Implementation & Evaluation

In the sections below we shall look at the specific mechanisms, tools and procedures that should be in place for implementing the Action Plan for Public Communication and Outreach, ensuring principles of transparency and accessibility are promoted, with a focus on areas which require specific attention.

Committee for Public Communication and Outreach

In order to effectively coordinate the implementation of an Action Plan for Public Communication and Outreach while promoting accessibility and transparency, as a first step, if it is not present, the first and foremost recommendation of the strategy document should be to install or identify “a committee” for Public Communication and Outreach that can take ownership of the action plan, with the above mentioned oversight and management mandate and role. This committee would have to collaborate and involve key stakeholders, responsible for the operationalization of more accessible and transparent communication and information dissemination, in the implementation of the Action Plan. Representation from both the legislative and administrative sections of parliament must be included on this committee to bring interests from both sides to the table.

Inter-departmental Coordination: A key responsibility for the above mentioned committee would be to facilitate the smooth coordination of all the people responsible for Public Communication and Outreach, encouraging a culture of accessibility and transparency within each department or unit in parliament. There are a number of critical aspects of information production, management and dissemination, communication mechanisms and the mediums used for information dissemination that will have to carefully considered when improving inter-departmental information exchange and coordination.

Standards, Policies and Procedures: Where the overarching organisational and departmental communication policies exist within a parliament, these must be evaluated and factored into the development of the overall Public Communication and Outreach strategy. Similarly, if any standards have been set for information production, dissemination and management, these must also be reviewed and taken into consideration. Within the standard operating procedures and policies of the institution, issues pertaining to ownership, privacy and intellectual property rights of information must also be addressed.

Communication and Reporting: Throughout the implementation process, the Committee responsible for coordinating the Public Communication and Outreach Strategy must not lose sight of their two main target audiences, internal clients such as Members of Parliament and Staff of Parliament and external clients: the government, the public, NGOs, the media and academia, international partners, etc. Throughout this process, the needs of the different stakeholders must be considered and accessibility and transparency factored into the process as they will differ and will therefore require different approaches. Particular consideration must be give to the optimum medium of communication for different stakeholders considering policies governing the dissemination of information, the existing environment, existence and reach of radio, television and the Internet, as well as social factors like literacy levels and access to information.