Government PR: Is it working?
BY: Esther Karuku FROM [ SQUARE GOLD PR & MARKETING ]
PUBLISHED ON:
October 23, 2009
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According to the PR guru Frank Jefkins, Public Relations is defined as a deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain understanding between an organization and its publics (stakeholders). The Kenyan Government has awakened to the fact that PR is a powerful tool that it must invest in, thus, the creation of Office of Public Communications.
In essence thereafter, each Ministry was assigned a Public Relations Officer. And in order to create understanding between the Government and its main stakeholder, its citizens, information had to be easily accessible through creation of Ministry websites to provide vital information to the public.
On my visit to the Public Service Week, I had the opportunity to learn more about our 40-ministry Government. Despite its huge size, I must say access to information in Government is now being taken seriously. All the Ministries had stands at the exhibition and they all had literature detailing their respective mandates and service charters. The PR Officers assigned to each ministry were instrumental to the success of this event.
The Ministry of Information and Communications is also doing a lot more than we give them credit for. Watching the programs and documentaries televised on KBC, the national broadcaster, the Ministry is making an effort to create public awareness about important issues. During historical events, such as public holidays, KBC discusses their importance in great detail.
The Prime Ministers’ round table dinner held with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance is another laudable venture. This event has been held annually for the past two years. It is an opportunity for the members of the business community to voice their concerns on how Government operations affect economic development.
Moreover, the Office of Public Communications is much more than the propaganda tool the media often wants us to believe. Sure, it is a Government office and the Spokesman Dr. Mutua has made a few goofs but the idea is commendable; it’s the execution that is flawed. The trouble however with the practice of PR in Government is that there is a lot of political interference.
Back to Jefkin’s definition, first PR is meant to be deliberate. The Government’s efforts are definitely deliberate; no question about that. The second criterion is planning. This is questionable. The Government communicators may plan effectively in terms of logistics but their efforts lack strategic direction.
The final criterion is sustainability. The Government communications team has been consistent in its PR techniques such as the weekly press briefings that the Government Spokesman holds. Ministry officials have also opened up more to the media through press conferences and briefings. On the other hand, senior Government officials keep sending out conflicting messages that dampen its credibility. For the Government’s PR efforts to bear fruit, the officials must streamline their communication systems so that there is a clear structure for managing information. This will make Government PR sustainable.
All the Government Public Relations efforts are creditable, but more needs to be done. For instance, one major drawback of The Public Service Week was that it was held amid corruption allegations in many government circles.
For PR techniques such as these to be truly effective, the Government must “walk the talk.” PR is not meant to be a clean-up exercise like it has been practiced in Government. It is supposed to provide a platform for an organization to make itself known and understood among its stakeholders. |
