Communications roles and responsibilities

Under the Tasmanian parliamentary system, Tasmanian Government Ministers are accountable and responsible for presenting and explaining government policies, priorities, strategies, decisions and opportunities to the people.

Tasmanian Ministers are the principal spokespersons for government and their respective agencies in relation to ministerial portfolios. It is their role to provide leadership in establishing the priorities, overall themes and distribution of government communications.

The Head of Agency plays an active and visible role in steering, contributing to and maintaining a workable communication function for their agency.

Heads of Agency include secretaries of Tasmanian Government departments and chief executive officers of agencies.

Each Head of Agency also champions their agency’s internal communications, collaboration across teams and upholding their workplace values.

Heads of Agency are accountable for ensuring that:

• the Tasmanian Government Corporate Brand Identity and Communications Policy is implemented within their agency
• agency communications are aligned with government priorities, themes, and key messages for communications
• the communications function is fully integrated into the planning, management and evaluation of policies, programs, services and opportunities.

The Government Communications Office in the Premier’s Office has responsibility for providing strategic advice, oversight and support on communications being developed and intended to be distributed.

The Government Communications Office advises the Tasmanian Government in relation to issues and managing day-to-day media relations, including media enquiries and releases.

Each agency’s Communications Unit should have a good working relationship with their portfolio/s adviser in the Government Communications Office to foster a trusted and collaborative working relationship.

The Government Communications Office is responsible for:

• collecting and analysing information to provide high-level advice to government
• advising agencies of the government’s priorities, themes and key messages for communications that underpin or inform government/agency communications plans and activities
• coordinating government communications programs and promotions
• liaising with and providing advice to ministerial offices on day-to-day media issues
• managing day-to-day media relations, including media enquiries and ministerial media releases, coordinating media relating to whole-of-government activities, including State budgets and other major announcements
• overseeing the development and implementation of Tasmanian Government media strategies
• overseeing the Premier’s website
• reviewing and approving communications strategies, content and creative concepts for campaigns by Tasmanian Government agencies.
• reviewing and approving responses to media enquiries by Tasmanian Government agencies
• providing advice and approvals for campaign advertising in relation to content relating to Government policy, themes or messaging.

The Manager, Communications Unit, is responsible for:

• convening the whole-of-government communications managers meetings and setting the agenda
• liaising with the Department of Treasury and Finance in the negotiation of whole-of-government communications contracts.

The Communications Unit is responsible for:

• advice on the Tasmanian Government Corporate Brand Identity and Communications Policy
• maintenance and development of the Communications website, including the resources and toolkit
• providing advice and approvals for communications procurement, including reviewing Request for Quote or Request for Tender specifications and participating on tender evaluation panels
• administering the Marketing and Communications Services Panel of Preferred Providers for participating agencies
• providing advice and approvals for campaign advertising, the sale of advertising and reviewing evaluation of advertising campaigns where required
• providing advice to agencies on communications in a crisis or emergency as required, including sourcing communications staff to assist in the case of sustained incidents
• involvement as required in emergency communications management and planning, including whole-of-government and national counter-terrorism arrangements.

The role of agency communications managers – or their equivalent – is to oversee and coordinate the communications activities of their agency to support the effective communication of agency services, projects, programs and opportunities to the public.

Agency communications managers and delegates are also responsible for ensuring adherence to the Tasmanian Government Corporate Brand Identity and Communications Policy.

This is achieved through communication functions, including:

• corporate identity
• internal communications
• advertising
• print and online publishing
• social market research
• media relations
• digital communications
• event management.

Agency communications managers also share relevant information regarding strategic points of interest or issues with the Manager, Communications Unit (DPAC), who will then disseminate if required.

Agency communications managers, or their delegate, must:

• oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of communications plans for their agency; allocation of communications and appropriate human and financial resources; and management of issues
• ensure agency communications planning and activity is coordinated, integrated and consistent with agency strategic objectives, particularly where communications staff are not centrally located
• assist communications officers through professional development, learning and training projects
• implement and communicate the Tasmanian Government Corporate Brand Identity and Communications Policy within their agency
• liaise with the Manager, Communications Unit (DPAC), regarding interpretation and application of the Policy
• liaise with the Government Media Office to ensure all communications and marketing activities are consistent with whole-of-government priorities
• liaise with other agencies on cross-government or whole-of-government issues and projects
• develop effective communication plans before an emergency or crisis occurs and practise the efficacy of communications plans by testing or exercising emergency management protocols.

All staff, including senior managers, policy advisers, program managers and other specialists such as researchers, human resource officers, librarians and executive assistants, must meet the requirements of the Tasmanian Government Corporate Brand Identity and Communications Policy in all aspects of their work, as well as direct communications activities.

Managers and supervisors must ensure that their agency’s Communications Manager, or their delegate, is informed of and/or consulted with on internal and external communications activities, where appropriate, under the Policy and agency-specific policies and procedures.

For clarification of the items noted in the Policy, the first point of contact is your agency’s Communications Manager.