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.

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.

A head of a Tasmanian Government 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:

• the Tasmanian Government Corporate Brand Identity and Communications Policy is implemented in their agency
• agency communications are aligned with government priorities, themes and key messages
• the communication 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 is responsible for providing strategic advice, oversight and support on communications.

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 team should have a good working relationship with their 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 of Tasmania’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, Strategic Communications and Media, is responsible for:

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

The Strategic Communications and Media team is responsible for:

• advice on the Tasmanian Government Corporate Brand Identity and Communications Policy
• maintenance and development of this website, including the resources and toolkit
• advice and approvals for communications procurement, including reviewing request for quote (RFQ) or request for tender (RFT) 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
• 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 services, projects, programs and opportunities to the Tasmanian community.

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 about strategic points of interest or issues with the Manager, Strategic Communications and Media, Department of Premier and Cabinet, who will then disseminate if required.

Agency communications managers must:

• oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of communication plans for their agency
• 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, Strategic Communications and Media, Department of Premier and Cabinet, about interpretation and application of the policy
• liaise with the Government Communications 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 practice 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 their agency’s communications manager, or their delegate, is informed of or consulted with about 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.