Communications Policy of the Government of Canada: Procedures

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Introduction

Institutions subject to the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada must co-ordinate certain communication activities with Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), Service Canada or with the Privy Council Office (PCO). To ensure efficient co-ordination, institutions must follow the administrative procedures established for these activities.

All mandatory administrative procedures under the Communications Policy are outlined in the pages that follow, which provide detailed information to assist institutions in communications planning and management.

The Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada has established these procedures with the support and advice of PCO, Service Canada and PWGSC, which co-ordinate their administration with institutions. They provide institutions with uniform, step-by-step processes to follow in planning or managing any of the communication activities listed in the "Procedures" section (Table 2) of the Communications Policy.

The processes set out in the pages that follow also support the requirements of Treasury Board policy on contracting and common services, particularly as they concern government publishing, advertising, public opinion research, and media monitoring. These processes take effect on the same date as the Communications Policy.

For more information about any of the procedures described in this document, institutions may contact the centre responsible for their administration (PWGSC, Service Canada or PCO). Contact information – names, phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, etc. – is provided at the end of each set of procedures.

Procedures for 1 800 O-Canada, the Canada Site, Consultation Postings, and Publiservice

Policy requirements 1(k), 9, 18(d), 18(h), 23(a) and 23(b) of the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada requires institutions to register and connect electronically with, and to provide up-to-date information to, various public access services managed by Service Canada.

Service Canada is responsible for the management and development of these services, which include:

• 1 800 O-Canada – the Government of Canada's toll-free telephone service.
• Canada Site portal – the government's primary site on the Internet.
• Consultation Postings – information on external public consultation and citizen engagement activities posted on the Consulting with Canadians Web Site (linked to institutional Web sites).
• Publiservice – the government's primary intranet portal for the Public Service.

They provide the public and public servants with general information about government organizations, programs, services, events and initiatives, including public consultation and citizen engagement activities. Institutions must work with Service Canada personnel responsible for maintaining these services to ensure information holdings are up-to-date. Collaboration with Service Canada is also required to ensure that technical and administrative requirements are met when using any of these services as part of a communications initiative, an advertising campaign and/or to highlight public announcements and citizen engagement activities.

Updating 1 800 O-Canada information holdings

Service Canada's Integrated Content Management (ICM) unit maintains the 1 800 O-Canada database, which contains the following public access information for all Government of Canada institutions:

• organizational descriptions (e.g. mandate, structure);
• program descriptions (e.g. activities, eligibility, applications, deadlines, audience);
• national, regional and local service delivery points (i.e. telephone, mail, in-person, Web links) as well as corresponding areas of service;
• jurisdictional information and legislation;
• current events and new initiatives;
• documents and other support materials (e.g. publications, applications, Canadiana, contextual information, procedural instructions for phone agents).

To keep this information current, institutions are required to:

1. Provide complete and comprehensive information to the ICM about the creation of new organizations, programs, services and initiatives as soon as this information is available and, if possible, at least two weeks prior to implementation.
2. Provide complete and comprehensive information to the ICM about the closure of organizations, programs, services and initiatives as soon as this information is available and, if possible, at least two weeks prior to the scheduled closure.
3. Provide complete and comprehensive information to the ICM about changes to organizations, programs, services and initiatives as soon as this information is available and, if possible, at least two weeks before the changes are scheduled to occur.
4. Provide complete and comprehensive information to the ICM about changes and developments to institutional Web sites as soon as this information is available and, if possible, at least two weeks before the changes are scheduled to occur.
5. Review and update their database content annually. As part of the annual update, institutions must:
   • provide the ICM with the name of a single contact person who will co-ordinate the data update with support from program officers in his or her institution and/or provide a list of such program officers;
   • ensure that, at the request of the ICM, knowledgeable program officers and other representatives are available for meetings or conference calls to discuss the update and requirements;
   • ensure that knowledgeable program officers are designated to update their respective program information;
   • provide, at the request of the ICM, copies of employee directories and lists of key program officers who can describe service delivery mechanisms and corresponding areas of service; and
   • return all verified/validated information to the ICM staff within two weeks of its request.
6. Ensure that the ICM is included on all departmental distribution lists for announcements, advisories, news releases and publications.
7. Send information to the ICM through the following channels:
   • ICM Update Request
   • Telephone: 613-941-3306

In working with institutions, the Integrated Content Management unit will:

1. Ensure that all institutions have access to the 1 800 O-Canada database.
2. Develop an annual schedule to update and validate database information holdings. Institutions can request a copy of this update schedule through the ICM Update Request.
3. Notify institutions of the annual update, while providing them with a copy of their organizational and program descriptions to validate.
4. Advise institutions, on request, on how best to present their information in the 1 800 O-Canada database.
5. Ensure the ICM updating team is available for meetings or conference calls to discuss, at the request of institutions, the update and requirements.
6. Follow-up with institutions mid-way through the updating process to ensure the update is on schedule and to answer questions as required.
7. Integrate updated information provided by institutions to the 1 800 O-Canada database according to ICM's service and database standards.
8. Ensure that ICM's database standards are available to institutions.
9. Ensure that ICM's media and Web monitoring practices stay abreast of developments and current events.

Updating information on the Canada Site

An institution that wishes to add, modify or delete information on the Canada Site, including referencing new Web sites that an institution may launch, must notify Service Canada.

To add information to the Canada Site, or to reference a new Government of Canada Internet Web site, please provide the following information via e-mail:

• the official name of the institution in both languages;
• a valid Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address in both official languages;
• listing requirements for any major sub-organizations that need to be added;
• the date on which the new information is to be posted; and
• contact information (the name and phone number of the person making the request).

For modifying or deleting information, please provide the following via e-mail:

• the page on the Canada Site where the information currently resides (URL);
• the URLs and/or titles of the links to be modified/deleted;
• the date on which the information is to be modified/deleted; and
• contact information (the name and phone number of the person making the request).

Updating consultation postings on the Consulting with Canadians Web site

To update their external public consultation and citizen engagement activity postings on the Consulting with Canadians Web site, institutions must complete a standard form and use the template provided on the site. A password and user-ID are required to post a consultation link on the Consulting with Canadians Web site that connects to your institution's Web site.

For assistance in linking your institution's consultation activities to the Consulting with Canadians Web site, please contact Service Canada.

Updating information on Publiservice

Public Works and Government Services Canada's (PWGSC) Informatics and Telecommunications Services (ITS) connects institutions to the Publiservice intranet, which is supported by the Secure Channel Network (SCNet).

To connect to Publiservice for the first time, e-mail the following information to Service Canada:

• the official name of the institution in both languages;
• a valid Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address in both official languages;
• the date on which the new or modified information is to be posted; and the information to be added or modified; and
• contact information (the name and phone number of the person making the request).

To modify or delete information on Publiservice, please provide the following via e-mail:

• the page on Publiservice where the information currently resides (URL);
• the URLs and/or titles of the links to be modified/deleted;
• the date on which the information is to be modified/deleted; and
• contact information (the name and phone number of the person making the request).

Using 1 800 O-Canada, the Canada Site, the Consulting with Canadians Web site or Publiservice in advertising campaigns, initiatives or announcements

Institutions may wish to use 1 800 O-Canada, canada.gc.ca, consultingcanadians.gc.ca or publiservice.gc.ca as part of an advertising campaign, initiative or announcement.

To include these services in a campaign, or in any other strategic communications activity, institutions must proceed as follows:

1. State in their advertising plans the intention to use 1 800 O-Canada, the Canada Site, the Consulting with Canadians Web site and/or Publiservice in a campaign.
2. Inform Service Canada of their advertising plans as soon as the planning process begins and at least two weeks before the campaign is scheduled to start.
3. Provide Service Canada with a sample of the advertising copy (in draft or camera-ready form) that shows how 1 800 O-Canada, canada.gc.ca, consultingcanadians.gc.ca and/or publiservice.gc.ca will be used in the ad campaign, as soon as the planning process begins, and at least two weeks before the campaign is scheduled to start.
4. Provide Service Canada with a copy of any publication that will be distributed in the context of the campaign, as soon as the planning process begins and at least two weeks before the campaign is scheduled to start.
5. Confirm that the Government Advertising Committee (GAC) has reviewed and approved the overall campaign and related materials. GAC approves the use of 1 800 O-Canada, canada.gc.ca, consultingcanadians.gc.ca and publiservice.gc.ca in advertising campaigns.

(Note: Any use of 1 800 O-Canada that has not been reviewed by GAC must be reviewed by Service Canada. For more information about GAC, see the Procedures for Planning, Contracting and Evaluating Advertising.)

Highlighting announcements on the Canada Site

Institutions wishing to highlight announcements on the Canada Site must proceed as follows:

1. Notify Service Canada of the institution's desire to highlight an announcement on the Canada Site. The notice must include a summary of the information the institution would like to see posted and a brief statement on why it needs to be highlighted.
2. PWGSC and Service Canada notify GAC of all requests to highlight announcements on the Canada Site. GAC reviews such requests as required.
3. Subsequent changes, additions and deletions to an announcement are reviewed on an ad hoc basis by GAC in consultation with PWGSC and Service Canada. Service Canada implements changes, additions or deletions approved by GAC. The manager informs institutions of GAC decisions before action is taken to add, change or delete any announcements posted on the site.

Highlighting announcements on Publiservice

Institutions wishing to highlight announcements on Publiservice must notify Service Canada by e-mail.The e-mail must include a summary of the information the institution would like to see posted on Publiservice and a brief statement on why it needs to be highlighted.

Contacts

Contact Service Canada by e-mail
Telephone: 613-941-3306

Procedures for Accessing the Electronic Media Monitoring Service

Institutions subject to the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada have access to an electronic media monitoring service managed by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) – as noted in Requirement 7 (Environment Analysis) of the policy.

PWGSC's Electronic Media Monitoring (EMM) program provides institutions with right of access to content from a number of major daily newspapers in an electronic format.

Accessing Electronic Media Monitoring

Institutions seeking access to media content through EMM must:

1. Verify that their institution is eligible to participate in the program by referencing the list of eligible organizations.
2. Fill out the EMM registration form.
3. If you are unable to access the EMM on Publiservice, an e-mail requesting permission to participate in the program may also be addressed to the EMM. The following information is required:
   • name, title and co-ordinates of the departmental contact,
   • type of feed required (full or filtered),
   • media monitoring system used.
4. Designate a departmental representative who will be the primary contact for the EMM program (for example, specialists in media relations, communications, information management, information technology or records management). These representatives will be invited to participate in the EMM User Group, an interdepartmental forum on media monitoring and analysis.

Once it is confirmed that the institution is eligible and all of the necessary documentation has been received, PWGSC will alert suppliers of EMM content that the institution is authorized to access media content. Departmental representatives will then be called upon to communicate with these suppliers to determine technical procedures for accessing content. Institutions are responsible for maintaining their own systems to retrieve and distribute media content via their own intranets.

An institution must inform PWGSC of any changes in its designated departmental representatives or in its technical requirements in order to effect a change in accessing content.

Institutions that choose to participate in the EMM program must abide by the contract terms and conditions that stipulate acceptable use of the media content. Institutions that fail to abide by the terms and conditions of the contract may lose access to the media content.

To access the media content, institution must sign agreements confirming that they will abide by these conditions.

Contact

Contact Electronic Media Monitoring by e-mail
Telephone: 613-947-6966

Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research

These procedures have been modified on June 9, 2009 and can be found at the following address: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=16491

Procedures for Participating in Fairs and Exhibitions

These procedures were rescinded on April 1, 2012.

Procedures for Planning, Contracting and Evaluating Advertising

Government advertising is centrally co-ordinated. Requirement 23 (Advertising) of the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada requires institutions to co-ordinate their advertising activities with Privy Council Office (PCO) and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). Advertising is defined in the Communications Policy.

The procedures outlined below have been established to ensure that the management of Government of Canada advertising is transparent, accountable and provides value for money. Institutions must manage their advertising activities in accordance with them.

Advertising Management Process

In addition to their own internal processes and approvals, institutions work closely with PCO and PWGSC in the development and implementation of advertising initiatives.

Officers in the Advertising Co-ordination and Partnership Directorate (ACPD) and the Communications Procurement Directorate (CPD) of PWGSC advise institutions on transactions that must occur at each stage of the advertising management process. As do strategic communications analysts in the Communications and Consultation Secretariat of PCO.

Six basic stages are involved in the development and execution of an advertising initiative. Outlined below – from planning to contracting and post-campaign evaluation – they apply to most advertising initiatives. Each stage may be shorter in some cases, depending on the size, scope and nature of an initiative.

1. Planning and Approval

Institutions proceed as follows during the planning stage:

1. Institutions submit their proposals for advertising initiatives to PCO twice a year: on June 30 and December 31. Institutions should begin their planning process well in advance of these deadlines.

   Note: Institutions may choose to submit joint proposals. In these cases, a lead institution must be identified for purposes of implementation. The lead institution becomes responsible for the initiative, from preparing the proposal and obtaining the required approvals, to implementing the initiative, reporting on it and being financially accountable for its budget.

2. Institutions prepare their proposals using the Advertising Management Information System (AdMIS) administered by PWGSC. Proposals must take into account relevant government priorities and policies, and relevant public opinion or focus group research, as well as outline the advertising objectives, key messages, measurable outcomes, required budget, and whether any public access services will be used (i.e. 1 800 O-Canada, the Canada Site, and/or Publiservice). Proposals also must take into account the need for tailoring national ad campaigns to specific regions and audiences. Institutions may wish to consult their PCO strategic communications analyst before officially submitting their proposals via AdMIS.
3. Advertising proposals submitted are reviewed by PCO, horizontal strategic communications working groups and/or the Government Advertising Committee (GAC), which is an interdepartmental committee chaired by PCO. More information about the review process, the role of GAC and the development and approval of the Government Advertising Plan is available from the PCO strategic communications analyst advising on your proposal. Analysts inform institutions if their advertising proposals are to be reviewed by GAC and advise on presentations.
4. Reviewed proposals are brought forward to Cabinet for approval under the Government Advertising Plan. PCO notifies institutions of Cabinet decisions.
5. Following Cabinet approval, institutions must prepare Treasury Board submissions to access advertising funds for their initiatives. The Treasury Board approves funding for the following activities that are directly related to advertising: pre-campaign benchmarking and focus testing, creative planning and production, media planning and buying, and post-campaign evaluation. Advertising fund allocations are posted on the Treasury Board Secretariat's Web Site.

Following Cabinet and Treasury Board approvals, institutions may implement their advertising initiatives.

2. Contracting for Advertising Services

Once advertising proposals are approved, and before selecting or meeting with an advertising services supplier, institutions must contact ACPD and CPD to initiate the contracting and implementation process. Contract information on approved advertising initiatives is entered into AdMIS for reporting purposes and to help track projects at each stage in the process.

Institutions proceed as follows during the contracting stage:

1. Before selecting or meeting with an advertising services supplier, an institution must submit a statement of work for its advertising initiative to the ACPD.
2. The ACPD reviews the scope of work, makes recommendations as appropriate, and issues a project registration number to the institution and the CPD, which then begins the procurement process. CPD draws on established procurement tools to acquire advertising services from qualified suppliers, such as strategic planning, creative services, production and media planning.
3. The CPD works in collaboration with the ACPD and the institution to select the most appropriate procurement tool and supplier. The CPD manages the procurement process. It has responsibility for the selection of suppliers and the issuance of all contracts, standing offers, supply arrangements and call-ups for advertising services.
4. Except in situations where a standing offer is used, institutions participate in the bid evaluation process in collaboration with the ACPD and CPD.
5. Once the CPD issues an advertising contract, the institution is responsible for managing the contract and ensuring proper administration and financial documentation. Advertising procurement activities are subject to the Treasury Board Common Services Policy and Contracting Policy and must fully conform with the Financial Administration Act.

Note: Institutions have the option of contracting separately for advertising-related activities, either through CPD or under their delegated contracting authorities.

3. Advertising Production

Institutions work with their selected contractors to develop the advertising strategy and design, and to create the final advertising materials for print, broadcast or electronic media.

Institutions must advise the ACPD and CPD of any changes to the original scope of work or media-buy strategy since these changes may require a contract amendment from the CPD and a new ADV number from the ACPD – see below, "Media Planning" for more on ADV numbers.

In addition, institutions must report to the ACPD on contracts, amendment values and production expenditures via AdMIS.

Institutions may use any of the following Service Canada services in their advertising initiatives:

• 1 800 O-Canada – the government's toll free information line
• canada.gc.ca – the government's primary site on the Internet
• publiservice.gc.ca – the government's intranet site for the Public Service

When use of these services is formally approved as part of an advertising initiative, for implementation, please refer to the Procedures for 1 800 O-Canada, the Canada Site, Consultation Postings, and Publiservice.

4. Pre-Testing

Institutions must pre-test all major advertising initiatives – i.e., campaigns exceeding $400,000 in media buy – to help ensure they will meet stated objectives. Such testing, which can include focus groups and other forms of marketing research, is contracted through the CPD in collaboration with PWGSC's Public Opinion Research Directorate (PORD).

An institution must consult with its strategic communication analyst at PCO on its plans for pre-testing. The results of any pre-testing must be shared with PCO and PORD.

PORD co-ordinates public opinion research for the Government of Canada, including advertising-related research such as pre-testing and post-campaign surveys. For more information, please refer to the Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research.

5. Media Placement

Institutions develop media-buy plans with their advertising services suppliers, review and approve them internally, submit them to their PCO strategic communications analyst for review, and then submit them to the ACPD to obtain an authorization for the purchase of media space. Plans must fully comply with an institution's communications obligations under the Official Languages Act.

The Government of Canada uses an Agency of Record to purchase media space for government advertising. The CPD selects this agency on behalf of the Crown, and the ACPD manages the relationship as the program authority.

Institutions submit their media-buy plans to the ACPD, which issues an ADV number authorizing the Agency of Record to purchase media space.

To obtain an ADV number, institutions must provide, through AdMIS, the following information to the ACPD:

• The institution's name, contact person, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
• The name of theadvertising services supplier, contact person, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
• The title of the advertising campaign and the government program it supports.
• The applicable project registration number and a copy of the signed Requisition for Goods and Services and Construction form (PWGSC-TPSGC 9200) associated with the media placement funding.
• A completed Media Planning Template.
• Advertising samples – final versions of both English and French ads for print, television, radio, Internet, or other media as applicable. Drafts will be accepted while the advertising samples are under revision; however, final samples must be submitted as soon as they are ready.
• The total estimated production and media placement costs.
• The affirmation that GAC or the PCO strategic communications analyst has reviewed and approved the media plan.

Once the ADV number is issued, ACPD will forward the request to CPD. CPD will then issue a Work Authorization, which includes the media plan, to the Agency of Record. Following receipt of the ADV number and Work Authorization, the Agency of Record proceeds with the media buy.

Note 1: ACPD may withhold issuing an ADV number, and CPD may withhold issuing a Work Authorization, from an institution if all requirements are not met. The Agency of Record cannot purchase media space for an institution unless both the Work Authorization and ADV number have been issued.

Note 2: Public notices such as those regarding tenders, sales, public hearings, offers of employment, business hours and addresses, are included in the definition of advertising. Contracts for the planning, creation and production of these advertisements must be issued by CPD. However, institutions have the option of purchasing media space for public notices directly from the media outlets.

6. Post-Campaign Evaluation and Reporting

Institutions are required to conduct a post-campaign evaluation of all major advertising initiatives exceeding $1,000,000 in media buys. Campaigns of similar magnitude involving the participation of multiple institutions also must be evaluated, even though the cost of the media buy to each participating institution may be less than $1,000,000.

Post-campaign research is an integral part of an advertising initiative and must be included in the planning process – ensuring the project budget has sufficient resources to complete an evaluation, and identifying indicators to measure success when the campaign has ended.

Institutions work with the CPD and PORD to research and evaluate the impact and value of their advertising initiatives. The CPD manages the procurement process and issues the evaluation contract based on the scope of work provided by the institution. For more on PORD's role, please refer to the Procedures on Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research.

The Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool is used to evaluate major advertising campaigns. It consists of a series of standardized questions to be included at the beginning of a post-campaign survey. It allows institutions to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and strategies for communicating with Canadians on government priorities, information and services. Results collected through this process are used to help inform future advertising plans and campaigns.

Institutions are responsible for ensuring the quality of their evaluations and for sharing the results with other government institutions. Reports on evaluation findings must be forwarded to PORD as soon as they are completed and shared with the institution's PCO strategic communications analyst, who may recommend a presentation to GAC.

Note: As for all public opinion research projects, institutions are responsible for providing final reports of pre-testing and evaluation to Library of Parliament and to Library and Archives Canada within six months following the completion of survey fieldwork.

Advertising in Emergency or Crisis Situations

Institutions may determine that advertising is required to communicate information to Canadians in an emergency or crisis situation. Advertising in this context requires excellent co-ordination as institutions at the federal, provincial and local level may be involved.

Proposals to advertise during a crisis or emergency are addressed by contacting – at any time such a contingency may arise – the PCO strategic communications analyst assigned to your institution.

Institutions responsible for producing advertising or paid public notices in an emergency or crisis must consult with PCO and PWGSC (ACPD and CPD) to help to facilitate the process, while respecting approval processes and authorities.

Documentation Standards

Institutions must retain, in an organized manner, complete documentation of the activities related to an advertising project. Maintaining thorough, chronological records, from the planning stage to post-evaluation, enables successors (staff, managers and auditors) to rebuild the history of an ad campaign and fully understand the decisions made, what changes took place, who made them, when they were made and why.

PWGSC has developed the Documentation Standard for Advertising Project Files to assist institutions in documenting project files for each phase of an advertising campaign.

Institutions also must ensure that the information compiled in AdMIS is complete, including all estimates, contracts, amendments to contracts, and information on expenditures. Electronic files can be attached to AdMIS to simplify the management of archived records.

Contact

Contact Advertising Co-ordination and Partnerships Directorate by e-mail
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Telephone: 613-992-4298

Contact Communication Procurement Directorate by e-mail
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Telephone: 613-998-0440

Contact Advertising and Marketing, Communications and Consultations by e-mail
Privy Council Office
Telephone: 613-957-5262