Output 1.3 Coordinated Communications and Community Engagement

Overview

The directorate supported whole of government and internal directorate communications, engagement, branding and public affairs advice and coordination.

The directorate also provided advice on protocol and managed hospitality and ceremonial events for the Chief Minister. It managed 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 2016-17 the directorate:

  • 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 more than 180,000 Canberra households, and monthly digital newsletter delivered to more than 38,000 subscribers;
  • managed a whole of government media monitoring service, incorporating traditional media monitoring with digital and social media monitoring;
  • managed a whole of government communications professional development program;
  • produced and implemented communications and engagement strategies for key projects, incorporating traditional media and digital channels, including:
    • the 2017-18 ACT Budget;
    • an integrated ‘our coolest little capital’ engagement campaign;
    • the inaugural Canberra Week in Wellington; and
    • a public vote for new ACT numberplate;
  • developed a new Access Canberra website, and continued work on consolidating and streamlining directorate websites and social media platforms, including decommissioning/archiving of legacy channels;
  • facilitated emergency communications training opportunities for staff from across directorates, including a cross-border water security exercise conducted with NSW Rural Fire Service, an incident management exercise scenario on a cross-border fire, and counter terrorism media liaison officer training delivered by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and Australian Federal Police;
  • provided campaign advertising support across government and to the Independent Reviewer for Campaign Advertising;
  • delivered the Canberra Gold Awards, celebrating Canberrans who have contributed to the community for 50 years, the 40th annual Canberra Citizen of the Year award and ceremony, and the ACT Australian of the Year Awards;
  • coordinated the induction of six prominent Canberrans and organisations into the ACT Honour Walk, recognising their contribution to the city with commemorative plaques unveiled in Ainslie Avenue, Civic;
  • coordinated tree plantings at the National Arboretum Canberra for national and international dignitaries including the President of Sri Lanka, President of the Republic of Nauru, and Their Majesties King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan;
  • coordinated an inaugural Australian of the Year Luncheon, hosted by the Chief Minister to honour the newly announced Australians of the Year and the new ACT Australians of the Year and alumni;
  • coordinated the ACT Scientist of the Year award in 2016 and opened nominations for the 2017 award;
  • provided protocol and communications support to the Chief Minister on international delegations; and
  • provided secretariat support for the Canberra Nara Sister City Committee.

The directorate did not meet either of its 2016-17 targets against this output:

  • (a) Annual numbers of ACT Government Digital Mail Service newsletters. In accordance with the Government Agencies (Campaign Advertising) Act 2009 and caretaker guidelines, monthly newsletters were not distributed in the month prior to caretaker, during caretaker and the post‑election period of September, October and November 2016; and
  • (b) Annual number of ACT Government Our Canberra newsletters. As above, newsletters were not distributed in the month prior to caretaker, during caretaker and the post-election period of September, October and November 2016.

Future Direction

In 2017-18 the directorate will:

  • lead a community engagement reform project to help drive change across the ACTPS and better meet the needs of the community in terms of when, how and on what they are engaged;
  • enhance and streamline the directorate’s websites and social media accounts; and
  • conduct emergency communications training exercises for all ACTPS directorate communications staff.

Further information can be obtained from

Anita Perkins
Executive Director
Communications
+61 2 6205 0035
Anita.Perkins@act.gov.au