DAOD 2008-0, Public Affairs Policy

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Definitions
  3. Policy Direction
  4. Operating Principles
  5. Authority
  6. References

1. Introduction

Date of Issue: 1998-01-30

Effective Date: 1998-03-01

Application: This is an order that applies to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and a directive that applies to employees of the Department of National Defence (DND).

Supersession:

Approval Authorities: This DAOD is issued under the authority of the Deputy Minister (DM) and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).

Enquiries: Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) (ADM(PA))


2. Definitions

Canadian Forces member (membre des Forces canadiennes)

A Canadian Forces (CF) member is a member of any component of the CF, Regular or Reserve, unless the contrary is indicated.

issue-specific public affairs plan (plan d'affaires publiques axé sur un problème particulier)

An issue-specific public affairs (PA) plan articulates the approach and activities required to support the implementation of a specific program, initiative, operation and/or event, or to manage an issue or crisis.

public affairs (affaires publiques)

Public affairs (PA) encompasses activities related to informing internal and external audiences. It includes research and analysis, communications advice and planning, and the delivery of information programs.

public affairs material (matériel d'affaires publiques)

Public affairs material refers to information products designed to support public affairs activities with internal and/or external audiences.

public affairs plan (plan d'affaires publiques)

Public affairs plan is specific documents that articulate the public affairs objectives, themes, approaches and activities required to support the implementation of a policy, program, operation or initiative, and/or to manage an issue or crisis.

public announcement (annonce publique)

A public announcement refers to an official public statement or public affairs activity designed to inform the public of a new initiative, or the DND and/or CAF's position on a policy, program, service, operation, activity, initiative, issue and/or crisis. Examples include issuing a news release or bulletin to inform the public of a new policy, program, service, base opening/closure, special event and/or changes in a CAF operation.

strategic public affairs plan (plan stratégiques d'affaires publiques)

The Strategic Public Affairs Plan is issued annually and provides overall direction for public affairs programs and activities in the DND and the CAF. The plan articulates objectives, corporate themes and major public affairs activities. It links governmental, ministerial, and DND and CAF public affairs priorities and goals to provide guidance for all operational public affairs planning activities.


3. Policy Direction

Context

3.1 Together, the CAF and the DND is a unique Canadian institution. They bring together Canadians from all regions of the country and all ethnic backgrounds, through military and public service, in pursuit of the common mission of defending Canada and Canadian interests and values while contributing to international peace and security.

3.2 In fulfilling this mission, the role of Public Affairs (PA) is to promote understanding and awareness among Canadians of the role, mandate and activities of the CAF and DND, and of the contributions that the CAF and DND make to Canadian society and the international community.

3.3 Canadians expect and deserve to know what the men and women of the CAF and DND do on their behalf. Public support for the CAF and DND follows from public understanding of how the CF and DND make a difference at home and abroad. Public confidence, in turn, is enhanced by the ability of the CAF and DND to achieve its mandate in a manner that is open, transparent, and consistent with Canadian values and expectations.

3.4 In short, public support and confidence follow from the ability of the CAF and DND to both deliver and inform.

3.5 The intent of the PA policy is to ensure that Canadians are well-informed and aware of the role, mandate, operations and contributions of the CAF and DND. The policy is designed to establish and articulate PA operating principles, authorities, accountabilities, responsibilities, requirements and guidelines for CF members and DND employees at all levels to help them build, nurture and maintain a strong relationship with the public.

3.6 The policy seeks to achieve these objectives by establishing a modern, progressive and professional approach to PA that actively encourages openness and transparency, integrates PA into CAF and DND operations at all levels, delegates authority and empowers CF members and DND employees to speak more openly to Canadians about what they do and how they make a difference to Canada and the international community.

Policy Statement

3.7 It is DND and CAF policy to:

  1. inform the public of its policies, programs, services, activities, operations and initiatives in a manner that is accurate, complete, objective, timely, relevant, understandable, and open and transparent within the law;
  2. take into account the views and concerns of the public when planning, developing and implementing policies, programs, services and operations;
  3. fully integrate PA into the decision-making process for policy development, program design, service delivery and military operations; and,
  4. coordinate PA planning and program delivery, including internal communications, within a planned, corporate framework based on a partnership among commanding officers (COs), DND managers and professional PA practitioners.

Requirements

3.8 The CAF and DND shall:

  1. embed the principles of openness, transparency and accessibility into the day-to-day operations of the CAF and DND, while respecting the constraints to openness imposed by legislation and regulation;
  2. embed into the CAF and DND chains of command responsibility for fully integrating PA, including internal communications, into the decision-making process for policy development, program design, service delivery, and military doctrine and operations;
  3. articulate and communicate accountability and responsibility for PA across all levels to ensure the PA roles and responsibilities of all CF members and DND employees are clearly defined and understood;
  4. establish procedures for the proactive management of issues and crises placing priority on identifying problems, promptly implementing solutions, and promptly informing the public in a complete and accurate manner of what the CAF and/or DND are doing to address the issues or problems and why;
  5. integrate PA operating principles and requirements into military doctrine, military planning, decision-making, and the achievement of CAF operations;
  6. incorporate PA components into pre-deployment training and major training programs for new recruits, officer candidates, leadership and management candidates;
  7. establish requirements, procedures and standards for advertising, audio-visual and multi-media production; corporate internal communications; PA research; publishing; Internet publishing; and, PA training and education to ensure that PA programs and activities are planned, resourced and executed in a manner that is cost-effective and consistent with modern PA practices and in accordance with federal identity standards; and
  8. review and update the PA policy and its related orders and directives every five years.

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4. Operating Principles

Legislation, Regulation, and Policy

4.1 DND employees and CF members at all levels must manage their PA programs and activities, as appropriate, in accordance with the principles and requirements of federal laws and policies, including the:

  1. National Defence Act;
  2. Official Languages Act;
  3. Access to Information Act;
  4. Privacy Act;
  5. Copyright Act;
  6. Official Secrets Act;
  7. Canada Evidence Act;
  8. Financial Administration Act;
  9. Government Communications Policy; and
  10. DND and CF Security Orders and Directives.

4.2 CF members must also adhere to the principles and requirements of Queen's Regulations and Orders, including:

  1. QR&O 19.14, Improper Comments;
  2. QR&O 19.36, Disclosure of Information or Opinion; and
  3. QR&O 24.02, Press Releases Regarding Casualties.

Openness, and Transparency

4.3 CF members and DND employees face significant challenges in their efforts to inform the public and ensure the public's right to know, while being fully aware and respectful of legal restrictions on releasing detailed information about:

  1. individuals (restricted by the Privacy Act);
  2. sensitive elements of military operations (restricted by the National Defence Act and the Official Secrets Act); and
  3. issues before the courts (which is restricted by the Canada Evidence Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms).

4.4 While these restrictions place legal limits on the ability of the CAF and DND to live up to demands for complete openness, every effort should be made to be as open and transparent as possible within the law.

4.5 To this end, CF members and DND employees at all levels shall manage their programs and activities in a manner that:

  1. maximizes public and media accessibility to information regarding DND and CAF policies, programs, services, operations and initiatives in a timely manner and within the law;
  2. minimizes the need for the public or media to resort to the Access to Information Act as a means of obtaining information from DND or the CAF; and
  3. conforms to both the letter and the spirit of the Access to Information Act.

Accountability

4.6 Regardless of rank or level, CF members and DND employees are accountable to their chain of command for the accuracy and currency of the information they make available to the public.

Responsibility

4.7 PA is a responsibility of the CAF and DND chain of command, and must be adequately resourced and fully integrated into the decision-making process for policy development, program design, service delivery, and military operations.

4.8 To this end, Group Principals and Environmental Chiefs of Staff (ECS) shall:

  1. familiarize themselves with PA policies, orders, directives and strategic priorities; and
  2. ensure that the PA components of their programs, operations or activities are adequately resourced to support operations and/or policy, program and service delivery.

4.9 Group Principals shall:

  1. ensure that their PA account managers are members of group or branch management committees; and
  2. provide their PA account managers access to the information required to participate effectively in decision-making and provide PA advice on the impacts of decisions taken.

4.10 ECS shall:

  1. ensure that the most senior Public Affairs Officer (PAO) assigned to a command, area, division, wing, base or unit reports directly to their CO and is included in all key decision-making fora, committees, and/or work groups;
  2. provide their senior PAO access to the information required to participate effectively in decision-making and provide PA advice on the impact of decisions; and
  3. integrate the principles, requirements and objectives of the DND and CAF PA policy and its related orders into military doctrine.

Flexible, but Corporate

4.11 With support from public affairs officers or account managers, COs and DND managers shall ensure that the PA components of their programs, operations and/or activities reflect the needs of their intended audiences and:

Internal Communications

4.12 Perhaps more than any other function, internal communications is a collective responsibility that cuts across all levels of the DND and the CAF.

4.13 CF members and DND employees have a responsibility to keep their colleagues informed of how their activities impact on their unit, base or section. COs and DND managers, in turn, have a responsibility to inform CF members and DND employees of corporate policies, programs and services that have a broad impact on the CAF and DND.

4.14 In this corporate context, internal communications is a vital element of PA. CF members and DND employees contribute to public understanding of what the CAF and DND do on behalf of Canadians. To communicate effectively with the public, however, CF members and DND employees must be well-informed.

4.15 To this end, internal communications shall be a responsibility of the DND and CAF chain of command and shall be fully integrated into PA planning and program delivery.

4.16 In fulfilling their responsibilities for internal communications, COs and DND managers shall:

  1. incorporate internal communications into their PA plans;
  2. ensure that the internal communications components of their programs, operations or activities are adequately resourced to achieve planned objectives; and
  3. include internal communications when implementing PA programs.

Modern Values and Practices

4.17 COs and DND managers shall ensure that:

  1. their PA materials and activities reflect modern Canadian values, including the elimination of sexual stereotyping and the fair, representative depiction of people in terms of age, gender, and ethnicity;
  2. a proportion of annual PA expenditures are directed toward PA materials for use by the blind or visually impaired and/or others who are unable to read print or use alternate media;
  3. they make information available to the public as clearly and concisely as possible, in both the form the public needs and the official language of its choice.

4.18 COs and DND managers shall ensure that PA materials are made available:

  1. simultaneously, with equal prominence and linguistic quality, in English and French in accordance with DAOD 5039-0, Official Languages;
  2. simultaneously, in all regions of Canada, when they contain information of a national scope or nature (information of a regional or local scope or nature should be made available, as appropriate); and,
  3. in a manner responsive to Canada's multicultural character (this may involve producing PA materials in languages other than the official languages).

Training

4.19 COs and DND managers shall ensure that CF members and DND employees receive the training required to complete assigned tasks in accordance with PA policies, orders and directives.

Federal and Corporate Identity

4.20 All DND and CF PA materials shall meet the requirements of the Federal Identity Program and the requirements of the DND and CF Corporate Communications Standards (to be developed).

National Linkages

4.21 DND and the CAF, like all federal departments, agencies and institutions, has a responsibility to support the overall efforts of the Government of Canada to explain the decisions of Parliament to the public.

4.22 For this reason, all DND and CAF public affairs plans, materials and/or activities shall, as appropriate:

  1. take into account the over-arching priorities and objectives of the Government;
  2. take advantage of opportunities to explain to the public how DND and CAF initiatives support Government priorities and objectives, and/or how DND and CAF programs and activities relate to or support other government programs, such as foreign policy and international development assistance; and,
  3. take advantage of opportunities to work in partnership with other departments and agencies when communicating with the public in order to reduce duplication and costs.

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5. Authority

Authority Table

5.1 The following table identifies the authorities responsible for implementing the policy.

The ... has/have the authority to ...

Minister
(see Note)

  • speak on behalf of the Government as the principal spokesperson of DND and the CAF.
  • Approve the Strategic PA Plan, public announcements and issue-specific PA plans, materials and activities of a national scope or nature.

DM
(see Note)

  • approve PA policy and administrative orders and directives, as well as public announcements and issue-specific PA plans, materials and activities of a national scope or nature that do not require ministerial approval.
  • authorize implementation of annual DND and Corporate Operational PA Plans.
  • appoint ADM(PA) in consultation with the CDS when ADM(PA) is a DND employee.

CDS
(see Note)

  • approve PA policy and administrative orders and directives, as well as public announcements and issue-specific PA plans, materials and activities of a national scope or nature that do not require ministerial approval.
  • authorize implementation of annual CAF and Corporate Operational PA Plans.
  • appoint ADM(PA) in consultation with the DM when ADM(PA) is a CF member.

ECSs

  • approve requests to make public announcements by COs one level down their chain of command.
  • approve PA plans, materials and activities of a Command-specific scope or nature.
  • approve the allocation of resources to support implementation of their Command's annual Operational PA Plan and its related programs and activities.

Group Principals

  • approve PA plans, materials and activities of a Group-specific scope or nature.
  • approve the allocation of resources to support implementation of their Group's annual Operational PA Plan and its related programs and activities.

ADM(PA)

  • approve the allocation of resources to support implementation of approved PA programs and initiatives of a national scope or nature.
  • coordinate and manage all aspects of DND and CAF corporate PA programs and activities, including research and analysis, advice and planning, PA training, and CAF outreach.

Commanders of Operations

  • approve issue-specific PA plans, materials and activities dealing with CAF operations within a deployed area.
  • coordinate PA programs and activities dealing with CAF operations in a deployed area.

Area, Division, Base, Wing, Formation and Unit Commanders

  • approve requests to make public announcements by COs one level down their chain of command.
  • approve issue-specific PA plans, materials and activities of a regional or local scope or nature &endash; within their areas of responsibility and within their Command's Operational PA Plan.
  • approve the allocation of resources to support implementation of the PA components of their program responsibilities, within their Command's Operational PA Plan.

Note - This table articulates, for purpose of clarity, the existing authorities conferred by Parliament or other governance.

6. References

Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Policy DAOD

Other References

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