PARTNERING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
THE COMMUNICATIONS DIMENSION (A007)
Atlantic Workshops > Partnering with the Federal Government
WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?
Inter-governmental collaboration and partnerships necessarily encompass communications and thus the work of communicators in government and non-governmental organizations (NGO). These communication collaborations can range from infrequent and sudden with professional "strangers", to extended relations of periodic intensity or continuous work, all with the common goal of providing clear communication to Canadians about services or benefits being provided via a given collaboration and partnership. When one of the communications partners is the federal government, the context in which the federal collaborator is working – whether in a regional office or a national headquarters setting – is a key element. An informed understanding of this context and its interaction with the contexts within which partners – other governments and NGOs – must operate can assist collaboration between those concerned with facilitating achievement of a partnership's goals through effective communication of the services and benefits it provides.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
- The structure of the communications function in the federal government
- The key federal players in communications activities
- Policies, guidelines and processes that federal colleagues operate under
- The dynamics of collaboration
- Dealing with issues and crisis that may affect a partnership and collaboration
These learning points will be addressed in an interactive fashion by exploring key communications activities where collaboration would be likely. Through inter-connected group exercises based upon different scenarios, participants will be able to further consider the workshop content and bring to bear their own contexts and situations and how these relate to collaboration with federal counterparts. This workshop will provide you with these and other insights into the work-a-day world of that federal communications colleague and consider this partner from the perspective of your own operational situation.
WHAT WILL YOU TAKE AWAY?
- Workbook
- URLs of selected policies and guidelines
- Networking information for your workshop colleagues
Agenda |
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8:45 - 9:00 |
Participants' Introductions and Workshop Overview |
9:00 - 9:30 |
The Federal Communications Environment The federal communicators: a portrait. Types of relationships and governance. Key Players – Political: Prime Minister's Office (PMO); Minister's Office (MO); regional Minister's Office; Members of Parliament (MP) Key Players – Bureaucratic: Department (National and Regional Headquarters; mandate/structure; communications group; intra-departmental relations), Privy Council Office and other central agencies. |
9:30 - 10:00 |
Workshop Question: How does this compare to my context? |
10:00 - 10:15 |
Break |
10:15 - 11:00 |
Collaborating around Key Communications Activities – Event Planning and Management Key players and responsibilities. Strategic considerations, e.g., regionalizing the message. Other considerations, e.g., scheduling/House time, lead time, approvals, contracted services. Policy considerations, e.g, Official Languages, Communications Policy, Federal Identity Program, etc. Managing the collaboration, e.g,, MOUs, role clarity, engaging the political side on issues, etc. |
11:00 - 11:30 |
Group Exercise |
11:30 - 12:00 |
Collaborating around Key Communications Activities – Media Relations Key players and responsibilities. Strategic considerations, e.g., core messaging, message coordination, etc. Other considerations, e.g, training, departmental policy, lines, etc. Policy considerations, e.g., Communications Policy, etc. Managing the collaboration, e.g, MOUs, alerts, monitoring, etc. |
12:00 - 13:00 |
Lunch |
13:00 - 13:30 |
Group Exercise 2 (continued) |
13:30 - 14:00 |
Collaborating around Key Communications Activities – Advertising (Publicity, Signs) Key players and responsibilities: PMO; PCO; Public Works and Government Services Canada; Department. Strategic considerations, e.g, financial controls, advertisements and public opinion research, etc. Other considerations, e.g, planning, cost-sharing, reporting/evaluating, etc. Policy considerations, e.g, Communications Policy, advertising. Managing the collaboration, e.g, MOU. |
14:00 - 14:30 |
Collaborating Around Key Communications Activities – Consultations Public and Private) Key players and responsibilities, e.g, PMO, MO, Regional MO, department (NHQ/RHQ). Strategic considerations, e.g, plan, feedback, etc. Other considerations, e.g., lead, team, logistics, material, budget, media used, etc. Policy considerations, e.g, Communications Policy, Official Languages, procurement, etc. Managing the collaboration. |
14:30 - 15:00 |
Group Exercise |
15:00 - 15:15 |
Break |
15:15 - 15:45 |
There will be a Crisis – Dealing with Issues and Cries in a Partnership Context Foreseeing and identifying issues. Crises, issues: linkages and distinctions. Risk analysis. Key players – the usual suspects and their role in dealing with issues and managing crises. Strategic and other considerations, policy considerations. Managing the collaboration to deal effectively with an issue or crisis. |
15:45 - 16:30 |
Roundtable: Experiences in Collaborative Communications Speakers from different governments and partners will offer via brief presentations of what worked and didn't in collaboration using concrete lived examples. |
16:30 - 16:45 |
Wrap-up and Evaluation |
Instructors
Josef Jurkovic
Josef Jurkovic is a CEC director and founding partner. He has over 35 years of public and private sector experience across diverse areas of internal and external communications, public consultations, branding and marketing.
Gerry Maffre
Gerry Maffre has over twenty years experience in delivering and managing government communications.
When, Where How much?
Date not set
Halifax, Nova Scotia
$675 (+ tax)
Register for a workshop
By mail
The Centre for Excellence in Communications
Suite 214,
223 Colonnade Rd South
Ottawa, Ontario,
K2E 7K3
By email
By telephone
(613) 233 2175
By fax
(613) 233 7617