How government works and your role as a communicator

By: The Communications Community Office with excerpts from the Canada School of Public Service courses and Canada.ca

To understand how and where various communication branches fit into the Government of Canada, it is important to develop basic knowledge about the government’s overall structure.

On the The Canadian Parliamentary System webpage, Canada is defined as a “constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy, founded on the rule of law and respect for rights and freedoms. The government acts in the name of the Crown, but derives its authority from the Canadian public it serves.”

In Canada, the government is made up of three branches: 

1. Legislative branch (Parliament) 
   • The House of Commons
   • The Senate
   • Note: House of Commons committees and Senate committees examine and create legislation, and study issues and opportunities facing the country. Parliament may ask a House of Commons committee to examine a particular issue that is currently of significant relevance to the country; the Senate may ask one of its committees to look at solutions to problems of the day. Special committees can even be created to deal with specific issues.
2. Executive branch (government) 
   • Symbolic/constitutional: The monarch, represented by the Governor General
   • Political: The Prime Minister and Cabinet (including Cabinet committees) 
   • Permanent: The public service, which is made up of federal departments and agencies. This is where you work! 
   • Note: These institutions work together to carry out the business of government. 
3. Judicial branch
   • The Supreme Court of Canada
   • The Federal Court of Appeal
   • Note: Court decisions influence and instruct the business of government (including the public service). 

The structure of Cabinet committees is established by the Prime Minister and can be changed at any time. It is particularly prone to change after an election, but the Prime Minister can make these governance changes whenever he/she thinks it’s appropriate. The current Cabinet committee structure can be found on the Parliament of Canada website or the Prime Minister’s Office website. 

The About Cabinet webpage explains that Cabinet “sets the federal government’s policies and priorities for the country.” The Governor General, who represents the monarch, appoints members of Cabinet following the Prime Minister’s advice. Typically, several Cabinet committees are created to focus on different issues. 

How does Cabinet work?

The Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers make decisions on government policy and initiatives. Cabinet considers proposals from ministers, typically in the form of Memoranda to Cabinet (MC). Cabinet discussions and materials are confidential, as ministers must be able to express their views freely and honestly. Once Cabinet makes a decision, ministers must support that decision publicly. This is known as Cabinet solidarity. 

Departmental branches, including communication branches, work together to prepare briefing materials on issues being presented to Cabinet and for committee meetings being attended by ministers. Branches also prepare departmental considerations and speaking points, and provide communications advice when needed. As these materials are confidential (in other words, very secret), do not share or discuss them outside of work.

Where does communications fit in?

The challenges facing all levels of government today demand an expert communications approach to achieve results. Government departments and agencies face challenges where they must synthesize government and departmental priorities within the considerations and constraints of the public environment to achieve positive communication results.

Communication branches work in partnership with every function in the government to communicate factual and clear information to Canadians. Communications are in this sense a shared responsibility of all public servants at all levels and across departments and agencies.

Communication branches help contribute to the Canadian public’s trust in the government. The government’s Policy on Communications and Federal Identity requires departments and agencies to inform Canadians of their rights and responsibilities, and of policies, programs, services, and initiatives.

The communications function, directed by heads of communications, includes the following:

• communicating to Canadians, stakeholders and the public service
• providing effective and accountable management 
• listening and evaluating
• meeting diverse needs
• providing outreach
• maintaining corporate identity and visibility
• acting as guardian of the Federal Identity Program, Official Languages Act, plain language, and accessibility, and reflecting diversity

Communications roles and responsibilities 

• Consultations and public engagement: Public engagement is an important part of an effective, open, and transparent government. Engagement takes many forms, from ongoing collaborations to broad consultations on complex issues.
• Creative services: Creatives services are responsible for the development of communications products such as graphics and videos. Areas of interest include publishing, branding and marketing, application of the Federal Identity program, creative project management, graphic design, video and multimedia production, and photography.
• Digital communications: Digital communications is a broad term used to include everything from Web content development and coding to social media and creative services. Whether it is writing articles to be posted online, designing surveys for the public, publishing online reports, drafting and posting social media content, designing graphics or producing videos, the digital communications function is dynamic and responsive.
• Emergency and risk communications: The goal of emergency and risk communications is to disseminate clear, factual, and consistent information about events of national significance. They correspond with the broad information demands of key audiences, including employees, the public, the media, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and international partners, and seek to minimize the threat to Canadians impacted by the event.
• Evaluation: Evaluation is essential to communications as it helps to understand what is working well and make evidence-based decisions that are focused on results. Evaluation begins with communications planning and objectives that clearly state what action you need the audience to take with the information you provide. Evaluation cannot be done “after the fact”: it needs to be laid out in the planning process and integrated throughout the communications plan. Once a project is complete, this analysis reveals whether outcomes were achieved and what lessons can be learned.
• Events: Events teams are responsible for planning and coordinating events such as ministerial announcements. Event planning requires an eye for detail, the ability to bring people together, and a flare for creative problem solving on the fly. It requires cooperation from people across the organization—both colleagues and program clients.
• Internal communications: Internal communications involve putting employees’ information needs at the heart of the organization’s interests and concerns. Organizations that keep their employees well informed, equipped, and trained to do their jobs well are better able to carry out their strategic objectives. This commitment is possible only if employees feel that senior management is listening to their concerns and suggestions. That is why it is important to have effective communications both top-down and bottom-up.
• Marketing and advertising: Marketing and advertising help the Government of Canada communicate directly with Canadians. Marketing is the umbrella term used for all communications activities whose purpose includes the following: communicating policies and priorities; informing Canadians about programs and services available to individuals, families, and businesses; providing information about issues of importance to help people make informed choices; alerting Canadians about environmental, public health, and safety issues; and notifying people about their legal rights. For a marketing activity to be considered advertising within the Government of Canada context, it must meet the following two criteria:
  • any message communicated in Canada or abroad
  • any message paid for by the Government of Canada for placement in media, including newspapers, television, radio, cinema, billboards, the Internet, digital platforms, etc.
• Media monitoring: Government departments and agencies are required to monitor the public environment to help identify and track issues. Media monitoring and analysis allows you to remain at the forefront of emerging issues in the media. To respect copyright laws and regulations, Public Services and Procurement Canada manages a common service on behalf of the government which provides access to a selection of news sources. This includes national and regional media coverage in English and French, online news, magazines, newspapers, newswires, and television transcripts.
• Media relations: The purpose of media relations is “to establish and maintain solid and ethical relationships with the media for accurate, balanced, and timely information release.” (OnePitch) It involves working with the media to inform the public about government programs, initiatives, and files in a positive, consistent, and credible manner. Media relations involves juggling journalists’ requests and respecting their deadlines, making sure media products are clear, crisp and concise, all while keeping one eye trained on networks, both television and social, to be constantly on top of what is happening.
• Planning: A communications plan explains exactly how the project team intends to communicate information on a project, event, publication, etc. Plans typically include objectives, audience information, and measurements/evaluation. Detailed communications plans are not developed for all projects. Sometimes a communications approach with consistent messaging that includes questions and answers, media lines, or other communications products will suffice. Some projects require only monitoring to identify issues that require communications products. A communications advisor can determine or recommend when a detailed communications plan is necessary.
• Project management: All communicators need project management skills. Whether it is seeing a communications strategy through from start to finish, managing multiple requests for support, or creating content calendars, project management is an essential part of communicators’ work.
• Public environment analysis (PEA): A PEA is the gathering and analysis of information from a wide variety of sources, such as news media, social media, stakeholders, letters from the public to ministers, and public opinion research, to name a few. It is the foundation for providing strategic advice for communicating information to Canadians. Your communications may not be effective without a thorough understanding of the environment, audiences, and context.
• Public Opinion research (POR): Public opinion research is the planned gathering, by or for a government institution of opinions, attitudes, perceptions, judgements, feelings, ideas, reactions, or views that are intended to be used for any government purpose, whether that information is collected from persons (including employees of government institutions), businesses, institutions or other entities, through quantitative or qualitative methods, irrespective of size or cost. POR activities include designing and testing methods to collect data; data collection itself, including sampling, data entry, coding; primary data analysis; and convening and managing online panels.
• Speechwriting: Speechwriting is the craft of conveying a message in a tone that is not your own, commanding an audience attention, distilling complex ideas and data into something digestible. Government speechwriters write speeches for Ministers and other Government officials.
• Strategic communications: Strategic communications always involve an assessment of the bigger picture and will detail a road map of the optimal way to achieve results. This road map does the following:
  • Examines the public environment and defines the context in which one has to communicate.
  • Identifies opportunities and challenges.
  • Defines issues and audiences.
  • Challenges ideas and points out strategic considerations.
  • Endeavours to provide a communications direction and approach, including overall themes and vehicles to achieve strategic objectives.
  • Gets results through a communications program that is strategically aligned with the corporate vision, mission, mandate, and priorities. Its success is recognized only when the communications program is seen to support the advancement of corporate objectives and priorities. This is true for all communications in both the private and public sectors.
  • Clearly defines communication objectives that support the corporate objectives that are linked to evaluation.
  • Seeks more than to create awareness. The messages connect audiences with the information and the actions that need to be taken. 
• Web: Canada.ca is the online starting point for millions of people who access the Government of Canada’s many digital services and information every day. Canada.ca is designed to make it easier for Canadians to find and understand the information and services they need, anywhere and on any device. Web teams provide advice on how to communicate on the web, and work to add and update information on the Canada.ca website.

Government communicators are central to many of the relationships that exist between the government and various relevant stakeholders. In many ways, communicators are the bridge between the political and bureaucratic elements within departments and agencies. They often forge very important links between departments as well, particularly in the context of horizontal initiatives. However, public servants execute the government’s agenda in a non-partisan way.

Additional learning and resources

• Machinery of Government: Where Do I Fit? (F0N306) (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)
• Introduction to Project Management (TRN322) (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)
• Public opinion research in the Government of Canada
• Public Opinion Research Reports
• Government communications

References

1. House of Commons Canada. (n.d.). The Canadian Parliamentary System. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
2. T712 Understanding and applying strategic communications: participant’s manual, version 1.03, Canada School of Public Service, 2004 (Revised December 2014)
3. Government of Canada (2017, December 7). About Cabinet. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
4. Government of Canada. (2020, March 4). Machinery of Government. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
5. I712 Orientation to government communications: participant’s manual, version 1.02, Canada School of Public Service, 2013 (Revised 2013)
6. Government of Canada. (2019, May 27), Principles and Guidelines. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
7. Government of Canada. (2022, July 21). Collaborative Spaces (accessible only on the Government of Canada network). GCpedia. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
8. Government of Canada. (2018, January 31). Federal Emergency Response Plan January 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
9. Government of Canada. (2022, June 16). Resources and tools (accessible only on the Government of Canada network). Retrieved June 23, 2022.
10. Government of Canada. (2016, July 6). Chapter 2.6: Internal communications. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
11. Government of Canada. (2022, April 22). Government of Canada advertising. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
12. Government of Canada. (2022, May 4). Advertising in government. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
13. Government of Canada. (2020, May 5). Copyright media clearance. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
14. Government of Canada. (n.d.). Copyright Media Clearance Program Toolkit (accessible only on the Government of Canada network). Retrieved June 23, 2022.
15. OnePitch. (2020, September 24). The Three Main Objectives of Media Relations. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
16. Whitby. (n.d.). Media Relations Policy. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
17. Government of Canada. (2019, November 6). Communications Plan (Communications Sector). Retrieved June 23, 2022.
18. Government of Canada. (2010, March). Public Opinion Research in the Government of Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
19. Government of Canada. (2016, November 8). Defining public opinion research. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
20. Government of Canada. (n.d.). The craft of speechwriting (accessible only on the Government of Canada network). Retrieved June 23, 2022.