair and transparent.

It also integrates the policy guidance released in April 2005 on public opinion research reiterating that “institutions may not issue contracts or expend public funds for research on electoral voting intentions, or political party preferences or party standings with the electorate.”

Finally, it reiterates the requirement to provide public opinion research reports in writing and to make them to the public through the Library of Parliament and Library and Archives Canada. Together, these measures will help ensure that the process is transparent, and that both Parliamentarians and citizens will be able to judge the relevancy of the research conducted by or for their government.

The implementation of these measures is one more step in ensuring transparency, fairness and value for money of the procurement process for public opinion research and advertising.

6.  When do the amendments take effect?

The amended policy takes effect on August 1, 2006. It replaces the former Communications Policy of the Government of Canada in force since April 1, 2002, and amended on November 29, 2004.

7.  Who does the amended policy apply to?

The policy applies to all Government of Canada departments and agencies identified in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act (FAA). Other public institutions subject to the FAA, particularly Schedule III Crown corporations, are encouraged to apply the policy’s principles to their own communications management.

8.  Under what authority has the policy been issued?

The Treasury Board of Canada has issued the policy under the authority of the Financial Administration Act. The Treasury Board sets general administrative policy for the Government of Canada. Departments and agencies are accountable for meeting the requirements of Treasury Board (TB) policies. The Treasury Board Secretariat is responsible for administering TB policies.

9.  Why does the government have such a policy?  What’s it designed to do?

The communications policy is essentially a management tool. It provides public service managers and employees with direction to ensure the public receives timely, accurate, objective and complete information about government policies, programs, services and initiatives. The policy also helps to ensure that departments and agencies of the Government of Canada are visible, accessible and accountable to the public they serve. The policy is designed to promote coherent, consistent communications within, between and among institutions – one government, speaking with one voice. It reinforces the principle of open communications – the government’s duty to inform and the citizen’s right to be heard.

10.  Where can I get more information?

The Communications Policy and its related procedures are posted on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Web site at the following URL: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/sipubs/comm/siglist_e.asp. Questions about the policy should be directed to your department or agency’s head of communications or communications staff. If further assistance is required, the head of communications, or his or her representative, may wish to confer with the Secretariat for policy interpretation and advice.

Institutions requiring further information about the amended communications policy may contact: