Case Study: Tanzania Government Communication Initiative

1. Case Study: Tanzania Government Communication Initiative From communication at/to publics … to governing relationships with stakeholders March 4, 2009 Mindi Kasiga, Senior Communication Officer, State House DSM

2. Introduction • Acknowledgement • About the presenter/GoT • Purpose of presentation • Presentation overview

3. Overview • Part 1: Genesis of Government of Tanzania’s Communications Initiative • Part 2: Why changing from information giving to communicating • Part 3: Governing relations with Stakeholders: Communication policy and its implementation • Part 4: Challenges • Part 5: Conclusions

4. Genesis • Recent global changes have made it crucial for government to obtain, maintain and sustain public support of policies: • Media explosion (26 daily newspapers, 12 TV stations, about 30 fm radio stations) • Pluralist nature of our societies (multi-party, activist groups, workers union etc) • License to operate is with the public

5. Globalization paradox? • “The paradox of globalization is that it creates the possibility of one world, but not a world where everything is the same. You are trying to manage both sameness and difference, and it involves trying to get the mix right to be effective. Not surprisingly, people are not choosing between centralization and decentralization or between something being the same and something being different, but actually working with both. The issue is how you manage the challenge of connectivity, which is partly an issue of speed but also a matter of complexity.” (London) IPRA Gold Paper# 17

6. Why Communication? • Government messages were not being heard • A push for government to changethe way they communicate with the public if they want to get their messages out

7. The journey of change • Establishment of the Directorate of Communication and appointment of a new Director within the Presidency in charge of Communications • A shifting paradigm (from the old-school of information to advanced two-way engagement) • From communication at/to publics … to governing relationships with stakeholders

8. Where do we want to go • Vision: • To make use of effective and efficient public communication to complement government efforts to build a stronger Tanzania, by ensuring that sound government decisions are made in an efficient and transparent manner, and in the process develop an outstanding and communicative Public Service. • Mission: • To transform Government communications into a better coordinated and coherent system that will ensure that Government speaks with one voice.

9. The Directorate • Three specific roles: • To provide support for the President and other institutions within the Office of the President of Tanzania. • To establish a network of Communicators in every ministry, department and agencies • To strengthen the communication initiative as a new function in government

10. New Directive/Policy Statement • “Let me now address the government’s duty to communicate. And I use the broader concept of “communicate,” not the narrow one of “inform.” For, important as the duty to inform is, it is much more important to communicate, creating space for dialogue, and generally conducing to a free flow of thoughts and ideas.” • “The duty to communicate, and the imperative for government to project itself to its citizens and to the world, must be a core function of every government institution. It is not optional; it is a duty; and it is mandatory.” • “I talk of government’s duty to communicate in a general sense. But in practice, different departments and people will have different responsibilities in their day-to-day work. Capacity building in communication must also include division of communication functions within a coordinated whole. The people expect their government to be coordinated, and they expect coherent messages from it. We need clear communication strategies and channels that will present us as one government, not as a series of disjointed ministries, departments and agencies.”

11. Governing relations w/sh • Guidelines were needed • Embarked on a policy process • Consultation process with key stakeholders such as media, NGOs, CBOs, Cabinet, PSs • Cabinet approved Government Communication Policy in August 2005 • Then official implementation process began

12. Communication Policy • Four main pillars that govern the Tanzania Communications Policy • Openness and Transparency • Integration and coordination • Engagement and Contextual • Political Neutrality of Civil Servants

13. Policy Principles • Openness and Transparency: Government Communications will encourage a culture of transparency whereby all Government Institutions appreciate and understand Government work is essentially public oriented • Integration and coordination: To be effective, G.C will be based at the Office of the President and will be based on integrated Com Strats to guide all communicators. Strategies will be planned with collaboration with the P.O for coordination.

14. Policy Principles • Contextual and Engaging: G.C will take into consideration the communications environment within which messages are imparted and is sensitive to the needs of the different targeted audience(s). It must also encourage feedback and participation from the public. • Political Neutrality of Civil Servants: Government Communications will be operated under civil service laws and regulations which requires them to maintain their neutrality.

15. Bringing policy to life • Provide comm. support to the President • Established electronic media channels i.e.; website, blog, weekly electronic briefs • Monthly Radio/TV address by the President explaining progress on different policies, directives and status of the economy and food situation in the country • Daily news stories featuring presidential activities • Daily media briefs packaged for the president’s attention

16. Bringing policy to life • Establish fraternity of government communicators coordinated at the centre • Government appointed spokespersons • Establishment of communication unit serving as mediators between ministry and their stakeholders, interpreting them to each other, adjusting their relationship by using negotiation to bring about changes in the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of both the stakeholders and the government.

17. Bringing policy to life • Strengthen communication as a new function in government • All communicators are part of management • Career path is being redefined • Communication path is being redefined • Coordination of annual progress report • President’s briefings include communication aspect from ministries

18. Challenges • Change in mindsets of government officials • To move from the need to know to the need to share concerns in order to facilitate mutual understanding between government and s/holders, based on dialogue rather than monologue • There is wide spread and institutionalized secrecy and confidentiality within public service • Interacting with the public and the media is not seen as part of day-to-day activity • Communication role is still perceived as an ad hoc activity. Media are called only when there is a crisis. There is need to build a consistent working relationships with the media

19. Conclusion • PR & Communication is increasingly becoming more relevant in many governments today. Our experience shows where there has been poor communication, even good policies have been difficult to implement. • Given the increasing role of communication, there is a need for government institutions to review their communication structures, policies and practices to see whether they are in line with the dynamic changes and evolving technologies that are taking place in our societies today.

20. Conclusion • This is Tanzanian experience: how we have adopted a new communication paradigm • From communication at/to publics … to governing relationships with stakeholders Thank you for your attention