Overview
The directorate supports WoG directorate and internal communications, engagement, branding and public affairs advice and coordination, including for emergency responses.
The directorate provides strategic and digital communications advice as well as protocol and ceremonial event support for the Chief Minister. It manages ACT honours and awards such as the Canberra Citizen of the Year, Canberra Gold Awards, Scientist of the Year and ACT Honour Walk while providing advice and support for the Order of Australia, Public Service Medal and ACT Australian of the Year Awards.
Highlights
Against this output in 2017-18 the directorate:
- led the government’s engagement reform project to deliver meaningful, responsive, accountable and inclusive opportunities for genuine engagement;
- produced the first Whole of Government Communications and Engagement Strategy as part of government’s commitment to strengthen the ACT Government’s community engagement practices including using a more deliberative approach to engagement;
- provided communications and engagement support for the government’s first Citizens’ Jury on Compulsory Third Party Insurance;
- established a fortnightly electronic newsletter to keep subscribers informed of new engagement activities, updates and outcomes and engagement events;
- produced the Our Canberra digital and print newsletter to directly communicate with Canberrans on ACT Government news, initiatives and services:
- including a monthly regionalised newsletter to almost 185,000 Canberra households, and
- a monthly digital newsletter delivered to more than 45,000 subscribers (an increase of 14% in the past year);
- managed the ACT Government’s branded social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. All channels experienced growth in followers in the past year including a 27% increase for Facebook and 12% for Twitter;
- managed the media monitoring service, incorporating traditional media monitoring with digital media monitoring;
- supported a framework to purchase creative services and advertising;
- provided campaign advertising support across government and to the Independent Reviewer for Campaign Advertising;
- produced and implemented communications and engagement strategies for key projects, including:
- the Royal Commission on Responses to Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse;
- the 2018-19 ACT Budget;
- communications for the ACT Public Service on the same-sex marriage voluntary postal survey; and
- the naming of Canberra as the 3rd best place to travel in the world by Lonely Planet;
- updated the ACT Community Communications and Information Plan (CCIP), a sub plan to the
ACT Emergency Plan, which details arrangements for effective communication by ACT Government directorates with the public and the media before, during and after major emergencies and incidents; - updated several government websites to provide a better user experience for Canberrans as part of a revised look and feel of all sites
- facilitated emergency communications training opportunities for staff from across directorates, including:
- a discussion exercise ahead of the bushfire season;
- media liaison officer training for the Crowded Places Strategy; and
- discussion exercises ahead of major events including the Rugby League World Cup, New Year’s Eve, Australia Day and the National Multicultural Festival;
- delivered the 43rd Canberra Citizen of the Year Award, and the 2018 ACT Scientist of the Year Award as well as support for the ACT Australian of the Year Awards and Order of Australia honours;
- delivered inductions to the ACT Honour Walk and a number of ceremonial tree plantings at the National Arboretum by visiting dignitaries including:
- for Her Excellency Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar;
- His Excellency Mr Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Republic of Niger; and
- Her Excellency Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia; and
- delivered a new directorate staff intranet.
The directorate exceeded its 2017-18 accountability targets against this output.
Future Direction
In 2018-19 the directorate will:
- deliver an online Insights Community to support the ACT Government’s commitment to strengthen Canberrans’ involvement in government decision-making;
- provide WoG advice on training and professional development in the areas of communications and community engagement.
- provide a post-budget update of the WoG Communications and Engagement Strategy; and
- conduct emergency communications training exercises for all ACTPS directorate communications staff.
Further information can be obtained from
Anita Perkins
Executive Director
Communications & Engagement
+61 2 6205 0035
Anita.Perkins@act.gov.au