Review of the Communications Function
December 1999

Executive Summary

• This Review assessed the adequacy and effectiveness of the management and coordination of key elements of the external communications function within Industry Canada. While the activities of all Sectors were reviewed, the study focussed on the Communications Branch which has responsibility for functional management.



• The Review cites a communications "model" as a performance standard. It includes a corporate vision, coherent and consistent messaging, clear roles for key players, up-front funding of communications costs and use of advanced communications technologies.



• Industry Canada is adapting to much change in government and market environments.



• Its coin has become market intelligence and analysis.



• Information-sharing and partnering are its way of doing business.



• It is playing a leadership role in Canada's development and exploitation of communications technologies.


• The consensus is that communications units serving Sectors and Special Operating Agencies (SOAs) carry out specific program communications and "marketing" roles and that the Communications Branch is responsible for ministerial communications and "corporate" initiatives. As this distinction is not always clear on individual files, there can be confusion about individual roles and what is meant by "marketing" and "corporate".



• Departmental programs vary widely in their communications capacities, and rely in varying degree on the Communications Branch for communications advice, publishing, media relations and other support.



• The department benefits from strong ministerial leadership, and a clear vision of priorities championed by the Deputy Minister. Program managers bring to their responsibilities varied personal experience, views about communications and expectations of communications staff.



• The communications function at Industry Canada is one of the most decentralized in government. Some 98 IS and four EX personnel are employed in the communications units located in Sectors and SOAs. (Some of the EX personnel cited also have other responsibilities in addition to communications.) Several Sectors have more than one dedicated communications group. It is not always clear who coordinates the communications efforts within these Sectors when a Sector perspective on a specific issue is required.



• Under Program Review, the Communications Branch was reduced to 55 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) from 96. Its small management cadre is thinly stretched. It has had six Directors General (DGs) and acting DGs since 1993, and turnover has been high in other positions.

General Observations

• Industry Canada is fulfilling the primary requirements of the Government Communications Policy with no glaring policy transgressions or gaps.



• Program managers observed that the Communications Branch is hard pressed to serve the communications requirements of the Minister and responsibilities for corporate initiatives, let alone program needs and overall coordination. The Branch's managers concurred that their staff are working very long hours under considerable stress.



• In most instances, working relationships among communications and program personnel were reported as good. But sector communicators and the Communications Branch often seem to operate in isolation from one another. At the time of this review, no regular vehicle existed to directly share information amongst communications personnel about the general directions of the department. Where contact is infrequent, the sector communicators may operate without the corporate perspective; the Communications Branch may be unaware of important sectoral communications initiatives.



• Notwithstanding the efforts of the Communications Branch in the fall of 1997 to provide information across the Department on their role, there is considerable uncertainty about communications roles and responsibilities in specific situations.

Communications Services

• Public opinion research: Only one position filled on a part-time basis is devoted to this core communications function. There is a general desire for trends analysis and more sharing of research results down, up and across the department.



• Communications planning:



• The introduction of a strategic communications plan for Industry Canada is welcomed. Managers see value in it to guide sector strategies and they want to be consulted in advance as the strategic plan evolves.



• Connecting Canadians is a corporate initiative that provides an authentic, easily grasped umbrella concept to package related programs. It is seen as a potential model for communicating other strategic priorities.



• There is no firm division of responsibilities for program communications planning, and there was some criticism of what is prepared.


• Communications advice: The communications advisors assigned to sectors by the Communications Branch play critical but widely varying roles – generally to the satisfaction of their clients. Sector communicators also offer advice.



• Ministerial support: The Communications Branch is credited with a good job in the sometimes-difficult and sensitive interface role between programs and the Minister's Office. The planning of ministerial opportunities, speech-writing and the preparation of QP cards are generally seen as working reasonably well.



• Multimedia Services is a major and well-managed service for programs.



• Media relations: An effective approvals system permits the department to manage news releases with fewer problems than many departments, and the system of spokespersons conforms to preferred practice.



• Advertising: Staff cuts have limited the Communications Branch's role to providing input to the planning process, coordinating approvals and reporting as required to Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). Communications advisors have also continued providing advisory services related to advertising initiatives. Sectors deal directly with the department's advertising agency.



• Events: The department's many public events are consistently successful.



• Regional communications: Officers face extraordinary demands to roll out departmental initiatives and support ministerial travel and events. They are well-regarded for their performance and commitment.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Industry Canada is fulfilling the primary requirements of the Government Communications Policy. There is impressive evidence of dynamic and creative communications activity across the country, external partnerships in communications and aggressive integration of technology in client communications.



• At existing resource levels, there is limited room for the Communications Branch to play a stronger direct role coordinating communications or supporting programs.

Recommendations

1. Introduce a departmental communications policy spelling out objectives, roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and communications procedures. Use the policy as the basis for negotiating service agreements in the form of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the Communications Branch and Sectors.



2. Ensure up-front funding of communications costs in new policy and program initiatives.



3. Strengthen the "communications community" within Industry Canada by seizing opportunities to bring the department's communicators together as a collective resource to "connect the dots".



4. Concentrate on use of the strategic communications plan as a working tool to support corporate priorities and increase the likelihood of consistency in messaging across the Department.



5. Consider extending the Connecting Canadians approach (i.e., the development of a corporate communications strategy for a Departmental priority) to other corporate priorities.



6. Clarify responsibilities for program communications planning and adopt a streamlined "synopsis" format for the preparation of routine communications plans.



7. Focus the work of communications advisors on key areas of service and clearly identify these to program managers.



8. Develop a broader capacity for deck/new media services and increase charges to clients, using revenues to fund additional FTEs. Priorities are communications advisors, senior branch managers, communications research and support for QP cards.

Management Action Taken

Recommendation 1: Adopt a communications policy for the Department

The Communications Branch (CMB) will develop a communications policy that will set out roles and responsibilities. The policy will also include the various procedures and guidelines involved and the services and products offered by CMB.

Recommendation 2: Obtain in advance the appropriations required to finance communications

The communications policy to be developed pursuant to recommendation 1 will examine more closely the issue of funding required to implement the "communications" components of new initiatives launched within the context of policies and programs.

Recommendation 3: Strengthen the community of communicators

CMB plays a key role in the establishment of a real community of communicators within Industry Canada. Accordingly, CMB has made available to the Department's communicators a full range of documents, information, data banks and Intranet sites to facilitate the sharing of, and access to, relevant and necessary information. CMB also organizes several meetings and information sessions for the Department's communicators, as well as weekly conference calls. Furthermore, all of CMB's communications advisors work in close collaboration with the Department's communicators.

Recommendation 4: Use a strategic communications plan as a work tool

CMB developed a strategic communications plan in 1999 and all of the Department's communicators take this plan into account in their preparation of communications plans.

Recommendation 5: Consider using for other priorities the approach adopted for Connecting Canadians

CMB has started developing a communications strategy revolving around Innovation. We intend to pattern it after the approach used in the Connecting Canadians initiative.

Recommendation 6: Rationalize the planning of communications for programs; use a synoptic approach

CMB has made a series of data banks, guides and standard documents available to the Department's sectors and communicators to help them prepare their communications activities. CMB, like all Canadian government communications branches and directorates, uses the communications plan model developed by the Privy Council Office. Moreover, all advisors within CMB provide advice and support to the entire Department.

Recommendation 7: Concentrate the work of advisors on key services

CMB strives to address the Department's various priorities. In order to serve the various sectors according to their needs and priorities, CMB has chosen to negotiate service agreements with some of them in order to provide them with exclusive support in the area of communications.

The development of new programs and the emergence of new priorities exert additional pressure on CMB, particularly with respect to human and financial resources. These issues will have to be examined within the context of the communications policy.

Recommendation 8: Increase the ability to provide multimedia services, prepare presentations and charge higher fees to clients

CMB will not give effect to this recommendation, since CMB's multimedia services were restructured at the time of the program review so as to allocate resources differently. However, the roles and responsibilities of multimedia services will be examined within the broader context of the communications policy that will be developed pursuant to recommendation 1.

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